Epilogue

Meanwhile, South of the Neck and across the sea

Sitting with his elbows on his knees, his hands hanging loose between his legs, Jaime shook his head in anguish as he let his sister continue to prattle in her excitement.

He would have forgiven her words, if it had been just the words. But it was not just that.

Why did his sister always want the crown more than him? If she loved him so, she should want what was best for him too. Not just for her.

So why was she speaking as if he would go back to the Kingsguard like the war had never happened. Like all was well.

She assumed he would, because she was here. But he didn't want to. Like he hadn't the first time around.

He was not a perfect heir and would never be as good as his father in politics, but Casterly Rock had been his. And now it could be again. Why didn't Cersei consider his happiness in her plans?

Why was he the one who always had to prove his love.

"I'm going home after your wedding" He stated, finally looking up.

"What do you mean, you're going home?" She said, coming to a halt in her pacing. "As a member of the Kingsguard you can't leave the Royal Family alone.

He shook his head again. "I don't want to retake my vows, Cersei."

Her face turned furious. "Why the hell not? It's all we ever planned! We finally made it!"

He snorted. "No, sister. It is not like we planned. It is like you planed." He sighed, turning sad eyes at the woman he now realized would never truly love him more than her quest for power. "You wanted to be queen, but you wanted me around too, as side pastime. You can't have both."

"What has gotten into you Jaime! We talked about this before! All you have to do is go to Robert and swear a stupid oath and everything will be perfect!" She cried out, coming over to kiss him.

Turning his face so their lips wouldn't meet, he shook his head once more as he gently pushed her away.

"I spent three years under oath to protect a King. And in those three years I saw horrors you can't even imagine. I stayed put as those horrors happened, because of those oaths. I'm never swearing such a thing again while I still breathe."

Cersei huffed, sneering at him. "Please, like a couple of dead peasants are so terrible to see. I never took you for a spineless craven brother."

Jaime let out a humorless laugh. "Do you know what it is like, Cersei, to smell human flesh burning? To hear a woman being rapped and not being able to do a thing? To hear a man cackling in his insanity and knowing you must die for such a creature?" He sneered back, getting up. "And yet, you never even asked If I was well. As soon as you saw me you just went on and on about your marriage. How much can you love me, if you never even care?"

Her face softened, bringing her hand up to his face. "I'm sorry Jaime. You are right. It was inconsiderate of me. Please, stay. I will help you. We can make new memories here. Good ones"

His heart wanted to fall into her, like in old, easier, times, but at the same time, he knew he couldn't. For him, it had always been Cersei before Jaime, but for her, it had never been him first. For once in his life, it was time to be selfish.

"I can't. I don't want to." Her hand left his cheek only to meet it again in a resounding slap.

"How dare you! Leaving me here alone to these spiders and snakes at court!"

"You never had a problem with that before. I'm certain that father will leave you with many Lannister man and servants."

He turned around to leave the room, before they could get started again.

"You will never be a good Lord of the Rock." She screamed to his back. "It should have been me!"

"But it is me." He said, strongly. "And it is mine. And now you are Queen, as was your dream. Good luck, sister."

He left her there, ears def to her answer.

It was time to put Jaime before Cersei.

"It shouldn't be the Lannister girl Jon." Robert lamented, as he took another swing of his bottle.

"But it is, nothing to do about it." Jon said, as he finished writing another letter. "The preparations for the wedding will be done in time for your brother to come back from Dragonstone. His wedding can be in the days after yours."

His once ward grumbled. "Should have made him stay in that bloody island."

Jon shook his head. "You and I both know that Hoster Tully would have a conniption if you sent his daughter to what would basically be exile. No, Robert. Dragonstone is the Heir's seat. If you want to punish your brother, give it to Renly until you have a son."

Robert grumbled, but nodded in resignation.

"Go get some sleep, your practically dead on your feet" Jon said with a sigh.

"I definitely feel like it." Robert murmured, as he shakily got to his feet.

"And you don't think they could become dangerous? The Moat is practically finished!" Robert said, slamming his fist on the table.

Jon sighed. Of all the days Robert could have chosen to attend the Small Council, it had to be today. Or maybe the fault laid at Lord Varys' little birds for coincidently choosing that day to deliver news on the North.

Jon Arryn might believe in coincidences, but never when related to the Spider.

"Your Majesty" Lord Varys placated, his honeyed voice easily filling the whole room. "The Moat has never been used as a means of assault. It is simply a defensive fortress. At the moment Heddara Stark is too busy at playing mother and merchant to look south of the Neck."

Robert frowned.

"You might be right. But I want more ships. The ones lost at Dragonstone haven't been replaced yet, and with those blasted Starks building more and more of those, we can be at a disadvantage."

"Of course, your Majesty. It seems like a wonderful idea."

Jon took note of the Kings wishes and was happy when the subject changed to whether or not they should accept those new Northern Lamps at court, or if it would be considered unpatriotic to buy them.

He resisted the urge to roll his eyes as Robert rebuffed the proposal to buy one to test its usefulness. No matter, he would give it a few years, until Robert saw them in some place – possibly a brothel – and conveniently forgot they were made by his supposed 'enemy' and ordered them to buy some.

"The North is sending quite a few students again. I wonder why..." The young Maester mumbled.

A noisy snort came from behind him, frightening him into jumping in his seat and hastily turning around.

"A-Archmaester!" He quickly jumped to his feet and bowed in respect at the much older man. "I'm sorry if I disturbed you, I thought you had already retired for the night!"

"Uh, you know, in my town they used to say that 'Thinking is what kills an ass".

The younger man felt his cheeks flame at the comment. "Ah... I was just finishing with the new recruits for this moon, Archmaester."

"Yes, yes. I heard you mumble about the Northerners. I am old, but my ears are as good as they were when I was still a lad. Seems like they are finally taking the time to learn something." The old man took the papers keen eyes roving over the names and numbers still glistening in them.

"But.. Don't you think it is strange for the Citadel to accept students from a... rival Kingdom?" The Maester asked, uncertain.

The Archmaester shook his head with a sigh. "Foolish boy." He said, rolling up the papers and hitting the younger man with the roll as punishment for an apparently obvious mistake. "The Citadel cares not for who sits on what throne. It accepts students from all over this world. Westeros, Essos, Sothoryos. There is no care for who they are, as long as they pay the necessary tuition. They could very well be those ice monsters from the Northerners tales for all we care. Understood?"

"A-a, yes sir!"

"They killed a bloody Dragon?" Robert asked, eyes wide.

Varys nodded. "Apparently one of those wild ones that went missing after the Dance was killing of the Skagosi. The Company of the Rose was responsible for the deed."

Robert huffed, before a smirk made its way into her face.

"Apparently those Northern bastards are useful for something. A day when a Dragon dies, is a good day for me! More wine boy!"

Tywin Lannister looked out of his solar's window, contemplating the figure training on the courtyard.

He crumbled the letter in his hands, succumbing to the fury that had risen inside him at the contents.

He had always known his daughter was foolish, but never had he thought it could reach such a point. The things she said in her letter to Jaime. If they were true...

He sneered. Of course, they were true, what else could they be?

Now he understood why his son had refused to go back to Kings Landing even once in the last few years.

At least she was smart enough to not entrust this letter to a raven and had used a Lannister man to deliver it in person. Thankfully the man had entrusted it to him instead of his son.

He needed to get the boy a wife. He was two a six now. Almost ten years since he had been released from his vows, and he was still not married.

Narrowing his eyes, he remembered his performance during the Greyjoy Rebellion. Jaime seemed at home with some of the Northerners, seemingly relaxing in their candid and bashful ways.

It was true that you could expect honesty and a lack of fakeness from them, that was not found easily in the southern courts. Between them there seemed to be no interest in games of power. Not counting the Bolton Lord, of course. That one, was shrewd as a snake.

It would be good for his son, and for his house to have a trustworthy Lady, but at the same time, if she was too trusting, she would easily be eaten alive by the other Lords and Ladies of the Westerlands.

Maybe he should contact Heddara Stark on the issue.

He owed her a debt, and Lannisters always paid their debts.

"What did you do!" Oswell growled, as he grabbed the boy from the back of his tunic and howled him to his bed.

He ignored the boy's whimpers and treats as he checked him for broken bone. Thankfully, only his nose needed to be put back into place, even though his eyes and lips were very bruised.

"Why did I arrive to find the two of you gone!"

Viserys ignored him, choosing to simply glare back at him. Turning to Daenerys, he gave her his best reproachful and disappointed look he could muster, knowing she would cave in an instant.

"I... we went to the market. To sell mothers crown. Viserys said we needed more money for passage to Pentos"

He sighed. "if you wanted to sell her crown, you should have let me do it. I bet they didn't pay half of its worth"

Daenerys hang her head. "But it's enough now, for the passage."

Oswell shook his head. "And he ended up like this!" He said pointing at her brother. "if you had let me take care of it, it wouldn't have happened. What were you thinking? Don't you understand how dangerous it is for to simply walk on around?"

"He said the North killed a Dragon." Viserys said, prompting him to turn around.

He frowned. "Who did?"

"The man that hurt Viserys. He got mad when he talked bad about the Queen in the North, and that's why he beat him. He said... he said father burned people alive... Is it true?" The young girl's eyes were big with fear, her lip trembling.

Viserys scoffed. "Of course it's a lie!"

Oswell sighed. "I'm calling a Maester. And then you will tell me everything that man said." At Daenerys attempt at interrupting him, he raised his hand and shook his head. "I will answer your questions after that."

"What is it, Stanis?"

The man in question looked up from his letter, letting his frown clear his face as he nodded to his wife.

"Renly tells me that the North is opening negotiations for a trade agreement with Dragonstone."

He was pleased to see that Catelyn frowned herself at the news. While his wife always took her proper place in their marriage, taking care of their children and their household as she should, he was pleased with the fact that she was not a brainless twit.

It had certainly made their union easier. That, and the fact that they had the same sense of duty to honor and family.

"What could they possibly want with Dragonstone?" She asked, confused. "There is nothing of value there. It's simply the seat to the heir of the throne."

"That is true. And now that there is an heir, Renly is only overseeing it while young Joffrey is too young." He looked down at the letter once more frowning again.

"So, what do they want?" his oldest son, Steffon, asked, as he deftly took back the saltshaker from his younger sibling, so he wouldn't ruin his supper.

"They want dragonglass."

The boy looked confused. "I thought dragonglass wasn't good for anything much."

He nodded. "It isn't, and that is the problem." The boy's mind was quick. He was quick on his feet too. Just like Robert had been, but with the added benefit of having something else between his ears. He should have his master of arms step up his training.

Thank the gods his son showed promise and had clearly taken after his Baratheon ancestors. His brother's child was all Lannister in looks.

Catelyn shook her head. "Let us forget about this. It is none of our business what those strange northerners want with dragonglass. Probably just want to use it for some savage ritual anyway."

"How many have chosen to stay?"

"Almost sixty now Dara."

She sighed, pulling her feet up into Storms back and ignoring his huff of mock annoyance.

Beside her, Rohar rubbed circles around her hand, hoping she would relax after so many days of stressful meetings.

"Even though there are more and more Wildlings trying to flee, the numbers can't compare to those still beyond the wall. Mance Raider is rallying most of them for a land cross, instead of a journey by sea." She said, sighing in pleasure as he started to rub her neck.

"They would never be able to build enough boats." He reasoned. "The one who try to cross do so in dingy things, that would never be able to carry more than three or four."

She hummed in agreement, and he could see her face becoming distant, as it did when she was considering all her options.

"What is it? Are you surprised that so many chose to stay? Lately more and more have done so."

"Yes and no. According to the numbers we are getting from Lord Manderly, it's still half and half on staying or going. I'm more surprised that no problems have arisen yet."

Rohar shook his head. "Your lords are trustworthy and understand the danger ahead. It also helps that most of those wildlings have settled in Land under the purview of the order of the Dawn, and that Hornwood man is a damned good commander. He treats them fairly and makes sure there are no problems with the smallfolk. And the wildlings respect him as a warrior, that is something they have always bended the knee to, even if they didn't call it that.

"That is true." She said, distractingly.

He smirked, lifting his eyebrow as he bended over to look at her upside down.

"You're still thinking about something, or are my skills at rubbing necks enough to distract you?"

She chuckled, raising her head to give him a kiss. "They are, but I was thinking that we should get to know more about these new people."

"Why is that?"

"I think that it is time to wake the old gifts in the North once again. And the Wildlings may know how to do that."

Jorah groaned, rubbing his face.

What should he do! Lynesse was lovely, a rose among roses, but she was used to luxuries that simply did not exist in Bear Island.

Not because they couldn't afford them – though they couldn't for most of them – but because they had no use for them.

He had ordered some bathing salts and other such things for his wife and already he had caught his aunt and her daughters whispering about it, contempt in their words, talking of the wasted money and resources.

And already Lynesse wanted more. She wanted to be courted with flowers every day, like he had done in Highgarden. She wanted her sheets smelling of roses, like in the Reach. She wanted bauble to put on her hair, or on her dresses. She wanted beautiful fabrics and seamstresses to work on them.

And he wanted to give all of it to her, because she deserved it!

But Bear Island did not have natural flowers besides wild ones, and though he could use a small space in a glasshouse for some flowers, there would never be as many as in Highgarden. He could buy all those things to his wife, he could, but not without tipping into their Winter Fund, something that Maege would certainly notice.

Lynesse was growing more and more restless, and he didn't know what to do!

Heddara looked over the castle walls at dawn, as a wolf cry was heard over the forest.

She sighed. A fortnight before, Storm had gone out to hunt and had not come back. She knew her companion was alright, since she had taken care to warg with him frequently.

She was just sullen because he had left her for another woman.

Turning around, she went back into the Keep to prepare for the day. She couldn't begrudge Storm the opportunity for company from his own species, though it worried her that another direwolf had somehow found his way this far south.

It was another sign that things might not be as they seemed.

Mayhaps it was time to gift Jon the dragon egg. He might get something out of the old rock.

A/N:

A proverb in my country is that "Thinking is what killed the ass" ass as in donkey. It is a specially funny prover because 'donkey' in my language is said using the same word as 'dumb'.

Annex

Here are the questions that I received for the last few chapters:

Why (and How!) is Jorah Mormont marrying Lynesse Hightower again?

I figured I wanted the option of Jorah being exiled. The whole thing that sometimes for more that things change some will stay the same and all that.

Now it's your turn to help me figure out what should happen. Should Jorah find a way to keep his wife happy and his finances in check? Should he do the same thing as in cannon? Should he stay in the North? Go to Danny? All of the above?

Anyway, Lynesse will not be changing from cannon, because I see no reason why she should, so the options are limited.

Help me out in the Pol!

Why is Heddara having so many children? Isn't that bad when she is a warrior Queen?

Heddara and Rohar have a very happy marriage. In order for her to not get pregnant she would need to drink moon tea every day, and I would say that that is probably not very healthy. If you compare it to Cersei, she and Robert probably only shared the same bed a couple of days a month, like in middle age Royal weddings.

On another note, Maege Mormont also had five daughters, and she is an amazing warrior, so I don't think that having five children takes away from Heddara's fierceness.

How many people does the North have and how many people are in its army?

I never actually stopped to consider numbers before. I see the North as having at least the same population as any other Kingdom of the "Seven" Kingdoms. It is much bigger, so the populations are more dispersed, but it would have the same amount of people as the Westerlands or the Riverlands or the Reach.

In terms of an army, in "The Princess of Winter", the North could raise around the same amount as the other Kingdoms also, but as the other Kingdoms, most of those men were not very well trained. Now the Kingdom has a standing army and most of the adult population is trained in archery. Still not sure about numbers though. I'll think about it. Need to do some research first.

Why not conquer the 3 sisters?

Just like Heddara couldn't just barge into Pike when the Greyjoy Rebellion started, because those islands belonged to Baratheon, she can't just invade the 3 sisters. They belong to House Arryn (even if they are to the Vale, what Skagos was to the North) and taking then would be a declaration of war. Besides, there is no real incentive into occupying those islands right now.

Will Heddara treat with the Wildlings? Isn't that better than sending more people to Essos to possibly become enemies?

Most of these questions you will have to wait and see.

Why send the wildlings to Essos? Let's be honest, most Wildlings would cause trouble in the North. They would not be able to adapt to the feudal system and would refuse to accept the law of the land. It would cause trouble with her bannermen if Heddara made them accept these people in their land.

It is not like they will be a problem in Essos, even there they will find it hard to blend in, because even if there are no Kings there, there is always ruler and the ruled, and they will always have to kneel in some way. And most people in Essos don't really care about Westeros anyway.

Why make the Iron Islands part of the North in the first place? It's not worth the trouble.

Leaving the iron Islands under Baratheon was a big risk. They had just attacked, what guarantee did they have that they wouldn't do it again in the future?

To avoid that, there were two options. She either killed them all and raised those islands to the ground, or she took control of them herself.

Now I don't see Heddara condoning killing off all the people in those Islands, including the children and the elderly. And she would have to, because leaving angry children with a thirst for revenge around would just be stupid!

So, the only logical option was to take control of the Islands herself.

Isn't the reaction of the Ironborn too optimistic?

Ironborn are pirates, mostly because the environment where their home is, is not conductive to much else. That is not exactly an excuse, but it is a reason. Hunger can make men do terrible things. At the same time, being assured that you will never feel such hunger, can make you loyal to those who guarantee your safety.

Heddara has taken that reason away and is showing them other possibilities. Of course, not everyone is happy, but the younger generations will grow in this way and in the future, they will no longer even consider raiding as a possibility.

I want to see Mammoths!

So, first I thought it would be very hard to do that. How could I get them to cross south of the Wall when they are so big? Would they survive south of the wall?

Some research told me that they are not actually that big. On average they were around the same size as Asian Elephants, around 2.5 to 3 m tall at the shoulder. Most Castle gates in Europe are much taller than that, so they could easily accommodate an Elephant/Mammoth.

Environment wise, I believe it could also be possible for mammoths to live, as the new gift and the gift are grasslands with cold environments where they could live and graze comfortably.

So, getting adult mammoths to come south is actually feasible. Guess you will have to wait and see if they come down or not!

This story is finished!

Next part "The Emperess of Winter" will be out eventualy. Don't expect anything until october or november at least.

I still have to plan everything out, and then write it.

Have a good summer!