Jon stood apart from the other recruits during training. He didn't fit in, and they made sure he knew it.
Tyrion found him alone in the corner and walked over. "Jon. Looks like Eddard forgot to teach you sothing important."
Jon glanced at him. "What do you an, Lord Tyrion?"
"Every dwarf is a bastard in his father's eyes," Tyrion said. "You and I have that in common. We're both reminders that our fathers fucked soone they shouldn't have."
Jon didn't answer.
Tyrion continued. "This place isn't what you expected, is it? You thought the Night's Watch would be full of honorable n and elite fighters. Instead it's full of murderers, thieves, and rapists. The unwanted. The inconvenient. n like you. n like ."
He looked toward the gate. "Robert sent my brother and up here hoping we'd die chasing wildlings. Keeps the lions from getting too strong in King's Landing."
Jon frowned. "What did you say my father never taught ?"
"How to talk to people," Tyrion answered. "How to make friends instead of standing alone like a statue. Your brother Tony's good at it. Arrogant as hell, but he knows how to connect with strangers."
A horn blew once. Rangers returning.
The gates opened and Tony's group rode in through the snow. Most of them were limping or nursing bruises.
Jon ran up. "Did you run into wildlings?"
Tony grinned and swung down. "Just the trees. The boys are fine. A few hard landings, that's all."
Benjen called out as they dismounted. "Careful with the rigs. Store them properly. And for the love of the gods, don't spill the wildfire. We already proved what happens when you pour it on snow."
One of the rangers muttered, "Burned for hours. lted the snow, then kept burning the ground underneath. Scary shit."
Tony headed toward Mormont's chambers. On the way he passed a massive, soft-looking recruit getting shoved by Alliser Thorne.
"Move, fat boy! Sword up or I'll give you another reason to cry!"
The big recruit flinched and muttered, "Please don't hit …"
Tony stopped. "Ser Alliser. Who is he?"
Thorne smirked. "Randyll Tarly's son. Sent here because he's too fat and too soft to be useful. His own father couldn't stand the sight of him."
---
On the Dothraki sea, Viserys finally snapped.
He grabbed Daenerys by the shoulders and shook her. "Where is my army? I left comfort behind for this. I've waited long enough!"
His fingers dug into her throat. Daenerys gasped in pain.
Two Dothraki warriors moved fast. They slamd Viserys to the ground and wrapped a whip around his neck.
One looked at Daenerys. "Khaleesi. Should we kill him?"
"No!" she said quickly. "Let him go. Just make him leave."
They released him. Viserys coughed and spat in the dirt, but he didn't run. He stayed with the khalasar. He still needed that army.
Farther out on the grass, Drogo's khalasar clashed with another. Steel rang and dust rose. Drogo fought like a storm, cutting down n left and right until only their khal remained.
The rival khal was younger and proud. He refused to yield.
Drogo didn't give him a second chance. One swing knocked the man's blade away. The second opened his throat. Blood sprayed across Drogo's face. He wiped it away with the back of his hand and licked the corner of his mouth.
Then he rode back to Daenerys.
"My moon," he said.
She touched his blood-streaked cheek. "You fought again. I can sll it on you."
He laughed. "Warriors love the sll of blood. Our son will be a great warrior too."
Daenerys looked up at him, violet eyes steady. "No. He will be a king. King of the Seven Kingdoms and all of Essos. The greatest ruler the world has ever seen."
Drogo grinned wide. "Then he will be the greatest ruler."
He swept her up and threw her over his shoulder like she weighed nothing, carrying her toward his tent while the khalasar cheered.
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