Gems for Spring - Re-write of Game of Thrones Season 8

Episode 5 - Queen of the Seven Kingdoms

Back in Winterfell, Starks and Targaryens had to plan very carefully how to play at Cersei's game now. 

They had five dragons, two of whom were fully grown: that was, in fact, on its own, the most powerful weapon of all, though they could not use it. Half of the Dothraki and the Unsullied had fallen in the battle against the dead and had been burned on the pyre.

Yara Greyjoy had taken back the Iron Islands, and she had a small fleet and a few men at her command to join the fight if needed. She was in much pain when she learned about Theon, but at the same time, from the words she had written, Daenerys could tell she was proud that her brother had died fighting.

From what they had gathered spying Tyrion, Cersei was huddling all the people in the surroundings of King's Landing inside the city's walls; the Golden Company would have stationed a big part of the soldiers inside the walls as well. Cersei had made it so that the only way for Daenerys to take the city was taking the fight inside it, this was clear now. Surely Cersei would not have waited in the Red Keep either, and she would have had a plan to escape quickly; therefore, attacking directly the Red Keep with the dragons would have led to nothing. The crossbow that Jamie had tried to use on the dragons had proven effective, so Cersei would have built more of those now. And in all of this, they could only hope Varys was the only one Cersei had designated to rip Daenerys apart killing all that she held dear.

After weeks spent in Winterfell restoring the army and planning the battle, Daenerys and Jon, Daenerys' advisors, the army of the Northmen, the Unsullied, the Dothraki, the dragons, all travelled South to end Cersei once and for all. Nobody had seen Arya since Sansa's coronation.

Grey Worm was leading the armies on the Kingsroad, while the others had sailed to Dragonstone with part of the Unsullied and the dragons.

Sansa sailed South as well. It was true, there had to always be a Stark in Winterfell, but beyond helping and sustaining Daenerys, she wanted to see King's Landing as a free woman, and Cersei as an equal: she wanted to overcome that pain, she wanted to see Cersei die, as she saw Ramsey. Lady Lyanna Mormont would have stayed in Winterfell for Sansa, until the end of the war.

They had gotten to Dragonstone undisturbed, which could only mean one thing: Cersei was really convinced she would have succeeded.

Dragonstone: In Tyrion's chambers

"Tell me why you decided not to kill Jon Snow in Winterfell. You seemed so sure you wanted to get on with it." said Tyrion to Varys.

"Daenerys had decided to wait in Winterfell before attacking King's Landing. We want her to be as angry as possible. She would have had time to calm down by now. We want her rage to escalate quickly. I would not want to displease your sister."

"I wouldn't either." Tyrion poured himself another cup of wine. It was his forth.

"Any news from her? Any new ideas for the battle?"

"No, we know everything she wanted us to know. What about you? You have been very quiet lately. Are you questioning your decisions?"

"It is a very delicate time, Tyrion. One mistake and they will find out. One mistake and we will be burned alive."

"It would be a shame after all these years. I have to admit that I am really annoyed. I have always thought my  intelligence was superior to everybody else's. Instead Cersei had planned this much better than what I would have. She knew that she would have lost a fight with the Dragon Queen, so she planned how to get rid of Daenerys Targaryen at the right time, in a way that would have been useful for us Lannisters."

"I was surprised you wanted to go along with this, considering what Cersei did to you, throughout your life. You are desperate for her approval. Being named Hand of the Queen by Daenerys Targaryen did not shake your being a Lannister. And you are back to your old habits as well" Varys hinted to the wine "Why?"