As we walked towards Olenna's personal garden, I remembered something.

“You know, I didn't get a chance to sing a song for Willas like I promised.” I said and Olenna gave me a searching look. “I'm not avoiding what we have to talk about, just that I should keep my word.”

The old woman sighed. “Very well. I'll have the room cleared and...”

“No, no. That won't be necessary.” I said and shook my head. “In fact, why don't you invite the rest of the staff that doesn't have anything pressing to do? They can gather around the open windows and can hear it as well.”

Olenna wasn't known a shrewd woman for no reason. “That makes it sound like you already have something prepared to share.”

“I do.” I admitted. “Hopefully, it will be accepted for what it could be.”

Olenna's eyes narrowed. “You are planning for it to be.”

I had to chuckle at that. “Not really. I just have a feeling.” I said and patted her hand on my arm. “I sang a song for the people of Winterfell and practically overnight it became a song known by nearly all of the people in the North.”

Olenna had a look of realization on her face and nodded. “It will be arranged.”

“Thank you.” I said just as we reached her private garden.

Olenna waved a servant over and whispered to her. The young woman's eyes widened as she nodded, gave me a look, blushed, and rushed off. The old woman waved me towards where we walked before.

“Margaery, Dany, Arya, Arryk. Come along.” Olenna said and all four of them stopped what they were doing and did as she asked. It made her smile at having them follow her order without question, even if she knew it was only because they were curious about what was going on.

We arrived at the assigned rooms for the heir of Highgarden and there were already chairs of all kinds set up for the thirty or so people there. It was a loose arrangement, so there were no chairs too close to the door or the windows, so no one would be 'in the front' or have priority over anyone else.

I pointed to the chairs near the window where Willas. “Arya, sit right there. I'm going to do what I did for Sansa.”

Arya giggled and slid her training sword into her belt and sat. “Okay, Jon.”

Dany sat on one side of her and gave me a curious look. Margaery sat on Arya's other side and barely managed to not do the same thing, even if she was just as curious. The other chairs were quickly filled with bodies and low murmurs came from the young women as they wondered what was going to happen. A few even risked asking Arya about it and she gave them a coy smile and whispered they were going to love it.

“Mother?” Alerie asked when we entered the room again. “What's going on?”

“Apparently, Jon Snow has a song to sing for our Willas.” Olenna said.

“Really?” Alerie said, her huge smile lighting up her face. She turned to the midwifes that were still in the room. “Everyone out!”

Olenna softly cackled as everyone, even the maester, ran out of the room. They saw the surrounding chairs and immediately understood that they were to stay and sat down near the doorway. The looks of relief on their faces was almost funny, especially the one that still had the toy wolf in her hands. She fielded several whispered questions about where she found such a nice plush toy.

I sat Olenna on the edge of the bed and took the burlap sack off of my back. “I'll just be a moment as I let Arya hold this for me.”

Olenna, Alerie, and Willas nodded and I went back outside and over to Arya. I set the bag on the ground at her feet and had her hold the top of the bag open for me. I reached in, and in, and almost ducked my head inside to make her laugh.

“Aha! Here it is under your watermelon.” I said and made a fake thump sound. I stood up and pulled out my modified and enchanted guitar from the bag that should have just barely fit inside the bag.

Arya closed the bag and clapped, as did a few others, and both Dany and Margaery looked surprised. I smiled at them and motioned to the bag. Arya giggled and opened it, and I reached back inside and pulled out the golden violin.

Everyone gasped, even Margaery. Dany looked completely shocked. I winked at her and then nodded at the gathered people before I went back inside the room. Olenna and Alerie gave my instruments a look that was a mix of desire and need, while Willas looked intrigued by the different shape of the lute.

“Hold this for me, Willas. I'll nod when I need you to pass it to me.” I said and he happily took the golden instrument. I strummed the guitar a few times, cleared my throat, and slightly changed the words to the Dixie Chicks song called Wide Open Spaces. “Here's something I like to call, The Song of the Reach.”

The enchantments activated when I started plucking the strings and then I strummed it.

“Who doesn't know what I'm talking about? Who's never left home? Who's never gone out... to find a dream and a life of their own? A place to call home with a foundation of stone.” I sang. “Many precede and many will follow. A young man's dreams no longer hollow. They take the shape of a place in The Reach; but, what it holds for him, he hasn't guessed yet.”

I strummed the guitar. “He needs, wide open spaces. Room to make his big mistakes. He needs, new faces, he knows the high stakes.” I kept strumming and the music and words carried much farther than the small gathering around his room. “He travelled these roads as a child. Wide eyed and grinning, he never tired. Now he's coming right back home with the rest, learning life lessons, he'll do his best... he needs, wide open spaces. Room to make his big mistakes. He needs, new faces, he knows the high stakes. He knows the highest stakes.”

I waved at Willas with the last word and he held out the violin. I grabbed it, passed him the guitar, then propped the violin on my shoulder. I played the bridge of the song and Olenna's eyes were wide as her thoughts went right to my easy transition from one instrument to another. I finished the main violin part and handed it back, grabbed the guitar, and started lightly strumming it, then lightly pluck at it.

“As he tends to the fields, his dad yells, stop having fun.” I said a bit slower and heard several laughs from outside. “Mom stares out the window and says, I'm proud of my son.” I start strumming again. “She says it didn't seem like that long ago, when she stood there, and let her own folks know... she needed wide open spaces. Room to make her big mistakes. She needs, new faces, she knows the high stakes. She knows the highest stakes. She knows the hiiiighest staaaakes. She knows the highest stakes. She knows the highest stakes.”

I finish strumming the last chords of the song and let the magic fade. Alerie had tears in her eyes and a smile on her face. Olenna looked like she was fighting to not join her. Willas looked like he had gotten the best gift ever and was grinning from ear to ear. I walked over to him and held a hand out. He grabbed it with both hands and shook it enthusiastically.

“I was reaching for the violin, actually.” I joked and he laughed and laughed.

That seemed to break whatever held the crowd silent outside and everyone started talking about it.

“Jon Snow.” Olenna said, her face blank.

“I can have a copy of the music and words ready by tomorrow morning.” I said, knowing that every person that had heard the song and played music was going to want a copy. I smiled when Willas handed me the violin back and I tucked it under my arm, then offered said arm to Olenna.

The old woman let out a soft sigh and petted Willas on the head like his mother had. It surprised both Willas and Alerie and they didn't say anything, as if not acknowledging it would let them keep the moment forever. Olenna stood, let her hand drop to her side, and she waked over to me. She placed her other hand on my arm and we walked out of the room.

Everyone fell silent again when they saw us and I was sure it was because of Olenna's facial expression. The old woman rolled her eyes and motioned to Margaery to follow us. She, Dany, and Arya hopped up like someone poked them in the backside and we left the impromptu gathering with Olenna's guards following us.

We reached her personal gardens and Arya held out the burlap sack for me. I whispered my thanks and put the two instruments inside, then slung it over my back and everyone started ignoring it.

Olenna sat at the small table and turned to ask a servant for tea, only there was no one there. She let out a frustrated sound and turned to glare at me, so I pointed to the tea service on the table. I did up a cup for her and she still glared at me.

I did up one for Margaery, one for Dany, and Arya gave me her puppy-dog eyes. “Fine, go play with Erryk. Arryk has seen all your tricks.”

“YAY!” Arya yelled and ran over to the man and drew her training sword from her belt. “I challenge you to a duel of fun!”

Erryk looked surprised and his twin brother let out a laugh.

“She's a crafty one, brother. Believe me.” Arryk said and showed his slightly bruised sword hand.

Erryk nodded and the two moved off so that Arya had room to show off again.

Olenna took a sip of tea and she had to clamp her mouth closed to stop her moan at the perfect taste, consistency, and temperature. Apparently, she had never had a proper tea before if this was how it should have been made.

The weirdly shaped biscuits with odd markings also seemed out of place, then she tasted one. It was just the right mix of dry and sweet to counter the tea, so she dipped it into the edge and took a larger bite. She couldn't stop her moan of satisfaction this time and she slumped back slightly.

Margaery caught her breath at seeing her grandmother react like that, then she tried the same combination. Her own moan was a little louder as she also sat back and let the tension in her back ease away. Her thoughts agreed with her grandmother that this was the perfect way to have tea.

Dany managed to not make a noise as she tried it as well, probably because she hadn't been exposed to many tea breaks during her exile. She silently admitted it was very well made tea as she nodded to me.

We all sat there and enjoyed two cups each and many biscuits, with the only sounds being heard were Arya giving Erryk a lesson on how she fights.

Olenna eventually let out a satisfied sound and looked at me with an accusing stare.

“I enjoy making good food when I can.” I said with a smile.

“You can cook as well?” Margaery asked before she could stop herself and then her face flushed red. “I'm sorry for speaking out of turn, Lady Olenna.”

Olenna took a breath and let it out, then waved her hand in a dismissive gesture. “You only beat me to asking the same question, so think nothing of it.”

Margaery smiled slightly and nodded. “Thank you, my lady.”

“I can cook, and clean, and fight, and do many of the other things I've had to learn to do on my own.” I told them and Dany was the only one that nodded in agreement.

“Can you build a house?” Olenna asked, probing.

“My lady, given enough land, I could build a castle.” I said, not boasting. I could have, though. Using earth-based powers, magic, and transfiguration, I could recreate Hogwarts castle in an afternoon.

Olenna huffed and shook her head. “I won't be selling you that much land, even if I am curious if you can fulfill such a claim.”

I smiled at that. “Where will my new home be, my lady? All of the surrounding lands here are claimed and I doubt anyone would willingly give up their homes and farms after hearing that song.”

Both Margaery and Dany nodded at that. All the talk around them was about how proud everyone was about their jobs and their families.

“Unfortunately, you are right. The lands around and near Highgarden have been under familial claims for centuries.” Olenna said. “Although, many of them would offer you houseroom and give you some personal space, none of them would give up their hereditary rights and hand them to you.”

I figured as much and didn't say so. “What do you suggest I do?”

Olenna thought about it and let out a low breath. “The only alternatives are either the Shield Islands to the west of the mainland or the Arbor to the south.”

“There is more room on Arbor. They have many orchards and fields of grapes that produce wines for sale; however, their main industry is producing ships for the crown fleet.” Margaery offered. “The Shields are spread over four much smaller islands and their main source of food is fishing. There are no farms at all.”

“They are also much closer to the mainland. You would need the use of a ship in either case.” Olenna said. “A smaller one would be suitable for the Shields and a larger one to travel to Arbor.”

“It's also four times as long to travel to Oldtown on land and then you have to keep your ship there at a dock. However, if you choose the Shields, your ship can traverse up and down the Mander River to arrive right here from your home.” Margaery informed me.

I gave her a bright smile and she blushed and looked away briefly, then looked back at me and smiled. “Then you've made my decision for me. Access to Highgarden without having to force someone else to give up their livelihood is the best choice.”

Olenna nodded. “I will have the maester send a raven to Lord Serry in the Southshield. It is closest to the mouth of the Mander and will suit your purposes well.”

“As long as I have access to the water and there's enough room to build a few structures. I don't want to be landlocked and have to travel to get to a ship.”

“I will advise him to not annoy you.” Olenna said and smiled slightly. “Or myself.”

I had to chuckle at that. “Thank you, Lady Olenna. I appreciate it.”

“Good.” Olenna said and her face lost all expression. “Now, tell me how you know so much and how you can do the things you do.”

I sat there and didn't glance at either Margaery or Dany, the other two people at the table. I wouldn't have asked them to sit with us if I didn't want them to hear what I had to say. I just had to be careful about how I said it or things could get complicated.

“Let me answer that with a question of my own.” I said and Olenna briefly frowned before she schooled her face and nodded. “What would you do if you woke up one day and had witnessed your entire future?”

Margaery made a slight strangled sound and Dany gasped.

Olenna's schooled face twitched once, then again, before she spoke. “Depending on the events I saw, I would ensure my safety first and then look after my family.”

I nodded at that response, since that was the most reasonable way to react. “What if you didn't only see your own future? What if you saw everyone's around you? What if you saw the futures of people you didn't know? What would you do then?”

Olenna's schooled face paled slightly and both Margaery and Dany stared at me with their mouths open. None of them said anything and I didn't think they would.

“Pain and suffering, death and destruction, and a world full of peril, loss, and misery.” I whispered.

Olenna nodded in understanding, her pale features regaining some color.

“I saw...” I paused and shook my head. “The details are not important. I immediately started to fix things for myself, for my situation, and how I was being unfairly treated. I learned the hard way that it was much more important to be remembered for who I am, for the things I've done, and not for what everyone expected me to be.”

“That is how you knew Willas was hurt, even though you didn't see the jousting tournament.” Olenna said.

“That and more.” I responded and looked at Margaery.

“No.” Olenna whispered. “Don't.”

I gave her a sad smile and nodded. I looked back at the old woman. “I wasn't going to tell anyone what I saw. I didn't want to burden them...” I sighed. “The Ironborn will secretly declare independence from the crown next year and will sack the Shield Islands and raid all the coastal towns around Highgarden and The Reach.”

“Using what we just agreed was the best way for you to have access to Highgarden, using the Mander.” Olenna said and sighed. “What can we do to change things? A year is not a long time to prepare for something like that.”

I smiled knowingly at her. “Well, considering I'll soon have a home on the Shield Islands and a ship to call my own... I also know that a certain Ironborn leader stays near his home most days and lets his people plunder in his name without worry of retribution.”

Margaery gasped and Dany gave me a very pointed look.

Olenna's face changed from resigned to determined. “You'll have the fastest small ship at your command as soon as I can send the order to the harbour.”