*
Jon entered the open space where the parlay was set to begin. They had reached the large tent just in time to escape the storm that had the soldiers standing around the perimeter soaked through in mere moments. He shivered involuntarily when his thoughts flew to those they had left behind at the treeline. His eyes scanned the tent that some Baratheon men were trying to seal off to keep out the harsh wind and rain after they had all entered. Apparently it had been the intention of Stannis Baratheon to hold the negotiations in an open tent but the storm that had swept inland faster than expected made his very impractical. Even now with the flaps all lowered, the noise of the rainstorm hitting the cloth would make it hard for the men to make themselves heard.
Just when the handful of Baratheon soldiers had taken up position in all corners of the tent, there was a large clap of thunder. Jon kept himself stiff and did not react. He exchanged glances with Davos who flanked his right and Ser Gerold who had taken up position next to Davos. Then he turned to his left to nod at Ser Arthur before fixing a steady gaze upon the table behind which two men had already been seated when they were allowed entrance. Stannis Baratheon had politely risen to his feet but Euron had only done so after his ally had urged him to nonverbally at least twice.
It was the first time that Jon encountered Lord Stannis of House Baratheon in person. He had heard many descriptions but now that he could see with his own eyes that Stannis Baratheon indeed had all the appearance of a stern, bitter man, he understood a bit better how men could prefer to follow a better looking if somewhat empty-headed Lord Renly instead of his older brother. There was some resemblance with Gendry. Stannis Baratheon was broad-shouldered, blue eyed and his hair at one time could have been as dark as Gendry's. Now it was streaked with grey. Unlike Gendry, the man had a tight face, hollow cheeks and thin pale lips. His heavy brows took away any charm that his blue eyes could lend him had they not stared coldly at the world. His chin was clean shaven and the Lord didn't move a muscle when Jon, Davos and the two Kingsguards that had been allowed to follow him to the location of the parlay had stopped before the three chairs that had been put there for them. The wooden chairs faced the table behind which Stannis and Euron now stood upright but they were positioned in such a way that both parties were twelve feet apart. Apart from the handful of Baratheon guards still present inside the large tent, Jon knew that the immediate area around the tent was guarded by a mix of at least twenty heavily armed Ironborn and Baratheon guards.
Euron Greyjoy grinned smugly at Jon when their eyes met. Without his distinctive armour, Jon barely recognised the man that he had almost eviscerated moons ago when he decimated the Ironborn fleet at the Stony Shore. Jon had difficulty to remain calm while they all sized each other up. Euron Greyjoy's only eye shone with malice and he curled his lips in a deliberate smirk. His left eye was covered by a black patch. When he looked closer, he noticed that the Ironborn's lips had a blue tinge. He made a mental note to ask Davos if he knew what could cause such a thing. Euron Greyjoy was a little shorter than Stannis but it was obvious that the Ironborn was by far the more unpredictable and therefore the more dangerous opponent.
"We meet again, dragonrider. Not so formidable now are you?" The tone of Euron's voice matched the arrogant smugness radiating from his entire person.
Stannis threw his ally a cold look. Amazingly enough Euron demurred and kept silent although it didn't prevent his one eye from taunting Jon the entire time. Stannis Baratheon started the formal introductions. "I am King Stannis of House Baratheon the First of my Name and I heard that you are already familiar with my ally, Lord Euron of House Greyjoy, the ruler of the Iron Islands and admiral of the Iron Fleet."
Jon signalled Davos to perform their part of the courtesies. Davos took a small step forward and his voice sounded as calm and courteous as if they were in the throne room of the Red Keep making new acquaintances. "May I present, King Aegon of House Targaryen the Sixth of his Name, Ser Gerold and Ser Arthur of his Kingsguard. I am Lord Davos of House Seaworth, Hand of his Grace. Your brother, Lord Renly of House Baratheon and the rest of our party were forced to stay behind."
Stannis Baratheon gritted his teeth when Davos mentioned Jon's title even if Davos had kept it simple, only using the shortened version. Davos returned to his previous position between Ser Gerold and his King. The four men had opted to stay standing before the three chairs. No fourth chair had been offered and no request for them to sit down had been uttered as of yet. Both parties continued to gaze at each other. Euron Greyjoy kept trying to unnerve the young Targaryen by staring at him without pause, ignoring the presence of his entourage.
The silence drew on as Jon and his three companions stood rigidly before the three empty chairs. Ser Arthur and Ser Gerold had drawn a bit nearer after Davos fell silent even if they all knew that both knights' presence was just a courtesy and the two White Cloaks could only offer moral support. As soon as their small delegation flying the white banners had emerged from the forest, a large group of Baratheon soldiers had forced them to a stop. Only Jon and his Hand had been told to dismount so they could approach the meeting place on foot. They had also had been ordered to leave their swords and daggers behind.
A tense debate had ensued and in the end, Davos and two of the four Kingsguard had been allowed to accompany him if they agreed to leave their weapons behind. A highly insulted Lord Renly had almost botched things up when he insisted that his attendance was paramount. The Baratheon soldier in charge had stated that if one more objection was uttered, no one but the Targaryen usurper would be allowed to attend the parlay. Not wanting to be forced to leave his Hand and the two Kingsguard behind, Jon had silenced Renly Baratheon with a cold look. He had calmly addressed the spokesperson and stated that either he would attend the parlay accompanied by his Hand, Lord Seaworth and Ser Gerold and Ser Arthur of the Kingsguard or he would turn around right here and now. The only thing left for the Baratheon men would then be to explain to their Liege Lord why they returned empty handed and a vast army would attack at first light.
And so, Jon had left Ser Oswell, Ser Rayford and a very dismayed Lord Renly of House Baratheon behind near the treeline guarding the horses and the famed swords. Jon had gritted his teeth when he had been given no other choice than to tie Ghost to a large tree and order his direwolf to comply for now and stay there for the entire duration of the parlay.
"You came with an army and two dragons. You can't fault us for taking matters in our own hands and taking some precautions." Stannis opened the parlay. "All our actions during these last few days were necessary to ensure that we can discuss terms in a productive manner and make sure that we have your undivided attention."
"I trust the Queen is unharmed?" Davos' calm voice managed to sound polite enough and Jon thanked the Gods for having the man by his side. Even if he and Davos had gotten into a bitter argument before coming here, there was no one he trusted as much as Davos. As if Davos sensed his thoughts, the older man moved an inch closer so their arms almost touched. Jon fought the urge to lean into him. They had discussed at length how to act during the parlay and had prepared for countless possibilities. One of their strategies was that Jon would let Davos speak for him as much as possible and most certainly when they discussed Daenerys's fate unless Stannis Baratheon ordered Jon to speak up in person. In that instance he would oblige his enemy since it would be perceieved as a sign of weakness if he refused.
"Princess Daenerys of House Targaryen is my guest. Of course she is unharmed." Stannis Baratheon bristled. "I am a man of honour. As I said before, you forced my hand when you came here with a large army and two dragons."
Jon noticed the cold look Baratheon threw Greyjoy and knew their speculations most likely were correct. It had not been Stannis' intention to take the Queen hostage. He had scanned the environment but had yet to see a sign of either Viserion or Dany. The dragon would probably be held in one of the caves on the Stormlands' side of the border near the beach. He hoped Dany might be sequestered nearby in a tent, safe from the elements and adequately fed. Last night he and his advisers had debated until deep into the night and Jon prayed that one of their strategies would pay off. They had done all they could to be prepared for every scenario. Several options had already been taken away from them when he had not only needed to leave Ghost but also two of his Kingsguard behind at the spot where they had been ordered to dismount. The fact that he had also been forced to leave Renly Baratheon behind didn't bother him at all. If anything, he was glad not to have to deal with another variable.
They had debated the possibility that one of Stannis Baratheon's terms would be to surrender his brother to him on the spot. Now it looked like Lord Renly was of as little consequence to his brother as he was to Jon. Restraining Ghost on the soldiers' orders had been much more difficult. Jon was still haunted by the memory of Ghost's frustrated red eyes when he had asked silently not to resist while he tied him to the tree. Doing so had sabotaged one of their major strategies. Jon had counted on Ghost to sneak around the camp and if possible search the caves on the beach and not only look for Dany and Viserion but also for their anonymous ally who most probably was none other than the red priestess. If only Ghost had been willing to travel separately but after what had happened to Dany, Ghost had not allowed to let his human go off on his own. When Stannis Baratheon turned his attention to Jon to gauge his reaction, he answered the man's stare, refusing to blink or show any weakness.
"We also had to take our precautions when we agreed to attend a parlay on your territory, Lord Baratheon." Jon saw the man narrow his eyes at the appellation. "You have your own army and the Iron Fleet here and if I am not mistaken, I scouted ships carrying the sigil of the Golden Company as well. To the West, a large army flying the banners of the Huntsman of House Tarly has gathered. House Tyrell swears that Lord Randyll of House Tarly has not heeded their call to arms so I can only surmise that he is a traitor and is here to support you."
"He is not a traitor. Lord Randyll of House Tarly is one of the few bannermen of the Reach loyal to his True King. You are nothing but a Usurper." Stannis spit out that last word.
"Insults will get us nowhere." Again Davos' calm voice tried to ease the animosity. "Let's get on with this parlay, shall we? First we would like to see proof that Queen Daenerys is alive and unharmed. Then we will listen to your terms."
Stannis nodded to two guards and they disappeared. "We may as well start since it will take a while for them to return with Princess Daenerys of House Targaryen. You have my word that she will appear before long since I asked for her to be fetched the moment my men spotted your party approaching the border."
Davos nodded. Jon just clenched his teeth and waited for Lord Baratheon to state his terms. He had never imagined he could feel so powerless and still manage to put on a show of strength. He was sure he would not have managed it if not for an unexpected development. It had been very fortuitous last night that their own scouts had brought them a message some time before the Stannis-Greyjoy ultimatum arrived. If not for that fact, Jon was sure he would not have been able to keep it together when they discussed their meagre options now that Dany's survival had become a major bargaining chip.
As it was, he had still ripped the small scroll out of the Baratheon soldier's hands and had almost torn it in two in his haste to read its content. It had stated that Princess Daenerys of House Targaryen was a guest of King Stannis and that the parlay was still to take place on the morrow when sun would reach the zenith. Any endeavour to trespass on Stormland territory before the time of the parlay would be regarded as high treason for which the Princess would pay with her life. If not for the other message that had arrived beforehand, Jon would was certain that he would have lost it then and there, even if that meant that the commanders that were all present and in the midst of discussing their current predicament would have witnessed his weakness and all Jon's efforts to have them see a King instead of a green lovesick boy when they looked at him would be nullified.
"The following are my terms." Stannis Baratheon spoke with authority. "The Seven Kingdoms will split into two dominions. Euron Greyjoy will rule the North, the Iron Islands and all the islands west of the mainland. You will all recognise me as the rightful heir of my brother, the late King Robert of House Baratheon. That pitiful abdication that he signed under threat on his deathbed will be declared null and void." Stannis now turned his head slightly to look at Jon to the exclusion of all others. "You will surrender the Iron Throne to me and I will execute you for treason. I will allow your kin and closest entourage to leave the Seven Kingdoms alive. They can conquer Essos for all I care. House Baratheon will rule everything south of the Neck. And of course, Princess Shireen will be returned to my care, unharmed."
Jon exchanged a look with Davos indicating that his Hand could respond as planned.
Davos took a small step forward. "There are several flaws with this declaration, my Lord. First of all, either you are a novice at politics or you are swindling your ally." Davos fixed his stare on the Ironborn when he continued. He could lower his voice substantially because the rain had lessened substantially and no longer made much noise when it hit the roof or their makeshift meeting room. "Last I heard your niece, Lady Yara of House Greyjoy rules over the Iron Islands and will not welcome her uncle on her dominion anytime soon. But more importantly, there is no way that Lord Greyjoy can declare himself King of the North. House Stark has ruled the North for thousands of years and all the houses in that Kingdom are fiercely loyal to the Starks. Even if that were not the case, not a single northern Lord would willingly kneel to an Ironborn. Next there is the fact that you offer us nothing so you already know that we cannot accept these terms. But then, if this is really a parlay and not a mummery of one, then these conditions are by no means final terms but merely an opening statement and we can start the negotiations in good order to reach a compromise."
A commotion made the men look to their right. Two soldiers were removing a flap of the tent giving the men the opportunity to look outside. Dany stood twenty feet away flanked by two soaked through soldiers wearing the sigil of the stag engulfed in flames. Her hair was wet and clung to her forehead. When they removed the thick fur that they had used to keep her as dry as possible, he saw her shiver when the drizzle wet her skin. It also revealed her hands that were bound in front of her. He noticed that she still wore the same clothes even if they were dirty and her right sleeve was torn. Her braids were no longer pinned together but the fact that her hair was still partially braided helped him believe that they had not harmed her much. Perhaps Stannis Baratheon had not lied after all when he proclaimed to have some degree of honour left. He repressed a shudder when he saw the dirty cloth they had stuffed into her mouth to prevent her from speaking and moved his head slightly.
"As you can see, the Princess is alive and unharmed." Euron's smug voice broke the silence. "My fair Lady, have you been violated by any of us?" He called out to her.
As soon as Daenerys shook her head, Stannis gestured for his guards to cover her up again and take her away. "I am a man of my word." Was all he uttered after that dishonourable display.
Jon had to use every ounce of self-control that he possessed not to run after her. The small acknowledgement that she had given him in response to his covert gesture helped him keep his face blank but he knew that he hadn't fooled his enemy completely. Even if he kept stiff and silent, they probably recognised the haunted look in his eyes that was the only outward sign of the rage that was warring with feelings of despair in his mind. Euron Greyjoy chose that moment to provoke him by pretending to wipe away a fake tear.
Jon startled unexpectedly and touched Davos' hand who coughed two times to pass on the prearranged signal to end the negotiations.
Stannis Baratheon had missed the small exchange because he had been busy glaring at Euron Greyjoy for taunting Jon. The cough however made him look at Davos and the self-proclaimed King rose to his feet. "You have it wrong, Lord Seaworth. I did offer you something, the safe return of a Princess of noble blood and a royal pardon for everyone except this Usurper. My terms are non-negotiable. I'll give you one day to consider my proposal." He made a show of looking the three men that had accompanied Jon in the eyes one by one to make sure that they all knew it was them he was addressing and not their so-called King. "If you do not bring this false King to me in chains by noon tomorrow, I will know how to act and will consider everyone this Targaryen pretender brought south with him a traitor to my Crown. Take note that at that point it will be too late for any of you to apply to me for mercy. We will capture as many of you and your army as we can alive. I intend to offer up the petty souls of all who deny me my birthright to the Lord of Light."
Stannis Baratheon paused and circled around the table. He approached Jon until they were no more than three feet apart. A slight hand gesture from Jon to his Kingsguard ordered them not to react. Stannis Baratheon's cold gaze met Jon's. The Baratheon repeated his terms this time addressing Jon exclusively. "Your unconditional surrender, in exchange for the life of your Lady and all your subjects, boy. You have till noon tomorrow to give yourself up. You can save all of them or doom them. Either way, a member of House Targaryen will have been offered to R'hllor before the sun sets tomorrow evening."
Jon needed all his strength not to move a muscle and keep silent. One of their strategies had been successfully put into motion and he needed to stick to the plan and play his part to avoid suspicion, no matter how difficult it was to keep up the pretense of indifference. Staring Stannis down with unconcealed loathing but not saying a word, he wondered whether Robert Baratheon would have recognised the brother he grew up with when confronted with this ice cold fanatic that burned people alive without the slightest feeling of remorse.
Davos spoke up now. Although still calm, his Hand spoke up with more authority now. "This is no parlay. You might as well have simply declared war on the Seven Kingdoms. You have not let us voice our terms. Are you seriously considering making a martyr of the son of Prince Rhaegar? Do you really believe that in doing so you will not be giving all the noble houses the perfect excuse to rebel against you? As Prince Rhaegar's heir, he is beloved by many nobles and the smallfolk revere him. At the very least offer Aegon Targaryen the option of exile or the Wall."
Euron who had slowly approached his ally took another step forward so he loomed over Davos but his head turned sideways to Jon. "By all means, boy, reject our terms. At noon tomorrow, it will be my pleasure to set the silver white dragon loose on you all but not before I order him to reduce your barren whore to ashes. And if you are so stupid as to send in the green dragon, we will enslave him as well." Euron Greyjoy relished the reaction on everyone's faces. Even Stannis had paled.
At first Jon just stared at Euron and kept silent. When he was sure that he could speak up without a tremor in his voice he turned his head away from the Ironborn and confronted Stannis who had not moved away and still stood close by facing him. "How can you still claim to be a man of honour when you are allied with such a vile creature? How can you delude yourself into believing that anyone can still consider you honourable and fit to be crowned King when you have burned your own kin alive to appease and worship a foreign deity? Nobody respects a kinslayer."
He took a deep breath and spoke loud and clear so every Baratheon and Ironborn soldier standing outside in the vicinity of the tent could overhear his next words. "Stannis Baratheon, if word reaches me that my Queen is harmed during her imprisonment, you and all those who stand with you will become familiar with the words of my House. Mark the threat that I will utter next for I will make good on it. I, King Aegon, the Sixth of my Name, King of the Andals, the Rhoynar, and the First men, Lord of the Seven Kingdoms, Protector of the Realm, The Prince of Dragonstone, Rider of Dragons and Friend of the Free Folk, will personally come for you with Fire and Blood." He turned around and left without sparing another glance at either man.
Davos and his Kingsguard fell into step. As soon as they reached their horses, Jon untied a soaking wet Ghost and put his head against the direwolf so they could help each other calm down and he could thank Ghost for sticking to the plan. Davos gave him a moment and exchanged a few whispered words with Ser Arthur. Next, Ser Rayford helped Jon mount his horse that Ser Oswell held at the ready. Jon complied without protest and only nodded to Davos to let him know he was aware of the message that Ser Rayford had slipped into his pocket. His guards looked tolerably well and mostly dry. Jon reckoned they had either found shelter before the storm hit or they had used the cloth of the small tent they had brought to shield their little group from the most violent part of the rainstorm. Recognizant of the supervision of the Baratheon soldiers, they kept their faces neutral and without exchanging another word they all quickly spurred their horses. With the direwolf leading the way, they soon disappeared from view and sped back to their side of the border. When they were at a safe distance Jon halted his horse and took out the message. Davos nodded encouragingly at him when Jon tucked it away again and as one they resumed their race to their camp.
Jon was filled with purpose when he dismounted close to the spot where Rhaegal lay in the sand in the exact same position where he had left him. Only Ser Arthur and Davos had followed him out on the beach. The others had been given orders to head for the encampment. Since most of his commanders had been up all night perfecting the strategy for a surprise attack, Davos had let them spread the order to rest till dusk when they would gather again to hold one last meeting before they would launch their offensive.
Jon used both hands to rub Rhaegal's scales beneath his right eye until the dragon opened it and acknowledged his human. Rhaegal blinked a few times and Jon studied the eye closely. The blood had receded for the most part. His dragon confirmed his findings sharing with his human that his eyesight was almost back to normal. He had no further news to share. Rhaegal had failed to communicate with Viserion all this time. The attempts were no longer painful but there was just no response. It was as if his brother no longer existed. Or at the very least, the link between them had been severed completely. Rhaegal was in a state of mourning. Jon needed several attempts to get through to him.
He repeated two times that he had proof that Viserion was still alive and that the reason they could not feel him was because the enemy kept him shielded from them by magic. Jon and his armies would soon make an attempt to rescue Viserion as well as Daenerys. Jon just had to finalize his plans but he couldn't execute them without the support of a dragon. Jon pleaded with Rhaegal not to lose faith since he and his armies counted on the mighty dragon to help them. He repeated more than once that without Rhaegal's support, his brilliant plan was sure to fail.
A bit later the three men left the beach and headed back to the camp. Davos led Jon inside the small tent that he had shared with Dany for only one night and handed him a cup of wine. The young King took the object before him automatically without registering what it was.
"Thank the Gods that the priestess got a message to our party near the treeline." He repeated the words that had been circling around his mind while he had been racing back to his side of the border. His eyes were filled with hope when Davos nodded encouragingly. The unexpected ally, who had contacted them earlier and advised them not to give in but stall for time during the parlay, had indeed found a way to contact them again. Ghost had alerted his human the moment that had happened and Jon's cough had in turn informed Davos that they could end the simulacrum of a parlay.
"While we were away, the others studied the drawing we received yesterday in more detail. Thoros held the small scroll in front of the fire and discovered a hidden message. It confirms the rumours. Euron Greyjoy has indeed found a magical horn, a dragonbinder in the ruins of Old Valyria. Even if for now they succeeded in detaining Viserion, the dragon is fighting the magic. If we can believe the content of this message, it has proven more difficult than they imagined getting Viserion to do their bidding. The good news is that Viserion is resisting. The bad news is that he doesn't look well."
Jon stared at Davos' hands that held the drawing with a frustrated look in his eyes. "I wish Sam were here with his books. Isn't there anything in that message that actually helps us? What use is it to know how they did it if we do not know how to stop them from doing it again? Is there something else hidden on these scrolls, some secret code we have yet to detect and decipher? Why doesn't it contain a plan for rescuing Dany? Why doesn't it tell us how to safeguard Viserion from this magic?"
Davos handed him the scroll again. "We can work with this, son. If we combine both messages, we know enough. For example, we know exactly where Greyjoy will stand at the ready with the horn tomorrow at noon and that until that time, he will keep it hidden deep inside a cave."
Jon nodded slowly and studied the scroll again and took a deep breath. "You're right. This knowledge heightens our chances during a surprise attack. He will need time to fetch the horn from its hiding place. Rhaegal and I might get to him before he gets to the horn. Besides, Rhaegal and I know what we are up against now. I have faith that the both of us will be strong enough to block out the signal before it reaches our ears and minds."
Davos nodded but looked worried all the same. "Thoros is not sure but suspects that destroying the horn will free an enslaved dragon. Except, the damned thing is made from the horn of a dragon and held together with bands of Valyrian steel. See?" His finger pointed at a certain part of the drawing. "They fear that nothing short of dragonfire might be enough to destroy it."
"If only I had more proof that our secret ally truly can keep Dany safe as she claims until we can save her." He unrolled the tiny scroll again that had been smuggled into the hands of Ser Rayford while he patrolled the area where Ghost, the horses and the others had been ordered to stay behind during the parlay. "Davos, light another candle, if you will?" He all but ordered his Hand. Davos hurried to comply and both men watched with growing excitement as another sentence lit up. The words were written closely together in the upper left corner of the scroll. Jon adjusted his grip to be able to read the first two words.
"Have faith." Jon read out loud. "The flames predict that the Queen will survive. Search for us with with red eyes when the night is darkest. Why in heavens' name did she hide that sentence?" Jon had trouble to stay calm and the words rushed out. "This is good news, isn't it? Bran and Lord Reed had the right of it. The Red Priestess is to be trusted. She truly had a change of heart. Varys also guessed correctly. Melisandre is still in the Stormlands, hiding in plain sight. If she is the one that is helping us, watching over Dany until we can get to her ..," Jon took a deep breath. "Davos, Melisandre is rumoured to be very powerful. Thoros told us that more than once. If she is with Dany, by the Old Gods, we will save her and bring them both of them to safety. I'll leave with Ghost immediately. I must search for her with red eyes. I need to warg."
"Not yet, son. Safe your energy. Rest first. She specifically told you to do so when the night is darkest. At least do the same as we advised our forces. Assure that you are fit when the time is there to act. Rest until dusk."
"Your Grace?" Ser Gerold, who had stood guard before the entrance of the tent had been following the entire conversation. He now entered, demanding his King's attention. "Lord Seaworth is right. Leave it to us to make sure that your commanders will be ready to launch the attack at a moment's notice as soon as it is dark. Everything will be ready to proceed as planned. I sent the agreed upon signals to our allies already. Get some rest. You haven't slept since the Queen and Viserion got taken. Davos and I promise to wake you before dusk falls. You will have most of the night to scout the border with Ghost or warg into a night owl or something."
Jon shook his head. "How can I sleep while Dany is their prisoner? And I still need to read some of the messages that have arrived. Or were you intending on keeping more news from me?"
Davos at least had the decency to look guilty. "In my defense, I acted with the best intentions. You were distraught enough already and the news that I withheld from you had no influence on our strategy for the parlay. I needed you to keep it together."
"And I kept it together despite learning about the death of my foster-grandmother and being mad at you on top of that. You should have more faith in me." Jon accused his Hand, remembering how betrayed he had felt to be treated like a child by his Hand just this morning.
"And I will next time. This won't happen again, your Grace." Davos sounded contrite. "You have my word. You know that giving you my word is sacred to me. I'll never be disloyal to you. Son, I swear that you can still trust me."
"Of course I still do trust you, Davos. I wouldn't have let you lead the negotiations if I didn't still trust you implicitly. I kind of understand why you did it. I'm sorry that I yelled at you this morning."
"You're nerves are on edge, son. These are difficult times. You kept it together when it counted most. I'd rather you lost your composure with me than in the company of that drugged Ironborn and the deluded Baratheon."
"Drugged?" Jon asked. "Wait, the blue lips?"
Davos nodded. "Shade of the evening. A highly addictive substance. It is rumoured that one of its many side effects is bringing its user ecstasy by creating delusions but it is also said to enhance its user's violent tendencies by creating paranoia and at the same times numbing his conscience. And as you will have guessed, the potion's colour is blue hence the nasty colour of Greyjoy's lips.
Davos handed him a plate that had been brought in by one of the King's squires. "Eat something, son and finish your wine. I promise to bore you to sleep with all the tedious details of the status reports I received from the capital." Davos was not in favour of spiking a young man's drink with a light sedative but his King had been up for almost two days straight and was perhaps half a day away from participating in a major battle. Forcing him to rest was for the greater good. He was relieved when Jon took up a piece of chicken and swallowed his first bite, be it with some difficulty.
***
The previous day
When she closed her eyes she could still feel the wind howling in her ears when Viserion had descended toward the beach. She became nauseous again when she remembered how tight she had needed to hold on in order not to fall off. Despite being in a state of shock, panic perhaps being the better term, she had succeeded in staying on the dragon's back. The only time she had been able to lift her head and search the skies for Aegon and Rhaegal, she had only seen a dark spot high up flying further away from her. She had still been processing what she had seen and had barely reacted when Viserion had landed and lowered himself sideways so she had been left no choice than to roll off and make sure she landed in such a way that she did not hurt herself overly much. She could barely grasp that she had been abandoned by Aegon let alone th situation she was in now. Rough hands had gripped her while she had been covering her ears that still hurt from Viserion's agonising screeches and the lingering memory of that high pitched sound that still kept echoing in her head when she recalled the first moments of her capture.
She turned her head slowly from left to right and tried to discern more details of her temporary prison. It still was too dark to discover anything more than she already had. The only thing she knew was that she was in some sort of cave. Cave was perhaps too generous a word. It was a narrow corridor and they had dropped her at the end of it where it widened slightly before it ended altogether. She could not stand. If she sat on her knees and straightened her upper body, her braids almost touched the ceiling. Discouraged she sat down again. If not for the soft breeze that told her that at least fresh air could reach her, she would have been in a state of panic for being held in such a dark confined space while she heard the thunder boom outside. As things stood, she was proud that she still had her wits about her. She had come to the conclusion that she was extremely lucky that they had instantly recognized her for the high profile hostage that she was. She was certain that if that were not the case, she would already have been hurt, raped or killed outright by those vile Ironborn. Some of them had looked at her as if they were still considering it despite being explicitly ordered not to harm her.
Luckily for her, the very moment that some Ironborn had grabbed her, Viserion had started to lash out to the men that were approaching him. And the cowards who had grabbed her had loosened their grip enough for some soldiers wearing the sigil of a crowned stag engulfed in flames to pull her to the side. A man who she figured to be Lord Stannis of House Baratheon or one of his commanders had ordered the soldiers to drag her away from the scene. As far as she knew, Viserion hadn't even noticed that she was being hauled off to this dark hole somewhere on the edge of the beach.
She smacked her lips. She was thirsty. Her lips were chapped from wetting and biting them and she dried them with the remnants of her sleeve. Even though she had hardly put up any resistance, they had not been gentle and torn her outfit where they had gripped it at the collar and the soldier who had grabbed her right arm had succeeded in tearing of her right sleeve almost entirely.
Daenerys sighed and wondered what they would do to Viserion. She did not need a bond with the dragon to realise that the mighty creature had been in excruciating pain. She remembered how Aegon had often told her of how the dragons considered themselves to be vastly superior to any living being and not just because of their sheer size, strength and fire breathing ability but because they were convinced that they were far smarter than the most intelligent human. It must have hurt like hell to Viserion to have his free will taken away like that.
Because that was the only explanation for what had happened earlier. Both dragons had been affected by that piercing sound. There was no doubt in Dany's mind. Else, Aegon would never have abandoned her that fast. She could still hear him shouting at Rhaegal but the dragon had flown away and just like that all her chances of avoiding capture had left with them. Aegon had actually abandoned her. Her eyes threatened to fill with tears once more but she pushed them back. Tears would not help her. She had not been given anything to eat or drink and would have to be careful not to weaken herself further by spilling any kind of liquids voluntarily. Only the Gods knew what the enemy had in store for her. The Gods, could she truly believe that they had any influence here? They had made them believe they would have at least three descendants. How could you have grandchildren if you did not at least bear one healthy child? If Aegon didn't comply with their demands tomorrow, she had no doubt that they would make an example of her and would make her suffer one of the cruellest deaths they could think of. Vision or not, if she died, there would be no grandchildren. Suddenly the realisation struck her. Aegon could still have children with someone else. She tried to stop this train of thought. It would do her no good to speculate about possible ways for Aegon to still have descendants without her. It would only make her lose hope, lose her composure. It was important that she would not let the enemy detect any weakness in a member of House Targaryen.
She woke up a bit later and brushed the dirt of the cheek that had rested on the ground. It amazed her that she had managed to fall asleep at all. Her next thought was of Aegon and she wondered what he was doing now. She had been here for so long already. She figured the night had come and gone by now. Her best guess was that it was early morning of the day the parlay had been set to take place at noon. Originally, that is. Perhaps Aegon would refuse to show up now or perhaps a parlay was no longer necessary and Stannis Baratheon had issued an ultimatum to surrender. She startled when she saw a flickering light.
Two guards turned the corner and now stood in her line of sight. The first one was carrying a torch, the second one a pitcher and a piece of bread on a plate. She relaxed slightly. It did not look like they meant her any harm but she retreated until her back was firmly against the wall and watched them wearily. The one carrying the torch stayed back, the other one crouched down to be able to get a bit closer and put the items he had been carrying down in front of her.
"Eat." He ordered. "We'll be back soon."
"Back for what?" She found the courage to ask.
"Back to fetch you. Your coward of a husband will want to receive proof that you are alive before he surrenders. Our King promised to burn him alive using the fire of his former dragon. Fire and blood." He all but spit the words and turned around.
Dany looked at them. She would have bet that the one carrying the torch winked at her in a creepy manner. She shivered. Things were far worse than she had surmised. Still it would not do to faint when she was brought out to look upon Aegon's dear face for what might very well be the last time. She reached for the pitcher of water and was pleasantly surprised to find that the water was fresh and tasted all right. She tentatively took a bite of the lump of bread and almost moaned out loud. It was freshly baked. She finished it in no time. Even if her stomach still felt a bit queasy she swallowed the entire contents of the pitcher and felt a bit better. Perhaps Aegon had a plan. Perhaps the soldiers were only bluffing hoping to get her to break down in tears and beg for mercy. She forced herself to believe that her life would not end here, not today. As long as the both of them were still alive, she refused to give up hope.
She swallowed and her resolve grew. It didn't have to end here for House Targaryen. She would just have to find the courage to do what she had to do. If it came to it, she needed to find a way to persuade Aegon to sacrifice her and bring the fight to Stannis Baratheon. Now that she considered that scenario, cold sweat broke out. There was no way that Aegon would just surrender and let the Seven Kingdoms suffer at the hands of a fanatic who burned people alive for the sake of saving one life. Even if her death would haunt him for the rest of his days, he would never forsake his people for the sake of his own happiness. That was one of the things she loved about him.
Her nausea returned. This could very well be her last day. Either Aegon would not show up for the parlay signing her death sentence or he would and she would have to find a way to let him know that it was all right to give her up and do what was best for the Seven Kingdoms. She started shaking and had to swallow the food down that had risen to the back her throat. She blinked the tears away that had stubbornly reappeared again. She crossed her legs and closed her eyes. If ever there was a time to pray to the Gods it was now. She took a few deep breaths and tried to calm the chaos and panic in her mind. "Please Gods, if you are on our side and really want to help us, now is the time. Let Aegon make the right choice and help him survive this day. Support him so he can defeat the Night King and save the living."
She didn't know how long she sat in silence trying to come to terms with her fate when the two soldiers returned. She had done her best to remove all traces of her earlier despair from her face. This time the one that had carried the torch before grabbed her arm and helped her upright when she had successfully crawled out of the lower part of the cave. The other guard stood a bit further away with the torch and kept a close eye on her every move.
"Do as I say and you may yet live." The one that had helped her out whispered but gave her a warning glance when she wanted to ask him what he meant. She pursed her lips and let them bind both her hands in front of her. She tried to keep up when they manhandled her to the exit of the caves. She squinted when she saw how high the sun was up when it appeared for a moment between two very dark clouds. It must be noon already. She didn't move when they draped a much too large coat over her shoulders to shield her body from the rain that was steadily pouring down on them. She obediently kept the same pace as her guards and soon they neared the rather large tent that had no doubt been erected to host the parlay. "Act submissive and only use gestures to reply. Don't speak a single word." He ordered her and she nodded her head, her mind focused on catching a glimpse of Aegon.
The other guard however intervened at that time and unceremoniously stuffed a dirty cloth in her mouth. Daenerys gagged against it a few times but eventually got her body under control. To her immense regret they stopped twenty feet away from the open tent. From that distance, she could observe Aegon standing there flanked by Davos, Ser Arthur and Ser Gerold. She was somewhat relieved and was proud when she noticed how stiff and unyielding he looked. He didn't have the appearance of a man on the verge of surrendering the Seven Kingdoms. She held her breath when she saw him startle the moment that he noticed her and she was proud of how he kept himself together and refused to show weakness.
Not averting her eyes - for the Gods knew if they would ever get another chance to see each other again - she suddenly saw it. To anyone else nothing of significance had occurred but to her that slight movement of his head had made all the difference. She had instantly recognised it. Even if it was faint, it was a compact version of one of the gestures they had come up with to communicate with each other when they were high up in the air and the wind or the distance made verbal communication difficult or even impossible. If she was not mistaken, and her heart told her she was not, Aegon had just made the sign he always made when it was time to end their flying session and return home. Furthermore, he still emanated authority as he stood there. And she felt it more than ever. He had not lost all hope. He had a plan in place. She tried to be as circumspect as he had been when she made the small gesture to acknowledge that she had understood his gesture and had added the sign that indicated that she was okay. She hoped he had intercepted her response because he did not let on any which way. She kept scrutinising him before they dragged her away but could detect no further message. If he had given her another sign, then she had missed it. She ignored the taunts of the guard that dragged her away and did not resist when they led her back to that same small dark cave. Her heart however hammered loudly in her chest. There was still hope. One small tilt of his beloved head had made all the difference. She would do all she could to stay alive. Aegon was going to find a way to get her out of here.
***
Night fell over the camp and large bonfires were lit on both sides of the border. The Ironborn were celebrating loudly. Some were seen dragging females into the woods that separated the encampment from the beach. Stannis Baratheon sat close to the fire ignoring the debauchery that went on around him by gazing stubbornly into the flames. Euron Greyjoy approached and sat down next to him.
"I need no flames to tell me that we will enjoy ourselves annihilating that green boy's army. I told you he was nothing more than a young fool infatuated with his silver haired Princess. Did you notice the utter desperation in his eyes?" When Stannis Baratheon kept staring into the flames he taunted him some more. "What? Is your precious Lord of Light not talking to you? Have you fallen out of favour?" When Stannis Baratheon did not deign to acknowledge these taunts either, the Ironborn kicked it up a notch. "And pray, where is that famed, sensual red Priestess of yours? Has she forsaken you? Is that the reason that you are so stiff and grim at the eve of your greatest victory ever? Do you miss her spreading her legs for you and are you sporting some serious blue balls?" When Stannis shook his head and his expression darkened even further, Euron Greyjoy added. "Don't tell me that this is the only way you know how to behave? Perhaps I have chosen the wrong ally after all. You're not the least bit fun to be around."
"Don't antagonise me. You know all too well that such lewd talk offends me. And do not pretend that everything is going as planned. We have no cause for celebrating. Things are not going well at all. You promised to capture two dragons one for you and one for me. What if the green dragon burns us all tomorrow?"
"Well to be fair, I did capture two dragons: one dragon lady and one actual flying beast. Don't be so impatient. I will enslave the green one tomorrow."
"How can you be so certain? You'll have your hands full keeping the white one in line."
"And here I thought I had proven myself today. But if you persist in doubting me and you want to play it safe, then by all means, let me make you an offer. I'll hand you control of the white dragon right here and now if you in return give me the silver white Princess to do with as I please."
"You are a stupid fool who will let his cock be his downfall. We need the Princess to keep the Usurper in check. Surely you noticed that the only time we got some reaction from the Targaryen boy was when we brought out his dear wife. The rest of the time he barely said a word. What I want to know from you is how you will get the white dragon to obey me? It seems he barely listens to you."
"Come now, Stannis. You must have eyes in that gloomy head of yours. Do you really refuse to have faith in me after all I accomplished these last few days? I proved that I can enslave a dragon. Did you not see that mighty beast wriggle his large body until he disappeared inside that cave? The wizard assured me that once he succumbs to the magic, his mind will be empty and he will be reduced to a tool, a weapon for us to use. Rest assured, tomorrow at noon, I will enslave the other one before he burns our men. I know what to expect this time. I am willing to bet my cock that before yesterday, you did not believe any of this was possible."
When Stannis kept staring daggers at his overconfident ally, Euron Greyjoy waved his hand and said in an appeasing tone. "The dragons are enslaved by blood magic. You only need a man to blow the horn with your blood smeared to the mouth piece while you focus your eyes and mind on the dragon you wish to enslave. As easy as that."
"Four slaves died before the dragon even listened to your command to descend. Then, another hornblower perished to get the creature to walk into the cave. Taking into account the five men he burned the moment he landed, you sacrificed ten men merely to lock a dragon in a cave. I don't consider that as being easy at all." Stannis grumbled.
"Their sacrifice was not in vain. That is more than you can claim with all the poor sods you burn alive to satisfy your Lord of Light. I have yet to see any result of that."
"And you won't. That's my business. If you want to gain my trust, then explain to me how you will make that white dragon reign fire on their soldiers and make sure that they spare ours?" Stannis was quick to return to his original topic.
"I'm working on it. My wizard has a new theory and we have all the ingredients on hand. I haven't let you down so far, King Stannis the First of your Name." The sarcasm dripped from Euron Greyjoy's voice when he uttered the title that his ally insisted was rightfully his. "Do not forget that the only reason that you had the upper hand at the parlay today was because of my results. Without me capturing his silver haired whore and one of his precious dragons, the Usurper would have waltzed all over you today. Never mind all the armies you have standing by. You can't deny that I, Euron Greyjoy the future ruler of the North and all islands west of Westeros including the ones still to be discovered, delivered my end of the bargain."
"I will refrain from voicing my opinion on that till tomorrow, late afternoon. Speaking of tomorrow, it is late and I'm going to try and get some rest. I would appreciated it if you could see to it that your men tone it down a bit or do their uh celebrating as far from my tent as possible." Stannis slowly rose to his feet and two of his guards accompanied him to his tent.
Euron watched the wannabe King disappear behind a row of neatly lined Baratheon tents. Images of the tiny silver haired princess they had captured entered his mind. From the first moment he had seen her he had decided he would claim her as his salt wife. He had paid the iron price for her, had he not? He jumped to his feet and strode to the cave where she was being kept under guard. He motioned some of his men to follow him. Before his talk with Stannis, he had already sent another one to fetch the wizard and the horn he kept safely hidden when it was not needed. He would enjoy the company of the dragon whore tonight. Stannis need never know. And if he happened to find out, well, Euron needed to get rid of the man at some point anyway. There could only be one King of Westeros after all.
***
"My King! My King?" A servant entered the tent where Stannis Baratheon was praying to the Lord of Light before trying to get some rest before dawn.
Stannis had known sleep would not come easy. Doubts and dark thoughts circled in his mind. Tomorrow his fate would be decided and he was not as confident as he had been days before. If the Targaryen Usurper decided to sacrifice the life of his wife then it would be a bloody battle. Perhaps even another dance of dragons. His scouts had brought him a rough estimate of the number of soldiers the Targaryen boy had brought south. Stannis knew his own forces still outnumbered them but not by much. The Golden Company had showed up with only half their force claiming the rest was still honouring a previous contract. Luckily Lord Tarly had heeded his call and brought a large force of well-trained men.
It had been a stroke of genius to promise the man the Lord Paramount position over the Reach. It would work out well for the future of that prosperous Kingdom. The Tyrells were a weak house ruled by an old woman. Lord Tarly was a man after Stannis' own heart, a seasoned commander who ruled with strict discipline and honourable principles. He would need Tarly's support because everyone had heard of the prowess of the young King with a sword and the high standards the Lord Commander had upheld when recruiting new guards for the royal family. If Ser Arthur fought on the frontlines and faced five Ironborn on his own, Stannis was realistic enough to realise that odds were still in favour of the famed Sword of the Morning. Numbers did not define all, quality and discipline did.
But even if all went well and Stannis' forces won the day, he still had a tricky situation on his hands. Be it an easy surrender or a bloody battle, afterwards, there would still be Euron Greyjoy to contend with. Best case scenario, they enslaved the second dragon tomorrow but then what? There was only one horn. Greyjoy had promised him that once the dragon had a master, the horn was no longer necessary. Stannis was not so sure. Besides he would be a fool to take an Ironborn's word without proof. Not only that, he had witnessed the frustration in Euron's eyes when it took four blasts to get the dragon to land on the beach and then another to tell him to stop throwing a fit and burn everything in sight. He shuddered when he remembered the poor strange looking slaves that had been forced to sound the horn. All of these captured slaves had perished within moments. The one with the light hair and purple eyes had taken longer to succumb but in the end had died a very painful death.
He cursed under his breath when he heard the interruption. "What reason in the Seven Hells could you possibly have to justify disturbing my much needed rest?" He hurled the words at the soldier that had dared enter his tent.
The man paled but stood his ground. "It is Lord Greyjoy, your Grace. He has taken the Targaryen Princess out on the beach and was about to send for the dragon as well."
"Curse the man to the Seven Hells." Stannis jumped to his feet. "Bring my horse and assemble my men. At least enough of them so we outnumber the Ironborn the coward will have with him. Hurry!" He shouted while he fastened his swordbelt.