A/N: Set in the scene between the Greyjoys, Tyrion, and Dany in The Battle of the Bastards (6x09). It's kind of squished in the middle of that scene. Presumably the Bolton's were getting beaten in battle at the time of this conversation, so just pretend this takes place before the actual battle, or at least before Dany and everyone hears about it.
Disclaimer: I don't own Game of Thrones or any of its characters.
Revelations
Standing beside his Queen, Tyrion pondered the last time he had seen Theon Greyjoy. It had been almost six years. The big-mouthed ally to the Starks had been talked of greatly in the Seven Kingdoms since his visit to Winterfell years ago. After all the ridicule he's lived through, and not just at the hand of the youngest Greyjoy, he relished in his position above him, in his newfound glory as Hand to the Queen.
Tyrion spoke to his guests at his place beside his Queen. "Last time we saw each other was at Winterfell, yes? You were making jokes about my height, I seem to recall. Everyone who makes a joke about a dwarf's height thinks he's the only person ever to make a joke about a dwarf's height. 'The height of nobility,' 'a man of your stature,' 'someone to look up to.' You're all making the same five or six jokes."
"It was a long time ago." Theon had rarely been in the presence of nobility, let alone in the years that he had been under Ramsay's control. His confidence had been shattered, but he tried to keep his voice steady.
"It was," Tyrion stated as if speaking to a child. "And how have things been going for you since then? Not so well, I gather. Can't imagine you would have murdered the Stark boys if things had been going well."
"I didn't murder the Stark boys. But I did things that were just as bad or worse."
"And he paid for them." Yara was quick to step up to her brother's defense.
"Doesn't seem like it," Tyrion continued. "He's still alive."
"Barely. You have no idea the state he was in." Yara's fire seeped out of her in that moment.
"Yara." Theon's intention was to warn her but it came out more as a plea to stop this talk. Though he seemed incredibly recovered to a total stranger, those who knew Theon before and after his time with Ramsay knew he was no longer his normal self.
"No Theon." Obviously she wasn't going to give into his half-hearted pleading. She turned back to address Tyrion. "Don't lecture us about dues when you have no idea what we've been through. What dues we've been made to pay."
Not one to back down from a riveting verbal spar, Tyrion encouraged her to explain. "Please, tell me about these dues. I'd love to hear this."
"Please." Theon gave a desperate plea to his sister.
Daenerys noticed the younger Greyjoy's apprehension at his sister's words. Her curiosity got the better of her, as she did not stop the line of questioning they had come upon.
"Go on, Theon. Tell him."
Theon made no move to tell them anything at Yara's words.
"Tell him what that bastard did to you," she said more forcefully as her brother remained reluctant. "How you saved that Stark girl."
At that Tyrion raised his head in interest. "Stark girl?"
Daenerys watched her Hand with interest. Tyrion's demeanor had gone from jovial to serious at the mention of this girl.
"Lady Sansa. My brother rescued her after they were being held by that bastard Bolton. Tell them Theon." Yara, in her brisk way, attempted to encourage him.
"Sansa-Lady Sansa was at Winterfell?" Tyrion asked. He had known she escaped after the death of his rotten nephew, but never did he think she would have made it to her home in the North. But she always was a strong one.
Daenerys watched Tyrion carefully as he became more and more concerned. Ser Jorah had been her counsel on all things Westeros, in history and in practice. Now that Tyrion had taken on that role, he clearly had a bias when it came to telling her the whole truth.
"You know her." Her question was phrased more as a statement.
Tyrion turned to face his Queen. He was so wrapped up in his questioning that he had momentarily forgotten that he was in her presence.
He cleared his throat. "Yes. We were, we were married for a time in King's Landing. She's… I knew her to be a clever girl. Resilient, like the rest of her family."
Daenerys had not known this of her Hand. Now thinking on it she doesn't know anything more about Tyrion than she had learned whilst studying the Kingdom and its Houses. He rarely spoke of himself, and when the subject turned to his time in King's Landing he most certainly would change the subject. But to marry a girl, a young girl, seemed most unlike the Tyrion she knew. The most likely story was that they were both forced into it to unite their families. After their guests had left she would need to speak to him on these more personal matters.
And currently, she had never seen her Hand so flustered. Usually a clever and articulate man. Tyrion was rarely taken aback, as he obviously was now. Though his reaction did not worry her per se, she knew she must consider it an important matter.
"He broke her." Theon's shaky voice brought them back to the present. "She was kind and strong and he broke her into bits and pieces like he does to anyone he touches, like he did to me-" Theon trailed off in shakes and sobs, unable to control himself. The painful memories of what he let Ramsay do to Sansa, a girl he grew up with and loved like a sister, were too much to bare.
Yara moved to rub his arm trying to soothe him out of the past in a touching way most unlike the sister she used to be to Theon.
With Tyrion too jarred to speak at Theon's outburst, Daenerys voiced one of the many questions Tyrion had running through his mind. "You speak of Lord Ramsay Bolton?"
At his almost imperceptible nod she continued. "You say you rescued her?"
"I didn't rescue her," Theon said, vehemently denying any heroic label that might be placed upon him.
"Don't be modest Theon," Yara urged.
"I'm not," he said, clearly frustrated. "She was there for, for so long. The times I could have stopped him, the things he made me…witness. The last thing I did was save her. We just, we escaped together." Theon finished, giving up after struggling to find the words to describe the confusing bond he shared with the eldest Lady Stark.
"I see," Daenerys said. Although she was the Queen, Daenerys was waiting on Tyrion to make the next move. He was obviously personally invested in this.
After a long pause, Tyrion had finally gathered his thoughts. "Where is she now?"
"We almost died, recaptured North of Winterfell, when a knight, or a Lady," Theon continued, though a bit confused and fumbling his words. "She rescued us, along with her squire. Slayed the men and swore her allegiance to Sa- Lady Sansa."
"A woman you say?" Tyrion only knew of one woman strong enough to cut down that many guards in combat. "Large woman, hair silver like the Queen's?" Tyrion knew the answer before Theon nodded in confirmation.
"They continued North. Her half-brother is Lord Commander at Castle Black. She'd be safe there. I left to return home," Theon finished. His voice was rough with disuse. This had been the most he's spoken in years; he was surprised he was able to continue for so long.
"You didn't stay with her?" Daenerys questioned. Though her tone was not accusatory, she Theon took it as such.
"I would have," Theon replied, quick to defend his actions. "If her Sworn Sword hadn't shown up I would have accompanied her all the way to the Wall. No matter the cost. But I was in no shape to protect her. All I would have done was slow them down."
"Not to mention what Lord Snow would have done to you had you been in his presence," Tyrion added.
"Lady Sansa said she would speak in favor of me. But how can anyone forgive a man who is the cause of their brother's death." Theon spoke solemnly.
After Theon's revelations, the hall was quiet. Tyrion thought of the atrocities committed against his former wife. How he wished she had made it back to the home she remembered, not the one the wretched Bolton's had turned it into.
Theon was desperately trying to keep the monsters at bay. Though he spoke strongly, his mind threatened to betray him. All this talk of Ramsay and the torture he inflicted was enough to break him if he didn't fight to hold on. All the while Yara stood strongly by her brother's side, admiring the truth he had spoken.
Daenerys, still seated on her makeshift throne, pondered the tale she'd been told. She'd witnessed the atrocities committed at Slaver's Bay, heard the stories of her father the Mad King, but seeing the broken man in front of her; seeing what power, corrupt power and sadistic intent could do to a person. She felt weak. How could she be so ignorant to what was happening in the Seven Kingdoms. She felt enraged at the Bolton's, and strengthened at the bravery of the young Stark girl. But mostly, she felt empowered. This was why she needed to take back her claim to the throne. She needed to leave the world better than she found it.
"You've brought us one hundred ships from the Iron Fleet."
A/N: I love the relationships between all of these characters and I always wanted to see Tyrion speak to someone about Sansa, and I thought this was a good place to fit that in. Honestly, I'm just so excited about how badass the premiere was that I just had to write something. Please leave a comment and let me know if you liked it!