Chapter Text
Epilogue
19 years later
Arya Pov
“Well, aren’t you a prodigy swordswoman” I said to my youngest daughter Adora, she gave me the biggest smile as she came to hug me, Adora was 9 and as it was the case with most of her sisters, she was the spitting image of my wife with her blond hair and blue eyes.
“You spoil her” I turned to look at both of my eldest’s daughters smiling, Kara was the older by 15 minutes and the Heir to the throne, she was built as the warrior she was, tall and muscular, imponent and yet she had the personality of a puppy dog that always made both of me and Dany laugh, especially when food was involved.
Raelle, Kara’s twin sister was shorter and leaner than her sister, also more serious and rebellious, Rey was never interested in fighting and straight out refused to learn until the day she was attacked by some bandits and had to be saved by Gendry’s daughter Sylla, she learned how to defend herself after that but still choose to became a healer instead of a fighter like her siblings.
“Oh, please, she spoiled all of us, you especially miss I want to be superhero” said my adoptive daughter Alex as she hit Kara upside the head playfully, we found Alex when she was 3, her parents had died in the battle of Winterfell and she had no one else, Dany and I got attached to the little brave girl who refused to cry when she learned her parents where gone. Alex grew up to become one of the most loyal and capable knights of Westeros, one of the youngest too as she was Knighted at the age of 13 to mine and Dany’s happiness and pride.
“Oi I’m your future Queen, have some respect” said Kara in faux indignation as she smiled at her older sister, Alex laughed.
“Not after I tell mama that you been skipping your lessons with untie Sansa to go see a certain black haired, green eyed Lannister” said Alex smirking what made me send a look to Kara, I was aware of her growing interest on Tyrion’s adopted child Lena, but wasn’t happy about her missing her lessons with her untie to exchange bodily fluids with a girl.
“You better not miss anymore lessons, or for Tyrion to show up to King’s Landing furious that you got his girl pregnant before you two wed am I being clear young lady?” I said to my daughter seriously, Kara sent a dirt look to her older sister before turning to me with guilt eyes.
“It won’t happen again mom, and uncle Tyrion won’t be coming to court for this, he was actually really amused when he got us in the act some time ago, it was weird” said my daughter cringing, I could only imagine who Tyrion must have reacted to the scene, and how I would have to deal with his jokes the next time he comes to visit.
“It’s uncle Tyrion you duffus, he must’ve seen worst or done worst, I still have nightmares of some of his stories” said Alex as she punched her her sister in the arm, Kara made an exaggerated pain noise.
“Stop being so violent woman, mom your daughter is trying to permanently injure me or something. I should tell Krypto to attack you” said the blond, I laughed shaking my head at these two idiots’ antics.
“First that didn’t even hurt because we both know your sister would sooner cut her own hand off than to hurt you, second Krypto is far to sweet to attack anything and we both know that, he was crying over the death of a butterfly yesterday” I said pointing to the overweighted Caramel direwolf that was at the moment enjoying a bone.
“Also, I believe your mama told you to put him on a diet, that wolf is obese” I said glaring at my daughter, she gave a faux innocent smile.
“I tried, but he looked so sad” me and the others rolled our eyes.
“At least we know that when she’s Queen the people won’t have to worry about hungry, food is all that this one thinks about, well, food and Lena” said Raelle smirking as she took her leave, her black and silver direwolf Anacostia right behind her, no doubt to go see her own girlfriend in the Baratheon workshop.
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“Your daughter is going to kill that wolf with too much food” I said as I entered mine and Dany’s room, the silvery blond woman laughed as she continued reading some letter.
“She’s our daughter, and it’s not just the Krypto who need a diet, Rhaegal needs one too” said Dany as she turned to me with a smile.
“Sansa just gave birth, a baby girl this time, Ollenna. They will bring her when they come for the festival in a couple of days” I smiled, Ollenna had died five years after the battle of the Long Night, she did live for long enough to se her granddaughter marry both Sansa and Brienne, and to see her first two grand-grandchildren the Twins Renly and Loras born out of Margaery, baby Jon was born a year after her death.
“Is Bran coming with his brood? I know the journey is tough on him” I asked, Bran and Meera had 3 kids of their own, Jojen the eldest of 13 years old, Catelyn was 11 and baby Rickon was 2.
“Your brother insists that they will attend and for you to stop worrying about him like a mother hen, he also says that you already have way too many children to keep on worrying about your adult brother” said Dany with a smirk, I sent a glare in her general direction.
“If he wasn’t so reckless, I wouldn’t have to worry now, would I?” I said indignantly.
“And them you ask where did Alex get her constant worrying from? that kid wouldn’t be more like you if you birthed her yourself” I did send a glare to my wife this time.
“Speaking of children, I haven’t seen the dynamic duo all day” I said slightly worried, Robb and Ed, named after my older brother and my father where our second set of twins and the terror of most of the castle staff, they were always causing trouble around.
“Your sons are confined to their rooms, which means that they are actually hiding in some place that we had no idea even existed, because they painted most of the Queensguard armors pink. Gendry is furious because the paint is permanent and he will have to make new armor for the White Cloaks” I physically cringed at the news.
“We can always send them to Sansa and Brienne, I’m sure Brienne could straight them out” I said earning a pillow to my face.
“I tried, Brienne said that she is quite happy with her peaceful life and that her days of taking care of reckless and destructive teenagers are long gone” she laughed as rolled my eyes.
“Our children are quite something are they not” I said as I came to hug her, her round belly announcing the final trimester of her pregnancy.
“That they are, Kara came to talk to me about Lena. She really likes that girl you know” started Dany as she rested her head on my body.
“I’m aware” I said knowing where this conversation was leading and remembering having one quite similar when Alex started dating Maggie, Missandei’s daughter.
“Arya, you have to talk with Kara, she thinks you disapprove of Lena because she’s a Lannister, she is suffering, you know how they all look up to you, to both of us, and it is hurting her to think she’s doing something you disapprove” said Dany turning to me, her eyes telling me that she was hurting because of our daughter turmoil, I sighed.
“I won’t lie and say that I’m thrilled that our daughter is in love with a Lannister, but Kara is practically an adult and if Lena is her chosen than I will welcome her into our family with open arms” I said sincerely, Dany smiled as she kissed my cheek making me smile.
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A couple of days later the castle and the city were booming with people coming from all the kingdoms to commemorate the Dawn festival, the festival occurred every year on the day that we fought and won against the Night King and his army, a way for us to never forget and to commemorate every year that we are still alive.
For many years after the battle Westeros had to be rebuilt, the years of constant blood shed led to the end of many great Houses, Bolton’s, Baratheon’s, Karstark’s, Clegane’s, Umber’s, Hollard’s, Elliver’s, Grayson’s and many more wiped out, new Lords had to be appointed and new alliances made.
The North remained independent, but with many ties to the Crownlands, Sansa had also asked for a similar deal for the Reach, Riverlands and the Vale, and Dany remained Queen of Dorne, the Crownlands and the West. The three of them ended up forming a council of Kings where they would meet from time to time to decide over any major changes on the realm.
One such a change was that the faith of the seven was no longer the official religion of Westeros with Dany and Sansa ordering for Weirwood trees to be planted across all the lands in Westeros, the Red God was also recognized by Westeros and his service allowed to exist in the Kingdoms, as long as no human sacrifice rituals are practiced.
Another change was that after the war many children were left orphaned, and so it was agreed that the crowns would provide for these children until such a time that they be taken in by another family or that they are capable of procuring their own means of survival. Bastard children were affected too since by Dany’s law all bastard children had to be provided for by their noble parent, she couldn’t legitimize all bastards because that would cause way too many conflicts in the succession lines, which could cause many battles between families, but she would make sure that the Lords couldn’t just go around impregnating every woman that they fucked, and then leave never sparing a second glance at the children they fathered.
The Lords were not happy with many of the changes, and neither were the Maesters, after some facts came to light thanks to Samwell Tarly Dany and the others ordered the Citadel to be open and for the Maesters to release all knowledge that they had to the public, the Maesters were furious and tried all they could to stop the opening of the Citadel, in the end most of the upper Archelon of the order was trialed for treason and either exiled to the Wall or executed.
The Wall under Jamie Lannister became something different than it ever was, since the trade between Wildlings and Westerosi was now open, he didn’t have to train young man to die beyond the Wall, the Wall was rebuilt into a school for Knights and guards, a place where any child of low birth could go to learn how to became a knight or a city guard, as the years passed Jamie brought more masters into the Wall, now it was a place of open learning to any who sought it, aspiring blacksmiths, knights, poets, historians and even healers.
“Arya, my dear sister, how many more children do you and your wife intent to have, a whole army of them?” mocked Bran laughing.
“Definitely no, this one’s the last, Dany and I are getting too old to raise kids” I said laughing a little myself.
“Oh, I know, we are all getting old, we are all older than father ever was now you know” he said look into the night sky, I closed my eyes for a moment.
“Alexander Lannister has been trying to stir up a rebellion with the old Lannister Loyalists, trying to use the less popular changes that we made as fuel to the burning embers of the Lords” said Bran changing the subject, as much as things had changed for the better in the last 20 years, not everything was perfect.
Alexander Lannister was Cersei’s son, Tyrion had pleaded for his life after he was born and Cersei was condemned to exile in Essos, her tongue had been cut so that her lies and manipulations could never harm anyone else, years later we received news that she was killed when she tried to contract for Dany’s death in the House of Black of White.
Her son grew up to be just as cunning and manipulative, also obsessive and sadistic, Tyrion once said that the boy had the personality of Joffrey and Tywin’s brains, two terrible characteristics, Tyrion had always kept the boy as contained as possible but as he grew older, he became more and more rebellious, and now he wanted to wage war for the throne he believed to be his by right.
“Of course, he is, but we can do nothing for now, we deal with the boy now and he becomes a martyr” I said rolling my eyes.
“I know, Tyrion asked us to allow for him to try and deal with his nephew before we have to do something, to be honest I think he is afraid that Lex will get himself killed” I nodded my head.
“Well, I believe is time for us to join the party do you not brother, let us worry about our problems tomorrow, for now we celebrate the life we still have” I said as I patted him in the back smiling. Life wasn’t perfect, we still had much to change, much to rebuilt but we were in peace and I had my children, my wife and most of my family with me, and that was more than enough.
End