Above the Land and Across Time

Hello everyone. Sorry for the delay. Been busy preparing for a Master's Degree program I will be starting soon. Anyway, aside from that, I wanted to take a moment before we begin to mention something important.

This chapter is the last one from the Sixth Story Arc: Pacts of Salt and Snow. As you must have imagined by now, the plural in there was part of the reason we not only focused on Jon's negotiations with Yara and Theon but also those important Euron-centric scenes that are setting up important plot points on his end, not to mention the revelation of another person with Stark blood in the form of Shallan. That said, for those that didn't like his scenes that much, and I know there were a few, know that after the end of this arc, we are not getting more scenes with him as the focus and POV character for a few arcs, until open hostilities between Jon's domains and the Iron Islands begin in Story Arc Ten: A War of Ice and Iron. So, if you were getting tired of his scenes in the story, you can rest easy on that front for quite a while now.

Oh and also, this chapter will also feature the introduction of a character from the books that never made it into the TV Show. Just so you know it's not an OC if you have never read the books.

Well, that's all for now. Hope you like the conclusion to Story Arc Six.

Read, enjoy, and review!

Isle of the Gods: Free City of Braavos

A few minutes later, once the initial shock had subsided and she added some explanations, Jon Stark watched on as Arya started talking with the High Priestess of the Moonsingers, now with the understanding that they were third cousins. The news came as a big surprise to be sure, but it was a welcomed one and Arya seemed to agree.

"So many members of our family have been killed or been lost in the last few years," She said in a sad tone even if her face remained neutral. "So, it is good to find you, even if we had never met before today."

Shallan smiled widely. "And I am happy to be found. I don't mean to overstep my boundaries but...can I please hug you?"

His little sister rolled her eyes a bit, but he still noticed the grin on her lips. "Fine, I suppose you can."

The young king raised an eyebrow at that response, wondering why exactly his sister was allowing their newfound cousin to embrace her so quickly after their meeting. She rarely allowed herself to show those kinds of emotions, especially in public and while they just discovered that they are related, Arya is not even that close to her full-blooded older sister to begin with.

Then he saw her staring at him while clearly trying to give him a signal by tilting her head towards their cousin, her eyes urgent. And it hit him.

"She wants me to try to see if my powers work on her," He realized in silence. "She is still not comfortable with the idea that she may have to bear my children in order to overcome the blocks on my powers if we cannot find more young women related enough to me, so she is a bit relieved we have found Shallan."

Shaking his head, he tried to quickly come up with a simple wish that would let him know if the High Priestess would fall under the influence of his godly powers. He finally thought of an easy enough test as they were breaking away from the hug.

"I wish that Shallan Ravad's hair would become purple for the next 10 seconds but that no one but me would be able to notice," He said internally as he willed his thoughts into reality; making sure not to add Arya to the wording so that her presence in the sentence wouldn't obscure the true results.

By the time the High Priestess of the Moonsingers turned around, his eyes widened, for her heir had indeed turned purple.

"Well, I'll be," He thought to himself. "It actually worked. I guess that answers the question for third cousins then."

Shallan raised an eyebrow when she noticed the look on his face. "Is something the matter, your Grace? You look even more shocked now."

"I can imagine," He ended up saying. "I was just...coming to realize something."

Arya stared at him deeply at that comment, and she was probably able to read between those lines. Jon shook his head as if to clear it and decide to take control of the conversation before he would be **** to actually lie to her directly.

"I have to agree with Arya; it is very good to find you," He said with a bittersweet smile. "But I am afraid we have delayed long enough, and we really need to start heading back to the North. Our bannermen are counting on us. But I do hope we can see each other soon, be it here in Braavos or back in Westeros after the last of your years of service are done."

Shallan sighed. "I completely understand. And yes, at one point I would like to visit the land of my great-great-grandfather so I will try to visit in two years or so, once my time as High Priestess comes to an end. And if it is not too much to ask, when the time comes, watching the lands of the North from dragonback would be a dream come true."

The secret god chuckled. "I am sure that can be arranged at some point. Until then, take care of yourself, will you?"

"I could say the same," The Moonsinger healer added with a nod. "After all, you are the one flying into a battlefield."

"I will be fine," He assured her while caressing his Ice Dragon's head, who craned her neck at the touch.

"Well, then I guess I will take your word for it," She said with a shrug. "Anyway, you should know before you leave, that while word will eventually spread that the Braavos will formally seek an alliance with your domains through an actual treaty and that the Iron Bank has decided to support you, we have decided to keep one of the reasons for that as a highly guarded secret from the public. That being, the Prophecy of Liberation itself," She explained. "We believe it may not be a good idea to reveal that information yet. After all, aside from Braavos and Pentos, all the other Free Cities practice slavery so it wouldn't be a good idea to have them take the prophecy seriously early on and band together against you."

Jon inhaled sharply, as he considered that possibility and once again, felt the weight of that enormous bit of foresight on his shoulders. "Makes sense," He finally said.

With that, Shallan bowed to him.

"As I said, I am blessed to have met you, Jon," She reiterated with a smile. "I hope we can meet again soon."

And with that, his cousin turned around and walked away.

The King of the North and the Trident took a moment to stare at her retreating back before turning around. “Well then,” He said with a growing grin. “Are you ready to fly to Westeros?”

Arya, who had already experienced that a bit, brightened considerably. Bellegere on her part looked a bit nervous but soon enough, her eyes hardened.

“I always wanted to connect to my ancestral, dragonriding heritage,” The descendant of King Aegon IV responded. “I am sure it will take some getting used to, but I can’t say I am not excited either so…yes, I believe I am ready to fly at last.”

His sister chuckled. “Trust me, you’ll love it! I only flew above the canals for a bit, but it was still wondrous.”

“And I can vouch for my sister’s opinion there,” Jon said in agreement. “I hadn’t had this familiar for long but there really is nothing like flying on dragon back.”

“Well then,” The exotic-looking woman said with a short laugh. “Let’s get to it then.”

At that, they waited for Jon to climb his mighty she-dragon first, positioning himself at the front of the large saddle. Then, Arya did the same and placed her arms around her brother’s back, followed by Bellegere on the back.

The young god focused on his mental bond with his remarkable dragon, and he could have sworn he noticed a slight smirk of contentment on her face. Then she extended her wings and took off, leaving the Isle of the Gods down below.

Bellegere screamed for a moment, made brief when Arya told her to hold on to her more tightly while she did the same around his back.

Jon chuckled and once he was sure there wouldn’t be an issue, he set course towards the Titan of Braavos and landed at the top of its iron helmet.

The Black Pearl couldn’t help but gasp as she stared at the city from there; the common fog that surrounds the city every now and then obscuring some sights but still a new experience for her.

"I always wondered how my home would look from here, so high above," Bellegere said from behind him, her tone amazed. "Now I don't have to wonder anymore. Thank you."

"Don't mention it," Jon replied. "It was the least I could do now that my presence has changed your plans for the future. And believe me, you will see more sights from the skies before long."

He couldn't see it but he had a feeling that the new representative to his court just smiled widely. "I can't wait. I think I am ready now so why don't you head back North. I believe there is a battle of lead by bastards you need to get ready for."

Despite everything, Jon actually laughed merrily at that. "Oh, I think I am going to enjoy having you around. But you are right, we have been delayed long enough."

Then his eyes hardened. "And Ramsay and I have a grudge to settle."

After reminding them to hold on tight, he urged his enormous friend to fly. And so, she took off, a roar emerging from her chest as the ships bellowed were covered beneath the shadow of her wings.

"Hold on, Sansa," Jon thought. "We are coming."

A few hours later:

South of Seagard: Western Coastline of the Riverlands

Euron Greyjoy watched from the open door that led to his cabin as the smaller boat approached his flagship. He had arrived just in time to meet with the small group of Iroborn he had previously sent on a mission to the Riverlands to retrieve another important piece to his plans. And they had arrived at the coast of the western coastline of the Riverlands, just south of Seagard, without encountering too much trouble, exactly as he had predicted.

Then again, the Greenseer King could understand that it didn't necessarily take visions of the future to foresee that. After all, most of the Riverlords forces were focused on keeping the Lannister-backed soldiers from their land, and the rest of their bannermen were focusing on keeping the Twins besieged, led by Lord Mallister and Lord Tully. There was even talk of a few soldiers from Bear Island reinforcing them, but he hadn't been able to verify those reports yet.

He was snapped out of his thoughts when the trio of Ironborn renowned for their stealth raids climbed their way to the deck of the Silence, and brought a crone of a woman with them, exactly as he had commanded. She walked with a gnarled black cane; her white hair so long it almost touched the ground as they brought her inside before Euron nodded at them with a pleased look on his face and dismissed them so that he could talk to his new guest alone.

Her flesh was very pale, and she had red eyes. Moreover, she was no more than three feet tall, effectively making her a dwarf.

The King of the Iron Islands smirked when he sensed her similar power, becoming sure it was her.

“The famous Ghost of High Heart,” Euron chuckled, as he looked at the short and very old woman. “It is an honor to finally meet you."

The elderly woman only looked at him, a calculating gaze on her eyes, so the monarch continued.

"I have heard the rumors about you, of course. Even read the parts from an account on the life of Prince Duncan Targaryen that mentioned you when he returned to court with his lowborn wife, Jenny of the Oldstones. She claimed you were a Child of the Forest,” He explained as he stared at her, penetrating her with his gaze.

Then he nodded as he confirmed through his senses when looking at her that the sensation was similar to what he felt whenever he had encounter wargs…only much more strongly than usual. In fact, he had only felt power from the Old Gods on that scale during the visits the Three-eyed Greenseer that rejected him had once paid to his dreams…but her inherent might was still lesser than his.

“The Maester, on the other hand, claimed you couldn’t be an actual Child of the Forest,” The King went on, she remained silent in her stares. “But a wood witch at most and even then, not a particularly powerful one, since magic had dwindled so much since the Doom of the Valyrian…well, until recently anyway,” He acknowledged. “But they were both wrong, weren’t they?” Euron asked.

The albino, red-eyed woman said nothing, just kept staring at him and Euron came to realize she was also sensing the power within him. He smirked at that and decided to voice out his suspicions.

“One of your parents was a Child of the Forest, yes, but the other was an ordinary human, right?” He finally asked.

At that, the dwarf-looking woman looked up further and locked her gaze with him.

“It has been a long, long time since I have seen one of your kind,” She ended up saying.

Euron’s smirk widened. “What? A fellow Greenseer?”

The woman’s red eyes narrowed, her head shaking. “An abomination of magic.”

The King’s smile faded. “Care to repeat that?”

The ancient being hit the deck of the ship with her cane, looking disgusted but also, more than a little baffled.

“How have you even managed to become proficient on so many different and even conflicting forms of higher power?” She asked, her confusion having an edge of accusation in her tone. “You are clearly a powerful Greenseer even if, like me, you are not part of one of the unbroken lines of guardians that date back to the Age of Heroes and inherit the knowledge of their predecessors. But the rest that I can smell in you?” The half-children of the forest shook her head. “How? And why? You reek of sacrifice and Blood Magic and not of insignificant forms of bloodletting either. Besides, the stench of artifacts from the Dragonlords of old clings to you like parasites on a predator.”

Then she inhaled even more deeply, her eyes closed. “You have also been in close proximity to enchanted flames, even if you didn’t form them yourself…shade of the evening is a familiar taste to your lips, and it has opened doorways in your mind…you have dabbled in the rare art of aeromancing as well and…is that the taint of shadowbinding…? No…it is even worse than that…”

Her eyes snapped open. “Oh no…a powerful god is watching over you, as you try to fulfill your ambitions.”

That sounded more like a statement than a question, so Euron’s smirk returned.

“Indeed,” The King of the Iron Islands said. “The Drowned God has deemed me worthy of leading my people to their next golden age.”

The Ghost of High Heart looked at him, her red eyes grim. “I didn’t say his continued involvement in your life was a good thing.”

The Greenseer monarch scoffed. “And how would you know anything about that? Did you have a vision on the matter? Or a dream where the Weirwoods whispered the future to you? If so, need I remind you that watching the future and being able to interpret it well are two very different things?”

The Ghost of High Heart grip tightened around her cane. “You should listen to your own advice.”

“Oh, but I do,” He assured her. “And my visions have been so accurate, especially when my powers combine with the divine guidance of the Seastone Chair, that I have every reason to believe my interpretations have been as correct as the fact the tides will ebb and flow.”

“Says the abomination of magic who is arrogant enough to think there won’t be a costly price for all of this,” The Half-Child of the Forrest said.

Euron gritted his teeth. “You are lucky I need you alive for now. I have maimed disrespectful people for less. But make no mistake, I can still make the next few months a much more unpleasant experience than it has to be.”

The short woman said nothing to that, but her glare didn’t lessen. Euron rolled his eyes.

“Good thing I need you for your power and not your interpretation skills too, given that I also read about your considerable error in judgment in that book,” He noted. “After all, it wasn’t until they heard your prophecy about how the Prince that was Promised would come from the line of the Mad King and Rhaella Targaryen, that their father Prince Jaehaerys II insisted that they marry. Given how Rhaegar and all his children were killed in Robert’s Rebellion, I would have been inclined to call you a fraud if I didn’t know better.”

For the first time since they brought her aboard, the Ghost of High Heart started smiling, the act filling her red eyes.

“So, the god that supports you has chosen not to tell you that the line of Rhaegar Targaryen still lives? How…peculiar.”

The King of the Iron Islands stared at her flatly, his head tilting as he took a moment to take her words seriously instead of dismissing them outright. But then, his eyes widened by the second as so many things he had heard or learned suddenly started to fall into place.

The Crowned Prince **** Lyanna Stark…the infuriatingly honorable Ned Stark returning home from the war with a bastard of all things…said bastard now having successfully gained control of a dragon…

For the first time in years, Euron Greyjoy actually gasped in shock.

“By all the fucking gods,” He swore. “It is Jon bloody Snow, isn’t it? He is the actual heir to House Targaryen and that, along with his Stark blood, is why he was able to bond with an actual Ice Dragon!”

“Hmph,” The short Greenseer muttered. “You are less stupid than you look. But yes, not that the knowledge will do you any good, if my dreams will go down the route I think they will.”

For the first time since being crowned and blessed on the same day, the powerful Sorcerer King felt uncertain, doubts growing in his mind. Especially wondering why exactly had the crone before him gained such valuable, prophetic information but not him and despite the fact he had the direct guidance from a god and not just fragmented pieces in half-forgotten dreams.

“Tell me all you know about those dreams you are talking about,” He demanded.

“I will find a way to kill myself before I tell you,” The white-haired woman declared. “And at my extremely advanced age, it wouldn’t take much effort, I assure you.”

Euron clenched his teeth, wishing he could slit her throat right then and there. But he stayed his hand, knowing she was still too valuable for his future plans...it was extremely unlike that he would be able to find another Greenseer in time. A Warg perhaps, but not an actual Greenseer.

“Very well then, I suppose you can keep that to yourself,” He growled. “But know that after that comment, you WILL be under constant guard until the time comes that I’ll need your might for my ritual. Are we clear?”

The Half-Child of the Forrest just shrugged.

A few seconds later, the King of the Iron Islands called out for his men and instructed them not to take her out of their sight and most importantly, to not let her kill herself. Then, they left him alone to his own thoughts.

“I can’t allow this kind of information to spread,” He realized, his tone barely above a whisper. “For all my visions of victory, they were still close calls, and many factors could influence a different outcome. If it becomes common knowledge that the new King in the North and the Trident is also a Targaryen and with a dragon to prove it, it's entirely possible that more houses from the South will join him and add their banners to his cause when he invades the Iron Islands. I need to keep this revelation to myself for now.”

Nodding to himself another thought abruptly crossed his mind, and he couldn’t help but chuckle.

“I can’t believe I am saying this but I am proud of you, Ned Stark,” He murmured in an admiring tone. “Now that was quite the enormous deception you managed to pull on the entire realm. Most impressive."

Well, that happened XD

Sorry for the R+L+J tease, but it was an important piece of set-up for the future. Jon will actually come to know the truth eventually though.

And yes, for those that had been wondering what was the big secret of House Forrester after that cliffhanger in Ironrath, the answer will arrive early into Story Arc Seven: Rise of the Dragonwolf. And yes, if it wasn't clear, my version of the Battle of the Bastards will occur in that one.

Until then, have fun with what brings you joy and if you have things to say about the chapter, I would like to read your thoughts down below. Until next time everyone.