the songs of winter // j.snow 3.

7.14 The Threat

Jon walked closer to Cersei as he held a face of stone. "This is serious. I wouldn't be here if it would."

"I don't think it's serious at all," Cersei argued with a face as Arabella sighed. She wasn't afraid to openly show her emotions anymore. Cersei didn't frighten Bella. "I think it's another bad joke. If my brother Jaime formed me correctly, you're asking me for a truce?"

"Yes," Daenerys spoke once again as she sat in her seat, looking calm and collected. "That's all."

A smile appeared on Cersei's face. "That's all?" she questioned. "Pull back my armies and stand down while you go on your monster hunt. Or while you solidify and expand your position. Hard for me to know which is it with my armies pulled back until you return and march on my capital with four times the men."

"Your capital will be safe until the northern threat is dealt with," Daenerys told Cersei with a cool face but Arabella could see the anger. "You have my word."

Cersei started speaking through gritted teeth. "The word of a would-be usurper," she commented so Dany looked away.

"There is no conversation that will erase the last 50 years," Tyrion cut in with widened eyes as Cersei tilted her head. "We have something to show you."

Then Sandor Clegane started walking back with a huge crate on his back. It was heavy as the Hound grunted his teeth before throwing the box down. He took the metal bars placed on the side to keep whoever was inside in, as Arabella watched with curious eyes.

Jon glanced at her and smiled slightly. The Hound then kicked the top off and nothing happened. He looked around then kicked the box off causing a skeleton man to get out.

Everyone, who were sitting there had never seen someone so dead yet alive. Its blue eyes looked straight at Cersei as it started running towards Arabella's mother, who kept leaning back in her chair, not wanting to get attacked.

It was then pulled back by a chain as Cersei stared right in the eye of the White Walker. Arabella had her eyes horrified as she looked at Jon, who had a serious face. She wanted to go and hug him, but contained.

The White Walker then marched towards Sandor, who drew his sword out and cut it in half, causing its hand to fall near Bella as she gripped on the handles of her chair. It was disgusting and terrifying.

In that moment all she could think of was her daughter and Jon, dying at the hands of these creatures. Apart being separated, the White Walker still didn't die as it crawled towards Clegane.

Qyburn, who Arabella remembered very well, stood up from his seat as Sandor cut the Walker's arm off. Everyone's eyes landed on Cersei, who was staring at it with an unreadable expression. The Hand of Cersei walked over to the separated arm and took it into his hands with almost a fascinated face. He checked the still moving fingers as Jon started making his way to the dead.

He grabbed the arm as Davos handed him a lit torch. "We can destroy them by burning them," he said torching the arm with fire and the walker began to screech from pain. Jon threw the arm down and grabbed a dragon glass knife. "And we can destroy them with dragonglass."

Arabella watched Jon pull it out with a sad look on her face. "If we don't win this fight, then that is the fate of every person in the world," he pointed to the corpse. Jon then grabbed it and stabbed through it causing the walker to truly die. The princess breathed out. "There is only one war that matters the Great War and it is here."

Cersei glanced at her daughter discretely to see her staring at the dead man on the ground with a realizing face. "I didn't believe it until I saw them," Daenerys spoke looking at the Lannister's. "I saw them all."

"How many?" Jaime asked her with furrowed eyebrows as he couldn't believe the thing he saw.

Daenerys looked at the Kingslayer. "A hundred thousand, at least." she said and Jaime's face fell just as much as Arabella's.

Euron Greyjoy then stood up and walked over to the corpse before frowning slightly. "Can they swim? he asked touching the remains of the hair.

"No," Jon mused back calmly as he thought of his daughter, his main priority to fight for. He was so ready to see her, and to tell Bella how much he loved her.

"Good," Greyjoy commented then looked at Cersei. "I'm taking the Iron Fleet back to the Iron Islands."

"What are you talking about?" Cersei asked him, thinking that he was joking, but Bella saw the hidden irritation.

"I've been around the world. I've seen everything," Euron told her seriously. "Things you couldn't imagine, and this is the only thing I've ever seen that terrifies me." He then started walking towards Daenerys, but her soldiers all readied their weapons, ready to protect their Queen. "I'm going back to my island. You should go back to yours. When winter's over, we'll be the only ones left alive."

Euron then walked away, shooting a smirk to Arabella, who just rolled her eyes. "He's right to be afraid," Cersei commented calmly. "And a coward to run. If those things come for us, there will be no kingdoms to rule. Everything we've suffered  will have been for nothing. Everything we lost will have been for nothing," she then glanced at Dany. "The crown accepts your truce. Until the dead are defeated, they are the true enemy," she said and Jon looked at Arabella, who was quite surprised by such declaration.

Jon sighed deeply. "In return, the King in the North will extend his truce," she continued. "He will remain in the North where he belongs. He will not take up arms agains the Lannisters. He will not chose sides," she said then glanced at Arabella. "And he will make my daughter and her daughter stay here, where it's safer."

Arabella stood up with a shocked and angry face. "You can't command me anymore," she shook her head calmly. Daenerys saw the hurt in her eyes. She knew how bad the relationship between the mother and daughter, and frowned slightly. "I am safer with Jon than I will ever be in here. And why are you asking just him? Not her?" Bella pointed to Daenerys, who raised her head slightly.

Cersei chuckled dryly as she looked at the dragon Queen. "I would never ask it of you. You would never agree to it. And if you did, I would trust you even less than I do now. I ask it only of Ned Stark's son. I know Ned Stark's son will be true to his word."

Jon glanced at Arabella, to see her staring back at him, her mouth slightly open, and eyebrows furrowed. He nodded to her calmly then turned back to Cersei to tell her his answer.

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