Dance Away My Broken Heart / Podrick Payne (2.3)

38. One War At A Time

"I forgot how chatty you are." Sandor remarked. Rieka laughed out.

"I forgot how grumbly you are." She countered.

"How do you put up with the constant chatter?" Sandor mused.

"I kiss her to shut her up." Podrick teased. Rieka smiled back at him.

"I should try that." Sandor agreed.

"No," podrick corrected sternly. Rieka smiled back at him.

"You remember winterfell Sandor?" Rieka questioned. 

"Aye, you had the little lord chasing after you then. Like a mother wolf you always have a lost little pup chasing after your skirts." Sandor nodded to Podrick. 

"I'm not wearing a skirt today." Rieka corrected. "That makes for an interesting ride, dont need to be giving dothraki a peep show, do we?"

"Certainly not." Podrick agreed. 

They arrived at Winterfell as united front Daenerys and Jon Snow riding side by side Jon wearing all black and Daenerys was an all white everyone stood tall and proudly for the king of the north and the queen.

"What do you think of her?" Rieka questioned. 

"Who?" Podrick countered. 

"You know who." Rieka countered. Podrick shrugged. 

"She is helping." Podrick reminded her. 

"I dont trust her." Sandor remarked. 

'The people don't seem so welcoming.' Danny remarked. She stared down pompously at the northerners that lined the pathway as her and her troops came up to the castle.

'I told you they don't take well to outsiders, but they will love you.' Jon assured.

Sandor wish rode in tall and large and arya noticed him she saw the man she left to die, alive and well and with her brother and the dragon queen. Arya was shocked to see him, but he didn't notice her. She looked to Rieka laughing beside him and podrick and confusion filled her. Why was Rieka with them? 

"YOu dont trust anyone." Podrick decided and Sandor nodded. 

"You trust me Sandor?" Rieka pondered. He thought on that. 

"I might, if I survive." Sandor offered. Rieka mirrored his nod. 

"Then you survive." Rieka agreed as if it was that simple.

'You should consider yourself lucky' Tyrion told Varys 'at least your balls cant freeze off.' Tyrion joked.

'You love telling unic jokes... why is that?' varys questioned.

'Because I have balls and you don't' Tyrion told him from inside the carriage.

"You are upset about Rieka and Podrick and you are making jokes to cover up the fact that you lost her." Varys corrected. 

"And whos fucking fault is it that I lost her?" Tyrion sassed. 

"You would be dead if it wasnt for me." Varys corrected. 

"Rather dead than seeing the woman I love move on." Tyrion grumbled. "I need a drink."

Bran sat front and center in front of Winterfell when Jon got there he hugged and kissed his head.

'Look at you he said you're a man' jon said looking at his brother. Sitting in a wheel chair. Immobilized from the fall. He looked for Arya but she was nowhere in sight.

'Almost,' bran told him. RIckon held tight to Jon. 

'Where is arya?' jon asked

'Lurking somewhere' Sansa told him, hugging him as well. "Where is RIeka?" Jon pointed a finger back and sansa heard Rieka laugh out. 

"RIE!" Rickon shouted pushing through the people and bumping into Daenerys she gave a tight smile. 

''This is queen Daenerys of house Targaryen this is my sister Sansa stark, lady of Winterfell in Rieka's absence.'' Jon remarked and Sansa hated that he added that in as if she couldnt be lady of winterfell without RIeka. 

''Thank you for inviting us the north is just as beautiful as your brother said you are' danny complimented stiffly.

''The north is yours your grace' sansa said bitterly. Rieka marched forward and gave Bran a hug, nudged Sansa along. 

"Yada yada, Daenerys welcome. Southern tits dont do well in the north, come on." Rieka declared bluntly. Rickon snorted a laugh.

"She said tits." RIckon chuckled.

"Rieka-" Jon began.

'We do not have time for this' bran told them 'the night king has your dragon he's one of them now the wall has fallen dead march south."

+

''As soon as we heard of the wall falling I called all our men back... when can we expect your people to arrive?'

''We need more horses and wagons if it pleases my lady and my Lord. And my queen' the boy, Ned Umber added looking from Sansa to Jon to Daenerys. Rieka's foot tapped anxiously on the ground they were already losing before the battle began. 

'We will give you as many as we can spare." Rieka agreed. 

''We need to send ravens to the night watch as well' Jon remarked.

'Your Grace... But you're not are you? You left Winterfell a king and came back a... I'm not sure what you are now a lord? Nothing at all?' Lyanna pondered, the lords and ladies bickering. While the rest of the troops, the soldiers, were eating and resting after a long journey from the capital to winterfell. Rieka looked to Jon, she was really liking this Lyanna girl. 

''That is not important' Jon told her

''Not important? We named you King in the north' Lyanna declared and she was just a girl but the men rallied behind her. Rieka pounded a fist on the table in agreement. Jon shot her a warning glare which she smirked back at.

''You did my lady it was the honor of my life and I will always be grateful for your faith but when I left Winterfell I told you we need to make allies or we will die. I have brought those allies home. I had a choice keep my crown or protect the north. I chose the north'' Jon told them.

'If anyone survived the war to come we will have Jon Snow to thank.' Tyrion told them moving around the long table. 'he risked his life to show us as a threat is real thanks to his courage we have brought with us the greatest army the world has ever seen we have brought two full grown dragons and soon the Lannister army will ride north to join our cause' he added and there was an uproar 'I know I know our people have not been friends in the past' tyrion reminded them as they shouted out, they were not ready to listen to a lannister. Not ready to follow a Targaryen.  'but we must fight together now or die.''

"Everyone shut the fuck up." RIeka demanded. "Please." She added. "I know Lannisters are not everyones favorite or Targaryens for that matter." She added. "But we work together, there is no other way. We work together and win this, we are the north. We brush off pain, broken bones, we get back and we keep going." Rieka demanded. "This is no different. We fight with every able body and when its done, they we deal with who's left." 

"Real motivating." Sandor called out. 

"Thank you, sandor!" Rieka pointed a finger at him. "Okay? So everyone stop bitching. We save our homes and then we bitch." 

"ALright." Lyanna agreed. 

"My girl." RIeka agreed sitting back down. 

''May I ask how we are supposed to feed all of these armies, the dathraki and the unsullied and two full grown dragons?' sansa questioned 'What do dragons eat anyways?"

''Whatever they want.' Danny told her smugly before walking off. "When this is over," Daenerys reminded Rieka grabbing her arm, Rieka stared down at Daenerys grip. "Your people march south and get me my crown." Rieka pulled her arm free. 

"One war at a time."