The Shadow Queen of Tywin Lannister

CXXXII. Visenya's Arrival

Winterfell, The North – A few days after Tywin's arrival

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Tension existed all day and night in the dark winter castle that was the home of the Starks as many houses had to share a roof, despite the bad blood existing between them. Everyone tried their best to avoid one another and that helped as long as they did not have war meetings.

The reason they didn't so far, was simply the fact that Visenya had yet to arrive with the rest of the reinforcements. The days were passing and the worry in the Lions was only increasing, as there was no news of her or her progress.

At long last, in the middle of the day; a scout rushed to report of an upcoming Westerosi army approaching. The exact number of soldiers could not be given but it was a big number, big enough to scare the Northern Scout.

The only one that never panicked was Brann, who had used his warging abilities to see through the eyes of a raven. He saw the banners and the people leading the army, recognising them all; especially a certain Dragon, whose story he had deeply explored when he was going through the past.

After he had reassured them, many had started to gather at the walls and the wooden bridges; curious to see their latest guests. From the few that moved to stand at the wall for a better view, where the Lion pride.

They were not the only ones as somewhere along the same wall, Daenerys with her two trusted knights and Tyrion stood; curious to see what was going on.

They narrowed their eyes as the first banners could be seen in the distance, as the army moved at a steady pace. There were the familiar signs of the Tyrell Rose and even the speared sun of the Martells.

There were, amongst them, banners of smaller houses that some could be recognised and some could not.

Like the banner of a Green dragon biting its tail on a field of gold, the sigil of House Toland from Dorne or the banner of a black vulture with a pink infant in its claws on a field of yellow; the sigil for House Blackmont of Dorne.

"Are those...Dornish Houses?" Trystan asked, eyebrows shooting up in surprise at seeing them among the crowd; if not making up the majority of the incoming army.

He had been educated in pretty much all the Houses and he remembered all of them, or at least he liked to believe. Considering the vast lands of Dorne or North and the multiple Houses, he sometimes had trouble remembering them all.

Especially since until the wedding of Myrcella, Dorne was not really a big part of Westeros and the chances of someone encountering any of their houses; were very minimal. Of course, that was unless someone had chosen to visit Dorne itself.

"Yeah..." Jaime confirmed, his attention caught on a particular banner depicting a black and white swan. "Wait...I know that banner..." he mumbled, but it was his uncle that continued for him.

"House Swann of the Stormlands" Kevan said a small smirk upon his lips as he saw a few other familiar banners. Like the sigil of a white great-horned owl on a field of grey or the ten black pellets on a field of scarlet. "I see also House Mertyn and House Cole" he continued, proud that his memory of the houses was still quite sharp. Although in his defence, he had fought side by side with men from those Houses and he remembered. "Looks like Visenya managed to bring them into this game as well" he glanced at his brother.

Tywin had his hands behind his back, looking ahead as more and more men were becoming visible and kept covering the ground; coming closer to the castle. His eyes went to all the banners, recognising every single one of them; including the Dornish ones.