Secret Flames (Sandor Clegane)

Chapter 32

"I have been told you once knew my brother?" Jon asked the day after there arrival as they say to break their morning fast.

"Aha... yes," Tallulah blushed slightly as she looked down the long table towards Sandor. "We were... close... for a time. His mother wasn't a big fan of mine though."

"She wasn't a fan of many... may she rest in peace."

"Yes, at least her fight is over. I also knew you sisters, Arya and Sansa. You Starks are good people."

"I am not a Stark, just a bastard."

"And I was just the daughter if a whore last week. The north have declared you their King and now you plan to fight against the dead for them. Sounds like something a brave and good man would do, what a Starm would do."

"So you believe us?"

"Yes, Jon. I believe."

Their moment together was quickly put to an end when Daenerys came storming through the fall with her small council following behind.

"They think me weak and and foolish. All my allies are gone. Taken from me whilst I sit on this island."

"What is going on?" Tallulah turned to Tyrion who gave her a grave look.

"Did you not hear me, must I repeat myself. Gone, dead, all of them, all our allies!"

Daenerys spoke without little thought to the northern men that still sat at her table silently.

"You still have the largest army and dragons," Tallulah tried to reassure.

"Which will all strave to death to death because his sister has taken all the food from the Reach!" Daenarys spat with a venomous look toward Tyrion.

"We still have our ships. Have greyworm take them and then Dothraki to Kings Landing to circle the city. We have a plan, we still have a plan." Tyrion insisted.

"A plan? A PLAN! Your PLAN has lost us Dorne, the Iron Islands and the Reach. Enough with the clever plans, I have three large dragons and I am going to fly them to the Red Keep."

"Weve discussed this," Tyrion warned.

"Please, my grace... my Queen. Listen to him." Tallulah added and jumped from her seat.

"My enemies are in the Red Keep, what kind of Queen am I if I am not willing to risk my life to fight them."

"A smart one," tyrion threw back.

"The people that follow you know that you made something impossible happen. Maybe that helps them believe that you can make other impossible things happen. Build a world that's different from the shit one they've always known. But if you use your dragons to melt castle and burn cities, you're not different. Your just more of the same." Jon stood up next to Tallulah and spoke.

Daenerys stared at him fir a moment, before quickly turning the other way and storming out of the hall. Tallulah was ready to run after her when Sandor spoke from the table.

"It won't do you no good."

"And the innocent people in the Red Keep, of wherever she plans to fly those dragons, what will it do them?!" She snarled back before quickly leaving to chase after Daenarys.

Once they had all left the room, Jom retook his seat but felt the wood in the bench bend slightly as another took a seat next to him.

"Varys, shouldn't you be following the rest of them," Jon scoffed.

"Perhaps, but first I have far more important business with you. You see Jon Snow, I do believe your little tale of the dead and from that speech just then I can tell you are as good a man as Ned was."

"Much use it will do me if no one joins the fight."

"Then perhaps you should take a page from our sweet Tallulahs book. In order to win this battle with the dead and serve the seven kingdoms as we all should, perhaps you will need to learn a lesson your father took the hard way. Plead your loyalty to one dragon, but truly follow another. Whether you like it or not Jon Snow, you are in the Game of Thrones, and as Cersi once said, you either win or you die. I wonder where your journey will take you."

With that Varys stepped back from the bench and quickly shuffled from the hall, leaving behind the scent of powder and lavender.

It was later found out that Daenerys and her dragons had indeed left Dragon Stone. Jon, Davos and Sandor had found Tallulah on the bleak sandy beaches, staring out at the ocean with a numb expression.

"You did all you could," Sandor spoke first as they approached her kneeling in the sand.

Slowly, Tallulah pulled herself up to her feet and turned around to face the men. Her hair was blowing wildly in the wind and her face was stained with tears. "What is the point in any of this, in all of our pain for the kingdoms if she then burns them to the ground. What happens if it is all for nothing."

"We keep fighting. We don't give up." Davos tried to smile.

"We're leaving now. Come with us, come back to the north with me. Get way from this place, from that crazy bitch," Sandor almost begged as he stepped forward to take her hands, causing a look between Davos and Jon.

"You're leaving, already? You just got here. Please, wait, I can work with Daenerys, make her believe the truth. I just need some more time."

Tallulahs hands dropped from Sandors as she stepped over to Jon. "You won't win this war without her. Not without those dragons."

"I know a lost cause when I see one. I've been looking at them all my life. We're heading back North, we need to head north of the wall, perhaps get some evidence to show Cersi when we travel south and try to get help from there."

"Come with us," Sandor repeated.

"I can't," she sighed and turned back to face him.

Slowly, a burning hot tear dropped down her cheek. Sandor watched it roll over her skin and then gently wipe it away with his thumb. "If I leave her, your only shot of getting Daenerys to help is gone. I have my men here too, we can't just jump on some.ship and sail away. No, I'll remain here. I'll speak with her, I'll make her see."

"I just got you back," he whispered and pressed his forehead against hers.

"Almost," she sighed.