Keeper

The Sound Of War

Daenerys found herself utterly stunned by Jon Snow's persistence once they stood together in the dragon glass caves. She'd given him permission to mine it for his war effort against The Night King and his army, and now here she stood - in utter awe - of the history of Westeros spread out like children paintings across the walls before her.

She should've known it was a ploy to bring her to his side, to fight a war she didn't entirely believe in.

"They fought together against their common enemy. Despite their differences, despite their suspicions. Together." Dany met dark eyes through the flickering of her torch. "We need to do the same if we're going to survive." Both of them looked back up to the etched drawings of the White Walkers. "Because the enemy is real, it's always been real."

"And you say you can't defeat them without my armies or my dragons?"

"No." Jon replied. "I don't think I can." Daenerys stepped forward to close the gap between them, eyes locked with his own. It was hard to ignore the draw she felt towards him.

"I will fight for you." Daenerys said. It was a proclamation, a promise, one that eased the tension in his shoulders and made Jon sigh with relief. "I will fight for the North, when you bend the knee."

His hopeful expression fell flat.

"My people won't accept a Southern ruler." It was the truest thing he'd uttered all morning. The people of Winterfell wouldn't do it and Sansa definitely wouldn't trust a Targaryen on the Iron Throne. Maybe if it was Dany's sister who she was somewhat familiar with. "Not after everything they've suffered."

"They will if their King does." Daenerys persisted. "They chose you to lead them. Isn't their survival more important then your pride?"

They stared at each other for a long moment before leaving the dragon glass caves, only to find Varys and Tyrion waiting for them outside.

Her face fell. "What is it?"

"We took Casterly Rock." Tyrion replied. Going by the lack of vigor in his expression, Daenerys assumed that even though they'd taken one of the most impregnable fortresses in Westeros that something still hadn't gone according to plan.

"That's very good to hear." She said. Tyrion and Varys looked at each other uncertainly. "Isn't it?"

Rhaella glanced up from where she was standing ankle deep in the tide, keeping watch over Alice and Ada as they took the boat out for their weekly fishing excursion. Her thoughts were on the armor Daenerys had presented her with earlier that morning when she'd gone out for her training with Rhaegal. It was a beautiful obsidian armor with red accents along the arms and torso that reminded her of dragon scales, and a hand crafted Targaryen emblem on the breast. It was probably the most beautiful thing she'd ever seen.

"Rhaella!"

And she was hoping she'd never have to put it to use.

"Dany?" Rhaella asked. Pushing unkempt hair behind her ears, Rhaella furrowed her brow at her sisters infuriated expression. "What's going on?"

"All of my allies are gone." Daenerys stopped in front of her sister and straightened her shoulders. There was absolutely zero trace of the girl who dreamed of the house with the red door and the lemon tree outside her window. "Cersei has taken all of the available food from the Reach while her brother has taken Highgarden with his armies and killed Olenna Tyrell." Rhaella felt her heart drop into her stomach at the thought of House Tyrell finally being obliterated with the swing of Jaimes- no. If he was going to kill her, he'd do it his way. Not the way of his sister. "Enough with the clever plans, I have three large dragons and a dragon rider sister. We're going to fly them to the Red Keep."