LION'S LEGACY
70. Mama

   That day, after claiming the girl whose name was Essi, Joanna arrived at a covered courtyard with Ser Rickard, where Najo was speaking with Haggo, both of them clearly arguing about what Joanna had done.

Once Joanna had entered, Najo's undivided attention went to his beloved Khaleesi.

"My love," He greeted her in Dothraki, something Ser Rickard still couldn't understand while Joanna was fluent, "Haggo says you have taken his spoils. A daughter of a man we've taken as a slave, a woman who was his to mount. Tell me the truth of this."

Joanna took a deep breath before taking a step forward, Dreamer at her side. The Dothraki weren't happy about having a direwolf in their khalasar but after Joanna had begged Najo, he allowed her, much to his bloodrider's dismay.

"Haggo speaks the truth, my love," She responded confidently, "I have claimed her today, so she cannot be mounted."

"This is the way of war," He pointed out to her in a calm tone, "All of these women are slaves now to do with as we please."

"It pleases me to keep this one safe," Joanna responded in a calm tone, "If Haggo wants to mount this one, he shall take her as a wife. If not, she is mine."

Haggo scoffed loudly at her suggestion. "Does the horse mate with the sheep?"

Joanna smirked, turning to Haggo with an amused look on her face. "The wolf feeds on both horse and sheep alike," She responded, changing the saying her sister used to say and made it her own.

Lyanna and Torra used to say, "Leave one wolf alive and the sheep were never safe."

"You are a foreigner, a wolf. You do not command me," Haggo snapped at her and Joanna was quick to retort.

"I am a Khaleesi, I do command you," She argued in a low, threatening tone, "And aye, I am a wolf. So you better watch out before the wolf's blood inside me is unleashed."

Hearing Joanna's words, Najo began to smile and laugh. "See how fierce she is? That is the wolf and lion's blood she has talking," He questioned Haggo in a proud tone, "My son will have that and the blood of the Stallion."

Najo and Joanna exchanged a look, smiling. After a moment, Najo turned to look back at Haggo, shaking his head. "I will hear no more of those, Haggo. She wants the girl, she'll have her. Find somewhere else to stick your cock."

Hearing Najo's command, Haggo wasted no time spitting on the ground before unsheathing his arakh. "A Khal who takes orders from a foreign whore is no Khal at all."

Seeing the fight that was about to occur, Ser Rickard grabbed Joanna by the arm, pulling her back.

One of Najo's bloodrider was about to intervene with what Haggo was about to do, but Najo stopped him. "I have this handled," He announced, standing up from his seat.

Haggo wasted no time rushing at Najo, beginning to swing at him. Najo made no attempt to unsheathe his daggers. He instead began to avoid every slash Haggo made with his arakh as if it were the easiest thing in the world.

Haggo swung his arakh at Najo once more and the curve of the blade ended up nearly touching Najo.

However, before Najo could even attempt to attack Haggo, Dreamer lunged at Haggo, tackling him to the ground.

Haggo's arakh flew several feet away and the Dothraki watched in disbelief as Dreamer bit into Haggo's neck. The Dothraki man screamed, trying to fight the large direwolf off as she bit into him viciously."

Soon enough, he was dead, though and with that, Dreamer climbed off of Haggo's dead body, casually walking back over to Joanna. She laid at Joanna's feet, innocently looking up at Najo as she whined with blood covering the white fur around her snout.

Joanna had a content expression after what had happened. She glanced around at all of the Dothraki, who immediately knew the bond Joanna had with the direwolf was what made such a thing happen.

Joanna couldn't truly fight herself, but it didn't mean Dreamer wouldn't do it for her.

"Would anyone else care to defy me and the Khal again?" She casually spoke up in a loud, powerful tone that made even Najo smile.

After a moment, she rushed over to her husband, who hugged her tightly and pressed a kiss to her forehead. He kept his eyes locked on the direwolf, however, visibly astonished by what had just happened.

____

Upon learning that Casterly Rock had been taken back by Lyanna, Eddard found himself stuck on what to do next. Lyanna would surely want to take King's Landing, but where would that leave him?

The Riverlords and the Knights of the Vale had practically ditched him to join his sister's side instead. As much as he wanted to be angry about that, he knew there was no need. They all wanted the same thing. Vengeance.

Lyanna wanted King's Landing to be Queen. Eddard was only planning to take it because he wanted to kill the Tyrells and that was where most of them were.

However, now he only had the Northerners and the Free Folk. That didn't matter, though. He didn't have to worry about the South anymore. The South wasn't his. The North was.

"Come back to bed," A voice suddenly spoke up, causing Eddard to turn his head to see that Allyria was awake.

She sat up from the bed, wrapping herself up in a robe before walking over to her husband and king.

"The Riverlords are gone, as are the Knights of the Vale," Eddard complained, tossing one of the battle marks on the ground in frustration, "They've ditched me and rallied to my sister's side. What can I expect, though? She is the rightful heir. I am nothing but the second-born child, the back up if Lyanna were to die."

"You shouldn't think of yourself in such a way, Eddard," Allyria told him softly as she stood next to him, "You could always rally to her side, you know."

"Trust me, my sister is planning something that I have no intent on being apart of," Eddard admitted quietly, an uneasy look on her face, "She's more lion than she is wolf, and she's bloodthirsty."

"Can you blame her? She was kept captive for several months by them," Allyria complained, but by the look on Eddard's face, she knew she was missing something, "What?"

"The way my sister killed that man so easily, I believe it was planned this entire time. She's been purposely waiting. She's surely been planning. I'm afraid what my dear sister has planned for Margaery Tyrell is something I do not wish to be apart of." He explained, an uneasy look on his face.

"Then, what shall we do?" Allyria found herself asking, a curious look on her face, "Head back North?"

"Definitely not," Eddard argued, shaking his head. He remained silent, trying to think of a plan, "We can't take King's Landing, Lyanna will be doing that, but..." He trailed off, beginning to smile.

"During their first war, my mother and father took Casterly Rock," He confessed, his eyes widening in realizing, "The Northern army could take Highgarden."

"We know nothing of sieges," Allyria complained and Eddard knew she had a point.

"My sister is said to be sailing here with Dothraki savages," Eddard revealed to Allyria, who felt uneasy about the thought, "Euron Greyjoy plans to bring them here. Forty-thousand men. If we convince them to go to the Reach to cause chaos, they'll cause such a stink that the people of the Reach will do anything to be spared, even surrender Highgarden."

"What makes you think they'll listen?" Allyria found herself asking Eddard, referring to the Dothraki.

"They'll listen to their queen," Eddard answered, meaning Joanna.

__

   
     Weeks later, the black cells, Annalys sat alone in the dark. She wore a raggedy shift and began to cough, finding a bit of difficulty breathing due to the terrible conditions.

The Maesters treated her and cured her of her sickness, which Annalys didn't understand. Why didn't they let her die?

She was clearly missing something and she felt the need to know what it was.

Annalys suddenly frowned, turning her head when the door to her cell opened.

Margaery, of all people, entered, a kind smile on her face. She held a bowl of food in her hand as well.

Annalys remained in place, too weak to move toward the woman who had ruined her life and took her baby.

"You've lost a hand," Margaery spoke up, giving Annalys a sympathetic look that was obviously fake, "It's a good thing I've brought you food that doesn't require a fork or a spoon."

She walked over to Annalys, placing a bowl of fresh fruit and bread in front of the Lannister woman. Annalys didn't take any, though, fearing it was poisoned.

Why else would she offer her prisoner fresh fruits and bread?

Margaery stood back up, backing away from Annalys. "Why are you here?" Annalys found herself asking Margaery in a cold tone.

"I've come to tell you myself since Robb cannot," Margaery informed, who immediately turned to her with a worried look at the mention of her husband, "He sacrificed everything to keep you from dying. You're alive because of his decision."

"What are you talking about?" Annalys asked in concern, tears beginning to form in her eyes, "What did my husband do?"

"He isn't your husband anymore," Margaery replied in a calm tone, "Your marriage was annulled this morning. He is to marry me in a few weeks time."

Annalys tried her hardest not to cry. She wanted Robb to do it so badly. She begged him, but it didn't mean she expected to be alive when it happened.

Margaery continued to smile as she took a step toward the Lannister woman. "I understand why you had so many children with him now. After marrying your brother, I thought I'd never be pleased in bed in the way I was while with a lion of the rock, but I was proven wrong these past weeks in the time I've spent with the Young Wolf. I dare say he's more wolf than he is man. No wonder you spent most of your time as Queen in bed with him."

"Did he take you from behind?" Annalys casually asked without a care in the world and Margaery's silence caused her to laugh, "I suppose his sexual prowess with you was only because he was imagining me," She paused, beginning to smirk, "Ever heard the story of Eleanor Mallister, Margaery? The only woman Robb ever bedded besides me. He was drunk and only did it because technically, from the back, you could say she looked a bit like me with her golden locks and nice ass. When he fucked her, though, it was my name he called out as he spilled his seed inside her. Did the same occurrence happen to you, love?"

    Margaery glared at Annalys, who began to laugh. "Or perhaps he didn't even finish. I wouldn't be surprised. You're truly not all that..." Annalys trailed off, beginning to smirk evilly as she spoke in a sarcastic tone, "If you'd like, I can give you a few tips. There's this thing I do with my tongue, works wonders on the men, especially Robb. I could show you if you'd like—"

"Baby Alerie said her first word yesterday," Margaery suddenly interrupted Annalys, causing the Lannister woman to immediately shut up and lead to her smile disappearing, "She called me, 'Mama'. How adorable is that?"

   It was as though Annalys' entire expression had changed. She picked up her bowl of fruit and tossed it at Margaery. "Get out, you hateful whore!" She roared at Margaery angrily, the true lioness in her coming out for the first time in months, "I hope you're fucking happy. You think you have all the power, but you have none. My children travel south with twice the men that you have. And while you're at it, I hope you enjoy fucking Robb, too. You and I both know that even if he's inside of you, it is I he imagines. I am what he pictures when he spills his seed inside you. You could only wish that it was you, but that wish will never come true. Remember that the next you think you're winning when you bed him. Remember that he's taking you from behind because it is me he's picturing in his mind in order to finish."

   Annalys grabbed onto the wall, pushing herself onto all fours as she stared up at Margaery. "It doesn't matter how many times my daughter calls you 'mama', either. I am her mother, the woman who gave birth to her, the woman who nearly died in order to bring her into this world. Even if I am dead, Robb will make sure our little girl grows up knowing who her real mother is. She'll know the woman who claims to be her mother is a fake and is the one who took her real mother away from her in the first palce. Remember that, Margaery, when you think you are winning in all of this."

Not being able to take all that Annalys was saying, Margaery glared at the Lannister woman before leaving the room.

AUTHOR'S NOTE:

Damn Annalys really snapped 😂😭

Poor Eddard tho the Riverlords and the Knights of the Vale basically ditched Eddard for Lyanna cuz she's the rightful heir.

Dreamer really did THAT to save Najo tho 😭😬