Solace {A Game of Thrones Fanfiction}

Chapter 40

Tara couldn't sit in her room any longer. She was driving herself mad. 

All she could think about were the what if's. What if they got lost? What if they were ambushed? What if Theon was dead?

She couldn't stomach it any longer. It was time for her to do something. Besides, that book she had been reading wasn't any help. It was all about the past wars. The past deaths.

Tara came out of her room and decided to walk around Dragonstone. Although cold and stone, she had to admit the sheer size of it was impressive. She walked through stairwell and hallways trying to find some sort of entrance to a lookout or roof. She did finally find it. 

It was a deck of sorts looking out to the long stone walkway that lead to the castle. She watched the waves crash on the shore way out in the distance. To her surprise, she saw a foreign ship docked. Some men, Dothraki probably, were at the beach. She wondered who the ship belonged to.  

Tara had thought about becoming more involved in what was happening politically in this castle, but she wasn't sure if she was welcomed. She didn't necessarily have anything to add to the conversation, she just wished she knew what was going on most of the time. Perhaps now could be the time to try. It's not as if she had anything else to be doing. 

Tara made her way through the maze of the castle to the throne room. She was about to walk in completely when she heard people talking. She stood in the side entrance to the throne room and peeked out. No one would see her way off to the side. 

She saw Daenerys approaching who she finally realized was Jon Snow. Tara was surprised at first to see him. She had always known of him. Being in the North, she knew all about the Stark family. She had even heard about him being the King in the North now. Tara turned to Daenerys who was full of the confidence that Tara has always seen.  

"I've been chained and betrayed. Raped and defiled. Do you know what kept me standing after all those years in exile?" Dany asked Jon, "Faith."

As Tara listened more, she realized that Jon was refusing to bend the knee to the Queen. She continued to talk about all that she has done. Including raising her dragons and getting the Dothraki across the sea. 

"I was born to rule the Seven Kingdoms. And I will." She finished intensely. 

"You'll be ruling over a graveyard. If we don't defeat the Night King." Jon said back. 

Tara paused at the word Night King. She had heard of the white walkers and army of dead but always thought of it as a fairytale. 

Tyrion walked up, "The war against my sister has already begun. You can't expect us to halt hostilities and join you in fighting-" Tyrion paused for a moment, "Whatever you saw beyond the wall."

The man next to Jon Snow took a step forward. As he started to talk, Tara pieced together that he was the Onion Knight. He was something of famous person from fleabottom. 

"You don't believe him. I understand that. It sounds like nonsense. But if destiny has brought Daenerys Targaryen back to our shores, it has also made Jon Snow King in the North."

"You are the first to bring Dothraki to Westeros, he is the first to make allies of Wildings and Northmen."

Davos started to list Jon's accomplishments explaining that he did all of it with absolutely no birthright and that he was a bastard. 

"They chose him as a leader, because they believe in him." He continued, "All those things you don't believe in, he faced those things. He fought those things for the good of the people. He risked his life for his people. He took a knife in the heart for his people. He gave his own-" Davos stopped himself as Jon turned to look at him. Everyone shared glances between each other. Tara knew there was something much more to that they weren't saying. 

"If we don't put aside our enmities and band together, we will die." He restarted, "And then it doesn't matter whose skeleton sits on the iron throne."

"If it doesn't matter then you might as well kneel." Tyrion said, "Swear allegiance to Daenerys and help defeat my sister and together our armies will protect the North." 

Jon started over him, "There's no time for that."

He started to get angrier. Tyrion remarked that it takes no time to bend the knee. 

"And why would I do that?" Jon turned to Tyrion. "I mean no offense your grace, but I don't know you."

Jon Snow explained why he must do whats right for the North. That all the lords were counting on him. 

"That's fair." She said once he was finished, "But it's also fair to point out that I'm the rightful queen of the Seven Kingdoms and by you declaring yourself King in the north, you are in open rebellion."

They both stared each other down. Varys interrupted when he ran into the room and whispered something into Dany's ear.

Daenerys sent them off to their rooms and said supper would be sent as well. Then she started speaking Dothraki to one of her men. She walked back up the stairs but Jon stopped her, "Am I your prisoner?"

"Not yet." She responded before she continued her way to the throne. Dothraki men led Jon and Davos to their rooms as the other men closed the massive doors to the throne room. 

Tara still stood to the side. She didn't know if she should have heard any of that but of course it was way too late. 

Varys didn't waste any time. "Our Ironborn and Dornish allies were attacked on their way to Dorne." Tara's heart dropped into her chest. She felt as if she was going into shock. 

"And?" Dany asked. 

"Two or three ships escaped, the rest sunk or captured. Ellaria and the Sand Snakes, dead or captured. The Greyjoys, dead or captured."

Tara looked out with pain her eyes. She felt she had been stabbed in the heart. She couldn't stand idly anymore. She stepped out of the shadows, "And Theon?"

Everyone turned to look at her. She knew it was awkward for her to come out of her hiding spot but she had to now. 

She knew they were sharing looks with one another but Tara didn't care. Varys turned to her directly now, "I don't know, my lady."

Tara nodded her head. She knew he didn't know. Her eyes matched the ground. 

"The ships that escaped will be heading here as we speak. We will let you know as soon they touch soil." Daenerys said, still confident. 

Tara didn't find that too comforting, but she wouldn't be rude. "Thank you, your grace."

She didn't waste another moment before she walked out of the room. All she thought was of Theon. His bloodied body floating towards the bottom of the sea. Him captured by his dreadful uncle Euron. There wasn't many cases were she could think of him as being ok. 

And it crushed her.