Shadow of the Dragon Queen

12.

...

I sit beside Odanno with Sansa on my other side, Jon and Daenerys beside her. All of Jon's bannermen stand before us, the Great Houses of the North taking front and center.

"We did not name you king for you to bend the knee to a Targaryen, Jon Snow." Lyanna Mormont tells him, the others murmur in agreement.

"The danger lies beyond the politics of who will rule Westeros now, the army of the dead will kill us all if we don't stop them. This is the only chance we have." Jon says, Tyrion leans forward.

"Cersi has pledged to a cease fire, and has agreed to send the Lannister army to aid in our efforts." He says, offering me a subtle glance, Sansa notices this. The Northmen becoming even more displeased, their words flying with anger.

"I gathered enough provisions for Winterfell to last the winter, I didn't account for three dragons and two entire armies. What do dragons eat, anyway?" She says, staring straight at Daenerys.

"Whatever they want." Dany tells her, venom slick in her voice. I look at Odanno, displeasure on my face ay Daenerys' hostility. Sansa stands from her seat and leaves the room, I wait a few moments for Dany to stand and follow her.

"You couldn't have expected a warm welcome from the North, you know how they remember your father." I tell her, she does not look at me.

"You know them so well? As well as you knew Cersi?" I clench my jaw and allow her to walk off ahead of me, instead heading towards Sansa. She stands staring into the horizon atop one of the walls of Winterfell.

"Cersi won't keep to her word, you know. She won't send her army." She says as I approach her, I take a deep breath and join her by her side.

"I know." I tell her, we stand beside one another in silence.

...

Jon leads me down the stairs into the crypts of Winterfell, lighting the torches as he goes. Statues of Stark's, new and old, line the room. He takes my hand and leads me to the statue of a beautiful woman.

"Lyanna Stark." He says, I look back to the statute in disbelief. "Your mother." I step forward and place a hand on the cold face of her statue before lowering myself to the ground to drag my fingertips across her name.

"Thank you, Jon." I say, he places a hand on my shoulder and squeezes.

"Jon!" I hear a voice call, we look to see Samwell Tarly. I stand beside Jon and smile at him. "Jon, Rhaenyra, I'm grateful you both are here."

"What is it, Sam? What's wrong? Is it Gilly? Little Sam?" Jon asks, placing a hand on his shoulder.

"Don't you know? She executed my father Jon, my brother." Sam says, I look away, unable to meet his eyes.

"I'm sorry Sam, but we need to win this war." Sam looks to me, I force myself to meet his gaze.

"Would you have done it?" I stare at him, my face frozen as he looks at me with eyes full of grief.

"No, no I wouldn't have. But I'm not Queen, Sam." I shake my head and begin to walk away from him.

"You are a Queen, you always have been." Sam's eyes are wide as he stares at me.

"Holding Dragonstone when Daenerys takes the throne will not make me a Queen." Sam shakes his head and follows after me, Jon close behind him.

"I'm not talking about Dragonstone, I'm talking about the bloody Seven Kingdoms!" I turn to look at him in confusion, Jon looking just as bewildered. "Bran and I, we worked it out. I had a high septum's diary, Bran had... whatever Bran has." Jon steps to stand beside me.

"What are you talking about, Sam?" Shock still rests upon my face.

"Your mother was Lyanna Stark, you father was Rhaegar Targaryen." Sam pulls his eyes off mine to meet Jon's. "These are your true parents too, Jon." He looks back to me. "Robert never killed your brother, Rhaenyra. He stands right beside you." I look at Jon in disbelief. "You've never been bastards, you are Aegon and Rhaenyra Targaryen." Sam looks back to me. "You are the true heir to the Iron Throne."

"This can't be true." I say, my mind racing as it fills with a million thoughts.

"I'm sorry, I know it's a lot to take in." Sam says, I stumble back and Jon catches me. I collapse to the ground and Jon kneels in front of me, placing a hand on my face.

"My father was the most honorable man I ever met, you're saying he lied to me my entire life?" Jon says to Sam, not taking his eyes off of me. I can hardly hear either of them anymore as the realization sets in, sending my hands shaking and my mind into a fog.

"Ned Stark promised your mother he would always protect you, and he did! Robert would have murdered you if he knew you survived. Just like he made everyone believe he did." Sam says, remaining where he stands. "You are the true Queen, Rhaenyra Targaryen, second of her name, protector of the realm, all of it."

"Daenerys is our Queen." I say, finding myself having to force the words out.

"She shouldn't be." Sam tells me.

"It's treason." I meet his eyes with fearful ones.

"It's the truth." I look back to Jon, his face riddled with conflict. "You gave up your crown to save your people, would she do the same?" I look to Jon as defeat covers my face, knowing the answer to his question.