The Dragon & The Wolf (Daenarya)

chapter 2

Her eyes darted to the door Arya escaped through. It was a long shot, but she hoped to find her lingering in the hallway, unable to go far despite her words. The hall was empty, and the void left in her absence was immense. Without thought Daenerys filled that space with rage. She gripped the knob with both hands and swung it back toward its home with as much power as she could create. It settled against the frame with a thud. In a thought reminiscent of her dead brother she was glad someone else was hurting as much as she was, even if it was only a fucking door. The comparison between her and Viserys dulled her anger. She didn't want to be anything like him. They may have shared blood, and a name but that's where Daenerys wanted the similarities to end.

Missandei pulled her from her thoughts by speaking. "I'm so sorry, your Grace, I should have knocked. I should have..."

Daenerys did her best to smile, a considerable accomplishment given the constant flow of tears still pouring down her face. She felt no shame in having Missandei see her cry. She'd never had a truer friend. Few secrets remained between them, fewer now that she knew of Arya. "It's not your fault," she assured her quickly. Though few things made sense just then, she was certain of that. Missandei was not the reason Arya was gone. The blame for her current situation rested on her shoulders and hers alone. She'd done this and no one else. "She was going to leave whether you arrived or not," Daenerys confessed more to herself than the advisor.

"I'm sorry," she repeated, moving closer and reaching out. Daenerys accepted the gesture glad to have the company, although she was immediately struck by how wrong the hand felt in hers. The long thin fingers were too smooth, too soft. She ached for the calloused, rough feel of Arya's skin.

"It's alright Missandei," she said, echoing some of the last words she heard Arya speak before she disappeared. "We couldn't hide away in here forever. Sooner or later the world was going to come calling."

For a few long seconds neither said anything. They stood there, Missandei in a silk dress of shining silver, contrasting beautifully with her rings of dark hair and Daenerys, the Queen, a crying, naked mess, just as she'd been when she entered the world. "I could go and get her," Missandei offered, "she couldn't have gotten far."

A tempting proposal if ever Daenerys had heard one, but a pointless gesture, kind as it was. She was Daenerys Stormborn of House Targaryen, future Queen of all Seven Kingdoms, the Breaker of Chains and Mother of Dragons and even she couldn't make Arya do anything she didn't want to. She looked out the window and noticed how high the sun was in the sky. She'd postponed Arya's departure even longer than she realized. "Fetch the water," Daenerys instructed, moving to the corner of the room that held the tub. "I need to get cleaned up before Tyrion comes looking for me."

Her expression was one of uncertainty. Daenerys could tell she had something or perhaps more than one she wanted to say or ask, but like the loyal friend she was, Missandei ducked her head and smiled gently. "Of course, your Grace."

R-C

"Come to say goodbye?" Bran asked in a loud, clear voice before she stepped through the final trees and into the clearing. As he often did these days, he sat in his chair under the Weirwood Tree, staring at nothing and seeing everything.

She tried to keep things light. Leaving would be difficult enough without painful goodbyes. "Do you always ask questions you already know the answer to?"

He rewarded her attempt with a true smile, a rare occurrence. It reminded her of the boy he'd been before the fall, always laughing, joking, running and climbing. He was different now, but still ever bit her brother and she loved him. "Yes."

She chuckled. That was probably the largest understatement she'd ever heard. "You aren't going to ask me to stay, convince me leaving is wrong?" she wondered warily.