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Neither of those two had originally been ant to join the delegation.
Mag and Wangwang had co to Winterfell to deliver acorns and dried fruit in exchange for cloth and seasonings.
The mont they heard there was a chance to see dragons, both of them started making a fuss about coming along.
Jimmy figured giants were impressive enough to serve as part of the North's image, so he brought them.
What he had not expected was that Mag, strong as he was, would get seasick.
Mag couldn't make sense of it. Back when he'd sailed from the Frozen Shore to Sea Dragon Point, he had been perfectly fine. So why was this ship turning his stomach inside out?
…
Once they disembarked, they were t by a familiar face.
Varys, the Spider.
"Blegh~ Finally, solid ground," Mag groaned, stumbling onto the shore before steadying himself. "I hate ships."
Varys had been about to step forward in welco, but once he saw Mag and Wangwang looming to either side, he hesitated.
Jimmy greeted him first.
"Well, well. The Spider. You really do turn up everywhere. Why aren't you in King's Landing? What are you doing on Dragonstone?"
Varys glanced toward Tyrion.
"After Tyrion disappeared, I pledged myself to the Dragon Queen. And you, my lord? Whom do you serve?"
His eyes sharpened.
"You were the one who took Ned Stark out of King's Landing, weren't you?"
"Ned? I did more than save Ned. I got Robb out too. And Gendry, while I was at it. You know him, I assu. Robert's bastard."
Jimmy tilted his head.
"Though there is one thing I've never figured out. If I saved Ned, then where exactly did that headless Ned co from?"
Varys gave him a asured look.
"That," he said, "is a difficult question to answer."
The group made their way through the passage toward the Stone Drum.
For all Dragonstone's barrenness, Jimmy had to admit the place was unlike anything he had ever seen. The whole island seed carved into the shape of dragons. The causeways were dragon spines. The great halls, dragon bodies. The towers rose as dragon heads thrown proudly toward the sky.
…
A rush of wind swept overhead.
Three dragons crossed the sky above them.
Mag and Wangwang craned their necks back as far as they could, then waved cheerfully up at the beasts as though greeting curious birds.
The rest of the party was far less shaken than most people would have been.
After all, when Horus grew to full size, he dwarfed them.
And Jimmy, striding below, was broadcasting such an overwhelming presence that even the dragons seed uneasy.
Jimmy had killed Smaug. He had killed servants of the Drowned God. He had even slain a dragon-eater.
The three dragons above were still young, barely more than overgrown hatchlings in truth. Big enough to look fearso, but nowhere near fully grown.
All they felt was danger.
So even if Daenerys had wanted them to dive low and intimidate Jimmy's group, the dragons wanted no part of it.
Before long, they entered the Stone Drum.
Grey Worm and Missandei stood to either side. Varys now served as Hand.
Before them sat Daenerys Targaryen.
Missandei stepped forward and began the formal introduction.
"You stand before Daenerys Stormborn of House Targaryen, the Unburnt, Queen of ereen, the rightful heir to the Iron Throne, Protector of the Realm, Khaleesi of the Great Grass Sea, Breaker of Chains, and Mother of Dragons…"
Jimmy laughed.
A sharp, sudden laugh.
"Forgive ," he said, lifting a hand. "Please, go on. I just couldn't help myself."
Grey Worm's face hardened at once.
"Insolence."
He did not speak much, but if looks could kill, Jimmy would already have died several tis over.
Daenerys, seated on the black stone throne, raised a hand to stop him.
"And why," she asked coolly, "are you laughing, ser?"
"Because that's an awfully long list of titles," Jimmy said. "Seems hard to rember."
"Each one was earned," Daenerys replied. "Each one marks sothing I lived through and will never forget. I do not need to rember them, I know them."
Her gaze sharpened.
"Now, knight... State your purpose."
"Fair enough. In the spirit of courtesy, I suppose I should introduce our side as well.
This is Davos Seaworth, sworn shield of House Baratheon and guardian knight to Shireen Baratheon, daughter of Stannis Baratheon.
That one is the Hand of the King in the North, the sharpest mind in all Seven Kingdoms, Tyrion Lannister. I'm sure your Spider already has a full report on him.
As for , I am Jimmy Halstead, chosen king of the Free Folk north of the Wall, beyond the Frostfangs.
And now, I present him properly."
Jimmy cleared his throat dramatically.
"Jon Targaryen. Son of Prince Rhaegar and Lyanna Stark. Born at the Tower of Joy. Though I'm not entirely sure how I'm supposed to phrase that…"
He turned to Tyrion for help.
Tyrion rolled his eyes. Really? Now you ask?
"You bear the na Targaryen?" Daenerys rose from the obsidian throne and walked toward Jon. After circling him once, she shook her head.
"You look nothing like a Targaryen."
Jimmy shrugged.
"He doesn't want to hear that either. But that's exactly why he survived long enough to grow up. Much as I hate to say it, during Robert's reign, not only Targaryens but even the Blackfyres were hunted down and wiped out."
"I'll determine for myself whether your words are true."
Daenerys returned to the throne and sat again.
"Now. State your purpose."
"They can handle that part," Jimmy said at once. "I agree with whatever terms they work out. But if possible… would it be alright if I went to see your dragons?"
He looked almost eager.
"I don't think that would be wise," Daenerys said, visibly puzzled. "Dragons are dangerous."
She looked at him as if wondering whether he'd lost his senses. One snap of their jaws and that would be the end of him.
"Still, if you're still interested after the talks, I can take you to see them."
"Alright then." Jimmy looked briefly disappointed and retreated to the side, leaving the negotiation to the others.
This kind of thing had never been his strength.
He preferred charging headfirst into a fight with a blade in hand.
Before long, the talks reached a deadlock.
Daenerys wanted the North to bend the knee.
The North wanted Daenerys to help stop the White Walkers.
And Daenerys was no longer the naïve girl she had once been.
She no longer believed the stories Viserys used to repeat, about how the mont the three-headed dragon banner rose again, legions of loyalists would flock to it, overthrow Robert, and restore House Targaryen.
All that nonsense about countless people secretly sewing dragon banners by candlelight, waiting for the day the dragons returned…
She would never believe such fairy tales again.
Jimmy's words about Jon had made that perfectly clear.
The only reason Jon had survived was because he didn't look like a Targaryen.
How stupid must Viserys have been to believe all that old fantasy? If the realm had truly been waiting for House Targaryen's return, Robert would never have won in the first place.
And not long ago, Daenerys had made one disastrous mistake that cost her two major allies.
Dorne.
And Highgarden.
Her main host had been tied down at Casterly Rock. At the sa ti, because she hadn't imdiately agreed to Victarion Greyjoy's revenge campaign, he had turned on her.
Without Victarion's fleet transporting her troops, her army lost its mobility.
Most of her strength was still committed to the assault on Casterly Rock, leaving her helpless as Jai marched, emptied Highgarden, and crushed the Dornish forces.
The gold from Dorne allowed Cersei to repay the Iron Bank.
The grain from Highgarden gave her the ans to stabilize King's Landing.
And with food secure, she could recruit again.
In a shockingly short ti, the situation in the capital had actually begun to improve.
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