Roshambo / Tormund Giantsbane

9. Distraction

Tormund was waggling his eyebrows at Salem from across the room, she stared down at her book trying to ignore him but Tormund was a hard man to ignore. 

' Gather round. Come here.' Jon requested. Salem got up she wasnt getting anything done anyways, not with Tormund staring at her. He was distracting, a handsome distraction she didnt need right now. WHy couldnt he get the hint? THe very blunt hints to leave her alone she didnt want to deal with another man that would let her down. 

"Tyrion and the dragon bitch?" Salem drawled, clearly unimpressed. 

'You think it's really Tyrion? It could be someone trying to lure you into a trap.' Sansa told jon 

"Read the last bit." Jon requested.

"All dwarves are bastards in their father's eyes." Salem read. "What a cunt." She decided. "Fuck them. Fuck him you are king Snow!" 

"What does that mean?'' Tormund countered confused. "Some strange northern custom?" 

"Rich lord douchebag custom to make others feel less than." Salem agreed. 

"Ahh, yes I know that custom." Tormund agreed. 

''It's something he said to me the first night we met. You two know him better than any of us. What do you think?' Jon questioned.

'Tyrion's not like the other Lannisters. He was always kind to me, but it's too great a risk.' Sansa admitted.

"Salem?" Jon questioned 

"I didnt care for the fucker." Salem admitted bluntly. "Keep reading..." she commanded clearing her throat. "The Seven Kingdoms will bleed as long as Cersei sits on the Iron Throne. Join us. Together, we can end her tyranny..." Salem looked up at Jon. "This is the woman that wants to take my- sorry our crown? Fuck no." Tormund laughed out. 

"Is it your crown Salem?" Tormund questioned. 

"Better me than Cersei." Salem agreed tossing her hair over her shoulder. 

'Of course, the casual mention of a Dothraki horde, a legion of Unsullied, and three dragons... a bit less charming.' Davos remarked. 'But Fire kills wights, you told me. What breathes fire?'  Davos countered.

'You're not suggesting Jon meet with her?' Sansa spat. 

'If the Army of the Dead makes it past the Wall, do we have enough men to fight them? If the Mad King's daughter takes the Iron Throne, she'll destroy the realm as we know it. Some of you are bannermen of House Tyrell. " Jon remarked.

"But House Tyrell is in open rebellion against the crown. With their help, the Mad King's daughter has ferried an army of savages to our shores... mindless Unsullied soldiers who will destroy your castles and your holdfasts, Dothraki heathens who will burn your villages to the ground, rape and enslave your women, and butcher your children without a second thought.' Tormund declared.

"Sounds like you wildings." Salem remarked. "You would get along great with her."

"Sorry love, already declared for my queen." Tormund corrected. 

"Who's that?" Salem pondered. 

"You gorgeous." Tormund answered. "my queen." he purred.  Okay that was enough to make any woman wet. Salem stared back at him and it was like he could sense it, a smile curved victoriously across his face. Flustered salem turned around looking out over the balcony. 

+

'A raven, my king, from the Citadel.'

'This message was sent to me by Samwell Tarly. He was my brother at the Night's Watch, a man I trust as much as anyone in this world. He's discovered proof that Dragonstone sits on a mountain of dragon glass.' Jon exclaimed reading it out loud. There was a murmured excitement. 'I received this a few days ago from Dragonstone. It was sent to me by Tyrion Lannister.' Jon went on 'He is now Hand of the Queen to Daenerys Targaryen. She intends to take the Iron Throne from Cersei Lannister. She has a powerful army at her back and, if this message is to be believed, three dragons.'"

"You want to get out of here?" Tormund questioned. 

"You havent left yet?" Salem countered. 

"I know you like me," Tormund countered. 

"What gave you that idea?" Salem sassed. Tormund opened his mouth to answer but Salem rose a hand silencing him. "never mind, I just remembered, I dont care and you are wrong." Tormund chuckled, he was starting to notice her tells, they were slight but he noticed the way her eyes shifted to the side up and to the right or down and to the left when she was lying or flustered. Her eyes, her beautiful blue eyes were her only give away of what was going on in that gorgeous head of hers. 

'Lord Tyrion has invited me to Dragonstone to meet with Daenerys. And I'm going to accept.' Jon told them and there was an out rage from his people.

'Accept?!'

Jon expected some thing from Salem but she remained quiet. Her eyes fixed on the ground, her feet twisting in the snow. Maybe it was tormund getting into her head, maybe it was the baby coming sooner than she liked, maybe it was that this war was coming weather they were ready or not but Salem knew she had to think, had to really think. 

'We need this dragon glass, my lords! We know that dragon glass can destroy both white walkers and their army. We need to mine it and turn it into weapon. But more importantly, we need allies! The Night King's army grows larger by the day. We can't defeat them on our own. We don't have the numbers. Daenerys has her own army and she has dragon fire. I need to try and persuade her to fight with us. Ser Davos and I will ride for White Harbor tomorrow, then sail for Dragonstone.' Jon told them

"Jon!" Sansa demanded "Have you forgotten what happened to our uncle and grandfather?' Sansa sassed. 'The Mad King invited him to King's Landing –'

'and roasted him alive!' Davos agreed.

'- I know that. She is here to reclaim the Iron Throne and the Seven Kingdoms. The North is one of those seven kingdoms.' Jon told her.

'This isn't an invitation; it's a trap.' Tormund declared. Tormund looked to Salem expecting some sassy comment as well but she ran a hand over her stomach silently. 

''It could be a trap, but I don't believe Tyrion would do that." Jon remarked he looked to Salem but still couldnt look at him. She was never one to hold her tongue. 

" I remember the Mad King all too well. A Targaryen cannot be trusted.''

''- Nor can a Lannister.'''

''Yeah!''

''Aye!'' the people agreed, salem did a walk about the group, Jon's eyes followed her as he tried to settle them. 

"We called your brother king. And then he rode south and lost his kingdom. Winter is here, Your Grace. We need the King in the North in the North. The queen in the north!" 

'Aye!' they agreed and started pounding their fists on the table.

''You all crowned me your king. I never wanted it. I never asked for it. But I accepted it because the North is my home. It's part of me, and I will never stop fighting for it, no matter the odds. But Salem and I... we have to think about the facts here, as your king and queen its our duty to tell you-" Jon began. 

"The odds are against us." Salem agreed. Eyes shifted to her. "We will lose right now but if Jon is right, then we need this bitches dragonglass."

"None of you have seen the Army of the Dead. None of you. We can never hope to defeat them alone. We need allies, powerful allies. I know it's a risk. But I have to take it.' Jon told them confidently.

''Then send an emissary. Don't go yourself.''

''Daenerys is a queen. Only a king or queen can convince her to help us. I won't let it be Salem. So it has to be me.' Jon told them.

"It does have to be you." Salem agreed. "She wouldnt listen to me." she admitted. "She wouldnt see my power as true power, she would act tough but you... you have a cock and a better chance of convincing her. But I would have a better chance of killing her." Salem countered. "She would never see it coming."