The Age of Daenerys Targaryen

Part 17: The Small Council

Before Sansa left for King's Landing, she had to do a few things so that everything would be sorted out for the time of her absence. This had taken much longer than the Queen originally thought. When she finally set sail from White Harbor weeks late, she was surprised by a storm and her ship had to seek shelter and repair in Sisterton.

When they finally docked in King's Landing harbor, the Queen of the North was received by none other than Tyrion Lannister, the hand of the king. With him were Ser Podrick Payn and some gold cloaks.

"Your Grace", said the little man and bowed to her. "It's good to see you again. Your brother is already waiting for you."

"Tyrion, you don't have to be so formal with me", Sansa said. "Our marriage was never officially annulled."

"No?" The dwarf replied with a skeptical look. "It could be interpreted to mean that your marriage to Ramsay Bolton annulled our marriage."

"That was a farce", Sansa growled. She didn't like being reminded of her tormentor. "The Boltons just wanted to secure their power in the North. As for me, Ramsay was never my husband."

"And me?", asked Tyrion. Sansa hadn't married him willingly either. His father had arranged the marriage for the same reason as the Boltons.

The knights of the North, who accompanied Sansa as bodyguards, glared at the dwarf. It was evident that these men did not consider Tyrion to be their queen's rightful husband.

But Sansa smiled. "As I said before, you were the best. It's just that we rarely see each other because of our duties. Under more favorable circumstances ... who knows?"

Tyrion's heart beat faster. Should that mean ...? He called himself to order. There would still be time to talk about this later. So he asked the Queen of the North to follow him.

Sansa and Tyrion got into a waiting litter and let the porters transport them to the Red Keep. The city still bore the scars Daenerys' blind and ruthless pillage had left. It would be years before the last traces of the inferno were removed.

"That must never happen again", Sansa said quietly as she looked at a ruined block. Ever since she found out that the Dragon Queen had returned from the dead, she had been plagued by nightmares of Daenerys' black dragon burning Winterfell. The Queen of the North would do anything to make sure this never happened.

"It won't", replied the Hand of the King. "Not here, not in Winterfell or anywhere else in Westeros." Tyrion's optimism sounded compelled, however.

After a while they reached the castle. There, too, the damage was still clearly visible. The lower floors and parts of the throne room had been restored, but the reconstruction of the destroyed towers was only just beginning.

Sansa allowed Tyrion to lead her directly into the council chamber, while her entourage went to the rooms provided for them. The Small Council was already at the table.

Bran the Broken, King of the Andals, the Rhoynar, and the First Men, Lord of the Six Kingdoms and Protector of the Realm, sat in his wheelchair at the end of the table opposite the door. At the sides sat Grand Maester Samwell Tarly, Lord Davos Seaworth, Master of ships, Ser Brienne of Tarth, Lord Commander of the Kingsguard, Lord Bronn of the Blackwater, Master of coin, Lord Edmure Tully, Master of laws, Lord Yohn Royce, Master of war and Prince Manfrey Martell, Master of whisperers. Only the High Septon was missing. He was only interested in faith and not in politics - that was exactly why Bran had appointed him to this position.

When the Queen of the North entered the room, all but Bran stood up respectfully. Tyrion pointed to the chair opposite Bran and Sansa sat on it. Then everyone else sat down again. Tyrion sat on Sansa's right.