Back with one more, I hope that everyone is being well and okay out there.

Chapter 42: The Vale of Arryn

Mya and the brotherhood stopped, their travels making them weary and hunger has begun to set in.

The burning of King's Landing was still heavy on the mind, of her and of them all. She sighed and looked at the great gate before her and her companions, it leads to the place she was born into.

It was a fortunate boon to have journeyed here without a bit of trouble from the Mountain Clans, then again they are a small force any tribes watching them might have thought them too much trouble to bother ambushing.

Either way, she was excited to see her former home.

"I hope you are right, about coming here?" She heard Sandor question behind her, she even doubted their success.

The Vale had just taken a great loss from what they've gathered, passing by Maidenpool which had been occupied by Lannisters. Yohn Royce, unfortunately, was amongst the fallen.

She also heard of a reformed Tully force gathering at Harrenhal, under Lord Edmure Tully and Brynden Blackfish. She scouted it and learned it wasn't for invasion but for defense, for that reason she remained on her journey to the Vale of Arryn.

She remembered Lord Yohn, remembered Lord Arryn and Lady Waynwood- Even her mother who had passed long before her father called her to Court.

This was her first home, the Vale of Arryn is her ancestral lands.

"Who seeks passage through the Bloody Gate?" The Captain of the Gate asked and she stepped forward, removing her hood and standing straight and proudly.

"I am Mya Stone. Daughter of Robert Baratheon, the First of his Name and King on the Iron Throne." She announced then continued, "These are the Brotherhood Without Banners and Sandor Clegane... I require an audience with the Lord of the Eyrie, Robert Arryn."

Her companions thought she was insane, telling them who they were and who she was.

Their fears were put to rest when the Bloody Gate opened and a guard of escorts approached with a man bearing the sigil of House Waynwood, he removed his helm and she saw a wide nose and thick brown hair, he bowed once and looked her in the eye.

"Lady Mya, it has been many years since we've seen one another. I am Donnel Waynwood, Knight of the Bloody Gate." He said with the utmost courtesy, she remembers the man slightly from the age of three but she was taken to the capital afterward.

"I am happy to be acquainted with you once again, Ser Donnel. I hope Lady Waynwood is well?" The Knight nodded, appreciative of her inquiry on possibly the only other person in the Vale that has influence.

"She is very healthy, although things have strained since our defeat in the Crownlands." So comes the price for rushing an invasion before being properly prepared to march. "Please, the bloodline of King Robert is very much welcome here."

Mya turned to her comrades, smiling happily. "Let us go forth, everyone. This is the turn of the tide for us." She said and together the Brotherhood and the Ser Donnel walked inside and were greeted with meat, water, and beds to rest upon before they continued on their journey to the Gates of the Moon and then to the Eyrie.

Mya lied in her bed, feeling warmth for the first time since she woke up at the Twins instead of sleeping in the woods or caves or ruined homes that were a bad winds away from breaking apart.

A crack in the embers made her turn her head, picturing to herself a time when she and Arthur were sharing a night in Riverrun. She reminisced how he held her thigh, how she felt with him inside of her and she moaned out in joyousness.

It wasn't long after their escape from King's Landing, the death of both of their fathers bringing them closer than ever before. Arthur thrust twice before they both reached their limits, it was the greatest feeling in the world to her and he smiled and looked down at her, lovingly and with admiration.

"I love you. Do you know that? I would be so lost without your warmth." He whispered in her ear, she smiled and wrapped her legs around him. "Don't ever leave my side, can you promise me that... Not even if we lose?" She looked him in the eyes and stroked his cheek.

"I would never leave you, we are forever bonded, Arthur Snow." She lowered him to kiss her lips tenderly, she was sure that they could remain in that chamber forever and never have to leave.

Yet, she broke her promise. She left him, left him for revenge and so it may lead to an end of her own devices.

Mya turned from the flame and silently cried herself to sleep, holding her stomach which had fully healed in these several months.

She didn't know when she fell asleep, but when she woke she saw an empty room and a hot meal on a table.

Mya ate what she could and dressed for the remaining hours of their journey, Donnel helped her on her horse and she smiled in thanks for the assistance.

"The wind has been especially good up the path, Lord Arryn will soon be moving to the Gates of the Moon with Winter coming." The Knight said to them and Sandor being Sandor, had to say something.

"Will you shut your hole! There better be tastier food up in that castle of yours, today's breakfast wasn't enough." The many in their party rolled their eyes, leave it to a Clegane to be rude to their guide.

Let's just hope the man curbs his tongue when they meet their host, it would be a shame to be imprisoned or killed.

Winterfell

Arthur meant it, when they arrived inside of Winterfell he ordered a feast to be had for the Lords in the Great Hall and ale brought to the soldiers that weren't sent home.

Jon and Mance embraced each other like long friends, and Sansa all but jumped into her brother's arms after that.

Rickard found him, informing him that Edmure and Brynden Tully's finally brought some peace to the Riverlands, even gathering a force to securely patrol the Kingdom for any Lannister incursions against them.

It was a good thing, he patted the older man on the shoulder and said that until the threat beyond the Wall announces itself, they can all rest and recuperate from the countless battles they've been fighting.

Ashara quickly walked to find Edric, Arthur noticed Jon seeing her and looking at him.

It's cruel, he knows it but he had asked Ashara to let Jon believe he was hers at least until he has told Jon the truth.

"To the King of Winter!" A cry sounded out, he raised his cup and rose to his feet, finding himself doing this at every feast.

"My Lords, Ladies. Thank you all for joining me and my family on this night, this is the first true night of peace for us. No battles or wars to fight tomorrow, no brothers or fathers to die in the arms of their kin, for these next few years as winter sets in we will have no war, only peace." Some of his guests were surprised by that, they expected that they'd now march South and fight the Lannisters.

He pondered on it, aye. He also knew that his people were weary and tired of war, not the Lords, but the common people who wield those spears, swords, axes, and shields.

Three years is what he hopes for, longer if the weather gets worse.

Sansa and many of the Lord's wives and daughters had similar expressions of relief, relieved to keep their fighting men home and at their hearths than on a battlefield or fighting a great army.

The feast's bard began to sing, he got up and went over to Mance Rayder who was sitting with some of his men. "King Arthur, please join us." He shook his head to the offer, from the looks of a couple of these men, he knew they wouldn't want to share a seat with him- The man who bent the Free Folk.

"I mean to speak to you, in private." Mance looked at him with distrust but relented to his wish, "No need for that knife of yours, I'm unarmed." He added and showed nothing on his person.

Since all that business at the Twins, he made it a point for none to dine with their weapons, not even daggers to ensure no would-be murderers try to kill him and his family again.

The King-Beyond-the-Wall pulled out the two hidden stone-daggers from his boots, then he and the older man walked toward the exit ad he dismissed the door guards and nearby servants that were doing their duties.

"What talk involves a moonlit stroll, Dread Wolf? Are you finally going to kill me?" He laughed at Mance's grim thinking, looking into the man's eyes.

"Jon would kill me, and I believe we are allies... Be better if we were brothers." He uttered and Mance looked at him strangely, "Val is the sister of your Queen, yes? The mother of your son, the woman who died." The man nodded, answering him and he continued, "She is a beauty, truly, I dream of a united North and that cannot be done if there is no true unity between the North and Free Folk." He told the King Beyond the Wall.

"What is it that you propose, Arthur Snow?" He sighed and looked back to the feast, then back to Mance.

"I propose a unification where I make Val my Queen, together we shall birth a chile that is both Northern and Free Folk." Mance was surprised by his suggestion, all the while he thought of the woman who has caught his eyes.

"... My people don't do things like you 'civilized' do." As he heard from Jon, he knows that well enough.

"Just as my people don't hold to the traditions the Free Folk do, you are a part of the North and in a century will be as brothers to these 'civilized' people." He countered and stepped closer to Mance, "I am growing fond of Val's fiery spirit, I only saw that in my first wife... I see no other as worthy to be my Queen and fellow ruler." He added and Mance pondered the thought.

"... I will speak to her, and if she doesn't want you?" He smirked and gave himself a long moment to think of what to say. and looked at the Wildling King with the charisma of Robb.

"Don't you know, no man can match me in charm. She won't refuse." He left back inside and rejoined his family on the dais, his mother eyed him curiously which he responded with a wave of his hand.

Until Val agrees to his proposal, he'll be keeping quiet about this one.

The bards stopped after Sansa screamed aloud with embarrassment, Arya and a visiting Lyanna Mormont who had come from Bear Island to see Dacey and Lady Maege.

A similar scene transpired years back, when Robert Baratheon first came to Winterfell and the She-Wolf thought it funny to toss food at Sansa's face.

His mother got up and pulled Arya by her ear, making her apologize and he laughed with Jon, he also remembers that night well. "I'm surprised Sansa hasn't married yet, Arthur." He never thought on giving Sansa to someone.

No one seems to be worthy of her, Arthur put down his cup and answered Jon. "I haven't given it any thought, I was actually willing to let our sisters find their own husbands, I found Mya and you found Ygritte." Jon cut him off, saying that he and the fiery archer weren't married. "You and the woman were together, Jon, she was yours and you were hers." Jon quieted, thinking about it.

"Perhaps Sansa and Arya's kin in the Vale, Robert Arryn is the ruler there." Ruler? He remembered that Lady Stark and Robb all but begged them to assist in the campaign against House Lannister, Lysa Arryn refused each time even when the lions closed in.

And with Petyr Baelish took control, as Sansa said in the days after she arrived. He knew then that no reinforcements would come from the Eastern Kingdom.

"I blamed Petyr Baelish's death on the Lannister's, Robert Arryn will have marshaled a force to wage war against King's Landing." He informed Jon who looked at him, judging his action. "Would you have rather us fight off an invasion from the Vale, brother? We don't need to make unnecessary enemies if we don't have to." He said and turned back to the festivities.

Jon found himself tired and got up to go and rest, Arthur remained and eventually left for his chambers with Dusk and Grey Wind trailing them.

Hours later, he ran as Dusk once more.

The Eyrie

Mya had few expectations when Donnel opened the doors to the Eyrie's throne room, one of them she imagined seeing a younger version of Jon Arryn or perhaps something akin to her own father, a strong lad with blue eyes.

What she saw instead, just a young skinny lad with an ill look on his face and confusion when she was announced.

How the falcon has fallen, she remembers being told as a girl of the Falcon Lords and former Kings that reigned over the Vale of Arryn.

She spotted a number of men and women in the room, Lady Waynwood is nowhere to be seen but she did see one man whom she might recognize just from the sigil on his breast.

Lyonel Corbray stepped forward from Robert Arryn and bowed his head slightly, a smile upon his lips. "Lady Mya, I overjoyed that you were able to recover at the Twins, especially since the new King of the North thinks you are dead." The court gasped as if it was shocking.

"My past is just that, the past. I look to the future, Lord Corbray." She said and the Lord of Heart's Home and Lyonel chuckled, putting his hands behind his back.

"And what, pray tell is the future you desire other than returning to your husband?" She was asked and she looked around, seeing the gates close behind her, Beric, Thoros, and Sandor.

Feeling a form of danger, she felt her hand twitch toward her weapon.

"The only future that I see... My father's justice, our King was assassinated by his wife, a usurper took his throne, and now my uncle fights for that throne." She said and turned her eyes on Robert, keen on hearing her father's friend's son. "Your father fought alongside my own to bring an end to Aerys reign, we can do so again with my uncle Stannis." She pled and the child remained silent.

The room became so quiet, that is with the exception of Lyonel's chuckling which has started to poke at her nerves.

"You must have been dead to not know, I am sorry, Lady Stone... Stannis fell, in the North, and at your husband's hands. His wife and child were also presumed slain, I offer my condolences." A wave of his hands and each of them plus herself was seized by guards.

As they were dragged away, Lyonel kept speaking with false pity.

"Lord Arryn accepts you into his household, we shall speak extensively about your future that you wish to converse about." With that, she and her companions were separated, she was shoved into a guest room and she turned and slammed on the door.

"Where are you taking them?!" She demanded and Donnel gave her a sorry expression.

"These men are members of a group raiding Westerosi forces in the Riverlands, the Regent has deemed them too dangerous to be given rooms, they will all share a sky cell... Forgive me, Mya, I fear it was a mistake to come here." The Knight shut the chamber doors, the sound of retreating boots being all she could hear.

She didn't know him very well over the few years she was at the capital, but her uncle was the last of her family, and that it was Arthur who dealt the blow was causing her heartache beyond that of her near-death at the Crossing.

Mya pressed her back and slid down, tears welling in her eyes. "Is it your anger, that made you kill him... Arthur?"

AN: So ends another chapter, I hope everyone enjoyed it and don't forget to tell me what you all think as it seems like things are heating up in the Vale already, and Arthur's plans for peacetime will no doubt cause some moves for House Lannister.

Now, to those guest reviews.

CEW, I am happy they are together, again too. Daenerys incoming arrival to Westeros will indeed prove an obstacle. It's partially why I changed things, Val and Arthur's coupling ensures stability between Northmen and Wildling.

Guest, all excellent predictions, we shall see if you are correct in them.

Gentryandrew2000, Less William but more Bruce considering Arthur can be excessively brutal when fighting or victorious. I encourage predictions, theories, and suggestions in all my stories.

Thanks for reviewing, Guests. Until next time, this has been Hail King Cerion and I will see you all in the next update which should be out in a few days if I'm able.