24 | A CHALLINDER

Sofina had taken sail to Westeros, specifically Dragonstone. It was all she knew other than north of the Wall. When they reached land, Sofina took it all in. The abandoned castle and its potential for greatness. The three dragons were already settling the island as they were flying around in circles around it.

Sofina and Tyrion entered the castle and Sofina began to explore it. "I don't know why but I remember every inch of this place from when I had merely reach my fifth name day." Sofina told Tyrion.

"Tell me all you need to get done and I'll do it." Tyrion told her.

"I need you to send a raven to my sister, Reyanna. Send two just in case. One to Winterfell and one to Castle Black. She hasn't been responding to my scrolls. I need people to come in and clean up the castle. Take down the Baratheon banners, too. I need you to send a raven to Meereen and check with the council I left there to make sure everything is running well in Essos. Also, I need my small council set up here in Dragonstone. We need to have a meeting in the fortnight about our plans to attack King's Landing before Queen Cersei realizes we are here in Dragonstone." Sofina spewed out an entire list.

Tyrion chuckled. "Anything else, Your Grace?" He asked.

"I'll let you know." Sofina smiled at him.

* * *

Tyrion had gotten all of his tasks done in due time, and the next night, Sofina was meeting with her council which consisted of Lord Varys, Lord Tyrion, and an Unsullied leader. It was storming outside, lightning lit up the night sky and thunder roared throughout the city. "We won't stay in Dragonstone for long." Tyrion mentioned to Sofina who seemed to be getting quite comfortable in the abandoned castle.

Sofina looked over the map of Westeros and the markers placed where enemy armies would be. "Not so many lions." Sofina pointed at the Lannister army on her map.

"Cersei controls fewer than half of the Seven Kingdoms. The lords of Westeros despise her. Even before your arrival, they plotted against her." Varys, a new member of the council, told Sofina.

"Good." Sofina spoke nonchalantly.

"And your sister, Reyanna, has been proclaimed the Queen of North. With Jon Snow being the King. They're married." Varys told Sofina, his little birds told him everything going on in the kingdom.

"Great. We can have the North's support then. As ours will support them." Sofina told.

"Aren't you supposed to rule? I doubt the North will give up their kingdom to a stranger." Tyrion asked.

"Don't you know, Tyrion? I plan on being a kind ruler. Reyanna will be my partner in ruling this kingdom. She knows military and authority." Sofina told him.

"But the people accepted you are their queen." Tyrion told her.

"Did they truly accept me? Or did they fear my dragons?" Sofina shook her head.

"Reyanna was always more fit to be a queen. She seems well off in the North." Sofina sighed.

"I may not know much of you're people, Your Grace. But I do know my little birds. And based on what they say, they say that your people are extremely satisfied with you. They say you are their true queen. That you are accountable. That, you may not have won their favor like Daenerys, but you will be responsible enough to carry out her promises and more for them. You have their loyalty. Trust me, I am not afraid to tell you the truth." Varys assured Sofina.

"Regardless, she is my sister. I want my armies and people to respect her and protect her. And the only way I can think that would be possible is if I proclaim her to be their second Queen." Sofina explained to her counsel.

The nodded, understanding. But, they still had doubts of how it would be accepted by such a traditional society. "With the Tyrell army and the Dornish on our side, thanks to Lord Varys, we have powerful allies in the south. When your sister arrives, we'll have powerful allies in the north. We will have Cersei surrounded." Tyrion told Sofina.

"Thank you." Sofina nodded curtly at Varys.

* * *

The next morning, the meeting was held again but this time with Olenna, Ellaria Sand, Yara and Theon Greyjoy. "If you want the Iron Throne, take it. We have an army, a fleet and three dragons. We should hit King's Landing now, hard, with everything we have. The city will fall within a day." Yara spoke forcefully.

"If we turn dragons loose, tens of thousands will die in the fire storms." Tyrion told.

"It's called war. You don't have the stomach for it, scurry back into hiding." Ellaria scoffed.

"I know how you wage war. We don't poison little girls here. Myrcella was innocent." Tyrion jabbed at Ellaria.

"She was a Lannister. There are no innocent Lannisters. My greatest regrets is that Oberyn died fighting for you." Ellaria hissed at Tyrion.

"That's enough. Tyrion is the Hand of the Queen. You will treat him with respect." Sofina spat at the bastard woman.

"I am not here to be queen of the ashes." Sofina growled out, her sweet and kind face dropping into a dark and diminishing one.

"That's very nice to hear. Of course, I can't remember a queen who was better loved than my granddaughter. The common people loved her, the nobles loved her. And what is left of her now? Ashes. Commoners, nobles, they're all just children really. They won't obey you unless they fear you." Olenna huffed.

"She didn't have three dragons." Sofina yawned in boredom of the woman going on about her granddaughter.

"I will not attack King's Landing. We will not attack King's Landing. You have to incompetent to realize that's not how I'll win the favor of the people." Sofina scoffed.

"Then how do you mean to take the Iron Throne? By asking nicely?" Olenna rose her voice at Sofina.

"We will lay siege to the capital surrounding the city on all sides. Cersei will have the Iron Throne but no food for her army or the people." Sofina explained.

"But we won't use Dothraki and Unsullied. Cersei will try to rally the lords of Westeros by appealing to their loyalty, their love for their country. If we besiege the city with foreigners, we prove her point. Our army should be Westerosi." Tyrion elaborated.

"And I suppose we're providing the Westerosi?" Ellaria asked.

"You are." Tyrion nodded.

"Lady Greyjoy will escort you home to Sunspear and her Iron Fleet will ferry the Dornish army back up to King's Landing. The Dornish will lay siege to the capital alongside the Tyrell army. Two great kingdoms united against Cersei." Tyrion told.

"So, your master plan is to use our armies? Forgive me for asking, but why did you bother to bring your own?" Olenna questioned with an attitude.

"The unsullied will have another objective. For decades House Lannister has been the true power in Westeros. And the seat of that power is Casterly Rock. Grey Worm and the Unsullied will sail for the Rock and take it." Tyrion answered her.

"Do I have your support?" Sofina asked the Lady's in the room.

"You have mine." Yara shrugged.

"Dorne is with you, Your Grace." Ellaria hesitantly told. Lady Olenna nodded her head in agreement.

"Thank you all. Lady Olenna, may I speak with you alone?" Sofina asked. Everyone except Olenna scurried out of the room.

"I realize you're here out of hatred for Cersei and not love for me. But I swear to you she will pay for what she's done and we will bring peace back to Westeros." Sofina promised the old hag.

"Peace. Do you think that's what we had under Daenerys's father or his father or his? Peace never lasts, my dear. Would you take a bit of advice from an old woman?" Olenna sighed. Sofina nodded.

"He's a clever man, your Hand. I've known a great many clever men. I've outlived them all. Do you know why? I ignored them. The lords of Westeros are sheep. Are you a sheep? No. You're a Challinder. Be a Challinder. A powerful intellect everybody respects." Olenna motivated Sofina. Sofina nodded at the old woman, though she thought she was obnoxious— she suddenly had a newfound respect for her. She reminded her much of her sister, perhaps that's why.

* * *

After that conversation with Olenna, Sofina asked one of the Unsullied soldiers to spar with her. She knew she had to get smart. She had to understand what was going on the ground during the wars to understand how to win a war. The soldier obliged, obviously, and didn't take it easy on her.

The two swung their swords and Sofina used the tactics she learned from living north of the Wall. It was aggressive, but sloppy. So, the soldier managed to get his sword pointed at her throat very easily. Sofina froze. "Dead." The soldier chuckled.

Sofina shook her head. "A queen shouldn't be endangering herself like that." Tyrion spoke as he burst into the hall.

"You're interrupting my practice." Sofina told Tyrion.

"I have good news." He told her from afar.

"What is it?" Sofina put down her sword, causing the soldier to stand down too— ending their practice.

"Everything is running wonderfully in Meereen. It's almost like a dream. And your sister, she's on the way." Tyrion told Sofina.

Sofina waved off the soldier who was standing by. "I have to admit something to you, Tyrion. I find you very handsome." Sofina told her.

"Don't kid with me, Your Grace. We have serious business to tend to." Tyrion shook his head at her.

"I'm serious. Let me prove it." Sofina grabbed his face and planted a kiss upon his lips. She did find him attractive, but she was only trying to tease him since Olenna told her to get smart, she needed to get every person that could possibly betray her around her little finger.

Tyrion broke the kiss and blushed. "Your Grace." He gasped.

"I told you I was being serious." She winked at him before hurrying off to her quarters.