I walk to Tormund as we arrive on Dragonstone, he greets me with a smile.

"Are you ready to face the people of the North?" He asks, I grin.

"Ready as I'll ever be."

...

I sit within my cabin on our ship, brushing through my silver hair with only a small red dress of silk covering my skin, when there's a knock on the door. I open it to reveal Tormund, holding a glass vase full of bright red flowers.

"I meant to give these to you before we left Dragonstone, I found them around the castle while you were at King's Landing." He tells me, I smile at him as that familiar feeling of heat travels to my cheeks.

"Come in, set them beside the mirror. Thank you Tormund, your kindness never fails to make me smile." I shut the door behind him as he sets down the vase. He turns to face me with a smile on his face, seeming nervous to tell me something. "Is something on your mind?" I grin at him, feeling as though I know what he means to tell me. I gather my hair to one shoulder, sitting down atop the blankets on my bed.

"Princess, I-" He stops, walking to kneel in front of me. He takes my hand and looks up at me, I smile down at him. "When I first saw you, what I felt was an attraction to the way you held yourself, the way you looked walking into that throne room on Dragonstone. But since then, I have become attracted to everything that you are. The way you speak of those you love, your fierce leadership, the way you laugh, all of it. I could not go on knowing you any longer without telling you this." Butterflies circle within my stomach as I stare back into his eyes. I pull my hands from his and place them on his cheeks, he gently moves his hands to rest on the back of my calves.

"Tormund, you have been the shining light in my life since I met you." A smile grows even larger on his face. I lean down and place my lips onto his, he moves his hands to my hips as he gently kisses me.

"You do not know how long I have saved my kiss for you, Rhaenyra Targaryen."

...

Tormund offers me his hand as I come to a stop within the walls of Winterfell. I take it and slide from my horse, looking around at the massive stone walls of House Stark. I look up to see the red hair of Sansa Stark watching us, I offer her a smile in which she takes a moment to return. Tormund places a hand on the small of my back and leads me inside the walls following Jon. Odanno and Kivi remain only steps behind.

"I looked forward to meeting you since we left Dragonstone, Lady Stark. Jon has told me much about you." I say, offering a small bow to her. She studies me for a moment before offering a gentle smile.

"Jon has sent me many ravens about you, and your beliefs. I notice they don't always match your Queen's." I nod to Odanno and he rushes Kivi along to take my things to my bed chambers.

"Daenerys and I have very different views of how to approach Westeros and the North." We walk through the halls and onto the balconies outside. "I have never agreed with her idea that all of Westeros should bow to her simply based on family name. Our family name is not exactly one with the fondest memories behind it, which is why I would have never advised Jon to bend the knee to her." She looks at me in surprise.

"You did not think he should bow to her?" I shake my head.

"I believe that House Targaryen and House Stark would make powerful allies. I don't believe it is wise to force the people of the North into submission. This is how Daenerys will lose any and all support from them." She looks to me and a small smile grows on her face.

"I'm glad you have come to Winterfell, anyone else with some sense is one I will gladly call a friend." She looks out over her home, the people of the north tending to horses and preparing hot meals. "We should head inside, Jon will want to call his bannermen together soon."

...

I sit beside Odanno with Sansa on my other side, Jon and Daenerys beside her. All of Jon's bannermen stand before us, the Great Houses of the North taking front and center.

"We did not name you king for you to bend the knee to a Targaryen, Jon Snow." Lyanna Mormont tells him, the others murmur in agreement.

"The danger lies beyond the politics of who will rule Westeros now, the army of the dead will kill us all if we don't stop them. This is the only chance we have." Jon says, Tyrion leans forward.

"Cersi has pledged to a cease fire, and has agreed to send the Lannister army to aid in our efforts." He says, offering me a subtle glance, Sansa notices this. The Northmen becoming even more displeased, their words flying with anger.

"I gathered enough provisions for Winterfell to last the winter, I didn't account for three dragons and two entire armies. What do dragons eat, anyway?" She says, staring straight at Daenerys.

"Whatever they want." Dany tells her, venom slick in her voice. I look at Odanno, displeasure on my face ay Daenerys' hostility. Sansa stands from her seat and leaves the room, I wait a few moments for Dany to stand and follow her.

"You couldn't have expected a warm welcome from the North, you know how they remember your father." I tell her, she does not look at me.

"You know them so well? As well as you knew Cersi?" I clench my jaw and allow her to walk off ahead of me, instead heading towards Sansa. She stands staring into the horizon atop one of the walls of Winterfell.

"Cersi won't keep to her word, you know. She won't send her army." She says as I approach her, I take a deep breath and join her by her side.

"I know." I tell her, we stand beside one another in silence.

...

Jon leads me down the stairs into the crypts of Winterfell, lighting the torches as he goes. Statues of Stark's, new and old, line the room. He takes my hand and leads me to the statue of a beautiful woman.

"Lyanna Stark." He says, I look back to the statute in disbelief. "Your mother." I step forward and place a hand on the cold face of her statue before lowering myself to the ground to drag my fingertips across her name.

"Thank you, Jon." I say, he places a hand on my shoulder and squeezes.

"Jon!" I hear a voice call, we look to see Samwell Tarly. I stand beside Jon and smile at him. "Jon, Rhaenyra, I'm grateful you both are here."

"What is it, Sam? What's wrong? Is it Gilly? Little Sam?" Jon asks, placing a hand on his shoulder.

"Don't you know? She executed my father Jon, my brother." Sam says, I look away, unable to meet his eyes.

"I'm sorry Sam, but we need to win this war." Sam looks to me, I force myself to meet his gaze.

"Would you have done it?" I stare at him, my face frozen as he looks at me with eyes full of grief.

"No, no I wouldn't have. But I'm not Queen, Sam." I shake my head and begin to walk away from him.

"You are a Queen, you always have been." Sam's eyes are wide as he stares at me.

"Holding Dragonstone when Daenerys takes the throne will not make me a Queen." Sam shakes his head and follows after me, Jon close behind him.

"I'm not talking about Dragonstone, I'm talking about the bloody Seven Kingdoms!" I turn to look at him in confusion, Jon looking just as bewildered. "Bran and I, we worked it out. I had a high septum's diary, Bran had... whatever Bran has." Jon steps to stand beside me.

"What are you talking about, Sam?" Shock still rests upon my face.

"Your mother was Lyanna Stark, you father was Rhaegar Targaryen." Sam pulls his eyes off mine to meet Jon's. "These are your true parents too, Jon." He looks back to me. "Robert never killed your brother, Rhaenyra. He stands right beside you." I look at Jon in disbelief. "You've never been bastards, you are Aegon and Rhaenyra Targaryen." Sam looks back to me. "You are the true heir to the Iron Throne."

"This can't be true." I say, my mind racing as it fills with a million thoughts.

"I'm sorry, I know it's a lot to take in." Sam says, I stumble back and Jon catches me. I collapse to the ground and Jon kneels in front of me, placing a hand on my face.

"My father was the most honorable man I ever met, you're saying he lied to me my entire life?" Jon says to Sam, not taking his eyes off of me. I can hardly hear either of them anymore as the realization sets in, sending my hands shaking and my mind into a fog.

"Ned Stark promised your mother he would always protect you, and he did! Robert would have murdered you if he knew you survived. Just like he made everyone believe he did." Sam says, remaining where he stands. "You are the true Queen, Rhaenyra Targaryen, second of her name, protector of the realm, all of it."

"Daenerys is our Queen." I say, finding myself having to force the words out.

"She shouldn't be." Sam tells me.

"It's treason." I meet his eyes with fearful ones.

"It's the truth." I look back to Jon, his face riddled with conflict. "You gave up your crown to save your people, would she do the same?" I look to Jon as defeat covers my face, knowing the answer to his question.