Fatebringer | Viserys Targaryen

Chapter 32

They had their work cut out for them.

Ysira had a feeling that their bit of fun in the Small Council chambers was the last time they were going to be able to enjoy each other in awhile. The next morning, a massive wave of work washed over the lot of them, to the point that Ysira wondered if, after all this time, she was finally at a point where she might drown.

First, organizing the mining of Dragonstone had no reason to be as difficult as it was. There were too many questions about who was going, what they'd be doing, and how they'd be doing it. Were it not for Gendry, who had a better idea of how the process should be laid out for their miners and blacksmiths, Ysira probably would have ripped out a chunk of her hair.

(Viserys later teased that he was surprised she'd only just reached this point. How was it that in the years of dealing with him, she'd never wanted to rip her hair out? Ysira retorted that before he became tolerable, she'd wanted to do more than rip her hair out. Gouging out her eyes had been the big picture in her mind on the days he made her upset. That shut him up quickly, but also made him smirk and kiss her on the cheek repeatedly until she was finally calm.)

Once she'd made sure their ships were sent out with the appropriate miners, blacksmiths, and captains to supervise, she'd had to move on to sending ravens to the liege lords and other influential houses regarding the mobilization of their armies. Stannis had given her a list of his recommendations, which meant she had to first try to understand them before relaying them to their lords.

She set up a chair and desk herself beside the Iron Throne to allow her to listen in on Viserys's audiences with the miles-long line of people who had come to speak to him. Some only wanted to congratulate him, others believed him filled with magic and wanted his blessing, and a handful had complaints they probably should have scheduled an entire hour for.

She chimed in ever so often, but mainly stuck to her letters, the pile growing rapidly. Stannis recommended that only the Riverlands men and Knights of the Vale march up from their keeps– they didn't have time to wait for the others. The Ironborn, the men of the Westerlands, the Dornish, the Reachmen, and the men of the Stormlands would all be arriving by ship.

Most of them had their own fleets, and those who didn't would be carried along by their closest neighbor. Olenna Tyrell had secured them the Redwyne Fleet at long last, and Robb had offered for his smaller Northern Fleet to ferry some men from the Crownlands if they arrived there for pick-up.

Those on the western side of the country– the Reachmen, Ironborn, and the fighters of the Westerlands– would sail all the way to Deepwood Motte, as their large encampments would cover most of the Wolfswood and barren land stretching from Winterfell towards Hornwood and the Dreadfort.

Those on the eastern side of the country– the men of the Stormlands, the men of the Crownlands, and the Dornish– would sail through the Narrow Sea to White Harbor and hopefully be barely ahead of the marching armies of the Riverlands and the Vale.

At present, they expected their battle to take place at the Wall. Stannis had said that while the western side could have sailed up to Shadow Tower and the eastern side to Eastwatch-by-the-Sea, he hadn't thought it a good idea. It was better they dock closer to Winterfell, to give them time to adapt to the terrain and allow them all to march up as a unit. It would be better to make their battle plan at Winterfell than to try to coordinate with people spread throughout the Wall.

Ysira agreed. It was better they not divide up until they already had an understanding and knew where to spread out rather than to do it prematurely and find the Night King several steps ahead. Stannis had also recommended that they prepare a force– perhaps the same ones who would be going to fetch a wight– targeting the Night King specifically.