Disclaimer: I do not own Game of Thrones. Any similarities in dialogue or storyline originated the show or book.

Sabotage

Sansa

The castle was so quiet this late at night. Other than passing the occasional guard, Sansa was walking by herself. She had tried to sleep, but her mind wouldn't shut off long enough and Arya tended to toss and turn throughout the night. There was always something she had to worry about. First there was Rowynn and Jon, then there was Bran, then there was the fate of Winterfell, and lastly she found herself concerned about Elyjah Nyrs. Even though they had only met a few months ago, Sansa had already grown fond of Rowynn's cousin. He was noble, kind, smart, and valiant. Elyjah was everything she ever wanted. She only hoped that he felt the same way.

The eldest Stark daughter was pleasantly surprised when she ran into Evelynn Winter. It had happened once or twice before so they fell into step beside each other without hesitation. They talked about the usual topics like their families and interests until Evelynn decided to head back to her room. Sansa was grateful for the friendships she had made with Rowynn's cousins. Evelynn and Sivyenne were always so kind to her and helped make her feel at home in the True North. Then there was Elyjah Nyrs. She wouldn't admit it to anyone except maybe Arya and Rowynn, but she had begun to fall in love with him. Even before he was legitimized she realized she wanted to have a relationship with him… of any kind. Even if it was only as friends. She hoped he felt the same way about her.

Sansa assumed that hours had passed before she felt ready to go back to bed. Since Rowynn and Jon had left with the Bellaronian army, all she could think about was their fates. While everyone else had no doubts that they would be victorious, Sansa was going to wait to draw conclusions until they had received word from Rowynn or Jon. She didn't want to even consider the idea that her siblings were injured or worse.

Once they reached Evelynn's room the two girls said goodnight and parted ways. The Stark princess fiddled with her hands as she walked by herself the rest of the way to her bedchamber. She was nearly back to her room when she heard people shouting in High Valyrian and a flurry of footsteps down the hall. Sansa slowed to a stop as a group of knights rounded the corner of the adjoining corridor. There was only one man that she recognized right away. Ser Rygos was a member of the Queensguard that Rowynn had assigned to teach Arya in sword fighting and Sansa had talked to him several times. He practically sprinted over to her, grabbing her shoulders gently. Sansa narrowed her eyes as his gaze scanned her quickly.

"Where were you?!" Rygos questioned. Sansa was troubled by how frantic he seemed.

"I was walking the halls," Sansa answered. She looked at his fellow knights before turning her attention back to Ser Rygos. "Why? What—what's wrong?"

The young man kept a hold on her, but he didn't answer her. Sansa recognized the look that crossed his face. He felt sorry for her.

"What's wrong? Is it Jon? Is it Rowynn? Tell me what's wrong! Tell me now!" Sansa demanded, throwing away the manners she usually clung to. She raised her arms and grabbed onto his shirt, jostling him towards her. She could feel herself starting to cry as the frustration rose in her chest. Sansa had already lost too many people in her family to have to go through it again. "Tell me! Tell me! Please!"

"It's your sister," Rygos answered after he placed his hands on both of her arms. Sansa felt the dread instill itself in her heart as she let go of the knight.

"Arya?" Sansa asked, her voice breaking. When Ser Rygos nodded she shook her head.

"No," Sansa murmured. "No. Arya… she—she was fine. She was sleeping when I—when I left her. She was fine."

Sansa met Rygos' gaze and knew he wasn't lying. Something had happened to Arya… but she had to see what that was exactly. She yanked herself from his grasp and pushed him aside as hard as she could. Being smaller and faster than the other knights she dodged their attempts to grab her and ran down the hall to the room she had shared with her sister. She was surprised that there wasn't a guard in sight when she reached her bedchamber. There was only two puddles of blood on either side of the door. She wanted to hesitate to enter, but her desperate need for answers won out.

But there was nothing there. No blood. No body. No Arya.

"I'm sorry, Lady Sansa," Ser Rygos said as he joined her in the room.

"Where is she?" Sansa asked before turning around to face him. "Where is my sister?!"

"She's gone, my lady," Rygos told her and Sansa narrowed her eyes. "Arya… and Rickon are gone."

"What do you mean they're gone?" Sansa questioned after she stepped towards Ser Rygos and the other knights.

Rygos exchanged a look with one of his fellow Queensguard members and met Sansa's gaze. "Your siblings have been kidnapped, my lady."

Jon

The Great Hall was on the edge of chaos. It was filled to capacity with the remaining northern lords along with the lords of the Vale and Riverlands. While none of them had been a part of the battle, Jon had summoned them to properly establish their alliance. He knew that most of them were grateful for extinguishing the plague on the North and the Riverlands known as the Boltons and the Freys. Shortly after the Battle for Winterfell, Jon decided to execute Lord Karstark, Lord Umber, and Lord Frey's eldest sons. He thought it best to wait until Rowynn returned to decide the fate of Ramsay Bolton and Lord Frey.

It wasn't until after the battle was won that Jon learned Roose Bolton had been murdered by his bastard Ramsay. There had been no witnesses other than the maester at Winterfell and Lord Karstark. The maester gave up the information immediately, but it took a few hours of intense interrogation to get it out of Lord Karstark. Jon did not debate for long about how to deal with the heads of the vassals for House Bolton or the loyalists of House Frey.

"You can't expect Knights of the Vale to side with Wildling invaders and Targaryen descendants," Lord Yohn Royce stated after he stood from his seat.

"We didn't invade," Tormund Giantsbane reminded the lord. "We were invited to fight beside the Queen Beyond the Wall."

"Yes," Lord Royce accepted, "but I'm not the child queen."

"Lord Baelish has already sworn allegiance to House Stark and House Nyrs," Prince Haenry Nyrs reminded them.

"Littlefinger does not speak for the entire Vale," Lord Royce retorted.

"The Northerners, the Bellaronians, and the Free Folk fought bravely, fought together, and we won," Jon explained as he rose from his seat at the head of the hall. Beside him sat Rowynn's relatives and the only people from the North who chose to ally with House Stark and House Nyrs. This included the young Lady Mormont, along with the heads of House Mazin and House Hornwood. The rest of the Northern lords agreed to meet with Jon, but only after they outright refused to accept alliance terms. The North remembered everything, including how many lives were lost during the rebellion against House Targaryen and their greatest ally, House Nyrs. They would not be convinced to align themselves with the dragon queens easily. "My father used to say that we find our true friends on the battlefield."

"The Boltons are defeated. The war is over. Winter has come," Lord Cerwyn announced. "If the maesters are right it will be the coldest one in a thousand years. We should ride home and wait out the coming storms."

"The war is not over," Jon declared. "And I promise you that the enemy will not wait out the storm. We threaten every ounce of their power. They will not rest until they take all of it back. My wife is seeing to a pressing matter, but I am sure that when she returns she will not hesitate to remind all of you who exactly defeated the Boltons—whose dragons burned the people who murdered your fellow Northerners… the people you swore to protect. I know Rowynn better than most. If you do not swear allegiance to us she will not regret neglecting to come to your aide when you suddenly decide to ask for it. And you will need it when the Lannisters come knocking."

Jon's words seem to stir some emotion in the room, making most of it's occupants begin conversations with those nearest. The King Consort of Bellaronia sat down as the discussions continued without any hint of nearing a resolution.

Lady Mormont stood suddenly from her seat at the high table and looked around at the lords in the room. She met Lord Manderly's gaze and held her head high. "Your son was butchered at the Red Wedding, Lord Manderly, but you refuse to ally yourself with the people who avenged him." She looked at head of House Glover next. "You swore allegiance to House Stark, Lord Glover, but after delivering justice to the people who slaughtered so many of us you refused the call." She faced the heir of House Cerwyn and shook her head. "And you, Lord Cerwyn. Your father was skinned alive by Ramsay Bolton. Still, you refused the call." She turned her gaze to every person in the room. "But House Mormont remembers! The North remembers! We know no king, but the king in the North whose name is Stark! I don't care that he was born a bastard. Ned Stark's blood runs through his veins. It was Queen Rowynn who recognized that and gave him the power to avenge the dead! He is my king from this day until his last day!"

Lord Manderly was the first to react to the young lady's words. "Lady Mormont speaks harshly… and truly. My son died for Robb Stark, the Young Wolf. I didn't think we'd find another king in my lifetime and I certainly never thought we'd find reason to ally with a dragon queen. I didn't commit my men to your cause because I didn't want more Manderly's dying for nothing. But I was wrong! Rowynn Nyrs and Jon Stark avenged the Red Wedding!" Lord Manderly drew his sword and held it up high. "She is the Ice Dragon and he is the White Wolf. Together they are the King and Queen in the North!" The lord bent the knee and placed the point of his sword into the hard floor, bowing his head towards Jon.

"I decided not to join you in the wars to come," Lord Glover said after he stood beside the kneeling Lord Manderly. "I decreed that I was not willing to fight beside House Nyrs or House Stark… and I will regret that rash decision until my dying day. A man can only admit when he was wrong and ask forgiveness."

Jon straightened his back and met Lord Robett Glover. "There's nothing to forgive."

The older man glanced over his shoulder at the rest of the crowd. "There will be more fights to come. House Glover will stand behind House Stark and their allies as we have for a thousand years!" Lord Glover drew his sword and mimicked Lord Manderly's actions. "And I will stand behind Rowynn Nyrs and Jon Stark, the King and Queen in the North!"

The second the lord finished the rest of the room shouted in agreement. Everyone rose to their feet and drew their weapons, thrusting them in the air as they shouted freely.

"The King in the North! The Queen in the North! The King in the North! The Queen in the North! The King in the North!"

Jon exchanged a look with those seated beside him and only after being encouraged he stood from his chair and accepted the honor silently for him and his wife. They had won the Riverlands, the Vale, and the North. They were ready for the wars to come.

He was riding on a wave of acceptance he had never felt before, not even after Rowynn, a queen, chose to marry him, a bastard. Jon believed he was meant to be a bastard for the rest of his life. But within just a few months he was made into a King Consort and now the King in the North, a title once held by his brother and their ancestors. There were no words for the gratitude he was feeling.

"Your Grace."

Jon turned away from Rowynn's cousin, Elyjah, and faced the man he had come to know as Ser Davos, the Onion Knight. The man had served House Baratheon under King Stannis for years, but after the House Baratheon's defeat, he was able to join the Nyrs-Stark army and fight for them on the battlefield. Jon had even been saved from a sword to the neck by this man and he knew he owed Ser Davos his life. He and Rowynn would find a way to repay him.

"Ser Davos," Jon greeted and shook the man's hand after he gave a stiff bow.

"I just wanted to thank you for avenging Lord Stannis," Davos said. "You might not have done it knowingly, but he was my king first and foremost… and also my friend."

"My father died for the belief that Stannis deserved to be king," Jon told him. "I believe he would have been proud to know that the people behind his death are either dead or on their way to it."

"I was on my way to the Night's Watch to ask for aide when I heard the sounds of the battle," Davos said. "Queen Rowynn would have most likely usurped my king, but in the end we fought the same enemy on the same day and I will stand behind you and your wife. I want to be there to witness the fall of the Lannisters... if you permit me to."

"Rowynn will hear of what you did for me," Jon informed him as he placed a hand on his arm. "I will make sure you are accepted here, I assure you."

"Thank you, Your Grace," Ser Davos said as he bowed of his head slightly.

"Please," Jon began, "call me Jon. I will never grow accustomed to being a king."

"Jon," Davos repeated. "I have to go speak with someone, but I hope I can talk to your wife in person when she returns."

"I think that can be arranged, ser," Jon said and they parted ways with respectful nods.

It felt like hours until he was able to retire to his father's old bedchamber. Once Rowynn had left, he decided to take up residence in the large room. He was waiting impatiently for the hour that he could sleep beside her again. His wife had been gone for several days now and every day that she continued her journey, his yearning for her touch grew considerably. Without her, he felt like a piece of him was missing. He belonged to her—with her—even if she did not feel the same about him.

Once he was ready to go to sleep, he pulled back the fur blankets and slipped beneath them. He missed his direwolf at night mostly, but he didn't regret his decision to leave Ghost at Bellaronia with his siblings. He would protect the other Stark children with his life if he needed to. Even though Jon and Rowynn believed them to be safe Beyond the Wall, life was unpredictable and Jon knew that better than most.

He was slipping into a deep slumber when he heard a floorboard creak. He opened his eyes, but the room was too dark for him to see a hand in front of his face. Jon began to blink the fatigue from his eyes, growing accustomed to the darkness. That was when he felt the intense pain. His neck and stomach erupted with fire as two blades withdrew from both areas. His hands went to the wounds and he barely had time to recognize the thick liquid covering them as blood before the grip on his life began to slip. Jon's hands fell limp at his sides and with his last breath he murmured a thought.

"Rowynn, my love."

Rowynn

Don't show fear. Don't attract any unnecessary attention. Don't forget who the enemy is. That was what Rowynn's father instilled in her growing up and she lived by those three rules for so long that she had to work hard to forget them. Even now she remembered them daily, but she had reasons to forget them sometimes. Sneaking up to Vaes Dothrak was a reason to remember them, though. Rowynn was scared for her life and those tied to it, but she would not show it. She was a queen, but once she entered the Dothraki city she was to become just a daughter of a trader, hiding her silver hair under an old, dirty wrap and keeping her purple eyes trained on the floor to avoid meeting any unwanted gazes. And she was going to remember her goal of finding her queen, but she wouldn't forget that her enemy was any person who sought to cause her or Daenerys harm. She believed she would make her father proud by how well she was going to follow those three rules.

"Are you all right?" Daario asked and Rowynn knew he wasn't talking about her. After several nights of rest, she felt her wounds beginning to heal and it started to take longer for pain to find her. They left their horses tied up a ways off from the entrance to the only city in the Dothraki Sea and continued around the Godsway on foot. Rowynn never asked for it, but she accepted help from Daario and Ser Jorah when they offered it. They had been slowly making their way up the ridge to the side of the Horse Gate when Ser Jorah started to fall behind. Rowynn stopped when Daario did and looked back at the older knight. She could hear him struggling to breathe deep and she understood what he was experiencing. Her own wounds had caused her to fall behind plenty of times during the first leg of their journey.

When Jorah didn't answer Daario except with a few heavy breaths, the younger man continued with a wave of his hand. "Why don't you sit and catch your breath?"

"I'm fine," Ser Jorah said before standing up and joining the younger pair.

"We can rest for a bit," Rowynn told the knight. "I do not mind."

"We're nearly there," Jorah said. He gestured behind her and placed his other hand on his hip. "We should keep going."

Daario chuckled under his breath. "I don't think you could ride the dragon."

Rowynn shook her head with disbelief and shot the sellsword a look that would quiet most men… except him.

"Twenty years ago, maybe," Daario continued after cocking an eyebrow at the young queen. He looked back at Ser Jorah and shrugged.

"What?" The knight asked and walked past the Nyrs queen and the sellsword. Rowynn shoved the younger man's arm, but he just smiled at her and followed Ser Jorah.

"The queen," Daario told him. "She's wild, you know. Don't let her size fool you. It's hard enough for me and I'm a young man. You… I don't think your heart could take it."

Rowynn pursed her lips and felt the need to sigh aloud. Ever since they began their expedition Daario Naharis had not once held his tongue even though he was in the company of a queen in her own right and close friend of Daenerys. She often wished she could forget the things she heard come out of his mouth.

Jorah faced Daario and held his gaze. Rowynn thought for a second that he might hit the sellsword, but after a long moment of silence passed between the two men he turned and continued on.

Daario offered his arm to Rowynn, but she followed Ser Jorah after giving him her best 'stop it or I will kill you' look. She heard his footsteps following close behind her and hoped he learned to keep his mouth quiet. The queen sighed quietly when he spoke up again. "It must make you angry that our queen chose me."

"It makes me sad," Ser Jorah said. "You'll disappoint her before long. She'll move on."

Rowynn couldn't help but acknowledge that his statement rang true.

"We'll all disappoint her before long—" Daario began, but was stopped when Jorah turned to him and moved past Rowynn to approach the sellsword.

"We need each other right now," Jorah admitted. "After we're done needing each other—"

"Oh," Daario scoffed. "I don't want to fight you, Jorah the Andal. What do I have to gain? If I win I'm the shit who killed an old man. If I lose I'm the shit who was killed by an old man."

Rowynn stared at him, unbelieving, as she awaited Jorah's response. "You didn't get much discipline as a child, did you?"

Daario smirked. "None."

"This way, Your Grace," Ser Jorah said after looking at her. He offered his arm and she took it, allowing him to lead her for the rest of the way up the ridge. He helped her onto her stomach once they reached the top and the three of them peered over the edge.

"The road running through the Horse Gate, they call that the Godsway," Jorah explained as he pointed to the road below them. Rowynn had studied plenty of maps and customs of many faraway cities and kingdoms to know some of the layout of the Dothraki city. Jorah pointed to one side of the city then the other. "Eastern market. Western Market. When Khal Drogo died, she was supposed to come here and join the Dosh Khaleen, the widows of the dead Khals. That's where they'd have taken her. The temple of the Dosh Khaleen."

Rowynn let out a silent breath when she realized exactly how hard it was going to be to get her queen back. She was determined to do it, though. And with the help of Ser Jorah and Daario Naharis, she knew it was possible.

"What are you doing?" Daario asked and Rowynn followed his gaze to Jorah who had walked back down the small slope. He was removing the sword around his waist and wrapping the leather strap around the sheathed blade.

"It's forbidden to carry weapons in the sacred city," Ser Jorah revealed.

Daario slid down the slope, helping Rowynn do the same. "Isn't it forbidden to sneak into their city and steal their Khaleesi?"

"If they spot us and we're unarmed we can say we're traders heading for the Western Market," Jorah explained. "But if they see weapons…"

Daario undid his belt and started to remove his sword and dagger. "You're asking a dog to hand over his teeth."

"There's a hundred thousand of them down there. We can't fight our way out," Jorah told the younger man. "We wait until dark and then we find her."

Rowynn watched as Daario handed over his arakh, but hid his knife behind his back. Jorah held out his hand and narrowed his eyes. The sellsword sighed and flipped the weapon in his hand a few times. "I'm very attached to this knife."

He kissed the butt of the wooden figurine handle before starting to give the knight the weapon. Daario stopped suddenly and Rowynn followed his gaze to a piece of Jorah's exposed forearm. The queen recognized the cracked skin as the fatal disease greyscale. Her heart went out to the older man immediately, knowing his fate.

"Don't worry. It didn't touch either of you," Jorah assured them before covering the patch of diseased skin.

"You know what happens?" Daario asked.

"I know what happens," the older man said before holding out his other hand. Daario held up his knife and nodded.

"I'll do it myself," he said and knelt beside the brush.

Jorah looked at Rowynn next and she held up her hands. Her mind went to the dagger hidden in her boot, though. "I don't carry any weapons. You can check if you don't believe me."

"I believe you," Jorah told her. The older man turned his back to her and took a few steps towards the Horse Gate. Rowynn felt bad for lying to the knight, but she wasn't about to go into a strange city without any kind of protection other than her tiny, ineffectual fists. Dothraki men weren't ashamed to savagely rape women and it didn't matter there that she was a queen. They wouldn't hesitate to disgrace her. She would protect herself by any means necessary.

The city was still awake well after the sun set. The Dothraki citizens were partying freely and while Rowynn had known she was going to see people having sex out in the open, she hadn't expected to see nearly every group they passed engaged in some sexual activity. The queen wasn't innocent, but she never had as much exposure to that kind of lifestyle as the Dothraki.

"You shouldn't be ashamed to witness this," Daario whispered to her. They were crouched behind a wall to survey their surroundings, but Rowynn kept her eyes on the dirt floor. "It's a beautiful thing."

"It's a beautiful thing for a man and a woman who actually care about each other," Rowynn told him. "These people are acting out of lust and lust alone."

"That's why I should have been born a Dothraki," Daario winked and the younger girl rolled her eyes with a sigh.

Jorah put his unaffected hand on Rowynn's back and she continued around the building and into the alley. She had her platinum white hair concealed beneath a simple scarf and had done away with her expensive armor and riding gear, wearing a woven leather vest and lose pants instead. The young queen even rubbed several handfuls of dirt over her clothes to make them look worn while Ser Jorah and Daario's outfits were already dirty enough to sell their story.

They continued to sneak through the alleys and behind the clay houses that were scattered through the city. Rowynn stayed between Jorah and Daario as a precaution. She was prepared to use her hidden dagger, but only as a last resort. They came to an abrupt halt when they heard a couple Dothraki nearing them. Rowynn wanted to turn back, but Jorah told her going back would only put them farther from the Temple of the dosh khaleen. The older man led the way around the corner and the young queen remained at Daario's side. She didn't want to get in his way if something happened.

Rowynn didn't know the Dothraki language well, but she understood a few words when Jorah spoke to the pair of Dothraki men. She kept her eyes on the floor as Jorah revealed they were traders before mentioning the Western Market. He asked the men to show them the way back and Rowynn thought she heard him say the word that meant wine. When the taller Dothraki stepped towards Jorah, he surveyed him silently. Rowynn gasped suddenly when she felt a burning sensation erupt in her stomach. She cried out when the pain intensified and Daario caught her as she fell.

Rowynn gripped the sellsword's arm tightly and placed her other hand over her stomach. She tried to hold back a cry, but the pain was too intense. "Gah!"

She heard one of the Dothraki men shout an order to the other and the shorter man went running. Rowynn forced herself to release Daario and gestured after the stranger, retreating to her mother tongue of High Valyrian. "Stop him!"

The sellsword only hesitated for a moment before jumping to his feet and starting to chase the Dothraki. Rowynn pushed herself against the wall as Jorah began to fight the remaining Dothraki, but it was obvious that the knight was out of practice in hand to hand combat. She cried out quietly as leaned forward to take the dagger from her boot, placing a hand on her stomach. Rowynn stumbled to her feet, pushing through the pain, when she saw Ser Jorah get overpowered.

The Dothraki began to choke Jorah and Rowynn knew she needed to intervene. She stepped up behind the tall man and drove her Valyrian steel dagger into the base of his skull, causing blood to splatter across her face. The second she withdrew the weapon the man collapsed on the floor dead and she dropped her dagger before she fell onto her back, the strength she summoned to protect her friend suddenly flooding from her body.

"Your Grace," Jorah exclaimed as he rushed to her side. Rowynn lifted a hand to stop him from touching her, though. She screwed her eyes shut and clenched her jaw as she tried to figure out what had caused the immense pain that was only now fading. The queen trailed a hand to the inside of her thigh and breathed a sigh of relief when she found no liquid there.

"Are you all right?"

Rowynn opened her lilac eyes and met Daario's gaze. There was a thin layer of sweat on his forehead and his chest was still heaving from chasing down and killing the other Dothraki. She shook her head and held out a hand. He took it and pulled the petite queen to her feet with ease. The sellsword placed a hand on the small of her back as she buried her face in her hands. There was only one reason she would feel a sensation that strong without cause.

"No," Rowynn murmured and lifted her head. "Something terrible has happened."

"What do you mean?" Jorah asked as he stepped closer to her.

The young queen glanced at the knight and sellsword and could barely hold back the tears as she let out a sad sigh. "My dragons. One of them…"

"What?" Daario questioned and Rowynn looked up at him and grabbed hold of his arm.

"One of them just died," she told them. Rowynn squeezed her eyes shut as the first set of tears ran down her cheeks. She placed a hand over her mouth and let out a silent sob. She could feel the two pairs of eyes on her. She had never been the kind of girl to willingly show weakness, but this was different. A part of her soul had been unexpectedly ripped from her and slain. Rowynn cried harder when Daario wrapped her in his arms. She leaned against him and he held her up as she tried to mourn one of her winged children.

She didn't argue when Daario told her to stay behind him and allow him to guide her through the alleys. Rowynn couldn't feel anything except sadness and grief as they made their way to the Temple of the dosh khaleen. She had yet to figure out which one of her children had perished, but she knew it wasn't Anogar. The youngest of the Dragon Fleet was connected to her in such a way that if he had died, she wouldn't have been able to recover without completing the funeral ritual. The other dragons were just as important to her, but she had been the second person to bond with them after her grandfather, father, and brother respectively. Rowynn was Anogar's first so their bond would always be the strongest.

"Now, we wait," Jorah said as they hid in the bushes surrounding the temple.

Daario kept an arm around Rowynn as they waited for their queen. It was as if he was afraid that she would break if he let go. Rowynn nearly believed that she would. She loved every one of her dragons completely and unconditionally. She would never be able to forsake them. They weren't only her children. They were her last connection to her grandfather, father, and brother. Pieces of her dead family members were able to live on through their dragons. Now, one of them was dead and she could feel the weight of the irrevocability of it. The connection was severed and it would never be recovered. That caused her more grief than she could even permit herself to feel. She had to get home to find out what had happened and say goodbye, but her priority was to find Daenerys first. Going home now wouldn't change anything. Her dragon would still be dead.

"Here," Daario said and held up a cloth when she looked at him. She remained still as he wiped the blood from her face and neck. She had seen enough battles to know that not all of it would come off, but she paid no mind to it. There were more important things.

When the sellsword finished he held up Rowynn's dagger and offered her a small smirk. "I knew you'd want this back."

"Kirimvose," Rowynn murmured in High Valyrian and Daario nodded. He lifted her pant leg and slipped the blade into her boot.

"You are welcome," Daario told her.

The young queen closed her eyes and tried to figure out which of her dragons died. She knew only one of them had perished. The others must have been gone or they would have protected their brother. There was only a few ways to kill a dragon these days. They could be slain by a weapon, but that took considerable effort, resources, and planning. No one would be able to just sneak into the Dragon Cave and kill one of her fire-breathing beasts. The next possible explanation was poison. It had happened before… shortly before Robert's rebellion. That sickness left the dragons too weak to take to the skies, but it didn't kill them. If poison was the culprit it had to be more powerful than the Winter's Curse.

"There she is," Jorah whispered and Rowynn was pulled to her feet beside the knight and sellsword. She followed their gazes and felt relieved when she laid eyes on their fair-haired queen.

The older girl was walking right towards them with another young woman. They were talking quietly in Dothraki and Rowynn didn't have the energy to try to translate what they were saying. She stayed back as Jorah and Daario rushed towards them. The sellsword grabbed the other girl and placed his knife to her neck, but Daenerys stopped him from killing her.

"No, don't hurt her," Daenerys ordered.

"She'll give us away," Jorah told her. "We have to go now."

Daenerys pulled Daario's blade away from the girl's neck and looked between Jorah and Daario. She had yet to notice Rowynn standing in the shadows a few feet behind them.

"We will never make it out of Vaes Dothrak alive," Daenerys said.

"We have to at least try," Jorah responded, but his queen shook her head.

"No," Daenerys breathed. "We can do more than that… and you're going to help me."

The Targaryen queen looked at her companion next and said something in Dothraki. The girl must have agreed with Daenerys because Daario released her.

Rowynn stepped forward once the rest of her group fell quiet. Daenerys' violet eyes widened for a moment before she walked up to the younger girl and pulled her into a long hug. Rowynn's body tensed at first for she was not expecting such a greeting, but after a few seconds she wrapped her arms around Daenerys and leaned her head on the queen's shoulder. The tears returned almost immediately and nothing she told herself helped hold them back.

"What's wrong? What happened?" Daenerys asked after Rowynn let out a stifled sob.

"One of her dragons has died," Jorah answered eventually.

Daenerys pulled back from the younger queen and held her face in her hands. "How do you know?"

"I felt it," Rowynn murmured. "It was like someone set fire to my stomach. At first I thought I had…"

"What?" Daenerys asked quietly.

"I thought I had lost the baby," Rowynn told her and bowed her head. "But then I realized that it wasn't me who was hurt."

"You're with child?" Daenerys questioned and Rowynn could see the honest disbelief in her eyes. The older girl gave her a sad smile. "Are you sure you didn't lose it?"

"Yes," Rowynn said and placed a hand over her stomach. She thought she saw a look of disappointment cross Daenerys' face momentarily. "He or she is still there. It was the connection with one of my dragons that was severed."

"Do you know which one or how it happened?" The Targaryen queen asked, looking rather worried.

"It wasn't Anogar, but I don't know anything other than that," Rowynn explained. "I think it may have been poison that delivered it to death's door."

"Poison?" Daenerys repeated. "Like the Winter's Curse."

Rowynn wiped her nose and nodded.

"What's the Winter's Curse?" Daario asked Ser Jorah and the older man spared him a short glance.

"A week before Robert's Rebellion began someone smuggled in a sickness to Bellaronia," Jorah revealed. "It was a disease that killed almost everyone who contracted it. House Nyrs lost many of their subjects and a portion of their own family to it. There were a very small number of people who survived after being infected." Jorah looked at Rowynn then back to Daario. "It also affected the dragons, but it didn't kill them. It only made them gravely ill and very weak. House Nyrs managed to rally behind House Targaryen, but in that hour they were at their weakest. They lost even more people to the war, leaving House Nyrs with only Rowynn's father, her brothers, two uncles, and cousins. She lost her grandparents, four uncles, and all of her aunts. Her mother was one of the few who got the sickness, but survived."

"My mother was weakened forever, though," Rowynn finished. "And my birth took the rest of her strength. She died delivering me into this world. My father never talked about her. Neither did my brothers. There are no memories. Nothing."

"I'm sorry," Daario sighed. "I never heard about that."

"Not many people did," Jorah told him. "After the war, House Nyrs retreated into the shadows. Most of Westeros believed that their dragons had perished and the rest of the house sought a refuge elsewhere. No one was ever worried enough to take an army north of the Wall to make sure they were gone and no one could travel to Castle Nightfire without being caught and questioned first. It's one of the most secure places in the world."

"Or so we thought," Rowynn murmured. "If someone found a way into my kingdom and kill my dragon I doubt that's all they came for."

"You think they were trying to kill all of them?" Daenerys asked.

"I think I have to get home and find out," Rowynn told her. She squared her shoulders. "What's your plan for getting us out of here alive?"

"I hope you're okay with killing a few Khals," Daenerys said and Rowynn shrugged.

"They rape and plunder any group with a weakness," Rowynn responded. "Those who prey on the weak for their own benefit are not fit to be leaders of any kind."

Daenerys agreed quietly before looking at the rest of her group. "My fate will be decided tomorrow night at the khalar vezhven. After I enter I need Jorah and Daario to kill the guards outside and bar the doors."

"Bar the doors?" Jorah repeated. Rowynn was also confused.

"I'm going to set the temple on fire with the Khals still inside," Daenerys revealed and Rowynn sighed. She knew the Targaryen queen was practically fire-proof, but she didn't know if she shared the same ability. Rowynn enjoyed playing with fire during her childhood, but she never completely tested her heat tolerance other than when she hatched her dragon. She thought her survival had only been secured because of blood magic.

"You're hoping to win the allegiance of the Dothraki, aren't you?" Rowynn asked and Daenerys gave her a short nod. "If everything goes as planned, you'll be sitting on the Iron Throne in as little as a couple months."

"There's something else I need to tell you," Daenerys said as she placed a hand on Rowynn's arm. "But it can wait."

"You two should get back before they come looking," Rowynn said after sliding a glance to the temple.

"Thank you for coming, friend," Daenerys told the younger queen as they hugged again. "I'll make sure you can get back to your family safe and sound."

Rowynn forced a grateful nod after she pulled away from her queen. Daenerys planned on protecting Rowynn to the best of her ability, but the Targaryen queen had no one behind her except Ser Jorah and Daario Naharis. Rowynn's dragon could protect her better than a thousand Dothraki. The younger ruler hoped that her queen could rally the horselords, though.

They parted ways after going over their plan one last time and Rowynn went with Daario and Jorah to find a place they could hide until the khalar vezhven met. The Nyrs queen tried to keep her mind off the death of her dragon, but it continuously consumed her thoughts. Daario and Jorah managed to distract her with a few stories about their past and the sellsword even taught her several defensive moves. He told her that her size was probably her greatest weapon during hand-to-hand combat. If she learned how to use it in her favor she could become a skilled warrior; a lesson that her brother had taught her before his death.

Rowynn appreciated the company that Daario and Jorah gave her and their attempts to help her through the grief, but it wasn't enough. It would never be enough. A piece of her heart was lost forever and no matter how powerful she was or how vast her kingdom became she would never be able to fill that hole. That was what caused the lingering pain she was feeling. Not only the death of her dragon, but the knowledge that he would stay dead. It didn't matter whether it was Heagon, Bhaen, or Syndor because one of them was gone. Alive one minute, dead the next and Rowynn could barely comprehend that. She had grown up thinking these great and magnificent fire-breathing beasts would always be there for her and her family. She thought they would always be safe in her kingdom Beyond the Wall… but she was wrong. Painfully and unbearably wrong.

Even though it was terrible she had made it through the death of her father and brother. She survived and ended up a queen. She led her people through two huge battles and they defeated their enemies, but she would never find a way to conquer death. They were at war and more people were going to die. More of her dragons could die. More of her family could die. And she would be the ones leading them to their deaths. Rowynn wasn't sure if she was strong enough to handle that. She wanted to keep everyone she vowed to protect alive and safe, but that would not be easy when she was forcing them to fight for their lives. And now she was pregnant. How safe would her child be with a war going on all around them?

For a split second she thought about withdrawing her support from Daenerys and taking her people back to their safe-haven, but she couldn't do that to her queen. Even though she would not admit it, Daenerys needed Rowynn and her allies. The Nyrs queen was responsible for rallying the Reach and Dorne behind them. She brought the Vale into their alliance and won the support of the Riverlands by helping them take back their lands. It was Rowynn and Jon that avenged the Red Wedding and most likely gained the allegiance of the North. She wasn't certain, but if word got out that Rowynn abandoned Daenerys there was a good chance that more of her allies and a majority of the realm would follow. She couldn't leave her most important ally in her greatest hour of need and she wouldn't. Rowynn just didn't want more people to die for her. She never wanted that.

"It's time," Daario said suddenly, pulling Rowynn from her thoughts. She looked at the two men and nodded.

"I'll stay here," Rowynn told them and pulled her dagger from her boot. She handed it to Jorah and offered them both a reassuring smile. "I'll be fine without it."

"We know you will," Daario winked and kissed her forehead. Rowynn smiled at the older man before he walked away with Jorah. She knew the sellsword's heart belonged to Daenerys and his loyalty lied with their cause so she began to think of him as a true friend instead of just a distant acquaintance.

"Stay hidden, Your Grace," Jorah said and followed Daario through the alley.

They were only gone for a few moments. The two men returned almost immediately with fresh blood on the daggers. Rowynn took hers back after the knight cleaned it off and she slid it into her boot. The three of them moved closer to the temple so they could see what was about to happen. Rowynn leaned against the wall beside Daario as they waited. She stepped forward when the temple erupted into flames. The Nyrs queen had reason to believe that nearly every person in the city rushed to the temple to watch it burn. Rowynn only exhaled when she saw Daenerys walk through the doorway unburnt. The Dothraki reacted by lowering themselves onto their knees and bowing their heads towards the ground.

Rowynn smiled sincerely for the first time since the death of her dragon. Daenerys had won the Dothraki. She trusted that Daario, Jorah, and the Dothraki would be able to get her queen back to Meereen. Rowynn had to return to Westeros and fast.

Jaymes

"She did it. Don't let Rowynn trust her. Daenerys betrayed her."

Jaymes wasn't sure what to make of Rybek's warning. They had been in the company of Lord Tyrion, Lord Varys, Grey Worm, and Missandei so the Nyrs prince wasn't able to clarify his words. He had whispered it in Jaymes' ear when they heard that Rowynn had returned on the back of Anogar, but the older boy wasn't going to try to have a conversation about it in front of Daenerys' trusted friends and advisors.

"Where is the queen?" Grey Worm asked when they gathered around Rowynn in Daenerys' council room.

"She's still in Vaes Dothrak," Rowynn told him. "We found her and she won the allegiance of the Dothraki. Daario and Daenerys are leading them back here as we speak."

"You left her?" Missandei questioned.

"I had to," Rowynn answered. Jaymes met her gaze when she glanced over at him and Ser Caen. "One of my dragons has died."

"What?" Jaymes asked immediately, stepping towards his sister. "You felt it?"

"Yes," Rowynn said and Jaymes immediately looked to Rybek. The younger man gave the faintest nod before turning back to their queen.

"We should go immediately," Jaymes said and approached his sister. "Bhaen and Syndor are still at Winterfell, but Haegon returned to Bellaronia with Ser Raegnar."

"Let's go to Winterfell and then home," Rowynn decided aloud and her brother agreed.

Jaymes faced Daenerys' councilors and gave them a warm smile. "Thank you for your hospitality, but we must go now."

"We understand," Lord Tyrion told him. The dwarf faced his sister next. "I'm so sorry for your loss, Queen Rowynn."

"Thank you, Lord Tyrion," Rowynn said with a sad smile. "We'll send word as soon as we figure out what happened."

"We look forward to hearing from you," Tyrion responded before kissing Rowynn's hand and giving a short bow.

"Goodbye, friends," Rowynn said and Jaymes quickly guided her back onto the terrace.

"Are you all right?" Jaymes asked as he inspected her quickly. Rowynn narrowed her eyes and nodded.

"Physically, yes," she answered skeptically. "What's wrong with you?"

"Not here," Jaymes told her and Ser Caen. Rowynn was obviously curious, but she waited until after they were in the sky to ask more questions.

Jaymes told her everything. He relayed Rybek's message and the fact that it had come before they had even learned about what happened. Rowynn was understandably unconvinced. This warning had come from someone who had lost her trust when he tried to kill her husband, but she agreed to stall her final judgment until they could prove Rybek wrong. And while Jaymes hoped and prayed that his cousin was mistaken, he couldn't help but think that Rybek might be right. If he was, all hell would break lose.

Matthias

The White Wolf was dead and no one had any idea who had killed him. The guards outside his door had been murdered in cold blood and there was no evidence left behind in his room. Matthias knew it was going to be chaos if news of his death got out to the rest of the lords in the castle so they kept it quiet. Rowynn's family and the knight who had found him, Ser Davos, were the only ones who knew. Matthias couldn't leave the body, though. This was Rowynn's husband and he believed that she did love the northern king more than she thought. He wouldn't leave him until Rowynn was by his side.

"We can't hold off the funeral forever," Prince Byron said from his spot by the door. Rowynn's Dornish uncle was also hoping that they could stall until his niece returned, but eventually the body would begin to smell and the northern lords would start to get suspicious if they didn't see their king when they broke their fast the next morning.

"We'll wait as long as we can to announce the death," Matthias decided aloud. He rubbed his face lightly and looked over his shoulder at the body of Jon Stark. The man looked peaceful. They had the maester clean his wounds after they found him and without his shirt on, they could see the several stab wounds that killed him.

"And what about Rowynn?" Riordyn Martell asked.

"All we can do is hope she returns soon," Elyjah Nyrs sighed. "Do we have any leads on who did this?"

"Sivyenne was the only witness and she's still unconscious," Matthias said. He felt extremely guilty about what happened to Rowynn's Dornish cousin. Apparently, she had been walking the hall and came across the dead guards outside Jon's bedchamber. She didn't have time to call for help because she was found unconscious in the hallway. She had yet to wake.

"So, we have nothing," Prince Haenry said quietly.

"Rowynn won't accept that," Matthias retorted. "She loved him and she'll do whatever it takes to find whoever did this."

"We might lose the North once they find out he's dead," Prince Byron said.

"We still have the other Stark children's support," Elyjah reminded everyone. "They think of Rowynn and the rest of us as family."

"What if there was a way to bring him back?" Ser Davos asked no one in particular, but everyone turned their attention to him, suddenly enticed.

"What are you talking about?" Matthias questioned as he stepped towards the older man.

"There's a woman here, the red woman, who was a sort of advisor to King Stannis," Davos explained. "She's done things that have left me speechless. I think she has the ability to bring him back."

"You believe she can… she can bring him back from the dead?" Matthias whispered once he was close enough to the knight.

"I think the least she can do is try," Ser Davos told him. "Rowynn won't be able to lead her people if she's dealing with the grief of losing the man she loves. I know that I wouldn't be able to function if I lost my wife."

"We shouldn't make that kind of decision without her," Prince Haenry said. "Rowynn should be here."

"Talk to the red woman," Matthias told Davos as he faced him. "See if she is open to the idea."

"Yes, my lord," Davos said and bowed his head. He left the room, closing the door behind him.

Matthias took a deep breath and let it out as he ran his hands over his face and through his hair. He dropped his hands to his hips and looked at Jon's body. Rowynn would need someone to blame for the death of her husband and unless they found the murderers, he had a feeling that he would be the most practical option. But he wouldn't be able to go the rest of his life being resented by the woman he loved. So, he would find Jon's murderers and do whatever he could to bring him back to Rowynn. Even if it costed any chance he had at getting her back.

A/N: Sorry for any mistakes! I'm thinking of making Gabriella Wilde Rowynn's faceclaim. Let me know your thoughts on it and the chapter! Thanks for reading!