Tyrion's roar still echoed in everyone's ears. Even the Lannister soldiers had felt it — a sound like a true lion. Cersei and Jai exchanged a glance. For a mont it had sounded exactly like their father.
While they were still stunned, a wildling darted forward and hamstrung Robert's warhorse. The beast scread and collapsed, pinning the king beneath it. The wildling raised his blade for the killing blow.
A massive greatsword swept in from behind and took the man's head clean off.
Victor stood over Robert, shield raised, guarding him until the last wildling fell.
When it was over, they dragged the final survivor before the king. The man refused to speak at first.
"Translate for , Tony," Robert growled. "Ask him why they tried to kill their king."
Tony studied the wildling for a second. "He speaks the Common Tongue, Your Grace. He's no giant or cannibal. Just a man from beyond the Wall."
The wildling finally spoke, voice rough. "Burn the bodies. Yours and ours. Burn them to ash. If He cos, it will be too late."
Tony tilted his head. "You serve Mance Rayder, don't you? The King-Beyond-the-Wall."
The wildling's eyes narrowed. "How do you know that na?"
"I'm Tony Stark. Benjen Stark is my uncle."
The man studied him for a long mont, then spat on the ground. "Stark or not, you should all run south while you still can. Winter is coming."
Joffrey and a few of the younger n laughed. Robert just watched Tony.
Tony answered quietly, almost to himself. "If winter cos… can spring be far behind?"
No one laughed at that.
Robert exhaled through his nose. "Kill him. Burn every corpse before we move on. I don't care if it costs us a day."
Joffrey opened his mouth to complain. Robert turned on him so fast the boy flinched.
"Shut your mouth. You stood there pissing yourself while better n fought. Learn from them."
Joffrey's face went red. His nails dug into his palms.
---
Robert had them all kneel in the bloody snow — Tony, Victor, and Tyrion.
"I na you knights," he said, voice carrying. "In the na of the Father, justice. In the na of the Mother, rcy. In the na of the Warrior, strength. In the na of the Stranger, to punish the wicked."
He tapped each of them on the shoulder with his sword.
"Rise, Ser Tony. Ser Victor. Ser Tyrion."
Victor looked stunned. Tyrion's eyes were bright. Tony stood with a small, crooked smile.
"Well," he said under his breath, "now I'm both a maester and a knight. Scholar and swordsman. That's one way to do it."
Robert laughed. Even Tyrion and Victor grinned.
Joffrey forced a laugh too. Robert's head snapped toward him.
"You think this is funny? You're going to train with Jai every day from now on. Sword, horse, everything. Today you embarrassed the crown."
Joffrey's smile died instantly.
---
Far to the south, in Pentos, Daenerys Targaryen stood on a balcony in nothing but a thin shift. The wind pressed the silk against her skin. Silver hair, violet eyes, and too much pale skin showing to the world.
"Daenerys!"
Viserys appeared behind her, holding a fine dress. "Look. This is worthy of you, my sister."
She turned. "When are we leaving this place, brother?"
"Leaving?" Viserys smiled like a man already wearing a crown. "No. I will use Illyrio's help to win the Dothraki. Forty thousand screars. With them I will take the Seven Kingdoms. And when your son and my son are born, they will rule the world together."
Daenerys said nothing. She had learned long ago not to wake the sleeping dragon.
She went back to her room and lay on the bed with a book written in the Common Tongue — The Story of the Lightning Boy. She traced the letters with her finger and whispered to herself.
"If only I could go to Hogwarts… If only I had magic."
The three dragon eggs on the table suddenly twitched.
All across the world, those who still rembered old magic felt it stir at the sa mont. Wizards and witches who had long believed their power gone felt sothing wake inside them again.
The eggs settled.
But sothing had changed.
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