"What news do we have?" Robb asked leaning against his desk as he looked at Jon, he knew that his decision to install Jon on his council had been rather upsetting for some but he didn't care, he wanted his brother by his side.
It had been Catelyn that had made the greatest protest about the appointment, but Robb refused to hear a word against Jon; he insisted that Jon was the only that knew what was coming from the North.
The stories that Jon had told him had been enough to convince him about what Robb had seen, there would be many that discredit his story about the white walkers but there had been many from the Night's Watch that had backed him.
There had even been a few wildings that had come forward to add to Jon's testimony about what he had seen, what was coming for them all.
"The last reported sighting of the white walkers was Hardhome but there are some reports that they have reached the Fist of the First men," Jon stated reading the report that had arrived from the Wall.
Dolorous Edd had been named the 99th Lord Commander of the Night's Watch after Jon had stepped down, he had been writing reports often and fortifying the Wall in preparation of what was to come.
"We also have a report from Stannis, he says Lord Varys has had some news about Daenerys Targaryen," Maester Tylan stated from the parchment that had arrived from the South.
There had been an increasing interest in the last Targaryen, her acts starting to drift across the sea when it became clear that she had intentions on returning to Westeros.
Sanira had informed Robb of her vision, tasking their spy master Lysono Maar with discovering more about the woman that lay claim to the Seven Kingdoms and the Iron Throne.
"He says that Daenerys Targaryen still holds Meereen, she offered terms of surrender to the Masters of the cities that she had previously visited," Maester Tylan stated reading the parchment.
There seemed no end to the news of what kind of ruler Daenerys Targaryen had been since she had come to power, her actions leaving destructive trial in their wake.
Robb sighed, he doubted that the terms would be accepted and he knew that the Masters had every reason to be upset with what Daenerys had done; he did not have to wonder what the Targaryen Queen would do if they were not.
"Then she will turn her attentions to coming here," Jon guessed crossing his arms, he wasn't sure what to make of that decision especially when their focus was on the white walkers.
It was the worst timing, they didn't need to deal with some foreign Queen who felt like she was owed something showing up on their shores after everything that had happened.
"That is the assumption, she has an army of fewer than 8,000 Unsullied, and fewer than 100,000 Dothraki at her side," Maester Tylan recalled, the numbers changed each time that they heard but it was certain that she had a grand army by now.
Barriston Selmy and Jorah Mormont were serving on Daenerys council, the two men having left Westeros before the War of the Five Kings; one after being dismissed as a Kingsguard while the other going into exile.
"And three dragons," Jon muttered knowing that such things could not be forgotten, he was well aware that the Golden Company had started to prepare for such an occasion.
From what he knew of it, they had ways of dealing with dragons and were more than prepared for when Daenerys finally showed up with her three.
"Not fully grown," Harry Strickland acknowledged, it wasn't much of a distance but a seven year old dragon was a lot easier to deal with compared to a dragon the size of Vhagar; he had been told that Daenerys three measured in at about what Tyraxes had done when he had died during the Dance of the Dragons.
"It makes all the difference. I would rather deal with a few young dragons than a dragon the size of Vhagar or the Cannibal," Harry Strickland continued on, it might not have been ideal but they had ways to bring down such beasts.
Daenerys Targaryen was in for a rude awakening when she arrived here, the North would be more than prepared for her arrival no matter what her intentions might be.
***
Bouncing Osric in her arms, Sanira pressed a kiss to her youngest son on the head as she walked around the royal nursery; she still had moments of awe when it came to her second son.
The peace that she felt in moments like this, it made everything that she had suffered worth it as she peered out of the window towards the tiltyard.
Sanira could see Karlon outside, his archery lesson taking place and she was so happy how settled he had become in the past few months.
It had been a little strange at first, his early years spent with his grandmother and not seeing his parents because of the war but they had quickly all settled back at Winterfell.
Osric babbled in her arms, he was nearly one now and Sanira adored each morning that she had with him; seeing how he had quickly changed with each day.
Osric certainly wouldn't be their last, Sanira had recently discovered that she was pregnant again; it had been a blessing to find out, she was eager to secure the line of succession further if she had the chance to do so.
Karlon and Osric were fine boys, they were a credit to their parents even at a young age and Sanira was certain that they would both have great futures.
Sanira moved away from the window, she had no doubts that Gods willing they would have a nursery full of children; she was three and twenty now, there was still time for her to have many more children.
"Your Grace," Aiana greeted softly stepping into the room, she hated to interrupt her lady when she was spending time with her son but there were appointments that she could not miss.
Work on the castle seemed never ending in the months since their return here, it seemed like no sooner was one thing been completed then another task was undertaken.
The walls of Winterfell would not fall when the army of the dead marched on them, nothing was being left to chance and Robb was ensuring that nothing would force the Starks from their home ever again.
Not only were they preparing for the white walkers but the chance that they would have to contend with the possibility that Daenerys Targaryen would come back to these shores looking to claim her crown.
Ever since the dream that had come to Sanira of dragon fire, she had tasked her spy master with gathering as much information as he could about the foreign Queen.
Daenerys Targaryen might have been on these shores but that was the last time that she had been on Westeros soil before having to flee across the Narrow Sea with her brother.
It was unlikely that Daenerys knew anything about the world that she had left behind, the realm that she apparently insisted was her birth right.
Whispers of her building an army to reclaim the throne that had been lost to her family during Robert's Rebellion were nothing new, however in recent months it was clear that they would have to face her sooner rather than later.
Sanira wasn't sure what to make of the woman that was her 2nd cousin once removed, they both descending from King Aegon IV who was concerned one of the worst Targaryen kings because his actions had led to the Blackfyre rebellions.
Pressing another kiss to the top of Osric's head, Sanira reluctantly handed her son over to the governess before she nodded to Aiana; the two women making their leave as they headed out of the nursery.
Sanira had tried to put the vision that she'd had behind her, but it had been followed by many more of her flying, soaring above Winterfell and across the snow covered fields towards the Wall.
Sometimes they felt so real and she would wake up feeling like she was missing something, that there was a part of her that she had lost that she could only find in her dreams.
Servants bowed as Sanira made her way past, it was still surreal that she was Queen but it was something that she didn't think that she would ever truly feel comfortable with.
Aiana and Kari followed after their mistress, the two had been loyally at her side since she had returned to Winterfell and Sanira was thankful for that; her ladies were her most constant companions these days.
"Your Grace," Maester Tylan greeted with a smile, there was much for them to discuss and he knew that after his meeting with the King that this would be a lot less stressful.
With everything going on it was nice to discuss normal topics rather than two impending wars, there had been enough fighting in his opinion and he wasn't looking forward to further turmoil.