Game of Thrones Tales: Invaders from Planet Dirt…
Summary: The world has been invaded by unspeakably hideous creatures from some little planet out on the spiral rim of the Galaxy whose translated name seems a bit odd.
(Just a shortie testing an idea, I may expand it later)
The voice flowed, quiet yet strong and rich…
"All seemed secure at last in the world. Though Winter was coming…Eventually…The War of the Five Kings had at last ended with Aegon Targaryen on the throne, subject to a Council of Seven Kings and a new Charter of Rights, these restraints on his power brokered by none other than his most powerful ally and friend, Lord Tyrion Lannister of Casterly Rock, Hand of the King. The young king was not entirely pleased to have his power checked but after Stannis Baratheron had destroyed one of his three dragons and had shown his potential ability to defend himself against them, he had no choice but to accept. Lord Stannis in his turn had reluctantly accepted that he could not hold out against both the Targaryen power and that of the Lannister forces backed by the Tyrells. As a result, with Danerys Targaryen agreeing to withdraw with one dragon to Essos and the other sent with Lord Jon Snow to the great Wall of the North to maintain a truce with the White Walkers, peace had seemingly come…Until they came…Just as Summer turned to Autumn…"
"What about Winter, Uncle?"
"It's coming…It's coming…" shrug, faint smile… "It has to come…One day…"
"Seems to take a long time…" the blonde-haired boy eyed the narrator…A figure in silks and leather, an adult, whose face indicated he'd seen years of hardship, even suffering…Emotional as well as physical… And yet a figure shorter than the boy as they sat, side by side on the stone bench in the large hall of the Red Keep of Kings' Landing. Its roof now open to the sky, the walls black and blasted, the beauteous stained glass windows shattered and melted…Through not from dragon fire.
"You asked to hear this…"
"Sorry, Uncle. Please?"
"Very well…As I say…So They came. At first in small numbers, studying our world. They could blend in you see, being much like us. But once they'd learnt we had little to fight them, they came in their hordes…For you see, they were not millions, like us…But billions… Not that they needed great numbers, given their weapons."
"Billions…" gasp…
"Yes…Godlike as they seemed to us at first, with their flying craft and their machine carriages and their electricity, they'd overrun their own world, despoiled and ruined it…And now they were spreading, like locusts into the Universe. That being the one thing that they taught us…That the Universe truly is more than our world here alone. That there are other worlds, other suns…"
"They only have one sun…We have two, right Uncle?"
"Yes, they told us of this…That the reason our seasons lasted for years was that we have a second sun, larger than the one we circle, that our world and its star orbit in rather odd fashion, sometimes coming close, sometimes keeping far away. On their world, seasons are short, less than a year. They knew nothing of the long winters on their world, though they now live on some worlds where they say it's always winter or always summer."
"I'd like to see those worlds, Uncle."
"I would too, Tommen. But I'm doubtful our 'friends' would allow it. They're not given to showing us such favor."
"The General says he's our friend…He's not though? Even if he ended the wars."
"No one who slaughters half our people is our friend Tommen. And he and his kind didn't end the wars, we did."
"The Targaryen usur…King Aegon…Says…"
"He says what he has to, I've told you that. Aegon is a brave man but he knows there are times when one has to say things that aren't true, to protect innocent people. So Aegon says they are our friends, proclaims it. And in his heart hopes for Winter…As we all do."
"Winter is when we'll beat them…Even if they can kill dragons and even walkers, they can't fight Winter."
"Never say that Tommen…Forget it, teach yourself not to say it. Not in front of them, if you value the lives of your friends and family. One day, you might be taken out of curiosity…Someone might tell them you were King for a time. And one of their people might find it interesting to question you about our history. So you must forget about Winter...And our hopes…"
Tommen sighed. "That's what Margaery says."
"She always was a wise girl." Nod.
"The wars never seem to end. Is it all Joff's fault?"
"No." The small man shook his head. "This war isn't even Joffrey's fault. Come, you should get back to your studies and I must go to the King. I dine with him and the General tonight."
"Dirt…That's where they come from, in the beginning? Their home?" Tommen eyed his uncle.
"Earth, they say, is the actual name…" the man pronounced the unfamiliar word carefully. "There's no other word for it in our language. And it suits them." Bitter look which vanished as a man of somewhat different complexion entered the Hall, wearing a uniform of a cloth unavailable anywhere in the world…Or at least, on this world. He strode over to them and came to attention, saluting.
"Minster…Lannister? I'm here to transport you to the Compound at the General's and the King's request." The man struggling a bit with the unfamiliar words.
"Thank you…Lieutenant." Tyrion nodded, smoothly pronouncing the alien word 'Lieutenant'. "And my compliments…You're truly getting the language down these days."
"Your wife's a good teacher, sir." The Lieutenant noted.
"Why, thank you. I know she'd be pleased to hear that. Tommen, I must go. Tell your mother and your Aunt Sansa when you see them that I'll be late. I'm sure the General will have a great deal he'll want to discuss with the King and myself after dinner. A great many resources still buried under our dirt and in our streams and fields, he'll want to tap yet. A great many people he'll want to do that work."