Chapter 47: A Pact of Thrones—

  I stood amid the Northern host in a wide, dlelit tent, the fp stirring in a cold breeze that sent shadows flickering across the vas walls. The slow breathing of a sleeping dragon could be heard ing from outside as I faced the lords with my raised high.

  My wrists were no longer bound, but every stern-eyed guard and gl lord around me reminded me that I was still very much a stranger in their midst—a dragon among wolves. It was amusing, knowing they could do shit not to me.

  Alone, I might have been in some danger. But with Viserion outside? I truly ehe bes that just the sheer preseny draght.

  In the ter of it all, Robb Stark gred at me from behind a rough-hewn war table. The King in the North looked as I remembered him from the TV Show, a wolf’s tension in his stahe harsh lines of ached into his face, even if he was still too young for that burden. His sword rested oable, uhed but set aside, an unsaid threat that this meeting could turn violent at any moment.

  To his right sat Catelyn Stark, her fingers ced tight before her, eyes flig between her son and me. Sansa sat on my left side, uneasy but resolute, as if her mere presence might shield me from the lords’ hostility. “You should sit beside your brother,” I leao her and whispered. “It’s not a good look on him in front of his lords.”

  “...Alright,” she nodded and stood up, walking around to sit in ay chair close to Robb. Everyoched her do that and turheir heads bae. Around the circle, a handful of grim-faced bannermen, Lord Bolton, Lord Umber, and others, observed in rigid silence.

  When everyone was sitting, and the silence began to grow unfortable, Robb spoke, voice tight, carrying the weight of a war behind it. “You cim to be Viserys Targaryen. I ’t find myself doubting you, for you’ve e here with a dragon.” His gaze flicked to Sansa briefly, then pinned me. “Why e here to the North? We hold no love for your family, not since your father burned my grandfather and uncle. Make no mistake, I am grateful that you’ve returned my sister home. But for what? You must want something.”

  I scoffed at the mention of my father’s sins. “Firstly, I make no defense of King Aerys’ atrocities,” I said evenly, letting my gaze sweep the gathered lords. “He wronged many, worse than mere words repair. The thing is, he wronged even his own children.”

  The lords exged gnces, and the older ones knew what I meant. I tinued, “He felt threatened by my brother, Rhaeger, suspeg him to overthrow him and take the realm for himself, which was a stupid wiven that Rhaeger was the heir. Indeed, he was mad. But I am not him. I’m no Mad King. And I’m not here to cim the North if that’s your fear.”

  He raised an eyebrow, skeptical. “You nd in my camp—uninvited—bearing the argaryen, wearing Rhaegar’s visage, and you talk of peace? Why?”

  “You’re a military genius, I’ll grant you that, but it seems you’re still a boy wet behind the ears when it es to politics,” I said, and in response, Lord Karstark shot up, sword at hand.

  “Watouth, Beggar King! You ot insult our King inside his camp!” he shouted, and I just smirked, eyeing him.

  “How loyal the northernmen are. I happen to pick up some gossip from the camp that Lady Catelyn here released Jamie Lannister, which resulted in the death of your soe that, you’re so loyal to him,” I said, and a silent fell oent. Robb ched his jaw while Catelyn lowered her head.

  They must be w how I’d heard such gossip when I was cuffed ihis tent. Their eyes naturally flicked to Sansa, but even she looked fused. She hadn’t heard about that yet. The truth was, I did indeed pick it up from gossip—my ears could hear more than a normal man. Not something like Marvel’s Daredevil, for example, but enough.

  Lord Karstark sat down, and I smiled. “I’m not here to insult you, Robb. While it’s true that our fathers had some bad blood, our aors didn’t. The previous King in the North was the only king to submit to Aegon without the need for eople call him the King Who K, but I'd call him the King Who Cared. He chose what was best for his people, even though he knew people might mock him for it. And guess what, his choice was right for three hundred years.”

  “...What are you getting at?”

  “I’m getting at the enemy in the south,” I replied, “ohat threatens us both. The Iron Throne is held by the Lannisters, perched on a shaky cim, with nht except ford fear. I e seeking allies to make that child-king kneel.”

  From the er, I felt Lord Bolton’s cold eyes on me. “And we’re to believe you’d do aer, Targaryen? We’ve not fotten the dragonfire of old.”

  I met that pale gre without fling. “You’ve not seen the dragonfire of old, Lord Bolton. Otherwise, you'd have taken the khe moment you saw my dragon.”

  “....”

  “What you saildfire, a failure of an alternative ton fire. Now imagihe real fmes, except they burn for your cause. We'll be allies, and we'll end this war real fast. Imagine a few months from now, with the realm united under one , when winter es but is salvaged by Tyrell’s harvest, and the North thrives as an ally?”

  “The Tyrells?”

  I smiled. “Dorne and the Reach are already in alliah me. What, you thought I didn’t have an army? The 50 thousand dornishmen, and 100 thousand rea are ready. The Martells and the Tyrells are ready to e to my aid when I think the time is right,” I yanked out two envelopes from my Iory and pced them before Robb. He took them, and a moment ter, his eyes widened. He passed it through the other lords.

  A hush fell as the northern lords realized I wasn’t here to beg but simply include them in an already grand war to e. Robb pressed his lips together, but Sansa ventured, voice trembling with vi, “He saved me, brother. He's going to be a far better king than Joffrey, trust me. All my lord here, even if you don’t trust a dy’s word, think about it.. is it not better to be friends with the world's sole dragon rider, than be enemies?”

  Robb’s expression softened a fra at her plea, then hardened once more as he scowled at me. “Say we overthrow the Lanogether. What bees of House Stark? Of the North? The North ed me King to break from Southern tyranny. Are we expected to kneel again?”

  I suppressed a faint smile at his bluntness. Good, a direct question. “I have no desire to the North,” I said calmly. “Stay King in the North if that’s your people’s will. Let them hail you as their sn, free from interference. Dorne has always been indepe, even if we do say seven kingdoms in our saying. You don't have to e under me. I'm not ied in the poor nds of the North. All I ask is your support for my rightful cim to the rest of the Seven Kingdoms. Let the south be mine—ahe north remain yours.”

  A quiet murmur rippled through the lords. Catelyn’s face flicked with both relief and arm as if the notion of separate thrones felt impossible to her. Sansa exhaled, eyes dartiween Robb and me.

  “...And you expect us to trust that once you sit on the Iron Throne, you won’t set your dragon upon us after all?” A moment ter, Robb demahough the anger in his voice had cooled to a suspicious wariness.

  Alright, maybe he's not dumb in politics. Just inexperienced. I ined my head, pg my hands ft oable in a show of dor. “I won’t deny our alliance will hinge on trust. But trust me, I realize how loyal the North is to House Stark. I've just seen that with my own eyes earlier,” I shot a g Lord Karstark. Then I let my eyes rest on Sansa briefly before looking back at Robb. “Plus, there are ways tthen our alliance. I shall not speak of it now, but we always sider it iure.”

  Sansa blinked, and color covered her cheeks as she lowered her head. I ignored her. I didn't have to approach House Stark with the marriage route, as I'd doh Tyrells. They'd help me regardless.

  As for what I said… part of it was a lie.

  The Targaryen in me wouldn't be satisfied unless I bring all the kingdoms to their knees.

  But yes, I wouldn’t attack them with Viseriht after we win. Because when the Night King would e, the Northern Lords would beg me to save them. There'd be lots of opportuo recim the North once I get the throne, and holy, I truly wasn't ied in g it now when it was right in the face of a zombie apocalypse

  For a moment, the tent was so silent that I could hear Viserion's distant snain, waiting outside. Robb seemed to weigh my words. Around him, the Northern lords shifted, unsure if they dared interrupt or speak.

  Finally, Robb looked over his lords. A silent version unfolded within their eyes as the lords nodded individually. Nobody, not even one, remained uain. Robb sighed and looked at his mother. She looked relut, her eyes full es, but she nodded as she looked at Sansa.

  She must be having a hard time agreeing to all this, giveo-be husband had died to my father. I sidered what the Mother Wolf must be feeling, while Rob made a decision.

  Robb turo me and nodded once, curtly. “As King in the North, I shall accept your alliance proposal, King Viserys.” His tone veyed finality as he stood up and reached out a hand.

  I allowed myself a measured smile. “I’m gd to hear that,” I stood, taking his hand and shaking it. “Let us talk terms, Wolf King, and carve a path forward without more needless bloodshed.”

  With that, the makeshift iation table stood ready for pnning war strategies.

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