DANCING WITH DRAGONS | XXXVIII.
"HE HAS TO KILL ME FIRST"
( 'THE TRUE HEIR TO THE IRON THRONE' )

The meeting happens earlier than Alysanne would have liked. Without being able to see if Varys had betrayed them, she needed to make her move now before he could harm anyone else. They meet in the Dragon Pit, with only major houses in attendance and respected leaders during the war of the Five Kings that had later turned into the war of the Five Queens.

Alysanne with Daenerys to her left and Arya to her right was the center of attention of the meeting. The Sand Snakes represented Dorne, Alysanne and Jon served as the voices of the North, Olenna Tyrell and Randyll Tarly represented the Reach. Robin Arryn of the Vale, her uncle, Edmure Tully represented the Riverlands, Selwyn Tarth came forward to represent the Stormlands, and Yara represented the Iron Islands.

They were all in attendance and they were talking among themselves as they waited for the meeting to begin. Alysanne gave a look to Tyrion who nodded at her and stood to get the attention of the council.

"Lords and Ladies, we are gathered here today to discuss the future of the Seven Kingdoms. Cersei Lannister is dead, slain by Arya Stark and Alysanne Stark. The war has come to an end and a time of peace is amongst us."

Alysanne stands from her seat, "I know that this war has torn our nation apart. Neighbors have fought neighbors and it may be hard to trust those that sit in this pit with you, which is why I would like to return the Seven Kingdoms to what they originally were."

Several gasps can be heard, but none louder than Lord Varys. Alysanne glances at the faces in the pit and can see the surprise on Daenerys's face as well as anger on Jon's. She stares at him, trying to catch his eye, but Jon looks away.

"My Lady," Varys says, "Certainly you cannot mean this."

"But I do," Alysanne says, "This war has fragmented our nation. To find peace we must rebuild, and to rebuild means that we must not be fearfully looking over our shoulder at a ruler we do not trust."

"You're calling yourself untrustworthy?" Varys asks, "Then allow us to pick another ruler then."

"Why would we do that?" Yara questions, "Why would we pick someone who knows nothing about our kingdom? Our traditions?"

"For the sake of the realm," Varys answers.

"The realm died with the Mad King," Olenna Tyrell answers, "Now go elsewhere, you bald bastard."

Varys falls silent.

"There are ideas to discuss about trade and what should be done with lands that have been abandoned-"

"The throne is mine," Jon interrupts. All eyes are on him as he slowly stands from his seat and makes his way to the center of the pit.

"Jon," Alysanne says, "Please don't do this."

"Don't what?" he asked, stepping closer to her, "Don't claim what is mine? I am Jaehaerys Targaryen. I am the Targaryen heir, not Daenerys."

"Jon," Daenerys said firmly, "Stop it."

"My father was Rhaegar Targaryen. My mother was Lyanna Stark. They were married in Dorne where my mother would give birth to me. All my life I've been raised as a bastard, but that isn't the truth. I am going to be king."

"We don't want a king," Yara states and many of the people in the pit voice their agreement.

"Besides, Alysanne killed Cersei. She lawfully ended her reign, which means that the throne is hers," Tyrion adds.

"Then I guess I'll have to take what is mine," Jon says as his eyes fall on Alysanne.

"And then what? You may have the name, but you don't have the followers. You heard everyone, they don't want to be ruled by someone that knows nothing about them," Alysanne says, meeting Jon's intense gaze.

Jon glances around the pit, seemingly sizing up everyone. No one moves, they instead watch him, wondering what he'd say or do next like a performer.

"Our father wouldn't want this," Arya voices for the first time. Her words are meant to calm Jon and talk him down from the ledge that he was climbing, but they only seem to set him off.

"Our father! Your father lied to me my entire life! I thought that I was nothing. Your mother treated me as though I was nothing! But then I find out I'm the heir to the Seven Kingdoms and Alysanne wants to strip me of that!"

"I'm not trying to strip you of anything," Alysanne replies trying to maintain control of the situation, "If you want to rule, then you can be King in the North, but the Seven Kingdoms are no more. The Iron Throne only causes chaos."

Chaos is a ladder, she hears Littlefinger's voice say faintly in the back of her head.

"You've had everything Alysanne. You were able to just run away from your responsibilities. You could have been Joffrey's queen, Daenerys's, mine, and I simply can't understand why, because you're not special," Jon says, his voice devoid of any emotion. The words are meant to hurt Alysanne and they achieve their goal. She had known Jon all of her life. He was her brother and she loved him, but she didn't know the man standing before her.

She glanced around the pit to see everyone on the edge of their seats. If Jon did anything, he wouldn't make it out of this pit alive. Alysanne glanced at Daenerys who looked at her as well. She didn't seem to know what to do either and Alysanne sighed.

"I have a proposition for you Jon," Alysanne says, still looking at Daenerys, "If you want the Iron Throne, then you can have it, but you have to defeat me first."

"Alysanne what are you doing?" Daenerys asks from beside her.

Alysanne glances at her a small smile on her lips, "Trust me."

"I do, but," Daenerys glances at Jon and back at her, "He's angry, and anger can drive a man to kill."

"Then I'll die," Alysanne says, looking back at Jon, "But as you said, he has to kill me first."

In the center of the pit, Jon doesn't even attempt to hide his amusement, "You want to fight me? Alysanne, you're not a good fighter."

"No," Alysanne responds, "But I've lasted this long."

"Lady Alysanne, there's no need for this," Randyll Tarly says from beside Olenna Tyrell, "We can have him executed or exiled. He's a threat to the future of the Seven Kingdoms."

"And he's still my brother," Alysanne said her eyes still on Jon. She raised an eyebrow, daring him, baiting him, "So brother, do you accept?"

"I accept," Jon answered, "And when I'm finished with you and Daenerys, then I will take my daughters and do what we were supposed to do, rule."

"Daughters?" Arya asked, looking at Alysanne, "What daughters?"

"The twins," Daenerys answered, her eyes narrowed as she looked at Jon, "I won't let you near them. Over my dead body."

"That can be arranged," Jon told her, and Alysanne was really confused at her brother's shift in nature. Never would Jon had attacked innocents, but he had been lied to his entire life and she didn't understand his anger.

"High noon tomorrow," Alysanne answered, "We'll meet in the pit."

Jon simply nods before leaving the meeting. Everyone rises and glances wearily at her. Yara shakes her head as she closes the distance between them.

"I've seen your brother fight, I hope you have a plan to stop him," she says. Alysanne knew what she was doing. Jon was one of the greatest swordsmen in the North. He had learned from their father who was one of the greatest fighters Alysanne had ever seen. She wouldn't stand a chance, not unless she could get her foresight working again.

"My plan is to fight him," Alysanne answered, "Hopefully he'll come to his senses by then."

"He won't," she heard her Uncle say. Edmure glanced at where Jon's retreating figure had headed, "That was a man on a mission. He will stop at nothing until he kills you."

"But why is he doing this?" Arya asked, "That's not Jon. He was good and kind, he'd never hurt us."

"He died, correct?" Varys answered, "Men are never quite the same after death, mix in lies, deceit, and betrayal with a little bit of Targaryen blood. It's a case for madness."

"This is a terrible plan," Daenerys says, "We need to end this. Now."

"And what do you suppose?" Alysanne questions.

"That we kill him. Jon-"

"Is the reason that there are thousands of Wildings south the Wall. We kill Jon unjustly and Sansa is in danger," Alysanne answers, placing a hand on Daenerys's shoulder to calm her, "I promise I won't let anything happen to you. Or the girls."

Daenerys seems to breathe a little easier after that, but the rest of the members in the pit do not.

"Should we fear for war?" Robin Arryn questions and Alysanne shakes her head.

"This is between me and Jon. I'll handle it," Alysanne says. Her words seemed to relax no one, and she couldn't blame them. Her own words brought her no comfort.

___

"You can't see anything?" Lyarra asks and Alysanne sighs as she shakes her head.

"I've told you multiple times, it's just gone," Alysanne says. It's not even like before, she doesn't have dreams of the past or the future. She doesn't see her father or her mother. She sees nothing.

Daenerys paces around the room, drawing the attention of Lyarra and Alysanne. Stress was coming off of her in waves and it was not helping Alysanne focus at all.

"Daenerys you aren't helping," Lyarra said as she glanced over her shoulder at the Dragon Queen.

Daenerys stops and narrows her eyes angrily at Lyarra, "I'm sorry, it's just that I might lose everything if Alysanne dies tomorrow."

"It's insulting that you think I'm going to die tomorrow," Alysanne tried to joke, but Daenerys wasn't amused. She sighed and continued her quick pacing. One, two three, turn. One, two, three, turn.

"Alysanne, Bran's dead, right?" Lyarra asked and Alysanne's eyes shot to her face. Daenerys's pacing came to a halt again as she looked at Lyarra as though she had grown two heads.

"What are you talking about?" Daenerys questioned, "We saw the body. Everyone saw the body."

"But Bran could warg," Alysanne mutters, "He could warg into other people."

Daenerys lets out a laugh of disbelief, "You two can't be serious. You think Bran is inhabiting someone else's body?"

"Would it be the most outlandish thing?" Alysanne questions, "Dragons were gone until you brought them back. We fought the dead. Jon was brought back to life. Bran possibly begins alive isn't that implausible."

"Say Bran is alive," Daenerys begins, "Then you should have never been able to become the Three-Eyed Raven."

"She's right," Lyarra answers, "That doesn't make any sense."

Alysanne begins to feel uncomfortable with the thought that her brother might possibly be alive. It just didn't seem possible, but it had to be. Her stabbing Bran was the reason they had defeated the Night King. He had to be dead.

"Can we focus on a plan to defeat Jon?" Alysanne voices, redirecting the conversation.

"Drogon, Viserion, or Rhaegal," Daenerys answers, "Quick and easy."

Lyarra tries to suppress a smile, but Alysanne notices it. She frowns as she looks between Daenerys and Lyarra, "You two aren't taking this seriously."

"Alys," Daenerys says her voice soft, but her words the opposite, "He threated you. I want him dead."

"But he's your blood," Alysanne says. Daenerys didn't have the same connection she had with Jon, but Daenerys was his family and she only had so much of that left.

"That doesn't matter. He threated you," Daenerys says, "He wants to hurt you, so that makes him my enemy."

Alysanne wants to be happy, enjoy Daenerys's fierce and protective words, but she can't. Lyarra shifts uncomfortably as she looks between the two.

"Honestly speaking, Jon is the better swordsman," Lyarra says, clearing her throat, "But you are the better strategist. If I'm correct, Jon will go into this fight angry. All you have to do is remain calm. He'll leave an opening, and you attack."

Alysanne nods at the words. It wasn't the best plan, but it was the only one they had, "Alright."

Lyarra stands from where she was sitting, her gaze dancing between Alysanne and Daenerys, "You two probably want some alone time. I'll just be in my room."

"Thank you for your help Lyarra," Daenerys says. Lyarra smiles at Daenerys before leaving the room, closing the door silently behind her. Daenerys and Alysanne don't say anything as silence fills the room.

"I can't lose you," Daenerys says so quietly that Alysanne barely hears it, "Especially not to Jon."

"You're not going to lose me," Alysanne reassures her, standing up to wrap Daenerys into her arms. She feels as Daenerys relaxes into her arms. Alysanne strokes her hand up and down Daenerys's back and sighs. She couldn't promise that she would beat Jon. She needed to prepare Daenerys for the worst.

"Dany," Alysanne breathed softly, regretting saying the nickname as soon as it left her mouth. Daenerys hummed, still holding on tightly to Alysanne, "I need you to do something for me."

"What?" Daenerys asked pulling back a bit, just so she could get a better look at Alysanne's face. Violet eyes stared at her and Alysanne felt a lump in her throat and tear began to form in her eyes.

"If it loos like I'm losing tomorrow I need you to run."

"Alysanne I'm not-"

"Daenerys," Alysanne says firmly, "Jon is better than me, you were right, I never should have proposed the battle. But I know that if I fall, Jon will come after you next and I can't allow that. So if it looks like I'm losing, get on Drogon and fly to Meereen. Daario will keep you safe."

"I don't need anyone to protect me," Daenerys tells her.

Alysanne smiles at that, a single tear falling down her cheek. Daenerys wipes it away and Alysanne can't help but lean into her touch, "That's never stopped me from trying."

"You're going to win Alysanne," Daenerys tells her, "Because I know you."

"I can't kill him," Alysanne says softly, "He's my brother."

"Then don't," Daenerys says, "Just hurt him a lot."

Alysanne laughs at that and Daenerys joins in, smiling fondly at Alysanne. It was strange, she didn't believe in herself moments ago, but Daenerys believing in her changed all of that. Maybe she'd have a chance. Maybe she wouldn't.

Alysanne couldn't help herself as she leaned forward and placed a kiss on Daenerys lips. The kiss was slow, soft, and gentle. It was a promise. A promise to win. A promise to flee. It was a promise that they'd protect each other no matter what.

Daenerys pulled away after a moment and rested her head on against Alysanne's, softly brushing their noses together, "I love you so much."

"I love you too," Alysanne whispered back to her. She clung to Daenerys, keeping her warm body pressed against her own. If she did fall tomorrow, if she failed to protect Daenerys, then at least she spent her last night with her.

The fate of the Seven Kingdoms rested in Alysanne's hands.