The Lovely Lady
The ship sailed on across the Narrow Sea making its way down to Gull Town. During the voyage, Amarys and Arya were taught how to play cyvasse by one of the crew and spent hours playing even though neither of them understood the rules.
When land was in sight, Amarys took Arya back to their cabin to make her more presentable to appear in the Arryn Hall. They both bathed and Amarys braided Arya's hair back, then did the same with her own. She dressed Arya in a grey tunic she found in the cabin and some black breeches she borrowed from one of the cabin boys. She found a white cloak and wrapped it over her shoulders.
"You look like yourself again," Amarys said, making Arya face the mirror.
"I don't. I look more like Bran. And where's Needle?" Arya asked. She found her trusty sword belt and wrapped it around herself.
Amarys dressed herself in tight black leather leggings, her black corset, black lace-up boots and black coat before placing her black cloak over her shoulders.
"You look like a man of the Night's Watch but with breasts," Arya laughed.
When the ship landed ashore, they weren't greeted with smiles, they were greeted with wary looks as the villagers of Gull Town wondered what men of the Night's Watch were doing on their shores.
Amarys and Arya walked up the roads to the donkey trail where they were met by a scrawny looking man dressed entirely in brown leather and furs and accompanied by two soldiers in silver armour and grey furs and leather.
"My princess. What a lovely honour it is to bask in your presence once again," the man in brown bowed deeply.
"Lord Thoronte. What are you doing here?" Amarys asked.
"Your dear lord father sent me with a gift," Lord Thoronte said. He turned and dragged forward the large basket behind him. As he did, Amarys looked at each of the soldiers accompanying him. They didn't look too pleased with him. Neither was Amarys; she hated the old lord. She looked at the soldier on the left and made a slicing motion across her neck. He nodded once.
"What is it? Open it," Amarys commanded.
"It is an aid to your quest," Lord Thoronte said. He opened the basket. Amarys looked calmly inside, but Arya let out a loud gasp. "Do not gaze upon the children of Ice, girl!" he shouted.
"Hold your tongue! She is my friend and part of my quest! You will treat her as though she too was of the House of Ice!" Amarys slapped him. She looked at the soldiers and gave them a curt nod. They slit open Thoronte's throat from ear to ear. "Thank you. Please return to my father and thank him for me. They will help me a great deal," she said. The soldiers nodded and walked away.
Amarys bent down and put her hand into the basket and let the blue dragon with silver flecks on her scales climb onto her arm. The purple dragon with silver flecks on her scales flew onto her shoulder and the black dragon flecked with gold flew up and didn't know where to land until Amarys nodded at Arya and she flew into Arya's shoulder.
"Dragons! I thought they were all dead!" Arya laughed as the black dragon playfully nipped her ear.
"No. There is a queen across the Summer Sea in Slaver's Bay who has three as well. To the Targaryen, Daenerys Stormborn. Although her dragons are different to mine. Hers are fire dragons, these are ice dragons from the Lands of Always Winter," Amarys smiled.
"They're amazing! What are their names?" Arya asked.
"The black one on your shoulder is Olera, named for my late mother, Olerys. The blue one is Watermare and the purple one is Nightingale," Amarys said.
They walked over to the donkey trail and were met by Mya Stone who starred in shocked silence at the three dragons.
"Will you take us up?" Amarys asked. Mya nodded as though she were hypnotised and helped Amarys and Arya onto the donkeys. She led them up the mountainside, but occasionally looked back at the dragons, not believing her eyes.
"You realise the Lord Protector may want to steal them from you, don't you?" Mya said.
"Let him try! I have old words and a needle to help me protect them," Amarys smiled back at Arya who had seemed to become good friends with Olera.
They reached the castle of the Vale and walked in. the guards weren't stopping them as they were too in shock at the sight of three young ice dragons.
They walked into the great hall and looked up at the seat of Arryn. The hall was empty apart from them and a couple of awestruck guards. She turned to them.
"Bring Lord Arryn," Arya said before Amarys could say anything. One of the guards ran off. Arya looked up at Amarys who was looking at her with smug pride. Arya shrigged. "I like to be bossy and I haven't had much chance of late," she smiled.
Lord Robert Arryn came walking in holding Sansa's hand and followed by Petyr Baelish. She stopped short and started to hide behind Sansa's skirts.
"Get those beasts away!" he cried. "Alayne! Do something!" Robert commanded. Sansa looked at Arya. Arya looked at Sansa. Sansa removed Robert from her skirts and ran to her little sister. Arya ran too. They hugged as Olera flew above their heads.
"I hate you Sansa, but I missed you too," Arya smiled.
"Me to, Arya. How did you get here? And the dragons? Where...what..?" Sansa stepped back in shock.
"This is Princess Amarys Iceranger of the Silent Kingdom in the Lands of Always Winter. She's a Seer. She has been watching us since she was two. She knows everything about the war," Arya started.
"Then she will be able to tell us our enemies secrets," Petyr Baelish stepped forward. Robert grabbed his hand.
"Don't go near! The beasts!" he pleaded.
"Silence, Robert. They are not your enemies," Petyr scolded the little lord.
"I could tell you, but I won't. Not just yet, anyway. Not until my visions have cleared a few things up for me," Amarys said.
"And the dragons? I had heard there were some beyond the Summer Sea," Sansa said.
"There are. They are fire dragons and belong to Daenerys Targaryen. These are ice dragons and are mine. Olera, Watermare and Nightingale," Amarys said. She knelt in front of a scared Robert. She slowly held out the arm Watermare was coiled around. "Touch her, she won't hurt you. Stroke the top of her head slowly and she will like you," Amarys smiled. Robert shook his head, but Sansa walked over and did stroke Watermare's head, ignoring Robert's protests. Watermare licked her hand and Robert went quiet and held his hand out and touched her too and giggled when she licked him.
"It tickles," he said.
"Yes. Watermare is the friendliest of the three," Amarys smiled and stood up again. She turned to Sansa and Arya joined her by her side.
"We are going south. We are going to meet with Daenerys Targaryen. I would like you to come," she said.
"She cannot leave. She has a wedding," Petyr said.
"If the wedding is so important, it can wait until she returns. Winterfell will be hers, I promise you. I will make sure of it," Amarys said.
"Sansa, come with us. It will be an adventure! You will meet a queen! And more dragons! Exotic lands! You have to come!" Arya pleaded.
"I'll come. Petyr, the wedding can wait until I return. The Vale and Winterfell will be joined," Sansa squeezed his hand.
"Wedding? Vale and Winterfell? Are we to marry, Sansa?" Robert asked. Everyone looked down at him.
"Of course, dear boy. Now to your chambers, I have business to discuss with Princes Amarys, here," Petyr said. The boy ran off with his servants.
"Harry the Heir. He will be a good match," Amarys said. Petyr smiled.
"And what of Arya? Where shall we put her?" he smiled.
"You leave that to me. It is my job, not yours," she said. She turned and left with Arya and Sansa following her. She walked to Sansa's chambers and made her dress in black breeched and a white tunic and wrapped her in a grey cloak. She led them down to the donkey trail where Petyr was waiting for them.
"You take care of Sansa," he grabbed Amarys by the arm.
"I will. I swear by my dragons," Amarys pulled her arm away and mounted the donkey next to Arya's.
Petyr took Sansa by the shoulders and kissed her softly, but it soon turned into a stronger kiss. Arya looked at them disgusted and then at Amarys.
"He's old enough to be our father? He was childhood friends with my mother," Arya said. Amarys nodded. Arya turned and looked at them again. "Get a move on, Sansa!" she called over. Sansa pulled away from Baelish and let Mya guid them down the mountainside.
"Your Grace, Arya said you were a Seer. What exactly did you see?" Sansa asked.
"It's 'Your Majesty' not 'Your Grace'. And I've seen everything," Amarys smirked.
"Like what?" she asked. Amarys turned and looked at her closely. "I know what you want to know. I will tell you on the ship. In the mean time, I will tell you some other things. Bran and Rickon are alive and safe," she said.
"Isn't that what she wanted to know?" Arya asked. Sansa shook her head shyly. "You're selfish, Sansa! They're our brothers!" Arya shouted.
"It was something just as important to your sister, Arya. You would want to know if you were in her position," Amarys said.
"What position?" Arya snapped as they reached the bottom of the train and dismounted the donkeys. Amarys looked closely at Arya.
"Gendry is alive and safe," she whispered. Arya looked confused as she turned red. Amarys led the Stark sisters back to the ship, grateful for a bit of silence, but dreading the awkward moments that may be ahead of her in her quest.