Life After Death

Offer

MEEREN

"She fell asleep," Jon told Sam and sat opposite to him at the desk. He placed his face into his hand. 
"How are you feeling?" Sam looked at him.
"I will be a father. Again." Jon chuckled. He was happy. From the bottom of his heart... only one thing disturbed his happiness. Her fears. 
"The most amazing role in the world." Sam smiled a bit. He missed his family. He just hoped everything is fine with them. He wanted to go home, but he knew Jon needs him, and he has to stay. Jon was always next to her when he needed him. He stood beside him. He saved him many times. He just can't leave him here, in need. 
"It is." Jon nodded and sighed.
"But...? There is a but. In her, and in you too." Sam frowned.
"I have not told you but... she almost died when she gave life to Missandei." Jon lowered his head. "It was not easy labor. And... she is afraid. She ... what does... her current condition. Can it make the labor harder? More unsafe? I mean..." Jon tried to draft his question, but he had his mind was racing. 
"I'll be here." Sam placed his hand to Jon's arm. "And I'll do everything to save her. I promise."
"That is not an answer" Jon shook his head.
"I cannot tell. I know you want me to say, it won't cause any problem, but no one knows. Gilly easily gave birth no matter how hard was her pregnancy. Her life was not in danger. Maybe it will be easier for Daenerys too. The second one. But ... I cannot be sure. No one can be sure. If she worries continously, and stress about things, that makes things harder." Sam tried to calm him, but he did not want to lie. 
"I can't lose her Sam." Jon's eyes filled with tears. 
"You won't. Trust me."

While they were talking in the room, they heard some noises from the corridor. Nesera and Lilyanna walking there and talking. Sam surprised when Jon stood up and went to the door. 
"Lady Nesera, Lady Lilyanna, if you have a minute," he asked them to get into the room. They looked at each other and wondered.
"Ser Davos told me, he took care of Missandei, this is why I..." Nesera started immediately.
"It is not about that," Jon answered, he looked very serious. He closed the door.  
"What can we do for you, Jon Snow?" Lilyanna asked him.
"Why are you here?" when Jon asked the question both women looked at each other. They did not understand it. Sam guessed, what he is willing to do, but that question surprised him too. 
"We promised to keep your daughter safe," Nesera answered without any hesitation. "The Lord gave us... this task. He made Lilyanna returned to her patch. Because of your daughter." 
"You wanna keep her save, or you wanna destroy the Three-Eyed Raven and save the world because it is not the same thing." Jon was glum. 
"I am afraid I don't understand." Nesera frowned.
"I do." Lilyanna stepped closer. "He wanna know that we could hurt his daughter. Or his unborn child, if our Lord wants us to do it." she was staring at Jon. Nesera was surprised. She had no idea why he asked this from them. 
"I... I think it is my fault." Sam stood up "I read some things, and those things were not clear. Your Lord can give life, but also take away lives. Through you. I found only one way, to defeat the Three-Eyed Raven, and it said ... the princess or prince that was promise need to be sacrificed to save the world. If my understandings were ... correct." Samwell explained.
"It seems you forget our Lord brought you and the Queen back to life. He was the one, who gave you a second chance for happiness." Nesera answered. She was clearly fidgety. 
"Why?" Jon asked them. "What was his reason?"
"To give birth to the one who can bring the dawn. I thought you understand that." Nesera frowned.
"How? To sacrifice my daughter when the time is right?" Jon frowned.
"I would never..."
"You did sacrifice children when your Lord ordered you. Is this your plan for my daughter too? Sacrifice her? When the time comes?" he stepped closer to them.
"Not every priestess is the same." Nesera swallowed.
"So you would not do it? If your Lord commands it?" Jon was so stern.
"She would." Lilyanna answered without any emotions.
"No." Nesera shook her head. "I... " she tried to breathe. Jon was staring at her, he was looking deep into her eyes. "I... would have done it. But... not anymore. Not with this child." Nesera's eyes burst into tears. "Missandei is a miracle. She really is. She has such a force in her, that we could never imagine. It is just a guess. We... we have no idea how to defeat the Three-Eyed Raven, it is not ... necessary to sacrifice your daughter." she tried to explain. "You misunderstood something. I am sure." she raised her eyes at Sam.
"I want to make one thing clear." Jon grabbed her arm. "If you trying to hurt her. Or Daenerys... I don't care who you are, or who is your Lord, I won't show you any mercy, and you'll die in pain." his eyes were so dark and he was kinda scary. 
"This is why I left them. Because they believe blindly." Lilyanna cut him. "The Lord is real, but... his teachings... sometimes are too cruel. I saw when they sacrificed children. Many times for the greater good and they were wrong. That never helped. If they wanna hurt her, I am on your side." she told to Jon.
"Missandei ... I know her almost since she was born. I was the one who took care of her when you had to left her behind." Nesera felt how he was squeezing her arm. "I would never be able to hurt her." 
"And Kinvara?" 
"She is our leader." Nesera lowered her head. "But... what if we all wrong?" it was clear something came to her mind. She looked down at her arm, where Jon's hand was. He slowly let her go. "Fire can take lives but... " She walked a bit away. "Fire can give life too. I mean... Daenerys ... you saw her how she was walking out of the fire. She cannot be harm by the flames."
"I won't risk my daughter's life," Jon answered immediately. 
"Before we cut each others throats. I ... try to learn more about it." Sam tried to calm them down. "I brought some books from the Red Temple, I continue my research."
"That is a good idea," Jon replied to Sam, but he kept his eyes on the Red Priestesses. "Until then I don't want you to be alone with my daughter."
"You don't trust us," Lilyanna stated.
"Should I?" Jon made a face.
"We are not your enemy. Distrust causes trouble. Troubles cause doubts. You experienced it. You should learn how to trust people around you. Just as the Queen." Lilyanna was so straight. She was much more emotionless than Nesera. "And you" Lilyanna raised her eyes to Samwell "Learn how to read between the lines. You are a clever man, but you only see the facts. The world is much more complicated than that." 
"The facts speak for themselves. The facts are clear." Sam answered.
"The facts." Lilyanna smiled a bit. "Let's see. Daenerys killed thousands of innocent people. That is a fact. She burned them alive in King's Landing. You killed her." She looked at Jon. "Also a fact. Meanwhile, now we are here. Miraculously after everything that happened, you are here, to save her and your family. You love her more than ever. She had to die, and she had to reborn. No explanation for this. Everything has a reason. There are more things behind the facts, that you think. Learn to see things, that are not that easy to be seen."
"I don't understand." Jon shook his head. 
"You will. Sooner or later. You are a chosen one. Just like her. Just like your daughter. Maybe just like your unborn son. That is not a thing that you can change. Sooner or later we'll all understand, what the Lord wants from us. From you. And if he wants to sacrifice your daughter, we'll find another way." Lilyanna raised her eyebrow.

KING'S LANDING

"Do you want to go home?" Bran rolled closer to Quentin Martell. He got scared, he did not hear he is coming. 
"The King himself. If I want to be honest, I was not sure you are alive or not." he was sarcastic.
"You have doubts in me." there were no emotions on Bran's face. 
"What I see is ... you ordered all the empire to come here. To fight in your war. I see no war here. I doubt that is not some scam, to occupy our lands, while we are here." Quentin answered. 
"It would be not a bad idea," Bran answered. No one can tell, what he is really thinking. He was so cold and strange. "You were there in the council." he continued. "When they... including you chose me as your King. Now you wanna refuse your King's command. You know what it means."
"I was never afraid of Cersei Lannister. Neither from her father. Neither me or the other Martells. And I am not afraid of you, no matter how kind of abilities do you have. I will not follow a King, who fools us and create lies to keep us here." 
"Maybe you should have. Afraid of them. In that way, maybe your family still alive." Bran stated "But now only you are left, you should have learn from the mistakes, that your family made." 
"You wanna kill me?" Quentin was staring at him. 
"No. If you come to mind of course." Bran answered and there was a small smile on his face. "Daenerys Targaryen is alive, and she is planning a war against us. She wants to take revenge, and when she is back, I need your army."
"Dorne is far away from King's Landing. If she returns ..." Quentin wanted to answer.
"If she returns she'll burn everything to the ground, including Dorne." Bran raised his voice. A huge silence followed his sentence, then he rolled a bit further from him. Towards to the balcony. He looked around. "The city will never recover from her last attack. But... I see you need something in return to stay." Bran lowered his voice. He spotted Sansa and Tyrion in the garden. They were talking. "Maybe I can convince you, about my peaceful intentions." 
"What do you mean?" Quentin frowned.
"What if the southernmost and the northern kingdom unite?" Bran asked. 
"You think..." Quentin stepped closer.
"My sister is going to marry you. In that way, you'll be the King of Winterfell and the King of Dorne. I give Dorne freedom if you stay now, and fight for me in this war." he answered, and he kept his eyes on Sansa. 
"Why would she agree? The Northern Kingdom is independent, you cannot force her to marry me if she doesn't want to." Quentin shook his head. 
"Leave my sister to me. I can convince her. She knew we need you to win this war. She will agree." Bran replied and they were both staring Sansa and Tyrion. She raised her head, and she spotted her brother. She raised her hand to wave to him. 
"When Bran came out from his chamber?" she asked Tyrion quietly. Tyrion also raised his head, and he saw Quentin and Bran on the balcony. 
"I have a bad feeling about it," Tyrion answered.

"So, we have a deal?" Bran turned to Quentin. 
"Yes, My King." he bowed a bit, then he took a step backward and walked out of the room. Bran turned back and he smiled at Sansa. He raised his hand and waved to her. If he wants to be the ruler of the world, he needs to take actions, because it was clear by now, people around him are incompetent to help him to achieve his goal. King's Landing was only the first step, and after he defeats Daenerys Targaryen again, the world will open for him.