The Lost Dragon | Game of Thrones

Chapter Thirty-Three

Dearest Sister,

        The confusion in my mind can only be surpassed by the fire in my belly. You once spoke of walking untouched out of the fire and I now can say I have experienced the same. A red priestess traveling with Stannis Baratheon had me tied to a pyre for my blood, she attempted to burn me alive as a sacrifice. The only thing she got from it was a dead King and herself locked in Castle Black's dungeon. I am so confused Dany. Moments after everything took place I could feel all of you. I could feel Viserion and dear Rhael's cries. I could feel your own heartache and confusion. I could feel all of you as if you were standing beside me. I have never felt more connected and further away from you at the same time. I'm hoping you can put my mind at ease as you have been aware of these powers far longer than I. I hope you are well. I hope whatever ache I felt from you has been resolved and you are ruling Meereen like the Queen I know you are. Please give Rhael my love. Please tell Daario that I am unharmed, but have amassed an army two-thousand strong. Please write soon. 

All my love, 

Violet.

Violet rolled the letter to her sister before sealing it with Castle Black's seal. She was quick in sending it away with a raven, she could only hope her sister was quick in her response as nothing that she experienced within the past twenty-four hours made any sense to her. And what  was she supposed to do with Stannis' army that she has now acquired ? Should she send them to Meereen to join the rest of the Targaryen army, or keep them in Westeros? Violet wasn't a leader. She was a fighter, and that's what she was good at. Fighting in an army that was being led by someone else was easy for her. But sending other soldiers out into a fight only put more blood on her hands, blood of the men fighting beside her, and that wasn't something that she was okay with. 

"Violet?" She looked up to see Gilly standing in the doorway of the empty Lord Commander's office.

"What is it?" Violet asked the young girl. 

"Sam wanted me to let you know they're voting for their new Lord Commander soon. And that you should be there." 

Violet furrowed her brow and stood from the uncomfortable wooden chair. Violet wanted no part in Castle Black's politics.  "Why?" She scoffed rubbing her hands down the front of her leather breeches. She had to get clothes out of Castle Blacks storage, which left her in men's clothing that Gilly had helped her fit into something more appropriate for a woman.

"I don't know, He just said you should be there." And that was all Gilly said before rushing out into the cold air. Violet sighed, wrapped her holster around her waist, and followed Gilly out the door. 

~

The dining hall was filled with every man from Castle Black. Several of her own men were standing by the door -- quickly nodding their head to her when they saw her enter, and the little girl and older woman who were standing with Stannis when he tried to murder her. Beside them stood an older gentleman with salt and pepper hair. Violet couldn't place him though. 

The woman glared at Violet when she passed. "You killed my husband!" She hissed at her. Violet frowned, wiping the bit of saliva that had landed on her cheek. 

"Yes, I did." Violet smirked. "But what sort of King would burn an innocent girl alive for his own benefit? No wonder his army was so eager to join me." 

Violet rolled her eyes to the woman before walking to stand in the back by her men. 

"Your father did!" She screamed at her, causing every eye in the room to turn to the women in the back. Violet halted her steps, closing her eyes in anger. 

"Your father burned hundreds of innocents alive! So what does that say for you?" The woman continued on. Violet ripped a dagger off her hip and heaved it through the air, it landing mere fingertips away from her skull. 

Violet stood in front of the woman before ripping her dagger out of the wall, and placing it forcefully against her neck. "The only father I ever knew was Ned Stark. And I advice you not to speak ill of the dead. You may have come here with an army to protect you, but you now have nothing. You will never sit on the Iron Throne, you will never see your precious husband again. Test me, and the only thing you will ever see is the fire that envelopes your body just as it did mine." 

Violet smiled gently to the young girl that was hugging her mothers side, before turning around and standing between two of her soldiers. She caught Jon's eye sitting in the center of the room, to which he raised his glass to her. She smiled and nodded her head. 

Many of the men in the room were still invested in Violet and what was happening in the back of the room. That was until Maester Aemon came hobbling out onto the podium that was in the front. 

Castle Black had a much different way of picking who lead them. Much different than the line of succession that resided in Kings Landing. Violet actually admired that the men got a say in who they wanted above them. People like Joffrey and Cersei had no business ruling over millions of innocents. 

Violet paid no mind to the men being elected for Lord Commander, she sat in the back twiddling with her dagger and talking softly with Commander Armitage who was beside her. She stayed out of their business until Jon's name came out of Sam's mouth. 

"Ser Alliser fought bravely that is true. But when he was wounded it was Jon who took charge and who led us to victory. He took charge of the defenses on the wall --"

Sam was cut off by a man sitting farthest away from him. "I believe that little girl in the back of the room was commanding the army on the ground while Jon was crying over his Wildling bitch." The man chuckled and looked around as if expecting many men to agree with him. He got no response. And upon seeing the dark look in Violet's eye, he suddenly knew why. 

"Settle down Turner. Violet my dear, please do not do anything hasty." Maester Aemon called gently from the front of the room. "We need all of our men now more than ever." 

Violet unclenched her fists from her side and turned away from the frightened man across the room. Had she no respect for one of her only family members left, the man would be laying in a pool of his own blood.

"As I was saying. Jon's the leader we need. He led the mission to avenge commander Mormont, and he went North to meet with the leader of the wildlings knowing it most certainly meant his own death. He might be young, but he's the one we'll turn to in the long night. And he's the one we should turn to now." Sam finished his speech with an awkward chuckle before sitting down next to Jon whose head was in his hands. 

Violet knew Jon was great at many things. But she knew he would struggle with leading the men of Castle Black just as she would struggle with her new army. She didn't want him to struggle, she didn't want to see him fail. But she knew Jon would turn to her for guidance and advice, and leading men wasn't something she was prepared to advise him on. 

The men were all given shapes to vote with, and placed them in different slots on a table at the front. From her view it looked like Ser Alliser and Jon were at a tie. But Maester Aemon's vote brought forth their next commander. "Congratulations Jon Snow!" One of their men announced, and Violet could no longer see his curly black hair, he was being surrounded by all the men in the room. 

Violet smiled gently for her dear friend, but couldn't help the worry for lives that he would now be in charge of. She would congratulate him later, away from all the crowds, but for now she had many things of her own to take care of. So she motioned for her men to follow her back out into the courtyard. She had her own decisions that needed to be made, and her own men that needed guidance. And for that moment she couldn't help Jon and do both.