Hello, Thrones Amino! Now that I'm back, I'm back into the #BeThronesCertified challenge with some brand new ideas. I'm going to be doing a couple GoT x Disney AU stories featuring, you guessed it, Yara Greyjoy! As a long time fan of Disney and totally badass female characters, I'm so excited to write these one-shots! Mulan seems like a good place to start. Hopefully y'all enjoy the idea as much as I did! In this AU, Theon was never taken by Ned because good ol' Neddy boy thought that two of Balon's sons literally dying in the rebellion was punishment enough!
"Father, you can't do this!" Yara exclaimed, dropping to her knees in front of Balon. The Head of House sat in his chair in front of the hearth, refusing to acknowledge his teenaged daughter. Tears stung Yara's eyes as she gripped the his cloak, tugging at the fabric and demanding to be seen by her father.
"You could never understand, Yara. I'll hear no more of this." He stated.
"We won't survive another rebellion! You can't fight!" She yelled, refusing to give up on the argument. To say that Balon had begun to lose his mind was an understatement. The Ironborn warriors had hardly picked themselves back up from the last rebellion and while it was a cause worth fighting for, Yara hadn't gotten over what they had lost.
"Hold your tongue, girl! It's time you've learned your place!" Balon hissed, staring down at Yara with impatience and fury. She rushed to her feet and ran through the keep until reaching her chambers. How much time did they have?
Yara laid the scroll out on the table in her chambers. The scroll that had been sent to every Ironborn household by raven. She rubbed her temples as she read the scrawled writing. How could his ideas have gotten so out of hand? One Ironborn man from every household must the rebellion. Her heart hammered in her chest. Balon wasn't able to fight... Not at his age, and not with his state of mind. He was sick! Surely he would die!
Theon was so young. He was the only brother she had left. Yara imagined the eight year old boy running into battle and felt panic grip her. The boy wouldn't make it off the ship. No... It had to be her.
In the dark of the night, Yara crept through the corridors until reaching her father's armory. Inside held everything she would need. Yara held her breath and, using her father's sword, cut the length from her hair. It was shaggy and short, not unlike a lot of the Ironborn's hair. She began ripping cabinets open, one after another. He had to be storing them in the armory! Where else would he keep them?
Finally, Yara found what she was looking for; her brothers' armor. As she ran her fingertips over the kraken on their house's sigil, Yara couldn't ignore the tightness in her chest. A sob was ripped from her throat as she thought of Rodrik. What would he think if he could see their father now? What would he do if he knew that he had died for nothing? And what of Maron, who lived and died in Rodrik's shadow? It wasn't the life that Yara wanted for Theon. The small boy deserved a better life and if their father wouldn't give it to him, Yara would try to.
The Kraken's eldest brother's armor was too big for her small frame. She was stronger than most girls, but she wasn't nearly as tall or muscular as Rodrik was. Maron's armor would have to do. After changing into the armor (with great struggle her first time), she ran through the corridors to leave the keep. It was nearly first light, and the fleet would be waiting for all of the Ironborn sons.
As she ran as fast as her feet would carry her, Yara thought of her father. His want for the Iron Islands to be independent was justified, but his means were not. The Ironborn were still grieving their fathers and sons from the last rebellion. Balon's mind had become so tainted with sickness that he could not see a meter in front of himself when it came to the consequences of his actions. The rebellion could mean the fall of the Ironborn people. There simply were not enough of them. What allies did they have? What allies had her father secured? It was too late to question it all. The sun was coming up, and while Balon wouldn't attempt to the men he sent off to battle, he certainly wouldn't call off the fight.
Yara's lungs were on fire from running through the sand. She on the beach, lined up with hundreds of men. Some were grey of hair, and others looked to be barely ten. It made her stomach sick. She stood with her back straight, trying to fit in with the rest of the men. Her dark eyes watched on as men were counted and started boarding the fleet. Finally, a boy who didn't look much older than she was, approached her.
"Name?" The dark haired young man asked, not looking up from the scroll in his hand.
"I... Well I uh..." Yara stammered, not realizing she'd have to give a name. She obviously needed a boy's name, but suddenly couldn't even think of her father's own name.
"Well?" He demanded, looking up from the scroll he held.
"Theon!" She said quickly as she ed her pathetic, snivelling little brother who was probably tucked comfortably beneath his bed furs. "Theon Greyjoy." She said finally, trying to make her voice sound deeper than it was.
"Greyjoy?" He questioned, narrowing his eyes and looking Yara up and down. "As in Balon Greyjoy?"
Shit. "Yes, sir." She answered, not making eye .
"Hm. I didn't realize that Balon had any other sons." He said questioningly.
"Well he does," Yara said in confusion, as Theon was certainly her father's son. "And here I am." She gestured to her armor for good measure, feeling more confident the more irritated she got.
"Very well then. Let's get down to business. I'm Tristifer Botley, and I'm your captain now." The boy stated and Yara had to suppress a laugh. Captain? Alright then. If he insisted.
Yara followed Tristifer on to the ship and listened while he rambled incessantly about his expectations for his crew. She stepped up to the helm, almost of instinct, and looked out over the horizon. The Iron Islands had one more chance. Her fingertips traced the helm and she took in a deep breath of salty air. The breeze ran through her shortened hair and she nodded in understanding. It was her father who had gotten the Iron Islands into this battle, and she was the only one who could end it. It was up to her to help secure the independence of her people, and she wouldn't return to Pyke without making her father proud.
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