Tara couldn't believe she was back in King's Landing.

It all felt so foreign but so familiar at the same time. As she made her way down the twists and turns of fleabottom it was slowly coming back to her in fragments of memory. She wasn't quite sure if she was going the right way, she only had a gut feeling to guide her.

There was so many people around her. They were carrying things, in and out of buildings, talking to each other. It was nostalgic to her but also nerve wracking. She hadn't been to a city such as this since she was young.

Tara turned another corner following her instinct. She continued down the narrow streets. She had to navigate through all the people. Something inside of her said she had to be getting closer.

"Always be careful, Meya." Tara said to her younger sister. They were sitting across the street from the cart of fruit. The man at the cart was a young man. He must of been newer because any fruit grocer with any sense would stay out of this area of flea bottom. He definitely looked confused. 

Tara and her sister knew this was an opportune moment. A juicy red apple would be taste better than anything. It would be pure candy to their tongues. 

Meya almost rolled her eyes at Tara, "I'm got to grab as many as I can right now."

"No we have to wait." Tara exercised caution, "Wait until the other cart moves, that way we can run away."

"I'm hungry Tara." Meya was growing impatient. 

"I know, me too."

However, it wasn't long until the other cart blocking the street that led to their house moved out of the way. Meya eyes lit up with excitement. It was any moment now. 

"Ready?" Tara turned to her little sister. Meya nodded excitedly. "Run fast." Tara added. 

They stood up out of their hiding spot in the filth. It was a few bounds and they were right in front of the cart. They shoved all the fruits into any place they could hold them. It was a second before the young man even realized he was being robbed. 

"Hey!" He yelled angrily, but it was too late. Meya and Tara were already running down the street. They giggled happily as they carried their fruits. 

They turned down the even smaller alleyway leading to their home and had disappeared inside. The young man would never be able to find them, not with how fast they had gone. 

Tara and Meya got to sit on the floor in their home, eating fruit. They giggled as they finally found some solace from the extreme poverty they were living in. Afterwards, their stomachs hurt in the best way. 

Tara smiled sadly from the memory. She was looking down the same street that they had ran down. It didn't look quite the same as she remembered, but she knew it had to be it. 

She followed in the footsteps of her younger self. She swore she had a faint taste of fruit in her mouth. 

She knew then it would be the turn into the alleyway now. She was afraid it might be gone but nonetheless there it was. She only had to walk 10 feet now to get to her old home, however, she hadn't moved yet. 

This was the moment. The moment she had thought about countless times before. When she was scared and abused and alone, she had thought about standing looking down this alleyway - about to go back home. 

Tara took a deep breath before she continued. She just hoped someone she knew would be at the other side of that door. 

It looked almost exactly the same. It gave Tara some hope. Even the door still had the awful peeled green color on it. Not as green as it used to be, Tara thought. 

Tara reached out her fist and knocked on the door. Time now felt like it was going slower. It felt like she had been waiting hours for the door to open on the other side. 

Finally, it did open. 

Tara stared at the man before her. They were both frozen in front of each other. It was like they had both seen a ghost on the other side of the doorway. 

Tara knew he looked very different now, but it had to be him. 

"Tara?" He said, amazed. 

Tara just nodded. They both pulled each other into a hug, overcome with emotion. It was one of Tara's older brothers, Jakor. 

-

Tara had definitely felt she was in some type of dream. She had been welcomed in her old home, which she had found out had become Jakor, his wife, and two young children's home. Jakor had to explain to his confused wife who Tara exactly was which at first took a moment for her to completely absorb what he was saying to her. 

Then, Jakor had to explain to his 5 year old boy that he in fact did have an aunt. 

Tara couldn't believe it. Here she was, meeting her brother's family which she never knew even existed until now and next she was speaking to her brother, someone who she was sure that she would never see again. 

"This is amazing that you are here." Jakor said. His wife had gone to take care of the two kids, leaving them alone for the first time. "I thought you had to be... dead." He admitted. 

"I never thought I would see you again." Tara said as she smiled. She hesitated for a moment before she asked her next question. She was afraid of what the answer might be. "Where's everyone else?"

Jakor looked to the ground. He took a moment to gather all his thoughts. This made Tara even more nervous, "Well, it a long story for sure. Timos, he had become a soldier as early as he could. He was doing well."

Timos was Tara's older brother. He was 5 years older than her. When he was 15, right before she had been sold away, he was very much so a leader of all the siblings. It made sense he had become a soldier. 

"Was?" Tara asked. Her heart was low in her stomach. 

Jakor nodded. Tara saw the glint of water in his eyes, "He died at the battle of Blackwater."

Tara felt her chest become constricted, but she had to know of her other siblings too. "And Arvin?" Jakor and Arvin were twins. They were both almost 3 years older than Tara. 

"I don't know where he is anymore." Jakor said, "He had become a smuggler and went to the sea but I haven't seen him in quite a few years."

"A smuggler?" Tara asked. She did remember Jakor and Arvin being opposites of each other. Jakor was always more shy and reserved. Arvin on the other hand was a lot more reckless. 

"Makes sense doesn't it?" Jakor said with a hint of humor in his voice. 

Tara nodded. It did make sense. 

"What about Meya?" Jakor's eyes got soft. Tara looked up at Jakor. Now she had to be the bearer of bad news. 

"We were separated early on. I- I haven't seen her in years." 

Jakor nodded sadly, "I'm sorry." His voice broke. 

"What father did to you and Meya... I have never forgiven him." He said. 

Tara knew she hadn't thought much of her father. It always hurt too much. She knew she had been sold rather than stolen by slavers. Her mother died giving birth to Meya and after that all they had was their father. 

"What happened to father?" Tara asked, even though a part of her didn't even want to know. 

Jakor shook his head. Tara could feel the pain exuding off of him. "He used to live here with Alvin and I. But- I- I don't know. He was so disagreeable sometimes and this was quite a few years ago. I was too young to be able to accept that father wasn't a perfect person."

Jakor sighed, "Anyway, Alvin thought it was too much and he always fought with father so he left on the first ship away from here and eventually father left too. A week or two later, he was stabbed by another drunken man." Tara knew Jakor was skimming over the whole story, probably because it was all too painful. 

"I'm sorry." Tara said, "I can't even imagine."

"It was many years ago." Jakor said. There was a moment of silence between them. They both were processing everything. 

"What about Lucas?" Tara asked. Lucas was the youngest of the brothers. He was the one who had gotten so sick, the main reason father decided to sell Tara and Meya to slavers. He needed more money to take care of Lucas.

Jakor hesitated, "He died, Tara. From the sickness."

For some reason, this hit Tara the hardest. Lucas was her only brother that was younger than her. She had always felt this responsibility when she was younger to take care of Lucas and Meya. 

"He was so young." Tara said. She had been able to hold tears back, but one slipped down her cheek. She quickly wiped it away. 

"Alvin was angry at father after Lucas died. We all wanted in a way someone to blame, but Alvin hated father. He hated him for selling you and Meya and I don't think he ever stopped hating him after that. And Timos always tried to stay out of it which made Alvin angrier."

"And you?" Tara asked. 

Jakor paused for a moment, "I never hated father. Only because I felt he was all we had sometimes."

Jakor stood up and let out a breath, "Sorry. I don't ever talk about these things anymore."

"It's just easier that way." Jakor was now pouring more alcohol into his cup. He drank the whole cup in one swig.

Tara wanted to talk to Jakor about the past more, but she knew she couldn't keep Tyrion and Davos waiting. She didn't have that much time. 

"I want you to come with me Jakor." Tara finally said. His back was still facing her. He took a moment before he turned around to face her. 

"I know how it sounds, but I'm married- to Theon Greyjoy." Tara explained, "He's allies with the Dragon Queen and you could come with me. You and your whole family."

Jakor looked beyond confused. He scoffed, "You're married to a Greyjoy?"

"Yes." Tara said. "It's a very long story."

"I bet it is." Jakor said. He was still dumbfounded from everything Tara had told him. He didn't say anything. He was still trying to put all the pieces together. 

"You could come with me and be safe. And you'll be well off and you won't have to live in flea bottom anymore and then we can be-" Tara was starting to ramble. 

"Tara." He interrupted, "I can't."

Tara looked at him. She felt crash in her chest. It hurt her for him to say it.  

"I can't just leave and come with you. My family is all here. My life is all here." He said. 

"For god sakes, I have two young children. I can't have them in the middle of the politics of a war." He finished. 

"But, Jakor, it's not safe in King's landing either. With Cersei Lannister as the queen, you are just as much in the middle of a war." Tara argued.

"I can't, Tara." He said.

Tara didn't know what else to say. She knew what she was asking him sounded insane, but she couldn't bear leaving her brother whom she just found.

"When you have children, you'll understand." He said. 

Tara immediately thought to the life growing inside of her. She tried to put herself in Jakor's shoes, but she had no idea what she'd do if the roles were switched. 

"I can't stay." Tara said. 

"I know you can't." He said back. They both looked at each other. They knew they were feeling the same pain, just on opposite sides. 

Tara stood up slowly. "People are waiting on me."

Jakor nodded. They were now both standing up, tension filled the gap between them. Tara didn't want it to stay there. 

She went to him and hugged him. It took him a moment, but he hugged her back. They held each other, trying to make the hug last longer, longer than it possibly could. Tara tried to remember everything about this moment since they both knew they might never see each other again. It was the exact same as all those years ago.

Jakor released from the hug first. He knew the longer you held on, the more painful it would be. 

"When this war is over," Tara started, "I'll find you again. I promise."

"Don't make promises you're not sure you can keep." Jakor said. It hit Tara like a dagger to the heart, but a part of her knew he was right. She just would never want to admit it. 

Tara stood in front of him for a moment, not wanting to leave. 

"Go. I know you have to." Jakor said. 

Tara nodded. She turned to the door but before she stepped out she turned back, "You have a beautiful family." 

Then, she left.