𝐆𝐚𝐦𝐞 𝐨𝐟 𝐓𝐡𝐫𝐨𝐧𝐞𝐬 || 𝑾𝒉𝒆𝒏 𝑾𝒐𝒍𝒗𝒆𝒔 𝑪𝒓𝒚 𝑶𝒖𝒕

𝑪𝒉𝒂𝒑𝒕𝒆𝒓 𝑰𝑰

"What's your point?"

She just scoffed as Ben continued.

"My point, is that all you've known in your life is war. War and cold. And both are coming for you, for Mance Rayder, for your people..everyone. King Stannis aims to have Mance bend the knee."

"Yeah, like that's going to ever happen."

"And if he does not, he will die."

"I can promise you, Stark, that Mance Rayder isn't afraid to-"

"The Red Woman will burn him alive."

That is what silenced Val. Even now, both of them could picture the image of Mance tied to a post whole the timbers underneath burned bright and hot. Stannis did not say it, nor gave an inclination to the idea, but he didn't even have to for Ben to know it's what would happen. The Red Woman was a plague to all, especially on the King's mind.

It was the idea of fire for Mance that set a fiery chill up Val's spine as she closed her eyes, shaking her head.

"Even still..he will not kneel."

"And perhaps your fate would be worse."

"Burning? What could be worse than burning?"

Val again scoffed in disbelief, and Ben sighed heavily.

"Marriage."

If the mention of death by fire silenced her, this was what cut out her tongue. The expression on her face didn't reveal anything, but in the electric blue eyes of hers, showed that there was fear. Fear and something a whole lot different.

"You're a princess, darling. Stannis, his Red Woman, and his men all see you as such. As do the Free Folk. To gain support of them all, he would have Mance kneel before him, and he would have you be wed to whomever will become the next Lord of Winterfell."

Further silence followed as he finished. Her eyes lingered on him for a long time before they finally narrowed slightly.

"Are you not the Lord of Winterfell now?"

She asked, confused, and with a raised brow. Ben sighed once again, shaking his head.

"I am not lord of anything. Not since I took the Black."

"But both you and Jon had mentioned that you had been a king once. So are you King still?"

"I am not the King in the North."

"But you are a Stark. The eldest living Stark, right? So wouldn't that make you Lord of Winterfell and the King in the North? I thought the Starks were kings and lords and whatnot."

He couldn't help but smile a bit, chuckling lightly at the questions Val spouted. Despite how closed off she could be, how she'd spit and hiss about this and that, the Wildling Princess truly was always curious of everything around her.

"No, darling.."

He trailed off, losing his smile.