Life After Death

Tormund

MEEREN

Tormund was smiling weirdly at Brienne. She was still embarrassed by his affection towards her. Jon sent everyone out of the room. He lost his patience. He asked Samwell to not tell anyone ... he begged him, and yet he told one of the Red Priestess. He understood he may need some help in his research, but ... that was what he afraid of. Daenerys did not even heal yet, and another trauma was there. When Jon saw at the corner of his eyes, that Sam almost walked out with Gilly, he stopped him.
"I've asked you to not tell anyone."
"I did not." Sam indicated Gilly to leave with his eyes and turned to Jon. "She figured it out somehow. I did not tell her. But... she has to know. Daenerys has to know this."
"I wanted to decide when she is ready to find this out." he raised his voice. 
"There is no good time to get to know these things." Sam shook his head. "No matter how hard she is... or how many days passed." he lowered his head, "Lilyanna told something else too. She told me... maybe she doesn't have to die."
"Maybe?" Jon raised his eyes at Sam. "You are talking about my daughter. Do you understand that at all?" 
"I do." Sam almost stammered. "I ... do everything to help her, to find another way, but you have to be prepared what is there is no other way. Maybe she doesn't need to die, to save the living and all the world, maybe her blood is enough, but I did not figure out yet, what does that mean." Sam tried to explain.
"You still don't understand." Jon's eyes were on fire and he took a step towards Sam "She is my daughter. She won't be sacrificed even for the living, not for the world. I will protect her at all costs." 
"What if..." Sam tried to continue but Jon hit the table. 
"Enough. There are no ifs. I lost a child. Recently if you may forget. I won't sacrifice my only daughter. Not now, not ever." he hissed and stormed out from the room. He was mad and uptight. He couldn't believe they were talking about that thing. That was not a possibility. He meant it when he said... if he has to stop or kill Bran or the Night King, again and again, to keep the peace, if he has to fight against them in all his life, he will do it, but he won't sacrifice his daughter for a higher purpose. He always put the others first, he always acted in the interest of people, but this time it was different. Missandei was his daughter. He would never give up on her. 

Dany entered into her daughter's room. She needed to see her, hug her. Hold her close. 
"Leave." she looked to Nesera. "Now" she was clearly concerned. 
"She just falls asleep." she stated quietly. 
"Thank you." Dany tried to be patient, Nesera walked towards the door, but before she could leave Dany turned to her. "Do you know about it too?" she asked her.
"Know about what, your Grace?" Nesera frowned. 
"Ahm... "Dany hesitated "Nevermind." She turned her back at her and walked to the cradle. Nesera opened the door and she literally ran into Jon. 
"My Lord." she bowed with her head and walked passed by him. She felt the tension between them at the moment he entered the room. She saw in his face something is not okay. She glanced back above her shoulder but she only saw how Jon closed the door. Dany's heart was beating so heavily. She took a deep breath and turned to him. Staring at his face, while she was fighting with her feelings. With her tears, but she remained in silence. Jon opened his mouth but then he decided to stay in silence. She has every right to be mad at him, even if he just wanted to spare her. 
"So?" Dany finally said a word. Literally a word and she was still scanning his face. "What is the plan?" she continued after a huge swallow. 
"What?" Jon was confused. 
"I don't know since when you know about it, but longer than me. So ... I assume you were thinking about a plan. A plan to save our daughter." her voice was trembling. "You don't want to sacrifice her, do you?" Dany was standing right in front of the cradle. Protectively. She knew him. She knew his heart. She knew how many things he sacrificed for the people already. Even her. When he thought she meant danger for the humans... he sacrificed her too. He always wanted to serve the greater good, but if she has to protect her daughter at the cost of her life, she would do it. 
"I would never let anyone hurt her. You know that." Jon answered calmly. Dany nodded and he started to walk closer to her. 
"I appreciate you want to spare me, but you don't have to. I have a right to know if my daughter is in danger."
"I did not want to make you feel ... " Jon was searching for the right words.
"Cursed? Cuz I am. I've just lost a child, and now you wanna tell me, I have to sacrifice my other child to save humans? I won't." she shook her head, and she was so strong, determined. A fighter. A warrior. 
"Nobody expects this from you. Especially not me." Jon answered.
"And the others?" Dany sighed. 
"They know we would never..." Jon started, but Dany did not let him finish.
"They know. Right. But can we trust them they won't do it either?" she clasped her fingers in front of her body and raised her eyebrow. 
"What do you mean?" Jon frowned. 
"What do you think, who will Samwell choose when he has to choose? His family or your daughter? And Brienne when it is about to save your sisters? Or even your sisters? Do you think they also spare our child's life when death is coming for all of us?" 
"We have to trust the people around us. They are our allies, our... friends. Some of them are ... our family." 
"Yours, not mine. I only have her. And you. And I won't give up either of you. Never." Dany added and turned to the cradle. 
"Neither do I." Jon stepped closer and hugged her from behind. "We'll find a way. I promise" 

"What?" Nesera was close to crying. Yara told her what the Queen commanded. She told her she has to leave soon. She has to go to war. "No." Nesera shook her head.
"We knew this time will come." Yara walked closer to her and took her hands.
"Tell her to send someone else."
"You know it does not work in that way." Yara shook her head. "But you'll be there too, I am sure the Queen counts your help in Westeros too. So this is not the end." she tried to smile.
"What if..." the words stuck on her throat.
"They can't kill me that easily." she leaned closer and touched her lips with her's. "Let's just enjoy the time, what we have," she whispered to her mouth, and kissed her so passionately and wild. 

"So you were with my brother all the time long when he was exiled to the Wall," Arya asked Tormund. She saw Gendry and Lilyanna talking in the corridor and she kept touching him, and Arya just couldn't watch it. She needed to avoid her attention and she spotted Tormund alone. He just discovered the Pyramid. 
"Beyond the wall."
"What?" Arya frowned.
"He never stayed at the Wall. He left. With us. With the wildings. He wanted to start a new life but he couldn't. He is an idiot. A very honest and reputable idiot." Tormund stated. "But now it seems he found his ultimate goal next to her. If his family let him down." he was an honest man too, and he doesn't want to hide his opinion. 
"We did not let him down. We did not want to send him at the Wall, exiled but he have no other choice. They expected us to punish him, for ... what he did." Arya frowned. She did not like Tormund's opinion. 
"That is the problem with you... southern people. You always care about the opinions of others first." he shook his head. "After all, you did the best with him. He found the woman who he loves again. Your all-seeing brother didn't see that huh?" Tormund laughed.
"None of us see this coming. We thought she is dead." 
"She was. She was dead, and your brother killed her. You did not see Jon, you were not there. Neither of you. He was suffering. Punished himself. He wanted to end his life. Many times. He couldn't even sleep for months. You ... all of you expected him to do the right thing, but that was the right thing? Persuading him to kill the one who he loves? He was in love once. I saw that too. It was a wilding girl, but he never looked at her in the way he looks to this woman." Tormund explained. "And you, his family not even noticed it? No, because you were too stubborn and selfish to care about him. His feelings. You were just worried about yourself. Especially your sister." he was staring at Arya's face. She did not answer anything. He was right in a way, they saw Daenerys as a southern conqueror who wants to take away the North from them. Even after she sacrificed many things to save them. Arya knew... she had a great part in Jon's final decision. She would have done it if Jon did not. That day, that was the right choice... but maybe before that, they could've changed it. Especially Bran. It was still hard to believe ... her brother, their brother... stands behind everything. He easily could stop the events. Warn them, but he did not do anything, just waited because he wanted nothing else, just the crown. The Seven... Six Kingdoms. 
"Tormund!" Gendry disrupted them. He was happy to see Tormund alive. They did not meet since he left Winterfell after the battle. He became the Lord of Stormslands, and ... he did not really want to go back to the North after that. 
"Oh, the Lord" Tormund patted his back. "Your face is still bleak but there is hope." He joked with him. Gendry laughed then his eyes met with Arya's eyes. He was still in love with her. Lilyanna is just... someone who he used to forget Arya, but he was not sure he'll ever be able to forget her. She had already fascinated him when she was just a little girl. Not as a woman of course, but her strength, and courage, her big mouth. He smiled at her at that moment, and she almost smiled back. Almost. She turned her head away.
"I go and find Brienne. I am sure she still has many questions," she stated and left them without any more words. Gendry followed her with his eyes.
"Another idiot in love. This place has such a bad effect on you?" Tormund rolled his eyes.
"You speak? "Gendry raised his eyebrow. "I saw how you were looking at Ser Brienne"
"Once she'll give me wonderful children. Huge children. Just like their father."
"And does she knows about it?" Gendry laughed a bit. 
"Faith." Tormund placed his arms around his shoulder "Faith brought us together again, in a horrible place, but we won't stay long, and then ... believe me, this time she can't resist."
"I'm rooting for ya" Gendry was still laughing. 
"And what about you and that fierce Stark girl?" Tormund wanted to change the topic. 
"It is a long story." Gendry took a deep breath.
"Are there any drinkable thing here? Wine? Beer? Anything?"
"You'll be surprised but they have the best beer in the world." Gendry smiled. And they left towards the dining hall. Arya stepped out behind the column. She wanted to hear his words even if it was not right. 
"Now you are spying on him? How adorable." Lilyanna shook her head and rolled her eyes. 
"What do you want?" Arya frowned.
"Just good advice. Tell him." she smiled. 
"I don't need your advice." 
"Oh, you definitely do. You already screwed up very hard, but that bastard is still in love with you, you think I don't know? It just depends on you and your ridiculous fears." she shook her head, and walked away.