B L O O M

The Emissary

Jon stood at the high table with Robb, Sansa, and Davos by his side. Rose sat among the ranks of the northerners, next to Brienne and Podric while Jon addressed the assembled lords and ladies. His eyes scanning across the hall.

"I want every northern maester to scour their records for any mention of dragonglass. Dragonglass kills white walkers. It's more valuable to us now than gold. We need to find it, we need to mine it, we need to make weapons from it. Everyone aged ten to sixty will drill daily with spears, pikes, bow and arrow." Rose smiled and nodded at Jon who glanced at her out of the corner of his eyes before he returned to continually sweeping the crowd with his onyx eyes.

"It's about time we taught these boys of summer how to fight." Lord Glover jested earning hearty laughs from all of the surrounding lords. Rose's eyes boring into him as they laughed at the lighthearted joke.

"Not just the boys." Rose's eyebrows raised in surprise before she turned to him in shock, Jon's words quieted the crowd. "We can't defend the North if only half the population is fighting."

Lord Glover seemed to take personal offense to that, standing up to glare at Jon in disbelief. Rose and Brienne glanced at each other before their eyes moved back to watch Jon with interest.

"You expect me to put a spear in my granddaughter's hand?" He practically spit out the words as if the very notion disgusted him, but Lady Lyanna was quick to stand to rebuddle his comment.

"I don't plan on knitting by the fire while men fight for me. I might be small, Lord Glover, and I might be a girl, but I am every bit as much a Northerner as you." She stood and stared at him, making Rose smirk at her ferocity. Lord Glover paled with instant regret because the small lady of Bear Island held nothing but challenge in her eyes making him instantly backtrack.

"Indeed you are, my lady. No one has questioned-"

"And I don't need your permission to defend the North." The feisty lady continued unhindered, Rose smiling at her as Lyanna turned from the offending lord to look at Jon. "We'll begin training every man, woman, boy, and girl on Bear Island."

Men pounded on their tables and shouted their agreement, even Lord Glover nodded at Lyanna before the two of them sat so Jon could continue. Lyanna glanced at the smirking Rose, nodding in respect making the Lannister's grin broaden.

"While we're preparing for attack, we need to shore up our defenses. The only thing standing between us and the Army of the Dead is the Wall ,and the Wall hasn't been properly manned in centuries. I'm not the king of the Free Folk." He looked at Tormund, making Tormund glance at Rose before rolling his eyes and turning to Jon. "But if we're going to survive this winter together..."

Tormund grunted and stood, placing his hands on the table as he leaned closer to the high table, not letting Jon continue as he stared at the newly elected King in the North.

"You want us to man the castles for you?" Men murmured at that question, the wildlings never wavered their eyes from Jon as they waited to hear his opinion on the matter. Th opinion that his men didn't seem to share.

"Last time we saw the Night King was at Hardhome. The closest castle to Hardhome is Eastwatch-by-the-Sea." Jon explained, Tormund chuckled. Nodding his head with a large smile, the deafening boom of his deep laugh echoed around the quiet hall.

"Then that's where I'll go. Looks like we're the Night's Watch now." He sat down, while his men laughed at his joke. Rose didn't miss the uneasy eyes of the northern lords at the thought of wildlings defending their homes and families.