I walk to the front of Rhaegal and place a hand under his chin, pressing my forehead to his snout. His eyes slide shut and he pushes a breath of hot air at me. The connection between dragon and rider begins to feel like a hole inside me when we are apart. Daenerys arrives behind me and pulls me into her embrace.
"I worried every moment you were away." She says, I smile as I hold her tight against me.
"Where is Viserion?" I ask, Dany smiles at me.
"She's laid her eggs, Rhaenyra." My eyes widen in shock as a smile grows on my face. "Every one of them healthy, she rejected none." I let out a breath of relief and pull Dany into an embrace once more.
"We must wait, Jon may return." She nods in agreement.
"We will, I promise." I walk to find Tormund at the top of the wall.
"It seems I do not only search for you, Rhaenyra." He says as I approach him, I grin. His eyes do not leave the horizon, I place a hand on his arm and lean my head against his bicep.
"He will return, I can feel it." I say, Tormund nods in silent agreement. "He is strong, he will find his way back." I stand with Tormund for hours, finding myself unwilling to leave him alone on his barren wall.
"It is cold out here princess." I look up to meet his eyes.
"Perhaps we both need a break." Just as we turn away, a figure appears beyond the trees. Jon Snow, laying unconscious atop a black stead. Tormund runs down the wall and I quickly try to keep up, he pulls the gate open and lifts Jon from the horse. Davos arrives beside him, checking Jon's pulse from Tormund's arms.
"Bring him to the ships, we will get him settled. "
...
Odanno waits for me on the shores of Dragonstone, I smile and embrace him.
"I could not sleep knowing you were out there." He tells me, I pull back and smile at him.
"I had a fierce protector beside me." I say, Tormund smiles from behind me and nods to Odanno. Odanno steps forward and they lock arms.
"Thank you for protecting her." He smiles at Tormund.
"I would have given my life for her, I promise." Tormund says, we meet eyes and I feel the faint heat rise to my cheeks. Daenerys heads for the castle, followed by Jon Snow and his entourage, and I turn to Tormund and Odanno.
"Come on, we should head inside. We will be heading for King's Landing in the morning." I say.
...
I walk beside Tormund towards my bed chambers, allowing myself to step back from the duties of House Targaryen and simply enjoy his presence. The sun has set far below the horizon now and exhaustion has begun to overcome the both of us.
"You have a long journey ahead of you, princess." Tormund says as we stop outside my room, I nod as I smile at him. I rise onto my toes and plant a kiss on his cheek.
"Thank you for saving my life, Tormund Giantsbane." I say, he smiles and bows to me, laying a kiss on my knuckles.
"I would do it a hundreds time over if I had to, Nyra." He stands once more and smiles. "Sleep well, your highness."
...
I sit atop Rhaegal as we soar above King's Landing, hiding high above the clouds. Dany arrives beside me, gliding just a few feet away. We watch as our entourage arrives at the ruined dragon's pit, leaving our army to wait outside the wall. I look to her as they all take their seats beneath the canopies. Dany meets my eyes and waits a few moments before nodding to me.
Together we dive beneath the clouds, Rhaegal and Drogon roaring to one another as we fall. Dany lands first atop the walls and climbs down, I set down on Rhaegal just steps away from the canopies. I gracefully step from Rhaegal's back and drag a hand across his snout as I walk to Daenerys' side, remaining a step behind her. Cersi watches with hateful eyes as I take my seat beside Odanno, and Dany in her own beside Tyrion. Rhaegal and Drogon take to the sky once more, circling high above us.
I listen as Cersi and Daenerys go back and forth, arguing upon the terms of their truce. Jon reveals the wight to Cersi, shocking her entourage as she attempts to keep a calm face. I watch as he remains neutral between the Queens, my realization that he may be a just king yet fully settles in.
"I will agree to your truce, and to offer my support, so long as House Stark remains neutral once the war begins." Cersi says, meeting eyes with Jon. He glances at Daenerys, she subtly shakes her head at him. He sighs and meets Cersi's eyes once more.
"I have already pledged fealty to the Dragon Queen." Jon says, I look at him in shock, anger takes over Cersi.
"Then the truce is off." She says, retreating to her palace. Dany quickly walks to Jon, anger in her eyes.
"I appreciate your loyalty, but there are times when you must lie Jon Snow!" She tells him, turning away from him in defeat. I take in the situation and let out a breath.
"Come with me, Odanno." I quietly say, walking to Cersi's Grand Maester and Hand.
"I wish to speak with your Queen, if that is alright." I say to him, he looks at me in surprise, but a look of respect slowly crosses his face.
"Quickly now." He says, silently leading me out of the pits and down the path toward the Red Keep.
...
Odanno and I follow the Maester down a hall lined with Queensguard, he opens the door to a large study, books and beautiful trinkets lining the walls. Cersi looks to me in anger, but it quickly shifts to surprise.
"I expected to see the imp, not you." She says, slowly sitting down behind her desk.
"I felt it would be unfair to send an advisor rather than speak to you myself." I say, my black dress draping along the floors that once housed my family.
"Your aunt does not feel the same?" I smile at her and arrive in front of her desk.
"Daenerys does not know I came to you, there are many things we do not agree upon. May I sit?" She watches me carefully and nods. "Why allow us to come here if you were not going to agree to her terms?"
"I did not know my brother would offer terms only to advise my enemies to collaborate against me." I shake my head and fold my hands, Odanno watches us closely.
"None of us knew of Jon Snow's oath to Daenerys, not even I." She does not answer, I smile at her. "You allowed us here in hopes of something, you would not agree to meet if not for that."
"I had hopes of keeping my family from destruction, one you seem set on." I let out a breath.
"When we first arrived at Dragonstone, Daenerys wanted to head straight for King's Landing and bring you fire and blood. There were only two who advised against her, only two that keep all of us from total destruction. Do you know who that was?" She watches me in silence. "Tyrion and I. We are the only things that hold her from ripping Westeros apart. That is why I come to you now. None of this matters so long as those dead men walk beyond the wall."
"I know what those things are, what they mean." I watch as her face become more relaxed by the slightest bit, her words come out calmer. "When that thing came at me, I did not care for Westeros, all I cared about was keeping its jaws away from the ones I love most." I watch her hand subtly move to her stomach. I meet her eyes with a gentle smile.
"You love your family, you love the ones closest to you. In that way we are one in the same. Let me help keep your family from destruction, keep your child from certain death. The only way we can do that is to agree to your brother's terms and offer your support to defeat the white walkers." She looks at me differently now, as if she's studying me. She's silent for a few moments more. "You could strike me down where I stand if you truly wished to, do it if you must."
"You're different from her." Her face has relaxed, it seems as through I've broken through a wall. "She does not know how to play the game, you do." I smile at her and lean on the armrest beside me.
"I spent a long time preparing to return here, I learned many things about Westeros. I understand this place, I understand what it takes to keep it." She leans back into her chair and crosses her arms.
"Perhaps we are one in the same then, Rhaenyra Targaryen." She slowly stands and I follow, she comes around the desk and offers her hand to me. "I will come with you to agree to her terms." I take her hand and hold it for a moment before letting go.
She walks from the room beside me, Odanno and her Maester following a few steps behind. We walk in silence through the halls, those who roam them glancing at the both of us in surprise. Her guard follows closely behind us as we arrive back at the dragon pits, Daenerys looks at me in shock.
"I've come to agree to your terms, I will send my forces to fight against the army of the dead." Cersi says to her, Daenerys glances to me and I nod. I walk to Tyrion and Odanno follows as Jon Snow and Daenerys speak with Cersi.
"She's lying." I quietly say to both of them.
"I thought the same." Odanno agrees.
"Daenerys will never travel North if she knows, we will not win this war without her." Tyrion tells me, I nod.
"Then she must not learn this, we can win the fight without the Lannisters. All we need is that cease fire, and for that part I know she speaks true."