Game of Thrones

Blood Betrayal

The Bloodstone Emperor: Chapter II

"Thousands of years ago, there came a night that lasted a generation. Kings froze to death in their castles, same as the shepherds in their huts; and women smothered their babies rather than see them starve, and wept, and felt the tears freeze on their cheeks... In that darkness the White Walkers came for the first time. They swept through cities and kingdoms, riding their dead horses, hunting with their packs of pale spiders big as hounds."

The sky was black, the sky was always black now. The golden palace lay crumbling, its one gleaming walls chipped away from the oily black stone beneath. Asshai, the first and greatest city, a ruin. Fires burned all over, eerie blood red clouds hung in the sky. Where once millions walked its streets, now only a few sorcerer's move amongst the piles of corpses, the odd winged demon descending to strike. Once the shining capital of the Great Empire of the Dawn, it lays defeated. Night had come, winter had fallen, and the dead supplanted the living.

Atop the oily black tower of the Imperial Palace, overlooking what should have been his capital, The Emperor sits. His throne carved from a single, giant pearl, that all of his forebears, back to the God on Earth had sat. Once the thriving hub of the Great Empire, it held hundreds of courtiers. Now the Emperor sits in solitude, save for a few hooded acolytes that still serve him. He ignores the coming death, his attention is fixated on one thing, and one thing alone. The oily black stone, the fallen star that sits at the foot of his throne.

"The star has spoken." He proclaimed coldly, coming out of his trance. "It has shown my victory. The living's victory over the dead."

"Sire." One of the acolytes spoke "The dead are here, the city fallen."

"One city." He nodded gravely "I have an empire to defend… and a world beyond that. Besides, look out over this city. Are there hordes of demons? No. I have done as much damage to them, as they have to us. The hammer of ice has swept them away… the Children's Blood Magic has proved powerful, as the stone said it would. It is here I will finally defeat the dead… all that is needed is more sacrifice. There is power in an Emperor's blood."

"Sire… there is no one left." The Acolyte reported gravely "The Imperial family is gone, as are all the dragon eggs… after the Amethyst Empress disappeared…"

"Do not speak her name." His voice was dark, brooding. He gripped the arms of his throne, his nails long and unkempt, fingers bejeweled with rings. He pushed himself up from the throne, black robes flowed over dragonsteel plate armour. His face was gaunt and haggard, his eyes sunk deep into his sockets, heavy bags under his eyes. His hair tied up in a bun had a streak of grey running through it. He descended the steps of his throne, and stood before the black stone. "There are always more sacrifices…. Bring the bastard."

…

A screech filled the air, as a hooded acolyte directed several men at arms. In a grand room of the imperial palace, now in ruins, a creature jumps in and out of the shadows. Screeching as it leaps from chairs, to columns, to tables. It's body is covered in fur, long arms, short legs, a tail trailing behind it. The monkey leapt over the head of a man at arms, and through the legs of another, it dodged a blow from a stick, used its tail to grab the weapon and delivered a blow to the weider's head. The monkey leapt from the floor towards the hooded acolyte, it clawed at his face. The acolyte grabbed the creature and flung the monkey to the floor, muttering a spell a flash of light flew from the acolytes hand and set the creature reeling. Before the monkey could steady itself a net was thrown over it, the men at arms pounced, landing on top of it, pinning it to the ground.

"Enough." The acolyte called out. "We don't want to hurt her."

The men at arms slowly got up. Beneath the net was no longer the howling, screeching monkey. But a young girl, of around fifteen, her hair shiny and black, dressed in imperial robes with an opal pendant about her neck. "Please…" She spoke

"Come Princess." The Acolyte spoke softly. "Your Royal Brother requires your assistance."

…

"Sister." The Emperor greeted the girl as the huge doors to his throne room opened. "Come."

He was stood on a balcony overlooking the ruins of his capital, high above the streets, where life no longer had a place. She tentatively joined him.

"Sire." The girl bowed, before she gazed out over the ruins of the city "Brother what have you done?"

"This is a war sister. There will be casualties, but the day will be mine. The star has shown me."

The girl looked over her shoulder at the black stone beneath the Pearl Throne. "Your listening to chunks of rock brother… have you gone mad?"

"Have faith sister." He spoke with confidence "The dead will be defeated, the Lion of Night's Wrath will be quelled, I have sacrificed so much… just a little more, and the living will be saved."

"You've killed us all brother…. All of our siblings. Is it time for my murder?"

"Sacrifice dear sister." He spoke sadly "There is power in The Emperor's blood."

"Then kill yourself brother."

"Would that I could sister." The Emperor nodded "Would that I could, but I have been chosen to fight this fight… victory will be mine, but the price… the price is so great."

"Brother, Xia would never do this."

"Do not speak that name… there is no Xia." He near hissed

"Forgive me… Xia died the day she was crowned…. Valyria, our Amethyst Empress would not do this."

"Do not speak of her!" He bellowed, his voice echoing over the city's ruins. "I did not want this sister. I never wanted to be Emperor, but the dead must be defeated, we must all make sacrifices." A single tear ran down his face "You know what I must do sister."

"I do brother." She sighed heavily "And I want you to know, I forgive you."

The Emperor turned to face her, he held his hands out, and took both of hers in his "Your sacrifice is not in vain sister. You will serve the living."

"I will brother." She nodded "I will serve the living, I will serve our people and I will serve what is left of The Great Empire of the Dawn. I will serve."

"Good." He nodded as he squeezed her hands "I promise it will not hurt for long, you just need give yourself to me."

"Not today." The girl gripped the Emperors hand tightly and pulled him close to her. His eyes opened wide as a piercing pain tore through his chest. With blood trickling from his mouth he looked down to see a dagger of dragon steel in his heart, a monkey's tail wrapped around it's hilt. With another thrust she withdrew the blade, she dropped it from the tail into her hand a quickly slashed across the Emperor's throat, as he staggered back one hand on his chest, one on his throat the girl leapt forward, kicking him with both feet sending the Emperor over the balcony to the streets of his capital below. "All men must serve, brother…. Even Emperors."

…..

There had been darkness, darkness and pain. For how long he could not say, a second… a millenia. He had been alone in the void, until he heard it. A lion's roar and a maiden's song. And he knew…. He knew his place… he had closed his eyes and Emperor. What would he be when he opened them again? His eyelids opened to reveal a pair of shining blue eyes, the sky above him was dancing with light, green and blue. He sat up and looked at his hands, greying blue flesh, icy cold. He sat bolt upright, to find himself on an altar of ice, surrounded by frozen pillars. An icy winged demon stood over him, and stared at him with the same icy blue eyes. He tensed for a moment, for he had been fighting them for years.

"The Lion of Night has chosen you." The demon's mouth did not move, nor did he make any sound, but he could hear him loud and clear.

"Why?" The Emperor asked aloud as he tentatively got to his feet "I've dedicated my entire life to destroying your kind."

"Irony." The demon laughed "You founded the Black Brothers and led your sisters' war, yet it was you who brought the Lion of Night's wrath to the whole world… far, far from your empire, the dead march on the living, and that is all thanks to you."

"The Children…" He sighed in realisation "... I traded that dark knowledge for their weapon… their magic. What have they done?"

"See for yourself." The Emperor turned his attention across the frozen landscape, in the distance, twelve figures garbed in black stood in a line, all with piercing blue eyes. The figure at the centre stepped forward and made his way to the altar. His skin a dead mottled grey, a raven's skull hangs around his neck, a crown of horns on his head. He stared at the Emperor with his icy blue stare. "This is what the Children have done Emperor, and where you defeated us in the East, Winter still thrives in his homeland. This is the Children's wrath on man… the same wrath as the Lion of Night's. The Greenhand's progeny call him The Night King. You have the same purpose…. And a mutual acquaintance."

"The Empress."