Queen in the North

Margaery

Droplets of the mist clung to her hair. The day dark and the mist would surely turn to rain soon. The men were loading their boats full of supplies and weapons. Ghost sat in the boat, patiently waiting. Jon was talking to a boy that had a striking resemblance to Renly. She knew that Robert had fathered nearly twenty bastards, perhaps this was one of them.

The queen bid Ser Jorah farewell. Margaery could see the longing in his eye. How long had he loved her? Did she even know? 

Then, she turned her attention to Jon. 

"If I don't return, at least you won't have to deal with the King in the North anymore." He said. 

Daenerys almost smiled. "I've grown used to him."

"I wish you good fortune in the wars to come, your grace." Jon turned away from her and walked towards Margaery. 

"You'll catch your death out here." He said softly. She was piled high in what felt like half of her weight in furs. The Reach had always been warm, the damp cold of Dragonstone cut her to the bone. 

"Well, I had to you off." She replies with an almost sad smile. She would miss him. He was one of the few people on Dragonstone who were good company. Messandei was kind but always preoccupied with her duty to the queen. The queen was harder to describe. Margaery had a bad feeling, something about Daenerys reminded her of Cersei. Specifically, the way she grew jealous and seemed to turn anything into a slight. Margaery knew that Daenerys saw her as a threat and that had driven a wedge between the two. At least Ser Davos would remain, he was always a good source for laughs.

"Take care, my lady. I hope to see you soon." Jon gently took her hand and pressed his lips against her gloves. She could feel eyes on her, but for the first time in a long time, she didn't mind it. 

"Jon, please..." Margaery raked her mind for what to say. "Be safe."

He gave her a smile before he turned to his boat. She watched him help his men push the boat into the waves before jumping in and rowing to a much larger ship. 

"Walk with me, Lady Margaery." She hadn't even noticed that Daenerys had moved to her side. 

"Of course, your grace." Margaery courtesied as they began the climb to the castle.

"How do you like Dragonstone?" The queen's voice was calm and cold. 

"It is beautiful. I thank you for your hospitality." 

"Will you return to the Reach when the war is won?" So the queen finally danced her way back to the question she had asked Margaery when they first met.

"Yes, I plan on returning to High Garden to spend the rest of my days." 

"That is lovely hear. I look forward to our future relations as monarch and lady paramount."

"As do I. My family owes all we have to the Targaryen dynasty. I look forward to pledging ourselves to them again. To pledging ourselves to you." Margaery carefully chose her words. The queen was volatile and Margaery knew that she must appease her or face dragon fire. 

Daenerys smiled, liking her answer. They walked into the castle, Margaery welcoming the protection that it offered her from the wind. "If you would please excuse me, your grace. I must find my grandmother."

"Of course," Danaerys said, a smile dripping in flash kindness.

Margaery walked away, she had thought that Cersei was the most dangerous woman in the world. She was starting to understand how wrong she was. 

She found Olenna in the library. "What's wrong?" She asked once she saw Margaery's face. 

Margaery took a seat next to her. "What do you think of the dragon queen?" She whispered.

Olenna seemed to understand right away and took Margaery's hands in hers. "I think that she is dangerous, but a necessary danger. At least for now."

"If we survive this, we will have to stand by her until the end of our days. We will never be safe from her."

Olenna sighed softly. "That is only if she becomes queen. We need her to kill Cersei and this Night King that has the northern boy so worked up. After that, I honestly cannot see the realms following her. She will remind them of the mad king, and they will usurp her." 

"But... As her supporters, won't we be in danger too? Our house could have gone extinct if Robert had willed it when he took the throne."

"After Cersei, her one true rival will Jon Snow, even if he doesn't know it yet. I would say that it is a very good thing that he has grown fond of us."

Margaery looked at Olenna in shock. She thought that they were done playing the game of thrones. She should have known that Olenna would throw them back into it. She snatched her hands away from her grandmother. She had been manipulating her and Jon, using him as a contingency plan if Daenerys showed any signs of her father's madness. Margaery couldn't even speak, as fear and pain flooded her system. She left without a word. 

Her mind was a whirlwind of thoughts. Did Jon know of Olenna's plan? No, he wouldn't. The Starks were not known for their deception and that was often their downfall. As she wondered the hall, pondering what Olenna had said, she nearly ran head-on into Theon Greyjoy. She knew of his reputation and his past sins. When he had first arrived, she had seen Jon storm through the halls of the castle with a look in his eye that she had never seen. It was pure rage. 

It had taken her a moment to convince him to talk to her. At the time she hadn't known why he was angry, but she did know that anger made good men do stupid things. She had seen it happen with Loras one too many times. They sat in the throne room, Ghost laying behind them with his back pressed against theirs. Jon had told her his story, of how Theon had been his brother (although they were never close) and then he betrayed his whole family. She had never seen him as vulnerable as he was when he talked about Robb and his death. 

Jon always seemed so strong, like nothing could hurt him. But she saw the pain that he carried. When Theon had walked in, she worried that Jon would kill him, but he didn't. He agreed to listen to his side of the story. That was something that Loras would have never done, he would have run a sword through Theon without a second thought. 

Now she looked at Greyjoy and say that he had ghosts in his eyes. She pitied the man. He had the build of a strong man but something had reduced him to nothing but bones at some point in the not too distant past. Whatever it was, he looked like he had just started his recovery. 

"Pardon me, my lord." She courtesied and continued on her route to her chamber.