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Rolling over, Tyrion Lannister fought against the beating of drums echoing throughout his head as he slowly, very slowly, opened his eyes. And was greeted promptly by the sight of a horse's nose less than an arm's length from his own face. Looking around, he slowly managed to piece together where he was through the pounding pain in his head. 'The stables…Winterfell. Hells, these Northerners sure do know how to throw a celebration…and those Free Folk certainly know how to drink.'
"Well," he groaned, pushing the horse's nose aside as he slowly got to his feet. "I suppose I should be thankful that I woke up on this end of the horse…this time."
"Well, Tyrion, I can't say I'm necessarily surprised to find you here of all places."
Turning his head just enough to see who was behind him, Tyrion huffed and proceeded to dust off his clothes. Standing just outside the stables, neither looking worse for wear considering the celebrations last night, were his Uncle Gerion and his cousin Joy. "Please, Uncle, like this is the worst of places to wake up in. Shall I regale young Joy here of the time when I was but a lad of ten-and-three and found you pass—?"
"We don't need to go into that!" Gerion replied quickly, his eyes glancing off young Joy, who was just standing back and watching the two with the slightest of grins on her face.
"No need to, father," Joy replied as Tyrion slowly made his way out of the stable and towards the two. "I've already heard quite a few tales of your exploits. Is it really true that you took a donkey to a brothel?"
Tyrion couldn't help but laugh at the way his uncle's face paled then went red. "That wasn't your father, young Joy," Tyrion said, wanting credit to belong where it was deserved. "That one was me. And it wasn't just a jackass but also a honeycomb and—"
"She doesn't need to hear about that, Tyrion," Gerion growled, making Tyrion and Joy laugh lightly, which immediately brought a raging pain to Tyrion's head as he was painfully reminded of just why he was sleeping in the stables in the first place.
Smirking through the pain in his head, Tyrion emerged from the stables with his uncle and cousin and looked around Winterfell. Normally by this time in the day, it wouldn't have been unusual to see dozens of guards patrolling the walls, or craftsman and merchants going about their day. But today, the keep of Winterfell was almost completely void of life and activity. 'A true testament to just how enjoyable the celebrations were last night. Given what I saw, I wouldn't be surprised if Winterfell and Winter Town saw a sudden influx of babies in the next nine moons or so.'
"And how did the other guests of Winterfell fare last night?" Tyrion asked as the trio began walking towards the great keep in search of some food to break their fast.
Gerion merely shrugged as they entered the keep. "To no great surprise, the Dornish ended up pretty much everywhere last night. And the Tyrells pretty much stayed to themselves. Though I have heard that both the Tyrells and the Martells are planning on making their leave within the next day or two."
'Which means that both Houses have gotten what they came for,' Tyrion deduced as the three Lannisters found a table and sat down to wait for the servants to bring them something to eat. 'The Tyrells are easy enough to figure out. They got their wolf bride, so they have no reason to remain. But the Martells? There was no great announcement last night pertaining to the Dornish. Nor have any of their own been accepted by the Sorcerer like young Joy here. What changed last night? Did the Martells get what they wanted? Or have they given up?'
Feeling something small and soft hit him in the face, Tyrion blinked and shook his head. The culprit wasn't hard to find, as Joy was sitting directly across from him, her fingers making small circular motions in the air just above the surface of the table. And just below her fingers were small bits of food that were following the patterns her fingers were making as if they were connected by a string. "Well, I dare say that you are shaping up to be one impressive Sorceress, dear cousin," Tyrion smirked, wiping at his face. "Though I think I may have missed the part of Nox's lessons where he taught the lot of you how to use your powers to make a catapult with bits of food being your rocks. And speaking of food…when did it arrive?"
Laughing, Joy continued twirling her fingers, lifting a piece of meat off her plate before popping it into her mouth without it ever once touching her fingers or utensils. "A sorceress in training must always find new ways to practice her art, dear cousin."
"And a Lady of House Lannister must remember her manners when at the table," Gerion said not unkindly as he shot his daughter a glance from the corner of his eye.
"Sorry, father," Joy said, lowering her hand and letting the second piece of food she'd been floating drop.
Smiling, Tyrion watched as Gerion reached over and took his daughter's hand. It was a touching moment. A moment between a parent and their child. One that Tyrion had never been able to experience. Not with a father like his. But maybe, just maybe one day, he would be able to experience what it felt like to be in the same position as his uncle and cousin. "Unless, of course, you are launching food at Tyrion here. In which case, fire at will, my dear."
Giving his uncle a look of betrayal, Tyrion grumbled as he slowly picked at the food that'd been placed before him. "With the Tyrells and Martells departure imminent, I suppose that means that we should be making our leave as well," he commented, giving his uncle and cousin a sympathetic look as he saw Joy's face fall slightly and Gerion frown.
"Yes, we will," Gerion sighed. It was clear that the man did not want to leave his daughter again, not after having been absent from her life for so long. But they could not in good faith continue playing on the hospitality of the Starks. Staying back, Tyrion watched as father and daughter turned their faces towards one another. "I'll be sending ravens as frequently as I can, my little lioness. And I'll be making a trip north with the trade vessels whenever your uncle allows me to leave."
Joy's eyes shined with unshed tears as she nodded and leaned into her father. Tyrion felt more than slightly out of place watching the display. Especially as he'd never been in such a situation himself. Ever. Not after he killed his mother coming into this world, earning the eternal scorn of his father and sister for the act and for the sin of being born a dwarf. "And speaking of my father, young Joy," Tyrion coughed, unfortunately breaking the moment between father and daughter. "We all know that he has placed certain…expectations on you for your time here, outside of learning all that you can from the Sorcerer."
Joy's cheeks reddened and his uncle glared at him. "I – I know what is expected of me by—"
"Yes, well, you might as well forget it, my dear," Tyrion quipped, bringing Joy up short. "The boy has caught the attention of not only a spearwife, but the Princess of Dorne as well. And while you are indeed a beauty that can match even the most beautiful of desert roses, I'm fairly certain that Dorne's decision to leave coincides with them getting their fangs into the boy."
The look that flashed across Joy's face was one of relief, sadness, and fear all rolled into one. "But…what about…?"
"You let your father and I deal with him," Tyrion said firmly. That man had already fucked over Tyrion's life in more ways than he cared to count. He certainly wasn't about to let Joy fall into the same position he was in just because she couldn't catch the eye of a young man who already had the eye of two beautiful women. "You just focus on learning everything you can about this wonderful power of yours, my dear. Try and have a little fun while you're here as well. I've seen you, the young Stark girl, and Lady Baratheon out playing while everyone else went north. Keep that up, my dear. Live your life the way you want to. Not the way someone else wants you to." 'At least this way one member of our pride will be able to live a happy life.'
Joy's eyes once again shined with unshed tears as she nodded. "Thank you, cousin," she said with a small smile. "And don't worry. I'll keep an eye on her while I'm here. She's family, after all."
Tyrion's hand stilled momentarily as he was reaching for the pitcher of water that was next to him. "Oh? And who is this 'she' that is family? Perhaps you mean Lady Shireen? I suppose we are family through the marriage of Cersei to Robert."
"That's not who she's talking about, Tyrion, and you know it," Gerion replied, he and his daughter wearing identical smirks as they both stared at him. "We're talking about the girl who works in the Sorcerer's library. Anna."
Tyrion could've continued to play the game where he didn't know what they were referring to, but he could tell that it would be meaningless at this point. They both clearly knew just who Anna was in relation to himself. Now he just needed to figure out how they knew, and how to prevent others from learning. It wasn't that he was worried about Stark finding out about her and taking advantage of the leverage he could gain. But rather that the more people that knew of her existence, the greater the chance of his father finding out about her. And that was something that he could not allow. Not right now. "And how did you both come to learn of her?"
The father and daughter shared a look before focusing back on him. "It wasn't that hard to figure out, Tyrion," Gerion replied, much to Tyrion's chagrin. "I may have only met my niece in King's Landing once, but it was recent, and I have a good memory. And that girl that now resides in the Sorcerer's tower and Myrcella could practically use each other as mirrors. Then there are her eyes. While they might not be the same as yours, the fact that she has two colors of eyes is a rare trait that I've only ever seen in yourself. And lastly, while your love of books is known to pretty much all, even you tended to wander to the library far too frequently, and only when she was there. Put all of that together, and it wasn't a difficult conclusion to reach."
Glancing around, Tyrion made sure once again that there were no unwanted ears nearby. But even still, he spoke in a low tone so that only his uncle and cousin could hear him. "And what do you think I should do? You know what happened to…You know what happened to her. I – I can't risk my father learning of my…of her."
Setting his utensils down, Gerion folded his hands under his nose. "My brother, your father, is an uncaring, selfish, brutish ass of the highest order, Tyrion. But for all of his many, many faults and sins he is willing to commit. There is still one sin he will not come near. Kinslaying."
Scoffing, Tyrion pushed his plate away, his hunger gone. "Perhaps. But that would be assuming who he even considers to be kin. You know how good he is at working things out so that he is 'justified' in his actions."
"Oh, you need not remind me of that, Tyrion," Gerion sighed while nodding. "And it's not just your father that we must consider, but those who would seek to use her either to hurt or take advantage of yourself or House Lannister. As painful as it is to say, anonymity is her shield right now. Truthfully, perhaps the safest place in all the Seven Kingdoms for her right now is right where she is. As she is. Perhaps in the future that will change, and the truth can come out."
Burying his head in his hands, Tyrion rubbed tiredly at his eyes. He hated it, gods he hated this. But it was the truth. Even if by some miracle his father decided to be a decent being, unlikely, and recognize her as Tyrion's daughter, he knew that her life would be a shit one. Far shittier than the one she currently had anyway. And as cowardly as it was, he really did not want to tell his daughter the truth. The truth of her mother and himself and what happened between them.
Feeling a light touch on his arm, Tyrion picked his head up just enough to see Joy's warm smiling face. "I'll look after her, cousin. I promise."
Tyrion was seriously starting to consider that all of the warmth and kindness the gods had neglected to give his sister had instead been passed on down to both of his nieces. "Thank you," he said, giving Joy's hand a light pat and returning her smile with one of his own.
"Well then," Tyrion continued as he managed to get down the last little bit of food that he felt his stomach could handle considering its condition due to his overindulgence the night before. "As we will no doubt be leaving alongside the others tomorrow, I think I shall spend the remainder of my time in Winterfell in the library…going over my notes as it were."
"Of course," Gerion smirked while waving him off. "Spend as much time with your 'notes' as you can, Tyrion. I plan on spending every moment I can with Joy here until we leave tomorrow or the day after. Gods only know when my brother will 'allow' us to leave the Rock again to come North."
Giving his uncle and cousin one last nod of farewell, Tyrion gathered himself and made his way out of the keep before turning towards the looming Sorcerer's Tower which stood tall over all of Winterfell. But after taking a few steps, a strong gust of wind changed his mind as he was able to catch a whiff of himself on the breeze. 'I guess a bath is in order first,' he thought, lifting his arm and smelling under it, and instantly regretting it as he realized the constant smell of barn that'd been following him around all morning was in fact coming from himself. 'Bath. New clothes. And then to the library to spend what little time I have left here with my daughter. Then back south to my oh so cheerful father. Then to King's Landing. Jamie and I are far past overdue for a very, very long talk.'
Standing alongside his wife flanking the members of House Stark and with his new Acolytes standing resolutely behind him, Nox watched as the members of the Great Houses of Lannister, Tyrell, and Martell all said their final goodbyes to the wolves of the North. It was rather touching in a way. While it would be naive to say that true friendships had been formed during the month, it was true that alliances had been formed as well as mutual respect. Willas, in a show of what Nox considered over the top chivalry, gently placed a kiss onto the back of Sansa's hand before asking Ned's permission to write Sansa while they were apart. Gerion Lannister exchanged a lengthy and teary goodbye with his daughter Joy. And even though the little man managed to hide it, Nox could see clear through Tyrion as the smallest of the lions' gaze settled in on a lone blond girl who was staying near the back with the rest of the younger servants of Winterfell.
Of course, it was the Martells that'd been the ones to truly show everyone how you said goodbye to someone. In full view of the entirety of Winterfell, Arianne had made her stance in no uncertain terms as she marched straight up to Jon and pulled him into a heated and lengthy kiss. Causing no shortages of whistles and cheers of encouragement as the surprisingly strong Princess locked Jon in a tight embrace and refused to let him go, not that he was honestly trying hard from the looks of it, until both needed to come up for air. Then as if to up her game, Arianne then walked over to Ygritte, who was defying all set precedents by refusing to be anywhere besides next to Jon and repeated the same goodbye with her. The sight of the two women all but mauling each other caused even more whistles and cheers, and more than a few blushes and mutterings of how Jon was 'one lucky bastard'. 'Lucky now,' Nox thought as he watched through the Force as Arianne pulled back and made her way towards the Martell contingent. 'But just wait for the day when he manages to anger the both of them at the same time. Then he will wish he'd never been born.'
As the Martells finished loading themselves into their carriages, Nox felt one pair of eyes linger on him. Turning his head slightly, he gave the briefest of nods to Prince Oberyn as his mind wandered back to the conversation the two of them shared in his tower the morning after the wedding between Asher and Gwyn.
Feeling Oberyn approaching his meditation chambers, Nox waved his hand behind him, unlocking and opening the door just as the Prince of Dorne reached out to grab hold of the latch. "You and the wolves with your habit of predicting just when you are about to have visitors," Oberyn smirked as he walked into the sparsely furnished room before closing and locking the door behind him. "I would ask how you lot are capable of knowing exactly when to open your doors, from across the room no less, but I already know the answer to that. Such a shame that you cannot teach me that trick. It would be quite entertaining to make use of it in the middle of a brothel. But I digress. I do hope that I am not interrupting anything, my friend."
"No," Nox answered honestly, getting up from his knees. "My apprentice, your niece, and the spearwife are making such a racket and commotion through the Force that I would be surprised if anyone would be able to concentrate in the entirety of the North."
Oberyn laughed, his amusement flowing off of him. "Yes, I heard them on my way up. I do believe that Arianne and Ygritte are attempting to find out who has the better set of lungs on them. Either that, or that apprentice of yours has more than a few tricks up his sleeves. Though from what I hear, Nox, you shouldn't be one to judge. I've heard that you and Nyra have kept most of Winterfell awake on more than a few occasions."
"Guilty as charged, my friend," Nox laughed, remembering that last night had been exactly that type of night. Though he assumed that was true for most of Winterfell. "Though I doubt you came here to talk about the sexual prowess of those trained in the ways of the Force. And before you ask, no, I will not give you and Ellaria a firsthand demonstration until my wife is comfortable with such acts."
Oberyn's look was one of pure innocence. "What is that old saying? If you fail once, just try again? But you're right. I didn't come here to talk about your sexual prowess. More the pity that. But rather I want to talk to you about your apprentice. Or more specifically, when you plan on putting the heir to the Iron Throne back where he belongs."
Nox didn't even twitch a muscle as he figuratively stared Oberyn down. "Fairly blunt and to the point. One could almost accuse you of being a Stark with that type of approach, Oberyn."
He could feel the man's eyes roll. "Gods forbid. It's been entertaining here, but far too cold for my tastes. And I do not have yours nor my brother's gift for word games or the game as a whole. Speaking of which, my brother sends his respect for the play you made on him with just a single seemingly innocent question. Now, if you're quite done having me kiss your ass, perhaps you will answer my question?"
Turning, Nox took a few steps towards one of the walls that contained a bookshelf with dozens of books looted from Valyria scattered across it. "My apprentice will make his own decision in that regard, as he is fully aware of his lineage. And as for if and when, that is variable to such a degree that an exact answer is not feasible at this time."
Oberyn's annoyance spiked. "That wasn't an answer, Nox."
"It is as good as an answer as you will be getting from me at this time, my friend," Nox shot back in the same tone that Oberyn had used.
Oberyn was clearly not pleased with his response, and it was showing. "So then, tell me, friend. What is it that you are planning? House Stark has risen from a backwater House that few cared about to one of power and influence, all thanks to you. Now you have ties throughout all of Westeros and even some in Essos with that Maegyr girl. Don't tell me that you are planning on making your own play for the Iron Throne."
"No, I have no designs on placing myself on the Iron Throne," Nox answered truthfully. "But as I can see that you will not part until you get the answer you seek, I will tell you this. The reasoning for everything I have done and will do in the future all comes down to a single threat. The White Walkers and their ilk."
Pausing, Nox decided that it was time to clue Oberyn in slightly as he knew that having the Red Viper, and by extension Prince Doran who would no doubt learn of this conversation the moment Oberyn stepped foot back in Dorne, on his side would further his long-term goals. "When I first arrived in Winterfell, I had no intention of staying for long. However, that changed on my very first night when I saw a vision of the future. Or rather I had visions of thousands of possible futures. And in each one I saw the same thing. The darkness that is coming from the far north swallowing everything in its path and burying first Westeros and then all of the world in its darkness. Yet through all the visions of defeat, I saw a path to victory. A path of hardship and sacrifice. Yet one that would not only see to the end of the White Walkers, but one that would also see this land thrive after their defeat. And that, Oberyn, is why I have not left the North. That is why I went to Valyria. And that is why I am building up the North into a true power in Westeros. Should the North fall when they come, and make no mistake they are coming, then the rest of the land will fall with them."
Oberyn took a moment to think over what he'd said. No doubt replaying his own encounter with the White Walker north of the Wall over and over again in his mind. "Shit," the prince mumbled after several long moments of silence. "Well, I guess that explains why you haven't left the North at all, despite the numerous offerings of gold, position, and women you must've received over the years from the lords across all of Westeros."
"One of them, yes," Nox nodded.
Oberyn caught his meaning immediately, if only a part of it anyway. "Ah yes, the warmth of a good woman is certainly enough to make any man remain in place for some time. Unless of course you find a woman like my Ellaria who loves adventure and variety as much as I do."
"I do believe that you and Ellaria enjoy your adventures and variety to the point where you two alone could sate half of Westeros." Nox commented dryly.
"Only half?" Oberyn asked good naturedly. "Hm. I suppose that we will have to up our outings then." Despite the friendly banter, Oberyn sighed as he ran a hand through his hair. "Fine. Keep your secrets, sorcerer. But know this: should events unfold where truths are forced into the open…our friendship will not be enough to ensure you of Dorne's support. It will take something more…binding to get the spears of Dorne on your side."
Just then, a cry of pleasure echoed throughout the halls of the tower, reaching even the two of them in the privacy of Nox's meditation chamber. "Do you honestly think that will be a problem? All things considered?"
Tilting his head, Oberyn smirked and shook his head as a second cry sounded, almost as if it were trying to outdo the first. "No. I do not think that will be a problem. But it is something that needs to be said. But even if some truths are left in the shadows…you will have my spear at your side. For a price."
Nox figured that would be the case. "I know what your price is, Oberyn. And should events arrange themselves in a certain way, then you will have your price."
Back in the present, Nox gave a slow nod to Prince Oberyn, one which the man returned before swinging himself almost effortlessly up onto his horse. After one last farewell from Ned to all the Houses, the members of House Tyrell, Lannister, and Martell rode out of Winterfell before turning and going their own separate ways home. Once their guests were outsight, the denizens of Winterfell began to disperse as they all returned to their daily routines. Turning, Nox gave a passing glance through the Force at his assembled acolytes and apprentices. 'Two Apprentices and six acolytes with a seventh still in diapers. Not a bad start all things considered.'
"Well, what are you lot standing around for?" Nox asked, jolting his acolytes and apprentices with the sudden harshness of his tone. "Show's over. And the day has just barely started. Jon. Robb. Get the acolytes started on their daily routines. If I'm not satisfied with their progress by the time I reach the training yard, you two will face my displeasure."
Jon and Robb both immediately went stiff before quickly moving to get the others to the training yard to begin their daily regime. While Nox hadn't stooped to the level of many Sith by outright torturing his Acolytes or Apprentices who displeased him, Nox was more than willing to doll out interesting and inventive means of showing his displeasure. Like the time he'd had Jon create a pile of pebbles as tall as himself by hand, only to tell him he then had to move the entire pile across Winterfell only this time using just the Force and without colliding with anyone. And seeing as how Jon and Robb were both now his Apprentices, it was far past time to up their training. Which in part meant that they were to start by becoming the teacher instead of the student.
With his Apprentices and Acolytes now out of sight, Nox turned his head south, his senses flowing out and following the three Houses on their way home. 'The board is almost set. Now it's time to truly build the pieces.'