The grounds around the gates of Watford are burnt. The dining hall stinks of magick. It's three months since the tumultuous end of seventh year—one lonely summer, and six more weeks in a lonelier room—and Baz is finally back. And Simon needs to know why.
Biding his time after his failed rebellion, Balon Greyjoy learns that his erstwhile heir is returning home at the new Lord of Winterfell's behest, seeking terms for an alliance between the Iron Islands and the newly crowned King in the North.
In one timeline, with his decision weighed upon his sense of pride and his sense of pragmatism, Balon's pride won out.
But what if he made a different choice?