randomosity | [For Hannibal] Alliance of Fire

Hannibal knew it would please his wife to spend some time with her family. Without his father or brother around to worry about he would enjoy some more time in the south. He gave her a nod and kissed his wife's temple. He chose not to banter back, but he did intend on ruining at least one mattress a day during their stay.

He pet over Vhagar's head as they walked into the castle proper.

Their time in Highgarden was a whirlwind for Margaery. Much to her grandmother's annoyance they did indeed ruin several mattresses during their stay. For a few days Vhagar would not eat, until Moanna grew bored and began to hunt the castle mice, which she brought to her draconian brother. He proceeded to gobble them up.

But soon enough they were packing and preparing to leave Highgarden and return to the Dreadfort. Margaery was excited to see her new home, and wondered if it would become the new seat of power in the North. She kissed her brother, father and grandmother goodbye before mounting up and leaving Highgarden.

They were several miles from the Southern city before she addressed Hannibal with curiosity. "Tell me, love, what is the Dreadfort like?"

She was curious for their future. From the takes she'd heard, it was not the ideal place for women and children. But, it was to be her home all the same. She wondered if it had been built at all similarly to the Stark home to keep warm in the winter.

Hannibal had rather enjoyed ruining quite a few mattresses during their stay. He was also pleased that Vhagar's training was coming along splendidly, as was Moanna's. The two were becoming quite the pair of trouble makers as they began to rapidly grow.

By the time they were prepared to leave for the Dreadfort, Vhagar was the size of Moanna. Moanna was now tall enough to lick at Margaery's knees without having to stand on her hind legs. They both seemed to be growing quite rapidly.

Hannibal intended to have them ride with Margaery in the carriage so that they would not be seen. He suspected some Lannister's along their return to the Dreadfort might attempt to sway their path to King's Landing.

He would postpone that for as long as possible before going there. He did not want the Lannister's to know of his dragon. That would be dangerous indeed.

He was currently riding alongside the carriage with the window down for easy conversation. "The Dreadfort is a castle that honestly is the Red Keep's rival as far as sheer size and capacity goes. However, it does not feel like the friendliest of places at times." He said.

He turned to her and gave a gentle smile. "I have ordered more furnishings so that it looks more hospitable once you are inside." He said.

He caught a glint of gold on the horizon and ordered Vhagar to conceal himself. He slid beneath the bench under Margaery. He knew he was still small enough to be killed by his parents' true enemies.

Their small procession halted as a small core of golden lions rode towards them and moved straight towards Hannibal. Hannibal's men were on alert, but none drew their weapons. Hannibal gave a slight bow of his head as he saw who was leading the small group of lions. "Sir Jaime Lannister. I did not expect to cross paths with you on our journey home." He greeted the other man. They were allies and Hannibal would be respectful of that.

Margaery smiled as she thought of building her new home with Hannibal. "I've heard the castle is built near volcanic vents to keep it warm, is that so?" She smiled when he mentioned the furnishings. "You're married to a southern woman now, I'll give it a proper woman's touch."

Moanna had been resting at Margaery's feet, but when Hannibal gave the order for Vhagar to hide, she shifted her body and further concealed her brother from view. Margaery reached down and gave the dire wolf a pat of praise.

When Margaery identified Jaime Lannister her entire body stiffened. She didn't bother to acknowledge him. She hadn't cared for him as an uncle-in-law....or was it technically father-in-law? Either way, she had never enjoyed his company. Margaery had no polite words for him, so she said nothing but listened carefully, curious as to why they had been stopped.

Jaime was awfully far from King's Landing, awfully far away from Cersei. Something was wrong.

There had been numerous reports of multiple caravans of Boltons moving North and South at varying speeds. It had made Cersei quite suspicious. She had sent the only person she could trust to get to the bottom of all the traveling. Along with reports of Roose Bolton being killed.

Jaime gave a bow to Hannibal and spotted Margaery within the carriage. He was actually pleased to see her there. She was a clever woman and being promised to the Bolton's would keep her far away from Tommen and his sister. "Really? It seems that you have been doing a fair amount of crossing lately. It would have simply been a matter of time until we crossed paths." He said.

Hannibal gave a humble nod of his head. "Two of those journeys were related to the bastard who stained the honor of both my house and my wife's house."

Jaime listened carefully, based on the reports that explanation sounded possible. "I heard recently you were seen dragging a man behind your horse. Or at least most of a man."

Hannibal gave a nod of his head. "The Lord of house Tyrell had requested the bastard alive for them to meet out punishment. I chose to deliver him in Bolton fashion so that he could represent our sigil properly before being executed as a kinslayer."

A few of Jaime's men flinched a bit at that news. Jaime did not have a strong reaction. That last point shed some light onto the severity of the punishment, but not why the Tyrell's would be so cross with him. "Kinslayer? Does that mean the rumors of your father being murdered are true? Why would the Tyrell's care how he was punished?"

Hannibal shifted his horse closer to Jaime to speak lowly. "When I returned with my bride. He had the skin of the heir of high garden hanging above what was supposed to be our bed and his meat on the center of the bed being consumed by his hounds. It was a very upsetting sight for my wife and I do not wish to discuss it further. During his arrest he shot my father with a crossbow." He said before moving back near the carriage.

Jaime did not move as Hannibal approached. He felt his stomach turn a bit at the thought. He adjusted his seat in his saddle before looking at Hannibal again. "I am truly sorry for your loss Lord Bolton. The King had made your father Warden of the North..."

Hannibal cut in before Jaime could continue. "He was. I am prepared to take on that responsibility as my fealty to the King. Some of the men in the North were speaking of a revolt. My father did not see it as a threat as I do. I will remind those in the North that their King resides in King's Landing and that they need to remain loyal. I have also heard rumors that the Blackfish has plans to retake Riverrun from the Frey's. I intend to send small squads to try and flush the elusive man out of hiding and cut him down before he gets close to Riverrun." He said.

Jaime was at first annoyed before he heard the words. He had not heard anything of the Blackfish. That was disturbing news indeed if that man was trying to retake Riverrun. "The King would like to see both you and your bride soon. Pledging your fealty in person would please the King."

Hannibal nodded. "I must first bury my father in the Bolton tradition and establish myself as the head of my house. I will then send a raven when I will travel to King's Landing."

Jaime gave a bow of his head. "We would like to see the Lady Bolton as well. Safe travels Lord Bolton." He looked to Margaery. "Lady Bolton." He then kicked his heels into his horse and rode towards the red keep. Cersei would be both pleased and displeased with this news.

Hannibal signalled to his men and they continued their journey North.

Margaery listened very carefully. When Jaime pressed to know why the Tyrells would want Ramsay Bolton dead, Margaery looked away and straightened her shoulders. She would not cry, not in front of a Lannister. Besides, Loras had been avenged, there was nothing more to be done.

Closer she listened to Hannibal swearing his loyalty to the King and his plans to continue as Warden of the North in his father's stead. Margaery did not let Jaime see her perplexed or suspicious expression, but she wasn't thrilled taking her husband's words at face value. Silently she wished and fantasized of Hannibal cutting off Jaime's head and defeating the small group that acconpanied the lion. But of course this would lead to open war, for which she wasn't certain they'd be supported in the North, so Margaery was not upset when her fantasy did not become a reality.

She said not a word to Jaime Lannister, but did tilt her head as he bid her farewell. When his band was out of earshot, Margaery leaned closer to the carriage door to whisper to Hannibal.

"Truly you do not intend to grovel to the lioness or her cub, do you?" Olenna had talked of marrying Margaery to Tommen, but Margaery was happy that she hadn't.

Tommen was weak and naive. He'd be a good, fair king if only his mother wasn't so involved with him. But he was too soft for Margaery, she would have grown bored, surely. She did not want to watch her husband swearing an oath to King Tommen, even if it was for the continuation of a scheme against the Lannisters.

"I tell you now, I have no intention of going to King's Landing," not unless it was for her own coronation.

Hannibal had noted his wife's composure and her mask when Jaime spoke to her directly. He was quite proud of her for not giving the game away. He chuckled at her questions and gave her a sly smirk as he glanced at her. "There is still a war going on My Lady. There could be a great disturbance that requires the Warden of the North's full attention and make him quite unable to travel so far south as King's Landing." He said.

He had no intention of groveling before the bitch Cersei Lannister. His father had bent the knee to secure the Bolton house in a place of power. However, Hannibal had no intention of ever bending his knee. Especially not to those golden pricks for Lions.

Margaery smiled and leaned partially out the window to kiss her husband. "I knew you had a plan. And of course it's not safe for a lady to travel alone, so of course the Lady Bolton couldn't leave Dreadfort without the Warden."

Moanna sensed the danger was gone and yipped a signal to Vhagar. Then she jumped up onto the bench with Margaery and cuddled in close to raise her spirits.

"So then, what to do when we arrive at the Dreadfort? After we christen every room in the castle, that is," she teased.

Hannibal chuckled at her words. "Once we arrive we will have about a day to ourselves before we will have our first visitors. It would be good if you could sway the Lady who arrives tomorrow to support us in our endeavors. " He said.

At the last part of her statement he gave her a smirk as he leaned in to speak lowly into her ear. "It would take us a month to christen every room. I suspect you will miss a bleeding before then." He said.

Margaery smirked at his latter point and whispered back. "Are you up to that challenge, my lover?" She teased.

She titled a brow when he mentioned their visitors. No one had visited in Winterfell, so Margaery was curious who it could be. "Oh? What makes you think I have any sway over such a lady? Who might it be?"

Hannibal smirked to her. "I am indeed ready for that challenge my dear. I wonder if you are." He sat back up in his saddle and gave her a look that suggested he was quite thrilled with himself. "You have met her before. Although the circumstances were quite different then. Rumor was she was the only friend you had on your prior stay in King's Landing." He said as a hint.

He had intentions of using his wife to sway the young Stark into being allies.

Margaery thought for a moment, and when it dawned on her the answer she nearly stuck her whole head out the window. But she held back and managed to only grasp the ledge and stare up at him with wide eyes.

"Sansa? Sansa Stark?" Her voice was hushed to keep from drawing unwanted attention. "Coming to the Dreadfort?"

To take back Winterfell? Oh...Margaery was now terribly embarrassed that she'd made love with her husband on Sansa's father's bed. The thought of that made her sit back and blush.

"Is she well? What have you heard? Keeping secrets from me, how cruel!" She smiled up at Hannibal. "Tell me."

The blush was very amusing to Hannibal. "Here I thought I did not have a blushing bride." He teased.

Hannibal chuckled at her quick response. He nodded to his captain who took the reigns of his horse. Hannibal smoothly slid to the side of the carriage and slipped within it without pulling to a stop. He shut the window as he looked at her with a smile. "She is as well as she can be. Littlefinger smuggled her out of King's Landing. He had two different plans concerning her. One was to marry her off to my brother. The other was to marry her himself and to use her as his way onto the iron throne. Neither is a good option for Sansa. Do you believe she has any desire to live anywhere other than Winterfell on her own terms?" He asked his wife.

He had kept it a secret until he felt she was absolutely trustworthy.

Margaery glared playfully at him when he teased her. But as he jumped from his horse and settled into the carriage beside her, she couldn't help but regard her husband in wonder. He was so agile despite his muscular frame; Loras had been skilled in the arena because he was lean and agile, while men like the Mountain were renowned for their brute strength.

Hannibal seemed to be the best of both.

Margaery leaned into him as he sat beside her. The mention of Littlefinger made her tense though, and she looked to Hannibal with worry in her eyes. She shook her head in answer.

"No. Starks belong in Winterfell." Not Boltons. Not Tyrells and certainly not Lannisters.

Hannibal put his arm around her shoulders to hold her close. "That is my sentiment as well. I would offer to Sansa her ancestral home in return to promising troops should I need them and also promising to name her Warden of the North once our ambitions are reached. I won't make her promise herself in marriage to anybody. Do you think you could convince her that our opportunity is far greater than anything Littlefinger whispers into her ear."

Margaery leaned in and looked up to Hannibal as he explained. "I could, I have no doubt of that," But something tugged at the back of her mind. "But what army could she possibly have, darling?"

The Sansa that Margaery knew was meek and quiet. Margaery knew not of any army that Sansa had amassed on the name of her reclaiming her ancestral home.

"Who will she be traveling with? Littlefinger? Don't tell me that you intend to let him into our home?" Margaery didn't like sneakier lord. She had always been suspicious of Littlefinger.

Hannibal pet over her head tenderly. "Her half brother Jon Snow is now the Lord Commander at Castle Black. There are rumors that he is going to allow wildlings south of the wall to keep them safe from what lies beyond. That would be the beginnings of an army. On top of that many clans of the North desire to follow a Stark again. They would begrudgingly follow me. However, if I were to give Winterfell back to the Starks...they would be more willing to fight alongside the Boltons in the future. She does not yet have an army, but the potential is there. It depends on if Jon Snow lives for much longer on the wall, and if he chooses to return back to the seven Kingdoms."

He smiled as he kissed her temple. "I want to assess how lean he is once again. One of these days you and I will go on a little hunt for Littlefinger. I will let you decide which pieces I cook up for you." He said lowly.

Margaery nodded in understanding. But her expression was rather grave. "She does trust me, but I wonder what comes first, her trust in me or loyalty to her family?"

If she was anything like Margaery thought, Sansa would have family pride first. She would not bow to the Boltons.

But at the mention of what he planned on doing with Littlefinger, Margaery smiled and brought a hand up to tilt his chin towards her and kissed him softly. "I would greatly look forward to such a hunt, my love."

Hannibal tilted his head in agreement. "That is an excellent point. However, it was my father who betrayed her family not I. She has experienced what being forced into situations from your father can mean. Recall she was once betrothed to the late boy King as well." He said.

"No love," Margaery shook her head. "I mean that even if we form an alliance, she will not follow us. The Starks are proud. They will not bend to the whims of another house, the North remembers and will only follow the King in the North, whose name is Stark. That's the phrase, is it not?"

Margaery squeezed his arm as she pressed into him. "She would want to lead, she would want to be queen of the Seven Kingdoms." Not that she didn't deserve it...

...but Margaery wanted that crown.

Hannibal smiled as he kissed her temple tenderly. "I have my own spies in certain areas my love. I suspect the young wolf simply desires her home back and a bit of revenge upon the Lannister's." He said.

His face turned more somber after a moment. "I promise you that if she becomes a liability Inwill ensure that your crown is safe my love."

"You had better," she teased. Margaery let her fingers tug playfully at his doublet. "You promised me a crown, and after all, you didn't give me a wedding present. You owe me."

Margaery leaned into him and kissed him softly, but full of passion and desire. "I love you."

Hannibal smirked as he slid her atop his lap to straddle him. His hands were on her belly to rest gently there. "Are you certain I did not leave you a present on our wedding night my love? You have yet to refuse me and I have bedded you at least once a day for over a month." He said.

Margaery was only too eager to settle atop his lap, straddling him and smiling down at him. "Mmmm, would a child truly be a present for me? I should think that is more so a present for your clan in continuing the Bolton name."

She leaned down and kissed him softly, lips parting over his lower lip and suckling softly.

Hannibal chuckled as his hands shifted around to the small of her back to hold her close. "It would indeed be an honor for you. You would get to experience the great joy in having a child that is equally yours. One that would rely on your strength and wot as much as mine." He said as he leaned in to kiss over the side of her neck.

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