"The bastard of Winterfell." Jon almost flinched at hearing his old title. He had grown used to it over the years, but with the knowledge he had now it felt like an even greater injustice.

"The dwarf of Casterly Rock." Tyrion smiled and nodded at him as they exchanged pleasantries on the beach of Dragonstone. After a few polite remarks one of the Queen's other advisors spoke, "Welcome to Dragonstone. Our queen knows it is a long journey. She appreciates the efforts you have made on her behalf. If you wouldn't mind handing over your weapons."

"Tyrion." Jon called out as the Dothraki advanced to take his sword. "Come here for a moment."

The dwarf regarded him skeptically and Jon assured him that it was alright. "I'm not going to behead you. I'll hand it over, I just want you to see it first."

"Ahh, yes. I heard you had acquired a Valyrian-" Tyrion's breath caught in his throat. The sword was a bastard sword, and it was Valyrian steel, as Jon's was rumored to be. However, this was not the ancestral sword of House Mormont. The hilt was encrusted with obsidian, the grip made of red and black leather, and the pommel bore the Targaryen crest. Tyrion couldn't believe his eyes. "Is that?"

"Blackfyre, yes."

"How did you ever find it?" Jon gave him a knowing smile. "I'm sure your Queen would like to hear the tale as well. May I have an audience with her?"

Tyrion nodded, but just as they were about to ascend to the stairs there was a massive roar. Davos and the Northmen fell to the ground, but Jon had readied himself for his encounter with the dragons.

"You'll have to show strength." Bran advised. "They won't want to believe it. You must prove it from the moment you set foot there. You cannot hide from who you are, Jaehaerys. If you're able to claim your birthright you will be able to sway your aunt and unite the realm against the enemy to the North. You must be strong."

"How?"

Bran stared deep into his eyes. "I cannot see all the trials you will face. Blackfyre is in the crypts, placed next to your mother. A gift from your father your uncle never gave you. You have the transcription of the high septon's diary. That will not be enough. When you arrive on Dragonstone you must reach out."

"Reach out where? To whom?"

"The dragons."

Jon scoffed. "The dragons?"

Bran gave him a slight nod, completely serious. "You will share a connection. You must ask them to come to you. You must show that you are the blood of the dragon."

The green dragon had landed behind them on the beach. Jon moved toward it but the Dothraki barred their araks. Rhaegal roared at them and they faltered for a moment, allowing Jon to slip through. He gently held out a hand and Rhaegal nuzzled his snout into it.

Jon took a deep breath and reached out with his mind again, asking permission. Suddenly he was being offered a lowered wing. He climbed onto the dragon's back.

"Jon Snow! Whatever are you doing?" Tyrion was extremely frightened, not only for the fate of Jon, but also his own if any harm befell his Queen's dragon.

"Those are a lot of stairs, Tyrion. I'll meet you at the top, alright?" Jon tried his best to remain serious and hold back a smile. He urged the dragon to fly and he complied. In a flash Jon was experiencing the best feeling he'd ever had. He was fairly certain he may fall off but if he was going to die he would have been satisfied with the fact he was able to experience flight at least once.

He watched as his party ascended the stairs to the castle. He had prepared Davos and his men for this outcome, although not many others knew about his birth. Sansa was the only other advisor he had consulted on the matter.

"You're going to have to walk a very careful line." Sansa had instructed. "She can't think you're so much of a threat that she has to kill you, but she can't think that you're weak enough to dismiss."

"You think my own family would kill me?"

Sansa nodded, like it was obvious. "There are reports that she killed her own brother. The Targaryens have always been ruthless, Jon. You'll need to be ruthless as well."

He nodded and she continued. "I don't want you to give her the North."

"If it comes to it-"

"She's lucky to get six kingdoms and our aid in taking them for her."

He shook his head. "Sansa, if it's the only way to convince her to fight alongside us-"

"You're not going to convince her. You're going to command her. And if she disobeys that command you're going to try to be persuasive before you make threats. But you will have to make threats."

"What threats?"

She sighed. "I don't know, Jon. That the remaining kingdoms will never bow to a woman without your blessing. That the Northerners have bowed to you, the Vale has bowed to you, and the remaining kingdoms will soon follow. That you'll do your damndest to defeat the Night King and that if you do so without her aid we'll go south and take the throne from her."

"Sansa-"

"You need to make it clear that you are the King. You are in command. She is nothing more than the Princess of Dragonstone. You have to be confident, like this isn't something that you've just discovered but that this is something that your entire life has been building to. And it has."

He shook his head. "I don't have a mind for politics."

She gave him a death stare. "I can see that. If you did maybe you wouldn't have gotten killed. But you're going to learn. These will be straightforward negotiations. The North is ours. No one will ever take it from us again. The remaining kingdoms belong to you, but you will graciously cede them to her in exchange for her help in the long night. If she refuses to comply you need to pull rank."

"Pull rank?"

She sighed again. "Jon, you were Commander of the Night's Watch. You've executed men, I know you have. You need to show that same strength. You need to have the upper hand-"

"She has two armies at her back and three dragons! I do not have the upper hand-"

"Let me finish. You have what she's always needed most. You have the birthright. You've taken that from her and I guarantee you she'll want it back. You understand that you have to play the game, don't you? There's too much at stake for honor to hold us back. This isn't about right and wrong, this is about survival."

He huffed and nodded. "I'll do what I have to."

He landed on the cliffs and was soon surrounded by more Dothraki, who roughly escorted him to the castle. He was reunited with Davos and Tyrion in the hall.

"How-" Tyrion began, flabbergasted.

"Was it a pleasant flight, your Grace?" Davos asked nonchalantly.

Jon nodded. "How were the stairs?"

Davos gave him a smile. "You missed out on Tyrion's endless questioning."

Jon sighed. "Well I'm sure I'm bound to hear more of it."

With that they had made their way to the throne room.

Missandei's voice rang out cold and clear. "You stand in the presence of Daenerys Stormborn of House Targaryen, rightful heir to the Iron Throne, rightful Queen of the Andals and the First Men, Protector of the Seven Kingdoms, the Mother of Dragons, the Khaleesi of the Great Grass Sea, the Unburnt, the Breaker of Chains."

Davos cleared his throat, put on a serious expression and stepped forward. "You have the honor of meeting Jaehaerys Targaryen, third of his name, trueborn son of Lyanna Stark and Rhaegar Targaryen. He is the King of the Andals, Rhoynar, and the First Men, the Protector of the Seven Kingdoms, the Resurrected, the former 998th Commander of the Night's Watch, the Bane of the Undead, the King in the North, and the White Wolf."

Tyrion's jaw fell open and they all sat in silence for a moment before he laughed. "Surely you jest."

Jon and Davos didn't move a muscle, deadly serious. Jon spoke after a moment. "Lord Lannister, you would recognize the mark of the citadel, correct?"

Tyrion nodded, suspicious. Davos pulled a sheet of parchment from his pocket and handed it to Jon, who stepped forward to give it to Tyrion. "Does this look authentic to you?"

Tyrion nodded and opened the scroll, eyes widening. Jon spoke again. "Please, read it aloud for all of us."

Tyrion cleared his throat, grimaced, and read. "Know that the marriage between Elia Martell and Rhaegar Targaryen has been annulled and the Crown Prince has been remarried to Lyanna Stark."

He turned to Daenerys. "This is the mark of the citadel."

There was nothing but fire in her eyes. What kind of game was this so-called King in the North playing at, and if what he was saying was true, how had her advisors not known about it?

Jon continued. "Lord Lannister can certainly verify that the sword I carry is Blackfyre, the ancestral blade of our house. Additionally, I was able to ride one of the dragons."

Her nostrils flared and she turned to Tyrion. "He rode one of my dragons?"

Tyrion practically flinched. "Yes. The green one, I believe."

"Rhaegal." Daenerys said with gritted teeth.

Jon gave her a small smile. "Ah, named after my father, I presume? How fitting."

She wasn't amused. "Why are you here?"

Jon took a deep breath and remembered all that Sansa had told him. "I thought I would welcome you home in person, as I know we have much to prepare if we're to win the wars that are facing us."

"Wars?"

He nodded, becoming as serious as he knew how. "Princess Daenerys-"

"Queen." She seethed.

Jon took another deep breath. "My apologies. It was my understanding that you are no longer the Queen of Mereen, is that correct?"

Tyrion spoke. "There is now a council ruling Mereen. The cities in the Bay of Dragons are free cities now."

Jon nodded. "And I commend you for that. But you are not a queen, if that is the case. Unless you would consider yourself queen of the Dothraki?"

Daenerys clenched her jaw. "The proper title is Khaleesi. And I am Queen of the Seven Kingdoms."

Jon shook his head with a slight grimace, knowing he needed to listen to his advisors but hating it. "I am the rightful King of the Seven Kingdoms. As my closest living relative and heir you are Princess of Dragonstone."

She tried to contain her fury and put on a controlled expression. She had to maintain her facade. "What is to stop me from claiming the throne? You have no great armies, no dragons."

He clenched his jaw. "I have the entire North behind me. I have the Vale behind me. Once news of my birth spreads the other kingdoms will bow before their true king. I am the son of the Last Dragon, a son of Westeros. I was born in this country. I grew up here. I've fought here. I've fought for the people here. You are the daughter of the Mad King and a foriegn invader."

She swallowed, still trying to keep her composure. "I am not my father. Just as you are not yours. If it can be believed that Rhaegar was your father."

"You're not your father. But if you kill or usurp me you will prove to all of Westeros that you are."

The fire blazed even brighter in her eyes. "What would you have me do? Step aside and surrender all of my armies to you? They'll never follow you."

Jon shook his head, changing course. "I am prepared to abdicate."

"You are?" Tyrion was shocked.

Jon nodded. "I have some conditions, of course."

"What conditions?" Daenerys asked, trying to resist the urge to have Qhono throw this would-be usurper in the cells.

Davos spoke. "The North will remain a free and independent kingdom. King Jaehaerys will continue to hold the title of King in the North. And you will bring your forces North and fight alongside us when the time comes."

"When what time comes?" Tyrion asked.

Jon steadied himself. He had to make her understand. If she refused him all had been for naught. "The tales of the Long Night are true. And the army of the dead is 100,000 strong, led by the Night King. Unless we kill the Night King it doesn't matter who sits on the Iron Throne. They'll be a corpse by the time winter ends."

Everyone in Daenerys' party exchanged confused looks. Eventually Daenerys skeptically asked, "The Army of the Dead?"

Jon turned to Tyrion. "Lord Lannister you haven't known me long, but do I strike you as a madman or a fool?"

Tyrion straightened. "No. But these fantastical tales of Rhaegar having a secret son and an army of the dead… you must know how all of this sounds."

"It's all true." Jon stated definitively.

Just then Varys entered the throne room and approached Daenerys, whispering something to her. She stood and forced another smile. "You must forgive my manners. You'll both be tired after your long journey. We'll have baths drawn for you and supper sent to your rooms."

She turned to leave but Jon called out after her. "Actually, Princess, I would request that you sup with me. We have much more to discuss."

Her nostrils flared. "I'll consider it."

The second the doors to their rooms closed Jon turned to Davos. "How did I do?"

Davos nodded. "You did a fine job. I've spent enough time in southern courts to know that you've just rattled her pretty good."

"But have I rattled her enough to listen to me?" Sansa's words came back to his mind. She can't think that you're weak enough to dismiss.

"We'll just have to see, your Grace. Remember, we still need to find that dragon glass."

Jon nodded and sighed, ashamed he'd forgotten to bring up something so important. "I'll have to ask her- command her over dinner. If she allows me to dine with her."

Davos bit his lip for a moment. "Why don't you ask her? She's the Princess of Dragonstone, this is by rights her castle. Show her some respect and ask instead of commanding."

A shadow of a smile graced Jon's face and he nodded. "Do you think they'll let us go outside? We should go look for the dragon glass."

"Our Ironborn and Dornish allies were attacked en route to Dorne. Two or three ships escaped, the rest, sunk or captured. Ellaria and the Sand Snakes, dead or captured. The Greyjoys, dead or captured." Daenerys was struggling to keep her composure as Varys rattled off the casualties.

"Are there any survivors?"

"None of significance." Her nostrils flared and she turned to Tyrion.

"We need to attack Cersei."

He responded nervously, knowing that he was in the presence of an angry dragon. "We are. We're attacking Casterly Rock."

She nodded, seeming to calm down. Daenerys then turned to Varys. "How did we not know about Jaehaerys Targaryen?"

Tyrion responded. "He looks like him."

They all turned to him and he continued. "I knew Rhaegar. Not well, but enough to remember. Jon Snow looks like him."

He paused and Varys began speaking, eyes downcast at seeing how furious Daenerys was. "Ned Stark was terribly honorable. It was always a shock that he fathered a bastard, but I suppose if the baby was Lyanna's… Robert Baratheon would have murdered him as he tried to murder you. Ned Stark would have done everything he could to hide the baby."

"Yes, but Rhaegar's marriage was annulled and none knew about it?" She was frustrated, grasping for reasons to disbelieve it.

Varys shook his head. "Think of the past twenty years. The war, the murder, the misery. All of it because Robert Baratheon loved someone who didn't love him back."

Daenerys turned to him. "How could no one have known? Why would they have hidden it?"

Tyrion attempted to find an explanation. "The realm was on the brink of chaos. If Dorne had discovered Rhaegar abandoned Elia a war would most certainly have broken out… of course it did anyway. Your father was an evil man, but I suppose your brother certainly made a number of bad decisions as well."

Daenerys shook her head. "It can't be true. I refuse to believe it."

Varys chimed in. "It doesn't matter what we believe, your Grace. It doesn't matter what is true. What matters is if the realm believes it."

She turned to him. "Will they?"

Varys sighed and thought for a moment. "Dorne won't want to. But Rhaegar was beloved throughout the realm. Even the idea that his son may live…"

Daenerys sighed and sat down. "If we are to believe that this Jon Snow is really my brother's son then what am I to make of his proposal? Of his claim that there's an army of dead men?"

Tyrion attempted to find an answer for her. "I'd very much like to believe that Jon Snow is wrong, but you should never believe a thing simply because you want to believe it. I trust the eyes of an honest man more than I trust what everybody knows. Jon Snow is an honest man if I've ever known one."

"Yet he claims there is an army of the dead and that he's my brother's son. You would believe him?"

Tyrion sighed. "The reason I believe Jon Snow is because he's here. All of his advisors would have told him not to come. I would have told him not to come, yet he's here anyway. Yes, he can talk about birthright all he wants but clearly that's not why he's here. He is convinced of this threat. I cannot bring myself to doubt him, as much as I would like to."

Varys piped up. "He may not desire his birthright but it is still a threat. A serious threat."

Daenerys pursed her lips and her nostrils flared. She had not expected to easily ascend the throne but she had been preparing to fight a war against Cersei Lannister, not to contend with pretenders that claimed to have a legitimate claim to the throne. "How should I deal with this threat?"

Varys thought for a moment, unhappily considering their outcomes. "Unfortunately everything he said is correct. You can't simply have him killed without becoming a Kingslayer and a kinslayer hated by a majority of the realm. However, even if he does cede the throne there will be those that prefer a man's rule to your own. Especially the son of Rhaegar."

Tyrion spoke as well. "It couldn't hurt for him to abdicate. He will be content with the title King in the North and people will have to accept that. Jon Snow is honorable to a fault. You can trust him to keep his word."

Daenerys thought for a few more moments. "Leave me. Tyrion, you stay."

Missandei and Varys stepped out. As soon as they were gone she let out a deep breath. "I've thought of another possibility, but I don't know if this Jon Snow will accept it."

Tyrion raised his eyebrows expectantly and she continued with a slight grimace. "You once told me the best way to make alliances is with marriage, if I'm recalling correctly."

Tyrion was speechless, a feeling he had not often experienced. He sat down, thinking for a moment.

"Well?"

After a moment he nodded. "That's clever. I don't like it. Usually I'm the clever one."

She scoffed. "Is it all that clever? I'd be giving up my command. The Lords would likely see me become a consort."

Tyrion sighed. "Westeros will be hesitant to accept a woman's rule. This would ease the blow. The terms of the marriage would be clear, you would not be a consort. Perhaps he would be. I think he'd agree to just about anything to gain your help in the North."

"I would prefer to accept his proposal of abdication."

Tyrion nodded. "I would as well. Though Varys made a good point. He would be a threat to your rule. If the Lords took issue with you they wouldn't hesitate to force him to push his claim."

"You've claimed he's honorable. Would he allow that?" She didn't know this Jon Snow but she needed to understand him if she was to make an ally of him.

"No, I don't think he would. I also believe that if he was made consort he wouldn't seek to infringe upon your decisions."

She nodded. "I suppose I'll have to join him for supper tonight."

Tyrion nodded and stood, then turned back, looking nervous. Daenerys spoke. "What is it now?"

He swallowed and spoke shakily. "If I may make a suggestion, your Grace. Today things were a little tense. If this is to be a marriage alliance, I would suggest, possibly, making yourself as appealing as possible."

She scoffed. "You want me to seduce him?"

Tyrion pressed his lips together. "It couldn't hurt."

"And further cement my title as 'Foreign Whore'?"

Tyrion grew red in the face. "No- I didn't mean- I simply- I thought-"

"Perhaps it's best you take your leave, my Lord."

He nodded and happily left.