" with all our fate, hearts broken from the start "
I was in a large city with bright, vivid colors and fruit filled trees. I didn't recognize anyone and no one seemed to know me either, it felt nice to be anonymous. I wandered the streets of the beautiful city. I had no idea where I was going, but I wanted to explore. I ended up in a garden of sorts and sat down. There were still people all around, but it seemed peaceful here.
Then I heard a voice coming through the trees, the voice was extremely familiar, but I couldn't place it. A girl stepped through the trees followed by a older blonde man. The girl stared at me and I stared back, neither of us saying anything.
"Your face," I said. It was almost like looking in a mirror. Where my features were sharp lines, here's were softer. But there was no mistaking how similar we looked.
"Who are you?" She asked quickly.
"Amina Winterfell."
"I am Daenerys Stormborn of house Targaryen." She rolled her shoulders back, looking confident and proud.
"That's impossible. Every last Targaryen was killed." I paused then added, "All but me."
She stepped toward me. "But your hair?" She grabbed a handful of my hair, giving it a distasteful look.
"It's dyed. No one in Westeros has silver hair, except Targaryens. And Targaryens are supposed to be dead. How did you escape?"
"I was a baby, I don't remember. My brother, Viserys-"
"A brother, is he alive too?" I asked.
"No, he died."
"Oh."
Daenerys turned to the man who had been walking with her. "Is there any possibility she could be who she says she is?"
"I do believe you had a sister, Khaleesi. But she-"
I was suddenly yanked from the garden, before I could hear the rest of his words.
OoOoO
When I sat up, I was in my comfortable Storm's End bed once more. Margaery was sitting at the foot, bouncing slightly.
"What are you doing up this early?" I asked.
"What are you doing up this late? The sun is nearly at its highest point."
"Oh!" I jumped out of bed.
"You missed Stannis coming into town. He was just as lovely and charming as ever," she said sarcastically. "Oh, this came for you while you were asleep." She handed me a letter.
It was a letter inside a letter. The first being from Robb, telling me that he missed me, and that this letter had come for me at Riverrun. The second letter in question was from Jon. I read it quickly. It was dated months ago, at the time he'd sent it, he'd been days from heading beyond the Wall. I sighed, whatever I had expected, this wasn't it. I knew I shouldn't have expected much, Jon knew many eyes would read his letter before it reached me. "Where's Catelyn?"
"In her chambers. Aren't you at least going to tell me who they were from?"
"It doesn't matter. It isn't important anymore."
I left Margaery in my room, and went down the hall to Catelyn's. "Come in!" She called when I knocked on the door. I walked into the room. "Amina, are you alright?"
"I'm fine. I had a strange dream last night."
"Tell me about it," she told me. She steered me to a chair by the fireplace, and sat across from me.
"Well, I was in a big city. I didn't recognize it. It was bright and colorful and the people looked different than anyone I've ever seen before. I didn't notice that bit till just now."
"Perhaps, Dorne?" She suggested. I shook my head, I knew what Dorne looked like from sketches in my books. "Or somewhere across the Narrow Sea? You've read books about Essos before. Maybe that's why you dreamt of it."
I was fairly convinced I didn't have this dream because of a book. "There was a girl there, she looked like me, but she had blonde hair. I thought she was me at first, but then we spoke, now I'm not so sure. She said her name was Daenerys Targaryen." I shook my head. "Do you have any idea why I might dream about a girl who looks like me, but isn't quite me?"
Catelyn looked pained. "You've heard stories about twins, I'm sure. Sometimes they're capable of things that normal people are not."
"Sure, but what does that have to do with my dream?"
"Twins have a bond that isn't easy to break. When one loses a twin, they lose a part of themselves. When you were a baby, you had a sister. A twin."
"I had a sister," I repeated flatly. Then I stood up. "I had a sister, and no one told me?" Catelyn reached for my arms, but I evaded her. I began pacing, trying to compile my thoughts.
"As you know, the Targaryens are called the dragons. The magic in that family makes the twin bond even more powerful. Ned and I were afraid to trigger anything."
"But if she was killed as a baby, why did I dream about her?" I asked.
"Up until recently we assumed she and her brother were dead."
"Up until recently, meaning that's changed?" I stopped pacing and turned to look at her.
"When Ned went to the capital, Robert told him the other Targaryen children were alive. They escaped to Essos after the war, and no one had bothered to hunt them down. Obviously this is the reason you never suffered. Your twin bond was still intact. Ned tried to protect you, by convincing Robert to keep your sister alive."
"But no one told me. Why didn't anyone tell me?"
"I'm telling you now," Catelyn patience was wearing thin. Normally I would stop pushing, I didn't want her to stop talking. But in this instance, I had a right to be upset.
"Catelyn, please."
She sighed and sat back down. "The last I heard from Ned, she was in Vaes Dothrak with her brother and her husband. She was pregnant."
"I have an entire family out there. I spent my whole life thinking my family was dead. Catelyn, I have to go find them."
"Family is more than blood, you know that. You do not know them, and they do not know you."
"But she isn't just my sister, she's my twin. I dreamt about her. That must mean something, it felt so real!" I was shaking with excitement. I couldn't control my emotions. I had grown up thinking I was the last of my kind, but maybe there was hope for me out there. Hope that didn't involve marring a man I was not in love with. "Let me go, please. It would mean everything to me."
"You are going to go with or without my blessing." She sighed. "I'll see if I can find you passage on a ship going that direction. Describe the city you saw in your dream again."
I explained all the colors and trees I had seen. "I was like an oasis in a desert."
"I know little of Essos, but I seem to recall a city like that in books. Maybe on the Eastern side. I'll ask the traders if they know." I nodded. "I will give you as much time as you need. But, promise me if you can't find your sister, you'll return. Essos is barely civilized, I don't want you there alone for such a long period of time."
I nodded. "If I can't find her in a few months, I'll come home. I promise."
"Alright, I'll begin preparing for your departure."
OoOoO
"You're going to the savage country?" Margaery asked.
"My sister is there," I told her for the third time.
"But Essos is almost as uncivilized as Wildling territory!"
"Hardly, they have cities in Essos. The Free Cities trade with the realm all the time."
"How do you know they don't have cities in the far north?" She countered.
"Well, I don't. But at least they don't eat people in Volantis," I said, exasperated.
"Ok, I'll give you that one. I brought up tons of dresses. All light summer fabric that you just love so much."
"I don't hate summer fabric. I just said it wasn't practical. It's autumn, winter will be here soon."
"Where you're going, they've probably never heard of winter!"
I browsed the dresses she'd brought up. There were brightly colored dresses, that looked like the dresses in my dream. As well as a few calf length dresses in browns and greens, much more practical for day to day wear. "These might actually work."
Margaery laughed. "I may prefer elegance, but I can work with functional fashion too." She paused and looked at me. It was such a long moment I was on the verge of being uncomfortable. "Are you alright? You seem upset."
I shook my head. "I'm fine. It's just crazy to think my family has been alive all this time, but no one thought to tell me."
"Well, I don't know the entire situation. Someone refuses to tell me anything. But perhaps the Starks thought it was best for you."
"I am sorry I can't tell you anything more, but you're probably right. They didn't want me to grow up like my family did. But, besides that, I can't tell Robb I'm leaving. He won't know until Catelyn makes it back to Riverrun."
"Why not?" Margaery asked, braiding her hair in front of the mirror.
"Catelyn thinks a letter to him might get intercepted. She wants as few people to know my whereabouts as possible. The only person traveling with me is one of Renly's soldiers, Aylward Caswell."
"You'll be able to move quicker and draw less attention with just one soldier. I know Ser Aylward, he's been a friend of Renly's for years. You will be safe with him."
"That's the idea."
"Anything else?" She asked.
I tried to push aside all thoughts of Jon. "Not really."
"Well, I'm sure your journey is going to be amazing. Bring me back a present or two."
I laughed. "Ok, Marg. I'll buy us matching gowns."
"Perfect. Can you imagine, we'll be the prettiest queens in the Seven Kingdoms."
"I thought we already were," I said laughing.
"Touché."
"Queen in the North and Queen of...What are you queen of again?"
"The Reach," she said.
"Oh, is that even a place?" I asked teasingly.
"It's more territory than the North!"
"No there are more people, there's a difference."
"How do you know the North is bigger, did you measure it?" She asked with a laugh. The door opened and one of Margaery's servants appeared. "What is it Rhoda?"
"Forgive me my queen but you must come with me at once."
"What's going on?" I asked.
"Lady Stark," she began. I started to correct her, but stopped when I heard her next words.. "I'm afraid you'll have to postpone your travels."
"What do you mean I must postpone my travels?"
"Something came up and-" The girl looked extremely nervous. Margaery cut her off.
"I believe my friend asked a question. What has come up?"
"Your grace, King Renly is dead."