Game of Thrones
The Moon's Child
Chapter 26
The Last War
304 AC- The Stormlands- Nightsong
"You're alive then?" Lilly spoke coldly as Ky entered the room and closed the door behind himself.
"Nice to see you as well." He sighed wearily as he dropped his sword belt and cloak into a heap on the floor and collapsed into a chair.
"Albert make it back?" She feigned uninterest as she rose out of her chair
"Yeah…" Ky yawned slightly "... we lost The Red Woman and most of our men, but we're alright."
"Good." She nodded coldly "And the Dead?"
"Dead." He replied "Properly dead this time."
She allowed the slightest smile to form for the briefest of moments "One of your Nine is here." Her voice resumed its cold tone as she crossed the room towards a wooden crib.
"Connington?" Ky asked distantly
"No, a new one." She replied nonchalantly "Ashara Dayne."
"Another new one." Ky nodded "They're all coming out the woodwork… I've met most of them now."
"That's nice." She nodded "Anything else interesting happen?" She asked as she picked the child up in her arms and smiled widely to greet her.
"The Dragon Queen put Robert Baratheon's bastard in charge of the Stormlands, she's marching South with her army and a couple of dragons."
"Good for her." Lilly walked across the floor and placed the child into his lap "This is Kendra" she smiled slightly.
The infant looked up at him with wide, unnatural blue eyes, her hair loose red curls. "Hello Kendra." He said in a near whisper, the child let out a slight giggle and a beaming smile as she held her arms open. He scooped her up and held her close, as he tiny hand grabbed a clump of his hair
"Papa" She smiled widely
Ky grinned and held her tighter "she's talking?"
"A few words, here and there." Lilly grinned "She's missed you."
"I've missed her." He grinned and he held her tiny hand. "Kendra?"
"It means knowledge in the Old Tongue" She shrugged "She seems to know more than she's letting on." Lilly picked her up out of Ky's lap and hugged her close, before planting herself in Ky's lap "I'm your woman now kneeler." She cupped his cheek in her hand "And she's yours too. No more wars… we're a family now."
He brought his lips to hers and left a lingering kiss, before kissing Kendra on the forehead. "We're family" He repeated "Our fighting days are done."
…
305 AC- The Crownlands- King's Landing
He laughed as the waves started lapping at his feet, he lay spread eagled on a rock and stared up at the sky. "I got you!" He called after his quarry before breaking into a laugh again. As the blood flowed from his wounds, he looked at the sky one last time. "I'm the man who killed Jamie Lannister."
He laughed his last as the last of his life ebbed out of him, as his eyes rolled back into his head and fluttered close for the final time. As the sea lapped around his feet, an oily black tentacle snaked its way out of the water towards the fallen King, wrapping itself around his ankle, Euron Greyjoy was dragged from his stony bed into the sea.
…
"We do it together. We break the wheel together." She allowed herself to be held by her fellow dragon, The King in the North who had set aside his crown for her, the Targaryen Prince who refused to press his claim for her, Warden of The North who had brought his army South to give her The Iron Throne… Her Throne. She allowed herself to be held by him now.
"You are My Queen. Now and always." His words melted her, the sincerity, an oath just for her. The fire that brought forth dragons from stone burned deep inside her. Her eyes opened wide, a pain, a cold pain. She looked to him, her Warden, her love… her blood. She felt his thrust, as the fire dwindled, she felt him hold her tighter as she collapsed to the floor, and her eyes fluttered close.
….
305 AC- The Stormlands- Nightsong
She had been toddling happily along the floor when something stopped her in her tracks. The child dropped the rag doll she was dragging along by one arm, as her haunting blue eyes filled with tears. The red haired child, kissed by fire, felt cold inside, as she let out a cry, that within seconds turned into a scream that filled the castle, and far beyond.
…
305 AC- The North- Winterfell
Bran brought a hand to his head, as a scream tore through his mind. His eyes turned their milky shade of white as he leant back in his chair. He found himself stood by the fledgling Weirwood, where his God's Wood would one day be. He looked at the tiny tree that would one day have a great face carved into its bark. "You felt it didn't you?" Bran asked softly, as he turned to the girl in the white dress, her long red hair flowing down her back. She looked at him with piercing blue eyes.
"Didn't you?"
"No." Bran said coldly "But I have seen it. The deed is done. The Promise is Broken."
"The Blood Betrayal." The girl agreed "Stopping the Night King was supposed to prevent this. The Prince who was Promised should not have their story end like this."
"We both know this isn't the end." Bran sighed, a hint of pain in his voice. "I see you're talking now."
"A few words." The girl shrugged "They've called me Kendra."
"How fitting." The slightest smile formed at the corner of Bran's Mouth.
"What happens now?" Kendra asked nervously
"I have seen several possible futures." Bran said coldly "But some very powerful forces have yet to play their hand. In order to get the desired future, I will need to become more personally involved."
"Will you be coming South dear raven?" The girl asked, regaining some of her confidence
"It would appear so." Bran nodded
"Then I imagine I will see you sooner than I expected."
"Perhaps not." Bran said sadly "Howland Reed has already left the Isle of Faces."
"To kill me?"
"I know it's hard to understand." Bran's voice took a comforting tone "Please believe me when I say I take no pleasure in this."
"I'm not alone in the South Dear Raven." She smiled at him
"Of course." Bran nodded "The Nomad, and the swords of a fallen King. A Wildling and two deserters did well to get you to where you are… but The Game has changed now."
"We shall see Dear Raven. Come the dawn, we shall see."
Bran opened his eyes to find himself sitting in his chair back within the walls of Winterfell. He looked at the candle that had been burning, it had not burned down, hardly a moment had passed "Maester Wolkan" He called out softly.
"My Lord" The Maester shuffled to his side
"Take me to Sansa, we'll be going South soon."
…
305 AC- Qarth
Quaithe seemed to glide through the corridors of what was once The Thirteen's Palace, and now the seat of the King of Qarth. The guards knew better than to stop her going about her business, she breezed past them into the solar of Xaro Xohan Daxos, the man who crowned himself King of Qarth. "Well?"
"The Dragon Queen is dead." She said simply
Xaro leant back in his chair and let out a sigh "Has this been confirmed?"
"It does not need to be." Quaithe told him "I assure you."
"Her Dragon's?"
"Dragon." She corrected him "There is only one now… and it appears to be free."
Xaro poured himself a chalice of wine and held it aloft "To Daenerys Targaryen. First of her name." He drank deeply "What now Quaithe?"
"Now she passes beneath the Shadow…. And touches the light."
…
305 AC- The Crownlands- King's Landing
The Walls were breached, a dragon tore through the defences as if they were not there. Beneath the crumbling defences a group of soldiers in black armour, holding rounded shields and long spears survey the carnage. Cersei Lannister had brought The Golden Company across The Narrow Sea, to crush the Targaryen Stark army. They looked the length of the walls from The King's Gate, at the charred and mutilated bodies sewn like so many seeds in a field. Every now and then, a piece of golden armour, or a shield adorned with three golden skulls lay unclaimed. They stand over the body of a man in gold armour and beige riding breeches, run through by a spear, the life drained from his body.
"Captain Strickland." One of the soldiers points to him "They said The Golden Company were the Greatest of The Free Companies."
"No match for Unsullied" His comrade told him as he removed his helm
"We bury them Greyworm?" The Soldier asked
He nodded "Burn them, they will bring plague otherwise." Greyworm looked at the landscape of corpses and grimaced. "They said this was a great army. Twenty Thousand Men. Two Thousand Horses."
"Where are the horses?" The man asked
"Where are the other ten thousand men." Greyworm sighed.
…
305 AC- The Stormlands- Nightsong
"Reeve" Ashara Dayne gestured for him to sit down
"Master Dayne… Mistress Dayne" He corrected himself "What do I call you?"
"We'll stick with My Lady shall we?" She asked coldly
"Yes My Lady." He bowed
"And you… you must be the famous Albert we hear so much about… Albert..?"
"Just the one name My Lady." He shrugged slightly.
"Very well. Albert it is then." She nodded as she eyed the two with violet eyes "Have you heard the news gentlemen?"
Ky hesitated for a moment "I've heard rumours." He nodded
"Daenerys Targaryen is dead." Ashara sighed "Her surviving dragon is missing."
"How do you lose a dragon?" Albert asked "Sorry"
"Are the rumours true about how?" Ky asked her
"The former King in the North has been arrested for it, along with The Imp."
"That must be bad for The Nine." Ky nodded "I know you had a lot invested in her."
"Indeed." Ashara conceded "But she is not the last of The Targaryen Dynasty, this is salvageable. However we will need time."
"So what happens to now?" Albert asked her
"There is to be a Great Council, held as soon as possible. The Stark's will be there, as will The Greyjoy's, The Tully's and the Aryn's. The new Lord of Storm's End has been invited as well."
"Ah Gendry will enjoy that." Albert said
"Yeah he seemed pretty keen to help out."Ky nodded
"Regardless of that The Nine intend to have a presence on that Council. Prince Martell will be there representing Dorne…"
"Is he actually a Martell?" Albert asked
"Yeah because this time last year he was a Vulture King." Albert added
"He has the name, the sigil, the words and The Castle." Ashara continued "That will be enough."
"Why don't you go along My Lady." Ky asked her "The Dayne's have a great name."
"Because the world believes me dead Reeve." She sighed "A pretense I need to uphold for the time being."
"You and Connington?" Ky rolled his eyes "This is a very deceitful Order."
"Lord Une, will accompany Lord Gendry to The Council, and assist Prince Martell. While they are drawing out proceedings you two will assist us with something."
"My fighting days are over My Lady." Ky sighed
"That's not up to you Reeve." She grinned slightly
"I will call for you both when I need you."
"My Lady." They both said in unison as she rose to leave. Ky banged his head against the table "It never ends does it?" Before Albert could answer the door Lady Ashara had left through creaked open again slightly. Dressed in the yellow tunic of his house, The Little Lord of Nightsong slowly walked through the door with his vacant stare, he held a parchment in his hand. "My Lord." Ky greeted him warmly. "What have you got there?" The little boy held the parchment out, there was an ink drawing on it. Ky's eyes widened as he looked at the drawing, he passed it to Albert.
"Fucking hell." Albert grimaced "It's good, but… disturbing."
"Very" Ky nodded, he put the drawing down on the table, it showed a lizard with a curled tail, a baby in its mouth and dead Nightingales on the ground "I've seen that lizard before."
"In Braavos." Albert nodded "The Little Northern Lord who helped us escape… what was his name?"
"Howland Reed." Ky said coldly.