Different Paths to Destiny [Game of Thrones]

31: Back When We Had Nothing

" down these halls, these holy walls
echoes of light, lost in time "

I was on a beach, but it was far different from the ones I'd seen in Dorne. The sand was coarser and darker, and the sea seemed harsher too. As I turned around, a shiver went down my spine. I'd seen the castle in dozens of books. I'd imagined it thousands of times. "Dragonstone," I whispered. The black rocks were imposing and grand, they framed the castle perfectly. Viserion swooped overhead, as if the image didn't scream Targaryen enough already. Up ahead I caught a flash of white. I took the steps two at a time, unable to wait.

Grey Worm and Missandei, hardly even startled as I pushed past them. But Tyrion jumped as I brushed a hand over his shoulder on my way to Daenerys. Missandei laughed quietly behind me, though she tried to stifle it.

I slid my fingers through Daenerys' and she looked at me, the same awe I felt evident in her eyes. No one spoke as we continued up the stairs and toward the great hall. But through my head played the stories of the great Targaryens who'd had their seat here. Aegon the Conqueror, Maegor the Cruel, Rhaenyra the Half-Year Queen.

The doors opened before us revealing the throne, carved from the same stone the rest of the castle was built out of. It looked as if it grew straight from the ground. "Dany," I whispered. She looked away from the throne. "I found something before..." I trailed off, distracted for a moment by the stone dragon by the door. "I know the name our mother gave me." I breathed the word out with a quiet breathy sigh, "Rhaenyra."

I turned back to her to see her eyes brimming with tears. The sparkle brought out the lilac that was hardly ever visible. "Rhaenyra," she repeated, lips turning up in a smile. "Nyra."

She took my hand, tugging me lightly into the next room. I let out a quiet gasp when my eyes landed on the table. "I've read about this," I whispered. "Aegon the Conqueror had it commissioned to plan his invasion of Westeros."

Daenerys smiled softly, pulling her attention away from the windows. "Now we shall use it to plan our own." The two of us leaned on the table, as the others joined us in the room. "Where should we begin?"

"Missandei, open that cabinet," I called. She returned with a crate of carved sigils, representing the great houses. Some of them looked rather new, meaning Stannis must have made plenty of use of it as well. With Varys and Tyrion's help, I set the scene.

Daenerys asked quiet questions in low whispers, so only I could hear. I did my best to fill in the gaps in her knowledge. It felt strange to be the expert for once. So many times I'd visited her, only to be swept up in one of her plots. I stepped back to survey; if you only looked at the pieces it didn't look so bad. But knowing your enemy was key to defeating them.

"What are we going to do with them?" I mused, fingers trailing over the map. Daenerys glanced over, an unspoken question on her face. "We can't burn them all. The ones who bowed to the other kings."

She nodded slowly. "We agreed to give sovereign power over the Iron Islands to Yara Greyjoy, should her uncle be defeated." Though I knew the Greyjoy fleet made up the majority of my sister's armada, my eyes still lit up at the name. "Her brother said he knew you."

I glanced down at the floor, attempting to hide my smile. My childhood wasn't exactly easy to explain to someone, even when that someone was my sister. "He was a ward of the Starks, we were best friends."

"We rowed in before the others, but he should be in soon," she said, touching my arm lightly. "Until then..."

"Do you plan to give the other kingdoms their sovereign power?" I asked, wheeling us back on track. She hesitated. "If they ask for it?"