Queen of the North and the Targaryen Bloodline

Chapter XII: Reunion at Winterfell

After a careful flight to avoid alarming the townsfolk, they land a little way from the fortress and continue on horseback toward it.

As they near Winterfell, Daenys, Cassandra, and Rickon are greeted by several lords and servants, including Cregan Stark himself. Upon greeting them, Cregan notices Daenys is wearing two necklaces, one of which he recognizes as the one he gave her on her 14th birthday. The other necklace also seems familiar to him, as the same one she wore on that day before receiving his gift.

Daenys dismounts, feeling a whirlwind of emotions seeing Cregan before her.

"Welcome back, siblings!" Cregan greets the two Starks accompanying the princess with a broad smile. "And I hope Winterfell is to your liking, little princess," he adds, a hint of sarcasm in his voice as he uses the title.

"I am enjoying it so far. The cold is refreshing," she replies, rolling her eyes slightly. "Too bad my dragon might not feel the same, don't you think, little wolf?" she finishes, her tone equally sharp, though both share a brief laugh.

"I missed you, little dragon," Cregan whispers into Daenys' ear as they embrace.

"I missed you too, little wolf," she responds quietly before they part. Cregan watches her with curiosity after noticing the two necklaces she's wearing.

"Daenys, you're wearing..."

"Oh, these necklaces? Yes, they're very special to me," she interrupts nervously.

"I remember this one. It was a gift I gave you on your 14th birthday. But... the other one also looks familiar," he remarks, a nostalgic smile on his face.

"Yes, it's the one I was wearing that day, before you gave me your gift," she explains, unconsciously touching both necklaces.

"Memories to treasure, then," he says.

"Exactly," she responds with a shy smile.

As they share this moment of reconnection through the necklaces, the tension lingers, especially with the recent knowledge of the marriage arrangement between Winterfell and the Crown.

"I received a letter from the King about a marriage arrangement between us," he says calmly.

"Oh, yes, about that... It's a long story," she replies, surprised by his calm reaction to the arrangement.

"It seems we have much to discuss. Come, let me take you inside. I'm eager to hear all about it," he says, raising an eyebrow.

The tension between Daenys and Cregan is palpable, especially considering their past and the new dynamic they are now forced to navigate.

As they enter the gates of Winterfell, a sense of impending fate fills the air.

Half an hour later

"So, that's everything I know," Daenys finishes, leaning back against the desk in the library.

"How could your father do this?" Cregan asks indignantly. "Does he know it was you who's been improving the lives of the people in King's Landing?" he asks, and she nods.

"We argued about it. I told him as much. And it's his fault my mother is dead," she murmurs, nervously fidgeting with the pendants of her necklaces.

"It doesn't matter what happens, Daenys. I'm by your side. I always have been, and I always will be," he says with determination, and she looks up, meeting his greenish-blue eyes.

"I know, Cregan. And... I trust you," she says, her voice soft, her Violet eyes filled with gratitude and vulnerability.

Cregan steps closer, their faces now just inches apart.