LION'S LEGACY
16. Resilience

  Annalys had felt like Rhaegal had been flying for hours when he finally reached Dragonstone. They flew through the sky, heading straight for where the Targaryen Fleet was anchored at.

Yara Greyjoy, who was on her ship with the majority of her crew, frowned as she looked up to see the dragon that was clearly not Drogon.

She squinted her eyes, only to have them widen in shock at the sight of the Lannister Queen riding atop the last surviving dragon.

Annalys didn't even have to give the command before Rhaegal set fire to the numerous fleet of ships. The men screamed as they were thrown off their ships, either burned or tossed into the water.

She smiled in delight, realizing that the War of Two Queen was now officially won.

Soon after it had occurred, Rhaegal rode in the direction of the North, which concerned her most of all. If they continued to ride North, they'd arrive in the Vale, the only place North of the Crownlands and Westerlands that was completely foreign to her. The Vale was the only place in Westeros she hadn't been to for longer than the span of a day. If Rhaegal landed them there, Annalys would surely not have any idea how to get back.

Soon enough, they arrived in the land called the Mountains of the Moon, much to Annalys' frustration. Rhaegal ended up landing quite roughly, causing Annalys to end up slipping off of his scaly back. She grunted as she planted with the ground, only to turn to give Rhaegal a saddened look.

It clearly took everything within him to ride her that far North while injured, but why did he do it?

"You poor thing," She softly told the dragon, giving him a sympathetic look when she finally noticed the wounds he suffered from after fighting the much bigger Drogon.

Rhaegal rested his head down, practically crying in pain. Annalys sighed, stroking his face with her hand, "Does it hurt?" She questioned him in concern, but of course, got nothing but a grunt in response, "I'm sorry, Rhaegal, I really am, but we must go home. I do not know why you've brought me here, but I must leave. I must go back to King's Landing. My children need me. My people need me. Can you take me back?"

After Rhaegal didn't respond, Annalys sighed in frustration, knowing there was no use. "Why bring me here?" She asked him, a deeply concerned look on her face, "Why bring me this far North? Why bring me to these Mountains?"

"To see me," A voice suddenly spoke up, causing Annalys to whip her body around to find herself coming face to face with Melisandre, a woman she hadn't seen in years, "Hello, Annalys."

"What are you doing here?" Annalys asked the Red Woman coldly, glaring hatefully at her, "It's been five years since you resurrected me, only to have me arrested by Stannis."

"That wasn't how it was supposed to occur, I assure you," Melisandre assured Annalys in a calm tone, taking a step toward her, "We still have a few years until the Great War truly begins, but another threat is underway."

Annalys scoffed, smirking slightly at Melisandre. "And what would that be, huh?" She questioned with an attitude, clearly not believing her, "Another Barathron? A long-lost Targaryen?"

"Plague," Melisandre suddenly spoke up, causing Annalys' smirk to immediately disappear, "It is called Winter Fever. It hasn't occurred in Westeros since the Dance of Dragons."

"How did you know this is going to happen?" Annalys asked Melisandre with an attitude, glaring at her.

Hearing Annalys' question, Melisandre slowly began to smile. "I don't have that answer for you, Annalys. But I do know you must be prepared. A plague like this hasn't hit Westeros in over a century. It will take half the population of King's Landing and many other large cities in Westeros. If you're not careful, Westeros will perish by plague before there's time to fight in the Great War," She explained in a calm tone, taking a step toward Annalys, "You live in King's Landing. If I were you, I'd lock myself in the keep. You may not be at risk as much as everyone else, but that doesn't mean Robb and your children aren't."

Annalys' eyes widened at Melisandre's warning, feeling herself beginning to think about her prophecies. What if her son dying wasn't the child prophesied to die? What if Robb was going to die due to the Winter Fever?

"When will it arrive?" Annalys whispered softly, finally beginning to feel concerned.

"Later than you expect, sooner than you hope," Melisandre responded, much to Annalys' frustration.

"I don't know what that means," Annalys complained, glaring at Melisandre.

"You will," She answered, causing Annalys to looked deeply annoyed.

____

Four days had passed and Annalys walked toward the land in which Rhaegal laid upon, dragging a small deer toward him with all the strength she had. She had eaten only a rabbit, which she cooked with a fire she made in the woods. The deer, however, was for Rhaegal, who hadn't eaten much and was left weakened due to not having any food to eat.

She had been using her bow and arrow to shoot, which ended up coming in handy. She brought the deer over to Rhaegal before jumping out of the way. The dragon wasted no time setting fire to the already dead animal before consuming it. Annalys glanced around, noticing the charred bones that had already surrounded green dragon.

"Now that you've eaten, can we go home?" She asked, but Rhaegal simply laid his head back down, "Please?" She repeated, tears beginning to form in her eyes as she tried her hardest not to let herself cry, "I need to return to the capital, Rhaegal, before they think I'm dead. A war has just ended, Westeros needs their queen in King's Landing. My friend Edric needs me. He just lost the woman he loved," She explained, trying to hold back her tears at the thought of Jeyne.

  She had tried for several says since Jeyne's death not to cry but it became harder as each day passed. She lost one of the people that mattered most to her. Her death broke her. "Please, Rhaegal," She pleaded softly, "I must go home. If you won't take me, I'll walk on my own."

Rhaegal continued to lay in place, earning a large sigh in defeat from Annalys. "So be it," She decided, turning on her heel before beginning to walk away.

Suddenly, Rhaegal screeched loudly, causing Annalys to immediately turn around to watch as for the first time in four days, the dragon finally rose to his feet and flapped his wings.

A sad look grew on Annalys' face at the sight of the talon marks in his right wing. They were healing, but were still pretty bad.

On his two feet, Rhaegal began to run forward until he finally leaped up, beginning to fly. He turned sideways slightly, just before finding his balance. Annalys watched uneasily, not knowing whether or not the dragon would be able to make it all the way to King's Landing with her on his back.

Rhaegal flew around for a long moment before finally landing in the ground next to her. He lowered his wing, giving her the motion to climb on. She inhaled sharply, just before climbing on.

Rhaegal let out a large roar, just before leaping into the sky with Annalys on his back.

___

    Annalys didn't know how long it took or how many days, but soon enough, she and Rhaegal finally arrived at King's Landing.

Within the city walls, many people looked upwards, shocked at the sight that befell them.

Lyanna and Olyvar, who were standing in the courtyard, looked up at the sight of their mother riding Rhaegal in utter disbelief. Eddard, Rickard, and the younger set of twins rushed up to them, witnessing the sight as well.

Robb smiled, joining the group in watching his wife ride across the city on Rhaegal before landing in what looked like the dragonpits.

Without hesitation, Robb and his children climbed on their horses before rushing in the direction of the dragonpits.

They soon arrived to find Annalys standing in front of Rhaegal, petting his snout. As they approached, Lyanna was the only one who did it without fear. The others, however, hid behind their father, who seemed fearful as well.

Annalys hadn't even noticed them enter until Rhaegal turned, shielding Annalys with his wing. He growled slightly at the group until Annalys moved out from under his wing and smiled. "It's okay, Rhaegal," She told the dragon softly, "They're family."

Rhaegal remained silent, tilting his large head slightly as he studied the fearful children. The only one who didn't look afraid, however, was Lyanna. She walked toward the dragon, keeping her eyes locked on him as she approached him.

Once she reached the dragon, Lyanna stopped in front of him. She slowly held her hand outward, watching closely as Rhaegal inhaled sharply before baring his teeth at her.

Annalys watched closely, seeming to be content while Robb felt uneasy. Where he stood several feet behind his eldest daughter, Robb grabbed ahold of his other children, refusing to let them go any further in fear of something going wrong.

Rhaegal growled at Lyanna once before calming down. Lyanna continued to hold her shaking hand out. Soon enough, Rhaegal moved closer, allowing the young girl to pet his snout. Rhaegal's eyes softened and Lyanna gradually began to smile at the feeling of petting the dragon.

As Annalys approached her daughter, Rhaegal backed up. The Lannister gave the dragon a small nod, leading to him leaping into the air before he began to fly freely around the capital.

Once he was gone, Annalys hugged Lyanna tightly, the rest of the children soon rushing over as well to hug their mother. She had been missing five days this time, but of course, everyone knew better than to assume she was dead. After all, she wasn't dead the last dozen times she went missing for a few days.

Once reuniting with her children, she turned to Robb, who smiled softly. "You did it," He told her, clearly proud of his wife, "You won the war."

"We won the war," Annalys corrected him as Robb wrapped his arms around her.

"Really?" Robb questioned Annalys in a sarcastic tone, "I'm pretty sure I'm not the one who fought against Daenerys Targaryen on top of a dragon and then killed her with a single arrow."

"Who shot Drogon in the eye with the bolt that killed him?" Annalys suddenly asked, causing Robb's eyes to widen at the fact that she figured it out, "It seems your aim has significantly improved. Thank the Gods."

Robb playfully rolled his eyes at her insulting comment while Annalys smiled, placing a quick kiss to his lips before they hugged each other. "We won the war. We did it," He whispered to her softly and an uneasy look appeared on Annalys' face as she wrapped her arms around him.

They may have won the war, but they lost Jeyne, someone Annalys cared about deeply. Jeyne had been there for her since the beginning. She had been at Annalys' side for nearly eleven years. She had been there at Annalys' side when Annalys was still a princess and Joffrey was sitting on the Iron Throne. Annalys had come a long way since then and she felt as though she wouldn't have been able to do it without Jeyne at her side. Now, she was gone. She had been loyal until the end, but that loyalty ended up getting her killed.

She had been pregnant, too. She had been carrying Edric's child and now, she was dead. She wasn't like Annalys, either. She didn't have thousands of followers who were willing to help her cheat death. That pained Annalys most of all. Lady Jeyne Crakehall was gone. Forever. And there was nothing Annalys could do to change that.

Now, if Melisandre was right, a plague was about to occur and Annalys had no idea how to deal with it. She was skilled in war, not dealing with sickness. In all honesty, she didn't remember a single time in her life when she was actually sick.

____

Soon after arriving back at the castle, their children had run off to find Torra, who happened to be with Aden. Robb and Annalys, however, were stopped by Bronn before they could do anything else. "Your Graces," He called out, knowing that Annalys was made it official during Robb's stay at Dragonstone that their power would now be treated as equals.

Robb was no longer considered the consort. He was the king. Neither of them were now considered consorts. It took five years but Annalys finally realized it. Robb had technically been the one to actually take King's Landing, he had every right be the ruler as Annalys did.

Of course, even as Annalys had made that official, they both knew there would still be people who would view her as the sovereign ruler, which was odd, seeing as though it was expected to be the other way around due to Annalys being a woman. However, it wasn't enough, oddly enough, which came as a surprise to the couple.

After hearing the man call out to them, Annalys and Robb wasted no time turning to face Bronn. "We've captured the remaining Targaryen Loyalists who managed to survive. "

"Who are they?" Annalys asked at the same time that Robb had.

"Ser Jorah Mormont. Varys. Tyrion. And the Unsullied's Commander, Grey Worm," Bronn informed the duo in a calm tone, causing Robb and Annalys to turn to exchange a look with each other.

"Have Tyrion placed in one of the black cells alongside Varys. Give Ser Jorah and Grey Worm the option of either taking the black or being executed," She instructed and Bronn wasted no time nodding his head before walking away without another word said.

After Bronn was out of sight, Annalys turned to face Robb, "Grey Worm and Ser Jorah will surely refuse to take the black. We must execute them," She explained and as a group of servants were about to walk past them, Annalys turned to address the group, "Tell Olyvar, Torra, Lyanna, and Eddard that they will be standing witness to the executions of the prisoners."

The servants nodded, just before walking off to find the children. Robb's eyes widened in shock after hearing the orders she had given. He attempted to grab Annalys by the arm before she walked away, causing the woman to turn to him and frown.

"Don't you think they're too young to see such things?" He questioned Annalys, a deeply concerned look on his face. "Maybe not Torra, but the twins and Olyvar are ten."

"The twins will be eleven in a fortnight and Olyvar will follow soon after. They won't be children forever, Robb. Winter is here," She explained and Robb's eyes widened at the feeling of familiarity that came with her words, "The threat beyond the Wall will reach us soon enough and they must be ready."

Robb found himself sighing in defeat before nodding in agreement, knowing she was right.

Meanwhile later, Annalys and Robb stood in the courtyard of the Red Keep. Grey Worm and Jorah stood chained before them, awaiting their execution. The courtyard was crowded with Queensguard members, Ser Edmyn and Ser Loras stood with the twins, Olyvar, and Torra while the rest of the members were scattered around.

Some household guards forced Grey Worm and Jorah into a kneeling. Robb stood in front of Jorah while Annalys stood in front of Grey Worm. They were forced to be on a chopping block as everyone in the courtyard watched on.

At the same time, Annalys and Robb unsheathed their swords, which was odd since they were both forged from Ned Stark's sword and would both be executing someone at the same time.

Robb and Annalys turned to exchange a look, preparing to recite the sentence.

As she stood next to him, Torra placed a hand on Olyvar's shoulder, knowing he seemed to be the most hesitant to watch the execution occur out of all his siblings. "Don't look away," She whispered to him softly while keeping her eyes locked on Annalys and Robb, "Mother will know if you do."

"I, Annalys of the House Lannister, First of my name, Queen of the Andals, the Free Folk, and the First Men, Lady of the Seven Kingdoms and Protector of the Realm, sentence you to die," Annalys recited Grey Worm's death sentence at the same time that Robb recited Jorah's.

"I, Robb of the House Stark, First of my Name, King of the Andals, the Free Folk, and the First Men, Lord of the Seven Kingdoms and Protector of the Realm, sentence you to die," He spoke up loudly as well, preparing to behead Ser Jorah.

Little Olyvar and the twins watched closely as their parents lifted their large swords in unison. They raised their blades upward before swinging it downwards, chopping both men's heads off with one clean cut.

Olyvar flinched at the sight, as did Eddard, but did a better job hiding it. Lyanna, however, watched on in contentment, knowing that soon enough, she'd have to do the same when she came to power as queen after her parents died.

After watching the heads of the two men hit the ground, Torra placed a hand on Olyvar's shoulder. "You did well," She paused, turning to look at Eddard and Lyanna as well, "All three of you. It becomes easier to watch over the years, I promise you that."

"It should never be easy," Olyvar complained in a saddened tone as he looked up at Torra, "Someone has died."

"It was necessary," Torra argued, not understanding why Olyvar sounded as though he was defending the traitors.

"How can murder be necessary?" Olyvar found himself asking Torra, a horrified look on his face.

"They were bad men, Olyvar," Torra continued to argue, giving the boy a look of disbelief, "Bad men deserve to die."

"No one deserves to die," Olyvar continued to argue defensively.

Torra frowned, staring down at Olyvar in both utter confusion and deep concern.

"That man Mother killed murdered Lady Jeyne," Eddard added into the conversating, moving closer to the duo alongside Lyanna, "He deserved to die."

Hearing his brother's words, Olyvar turned to face Eddard. "He didn't have to be killed," He argued, a sincere look on his face, "He could've been locked in a cell for the rest of his life. That's punishment enough, isn't it?"

Hearing his younger brother's words, Lyanna sighed, shaking her head in disapproval, "You have a soft heart, Brother," She spoke up, causing the group to turn to him, "Let us hope it doesn't get you killed."

With that, Lyanna walked away, the rest of the children following soon after.

AUTHOR'S NOTE:

Poor Olyvar is such a softie, it's kinda sad.

Ik, Ik, a lot of you are probably upset about Annalys and Robb killing Grey Worm and Jorah cuz you like their characters (I love them too tbh) But honestly! It's game of thrones, war is war, and loyalists to the losing side of the war always end up dead in the end.