32 The Dragon Meet The Wolf

Rhaenys

A guttural moan escaped her mouth and into the soft caress of her pillow. Her two curled fingers slowed as they pumped in and out of her core, the aftershocks felt throughout her whole body. She laid there on her front as she caught her breath, wiping on the sheets the evidence of her body's reaction to the dirty thoughts of him.

He's in my head now.

And I'm okay with that.

She sighed as she sat up in her bed, the covers fell from her shoulders revealing the fine, wine coloured silk of her nightgown, the cool air in her room pebbling her nipples against it.

Rhae, her mother and Dany had plans for today, they'd be spending their morning with Clarissa and her mother Ashara. They'd not seen much of the two at the tourney since they arrived so it would be nice to see how they've been and what they've been up to.

Her handmaidens entered shortly after she woke, helping her get ready for the day. She was helped out of her silk nightgown and into a burgundy gown, it wrapped around her shoulders lightly.

"Thank you, ladies." She said to them as they bowed and left her chamber. The small plate of fruit left on her table was nibbled at and nothing more, she didn't want to ruin her breakfast.

Ser Oswell bowed as she left her chambers, his armour rattled as he followed her down the hallway as she made her way to Dany's chamber. She shot him a smile as she knocked on her aunt's door. Ser Jaime who was guarding her door shot her grin.

"Good luck, your grace." He said rather humorously. She just grinned back at him as she shook her head.

The door whipped open revealing an annoyed looking princess, clad in nothing but her light blue nightgown, the fine silk of her nightwear doing very little to hide her budding nipples behind the material.

Even a man with an ironclad will wouldn't have been able to avert their eyes from what stood in front of her. She had to put it down to her aunt's sheer beauty, the sort of feelings the view had garnered.

Or she just loved breasts. It wasn't like it was the first time she'd spent an extra second or so looking at a pair of them.

Her eyes shot back up to Dany's face, noticing her quirked eyebrow.

Either she'd been caught red handed or her aunt was just annoyed by their presence.

It was the latter.

"Yes?" She asked, annoyance dripping from the word. She was fully aware why she was annoyed as well. Her aunt had never been a morning person.

"Good morning to you too." She said as she invited herself into the room, as she shut the door she noticed Ser Jaime mouthing 'good luck' to her once again. She just stuck her tongue out at him before the door closed.

"What are you doing here so early?" Dany asked as she moved back to her bed and sat on it with her legs crossed.

She huffed "Because we're going to be late and for once, it isn't me." She replied as she moved across the room and sat down on a chair near the window.

A cute look of confusion took over Dany's face as she looked at her "Late? Late for what?" She asked.

It was her turn to raise an eyebrow "Really? Have you really forgot? It was your idea in the first place." She asked.

The confused look on her face stayed there until a sudden look of realisation took over.

"Shit. I completely forgot." Her aunt said as she rose from her bed and went to her trunk. Without a single warning, Dany stripped from her silk nightgown and crouched down to get a closer look at her garments, absolutely shameless of her bareness.

She either had no shame or she was comfortable with her niece seeing her bare.

Or it could have just been confidence, she had the body for it.

She sniffed as she pulled her gaze away from her aunt's nude arse and looked out of the window to at least pretend she was giving her some privacy.

"Did you ever find out why grandmother wouldn't be joining us this morning?" She asked to cut the awkwardness of seeing her aunt gloriously nude.

She heard Dany sigh "Yeah, she's apparently busy this morning to join us, something about having a chat with somebody or something." She said. Rhae heard the sound of shuffling fabric during it all.

"He was with her again yesterday." Dany continued. She heard her huff in annoyance.

Her face scrunched up as she chanced a look at her aunt, she didn't know whether to be relieved or disappointed to see her in a light blue silk dress, a gold belt around her midsection.

"Who's he?" She asked. Rhae wasn't stupid though, she had a pretty good idea who she was talking about. The first time was odd, but the news of a second meeting between her grandmother and him was even more concerning.

Dany looked at her blankly, not buying her nonchalant response "You know exactly whom I speak of dear niece." She asked.

She shook her head "I don't understand it, what could they possibly be talking about? I mean, ones the dowager Queen of the royal family and the other is just a northern knight." She thought out load. She wasn't sure if Jon was a knight or not but he might as well be after that melee.

Just a northern knight...who was she kidding. He was a lot more than that.

Dany made a face "You don't think..." She said as she moved to her dresser and started placing on jewellery.

"Think what?" She asked.

Dany shrugged as she ran a brush through her hair "I mean, my mother, even in her old age, is still hauntingly beautiful." She seemed to suggest.

"Really Dany? She's a bit old for him, isn't she?" She asked as she stood from her chair, Dany followed suit after she'd finished brushing her silver tresses that fell down her back like a waterfall.

Dany shrugged "Just a suggestion. You know as much as me what they are getting up to." She replied as they both made their way out of Dany's chamber. The two kingsguard waiting for them bowed.

The walk towards her mother's chamber was spent in silence, both of them clearly lost in their own thoughts. Dany was the one to knock on the Queen's personal solar. The door opened almost instantly, Ser Arthur the one on the other side. He bowed as he opened the door a little more for them, her mother already had guests in the form of her good friend, Ashara and her daughter Clarissa.

"Thank you, Arthur. You may join your brothers now." Her mother said from the table the three of them were sat at.

Ser Arthur bowed to all of them and moved out the room, closing the door behind him.

The two of them walked across the room and took their place at the table, it was filled with all sorts of foods to break their fast. Her mother filled both of them a goblet each of dornish red as they took their seat.

"You were almost late today, you're getting better." Her mother said with a grin. She rolled her eyes and smiled when she caught Clarissa grinning.

She liked Clarissa, she was quieter than a few of the ladies she knew but when you really got to know her, she was rather charming, she had a rather dry sense of humour.

She didn't like to join in with the gossip about her, the identity of her father being the main topic that was regularly brought up. Apart from the longer face and the grey eyes, Clarissa was the spitting image of Ashara when she was that age according to Rhae's mother. The main rumour was that the late Brandon Stark was her father, a less known rumour was that she was the daughter of Lord Stark but things didn't really add up in that sense.

Regardless, it wasn't any of her business, the members of House Dayne seemed to be the only ones who knew that secret and she wouldn't pry.

Dany spoke up at her mother's observation "Sorry, that was my fault." She admitted as she filled her plate with fruit.

Her mother shook her head "Not to worry, you're here now." She assured.

"Is the Queen mother or Princess Margaery joining us?" She heard Ashara say as Rhae filled her own plate with food.

Her mother shook her head "Unfortunately, no. Margaery is visiting her family with Egg and Alysanne, and Rhaella is busy this morning. They both apologise in advance." She explained.

"That's a shame." Ashara replied before taking a sip from her goblet.

The conversation around the table ran freely as the five of them ate their breakfast. They talked about anything and everything really, what they've been up to, how things at home were like and a little more interestingly, the melee that had occurred a few days ago and the upcoming joust.

"Arthur likes to pretend that it didn't bother him but a sister can see right through that. Wouldn't surprise me if he suggests having a friendly spar with him in the near future, a chance to get even." Ashara said with a smirk. The topic being of her brother losing at the very end of the melee to the one person she couldn't avoid thinking of.

"To be fair to Arthur, the boy was exceptional throughout the whole event. And with how humble he was at the end, it said much about his character. So much so, Rhaegar and the majority of the Kingsguard have been whispering about a future Kingsguard spot for him." Her mother declared, a flare of excitement shooting through her at this new piece of information.

Jon in the Kingsguard.

He'd be in the Red Keep.

"The boy was spotted in the keep yesterday morning, he might have already met with the Kingsguard and agreed, I'll have to ask my husband later. I've not met the boy myself but I would like to get an idea of his character personally." Her mother explained further before looking at her and Dany.

She noticed that Ashara opened her mouth but decided to close it before speaking, her mother saw it as well.

"Go on Ash, you were going to say something." The Queen urged on as she sipped her wine.

Ashara shook her head "It's nothing, don't mind me." She replied. She popped a piece of orange in her mouth as a distraction.

Clarissa huffed and rolled her eyes "We've met Jon before, back at Starfall. I think that's what my mother was about to say." She said. Ashara's eyes widened as she looked at her daughter like she'd been betrayed.

"Clarissa!" Ashara chided, Clarissa just took a sip of her own wine with a small grin on her face.

Little troublemaker.

"What's this Ash?" Her mother asked. Her and Dany were rather interested in this story as well.

Ashara sighed "Jon visited Starfall not too long ago, he wasn't there long, only stopped the night." She explained.

Her mother raised an eyebrow at that "Stopped the night?" She repeated, humour in her tone.

Ashara shook her head and rolled her eyes "Not like that." She reassured.

"Like what?" Her mother replied back with a little grin at the corner of her mouth.

"You know what." Ashara replied with a huff. Clarissa giggled at the two of them and her and Dany smiled.

She was still interested why he was there in the first place though.

"If you must know, he visited Starfall for answers and I'll leave it at that." Ashara explained, too vaguely for her liking. Clarissa looked down at her plate and made herself busy with her breakfast.

Interesting.

Her mother looked back and forth between the two Dayne ladies, she could normally see through stuff like this, Rhae was normally on the wrong end of that ability.

The Queen nodded her head subtly before opening her mouth "He was looking for his mother, wasn't he?" She said, almost stated it as a fact. It was a rather heavy subject to be talking about this early in the morning over breakfast.

Ashara's lack of a reply was as good as a verbal confirmation.

Wait, Ashara was Jon's mother!?

It made sense really, he obviously inherited his mother's beauty.

Her mother sniffed when she got her answer "And I'm guessing he was unsuccessful in his search?" She asked. Ashara looked at Elia like she'd already had enough of the conversation but eventually nodded her head.

They all ate in silence for a minute or so before Clarissa opened her mouth "He is nice though, he let me braid his hair." She said as she chuckled to herself.

Ashara looked at her daughter "He didn't let you, if I recall, you tricked him." She replied with a little humour in her voice. Clarissa shrugged as she grinned at her and Dany.

Her mother looked back and forth between Ashara and her daughter with a little smile.

"He sounds like a bit of a spoilsport, I for one can appreciate a nice braid." Dany japed as she finished a piece of fruit off of her plate.

Clarissa shook her head "He took it quite well, he's a sweetheart under that rough exterior." She assured with a laugh.

The Queen chuckled "An exterior a certain niece of mine seems to appreciate." She said, it sent an odd feeling into the pit of her stomach.

Ashara chucked herself as she placed her goblet back on the table "Arianne is going to get herself into trouble if she's not careful." She replied. A flare of annoyance built in her chest.

She'd warned her.

Her mother shook her head "It wasn't Arianne for once, Ellaria told me. Apparently, after Oberyn was eliminated by Jon, Nym didn't take her eyes off the young man for the rest of the event." She explained.

Her ire simmered a little when she heard that, she'd told Ari that he was off limits but she kinda forgot to tell her other cousins. Probably because she wouldn't have heard the end of it from them.

Still didn't mean she was happy about it.

Ashara huffed "Well good luck to her, she could do a lot worse for herself." She said.

She needed out of this conversation, the stem of her goblet was close to bending with how hard she was gripping it. The table they were sat at jolted from something impacting it, Dany cursed as she retrieved the piece of orange she'd dropped on her dress.

"Seven hells." She said as she moved it to her plate and began to rub her knee.

"Are you okay Daenerys?" Her mother asked. She looked at the small stain the piece of fruit had managed to make on Dany's light blue dress.

Dany nodded "Yeah, I'll be fine. I'm going to need to change my dress unfortunately." She said as she let out a sigh. Dany stood up from the table an excused herself.

"I won't be long." She said as she moved to the door. Before she could open it, somebody decided to knock against it.

They all looked at the door as Dany opened it.

Ser Arthur bowed at the princess "Your grace," He said before looking at her mother "...your grace, the King requests your presence in his personal solar." He informed.

It would seem that the conversation would be ending naturally and without her having to excuse herself.

Unlike Dany.

She wasn't fooling her with that display she'd just put on.

Her mother stood and everybody stood with her "I think that's a good place to bring this meal to an end, it's been a pleasure." She said as she hugged Ashara, Clarissa and then her. "It's been a pleasure ladies." She said after she gave Dany a hug.

"Has he said what it's about?" Her mother asked as she followed Dany and Ser Arthur through the door.

"He mentioned the Tullys your grace..." was the last of that conversation she heard as they disappeared down the hallway.

She turned to Ashara and Clarissa and smiled "Me and Dany are going to meet up with my aunt Ellaria and my cousins if you're interested in joining us. It should be interesting." She asked. Ashara and Clarissa smiled and nodded.

"Great," She smiled "...lets hope Dany doesn't take too long." She said before sitting back down, the two Daynes following suit.

Ned

He felt the room around him closing in as he sat opposite the dowager Queen, a mask of indifference on her face. He wasn't sure how she kept her cool, especially after what she'd just asked him.

"Do you know what the penalty for treason is Lord Stark?" She'd said.

She knew, she had to. Why would she randomly invite him for a chat? Why would that be the first thing she asks him?

He wiped the sweat that had began to build in his palms on his breaches before answering.

"It depends on the severity of the crime your grace, regardless, the common penalty is death or the wall." He answered. Anxiety ate away at him with every second that passed afterwards. She sat there with her hands clasped together on top of her desk in her personal solar, a look of contemplation on her face as she looked at him. Only the flare of her nostrils betrayed what she really felt.

She definitely knows.

"Depends on the severity." She echoed as she looked down at her clasped hands.

"I had an interesting chat with somebody recently and the topic of treason came up. They had an odd take on the topic, they believed there was other ways to punishing individuals for their acts of treason, ways that the realm and the people itself could profit from. 'Making the most out of a terrible situation' were their words." She explained further. The knuckles of her hands were gripped tight and left white.

He could already feel the cool breeze from the open window blowing over his brow and cooling the sweat that was building there.

"They had a lot of interesting things to say come to think of it, a lot of dangerous truths." She continued. The small goblet of wine she'd poured for herself was grasped with what looked like an iron grip.

"Your grace..."

She interrupted him before he could say anything "The gods can be awfully cruel, wouldn't you agree Lord Stark?" She asked.

She carried on without giving him chance to reply "The gods deemed it fit to take many of my children away from me before they could ever truly live. Its something I wouldn't wish on anybody, especially on any of my own children." She said, a little anger growing in her voice.

"Unfortunately, my son, the King, experienced this soon after Robert's failed rebellion," She continued, a shot of ice going up his spine "...the fruit of his and your lady sister's love following her mother into the next world when they both tragically passed away." She almost growled out.

He's done.

He sighed and looked down at his lap. He could feel himself deflate as he closed his eyes. He'd told Jon that whatever he decided to do, he wouldn't be blamed for whatever happened to him and he meant it, he just hoped his family weren't punished as well, he hoped his family would forgive him.

The dowager Queen cleared her throat "By that reaction, I think we can both start talking a little more openly now hmm? Lets not insult each others intelligence." She said, almost commanded.

He looked up at her and noticed a bit of the anger had disappeared from her face, a look of annoyance and, to his surprise, disappointment.

"Aye, I think that is for the best." He agreed. She lifted her chin in reply.

"How," He began before clearing his throat "...how did the information come to you?" He asked. There could be only one person who could have told her, unless she'd found out by her own means.

She sniffed "I had my suspicions the first time I truly met him, the second time we met he confirmed it, the third time he informed me of everything you'd told him." She informed, each meeting with Jon seemed more damning than the last for Ned.

So Jon has met his grandmother.

He closed his eyes and nodded.

"He's a good man, has a lot of that wolfs blood from his mother. Also has some of that dragon temper as well." She said admiringly about her grandson.

"His father doesn't have a quick temper like him but he's still capable of losing it given the right circumstance. I think Jon's separate bloodlines make a rather potent mixture." She explained further. He knew what she was talking about, Jon had always been quick to anger in certain situations.

It felt weird when she mentioned Jon's real father, it already felt like he was being replaced. He looked back at her with a small smile, hopefully making the situation they were in a little bit less stressful.

It didn't work, she didn't seem to appreciate his attempt. He didn't blame her, the bigger picture wasn't funny at all. Especially for him.

"It would seem that your nephew also has an understanding heart, a soft one when it mattered and a hard one when its required." She said soon after, a little more of an edge to her voice.

He sighed "Your grace..."

"Did you ever plan to tell him?" She snapped out, the dowager Queen's reputation fully out on display.

What was the point in lying any more, where had it got him?

He shook his "I did not, your grace." He replied. "I explained to him when he confronted me that the truth had grown too dangerous to speak of. Everything I did was to protect him, not to hurt him." He tried to explain but she was having none of it. He couldn't blame her, she had every right to be angry.

Her nostrils flared and her eyes grew harder "I've heard it all before Lord Stark, my grandson told me all of this yesterday. I'm just trying to work out what kind of game you're playing with him. How you've managed to convince him that your punishment shouldn't be as bad as I would wish it." She growled out.

He looked at her in surprise.

He's trying to help me? After what I've done?

He didn't deserve him.

The King's mother shook her had as she looked at him "Don't look so surprised Lord Stark, I'm pretty sure you're the one who's put him up to this." She said.

He shook his own head "I promise you your grace, I told him whatever he decided to do, I wouldn't hold him responsible. This was solely his decision." He replied.

She shook her head again, she wasn't buying it "You've played on his compassion, you knew the punishment you would receive and you placed that choice in his hands. You've guilt tripped him into making a choice where you don't lose your head and his cousins don't lose their father." She explained.

His head shook for what felt like the thousandth time "No, that was never my intention. I've made terrible decisions, decisions that I thought were right that only turned out to be wrong. I deserve my punishment, whatever it may be, I just didn't want Jon to feel like it was his fault for what is to become of me, I swear." He pleaded back. His mess should never fall on Jon's shoulders.

Her grace's face scrunched up as she looked at him "Your assurances and your pleas mean nothing Lord Stark. The secrets and lies that surround you make you untrustworthy, the words that come out of your mouth have lost all the weight they carry, the weight that they previously would've had before your little secret came to light." She spoke out in a cold tone.

"My grandson doesn't want a war started over him, he doesn't want thousands of soldiers and innocents to perish because of him. I hate the choices and decisions you have thrust upon his shoulders. He appeared in my personal chamber yesterday looking like a husk of his normal self, an entire night spent wandering around the wilderness of the nearby woods, kept awake trying to make decisions because of what you have done." She said, her voice getting harder and harder with every word said.

"The King's son, a member of the royal family, a Prince of the realm, left alone to his own devices. Who knows what could have happened to him out there!" She finished, almost yelling the last of her words.

The dowager Queen closed her eyes and took a deep breath, it took Ned back, back to a time where his mother was telling him off as a child.

He looked down at his lap "I never intended to hurt him, I never intended for any of this to happen." He whispered out. His fight was gone, all that was left was his destiny.

"You never intended to get caught, Lord Stark. That's what you really mean." She replied. The tone in her voice left little to no chance at all for him to convince her.

The silence in the room became deafening after a while, the only sound was the thud of the dowager Queen's goblet as she gulped from it. Ned kept his head down in reverence and shame.

He cleared his throat, the lump in it making his words raspy "What...what is to be done with me your grace?" He asked, resigned to whatever fate he would receive. He just hoped he'd be able to talk and explain everything to his family before the inevitable.

He looked up when a few seconds past without an answer, the King's mother looking at him with undisguised disgust and hate. It was impossible to blame her.

"My son isn't even aware of what you've done, he isn't aware he has another son because of you. The King will have the final say with what happens to you, and may the gods have mercy on your soul when he does Lord Stark." Came her damning answer.

She sniffed "You can leave now." She said. Dismissing him without any interest in his reply.

He stood from his chair in a daze, remembering to bow to her before leaving. He headed for the door but before he could open it, the dowager Queen spoke up one more time.

"Oh, Lord Stark." She said as he turned and looked at her. She'd already pulled parchment out from her desk and was running her quill across it.

Maybe she's writing my death sentence.

"Don't wander too far, the King will be demanding your presence soon. Don't try to run away from your mistakes." Were her last words to him before he was dismissed once again.

The corridors of Harrenhal felt like they were closing in on him as he made his way out of the castle. The trip back to the northern camp was quiet, almost eerie regardless of the amount of people he passed.

He needed to see his children, he needed to see Jon.

Clarissa

"Try this one." Sarella said to her as they walked through the markets. Her friend handed her a different candied fruit they'd just bought from the stands. Sarella was her favourite of the famous Sand Snakes, maybe because she was one of the only ones who was as interested in books as she was.

She chewed through the candied plum that she'd just received, the burst of flavour making her 'mmm' reactively. Sarella looked at her and smiled at her reaction, she grinned back before lowering her eyes to the ground.

Sarella was beautiful, her light olive skin that she shared with most of her sisters was unblemished, her pitch black hair that was tied in a braid down her back shined under the sunlight of the afternoon and her eyes were such a deep brown they were almost black. The most attractive thing about her though was her mind, she was such a curious and intelligent individual.

That was the odd thing about her friendship with Sarella, there's always been an intrigue with girls that she'd met in the past and she could easily sprout a friendship with them. But with Sarella, there seemed to be another step above friendship with her, like there was more she could get out of it, more she wanted to get out of it.

She liked boys, she knew that for certain. A few times her mother had caught her eyes wandering and just shook her head and smiled. Jon is the prettiest boy she's met and she could remember, even months later, the way she'd stared and blushed shamelessly at him when they met. That was until a bucket of ice cold water was dumped over her head when she found out he was her brother. So she definitely liked boys, it was an odd way of establishing that but it did the job.

But did she like girls as well? That was the real question.

The Princess of Dorne and her Sand Snake cousins were undeniably beautiful, very easy on the eye. The Queen and the Targaryen Princesses were all exceptionally beautiful, even the dowager Queen could make some women half her age look ordinary.

But she felt no lust for any of them. She could appreciate their beauty but her reactive thoughts at the sight of their looks wasn't one of sexual desire.

So why was Sarella any different? She was pretty like the rest of them, why do she feel different around her? Was it her mind she was attracted to?

She sighed, maybe she was just weird.

"A copper for your thoughts?" Her friend asked as they passed through the gates of the market and towards the yards where Sarella's older sisters were training.

She looked at her friend and saw genuine interest in what was going through her mind and not the vague interest that people normally showed her.

She shook her head "Its nothing, don't mind me." She replied, the last thing she wanted to explain was her thought process to her.

Sarella didn't look like she believed her but she appreciated that she didn't push. The rest of the walk to the yard was quiet, the pathway there was surrounded by trees and grassy fields, people were making the most of the sun as they laid on blankets and basked in the sunlight.

The yard eventually came into view, a few people were sat around the stands watching on in interest. Sarella grabbed her arm and moved her towards one of them, the skin on her arm burned from the contact.

"C'mon, there's a good spot over there in the shade." She said as they moved to their spot. In the yard, she could easily spot Obara and Nymeria sparring away with their spears. Further up the yard, there were a few other people minding their own business.

"So," Sarella said from her seat next to her. She dusted her hands off after closing the little box her sweets came in "...have any predictions for tomorrow?" She asked.

Her brow furrowed in confusion "Tomorrow? What's happening tomorrow?" She replied. Before Sarella answered, she remembered.

Before she could rectify the situation, Sarella was already opening her mouth, a look of disbelief on her face "Really? The main reason anybody came to this thing in the first place." She said.

Clarissa nodded and chuckled "The joust. It honestly slipped my mind for a second there."

Sarella smiled at her "Don t forget the archery as well. Nym isn't happy about being snubbed for the melee so she's going into that with something to prove."

"Is she good then?" She asked in reply.

Sarella bobbed her head side to side "She's not really known for her archery skills, I thinks she's only doing it to save face. Obara hasn't really teased Nym about being chosen over her for the melee but I can tell when my sister is annoyed. I mean, look at that..." She said as she nodded towards the yard where Obara and Nymeria were really going at it with their spears.

"She's frustrated, and it shows. Not to mention the little talk she had with our royal cousin earlier. Whatever was said has clearly annoyed her, she had face on for an hour straight earlier." Sarella continued.

She looked back at the two Sand Snakes battling it out, both of them being evenly matched for the time being. The thing that really caught her eye though was the man who had just entered the yard, he clearly wasn't interested with the amount of people here as turned around as soon as he walked in.

She was having none of it though.

"Jon!" She shouted in his direction as she stood from her seat in the stands. Her brother's head snapped around as he scanned the area, noticing her as she waved to him. She noticed his eyes widen and a small smile crack through his mask.

Obara seemed to catch Nym out with a strike as the younger woman stumbled, she managed to recover to parry her sister's strike. Jon made his way around the stands towards her, eyeing the action in the yard as he did so.

"Clarissa." Came the northern burr of her brother's voice as she hugged him, his hand rubbing up and down her back.

She'd missed him.

She was beyond proud to see her brother and uncle be the last two to face off in the grand melee but pleasantly shocked when Jon was the one to walk away victorious. She'd not had chance to talk to him since arriving due to him either being around her other brother's and sister's or him just disappearing into thin air. She would have talked to him when he was around his family but it was too awkward, she was almost scared that hers and her mother's secret would be found out as soon as they saw her.

...as soon as he saw her.

The clearing of a throat behind her broke her from her thoughts as she disengaged from her brother's embrace.

"Are you going to introduce me to your friend?" Sarella asked as she looked at her.

Clarissa smiled and nodded "Sarella, this is Jon, my...a good friend of mine. Jon, this is Sarella, another good friend of mine." She said as Jon gripped Sarella's placed out hand and kissed the back of it.

"Pleasure." He answered as he let go of Sarella's hand and sat next to his sister. She looked to see what Sarella's reaction to Jon was, expecting to see a little bit of interest, maybe even lust. What she wasn't expecting to see was a little annoyance as she eyed her and Jon.

Wonder what that's about?

She turned and slapped Jon on the shoulder after he'd sat down, a look of confusion on his face when she did so.

"What was that for?" He asked as he rubbed the affected area.

"You've been avoiding me." She replied. It was petulant but she knew he wouldn't take it to heart.

He shook his head and looked down at his hands "I'm Sorry, I've had a lot of stuff happening lately, I apologise." He said in reply. It would seem that he had took her jape to heart after all.

She nudged his shoulder with her own "I was joking with you silly. Its really good to see you again." She replied with a little smile. She managed to get one back from him before his eyes were dragged back to the yard.

Sarella sat to her left cleared her throat before speaking up "What's the story with you two then?" She asked. There was a bit of an edge to the question that she noticed, Jon obviously didn't as he answered.

An answer she really didn't expect nor appreciate.

"I'm her brother, or I hope I still am after all of this." He replied as he kept his eyes on the yard. Her eyes widened at his reply and so did Sarella's.

"Wait what?" Sarella said as she eyed the pair of them. Clarissa turned to Jon and thumped him on the shoulder, completely incensed he would blurt something like that out.

"Why would you say that!?" She asked him as he turned and looked at her. There was a deep lying sadness behind his eyes as he looked at her but she ignored that for the time being. She needed to know why he would betray her confidence like that.

"Because lying doesn't solve anything Clarissa. It'll eat away at you and eventually cause more trouble than its worth." He explained as he looked at her. He didn't look ashamed at what he'd done, he just looked fed up.

It didn't mean he had the right to blurt out such a dangerous truth without warning.

"That still doesn't give you the right Jon." She shot back. Jon sighed heavily and closed his eyes.

Something has definitely happened.

The difference between the easy going and charming brother the first time they'd met compared to the miserable looking man sat in front of her was jarring. It would be something she'd have to find out for herself in time but for now, she was still angry with him.

"So it's true? He's your brother?" Sarella said from behind her. She'd kinda forgot she was there for a moment.

She closed her eyes and took a breath in preparation for whatever was to come next, she expected to see Sarella's annoyed face like she had earlier but when she turned she saw intrigue and what looked to be mild amusement.

She reluctantly nodded to her friend's question, Sarella's eyes widening at her confirmation. She would never hear the end of it now from her, she'd be asking questions till she went blue in the face, that was just Sarella was.

Before Sarella could start with her barrage of questions, her friends eyes glanced at the yard before rolling. Interested to see what had caused such a reaction, Clarissa glanced in the direction of the yard herself, noticing both of Sarella's sisters making their way towards them.

Here we go…

"I have a good mind to warn father about a certain northern boy preying on his daughter. Shouldn't you be playing in the woods or whatever it is you northerners do up in that wasteland you call home Snow?" Obara brazenly said to Jon as her and Nymeria approached the side of the yard where the three of them were sat.

Obara pointed her practice spear into the ground a leant on it, waiting for a response from Jon with a cocky grin on her face. Nymeria mirrored her sister's stance with her own spear but devoid of a cocky grin of her own.

After a few seconds without reply, Obara scoffed and nodded at him "Did he hear me or is he broken?" She asked as she looked from her to Sarella, her eyes eventually landing on Jon. She turned and looked at Jon to see his reaction to all of this and didn't miss the bored look on his face as he sighed.

He did open his mouth to reply though "Sometimes when you've got nothing nice to say, its best to just not say anything at all." He said as he looked around the yard like he was looking to leave current situation "I wouldn't want to hurt your feelings." He ended with.

Obara chuckled, a humourless chuckle. Clarissa looked at Sarella in concern but all her friend did was shake her head and roll her eyes.

"I find it adorable that you think you're even capable of such a thing little man." Came the reply of the oldest of the Sand Snakes.

She looked at Jon and caught him rolling his eyes as he heaved himself up from his seat. She heard him mutter to himself but couldn't catch what he'd said. From the corner of her eye, she caught movement from the yard and saw Obara pick her practice spear out of the ground and toss it towards Jon. Instinctively, Jon caught it out of the air before looking at Obara, a single eyebrow raised.

"What do you expect me to do with this?" He asked as Obara vaulted over the fence and moved to sit next to her sister.

"You'll work it out." She said as she nodded towards her other sister who was still stood in the yard. Nymeria looked back at Obara with an eyebrow of her own raised.

"Prove yourself against my sister with that spear and I might entertain kicking your arse after." Obara boldly stated as she got comfortable in her seat, one booted foot resting on the fence as she leaned back.

She didn't miss how she'd specifically stated the use of a spear, knowing full well if he was able to use his swords it would be a completely different game they were playing.

Jon chuckled "And why do I need to prove myself to the likes of you?" He asked as he twirled the spear with his hand. He eyed Obara before looking into the yard.

Obara shrugged "You'll be proving my point if you don't." She said.

"And what's that?" Came Jon's reply. She too was intrigued at this point.

"That you're just a little man who got lucky against my father." She replied. There was a little edge to her voice when she replied.

Jon just sighed and shook his head "Sounds like you're obsessed and in denial to me but whatever." He said as he shrugged. "I'll spar with your much less annoying sister because she hasn't thrown verbal shit my way the moment we met and not because I need to prove myself to the likes of you." He replied as he moved down the stands and vaulted the fence.

He held his hand out to Nym who shook it whilst looking at him with a blank look, she'd still not said anything since her and her sister had approached them.

Obara scoffed as Jon and Nym got into their stances opposite each other. Jon's stance looked nothing like the one that Nym had took.

And Obara noticed this as she heckled at him "You look like an idiot who's pretending to know what he's doing." She mocked.

Jon turned and looked at her with a blank look on his face "And you look like a cow chewing a wasp. I suppose we all have to learn how to live with our imperfections." He boldly replied. Sarella almost choked on her water as she drank from her waterskin.

She dared to look to see Obara's reaction, noticing that nothing changed on her face, nothing apart from the flaring nostrils that had took on a mind of their own.

"You better fucking break him Nym. I need to finish him off." Obara muttered to herself as Jon and Nymeria begin their dance.

Clarissa looked at Sarella to see what her reaction to all of this was, not at all surprised to see a look of amusement on her face. She smiled back at her friend, noticing that she was getting the box of sweets back out.

Sarella held the box out at her and she picked one of the candied fruits out before popping it in her mouth. Sarella did the same before offering the box to Obara, her sister was to distracted by the fight in the yard to even acknowledge her sister's offer. Her friend just shrugged and put the box of sweets away.

She looked back in the yard to see how the bout was faring and it would look like she picked the right time to look as Nymeria caught Jon round the back of his foot and tripped him, wasting no time in mounting him at the waist. She went to move her spear around to point it toward Jon's neck but before getting the chance to do so, Jon managed to twist his hips and promptly flip their positions. He pushed down on the spear with both hands while Nymeria was trying to push up with hers, slowly but surely winning the contest of strength to nobody's surprise.

With Jon pressed above her and the shaft of her spear resting against her throat, Nymeria nodded to Jon's inaudible question. He went to stand up from his position on top of Nym but was wrenched back down by her legs wrapped around his waist. Jon looked a little uncomfortable at the inappropriate position he was in but didn't get chance to react as Nym's legs left his waist. She proceeded to press into his chest with them before launching him backwards onto his behind.

Jon, to her surprise, seemed to take it in his stride with a shake of his head and a chuckle as the pair of them stood back up and readied their weapons against each other again.

She didn't miss Nymeria's smile back at him.

Daenerys

"I apologise about my grandmother your grace, she sometimes gets carried away." Ser Loras said to her as the two of them walked away from the Reach camp they'd just been in. Lady Olenna Tyrell or The Queen of Thorns as she was more commonly known as had asked a few questions to her during their meeting, all of which Ser Loras had heard.

Is my grandson not good enough for a Targaryen princess?

Do you and your niece plan on marrying each other?

Those were some of the stand out questions amongst many that caught her off guard.

She shook her head and looked at her friend "Don t worry about it Loras, your grandmother has a substantial reputation for such a thing. I'd have been somewhat disappointed if it had turned out to be exaggerated." She said as the two of them walked along the bank of the God's eye lake. The small breeze felt lovely after the heat of the day.

The area seemed quiet as they walked along, the peace of it welcomed after the day she'd had. Meeting after meeting wasn't her idea of fun but her brother had asked her and she was keen to prove to him that she was more than just a pretty face.

"Sit still you big baby." She heard somebody say faintly, her and Ser Loras rounding a corner of trees and identifying where the voice had come from. Ser Loras started walking forward to make their presence known but she grabbed his arm and wrenched him back behind the tree she hid behind.

Ser Loras looked at her in confusion "Your grace?" He said, seemingly asking what her intentions were. She shook her had at him and looked back towards the culprit of the unknown voice.

Not too far away from her and Loras stood Jon Snow on the bank at the edge of the water. He was currently soaping up that white wolf of his with the lather he'd produced from the bar of soap he'd just dropped on a pile of cloths. By the looks of it, he was having a hard time keeping the energetic creature still as the wolf kept trying to jump up at him, making a complete mess.

It made quite the humorous picture, especially amusing when the wolf decided to shake off the soap suds, creating even more of a mess.

She just about suppressed a laugh behind her hand. She looked at Ser Loras and saw that he was having a hard time not smiling at the scene. Then all of a sudden, his face fell and took on a different look, one that she could understand when she turned back to the pair of wolves.

Jon Snow was stripping out of his clothes, his gambeson and his boots were the first things to go. He looked around before the tunic and the breeches were off next, leaving him in nothing but the small clothes that were left on his lower half.

He didn't give her enough time to get her fill before he was picking up his wolf and dropping him into the lake, following him in with the bar of soap he'd just retrieved.

He submerged himself under the water before emerging from under the surface, he produced a lather with his soap before tossing the bar back on to the bank and washing himself. His wolf seemed to be having fun in the water around him, paddling around his master with his tongue lolling out.

There were so many thoughts going through her head that she didn't know how to react to what she was seeing. She should feel ashamed that she was essentially spying on him but she didn't, she tried pulling her eyes away but it was nearly impossible. Ser Loras seemed to have the same problem as she glanced at him.

"We should leave your grace." He said but made no attempt at looking away from the scene in front of them.

"We should." She replied back as she witnessed Jon and his wolf climb out of the lake. It was impossible not to watch him dry down his warrior's body, the damp small clothes he'd entered the lake in sticking to his legs like a second skin, showcasing his powerful legs and firm arse.

Turn around.

Her mind didn't get its wish as Jon pulled his breeches on before sliding his boots on his feet. His tunic was next, she managed to get a glimpse of his chest as he lifted it over his head, showcasing the power that lied underneath his clothes. Lastly, his gambeson was the last piece of clothing to be tied up, ultimately hiding his body away from them and ending their sordid idea of a little fun.

The extra cloth he didn't use to dry himself with he used to dry his wolf, laughing away as he did so as the wolf tried nipping and licking him, probably thinking he was playing. Jon let go of the creature after he'd done and moved to pick up his swords that were in the grass, tying them to his back. The soap and cloths that were used to bathe were the last thing he picked up before standing up straight and looking around. And to her shock, he was looking right in their direction.

She grabbed Ser Loras by the arm and dragged him back further in the hopes of hiding them but it was no use, the reason for Jon's glance in their direction looking at them with its head cocked to the side.

How had neither of them not notice the white wolf trotting in their direction?

"Ghost, come here." She heard Jon say as he approached them, he still hadn't seen either of them yet. Ser Loras put his hand on his hilt as he eyed the wolf, the wolf in question taking a step back at the knight's action. She placed her hand on top of Loras' to stop him, the last thing she wanted was blood being spilled.

Instead, she took a step away from the tree and slowly approached with a hand held out at the creature, or Ghost as Jon had called it.

"Your grace, I don't think tha..." She heard Loras say from behind her before she interrupted.

"Nonsense Ser Loras, I think it's looking for a friend that's all." She said, a little louder than necessary so that Jon could here her. It was her attempt at breaking the ice without it being awkward.

"He." She heard Jon reply as he approached them. She turned to him in confusion at his response. On the surface she was playing it cool, her mind was a different story though. Up close, Jon Snow was more trouble than she'd originally believed. It didn't help that his own eyes had widened when he finally saw who he was talking to, an intense look that she could physically feel.

"He?" She asked as she carried on looking at his face. She would have felt shameful if he wasn't doing the same thing to her.

He nodded, his raven curls were still damp from earlier as they bounced. He looked down at Ghost and grinned "Ghost is a he, not an it." He replied.

She blinked "I didn't mean to cause offence..."

He shook his head again "No harm done." He replied as he smiled down at the wolf before looking back at her. He nodded in Ghost's direction "Go ahead, he's harmless. A bit daft but harmless nonetheless." He said before holding his hand out to Ser Loras, who shook it. She'd forgot that they'd already met before.

She bent down and slowly held her hand out the wolf, he moved and sniffed it before licking the back of her hand. She couldn't help the little chuckle that escaped from her as he did so. The same hand that had just been licked was soon gliding through the freshly cleaned fur of the beautiful creature stood in front of her. She was shocked when Ghost moved forward and nudged her onto her bottom and proceeded to lick her face.

She couldn't help the laughter that erupted as she lamely attempted to fight off the onslaught. She heard Ser Loras say something before she was being helped out, Ghost being pulled away from her by Jon. He looked at her with a bashful smile as he held a hand out to help her up, which she took without hesitation.

Her hand burnt from the skin on skin contact.

He kept hold of her hand as they straightened up, placing a kiss to the back of it before letting go.

"My name's Jon, your grace. Jon Snow." He said, finally introducing himself to her.

She nodded "I know." She said with a small smile.

His brow furrowed "Know? I thought your name was Daenerys, your grace?" He replied, a small grin at the corner of his mouth. She liked her name on his lips.

"I.." She began before sighing "That was a terrible attempt at humour." She replied with a small grin of her own. Jon's grin evolved into a full fledged smile after that.

That thing should be classed as a weapon with how dangerous it was.

He scratched the back of his neck "I'm sorry about the wolf attack. Like I said, he's a bit daft when he's in one of those moods." He said as he looked down at Ghost. The wolf was being surprisingly well behaved as he sat next to Jon.

She stroked Ghost over the head and watched his tail wag as she did so "No harm done." She replied with a grin, echoing the words he'd said to her minutes ago. He chuckled in response.

He bent down and picked up his cloths and soap he'd placed down on the floor to help her up, she didn't even try to look away from his arse when he did so. He stood back up and turned to her before looking down at Ghost.

"Its been a pleasure your grace, but I must be getting back to the northern camp. I promised my sister I wouldn't be late for dinner and she's the last person I want to get on the wrong side of." He said as he looked in between her and Ser Loras. She couldn't help but feel disappointed at the declaration.

She nodded and smiled at him "Of course, say hello to her from me would you?" She said as he smiled and nodded at her.

With a whistle, Ghost was heading off in the direction of the northern camp and after Jon had bowed to her and shook Ser Loras' hand again, he was following after him.

She released the breath that she didn't even know she was holding as he left, that was the first time a boy or man had invoked such a reaction out of her.

"That was interesting." She heard Ser Loras say as they started walking back towards the castle, she nodded in agreement.

She turned around to get one last glimpse of Jon and almost blushed when she caught him already looking back in her direction. As soon as he realised he'd been caught, he turned his head back away from her and upped his pace.

She turned her head back around herself and couldn't help the small grin that grew on her face.

"Interesting indeed."