The Hounds Flower {Sandor Clegane}

Chapter 35

Zyta stared out to the shores of Dragonstone, waiting for any news on Sandor and Arya. They left while she was saying goodbye to the people of Winterfell. Leaving but only a note that read, 
I'm sorry Little Flower. Marry a Lord and have him love our babe like it is his own. I'll be forever yours. 
The Hound 

The thing that broke Zyta's heart the most was how he called himself Hound, when he was more than that. Sandor was the love of her life, her first love. Someone that didn't treat her any different because of who her father was. 

Zyta didn't talk for the whole way to Dragonstone. The only reason she ate was for her baby. But as soon as her bare feet touched the cold sand of her home, she felt like herself again. 

"Emmett! Make up all the spare rooms, we're going to have a lot of guests." Zyta ordered pulling her young friend into herself. 

"Yes my lady. It's good to have you back. The people of Dragonstone missed their queen." Emmett Freeman said. He tried his best keeping Dragonstone afloat while their ruler was in the North fighting. But she was back now, and ready to get things up and running again. 

"I am no queen." 

"Not yet. People have been talking Lady Zyta, all over the Seven Kingdoms. Remember that." Emmett gave her a final look before walking up the thousands of steps to the castle. Zyta let the cold sand soak into her feet and closed her eyes. 

WEEKS LATER

She watched as Grey Worm grabbed her uncle roughing, walking him towards the Lords and Ladies of Westeros. Emmett was to her left and the Stark children to her right. She was in the middle of all the Lords. 

"Wheres Jon Snow?" Sansa Stark said. 

"He needs to pay for his crimes for killing Queen Daenerys." Grey Worm said looking at Sansa with fire eyes. 

"We all know that Jon wasn't the one that killed her. The throne did. She would kill us all for that throne." Zyta took a deep breath in and continued, "what happens to Jon Snow and Tyrion Lannister is decided by the great houses of Westeros, not by a angry footman." 

"He killed my queen!" 

"Then why didn't the dragon kill him! Why is Jon Snow still alive when the dragon was there burning the Iron Throne?" 

Everyone was quiet. No one knew what to say or how to say it. 

"My lords and ladies of Westeros. You are called here today because we have a great matter on our hands. Someone has to rule the Seven Kingdoms." Tyrion stated walking up a little. 

"And I suppose you want it?" Yohn Royce said smirking and laughing. 

"Let him speak, maybe you'll learn something my lord." Zyta said, glaring. 

"I don't want the throne. I've seen a lot of Kings and Queens sit upon it in my short lifetime and I don't want it." Tyrion looked at everyone while speaking. "But I do know who I want to see rule. This person has been through a lot, their whole life. Being underestimated, being laughed at, but never let anyone walk on them. They are fierce but kind, with a heart of gold but eyes filled with fury." 

Zyta's heart was beating hard, Emmett grabbed her hand. 

"Their mother birthed 3 bastards but never once wanted the throne over them. Got sent away, their mother hoping that their uncle would kill them, but no, he made them stronger, made them rule an Island filled with people that hated their house. Their love of their life dying to save everyone from his brother. An heir already being made in their belly." 

All the Lords and Ladies are looking at her now. Sansa was smiling, Arya smirking, Gendry had the biggest grin on his face. 

"Zyta Baratheon, first of her name, has never showed malice to anyone. Knew every maids name and every soldiers story by age ten. Fought with the North to end the Night King, fought along side of Daenerys Targaryen to end her mothers reign. But never once claimed the throne that was rightfully hers by her father. Zyta came out alive with no harm done to her or her babe, when both Cersei Lannister and Daenerys Targaryen wanted her to die because of her claim to the throne. She is a widow to one of the most feared men of all of Westeros." 

Zyta had tears threatening to spill from her eyes but kept her head held up high. All was still for a moment... "Aye." Came from the far left where Yohn Royce and Robin Arryn sat. 

"Aye." From Samwell Tarly and Edmund Tully, along with two lords that Zyta never seen before. 

"I'm not sure if I even get a vote but aye." Ser Davos said making Zyta laugh. 

"Aye." Ser Brienne of Tarth said with a smile. 

"Aye." Yara Greyjoy and the prince of Dorne said at the same time. 

"Aye." Gendry said to his sister. He gave her a soft smirk. 

The last three people that were left to say anything was the Stark children. 

"Aye." Arya said, she looked guilty for what happened to Sandor but Zyta refused to blame her. Sandor loved her like she was his daughter, and Arya finally released that. 

"I think Zyta would make a great Queen to the 6 kingdoms. Aye." Bran said. 

Sansa looked at Zyta and gave her a smile, "The North is going to be an independent Kingdom, as it was for thousands of years." 

Tyrion looked at Zyta and raised his head high, "All hail Queen Zyta the widow, First of her name, queen of the Andals and the first men, Lady of the 6 kingdoms, and protector of the realm." 

Around her everyone but Bran stood, "All hail Zyta the Widow!" 

Tyrion began to walk away going towards Grey Worm. "Lord Tyrion, you will be my hand." 

Tyrion looked shocked, "Oh I don't want it. I thought I was wise and that I could help people but I couldn't." 

"I never wanted to be Queen." 

"Lannister is my prisoner and he will have to pay for his crimes." Grey Worm said. 

"Now that I am Queen, Lord Tyrion and Jon Snow are my prisoners. Tyrion Lannister will spend the rest of his life fixing his mistakes as my hand, and I'll visit Jon Snow, right now." 

Zyta stood up, her pregnant belly clearly defined in her dress. Emmett Freeman started to walk with her. She turned to him, "You should get to meet the other Lords and Ladies, Lord of Dragonstone." 

IN JON SNOWS CELL

"They named you Queen?" Jon asked. 

"I was surprised. It seemed like your siblings already knew." 

"Bran probably told them." Jon and Zyta laughed a little. 

"You made the right choice killing her. And while walking here I had to come up with what I should do and I'm going to give you a choice." 

Jon looked at her, and he saw what everyone else saw. Beauty and pureness. The rightful heir to the throne, not him. "Alright." 

"You could fight for your life against Grey Worm but if you lose you'll be dead. Or you can go to Essos and start a new life, but you'll have no money. You can go North and be with Ghost and Tormund, but you can never go see Sansa in Winterfell. Or..." Zyta stopped herself and grabbed his hand and put it on her belly. Jon looked up when he felt the babe kick, he had a smile on his face, a real one like when they first meet in Winterfell all those years ago. "Or you can marry me, rule beside me as King, for the first time in all of history a King and Queen would make all of our decisions together, and raise my baby as your own, with your last name." 

"A bastard never has been on a throne before." Jon said. 

"You are no bastard, Aegon Targaryen." 

XXX 
The final chapter will be up this week