Lions, Wolves, Falcons and Dragons

Rodrik

"Are you sure?"

"Yes, your grace, I will remain here and mine."

It didn't feel right, leaving another friend on this accursed island which killed one already.

Yet, time is of the essence. The siege of King's Landing has to happen, it has to begin so the Seven Kingdoms can turn their eyes towards the enemy in the North.

That reminds him of the letter Jon wrote to him, they are breaking camp at Long Lake and heading for the Wall, to man it's many castles and is simply awaiting the obsidian to arrive via ship, they hope to get at least ten to fifteen thousand shards, maybe more than that so every man has a weapon to defend themselves.

"Orion, I charge you to safely bring as many weapons to the Wall as possible, even if you must carve this entire island." He told Orion, his hand uneasily placing itself on his kinsmen's shoulder.

"I promise you, my King. I will not fail you." Orion told him before heading back inside with some of the others, he smiled and turned away, whispering that he knows he won't.

The final battle with the Lannister's is approaching, the cause to bring some semblance of justice to the Realm will be fulfilled.

It made him think of his father- A man who tried to gather evidence against the Queen and her brother but died from Baelish's schemes. He thought of Ned, his brother who tried to stem the chaos by himself, an act he still shamefully wishes he had helped. Robb Stark and Stannis Baratheon came to his mind, one that betrayed him and another that he couldn't protect.

Robb, Ned, his father, Stannis. All these men rose in a time of chaos to bring back order and justice, and now, he has to finish it, finish bringing back justice to the world and to those who have forgotten it.

Even siding with my father's enemies, and I hope Robert can forgive me. He thought as he walked on.

Daenerys Targaryen. Sansa Stark and Waymar Royce. Himself- And now, even House Tyrell. The Seven Kingdoms are united at last, if only it didn't take so much blood to make it so, but that is the way of the world, the old world.

But no more, he will ensure that any disagreements made will be talked through with words and debate, not the neighs of cavalry or the cries of battle.

Over the last three days, he's been speaking to Tyrion. No, that isn't right, he's been forced to converse. He and the little lion man spoke about their journey, about the future and what will happen once Cersei and the Dead are defeated, not all of the talk was about peace.

Tyrion said that Daenerys is like him, stubborn and stuck to pride, the dwarf commented that with his dragon and the army he controls that he is Daenerys biggest threat once all other's are gone. He almost felt flattered, that is how it has always been since the beginning of the rebellion.

House Arryn began the rebellion in Gulltown, his father helped Ned and Robert rally the Stormlands, Riverlands, and the North against the Mad King. And that he did it himself, with the exception of the Stormlands stands in the way of another Conquest? It seemed almost meant to be, almost.

"The ship is ready, with the Dragon Queen's fleet. Are you going with us, or on your beast?" Brienne broke him from his thoughts as he approached the castle.

"I think I'll go on Sheepstealer, you go on ahead, I'll catch up." He told her before heading inside and reading himself, with Pods help he got into his armor. "Thank you, Podrick, now go on, I am sure your knight needs her Squire." Pod smirked before leaving but stopped at the door.

"May the Gods keep you, King Rodrik." Pod said to him, he smiled and gave a nod to the younger man.

"You too, Podrick Payne." He watched Podrick leaving, he thought he was alone but there was another visitor, an unexpected one at that.

Daenerys Targaryen.

"You know, the surprise appearances like this is going to give me an injury. What do I owe the pleasure, Daenerys." He noticed the annoyance in not begin called Queen, and he relished in that, somewhat. Looking her over, he noticed she isn't armored, "You ever been in a battle, you usually need some protection. The dragons will only keep you so far, but it only needs one lucky archer to hit you." He teased and she remained silent, more than likely not wanting to respond, but she ended up doing so.

"I never had participated in a battle, that is true." She said and he was almost shocked that she'd agree, but then she spoke once more. "Yet I won my fair share of battles all the same, from Qarth to Mereen, I survived and left my enemies bent or broken. I may not have fought in a literal sense, Lord Arryn, but I've conquered." He nodded, not noticing how she'd called him Lord once more, what listened to was her telling him about the battles she has won.

"Then I suggest you learn how to wear armor and fight with a sword, otherwise it will be a short conflict when the dead are defeated." He commented with a half-smile. "I must ask, I heard Ser Barristan was with your army, what happened to him?" He asked as he remembered the old knight whom he shared many a conversation.

Daenerys frowned sadly, "Ser Barristan... He died, saving the Commander of my Unsullied. He died a hero." That hurt him to hear, he wished he could have seen the man once more. "You knew him?" He nodded, looking away for a moment.

"I did- I grew up in King's Landing, for part of my life because my father served Robert as his Hand. Now, it seems that everyone in those days is dying, one by one." He said and sighed, "I hope he served you well, he was one of the best and most honorable men I've ever known, right behind my father and Ned." He saw Daenerys tense a little at the mention of Robert, part of him felt sorry for her and the other felt nothing.

She had no response to give back to him, her purple eyes staring like daggers to the throat.

Eventually, however, she started talking once more.

"I like to be positive about all this, Lord Arryn. I would like to believe that once you and I bleed on a field together that you will see me as your Queen." He didn't know many Queens, Cersei came to mind and he 'knows' that woman from front to back, and that she is as paranoid as he'd imagined a Mad King would be. "Ser Barristan sought me out and compared me to my brother, Rhaeger, or at least the part that would make a good ruler. It was my hope that you and others might see that." She added and he wanted to scoff, but couldn't bring out any energy.

"We don't need to be enemies, your Grace. The Seven Kingdoms have always been independent long before your ancestor brought his fire and blood. We can be so again and have peace, we can be better than those that came before us. I only wish you would see that." He was genuine, had to be to get through to her, but he would expect failure as he'd spent too long trying.

Daenerys watched him for a moment, then turning and looking at a map he put on the wall, for coordinated attacks against Cersei and Jaime Lannister.

"... Perhaps there can be, Lord Arryn, but the future is uncertain as my Hand would tell me. I don't truly know you, or Lady Stark, but I do know that my family unified Westeros, when the Hoares raided the Rivers and the Reach fought Dorne, they were all unified... And I must unify them." He frowned, looking to the floor and shaking his head at her response.

"Well, I guess talking will lead to nowhere, not right now." He picked up his helm and shield, "Shall we ride together, then, I am betting that my dragon is faster than your own." He offered with a teasing grin, but the prideful smirk on Daenerys made it all a little exciting.

"Very well, Rodrik the Fierce. Let us fly."

Waymar (three weeks after)

The winds blowing could not hold them, the grounds was forever shaped by the prints of thousands of boots and hoofs, the rolling wheels of siege weapons made their marks on the Earth below.

"Stay close to me, alright? Don't leave my side, not for anything." He told his wife, Sansa nodded with a shaky breath.

"I will, thank you for not making me stay back, I don't want to hear about you dying on me." He smirked and reached a hand over to caress her cheek.

"I won't die on you, my Queen. I will live and fight with you, forever." Their journey is too arduous and tragic to end here of all places.

King's Landing. The city they should have sacked when Stannis pushed his claim, this place will fall, today.

The road getting here was a long one, with much suffering on his part. I lost two brothers, friends I will never see again. Rodrik Arryn brought them back, though, carrying the weight of their deaths and using it as the Vale's strength and resolve.

He looked behind him, seeing the large army of Northmen, Rivermen and the Reaches finest soldiers. Near a hundred-thousand, with more coming from the Stormlands as Rodrik helps Queen Daenerys subjugate the Lords into submission, with their army of Unsullied and Dothraki.

He remembered when they talked with Lord Tarly and his son, how they debated with the man for nearly ten days before Horn Hill sided with the Coalition.

Not as bloody as House Tyrell forced Old Town to heel, the Hightower spent half their force, six-thousand men on the field and another thousand when Garlan broke passed the gates and walls, after that, Lord Hightower surrendered and was sent into exile for their treachery. The Tyrell's suffered a loss of two-thousand in the battle.

His wife's uncle also sent news that he's begun marching to cut off the Lannister escape, so the Kingslayer and his sister doesn't try to ride for the Westerlands. This next Battle at King's Landing is the end for House Lannister- Or at least half of them with the exception of a scant few.

"I received good news, from the North." He turned to look at her, "My brother, Jon, he and the other half of the Northern army made it to the Wall, they are manning the castles as we speak.

That is good news, he hopes his father is doing well.

"I am glad for it, wife. I am- " He was cut off when he heard a horse riding up, he saw it was Garlan Flowers- Well, Tyrell, now.

In the light of keeping House Tyrell in power, the Archmaester of Old Town gathered and legitimized Garlan to lead the Reach as its new Lord. But not King. He wished it were different, but Lady Olenna has decided to try their hand at getting under the good graces of Queen Daenerys.

He hopes this truce with Daenerys is a longlasting one, otherwise, it will be a long war for the unification of Westeros.

War is tiring, for him. He often spoke of getting glory in battle, fighting with a sword in his hand and shield to guard him. All the battles he's fought, the people he's killed and friends he's watched die. War is a young man's game, and though it has been a few years, he feels older than his own father at this point.

It has to end, right? All of it has to end at some point.

"We are not far from King's Landing. I think we should make camp and wait for Queen Daenerys and King Rodrik." The moment the words left Garlan's mouth, a group of loud roars was heard, monstrous but he's heard it enough to get used to them.

Looking above, Sheepstealer's shadow engulfed them, followed by three other dragons. "An army approaches!" One soldier cried out and they rode out and saw the banners of some Stormlords, but mostly the banner of House Targaryen.

"You are wrong, Lord Tyrell." Sansa said, "... They are already here."

Cersei 

"They are here. My enemies." Cersei said to herself, alone until out from the shadows came Qyburn.

"Yes, my Queen. They are here, but we have the means to end their fire... The weapons are prepared." She smirked and turned back to see the largest one, she assumed it must be Rodrik's beast that helped him conquer the North.

But she has Jaime. She has soldiers to protect them. And Wildfire, in the case of her brother losing on the field and the enemy taking her walls and city streets.

Yes, let them bring their fire, she will snuff it out all the same.