Rhaegar stared at the woman in front of him, shivered a little bit at her words. "Long Night?"

Lady Hariel… or Queen Hariel dipped her head in a nod, gestured lightly with her arm to the north. "Have you ever been north of the Wall?"

"No, I have not. How long have you been north of the wall?" Rhaegar asked, answering her question with one of his own. She was breathtaking to look at and she didn't even have a crown on her head, didn't even remotely talk or look like someone who lived south of the wall.

"I have been beyond the Wall for three years," Queen Hariel remarked, sitting down at the table. "It is the only place I know in Westeros other than the Wall itself."

Rhaegar sat down across from her, glancing down at the table in between them. His hands were still bound and his heart had yet to recover from being captured by a woman. A map lay over the table, detailing the wall itself and the castles of the Night's Watch. There was a bit of green drawn south of the Wall, perhaps indicating the lands south of the Wall. Arthur and Oswell were still bound but they flanked him still, watching his back.

"You southerners are allegedly very different from us," Hari continued idly, meeting his eyes slowly. "I know a little of House Targaryen but what I do know is not kind."

"How do you know of my family? I did not even know you exist until I received a letter from my great grand uncle."

Queen Hariel raised an eyebrow. "Your great grand uncle?"

"Maester Aemon at Castle Black. He's the brother of my great grandfather. He was the witness to the dragon's attack of the Night's Watch."

Hari's lips twitched up into a small, knowing grin. There was something in her eyes, an expression that Rhaegar had seen in his brother's eyes when he had played a trick on Ser Jonothor Darry. It couldn't be mischief in her eyes though. She was a lady grown, mayhaps roughly around his own age, and a queen in her own right. "I know of your house from one of your ancestors. A son of… Aegon the 4th? His memory is long and he has much knowledge at his fingertips."

Rhaegar blinked, pondering what he knew of King Aegon the Unworthy. He knew that Aegon had been the one to legitimize all of his children born of noble women which had led to four Blackfyre rebellions and the War of the Ninepenny Kings. "I do not know of whom you speak, my lady."

Queen Hariel's nose wrinkled at the title and shrugged. "He probably would not like his identity revealed just yet. Let us say I gained some information from him and move on. Prince Rhaegar, I speak from experience when I say we free folk need to move south."

"How do I know you and your people won't terrorize Westeros? You have a veritable army."

Queen Hariel let out a low hum of consideration, her eyes darkening at his words. "You don't. Not now. Perhaps a trial period of living with us would make you see that we are the same folk as you?"

Rhaegar's eyes widened and he heard Arthur suck in a tight breath, his fingers probably itching for Dawn. "Do you mean to keep us here against our will?"

"No. You can go."

Rhaegar stared at her, seeing her narrowed green eyes. "Is this some kind of trick?"

Queen Hariel met his eyes firmly. "No. I know a trick when I see one. I do mean each word I said."

"Could I… perhaps see your dragon first before we leave?"

"Again with the dragon," Hariel retorted, rolling her eyes in what looked like bemusement. "What is it with you and dragons?"

Rhaegar leaned further towards her, crossing his arms. "It is the sigil of my house. A red three-headed dragon on black."

"Aegon, Rhaenys and Visenya?"

"Balerion, Vhagar and Meraxes," Rhaegar added quietly. "Meleys, Vermithor, Silverwing, Caraxes. Dragons have not been seen in hundreds of years and yet you have one in your camp, living with you."

Queen Hariel stared at him, bemusement in her eyes. "They are beautiful, dragons. I do understand that. In my home world, there were dragons too, however they were never considered rideable."

"Your home world?"

"Yes," Hariel returned.

Rhaegar returned her stare, his eyes wide. "You do not come from Westeros?"

"Not originally, no."

"And your… home world had dragons?"

Queen Hariel dipped her head in a nod.

"Do you have books from your world with you?" Rhaegar asked, his heart already beating fast at the prospect of more knowledge. His fingers itched with the need to look through scrolls and books.

Queen Hariel blinked, her grin growing wider. "Possibly. I will make you a deal then. Stay with me and my people for six months and you will have access to my books. You might even catch a glimpse of the dragon."

Rhaegar immediately opened his mouth to say yes only to be elbowed by Arthur. He saw Queen Hariel stand up and turn her back to them, giving them the illusion of privacy.

"Rhaegar!"

He turned to look at his friend, seeing Arthur's purple eyes narrowing.

"What?"

"We can't stay! Your father-"

"My father will understand," Rhaegar murmured back.

"Your father is… unstable," Arthur whispered heatedly, flexing his bound hands. "If we stay longer, he'll think we're conspiring against him."

"He already thinks that."

Arthur rolled his eyes, sparing a glance to the queen beyond the wall and then turning back to him. "She's beautiful. I understand but we need to… make sure the Starks and the North have a chance to prepare. Don't think with your cock!"

"Like Robert Baratheon does?" Rhaegar muttered, grimacing at the thought. "I am not thinking with my cock! Besides, this does not effect anyone else other than me. You two are free to go back to King's Landing."

Arthur shook his head. "Seven hells, you think you're going to be alone in this? You are Prince of Dragonstone and heir to the Seven Kingdoms. We are not leaving just because you said we could. The kingsguard do not flee."

Oswell raised an eyebrow towards the lady, looking at Arthur. "Don't think with your heart either, Rhaegar. It already got us into trouble."

"They haven't hurt us," Rhaegar whispered back, glancing down at his bound hands.

"Yet," Arthur corrected, his eyes narrowing even further. "They have giants, Rhaegar. Giants and mammoths and a dragon. And they have… wargs. People who can control direwolves and shadowcats and snow bears. We don't stand a chance against them if they decide to fight."

"And their women fight too," Oswell remarked, grinning at Arthur. "They're like Dorne in that respect."

Arthur's lips twitched up into an amused grin but then he frowned. "That just means they have more warriors."

"I'm taking her deal," Rhaegar stated, glaring at Arthur. "I need more knowledge about dragons and if I only see her dragon once, it would mean the world to me."

"What about your mother and father?"

"I'll… find some way to get word to them that I am alright. Surely the wildlings have some way to keep in contact with one another."

Arthur stared at him and then sighed. "Alright. You better be right about this."

Rhaegar turned to look at Queen Hariel Potter, seeing her facing the tent door and poking her head out of it, her back towards them. Her long black hair was still loose and splayed about her back and he idly wondered what it would feel like beneath his fingers. She did not have a sword at her belt nor did she have any other visible weapon on her body that he could see.

He wondered about her story, wondered about her words of the Long Night and how she had come to Westeros. Wondered about the scar on the top of her right hand, the one that looked like rough words and about the scar on her forehead. Her shoulders were tense, curled inward and he couldn't see her shoulder blades through the heavy cloak she was wearing but every inch of her body was still, frozen.

"I accept your deal," Rhaegar finally offered, raising his voice a little to be heard over the howling of the wind outside.

The Queen Beyond the Wall turned back and eyed him. Hariel's green eyes narrowed but she nodded, walking back over to the table to stop next to him. She met his eyes and held them, raised an eyebrow then waved her hand over his arms. A whistle of energy curled about him and then the ropes that bound his arms snapped apart, falling onto the table with a light thunk.

"If I release your men, will you promise not to hurt any of mine?" Queen Hariel questioned, ignoring his open mouth. "I know enough of my people that they will obey what I ask of them but your knights?"

"What if someone attacks us?" Arthur questioned, his voice tight with suspicion.

"Then defend yourself. I have no qualms about self defense," Queen Hariel said, shrugging. "Most if not all of my men and women are loyal to me after I defeated their leaders. If I say you three are not to be provoked or attacked, then you won't be."

"We won't attack people without provocation," Oswell stated. "If they attack our prince though…"

"All bets are off then," Queen Hariel confirmed, waving her hand again. The ropes that bound both of Oswell and Arthur's arms broke apart as well and Rhaegar exchanged a bewildered look with Arthur, wondering further who the Queen Beyond the Wall really was. "Follow me. I'll set up a tent for you next to mine and then perhaps I could give you a tour."

Hari watched as the three men followed her, hearing their booted feet step in the snow as they left the tent. Prince Rhaegar Targaryen was certainly handsome, she had to give him that. She had only gotten a rough history of House Targaryen from Brynden Rivers, mostly naming and picturing the kings who had sat the Iron Throne. And Hari was pretty sure Rhaegar was much more handsome than all of them. His silver hair was loose about his back and long enough that it reached his shoulder blades. The black cloak that curled around him looked like it had come from a Night's Watch castle, simple and forgettable.

The cloak hid a red tunic underneath it, the cloak pinned to it with a brooch, a three headed dragon on it. She idly wondered what he looked under his cloak but then shrugged the thought off, her cheeks pinkening up a little. She had people to lead and to persuade not to harm the men behind her.

She spotted Karsi, Tormund, Sigorn and Dalla standing across the way from her tent, their hands on their respective weapons. Briar was back with her shadowcat along with Orell, whose eagle was perched on his shoulder. Two giants stood next to her group of friends, their arms crossed. Styr and the other leaders of the clans stood in a semicircle around her tent, each glaring at the southerners behind her.

Hari stopped, hearing Prince Rhaegar, Ser Arthur and Ser Oswell stop behind her, met each of the clan leader's eyes. The moon shone down onto them, glinting off the snow and ice on the ground. The night had brought a chill wind, one that was colder than usual.

"Styr, spread the word. These three men are not to be harmed," Hari said, dropping her arms to her sides. "Prince Rhaegar Targaryen, Sers Arthur and Oswell are under my protection and anyone who harms them harms me. They are staying with us for the next six months."

Styr's eyes widened before he grumbled under his breath in the ancient tongue, something about kneelers, before turning and walking off to his people. Hari's eyes narrowed at his words and then sighed, raising an eyebrow at Karsi, who nodded.

"They're kneelers! Why're you entertaining them when they plan on killing us?"

Hari turned towards the speaker, studying Orell and his eagle. "It's simple. If we plan on traveling south, we need their help."

"The kings beyond the wall in the past never needed the help of a kneeler."

"That's why they never made it south of the wall," Hari remarked, keeping her eyes on the eagle on Orell's shoulder. "Have there been any other southerners on your rides?"

"No, lady."

Orell stared at her for another minute before turning and heading to his own tent, on the other side of camp. The wargs had made their own camping ground, away from the main city of free folk, to let their animals go free without anyone disturbing them.

Most of the men and women shrugged at her words and then went about their business. Some stared at her incredulously, glaring at Prince Rhaegar and the two knights. Hari hadn't particularly worried about her announcement, about whether or not the free folk would heed her words but… Perhaps… she ought to think of something that she could do to ease the tensions.

Karsi, Dalla and Sigorn walked over towards her as most of the folk left, flanking her. She looked at Dalla, her bow in hand and quiver slung across her back. "Val still with Craster's wives?"

"Aye, she is."

"Good. I'll visit them in the morning."

Hari turned to look at Rhaegar then, seeing his still wide purple eyes. She grinned a little, knowing a bewildered look when she saw it. He looked like he was realizing he wasn't in Kansas anymore, though she supposed the Westerosi equivalent would be that he wasn't in King's Landing anymore.

"You can pitch your tent next to mine," Hari finally spoke, gesturing to the unoccupied spot to the east of her's.

"So you can easily keep an eye on us?" Rhaegar questioned, studying her with intent eyes.

"Possibly," Hari returned, winking at him.

Rhaegar stared at her, tilting his head a little as if he was trying to make sense of her. Her heart did a flip in her chest at his look, thumping loudly as if it was trying to tell her something. Arthur and Oswell were of the same expression as their prince, both wide eyed as they looked at her.

"Tormund, I need someone standing guard at their tent for the first week," Hari said, her eyes narrowing at the thought. She watched as both knights shook off their shock after a minute, before glancing to their belongings that had appeared next to her tent. "I do not need any attempted murders on either side."

Tormund laughed and nodded. "Aye. I'll scrounge up a few lads and lasses. No doubt someone will want to watch them do whatever kneelers do."

Hari snorted, raising an eyebrow up at the sky. It was half past midnight according to her internal clock and she was tired, running a hand through her hair and feeling snowflakes fall onto her fingers. "I'll do a ranging around our camp first and then head to bed."

Karsi nodded and turned to whisper something to Dalla, who shrugged. They both knew what she meant by that but weren't worried. They numbered over 7,000 free folk in the camp now and their queen wouldn't be bothered by anything if they could help it.

"We'll keep an eye on the prince and the knights," Dalla said, as they all watched the kneelers pitch their tent. Prince Rhaegar was even helping to pitch the tent, holding the poles in place and smoothing out the leather that would cover it.

Hari nodded in thanks, covering a yawn with a hand, before heading over to the outskirts of their city, walking through knee deep snow and up to the hill. She could see the whole camp from up here, from the highest point of the Fist of the First Men. Tents spilled over the landscape like a bottle of spilled milk, going for miles in each direction.

She was in charge of several thousand men and women, all of whom were depending on her to get them south. South where she hoped the Wall would be a buffer between them and whatever lay in the heart of winter. South of the Wall where she didn't know a single thing about their laws or land. The south, where allegedly women could not inherit land or fight, where they could not choose who they wed. Where lords and ladies laid claim to several hundred acres of land.

Hariel Potter sighed and took a running leap over the edge of the cliff, shifting shape between one step and the next.

Rhaegar sat down on the tree stump that Arthur had found, watching as Oswell got a fire going in a small pit. Their one tent was smaller than the Queen's but it would fit the three of them. Their horses were tied to a line of rope, along with a few wildling horses. It was easy to tell the difference between their horses and the horses of the wildlings, as the wildlings horses were much shaggier and thicker all around. Their hooves were large and their legs were sturdy, capable of wading through snow easily enough.

The many wildlings that camped across from them had never seemed to stop staring, even an hour after they had arrived. The Queen's small group of guards flanked her tent and one of them had stationed herself at their own tent, her bow at her side and the quiver at her back full of arrows.

The night was a cloudless one as he looked up, easily spotting the stars and at least one constellation. The Ice Dragon was a set of stars that pointed south if you followed its tail and Rhaegar sighed, seeing Arthur glance to him in question.

He was about to speak when something passed underneath the moon, blacking it out momentarily. Rhaegar froze, his heart skipping a beat as he frantically searched the skies above them.

"There!" Oswell pointed out, his finger pointing at a spot south of the camp.

Rhaegar's heart stopped as he spotted the dragon. It flew many miles up in the sky, a giant of a creature, as it seemed to circle the camp, beating its wings idly, like it was riding an air current. "It's beautiful."

It was icy white in color, cold breath leaving its mouth as it roared. Birds flew off treetops underneath it and trees swayed under its wings. As it flew closer towards them, Rhaegar could see ice at its wing tips and he stared at it in awe, his heart pounding in his chest. It passed over them and flew off, heading to the other side of the wildling city and passed from his sight after a few minutes.

Rhaegar stared after it and knew it would be a while before he would fall asleep. A dragon. A real, live dragon.