Here's the next chapter. Sorry for the long delay but writer's block and focus on Broken Angel kept me from getting this out. Hope you all enjoy.
Fire and Shadow, Rise of the Queen of the Abyss
Chapter 11: An unspoken bond
"Halt! Who goes there?" Came the demand from the guard as Visenya and her party road up to Riverrun.
"Eddard Stark, and his children." Came the reply from Visenya, earning surprised looks from the two guards.
One of the guards was quick to march forward his eyes locked on the tired form of the old Northern Lord.
"Lord Stark?" The guard inquired hesitantly.
"Aye." Ned replied with a tired nod.
"We had heard rumors of your death at the hands of King Joffrey. I am grateful that they were little more then rumors." The guard replied once he recognized the previous Warden of the North.
"Yes well… so am I." Ned replied after a moment. From there they were escorted inside where they met with Lord Hoster Tully. The old man wasn't in the best of shapes but he was still happy to see them. Many of his men, including the Blackfish and Edmure Tully had already departed to meet with Robb Stark on his trek south. The man had already crossed the twins and was set to arrive in Riverun in only a few days.
The Lord of the Riverlands offered them a place to stay and promised to keep their presence there a secret until Lord Stark decided what he planned on doing. He was also quick to inform them that word had reached his ear that Jaime Lannister was marshaling a force and marching towards Riverun. No one knew what the Lion or the young wolf intended but Visenya was curious on how this would play out. If the situation turned dire she could always summon Midir to devastate the Lannister horde so she wasn't overly worried about a few thousand lions.
With that news in mind, Visenya chose to remain at the castle and wait for Robb to arrive, this gave Ned the opportunity to sit and speak with her.
"What are you planning, Lyarra?" Ned inquired.
"You seem to think I have something in mind." Visenya responded with a nonchalant look.
"I know you do. You're far too cunning to not have a plan in mind. You rescued me from the Lannisters, and you rescued my daughters. You've never been particularly close with anyone other then Jon yet you didn't hesitate to rescue us, even though it put you at risk. I know you have a plan. Please… I'm willing to help. I owe you more then I can ever repay." Ned stated, cutting right to the heart of the matter, earning a sigh from Visenya.
"You're no fun uncle. You don't take my teasing, you don't play my games. You're too serious. The world is a lot less complex then you think. So long as you learn to relax and simply be observant, you'll find that very little in the world, happens without obvious signs. I do have a plan. I intend to take the throne. I intend to cut the head off that pompous little shit and return the Dragon's to power. I plan on building a new world, bigger, better, more amazing then you could possibly imagine. There will be death before the end, I am used to it. I've made peace with it. Do you really wish to get involved? Robb has made his choice, and I intend to reveal the whole truth to him and see if he will support me. If so then I will aid him in destroying the Lannisters and securing the Riverlands. Then when the time is right, we'll march on King's Landing, and I'll take back what is mine by birth right." Visenya responded, earning a sigh and a slow nod from Ned.
"I assume Jon is working to aid you in this endeavor?" Ned asked after a moment.
"My baby brother is currently up on the Wall. He contacted me not long ago, informing me that a dead man rose to life right before his eyes." Visenya informed her uncle earning a surprised look from the man.
"A dead man you say? Are you sure you heard him right?" Ned asked, disbelief lacing his voice.
"He wasn't alone when he saw it uncle. The Lord Commander of the Night's Watch was there. Uncle Benjen was there. Many people were there to see it. If the dead are rising beyond the wall then that can only mean one thing. White Walkers." Visenya responded earning an apprehensive look from Ned as he shifted uncomfortably.
"White Walkers… A deserter from the Night's Watch that I executed some time ago, spoke of dead things rising beyond the wall. I paid him no mind then… could it really be true?" Ned wondered aloud, half looking at her, half looking away.
"Whether it's true or not, I intend to stabilize the situation here and then head north to deal with this problem. These White Walkers are a problem, and I don't like leaving problems hanging over my head. So I'll deal with them, and then I'll take back my throne." Visenya stated earning a curious look from her uncle.
"You speak with such confidence regarding one of the most terrifying legends in our history." Ned noted, earning a chuckle from Visenya.
"Uncle, these things are playing at a game I mastered long ago. You know so little about me, but it's alright, I don't hold it against you. In all of my life I have seen and done things you wouldn't believe. These White Walkers are no greater a threat then foes I have faced in the past. And just like all of them, I will see them to the grave." Visenya replied with smooth confidence, her voice carrying without hesitation or fear.
"Lyarra..." Ned began, but Visenya cut him off with a shake of her head.
"Uncle… I mastered their game long before they ever came into being. Death is an old friend, one I walk hand in hand with and have no fear of. If these White Walkers seek to use the power of death against me, then I will just have to show them why I am the Master of Death." Visenya responded earning confusion and uncertainty from Ned. When she got like this, it was difficult to understand her. She spoke like she was so far superior to everyone else yet Ned knew that there was no way for that to be true. She was almost Eighteen, barely into adulthood. How could she possibly know what the world was like? How could she possibly understand the terrible things that existed out there?
Ned had no clue where her confidence came from, and a part of him didn't want to know. She seemed so certain of herself, almost as if she already knew that she would be victorious. Ned wanted to question her, to demand more answers, but a part of him was afraid of how she would respond. Would knowing the truth really be worth it. Some doors, once open, can never be closed, or so the saying goes. If he asked her for the truth, then she might answer truthfully, and if she did, what would her answer bring him? More confusion? Fear? Regardless, Ned held silent on the matter and instead tried to gain other information.
"The Targaryen knights, how did you bring them back from the dead?" Ned asked.
"Magic." Visenya responded with a sly grin, earning a sigh from her uncle.
"Lyarra..." Ned began but Lyarra simply shook her head.
"Uncle, do you truly wish to know the intricacies of what I did, or are you just asking to ask? I could explain the direct fundamentals behind their revival, how ghosts and other forms of spirits interact with the physical world. I could explain the necromatic properties of my rings and how they operate but I doubt you'll be left satisfied with my explanation and instead you'll simply be forced to ask again, imploring me to dumb it down so that you can better grasp what I'm saying. I understand the curiosity but I doubt you pulled me aside to drill me about the ins and outs of magic. You're not Jaehaerys." Visenya replied with a shake of her head.
"You're right. I'm not your brother. My questions stem from my desire to understand you, and what you're planning. You killed Robert… his manner of death and the time he suffered before the end… I know you had a hand in it." Ned stated earning a sigh from Visenya.
"And what if I did have something to do with that? The whole reason you kept my identity a secret from him was because you knew he would kill me and Jon if he knew the truth. Don't start with the whole 'old friends' shtick. Friends don't live in fear of their friends. You know and I know he would have killed us. So I killed him first. I decided long ago that I would not hide in the shadows, I am a dragon, and dragons do not hide. So I struck out at my enemies, killing those who would have tried to do the same thing to me." Visenya responded, earning a faraway look from Ned as he gazed off and brought a hand up to rub his face.
"Visenya..." Ned let out a sigh, earning a shake of the head from her in the process.
"Uncle. The world is a terrible place. You don't get to make the rules just because you hold yourself to some higher moral standard. It's because of that, that you ended up in the Black Cells. Sometimes you have to be willing to forgo the rules, forgo the restrictions, and simply do what needs to be done. I understand that Robert was your friend once upon a time, but surely you recognize that the man you once called your friend, died with Lyanna. He was a shell of his former self after that. I can't say what Robert Baratheon could have been had he earned my mother's affections, but I do know what he was. And that was a terrible man, with a terrible temper, and he was a terrible king. You can hate me for finishing him off before he tried to do the same to me. You can call it evil or twisted, or wrong. You can call it any number of things, but the truth is, that I simply struck first. You and I know that he would have done the same to me, had he the opportunity." Visenya stated, earning a grimace from Ned. Again he couldn't refute that, and he had very little argument, since he had seen Robert's hatred for the Dragons first hand. He knew what his old friend had become, and he knew what he would do if given the chance.
"I know that Lyarra. I know. I'm not… 'sigh', I guess I'm not sure what I'm really asking here." Ned admitted after a moment earning a soft look from Visenya.
"It's alright to be afraid. Jaehaerys was afraid at first too. People fear what they do not understand. All you need to know is that I am going to take back what is mine, and no one is going to stop me. Stand by my side or stay out of my way and I will not harm you. That is how it is, and that is how it will be. If you want to ensure that the people are kept safe from my wrath then ensure they are kept in line and away from my affairs. So long as they do not involve themselves, I will not hurt them. My focus in one my enemies right now Do you understand?" Visenya informed him, earning a nod of understanding from Ned.
"Good. Very good. Now… if you will excuse me, I need to make a call to my brother. Robb should be here soon, and I very much anticipate a lot occurring in the next few weeks. The world is about to change uncle… and these changes are going to come quickly and in some cases violently. I hope you are ready." Visenya finished as she moved past him, leaving Ned alone and looking thoughtful, trying his hardest to fully gauge the young woman that he was just starting to realize knew far more then even he had previously thought.
That night Visenya sat alone in her bed, quietly speaking with her twin. Their conversation was kept mostly personal as Visenya didn't want to involve him in the arguments she was having with Lord Stark. Instead they simply spoke with one another, and at the end of the conversation Visenya offered him some parting words of love, to keep his spirits up. Hopefully she'd be back in his arms within a month. Neither one wanted to wait that long, and it was obviously something that occupied their thoughts.
Jaehaerys left his own loving goodbye, offering his twin a gentle smile before they put away the mirrors for the night and tucked into bed, both of the imagining the other laying next to them.
A few days later and Robb's army finally arrived. Seeing Robb's smile as he embraced his father and sisters, seeing Catelyn's smile as she held her children in her arms, Visenya almost wished the Jaehaerys had been there to see it. It was an odd thing to experience despite how joyful it was. Visenya was unused to bringing joy to people. She was unused to getting thanks for her efforts, and to be thanked so fervently by both Catelyn and Robb for her efforts in freeing Ned, and the children, it left her feeling off.
Visenya was now used to being thanked. So many years as the villian, as the monster, had left her so often seen in a negative light, that any time she was praised for a good act, without suspicion quickly following it, she was left genuinely confused.
Being praised always brought Visenya back to the days when she was young in her past life. When her and Harry were heralded as the Twins-Who-Lived. No one knew which twin it had been who deflected the curse that day, not even Voldemort knew. Dumbledore always preached that it was Harry whom had truly been responsible, especially towards the end of Voldemort's second rein, when he tried to convince even Harriet of Harry's importance. In the end he had been wrong. Both of the twins had worked together, along with Ron and Hermione, to take down Voldemort and destroy his Horcrux.
When the war against Voldemort was over, it was both twins who were recognized as his destroyer.
It was only a few years later when opinions about Harriet began to sour, especially when it came to light that she was well versed in the Dark Arts. In all actuality, young Harriet Potter had been trained in the Dark Arts by Sirius Black, or more specifically, his spirit, when she found the Resurrection Stone and used it to contact certain deceased spirits to learn from them and gain the strength to stop Voldemort.
By the time the final battle occurred, Harriet had been taught a significant amount of Dark Magic from various powerful wizards whom had passed, including Sirius Black, Salazar Slytherin, Herpo the Foul, and various other dark witches and Wizards, all contacted to assist in training Harriet, and aiding her in defeating Voldemort. Some were not so willing to offer their aid but after a bit of convincing, as well as the pain involved with being forced to appear on the Earth, many of them agreed to assist her. It was during these secret training sessions that Harriet truly developed her darker streak and became more vicious.
Violence became second nature to Harriet Potter during Voldemort's second rein. Seeing Death Eaters Rape and Murder their way through the country and solidified Harriet's desire to exterminate them. Whenever the Snatchers came for the four of them, Harriet was always the first to retaliate with a violent curse of some sort. She was almost always admonished by Hermione and Ron, but she could usually win Harry over by pointing out what they would do if they caught her. In fact she would usually go so far as to show him in her own mind what they would do.
Those scenes of depravity he saw in his sister's head, truly made him fearful of allowing any outsiders anywhere near his beloved twin, and during cold nights when they would huddle alone in their shared room, Harry would hold onto her just a bit tighter then normal.
It often reminded her of how Jaehaerys now held her. It was so much more possessive then when Harry and her were young. Jaehaerys held her in the way that Harry had towards the latter half of their time together. The reason as to why was quite obvious. Jaehaerys knew of the dangers of the world. Unlike Harry who tried to pretend like he didn't, Jaehaerys acknowledged that their were awful people in the world and they would gladly do unspeakable things to Visenya if they got their hands on her.
He knew those people existed and that's why he never hesitated to kill his enemies. Why he showed them no mercy.
It was this viciousness that surrounded Visenya and her actions and made the idea of thanks an odd thing. She was a selfish creature, she always had been. In both of her lives, the world had done nothing to earn her commitment too it. In magical Britain, there was bigotry, against muggleborns, and those who weren't human. There was corruption on the government. There was incompetence at the highest levels of power. The country was a total disaster and everyone knew it. It hadn't been worth the blood sweat and tears needed to save it. Harriet fought to defeat Voldemort because he was a threat, not because she had any interest in saving the country or the people. That had always been Harry's ideal. For some unfathomable reason, he was it as worth saving. He looked upon it all and saw something good.
Things were different in this new world, but once again the world had done nothing to earn Visenya's strength. Nothing about Westoros was truly redeemable in her eyes. Bandits plagued the roads. The lords crushed their underlings, not off of merit, but due to a simple thing like blood. There was no control over the chaos, merely fools who believed they held power and squandered it fighting over a god awful, ugly, iron chair. Visenya had no interest in being a hero, or a savior. She would burn Westoros to the ground if that's what it took to clear away the filth. Being thanked for her actions had long since lost it's importance.
So hearing those words so genuinely, always left her feeling out of place. She wasn't meant to be thanked. She wasn't a hero.
So while the Starks reunited and the Northmen cheered for the return of Ned Stark, Visenya kept to herself and slipped out of sight. That night she approached Robb, as the new lord of Winterfell.
"We need to talk, cousin." Visenya stated when she had a moment alone with him. Hearing her call him cousin, tipped him off that this conversation was going to be very open and direct, so he settled in for a long talk with her.
By nightfall the following day, many of the Lords of the North and the Riverlands had gathered to discuss who they would support in this war that was starting. Word had already reached their ears that Stannis Baratheon, and Renly Baratheon, were gearing up for war, both desiring the Iron Throne. Despite having Ned and his daughters back, many Northerners saw this as the opportunity to get some much needed revenge on the south, and some even viewed this as their chance to regain their independence.
"I believe the choice is clear, we must follow Renly. He has the numbers, and the support." One Lord shouted, earning nods of agreement or jeers from those around him.
"Even if we followed one of the Baratheons, Renly is the younger brother. Bran cannot be Lord of Winterfell before me, Renly cannot be King before Stannis." Robb called out, earning more nods. While the lords were discussing, Ned and Catelyn sat nearby. With Ned's return, many were curious as to whether or not he would retake his lordship. Just off of appearances, it seemed that he wasn't as he seemed to be looking to Robb, to speak on behalf of house Stark. Most didn't have a problem with that, Ned was getting old, and Robb was of age to begin ruling. It wasn't uncommon for a lord to pass their titles on when they grew tired of ruling or believed their children to be ready. Ned must have believed that Robb was indeed ready, as it seemed he held no desire to become the Lord of Winterfell again. In Ned's mind, these lords came south because Robb had commanded them too, so it was Robb who should lead them.
With that in mind, he did stay close to offer his support, but he had passed his lordship to Robb when he became Hand of the King. He had made that choice knowing that Robb was ready. Ned not being Hand anymore changed nothing about Robb's ability to lead.
While the Lord's continued to argue, many of the elder Starks, including Ned, Catelyn, and Robb, sent glances towards were Visenya sat quietly, listening to their conversations. In the argument of who should rightfully lead, there were two who held even greater claim then Stannis or Renly, and one of them was sitting in the room with them.
"My Lords! Here's what I say to these two southern kings." Greatjon Umber shouted and then spit harshly on the ground, earning laughs from his countrymen.
"What is Stannis to me? What is Renly? Why should we bow to some Southern King who rules from some flowery seat in the south? What do they know about the Wall, or the Wolfswood? Even their gods are wrong! Why shouldn't we rule ourselves again? It was the dragons we bowed too… but the dragons are gone." Greatjon Umber continued. Many men were nodding and seeing where this was going, Robb quickly rose to his feet, earning attention from everyone. Ned and Catelyn seemed to sense where this was going as both glanced over at Visenya as she watched Robb intently. Robb sent a glance in her direction, and she nodded, almost as if she knew exactly what he was going to say.
"Lord Umber is correct. Why should we follow the Baratheons, or Queen Cercei's bastards? They hold no Northern blood. And they are as much dragon as I am. I agree with Lord Umber… but there was something about what he said that was wrong." Robb declared earning curious looks from those around him. Ned watched his son intently, knowing full well what he was planning to reveal. He could almost feel the eyes of Howland Reed slip over to him for a moment, as if questioning him about what Robb truly knew, Ned was able to glance back towards his old friend and offer the man a nod, telling him that this was going exactly where he suspected it was.
"The Dragons are not gone. Four of them still remain. One of them is sitting in this room, right now." Robb stated earning shocked or confused looks from all those around him.
"We've all heard of the Targaryen children across the sea, but who are these others that you speak of, my Lord?" One lord inquired.
"I speak of the children of Rhaegar Targaryen and Lyanna Stark." Robb replied, earning silence from the entire room. Everyone was watching him with confusion of great curiosity. From her seat, Visenya nearly let out a laugh at how quiet the room had become. Such a reveal was just as shocking as it should have been, a credit to how well Ned and Howland Reed had kept that secret.
"My Lord, are you saying that a Targaryen is amongst. One of whom holds a direct line to the throne." Roose Bolton inquired.
"Yes my lord, I am." Robb replied, earning whispers from his surrounding countrymen.
"What my son says is truth." Ned Stark stated as he rose to his feet. His statement earned the attention of the entire room.
"Robert was my friend, but the Rebellion changed him. When the war was over, he was so consumed by his hatred for the Targaryens that he was willing to turn a blind eye to the murder of Rhaegar's children in the capital. Two babes no older then four, and he not only refused to punish their killers, but rewarded the man who ordered it done. I knew that if Robert ever learned of more children belonging to his hated foe, that he would order their deaths, regardless of who raised them. So I kept those children secret." Ned explained, and some, like Roose Bolton immediately pieced together where he was going with this and sent a surprised glance over to Visenya.
It was the actions of these few lords that picked up on where this was going that quickly guided the rest of them to that realization, and even as Ned continued to explain, many of them started to glance over at Visenya.
"When I went south I found Lyanna, she was dying, and had just given birth to two babes. Twins. A boy, and a girl. She gave them Targaryen names, and made me promise to protect them. These children were Rhaegar's heirs. I know this. The Targaryen knights who died to protect them, were proof of their importance. These weren't just bastards, these were trueborn Targaryens. My sister made me promise to protect them, and I swore that I would. I carried her and her children north with me. I buried her with her family and I named the babes my bastards. Only one other knew the truth for a long time, Lord Howland Reed who was there that day was the only one who carried this secret and aided me in protecting my sister's children." Ned continued. Many in the room were now openly gawking at Visenya, and many were now comparing her to Lyanna and Rhaegar, and to many of their surprise, they found that the number of resemblances was stunning.
"My Lord… you're saying this girl, is the daughter of Rhaegar Targaryen and you sister?" Lord Umber asked, gesturing to Visenya as he did.
"This girl has a name, Lord Umber." Visenya stated suddenly as she rose to her feet, earning the attention of the whole room.
"My mother, before her death, named my baby brother Jaehaerys Targaryen. She named me, Visenya. I am the rightful heir to the Iron Throne." Visenya declared, earning silence from the entire room.
After several seconds, Lord Umber turned to Robb and stated, "Is this who you wish to declare for?"
His question drew everyone's attention back to Robb. Many looked at him expectantly, all of them knowing of Visenya's reputation, both as a witch, and as possibly the best fighter in Westoros, but also as the woman who rescued Ned, Arya, and Sansa from the capital.
Robb was silent for a moment before locking eyes with Lord Umber. "You were right when you said it was the Dragons we bowed too. The Starks swore an oath to serve House Targaryen, just as you all swore to serve house Stark. For years my father protected the last vestiges of the house of the Dragon, and now it's heirs are ready to retake their throne. I agree that we shouldn't bow to some lord of the south. I agree that we should not bow to those who do not know the North. There is only one ruler I would bow to. A dragon, and a wolf. This woman is the rightful heir to the Iron Throne. When my brother Bran fell from that tower, it was her who healed him. When Joffrey took my family hostage, it was her who freed them. House Stark has never forgotten it's friends or allies, if there is one I would call the rightful ruler of the North, it would be a Stark, with Dragon blood."
Robb's declaration earned many whispers, and after a moment Lord Umber himself turned towards Visenya. The man himself, towered over her, but she held herself with great presence and confidence.
"Lord Robb is right. A dragon, raised by wolves… now that is a beast I would gladly bow too." Lord Umber stated, earning a smirk from Visenya.
"I appreciate that, Lord Umber, but I would not ask you to bow to me. Those who willingly choose to stand by my side, I will name as my allies, and they will always have a place in my halls. Only my enemies will know what it's like to sit on their knees, and bow to me." Visenya stated, earning a laugh from the large man, along with many of the others in the room.
"If we are to follow the Dragons once more, then which will be named ruler?" Came a question from the crowd.
"My brother Jaehaerys has always stood by my side, and has sworn his allegiance to me. I am the heir to the Iron Throne by birthright, and I will reclaim it from the Lannisters. Even now my brother prepares my forces for the conquest of the Far North." Visenya stated earning confusion from everyone, including the Starks.
"What do you mean?" Robb couldn't stop himself from asking.
"My army has taken command of the wall. I intend to force the Wildlings into submission and regain all of the territory we lost when the damn wall went up." Visenya answered earning surprise and confusion from everyone. Some were confused by how she had an army already or why she wanted the far north, but other were much more curious about the prospect of adding all of that land to the North, of forcing the Wildlings to submit and taking everything beyond the Wall for their own. That would open up a wealth of untapped resources for everyone to use.
"How do you have an army?" Ned asked, his gaze focused on her.
"I built one, in the shadows of the mountains. I have an army, and I have a dragon." Visenya stated, earning shock from everyone.
All of the northern lords had heard rumors of had even themselves seen her heard Midir flying high in the clouds. The rumor about a dragon in the north was well established and many had come to stop viewing it as rumor and just accepted that it was truth, that somewhere in the northern mountains, a dragon resided. After all, northern mountain tribes reported that their hunters and scouts often spotted something massive sleeping atop the mountains.
"The beast in the north is yours?" One lord asked.
"Yes. And with this war against the Lannisters, I'll be bringing him south to teach the boy king not to fuck with a dragon, or a wolf." Visenya responded, earning silence from everyone.
All that any of them could think, was that if Visenya had a dragon, then their chances of winning against the Lannisters just shot up.
"We may have always been cousins, but we were raised as siblings. You healed my brother. You rescued my father and sisters. For that, I will be eternally thankful. I'll follow you wherever you go, my Queen." Robb declared after several moments. He was quick to draw his sword, and drop to a knee. Seeing this, Ned approached them.
"I know we've had our difference, and I know at times I haven't understood, but you've always been my blood. Regardless of how often we argue, you've never forgotten my words. When the Snows fall and the White Winds blow, the lone wolf dies, but the pack survives. You've always fought for your family. You are wise as wise and noble as Rhaegar Targaryen, and as wild and strong as my sister. I know in my heart that you'll make a great queen, one your parents would be proud of." Ned stated dropping to a knee next to his son.
Seeing the two of them bow, Cetelyn, and Theon were quick to follow, and then Howland Reed, and then Lord Umber. Soon every man and woman in the room had dropped to a knee, declaring her the Queen in the North and one day, the Queen of all of Westoros.
Visenya stared out at them, her gaze heavy and thoughtful. In her minds eye should couldn't help but remember a moment that reminded her of this. In years past she stood in a chamber, surrounded by monsters and demons. Beasts in human flesh, and true monsters. Vampires, werewolves, men, and goblins. Beings of the Dark, through and through, and they all dropped to a knee and bowed to her.
It was in that moment that she became a true dark lord, and it was in this moment, that the Dark Lord finally returned.
"Rise my friends… it's time to go to work." Visenya parroted her words from that day, her voice not her own, but that of Harriet Potter, the Lord of all darkness. Slayer of gods, Queen of Monsters, mother of Monsters, and Master of Death.
-To Be continued-
Alright there you all go. Hope you enjoyed. Next chapter will be out when I feel like it. As I have said before this is a pet project, and I do it when I feel the itch to continue. Broken Angel is my main, and I'm sorry for those who prefer this over that, but I've spent three years on Broken Angel, I would very much like to see it finished before I start more projects. Hope you all enjoyed though. See ya next time.
