A/N Pictures of characters and the trailer for this story can be found by following the link on my profile page.
DEFIANCE
HOUSE OF BLACKMORE
Though the Blackmore's have never reigned as King's, their house has played an important part in the Eight Kingdom's, economically, for years – as their land is rich in precious jewels and their quarries are extensive and large. It is renowned for its skills in engineering and warfare tactics, though its relatively small size has prevented it from being a serious threat to comparatively larger houses like Baratheon and Lannister.
The Blackmore army is smaller still – split into the Altara army (named after its capital city) and the 'Rangers' which roam Blackmore's lands and keep the three warring Clann's that reside there in check.
The Blackmore sigil is a black turning gear on a brown background and its words are 'we are the gears of war'.
PROLOGUE
Robert Baratheon hated the Targaryans. It was known throughout Westeros.
It was whispered that he saw the ghost of the dead maiden, Lyanna in every dream; that when he closed his eyes he relived himself killing Rhaegar Targaryen thousands of times over.
There were also rumors through out the Seven Kingdoms of Queen Cersei and her brother – the Kingslayer – Jaime Lannister. Rumors of a love so utterly forbidden and passionate that many dared no speak of it.
Then there was other gossip – fanciful; conjured out of legend and fear, yet none the less damning – whispers that were barely ripples in a pond, really – whispers of the resemblance Caera Blackmore bore to Rhaegar Targaryan. It was the white hair, some said. An unfortunate resemblance – and faint at that - but a resemblance none the less.
Only the wise know to listen to the trinkets of gossip of housewives and whores, however - but over the years these rumors slowly became bigger than ripples in a pond, but great waves. Waves that would become the cries to arms; the call for war.
Because when Caera Blackmore (who bore the features of a Targaryan) came of age, she was betrothed to Jaime Lannister (whose heart belonged to his sister) in an attempt to forge an alliance between the Houses of Lannister and Blackmore. They were married before the King (who bore an everlasting hate for Targaryans) and it was these accumulation of facts that led to war.
Robert drank too much at the wedding feast, and saw old ghosts once again.
He stole after Caera when she left the feast, and in a fit of drunken rage, saw her as the bastard daughter of Rhaegar Targaryan. He beat her, and Jaime Lannister, who did not love his new wife – did not feel…anything…towards the girl, it seemed – stood by and allowed it to happen. Caera died.
They buried her, the next morning – hoping that the honored burial amongst other great Lannisters would appease the House of Blackmore. The sky was bleak – the white-blue of a blind maesters eyes, and soldiers watched as the Blackmore girl was lowered into the ground from their positions on the walls like over-grown birds of prey. Real birds took flight into the sky and the ceremony was done.
Some of the King's council saw Caera Blackmore's death as a chance to move forward, crush the Blackmore house, and claim their huge wealth and land for themselves. Others were more wary.
It was rumored that the Blackmore's had solid alliances with Stannis Baratheon and the House of Tully; that their machines for war were something lesser men could only dream of…some feared that this would be the chance the Blackmore's had been waiting for: that in their rage they would rise up, declare war…and seize the crown for themselves…
A/N Thank you for reading!
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