Two days had passed since the storm—since Thor had hurled Mjolnir like a bolt of judgment and torn the enemy ship apart.
He hadn't planned to, but it happened, and now there was nothing he could do about it.
The sea had calmed, but Thor himself had not. Each morning he stood at the edge of the deck, stretching out his hand, whispering to the skies, throwing out murmurs that resembled either a prayer or an anime catchphrase—anything to summon the hammer back.
Each time, nothing. Only the sound of the waves mocking him.
"Fuck." He was getting irritated now. He had no idea where the hammer was.
Arya watched him with curious eyes. "You've been standing there for hours again," she said one morning, climbing up beside him.
Thor's jaw tightened. "It's nothing, just recalling some memories." What else was he supposed to say? That he was calling for his hammer, expecting it to fly over miles just because he outstretched his hand?
Arya didn't look convinced, which made him doubt his own credibility. Perhaps they might really believe him, though. After all, he was the man who had summoned a storm and brought thunder and rain upon their enemies. At this point, was there anything they wouldn't believe if he said it?
Sansa, sitting nearby with her cloak pulled tight, sighed. "It's getting cold. Are we getting closer to the North already?"
Arya shot her sister a glare. "Don't be stupid, Sansa. We are almost a moon away from Winterfell."
Thor chuckled softly, though his eyes stayed on the horizon. "Though I'm not very wary of this place's geography, the ship is still following its destined route. We are not going north but rather to the Vale. From that point onwards, we'll travel by foot."
Ser Hugh leaned against the railing, his face pale from the sea but sharp enough to add, "Oh, hmm… maybe there's a little change in plan that you're not aware of."
"Huh?! What do you mean?" Thor frowned. Didn't Varys set the ship up to send Hugh back to the Vale?
"The ship isn't going to the Vale. It's set for Riverrun."
"What?! Why? Didn't the Spider set the ship for the Eyrie?" Thor was gobsmacked. Here he had been thinking that from now on the journey would be a comfortable one.
The Vale, after all, was a friendly state due to Catelyn Stark's relation—Lysa ruled there. If nothing unexpected happened, they wouldn't face danger.
But Riverrun…
"Wait, if I'm not wrong, then your mother was a Tully, wasn't she?" Thor's mind snapped, recalling this bit of intel from the show.
"Yes," Sansa nodded.
"And Tully is the ruling house in Riverrun, if I'm not wrong, right?" Thor's mind started racing.
"Mostly. Just like the North, the land is divided into many smaller lords, but our grandfather rules there. He should be the Lord Paramount," Sansa recalled from her lessons.
"Good, then we might not face much trouble yet." Thor sighed, though he had a bad feeling. Going to the Vale would have been better. At least he had a way to manipulate Lysa Arryn. He knew her character.
Catelyn and Lysa's father, though? He had no idea. If he wasn't mistaken, the man was called Hoster Tully. He'd never seen him in the show—only his dead body, like Jon Arryn.
Tch…
Thor, for lack of any better word, was frustrated. Why couldn't things ever go as planned?
"It's fine. One way or another, I'll take both of you back to the North. That's a promise." Thor calmed himself and reassured the girls when he noticed their tense faces watching him fuss.
Silence cast over them for a few seconds. Thor had learned that from tales, voyages sounded like peerless adventures, but in reality, they were quite boring. There was nothing to do here.
Just as the silence thickened, a voice broke it.
Sansa's hands gripped her dress. "Do you think… do you think Joffrey hurt him?"
She meant her father. Thor's mind went back to that honorable fool. He honestly didn't wish harm on the man, but even he couldn't do anything for someone who wouldn't see reason.
Arya's voice cut sharp. "Joffrey's a monster. He would. But Father's strong. He won't break."
"Yeah, the old man is one tough son of a bitch. However, torture isn't the real problem here. As long as it's not extreme, Ned Stark can most likely survive. What matters is his life."
Thor could only hope the backhand he left behind did its job. If everything went as planned, Joffrey should be dead by now. Even better if Varys took the fall for it.
Thor finally turned from the sea and faced them. His voice was firm. "Ned Stark is an honorable man. Honor is dangerous in King's Landing. But so long as he breathes, he will fight for you. And there is still a chance to bring him back."
Sansa lowered her gaze, her voice trembling. "I just want him safe. I want all of us back home."
Arya lifted her chin. "Then we'll fight. Just like Thor did."
Thor laid a hand on her shoulder, smiling faintly. "Let's wait until we return to Winterfell. Right now, your safety is more important. Even your brother won't be able to muster all his forces knowing that not only his father but also his sisters are in danger. Let's give him fewer reasons to worry—that is our main goal for now."
And with that, the deck fell quiet, save for the endless roll of the waves—and Thor's hand still reaching for the hammer that would not yet return.
…
[King's Landing – Red Keep]
The days after Joffrey's death were a blur of anger and grief. Cersei did not let Varys simply rot in the dungeons. She had him questioned, prodded, and broken piece by piece until at last a name slipped out—a merchant across the Narrow Sea, one Illyrio Mopatis.
Though it wasn't Varys himself who revealed it but one of his many birds. The Spider was actually quite tight-lipped.
If until now Cersei had poured all her anger on Varys as a coincidental victim, then now she was out for him with passion.
But while the Spider screamed below ground, Cersei stayed above, in her chambers with Tommen and Myrcella. The boy sat nervously on the edge of the bed, his golden hair falling into his wide eyes.
"Mother… must I really be king?" Tommen, only eight years old, asked softly.
Cersei cupped his cheeks, forcing him to look at her. "Yes, sweetling. You must. Joffrey is gone. Your father is gone. That leaves you. But do not be afraid. You will not be alone. I will guide you."
Tommen swallowed. "Will I be a good king?"
"You will be the best," she whispered, pressing her lips to his forehead. "Better than Robert, better than Joffrey. You will listen to me, and together we shall rule. The realm will love you, for you are gentle. And I shall handle the matters too heavy for your young shoulders."
The boy gave a small nod, though his face was pale. Myrcella, sitting quietly in the corner, looked away, hiding her own tears.
For all it was worth, the children were just children—sad and broken by their father and brother's death.
Just then, the heavy doors opened, and Ser Mandon of the Kingsguard entered, bowing low. "Your Grace, news from the dungeons."
Cersei straightened. "Speak."
All the motherly softness was gone.
"We learned about the Spider's dealings with an Essosi merchant. The name—Illyrio Mopatis."
Cersei's eyes narrowed. "Illyrio… Mopatis. What of him?" she asked sharply.
The knight shifted uncomfortably. "We don't know yet, my queen. But we have already sent ravens to find out."
Cersei's lips curled into a bitter smile. "Then hurry up. And what about the Stark daughters? About Thor?" Her voice rose.
Tommen blinked in confusion. "Mother, what does that mean?"
"It means, sweetling," she said, her voice suddenly cold, "that the man who whispers in our ears has been whispering to our enemies as well. And now… he shall answer for it."
She rose, her gown flowing behind her like a shadow. "Ser Mandon, send riders. I want everything there is to know about this Illyrio Mopatis. His ships, his men, his friends. No detail too small.
"And I need to know about the Stark girls and Thor. Make sure the next time you come to me, you know where they are."
"Yes, Your Grace."
Cersei turned back to Tommen, her face softening again. "And you, my lion, must prepare for your coronation. For the realm will soon need strength, and it shall see it in you."
…
A/N: Yo, what do you think about the story so far? It's a bit different than what it was previously, but this little branching will ultimately make the story change further as it goes.
xxx
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