DISASTROUS ( Jon Snow )

42

it is better to have an enemy who will fight you in an open field than a lover who will kill you in your sleep.

-the rose society // marie lu

__________

There were not many things that were less entertaining than a meeting between all the Northern Lords. There were many complaints to be spoken and insults to be thrown, and it had grown tiresome. Amaris sat to Jon's left, her hand holding his tightly beneath the table.

Jon's hand tightened around hers. It almost hurt, but Amaris pursed her lips and squeezed back. He needed the grounding. She wished she could reach out and pull him to her, let him bare his fears. There was no time for that here, though.

Jon dropped Amaris' hand and stood, ready to announce his plan for Winter's beginning.

"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."

"It's about time we taught these boys of summer how to fight!" Lord Glover said, with a boisterous chuckle and snark radiating off him.

The surrounding lords chuckled.

Pursing her lips, Amaris glanced to Jon. While she agreed with the plan ( they had, after all, come up with it together ), she knew it was bound to stir up controversy with all the lords.

"Not just the boys," Jon said, discomfort clear in his voice. The room quieted and all eyes peered at Jon. The looks on the faces of the many lords ranged from confusion to disgust. "We can't defend the North if only half the population is fighting."

Amaris held her breath and looked around the room, gouging the lords' reactions. Lady Lyanna was grinning at her table, satisfaction spanned across her face.

"You expect me to put a spear in my granddaughter's hand?" Lord Glover called up, eyes narrowed.

"I don't plan on knitting by the fire while men fight for me," Lyanna retorted, evidently annoyed. "I might be small, Lord Glover, and I might be a girl, but I am every bit as much a Northerner as you."

The amount of respect a girl as young and small as Lyanna was able to draw was astounding. Amaris was, every day, astounded by the young girl and her spunk.

"Indeed, you are, my lady," Lord Glover said. "No one has questioned—"

"And I don't need your permission to defend the North," Lyanna said with a voice as loud and commanding as any man's. "We'll begin training every man, woman, boy, and girl on Bear Island."

Brienne was smiling at the young girl, approval radiating off her. In a moment like this, it was impossible to dislike the tall, blonde woman. From the corner of her eye, Amaris could see Sansa and Brienne exchanging smirks.