They had learned the reasoning for the attack.

The Sand Snakes poisoned Myrcella with a slow-acting reagent, and after a few weeks with her mother, Myrcella had died at dinner.

So, Cersei sent a fleet to just lob rocks at them for as long as they could. It was just as Tyrion said.

"Did anyone tell the Dornish to poison the Lannister girl?" Dany asked. They were all seated in the Chamber of the Painted Table, huddled in layers of clothes as a terribly cold child blew in from the ocean. Servants stood by the fire to keep it rumbling hot.

"Not that we know of," Varys said.

"That was a poor decision by the Sand Snakes. Their tactics were as bad as Cersei's. Killing an innocent girl would never have solved anything," Tyrion said, his body rigid with disproval.

"Are you upset that one of our enemies died?" Jorah asked, referencing Myrcella.

"Myrcella was a good girl. Fuck politics, she was innocent. She was one of the few things my sister ever got right," Tyrion said, not withholding his emotions this time.

Dany took a step forward, head held high as she stood at the end of the table. "I need to take King's Landing while Dorne is open like this. Otherwise, they could go to Cersei. She cannot get away with lobbing stones at my family's castle while I have three dragons."

"This could be exactly what she wants. She could use it to make you look reactionary," Varys warned.

Lana stepped in. "With all due respect, Lord Varys, war tends to be reactionary. What is the point of being a great house if you let another lob giant stones at you?"

"The girl is right," Olenna said. "Cersei attacked a dragon. A dragon that does not bite, nor breathes fire, is nothing more than a garden lizard."

"And how would we do it? Just burn down the Red Keep? Hope that Cersei is sleeping soundly somewhere and the rubble takes her with it?" Varys asked.

"Nearly worked for me," Lana quipped, clenching her fist.

"There are backways into the city," Tyrion said. "We can send unsullied to find Cersei. We might not even need dragon fire."

"What if Cersei gets word of it? There are still caches of wildfire all over from our father. Who is to say she won't burn it to the ground?" Lana asked, thinking to what Clegane said. Everyone's eyes were on her at that statement, even Jon Snow's, who remained silent.

"She does have a point. With her children dead," Tyrion said, some pain in his eyes. "She won't care what happens to King's Landing. She won't care what happens to this world." He laughed. "I honestly never thought about it, but there is a chance that even if we take it through good old-fashioned warfare, she might just blow it all up."

"Jon Snow, you are quiet. What do you think?" Dany asked.

He repositioned himself, the sound of his leathers filling in the awkward silence as their eyes were now on him. "I don't think I have a good opinion on any of this, your grace."

"And why not? You took up the title of king. This should be an easy decision for a king."

He looked around before saying, "With all due respect, if it's so easy, then why haven't you made the decision?"

Dany was flustered. "Because how I take King's Landing will impact everything."

Snow continued, "I am still of the belief that the war over the iron throne is wasting our time, so I have a hard time caring about it."

Lady Olenna stood. "Well, I have said my part. Your grace, I think Cersei deserves a long, painful death. I say go in with your men, take her, and have all three dragons around just in case you have to burn it down to smoke her out."

Varys chimed in once more. "Yes, but Lady Olenna, you grievously lost your family. Your opinion, is, of course, marred by judgment focused on revenge."

"You're right, I did lose my family. And so, so many more will lose theirs if we try to war with giant armies," she said, sighing, and leaning over the table to look at everyone. "I have been around these people longer than any of you. The common people will follow whoever is going to feed them, but who also scares them. Say you want about Tywin Lannister and how cruel he could be with the Red Wedding, but he knew how to get it done. Killing Cersei is far from a Red Wedding, so stop trying to make it seem like it is."

Lana raised her chalice of water. "I concur. I came here to live in peace in this castle. Not sit and wonder how to most peacefully take Cersei off the throne."

"All I caution," Varys said. "Is that extreme actions have extreme consequences."

"Like plotting to have me killed when I was with Drogo?" Dany asked, her eyes and voice filled with ice.

Like the politician he was, Varys gave a good answer. "Precisely, your grace. If that had worked, we'd all be listening to Cersei right now."

"So, then what do you suggest, Lord Varys?" Lana asked, tired of this. "Let's hear your plan instead of squabble about in conversation."

"To gather more support. Squeeze Cersei slowly, not to chop her head off. The more support Daenerys has, the more likely that when she sits the throne, she stays on the Iron Throne."

"Once she sits on it, she won't go anywhere," Jorah defended.

"And how can you guarantee that?" Varys asked.

"She has three dragons, as you seem to keep forgetting."

"Tywin liked to sing the Reins of Castamere when trying to get someone to make a decision. It's not much different."

"I like you, Lord Varys," Tyrion said with an apologetic tone. "But referencing my father only strengthens Dany's claim to use her dragons. My father was ruthless, and yet, the people still followed him."

"I didn't realize we were all so fond of a man who had my nieces and nephews killed, then let their killer rape their mother with their blood on her hands," Dany scolded.

"I think, my queen," Jorah said, cooling the fire in her. "The point is Tywin was ruthless, brutal, and yet effective. And here we are, discussing him even in his death, mostly with respect-"

"With respect?" Dany asked, and Lana felt sorry for her sister.

"He ended a war, your grace. I don't think we should kill babes, but I also think that's where you are different. You wouldn't do those thing, but you should be able to kill others if needed. Tywin was too brutal to be loved, but he was feared."

Lady Olenna said, still standing, "And you can be both, my dear. But you have to be willing to be feared by the people that you also want to love you. It's the first trick in parenting."

Dany faintly smiled. "I appreciate your caution, Lord Varys, and I will remember it. But I need to be a dragon now. I want to work towards a plan to go take King's Landing, with everything that we have."

"As you command, your grace."

Everyone in the room began to rise.

"Daenerys," Jon said, interrupting the decisive feeling of the room. "I need to discuss the war with the dead as well. I would prefer everyone's counsel with it as well."

"Make it quick," Dany said with a sigh.

"The dead are coming. Iron Throne, or even a golden throne, it won't matter. If the North fails to stop the dead, then everyone will be dead come winter. And the North cannot stop the dead with the men that we have."

"Even after the dragonglass?" Dany asked, clearly impatient.

"It's like being one man facing a hundred. It is futile, but you're still going to sharpen your blade beforehand," Snow said. There was something about him that Lana liked, and yet also didn't like. She reminded herself that this was Arya's half-brother.

Lana smiled. They definitely seemed to share a sense of determination and self-assurance.

"Pardon, my lad," Lady Olenna said. "But what dead? I haven't seen anything."

Jon laughed. "They are north of the wall."

"So, what's the problem? I thought the wall was there for a reason."

All eyes moved to Jon Snow, many seemingly persuaded by Olenna's statement. "My brother Bran has seen them finding their way over."

"Assuming I know what that means why did we even bother building a wall? How can it even be taken down?" Olenna asked.

"These are questions for the Citadel, but none of them will take us seriously."

"I agree with Olenna," Tyrion said, tapping his hand on the table as if to wrap this up. His tone clearly showed that he took none of this seriously. "We need evidence, or it's just more theories. We can only fight the war that is in front of us and real."

"Maybe you can fetch one of these creatures, Jon Snow, and bring them here," Olenna said in jest.

Jon's face sobered as he slowly looked around the room, furrowing his brow as he spoke to the lady of flowers. "Would it make a difference?"

Dany chimed in, to which Jon's eyes moved to her. "If you presented me with a creature of the dead and told me they could break through the wall, it very well might make a difference. But since that cannot be done, it is still a moot point."

Jon snow bit his bottom lip. "So, if I gave you a wight, you would fly north, bring your armies, and help me fight them?"

Dany sighed, looking at the table before glancing back to him. "If you brought a wight, and it was real, and we had evidence they would breach the wall, no matter what...then I would take King's Landing, and the first act that I would do is gather every lord that doesn't want their castle burned, and I would demand the Citadel to come and see it too. Then we would fly north and help you fight this enemy."

Jon Snow sighed, like he had received a death sentence. "Looks like I have to secure one, then."

Dany tutted. "Surely, you don't mean that?"

"I have to go north and get one. We are going to die, your grace. The North needs every man. We need the Citadel. We need your dragonfire. And I understand why no one is listening to me. It is because no one has seen it. So, I need to find a way to allow people to see it."

"You know, if these creatures truly are real, then this could be used," Tyrion said, waving a finger. "What better thing to have everyone unite around, for our queen, other than the fight for the survival of Westeros? I say we call on all of great lords and the citadel and bring the wight to King's Landing. We show them what there is to rally behind. If we can give everyone in this kingdom a reason to head north and help fight, that will give Jon Snow the men he needs, and it will give our queen a reason to be followed with little allies."

"Except for the north," she said as she glared at Jon. "He still has yet to kneel, and I am supposed to trust that when he returns, he won't rally everyone behind him instead?"

Jon Snow didn't budge.

"We can worry about that later," Tyrion said, nearly rolling his eyes as he looked to Dany before glancing back to Snow. "Jon, how feasible is this feat? To go north and secure a potential walking dead person?"

Jon laughed, his smile bright and clean, but his mood was sour. "I don't know. I've never tried it. I am used to running away from them, not bloody catching them and carrying them south."

"How long would you need?" Dany asked tersely, clearly still not in favor of Snow.

"A month, if I leave now. Maybe two."

"Then we will wait for three months before attacking King's Landing, at least if we can afford to wait that long. Don't forget, that if you plan to betray me, I will not lend you a single soldier, let alone any dragons."

Jon straightened his back, a crook of a smile on his face. "Trust me, you want the throne more than I ever could."

The conversation concluded shortly after the debate. Jon Snow was going North beyond the wall, and would come back with the enemy that was fueled by dark magic. Surprisingly, Jorah volunteered his aid and to represent the queen.

Lana didn't know how to process any of it, in truth. She had grown up hearing about the 'Night'. It always sounded like something to be avoided at all costs.

I wonder where Thoros is, and if he still has Lightbringer. Lana had a feeling, based on all the stories Sedona had told her, that no matter the size of the army, it came down to Lightbringer.

They had all agreed to withhold the taking of King's Landing, waiting until they had a Wight to present, so Dany could campaign on the fight for the world and not just the throne. Tyrion said he would go and find a way to talk to Jamie in an attempt to coax Cersei out into the open.

When Lana got back to her new room, which overlooked the gardens, she changed into her nightdress, with furs to go over it as she sat down with a glass of wine while her handmaid added logs to the fire.

Lana ruminated over everything that had been discussed. They were getting closer to death or victory now. Even then, she mostly thought of her and Sandor. Lana realized his time by her side was growing nearer too.

They both knew he couldn't be here when she was married off, which grew ever closer now.

As Lana's handmaiden began to part for the evening, Lana said, "Tell Sandor to come in."

The woman nodded, opened the door, and in walked Clegane.