This chapter has been edited due to content. I edited a sex scene to plot relevant dialogue. If you want to see the unedited version GO HERE.
JORAH MORMONT
I was walking around Bear Island in my dream. In the skies there was a fierce battle between dragons and dragon-like creatures. It was chaotic in the skies. On the ground there was fighting but there was serenity to it. What was happening and who the enemy was was unclear to me. All that I knew was there was someplace I had to be.
The scenery blurred around me and Daenerys stood in front of me. There was a look of pure insanity in her eyes. There was a figure behind her. It felt ancient and familiar. Something was pulling me towards it. Suddenly there was no other desire in me than to connect with it. My hands reached out and a blinding pain overtook my body.
"Jorah!" Khaleesi cried out.
"Ah!" My mouth yelled.
I kept screaming for a few minutes until nothing came out. There had been many things in my life that would give me nightmares. Staining my House's name and all the horrors from the War for the Dawn were the greatest. This nightmare wasn't from anything I remembered. No great battle had occurred on Bear Island. Daenerys, who was lying beside me, had not turned mad like her father. It couldn't be a vision as I didn't experience those.
"Yes?" I managed to ask.
"What were you dreaming about?" Daenerys asked with worry thick in her voice.
"I can't explain it. I felt something."
I kissed her forehead gently. This didn't reassure her as she could clearly tell I was still shaken. If she went crazy, like in the dream, I would have to kill her. She trusted me the most and wouldn't expect me to betray her. That thought frigthened me nearly as much as the figure. There was a bond between me and it, of that I was sure. But what kind of bond?
"You're thinking about it." She said. "Try and explain it."
"It sickens me too much." I replied.
"I will love you no matter what you do. You are my king and husband."
It had been a beautiful thing when we had been married. Shortly after the Night King's defeat, we had been married. The joy of the ceremony and our survival, made us more passionate than usual in bed. Well, when we managed to make love in bed. Until one month after the wedding we had thought Daenerys was pregnant. But that hadn't been the case. Which turned out to be a good thing as Sarisa was enough to keep us busy.
"You went crazy in my dream." I said and then couldn't speak another word.
"I won't go mad." Daenerys reassured me. "If madness didn't overtake me while fighting the dead, I am sure to remain sane now."
"I know, it's just a nightmare."
I could say the words and know the nightmare would never happen. Yet it still haunted me and there was doubt if it would ever leave my mind. Maybe I would write Lyanna Mormont soon to make sure Bear Island wasn't in danger.
Daenerys took my hand and put it on one of her breasts.
"Relax, my sweet bear." Daenerys whispered.
We made love on the bed and by the fire place.
Before we could go for another round there was knocking on the door. We weren't children anymore and had long ago learned to control ourselves. That didn't mean it felt great as I went under the covers and she put on another night gown.
"Yes?" Daenerys asked politely as she opened the door.
The man that came in didn't bother asking for my wife's permission. He looked too mad to bother with that formality. Instead he took a seat by the fire place and looked at us. He was a worn out man that had fought beside me in the War for the Dawn. In those battles he had seemed nearly fearless.
On his face was irritation. His rudeness was to show us exactly how mad he was. He would forgo friendship and civility merely to make us understand his point of view. Daenerys looked at me and I did my best to be stoic. It was a sign to her to not play this man's game.
"What do you need to talk to us about?" Daenerys asked politely. "You are aware I could have you executed for insubordination?"
"You know very well what I need to talk about." The man nearly growled. "I know that if you were to have me executed, we wouldn't be talking. Your husband would have gotten out of bed to defend your honor."
"You were aware about the difficulties." I told the man. "You were aware our daughter is not the easiest person to deal with."
We had gone through so many tutors for our daughter. Sarisa was a girl with a dragon's spirit. She didn't understand there were rules that everyone had to follow. That she wasn't special merely because she was part of the royal family. She would obey myself and Daenerys the majority of the time, but any stranger she would show her disdain to.
"After facing the dead I thought I had fought the toughest battles." The man said with a chuckle. "Little did I know a small girl would be the death of me."
"Sarisa Targaryen is like a dragon." Daenerys replied. "We thought that you were strong enough to tame her."
"She does have your blood, Your Grace, and I fear I am not ready to ride a dragon. Maybe that is a battle I will never win."
While his voice sounded polite, his posture was anything but kind. He was still more than angry about whatever Sarisa had done. She would, again, have to be lectured about the correct ways to act. She was a fearless girl that needed to learn about reality. While there would be no great wars in her time, she could still be targeted due to her political position. Once she became queen she wouldn't be allowed a moment of error.
"Is there anyway we can compensate you?" Daenerys asked.
"My fees will be doubled and I will be paid that income for a year." The man replied.
"So we should empty the royal treasury for your benefit? You will be paid double for the days you have taught, we can afford that much. But there is one stipulation."
"And what is that?"
"You will say nothing bad of my daughter that leads to rebellion. If someone comes to kill her I will blame you."
The man's anger faltered slightly. My queen had two dragons at her disposal. She also had the allies that could help her kill the man if need be. She had helped defeat both Cersei Lannister and the dead. While Daenerys hadn't had a reason to fight, as of late, she still could.
"I will remember." He said and bowed.
He left quickly so as to not test his luck. He wouldn't be able to spend his money if he were locked up or dead. Daenerys looked at me and I knew she was angry. If he hadn't helped fight the dead I wouldn't have defended him. My queen got under the covers and put her head on my chest.
"He shouldn't have acted like that." Daenerys said. "What will people think?"
"They will know you are forgiving to those who help you win." I replied after a moment of thought. "They will also know that you are not frightened under stress. He knew that if I had not liked his presence, he would've been greatly injured or dead."
"They will target you."
"I am a king, my love, being targeted is nothing strange. Any royal family has to be careful of traitors and assassins."
If the man hadn't fought beside me, he wouldn't have been treated so leniently. There had been more than one time that he had kept me from dying. The next time he tried to act rudely, though, it would be as if he were a stranger to me. For a few minutes Daenerys and I remained in silence.
"It would have been amusing to see you fight in the nude." Daenerys said with a chuckle.
"If he survived the encounter, he would have a story to tell." I agreed and smiled. "You do not mess lightly with people who are willing to fight naked."
It was another hour until we got out of bed. Sarisa was with Tyrion who had been in the middle of a very inappropriate story. He looked at us and there was no shame in his eyes. The only emotion there was amusement. He was well aware that none of us would reprimand him. I had tried many years ago but to no avail.
"Mother!" She yelled and jumped into Khaleesi's arms.
Our daughter was very wild at times. Yet in moments like these I couldn't believe that she was so uncontrollable. She appeared like a peaceful child and yet the truth was known to me. After Sarisa was done embracing Daenerys, she ran to me. My arms went around her and picked her up. Her small arms went around my neck.
It had never occurred to me that I would have a child. That hope had died with my first two wives. It had also never occurred to me that Daenerys would get pregnant again. After Sarisa was done embracing me, she went off with one of the maids to get breakfast.
"I heard you lost another tutor." Tyrion said with a chuckle and shake of his head.
"She is a wild one." I replied. "We will go through all of Westeros and Essos before we find one that suits her."
"We might have a chance if we look in Sothoryos."
We started to walk around the Red Keep. Although I had been joking, the possibility that we wouldn't be able to find a suitor always ate away at my mind. Daenerys had gone through her allies to find tutors. When we couldn't find any tutor that way, we had gone through everyone we knew. Or, at least, everyone who had been suggested to us. There were more tutors left but news of the uncontrollable Sarisa had spread.
"Maybe you could tutor our daughter, Tyrion." Daenerys suggested. "She seems to admire and listen to you. You might be the only chance we have at getting a tutor."
"Times must be desperate if you want me to tutor Sarisa." Tyrion replied. "Though it would be an honor to have such a responsibility, I am Hand of the Queen. There are already too many things for me to look after."
"Is that fear I hear in your voice?" I asked.
Tyrion glared at me and then let out a chuckle. Birds were flying and singing their songs. Spring was a time of birth and joy. At least if you were a commoner. Then you wouldn't have to worry about your daughter getting the knowledge to rule. If Sarisa failed then the Six Kingdoms would be weakened.
"Maybe you both should tutor her." Tyrion said. "That's what it will come to if we do not find a tutor for Sarisa."
I had knowledge gained by many years of study. Yet I didn't trust myself to teach my daughter. It would be better if a maester would come down. But after the war there were not enough maesters to go around. A very young one served the Iron Throne. A maester so young that he hadn't fully completed his training.
The dead had taken a toll on the living. They hadn't just destroyed the castles and rulers, they had made society go into chaos. Luckily there had been strong leaders so that after the war there was peace. Those maesters in training that were deemed the wisest were allowed to continue in their training. After the wisest were sufficiently trained the others would be admitted back.
"Maybe we can get Samwell Tarly." I suggested.
"If we are to get a maester I'll suggest waiting until an older one is available." Tyrion replied as if I hadn't said anything. "Right now none of worth are allowed outside the Citadel."
"And what is wrong with Samwell?"
"He has taken up the role as head of his House in Horn Hill. He tends to spend his days with Gilly and his work. Every year he travels to be with his son."
I nodded. Even though the man was more than trustworthy, it wouldn't do to disturb his peace. He had more than earned that right. If not for him the War for the Dawn would've turned out differently. More lives would have been lost. Maybe I could visit him for thoughts of how to teach Sarisa if it came to that.
"I need to go now." Tyrion said with an exaggerated bow. "My duty calls to me."
"He merely wants to get some drinking done before the day truly starts." I said under my breath as he walked away.
Daenerys smiled and nodded. Tyrion was wise and a good fit for Hand of the Queen, but his love for wine had never gone away. Recently he had sanctioned off certain times of day for drinking. Some days could get extremely busy and he had to be preapred for that.
"Do you remember your dream now?" Daenerys asked.
"I will always remember it." I admitted. "There was a being that was ancient and it called out to me."
"Maybe we could have our maester research it?"
"No need for him to be kept busy with silly dreams."
It would be embarrassing for me to take Khaleesi's suggestion. I was the King of the South. I had fought in the War for the Dawn. I had helped guide Daenerys from obscurity to a force to be reckoned with. If a maester were kept busy because I had a bad dream, then my honor would be tainted.
"I know what you're thinking right now." Daenerys sighed.
"Do you?" I asked.
"You didn't have a bad dream. You have never had a nightmare like that in the past. Your dream means something. It must be a vision."
"I am a Mormont. We do not have visions."
"Maybe it isn't a common thing, but I am sure some of your House must have been contacted by the gods."
We looked at each other and then I turned away. Maybe it was a vision. Maybe it was something else. In any case it wasn't something I wanted to think about ever again.
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