Shadow of the Dragon Queen

15.

My blade cuts through wight after wight, the dead men crumbling at my feet. I watch in horror as my men fall beside them, the never ending army of the dead beginning to overwhelm us. The tip of a blade cuts across my cheek, I cry out and stumble to the side. Odanno kills the dead man returning to finish the job and pulls me back towards the gates. I hear Rhaegal roar up above, our connection felt strong beneath my skin.

"Move to the gates!" I scream above the battle, the Dothraki and the Northern Bannermen relay my message to each other and begin the retreat. Blood spills over the hand covering my wound, searing pain ripping through my skin. I look to see Drogon appear above the losing battle, Dany atop his back as his flames reduce the dead men to ash. Tormund appears in front of me, the rage of battle fills his eyes as he takes in my face.

"You're loosing too much blood." He says, I move to answer him before I see the dead man with his sword drawn running for the unsuspecting Odanno. Before I can push him out of the way, the sword buries itself within another.

Kivi meets my eyes with the blade through her stomach, sacrificing herself to save her father. I watch in horror as she falls to her knees, Tormund slaughtering the wight who holds the hilt. The wound in my face becomes a distant memory as Odanno and I rush to her, Tormund protecting us from the army of the dead. I sink to my knees and pull her into my arms as she takes her last breath, my bloodied hand resting on her cheek. Odanno falls beside me, wrapping his arms around both of us as I press my forehead to hers.

I do not know how much time passes before the dead army crumbles, Tormund glancing around in confusion. Odanno does not move beside me, his grip does not loosen around his daughters. I feel Tormund's hand come to rest on my shoulder as he kneels behind me.

"Kivi." I hear Daenerys say, moving to kneel in front of me. Any anger, any festering fury for one another fades away as we take in the lifeless girl in my arms. Dany places a hand on my cheek, my blood staining her fingertips. "I'm sorry, Nyra." I take her hand in my own and let out a breath, finally looking around to the crumbled dead that surround us.

"Where is Rhaegal?" I ask, Dany nods.

"Safe." She tells me, I look to Tormund.

"Please, check on Viserion." I say, he quickly nods and hurries from the gates. I meet Odanno's broken eyes with my own empty ones, he touches his forehead to mine and lets out a deep, heavy breath.

"We must build a pyre, for all of who we lost today." He says once he pulls back to meet my eyes, I nod in agreement and finally stand.

...

I sit beside Tormund, his arm draped across the back of my chair, as Jon leans against the table across from us. Stitches run through the new wound on my cheek, the aching throb still beneath my skin. Northmen surround us, taking swigs of their metal cups, and Odanno stands with a hand on the back of my chair. The northmen talk of the battle, of the vicious fighting it took to succeed, but many of them speak of my own leadership that helped to win us our lives.

Tormund forces me to my feet, he raises his cup to me as Jon and the other northerners follow suit, Odanno let's out the first laugh I've heard since Kivi's funeral. I cannot help but smile as they cheer, laughter spilling among it. I can feel Daenerys's eyes boring into me without having to turn to face her, her mind likely trained on the truth of Jon and I's parentage. Tormund presses a kiss to my mouth and I smile into it, feeling the first bit of calmness pass over me since our victory.

I feel Sansa's hand take mine, pulling me away from the northerners and linking my arm into her own. She smiles at me and leads me further down the hall and into one of the stairwells, all the way up to Winterfell's balcony. Varys stands waiting, Sansa's own face void of any smiles from the feast. Tormund arrives a few minutes later, pulling Odanno in tow.

"There is something you both must know." Varys says, eyes moving between Odanno and I. I look at Tormund in confusion, fear lies in his own eyes.

"What is it?" I ask, moving to stand beside Varys at the edge of the balcony.

"While I was within that crypt, words were spoken by Tyrion; he revealed Daenerys's plans to Lady Sansa in hopes it would reach you, she found only Tormund before she could make her way to you." Varys tells me, my brows furrow as he continues to speak. "They have begun to plan for what may happen after Daenerys's rule begins, and it does not start until your life is taken."

Shock passes over my body, Odanno's hand rests on my forearm to steady me. I shake my head as realization floods in.

"I know why. I know why she plans to kill me." I say, Varys looks at me with intensity in his eyes. "She must wipe away all other claims to her throne, Jon will only be next in line for the slaughter."

"But you are a bastard, you have no claim." Sansa says, taking a step toward me.

"No, it's all been a lie. Every story I've heard about my parentage, all of it. Rhaegar Targaryen and Lyanna Stark were married in secret. My father never raped my mother, they were in love with another. Robert's Rebellion was built on a lie, and Jon is my brother. Jon is Aegon Targaryen, born only minutes after I came from my mother's womb." They stare at me in shock, eyes not moving from my own. "Sam and Bran pieced it together, working with Bran's visions and Sam's knowledge be learned at the citadel. Jon and I swore one another to secrecy in fear of Daenerys, just as your all must be now. No one can know of this, not even those you trust the most."

"You are the true Heir to the Iron Throne." Varys breathes, silence passes over all of us. Tormund moves first, falling to one knee as he takes my hand in his own. He holds my eyes for a moment before he bows his head to me. Odanno follows, sinking to one knee as his head bows. Varys takes a knee beside him, snow coating his black coat. I watch in shock as Sansa sinks into a low curtsy, bowing her head to me.