The Age of Daenerys Targaryen

Part 34: Lunch at Winterfell

"Your war is not going well, Sansa."

Sansa Stark, Queen of the North, grimaced. "My war?"

Jon Snow looked at his sister over his plate. "Yes, your war. The League of Free Cities was formed on your initiative, as was the alliance between the League, the North and the Six Kingdoms."

"All of this is just to stop Daenerys before she invades Westeros again", Sansa replied. "You should be aware of that."

Jon sighed. "But it wasn't Daenerys who started this war. First your League of Free Cities attacked Braavos, then yourself declared war on the Empire and presented Bran with a fait accompli because you learned that Daenerys had two new dragon chicks."

The two were having lunch in Sansas solar. Jon was visiting Winterfell because he wanted to see his sister again - he longed for his other sister, Arya, too, but she still hadn't returned from her sea voyage. Besides, he couldn't stand sitting on the Wall while his siblings and the woman he still loved were at war with each other.

"Damn it, Jon", Sansa groaned. "How often should I explain it? If we don't do anything now... "

"... Daenerys will come to us in a few years, with three or more dragons and the power of all of Essos behind her, I know", Jon finished her sentence. "But as I said, the war is not going well. You are well on your way to losing it. What do you want to do now? How are you going to stop Daenerys? The Faceless Men don't want to work for you, especially after the attack on Braavos, the chances of someone else getting at her are negligible. But Daenerys, for her part, can very well fall back on the Faceless Men, as she has proven. I hope you take her warning to heart."

In the letter that the murderer of Harlik Perk had left with the corpse, the Empress blatantly threatened that every time the Alliance carried out an attack on her or one of her followers, the Faceless Men would be used against the person responsible. Sansa, Bran, and the members of the Small Council were specifically included.

Sansa bit her lip. It looked like she had no choice but to bow to the Empress's threat. If you were lucky you could avoid a dragon attack, but nothing in the world could protect you from the Faceless Men.

"I have no choice", she said.

"Sansa", Jon said slowly. "Basically, Dany could have any of us killed by the Faceless Men at any time. But so far nothing of the kind has happened, and it has been more than three years since her resurrection - her first resurrection, I mean. Why should she forego it if she wants to kill us all anyway? A Westeros without a leader would be so much easier to conquer. Has it ever occurred to you that Dany might be ready to make peace with us if we just give this opportunity a chance?"

"I don't think so for a moment", Sansa replied angrily. Sighing, she took Jon's hand. "Gods, you're still in love with her, aren't you? Finally forget about Daenerys! Whatever happens, she will never forgive you. Should you ever meet her again... I'll do everything in my power to keep her out of Westeros. And from you. Listen to me. You're not safe up on the Wall and with the Wildlings. The agents of the Empire can get to you far too easily there. Stay here. I am the Queen of the North, I can nullify your oath to the Night's Watch. You were only sent there to appease Daenerys' followers, but that doesn't matter anymore. I could make you the new Lord of the Dreadforth."

Jon withdrew his hand. "What about Lord Harlik's heirs?"

"There is none. His entire family perished in the turmoil of the War of the Five Kings and the Invasion of the White Walkers. So the castle is free. You can have it and all of the lands belonging to it."

Jon shook his head. "You are really serious."

"Of course I'm serious!"

"If I accept your offer, I will become your vassal. That means I have to go to war against the mother of my children and the empire that my sons will one day inherit. I will not do that."

"Sooner or later you will have to choose a side. I'm sure you will do the right thing in the end, as you did before."

Jon shook his head. "No, Sansa. Not this time. I will not join your stupid war. If you really want to fight Dany to the last breath, you have to do it without me."

"It's about our family!", Sansa snapped angrily. "And the North! How can you refuse to fight for it now that it is threatened?"

"Threatened? Is that so? The war is raging thousands of miles from here, across the Narrow Sea. Should it ever reach Winterfell, then through your fault."

Before Sansa could reply, Jon had got up and turned towards the door.

"Where are you going, Jon?", his sister wanted to know.

"Back to the Wall", he replied gruffly. "I can at least do something useful there."

"Wait", Sansa tried to hold him back, but the Lord Commander of the Night's Watch had already slammed the door behind him.