The Northern Dragon

CH 26: DRACARYS (PART 1)

- Astapor -

Rhaenys watched a small metal plate on the desk, a roll of paper being swallowed by a flame inside of it. The fire spread across the white paper, scorching it black until it was nothing but ashes.

Inside her indigo-like orbs, the flame was reflected. It felt like a century had passed before she moved away from it and leaned back in her seat. "How bold of him."

The distance was long, so it had taken a while but the news from Winterfell had finally arrived. By the time the people sent by Lord Roose Bolton arrived at the ancient keep, the Ironborn were gone. They had torched Winterfell and murdered anyone they found. And Maester Luwin was between the dead.

Bran and Rickon were missing. Since no direwolves or Hodor's gigantic body had been found, there was a large chance that they might have managed to escape. There was no point in taking the wolves or Hodor along, after all, if Theon had wanted to keep the boys as hostages.

The others in the room did not see the anger they expected, only finding chilling calmness.

Rhaenys motioned to the rest of the letters that had been placed on the desk and looked at Aeron, "Anything on what the Boltons reported back to Robb?"

Aeron stepped forward, soon finding the right roll of paper before giving it to Rhaenys, "By the time the Boltons reached Winterfell, Theon and his men were gone. They searched the surrounding areas but found nothing."

Rhaenys tapped her fingers against the wooden surface of the desk, reading over each word, "Did they manage to find how long Theon had been gone before they arrived?"

"They did not state but... they should have left Winterfell half a day earlier or more." Aeron was unsure as he answered, "What does Your Grace suspect?"

"Not sure... Just something... Theon put all this effort to take Winterfell and prove himself to his father. He showed his 'might' as a Greyjoy and that he wasn't a Stark. I find it hard to believe he gave up Winterfell this easily without knowing for certain an army was marching his way."

Gabriel found it curious when she put it like that, "Maybe he thought he would not have been able to defend Winterfell if anyone was sent and left ahead of time?"

Rhaenys shook her head, "Theon is and has always been an arrogant fool. Winterfell is nearly impossible to penetrate even if there is only a small group of people guarding it. Theon knows that."

It had been years since he left, but Jorah was a Northerner through and through. The Boltons were people that most Houses in the North commonly disliked and Rhaenys's words had made him wonder. "The Boltons have never been people who could be easily trusted. They might be holding something back."

"I do seem to recall House Bolton and House Stark have had a number of conflicts throughout history. Could there still be some bad feelings between them that would prompt Lord Bolton to play certain tricks in the dark?" added Ser Barristan.

Aeron did not think so, "Since the beginning of this war, Lord Bolton and his men have loyally served King Robb. During meetings, Lord Bolton gave good advice and followed every order given to him. I do not believe he would lie about this."

More than in any of the other realms in the Seven Kingdoms, the Northern Houses possessed a form of undying loyalty that was so rare. Jorah had been gone for years and had seen most of the darkness of the world. Aeron, on the other hand, had just begun exploring the outside. He found it hard to think that anyone in the North would ever betray the Starks.

Rhaenys was unsure since she was much like Aeron in some aspects. She grew up in Winterfell and had seen the kind of people there. She didn't want to think it would happen either. Not when she was too far away to do anything anyways.