Arise Maul: Reborn Son of the Dragon

by VFSNAKE

Maul has just been killed by Obi-wan Kenobi on Tatooine. His spirit encounters the most unlikely of people who could give him a second chance. At the same time, a dying nine year old Jon Snow is in need of a second chance following Lady Stark's attempt to kill him. Jon survives, but barely. No longer Jon Snow, he flees to one day get revenge on those who wrong him and his family.

6. Chapter 6

Chapter 6-A Trail of Fire and Blood

When news reached Ned Stark of Jon Arryn's death, the man was in conflict within himself about how to take such information on an emotional level. On one hand, he should be furious with his nephew for the deed done to the old Falcon, as the Warden of the North knows the boy ended Lord Arryn's life. Without question, Ned knew Maul had done the deed to make a statement of just how determined he was to go after an enemy. Ned also wished that a trial be held for Jon Arryn in order to truly know the nature of things with the man who fostered him in the Vale. To know if the relationship they had was genuine or if it was all a mummery in order to get the full support of the North to fight in Robert's Rebellion.

On the other hand, Ned felt himself hating Jon Arryn for his deception and some part of him was glad his foster father was dead for using such treachery to gain the North's aid in the rebellion. When fostering with the man, Jon Arryn had always preached of honor, chivalry, loyalty, and honesty when growing up in the Vale. And yet, the man had lied about the rebellion, lied to Ned about what happened with his sister Lyanna, and lied to the entirety of the Seven Kingdoms. And for what? All to be the second most powerful man aside from the King and connected to the Iron Throne through being the current King's foster father.

Looking back on things, Ned realized a lot of things didn't make sense about the war, or how Jon had talked to him about getting Lyanna back. While he had promised they would ensure she was returned and marry Robert afterwards, Ned now saw the hint of the lie in those words. It was as if the man knew all along about Lyanna and silently hoping the she-wolf of the North would not survive this rebellion.

And there was also that story of the so called assassin Jon had killed at the Trident just before the actual battle took place. While Jon had claimed the man was an assassin, Ned now realized the dead man on the ground in the falcon's tent was not dressed as one nor did he have the weapons in his hand or on his person. Looking back on it, Ned now realized Jon had lied about the man's actual intentions in being in their camp and was no doubt used to drive Ned and Robert further into the war in the hopes that one of them would kill Rhaegar.

Gritting his teeth in anger, Ned slammed his fist into the desk in his solar before calming himself since there was no point in being angry over the actions of a now dead man. He was irked, no question of that given what he now knew, but Ned would not let this take hold of him like it would others, like Robert no doubt did at this moment.

He was better than this.

He was stronger than this.

Ned would not grieve for the liar Jon Arryn was nor would he miss the man knowing the lies he told him were meant to push for a war that should have never been.

'May the Old Gods and New punish you for your crimes Lord Arryn. I cast you from my heart and will not weep for you. Let Robert do that for the both of us. Let him weep for you, the man who lied and started a war to end the dragons in the name of ambition and greed,' thought Ned while struggling to stay calm on this issue.

"Ned! Ned!" exclaimed Catelyn while walking into his solar and looking worried about something.

"What's wrong?" asked Ned while hoping it wasn't something that could be connected to his nephew.

"It's my sister. I just received a letter from her. She is filled with terror and fear for her life," said Catelyn while worried for Lysa and her child.

"I take it her fear is in relation to her late husband," surmised Ned since it could only be the man's death which would cause such a panic.

"Yes. She fears for her life and the life of young Robin. With Jon Arryn dead, along with Grand Maester Pycelle and the Master of Coin Lord Baelish, she had fled to the Vale for safety. She fears the one who killed her husband is an assassin sent by one of the Targaryens seeking revenge over what happened during Robert's Rebellion," said Catelyn knowing even her father was worried for years about any of the surviving dragons in Essos having the means to strike back if given a chance.

As for Ned, he cared not for the death of Grand Maester Pycelle since the man had a stench about him that made Ned's skin crawl the last time they were near the other. Though given the Grand Maester had helped cause Tywin Lannister to march his army to the gates of King's Landing may have something to do with it. Ned knew despite the oaths the Maesters took, not all of them followed those oaths like they should. The Grand Maester was one of those people, even if Ned would have a hard time proving it. The Warden of the North knew Grand Maester Pycelle was a Lannister man and did what he did in order to gain further favor with the old lion.

It made Ned wonder what would have happened had those gates not been opened before Robert and the rest of the army arrived? How many lives would have been spared had the fool not convinced the Mad King to open the gates? How many lives could they have protected while making their way into the city to keep the damage to a minimum? How many lives would have lived past that day? How many lives wouldn't be raped or killed? The homes pillaged or destroyed?

Could he have saved Elia Martell and her children before Tywin's monsters got to them?

Shaking those thoughts away, Ned focused back to his wife, who was no doubt concerned for her sister and the rest of House Tully considering how they had broken their oaths to House Targaryen. Something which Robert had rewarded them at Jon Arryn's assistance and playing it as a House moving to end the rule of a Mad King regardless of that oath.

"What about your father and brother in Riverrun? Any news from them regarding their plans in relation to Jon Arryn's death or your sister leaving for the Vale?" asked Ned with his wife sighing slightly before sitting down.

"My Father is being cautious. Edmure wants to call the banners and march all over the Seven Kingdoms to find the assassin. Fortunately, he was drunk at the time during a feast with his friend, so his words were not taken literally. Still, they are concerned about the assassin coming for them or myself. They trust the knights of the Vale to protect Lysa and Robin," said Cat while Ned nodded and hoped Maul did not come here to end Cat's life.

While he would not believe his nephew would come here to do it due to his cousins being of her blood, the rage of the dragon was not to be underestimated. There was a reason the last Northern King for a Stark bent the knee when actual dragons were involved.

"We can only hope the assassin doesn't come for them or get that close," remarked Ned while knowing such a hope was empty since he knew in his heart Maul would come for Holster.

The real question was Edmure going to be caught in attack meant for his Father or would he become a future enemy of the dragons in process?

(Oldtown-Sometime Later)

It had been easy to get into the city and to the Citadel. Even with Maul's appearance being a bit of head turner with the dark robes and his red and black tattooed face. Not that people could really see the last part given his hood was shadowing it to the point where people would have to focus on him. Not that he would let anyone really see his face or have an actual conversation with him so they could truly see it so one of them could spread word of his presence.

Not yet.

Arriving at the Citadel, Maul saw a boring man where some kind of contraption meant to improve his eyesight to see things in the book in front of him. No doubt the handwriting in it was so small, the ability to read the writing was impossible without said device on his head. Maul found himself scoffing at the idea of someone writing so small in a deliberate fashion that such a headpiece was required. It was any wonder the people took the Maesters of the Citadel seriously with all the foolish things they do or plan to do for the "benefit" of the Seven Kingdoms.

But Maul knew it was anything but beneficial.

Grand Maester Pycelle had been old fool with a weakness for whores, but the man kept detailed records on the plans and schemes of his Maester brothers. Being one of their most fanatical members, it was no wonder he knew so much of their plans for the Seven Kingdoms long after they had helped dispose of the dragons. They had Maesters in nearly in nearly every major House of the Seven Kingdoms who they could use to reshape things the way they saw fit.

The idea was for the Maesters to isolate each of the Seven Kingdoms, make each one distrust the other slowly, almost painfully, whispering plots, plans, and schemes. All in order for each Kingdom to cut itself off from one another in some way and only being truly connected to the Iron Throne for a time. While this was happening, the Maesters placed within each major House, or one connected to it, would allow these supposed learned men to grow in influence and power. Once they had the uncontested influence of the Lord of the major House running the Kingdom, they would convince said Lord to give even more of it to the Maesters of the Order. This was so the Seven Kingdoms would surrender more and more of their authority to them so even the King was merely a figure head. They were the ones holding all of the knowledge of the world in their fingertips and they would only "share" said knowledge if everyone who didn't have it paid a heavy price.

Maul couldn't have that. They were crippling the Seven Kingdoms with their actions. Making the people living in the Seven Kingdoms either ignorant or stupid. This would not stand, and Maul intended for his actions to unleash a change in how things are done when dealing with Maesters.

"Who are you?" asked the bored Maester while looking up from his book at Maul and expecting some kind of parchment or document provided by some Lord for something.

"I am here to see your Archmaesters. It is very important," answered Maul while the man in front of him still looked bored and had clearly heard such a thing before today.

"I'm sure. Name please," said the man while getting his writing quill out and dipped it in ink.

"I prefer to remain anonymous. What I must discuss with all of the Archmaesters is extremely sensitive regarding the nature of its contents," replied Maul with the man looking bored and slightly irritated.

"If you do not provide a name, you will not be allowed to see or speak to the Archmaesters. Now give a name for me to write down or leave. Refuse and you will be removed by force," replied the Maester in a tone that spoke of this not being the first time this had happened.

"Submit my name or there will be violence, correct?" asked Maul with the man nodding.

"Correct," replied the Maester while waiting for Maul to choose and saw the guards nearby were at the ready.

"In that case, I choose…violence!" exclaimed Maul before he reached out, grabbed the man's head, and began crushing the head piece into the surprised Maester's skull.

Before snapping his neck and throwing his body against the nearest wall.

The guards behind Maul drew their swords, but they were too caught by surprise and too slow to react when their attacker struck them down mere seconds later with his sword. With that done, Maul flicked the blood off his weapon and walked down the one of many hallways toward to his intended targets in the Citadel. The Force guiding his hand, whispering, pointing, and showing who among these pathetic rats he needed to purge.

It wasn't long before the hallways he walked were stained in blood. Some people tried to flee, call out for help, warn their fellow brothers of the Maester Order. But they all fell. One by one. Sometimes in groups if they were close enough. They never saw him coming or noticed him until Maul was upon them with his weapon cutting through them like they were wet parchment.

When he finally made his way to the Master Archives, Maul moved like a shadowy wraith, killing most of the Maesters inside with a few (and rare) innocent ones fleeing for their lives. Easily breaking the locks on the Restricted Section meant only for the Archmaesters and Grand Maesters of the Order, the young Targaryen looked through the large, mostly disorganized documents until what was needed to prove his claim was finally in his possession. The annulment papers, marriage certificates, the signing of witnesses being those of the Kingsguard Ser Arthur Dayne, Ser Gerald Hightower, and Ser Oswell Whent.

They even had Rhaegar's diary. His diary! This alone would most likely vindicate his father and these rats had it in their possession the whole time! No doubt to prevent the truth from being known as well as to gloat in their arrogance over possessing such a thing in the belief it would never be revealed for all time. This insult to him and his House would not stand. It could not stand. The Archmaesters arrogance in the belief they were untouchable was filling him with rage and hatred Maul did not think was possible.

Putting the documents away, Maul walked toward the Archmaesters main meeting chamber, sensing they had yet to hear of the brutal slaughter of their robed rat brothers. Kicking down the doors of the private chamber, the Archmaesters in the room stood in a panic, calling guards and anyone else who would foolishly come into the room to stop him from being here. Maul cared not for their demands on who he was, why he was here, and what he was doing in their "sacred place of knowledge" as they had called it.

No. What Maul cared about now was bringing justice to this group of rats and ending their plans for the Seven Kingdoms. He was upon them in moments, but unlike the others he killed quickly, these rats in gray robes were merely knocked out before they could even move from their positions after rising from their chairs. He smashed their heads into the table in front of them, the wall closest o their bodies, his fists and feet made contact to ensure they were not capable of getting up anytime soon. Most of these men were already old, frail, and it was clearly not in the best of shape given how easy it was to knock each of them unconscious. Even the youngest of them with color in his hair was knocked out with one of his quick, yet lighter punches.

With each one knocked out, Maul set to work in putting them back in their chairs and using the chains of each Maester to bind them tightly to their seat. Maul quickly proceeded to shut the door to the room and barricade it by using the table the Maesters sat in front of while planning out all of their schemes to control the Seven Kingdoms.

Standing in the center of the room, where the table had just been, arms behind his back, Maul used the Force to make the wine nearby to hover out of its container and float like a cloth over their heads before ending the connection to douse them all in its contents. It had the desired effect as one would expect as they all awoke, sputtering, cursing, wondering what just happened, and soon seeing they were tied to their chairs by their own chains obtained as a Maester.

"What is the meaning of this? How dare you do this us!" exclaimed Archmaester Theobold while he tried to get out of his own chains that bound him to the chair.

"The meaning of this will be made known in due time. As for daring? I dare to do this because it is what you deserve, little rat. You and the rest of your so called brothers of this Order have infected the lands like a plague. Sinking your nasty teeth into it and the disease of your so called wisdom in order to take control of the Seven Kingdoms," replied Maul while Theobold glared at him.

"What we have done is for the good of the Seven Kingdoms. We are learned men. Men with knowledge of the known world," said Archmaester Benedict while spitting at the feet of Maul.

"Men who are arrogant in the belief they are superior. Men who would secretly kill babes in the womb or after they are born just so you can control the future of Lords and King. Men who claim to benefit the Seven Kingdoms, but their actions only poison them," countered Maul while glaring at the man.

"We are superior. We brought down the dragons and other Houses. We have influenced the Lords in all the major Houses to do our bidding. We have all the power needed to run the Seven Kingdoms as it was meant to be run," spat Archmaester Castos while Maul smirked at him.

"And yet, you have not the power nor the skill to get out of your own chains. I came here, I killed your fellow brothers of the Maester Order. I have stained your halls in blood. Yet, all you can do now is sit in those chairs and pray I don't end your miserable lives until help comes. Help that will not come as some of you can see regarding the door," said Maul while most of the Archmaesters could see the door was indeed barricaded to prevent any interruption.

"We may die here today, but our Maester brothers will avenge us. We are everywhere and our means of continuing the plan will succeed long after our deaths," said Archmaester Ebrose with Maul glancing at him with narrowed eyes filled with fury.

"I think not Archmaester. You see, after I finish staining this place with your blood and the blood of your fellow Maesters who think as you do, I will make sure all the dirty secrets done over the long years are exposed. What you did during the time of the Targaryens all the way to the present with the Baratheon sitting on my family's throne," said Maul coldly while glaring at the now pale in the face Archmaester.

"Your family's throne? But that would mean you are…you are…," said Archmaester Agrivane with Maul smirking at him now before slowly turning and pulling back his hood to reveal his tattooed face.

"Yes. I am the trueborn son of Rhaegar Targaryen and Lyanna Stark. I am the proof of their union and I have obtained what I need to prove my claim as legitimate. Proof which your Order tried to bury and hide in your own walls while secretly gloating over the fall of my family. But while we have fallen, it does not mean we are defeated. While we are few in numbers now, we are very much alive, we are strong, and we will take back what was stolen from us. Through fire and blood," said Maul coldly and it made several of the men in the room shiver.

"We brought your inbred family low before Targaryen. It doesn't matter what happens to us here today by your hands. The Seven Kingdoms will not tolerate anyone from your blood or House to sit on the Iron Throne again," said Archmaester Sandhu with Maul using the Force to choke the man and slightly raise him off the ground with his chair to the shock of the others.

"You have no right to condemn my family's past practices Archmaester. It was your wretched ilk that hid or destroyed various books relating to House practices which warns against such things. You altered the family records and whispered lies into my ancestors to convince them of marrying their siblings would make the bloodline pure. You wanted us to become inbred so our bloodline would be so polluted, the means of having strong offspring with powerful dragon's blood would be impossible unless married outside of the family. Something you and the Maesters tried to prevent over the years when trying to make sure my predecessors stayed true to your interpretation of our House's traditions," replied Maul before dropping the Archmaester and saw him struggle to breathe while trying to understand what just happened.

"Your House has no right to be here in Westeros or anywhere else in the world. You are abominations to everything we believe in! I do not know how you are able to use it, but your magic has no place in the realms of men. One way or another, our Order will purge it from this world and be free of it!" declared Archmaester Theobold with Maul turning to him fully with eyes full of hate.

"You have no right to speak to me about abominations Archmaester. I know all your dirty secrets. And not just the ones you have on record, hidden away in your secret room connected to this one for putting your deeds on parchment. I am referring to your dirty secrets related to yourselves. I know each of your evils and the hypocrisy you commit while condemning others for their own. Or do you think your love for touching little boys can be hidden Archmaester Sandhu?" said Maul while the man mentioned paled a bit.

"I-I don't know what you are talking about," said Archmaester Sandhu nervously.

"Really? Because the Matron and brothel owner that specializes in such things knows you well. You pay a lot of coin not only for her most precious boys, but also her discretion. A shame for you that I can not only pay her more to reveal the truth, but I can also show that hiding it from me if met with resistance was not in the best interest of her health. And while the coin I gave Matron Isabella was extensive when asking for information, she still held out for more when I asked about if any high ranking Maesters came her way. So, when coin didn't work, a blade to her throat pressed hard enough to draw blood from it did the job for me," replied Maul with Archmaester Sandhu sweating further at being found out.

"I…I…I…," said Archmaester Sandhu worriedly since he was sure how his fellow brothers of the Maester Order would look upon him for this.

"Oh, don't act so nervous Archmaester. You are in the company of multiple Archmaesters who studied and used the art of hypocrisy well. Archmaester Theobold has visited a brothel multiple times for the pleasure of multiple whores. Most of them came over from Essos and have been used multiple times by your fellow Archmaester in his 'experimentations' when 'studying' the female body," said Maul with the mentioned Archmaester blustering and sputtering.

"Lies! All lies!" exclaimed Archmaester Theobold angrily.

"Is it? So why does Matron Alesia at the brothel several streets down from the one Archmaester Sandhu visits speak so highly of you paying so much coin for her girls? She was very specific when it came to you Archmaester. You always came through the building in a secret entrance on the side of it, used a special knock at the hidden door, paid half up front and the final half afterwards. She was open with me given your last visit involved hurting one of the girls and threatening them with more abuse. When I told her what my purpose was at the Citadel, she was more than willing to provide the details of your actions," said Maul while Archmaester Theobold grit his teeth.

"Even if what you say is true, it doesn't give you the right to judge us. We have earned the right through our position have such personal pleasures," said Archmaester Agrivane while Maul returned to look at the man before blasting him with Force Lightning.

"I have every right to judge you. All of you! Every single Archmaester in this very room is guilty of crimes against the Seven Kingdoms and its people. From Lord to smallfolk have suffered from your deeds and machinations. You have manipulated, abused, destroyed, and violated people in your pursuit of power. I can see into your very minds. You didn't do what you have done because it was for the betterment of the Seven Kingdoms. You did it to satisfy your own ambitions for more power. To control the King and the Lords throughout the lands they rule. You break your oaths of celibacy yet claim it's okay to do when you reach high enough within the Order. Even when the Order has no such rule or law allowing it when placed in your positions of so called power," countered Maul before stopping his attack and the man let out a deep breaths.

"We can do what we wish Targaryen. Learned men such as ourselves have a right to such things and are beyond the judgment of others," countered Archmaester Ebrose in defiance of Maul and his power.

"So, you are saying it perfectly fine for you to kill newborn babies, sleep with whores and even children, willing or not, and plotting with other Maesters to manipulate the Seven Kingdoms to your liking? All the while the poor suffer, the Seven Kingdoms are isolated from one another, and fall into a state of reliance on your Order? If what you say is true, why keep it a secret?" asked Maul mockingly toward the man.

"You know bloody well why!" exclaimed Archmaester Ebrose angrily.

"Yes, I do know. We all know. We all know it's a secret because what you are doing is wrong. It is wrong on so many levels. Yet you don't care. Why should you care? You get to sleep with whores and violate innocent children to your hearts contents. You get to manipulate Lords of the many powerful Houses and even the King himself. Not to mention all the previous Kings since the time of Aegon the Conqueror have been manipulated by your own predecessors for years. You had all this power to do whatever you wanted. What did it matter if your actions were wrong, and you should be put to the sword? No one knew you were doing it. If they did, your Order would be cast down, the Citadel burned to ash to blow in the wind, and most, if not all, of your fellow Maesters would be put to the sword," replied Maul while he glared at the Archmaester with the old man snarling at him for being right.

"We will see our way; our Order's vision of the future be made a reality. We will not allow some upstart dragon bastard like yourself destroy all that we have worked for during these long years. Our plans of removing magic and everything else connected to it from this world where it does not belong. We will not have such unnatural things rule this world when learned men like ourselves should in its place," said Archmaester Sandhu shot back with Maul glaring at him.

"Says the man who loves to touch children and thinks he's entitled to doing it without repercussions on his end because you are an Archmaester. I bet there are a lot of loving Fathers with sons of their own throughout the Seven Kingdoms who would love to have some private time with you on what they think of your ideas regarding such things," said Maul with the Archmaester glaring at him.

"Dragon filth!" exclaimed Archmaester Sandhu in anger.

"The mere fact you can only throw hollow insults at me now means your time for making pitiful excuses or trying to defend your sinful actions is at an end. Which means your life as you now know it has come to an end. Soon, the Seven Kingdoms will be remade. Those who wronged the dragon and lied to cover up their crimes will cast down. Everything built on the lies told will be burned away and a new history will be written for all to read. Words filled with only truth. Words that will shine light where you would have utter darkness. Words written in the blood of my enemies and the enemies of House Targaryen," replied Maul while he drew his sword and let its deadliness shine throughout the room.

"We will be avenged bastard dragon. Maybe not today. Maybe not tomorrow or in the years to come. But one day, the dragons will be cast down again. One day, they will be wiped out with none with your bloodline alive to bring back magic or the filthy beasts your people once commanded," said Archmaester Theobold passionately.

"Your threats are meaningless, for no one here truly knows what the future will bring. Besides, no one here in the Order who follows your beliefs will be alive to carry out such a threat," replied Maul before he cut through them all and took their heads clean off.

With his task done, Maul activated the secret compartment to reveal several doors opening to show countless books written over the years by Maesters long since dead. Their deeds, good or bad, successes or failures, each of them written in these books of their plots, plans, and schemes meant to control the Seven Kingdoms in their own image. Every dirty secret, every means of manipulating events to the point of conflicts, battles, wars, and concessions made in the name of peace. All to benefit the Maesters in the long run where their influence would only grow stronger, and their advice given more weight when the Lords they "assisted" listened to them.

So much to do. So little time.

Walking to another hidden switch, another hidden door opens, only this time, it leads out to a secret passage further into the Citadel. Walking through the pathway, Maul entered another section of the Citadel and listened to the Force telling him to head to the room of a Maester who, unlike the others, felt like he could be of use to him. When entering the room, the Maester in question looked up from his notes he was writing to see Maul in all his terrifying and bloody glory.

"I knew you would come. The Prince who was promised," said the Maester before got on his knees and bowed his head in acknowledgement of this man before him.

"You were expecting me?" asked Maul with a slight surprise.

"When the dragons returned as the rumors claimed, the magic they produced returned with it. The glass candles, which are said to be powered by magic, came alive in my presence a few days ago. It showed to me of your coming here. It showed me how you killed my so called brothers of the Maester Order. I saw your reasons for your actions. I saw your future. I wish to make it happen and will assist you in any way you wish, my Prince," replied the Maester humbly.

"Interesting. A Maester who doesn't hate magic. Your name," said Maul curiously.

"I am Archmaester Marwyn. Also known as Marwyn the Mage. My studies while here at the Citadel are to know and purse more about the lost magical arts we once possessed here in Westeros. And while the others you killed have mocked, scorned, and ridiculed me for my pursuits, I see it as a means to be left to my own devices. Since your means of bringing back the dragons was successful, the feeling of magic has returned once more," said Archmaester Marwyn joyfully.

"I have need of your services Marwyn. As you have no doubt seen, I have killed the others and those who would support them. Get those you trust and are like yourself and visit the sanctum where your dead Archmaester brothers were slain by my hands. You will see countless records and journals stored in the walls in meticulous order. I want the Seven Kingdoms to know about the sins the Maesters have committed in the past and how they tried to do since the time of Aegon the Conqueror. Make sure all parties from each House wronged receives the intended documents. The Lords will do the rest once the crimes are exposed for all to see and hear," ordered Maul with Marwyn nodding in understanding since it would allow the purge of ambitious Maesters throughout the Seven Kingdoms to be put to the sword by the Lords of each castle.

It would also speed up Maul's plans and not do all the hunting of each Maester himself.

"I will carry out the instructions immediately my Prince," said Marwyn while being honored to help the man wipe out the other narrowminded Maesters and aid the prince in the future when called upon.

Nothing said loyalty like helping in the orchestration of wiping out an entire Order of people who think they know more than everyone else.

"Good. Make sure people know you and those who are loyal are separate from those who conspired in these events Marwyn. While part of me wishes it, I will not see the Order of Maesters be destroyed if it can be reformed into something better. A better future the Seven Kingdom's needs in order to survive what is to come depends on such things," replied Maul with Marwyn nodding in agreement.

"And what is coming my prince?" asked Marwyn with Maul looking him right in the eyes.

"Terror my friend. Terror that comes from dark powers long since considered myths and legends. Terror that comes from the North beyond the Wall and wishes to see all we know die, only to rise again as a mindless slave to it," said Maul with Marwyn looking very nervous now.

"The Others? They exists? Truly?" whispered Marwyn in fear.

"Yes. They have been around since the Wall was raised. They have been biding their time. The last 1,000 years, the Others have been gathering strength. Gathering people. Wildlings, Night's Watch, anyone and anything that dies in their domain becomes a slave to their Will. Can you imagine how many undead are now on that side of the Wall after so long?" answered Maul with Marwyn running the calculations in his head shivered in fear.

"Far too many. Their numbers could rival all the people alive in the Seven Kingdoms. Maybe throughout Braavos and Essos too," commented Marwyn with Maul nodding.

"With the only thing standing between them and victory is a giant wall of ice and the Night's Watch. But even that will not be enough in time. With each new undead slave, the Night King grows in strength and power. Eventually, his strength will be enough to destroy the Wall and the Night's Watch. If the realms of men are to survive, we will need to find the means to end them. You and the other Maesters that will remain from the purge will find that information so it can be used when the time is right," added Maul with Marwyn having a look of understanding.

"If such knowledge was recorded, it will be here in the Citadel. Provided those fools didn't destroy it or deliberately bury the information in different sections of our library. I wouldn't put it past them to do either one or possibly something else to ensure such knowledge was never found by anyone seeking such information," said Marwyn with worry since his so called brothers were against all things magic and most likely felt the Others were dead with magic having been lost in Westeros.

Narrowminded fools.

"Find it Archmaester. Time is still our ally, but that will change if we do not hurry. The fate of the realms and those living in it hang in the balance. I must continue to purge those who will be a threat to uniting us against this threat," said Maul before turning to leave the room.

"Yes, my prince," said Marwyn and while he was worried about the Others returning, he was giddy with excitement over the return of magic along with the things he could learn in the process.

(The Seven Kingdoms-Sometime Later)

Word of the Maesters at the Citadel being massacred by a lone individual spread throughout the Seven Kingdoms like a storm, sending many people, High Lords especially, into a frenzy. They demanded some kind of investigation into this sudden attack on the Order and who was behind it all. The sudden death of so many high ranking Maesters of the Order within their own walls was very concerning since no one would consider targeting them, unless they had a reason.

And that reason was soon made apparent when riders from the Citadel arrived at the different Houses of Lords throughout the Seven Kingdoms. Each rider speaking to the Lord of the castle in private, each one having a leather bound book of some kind in their hands. Each page marked by a specified House sigil to show which pages held the secrets for each House in question the Maesters there had a hand in working their manipulations on them.

Needless to say, it sent these Lords into a frenzy before taking said frenzy out on the Maester living in their castle. Dorne was already dealing with the problem on their end after Maul's initial visit, but the rider who came later with the book assigned for the Houses of Dorne helped Prince Oberyn find out who among the Maesters were diseased rats seeking to manipulate the Dornish Kingdom in other Houses. A large amount of painful, life ending poisons were used heavily in the coming days by them to make the learned men there suffer for their crimes.

In the East, House Royce's Maester was thrown out the Moon Door after information became known he had destroyed several documents pertaining to trade deals which would have given the House a great boon in coin. The reason they were destroyed was to keep the House financially weakened so they could not be more wealthy over House Arryn. There was also references that continued manipulation of the House would be rewarded by approving the Maester request in being allowed to " touch and examine" House Royce's children and children's children to his heart's content.

The Maester tried to plead his case but the investigation in the man's solar found the correspondence letters and secret journal, which only sealed the man's fate. It also didn't help that the Maester wanted to have some "private time" with young Robin in the near future.

In the Riverlands, House Tully had their Maester hanged in a tree just outside of Riverrun after being disemboweled with the massive hole in his torso being a place for ravenous birds to settle to eat the inside of the dead man's flesh. The Maester in question had secretly been poisoning Holster Tully in the hopes of getting his son to be the new Lord, knowing how incompetent the young man was and would be easy to manipulate in the years to come. There was even reference to their involvement in driving Holster's brother Brynden "Blackfish" Tully away using the argument the two brothers had at one point.

The younger Tully brother was a competent man, who knew how to get things done like his brother did when running their House. However, at the same time, the Blackfish was not as zealous when it came to the Seven Faith as to secretly denounce the Old Gods like Holster did. Something which came up when they had their discussions related to them or the North with House Stark. The secret fact Brandon Stark had defied Holster and the arranged marriage with Catelyn was known to a select few, Bryden being one of them, but had stayed quiet on the subject. In exchange for his silence, Holster would drop the issue the two had regarding their own personal argument with each other that damaged their relationship for years.

Another Maester for House Bracken had been put to the sword for his own manipulations in trying to keep the divide between them and House Blackwood. The two Houses had been at odds with each other for years and it only got worse as time progressed thanks to the Maester of House Bracken speaking ill of Blackwood. Feeding lies, suspicion, and fueling the paranoia to the Lord of House Bracken to further keep the Riverlands weak to the point where they could be taken down if required.

At Dragonstone, Stannis Baratheon was personally unleashing his fury, which his House was known for, on the cowering Maester begging for his elderly life. This was happening after the information about the Maester's actions were revealed to have resulted in Stannis's wife having multiple stillborn sons. How they had tried to kill Shireen with grayscale using a doll that would cause the spread of the disease on the poor child. How they had treated her disease when Stannis himself refused to send Shireen away, underestimating his love for his child, but also made sure the treatment left scars so no man would wish to marry the girl when she became a woman ready to be married.

The cowering Maester would soon see Stannis was indeed worthy of his House Motto "Ours is the Fury" when the Baratheon man unleashed just that on the older man. It was a rage few had rarely ever seen the man unleash on another but considering what this Maester had done to his wife, unborn children, and the one child he was able to bring into the world alive, it was understandable. When it was all said and done, Stannis went to his wife, hugged her, kissed her, telling his wife that all that had befallen their unsuccessful chances of giving him multiple children, not just sons, was not her fault. After he did this, the man changed his clothes before visiting his daughter, who was delighted to see him, not knowing exactly what happened to cause such a riot throughout the castle thanks to Ser Davos distracting her from what Stannis was doing to the Maester. After ordering the former smuggler to leave, Stannis got on his knee, looked his daughter in the eyes, and did the one thing no one else would ever see him do.

He cried. He cried for his little girl. Cried for the life she had to endure being locked away like some form of shame. Crying for the scars she had to bare because of the robed rats of the Maester Order. Crying for not showing his own daughter the love she deserved. When Shireen saw his tears, she asked why he was crying since the man never cried or showed any emotion except anger or coldness toward others. His response came in the form of a hug, whispering that she was his daughter, how he loved her, and begged her forgiveness for not showing it sooner. The fact she accepted his apology immediately and said she would always love him only made him cry harder for having such a pure and loving child willing to forgive him for his stupidity.

Days later, another message came to Stannis, one that filled him with dread, yet hope all in one when he read the message.

The dragons will return one day soon. One loyal to their return will come to your island. A woman with red hair and red dress. A Red Priestess of R'hllor will come and offer to use her power to heal your child. Accept the woman's offer but be silent on who she serves aside from her God. The winds of change are blowing Lord Stannis. Your brother's time as King is coming to an end and while you wish to be loyal to him, you should not. Lies will be revealed. Truths will be brought to light. Truths hidden from you and many others.

The message was never signed, but whoever sent it was clearly a Targaryen supporter. It concerned him that he was asked to see his brother fall as King. To trust the dragon would be merciful to him and his House should the Targaryens sit on the Iron Throne again. And yet, one of their loyal agents was coming here to cure his child of the scars the late Maester of Dragonstone had allowed to be marked on his only daughter. Was this meant to be a bribe? To throw his support for House Targaryen when a war broke out in exchange for his daughter to be cured? For her to have a life outside of these walls? To feel the sunlight and the warmth it brought over the cold castle keep she lived in now?

Love for his family? Or duty to his King? And was the King not a member of his family? His own brother? Should he not support his older brother over the one seeking to remove him from it? Shouldn't love for family and duty to the King not intertwine here?

In his heart, Stannis knew they did not. The man knew his brother held no love him. Or for Renly. Stannis had failed to capture the remaining members of Targaryen years ago and was denied Lordship over the Stormlands, as was his right. It had been given to Renly, even though the youngest of the three brothers was not the ideal man for the job. Oh, the people loved Renly and were loyal bannermen when called upon to serve. But Renly seemed to try too hard to make them loyal and love him so they would fight when called to serve. Stannis also noticed how Renly didn't take some of his duties seriously enough and in some cases, had been lazy in carrying them out when needed.

All Stannis could really do in this situation was wait to see if the Red Priestess from Essos could do what the message claimed. Only after witnessing things for himself would the decision be made to support the dragon or his brother.

In the Reach, or rather in High Garden and Horne Hill, the Maester in each location were being put to the sword in their own way. One had been responsible for having Olenna Tyrell's husband fall off a cliff when he was riding his horse by drugging the man's wine and the horse with something to make them unable to see straight. As for House Tarly, it turned out the Maester was trying to make the man be more ambitious and try to have him consider taking over as the new Warden of the South. To show how House Tarly was more worthy of ruling the South over the Queen of Thorns, who used her idiot for a son to make things happen.

Unfortunately for the Order of Maesters, Randall Tarly never cared for Maesters in general, nor did he listen to his own, and ignored the so called "advice" the Maester gave him. As such, the Maester had been in communication with the Citadel awaiting secret approval from his brothers to "remove" Randall Tarly by discreetly poisoning the man so his eldest son Samwell could become the new Lord of Horne Hill in the hopes of manipulating him, and if that didn't work, the second son would be convinced to take over to continue the plan.

When Randall saw this information presented to him, the Maester had been personally beaten to death before giving his eldest an earful on why being a Maester was no good. Surprisingly, his eldest son had been able to counter the argument, stating the Order of the Maesters have been doing things like this for years without getting caught until now. How these learned men had manipulated events with the knowledge they possess there. Samwell even stated he should become a Maester to help protect his House and ensure nothing like this happens again during their time. The boy even added it would give his Father the means to name Dickon as his heir since Maesters forsake their inheritance.

It was one of the few times Randall was proud of his son for standing up to him and coming up with a plan to keep the Maesters from pulling this shit again. He originally was planning to have his boy take the Black at the Night's Watch, but the boy's argument and the recent revealed treachery done by the Order of Maesters ruined that entirely.

Besides, it would certainly help keep an eye on anymore of those damned rats should they decide to try again or try to hide their true nature.

Strangely enough, the North itself was currently the only location right now with the fewest death of their Maesters throughout the Seven Kingdoms. Whether it was due to the North being more isolated or more stubborn was unknown, but their influence in the North was minimal at the moment. As things stood, Maester Luwin had been honest and true in his duties as a Maester of the Order, much to Lord Starks relief. Once the rider came to speak with him about the revealed conspiracy by the robed rats the Lord of Winterfell demanded answers about this information.

Unfortunately, Luwin's predecessor had not been so clean, and had been an influencing drive for Lord Rickard Stark to do business in the South along with convincing Brandon Stark to go to King's Landing to demand Rhaegar's head. The conspiracy went so far as to misplace documents in the Winterfell library to prevent the location of possible areas for mining raw material in certain mountain regions that would allow to expand trade or give the North an advantage when dealing with the other Kingdoms. This was done to make the North more dependent on the South for deals they would need for the harsh winters, to leash them tightly to the other Six Kingdoms. The Archmaesters of the Order had been cautious in getting one of their own into the North since previous attempts had ended in failure for one reason or another.

Unfortunately, Maester Luwin was not one of them or a loyal agent so they could not appoint someone who could be in his place. For all they were, procedures had to be followed or else someone might start asking questions. Questions, which the Archmaesters had tried to avoid at all costs and had to follow the strict rules the Order had even if they did not wish to follow to execute their plans.

As for the West, Tywin Lannister was being the most vicious of the other Lords dealing with the Maester issue within his own House. Unlike the other Lords in their own Kingdoms, Tywin was not a man to let those who offended him die quick deaths. Quick deaths defeated the purpose of showing your strength to those who might seek to challenge your House in the future. The enemy must be crushed painfully, the act itself so terrifying that any idea of opposing your House died in the mind of the one thinking it.

Which is why Tywin had ordered his Maester to die slowly. He ordered the man's flesh be slowly cut from his body, piece by piece, slowly and methodically while making sure the old man didn't die for a long time while this was being done. Each piece removed would be served to Maester Creylen and be forced to eat every single piece against his will. The man was forced to eat flesh from his legs, his arms, his feet, hands, chest, back, and face. Some pieces of him were cooked, other pieces were eaten raw, and some were just plain burned black until they forced down into the Maester's throat.

Maester Creylen had screamed out in pain, begging for mercy long before the order was given to make this man suffer for his crimes against House Lannister. It was bad enough Tywin had inherited this man from his weak father, who was also a victim in this too. But it was also revealed the robed rats had also been responsible for his beloved wife dying while giving birth to Tyrion. From what documents had been provided from the Order of Maesters and Maester Creylen's own journal, the learned men wished to make Tywin a strict man who would rule with a cold iron fist. The plan was to make him the opposite of his father so many would come to fear the lion as much as they hated him when it came ruling over the West. Joanna would have kept him from being the cruel man he was today, being the light in his life, and staying his hand on matters before seeking alternative means to various issues where House Lannister could still be feared yet respected all the same.

However, the Order of Maesters wanted him to be feared and hated, but not respected at all in order for their plans to come to fruition. Their plan involved the man being so hated the other Houses would be convinced through their other Maesters appointed to other Houses in the West to bring about the fall of the lions when Tywin eventually died in the future. They had been planning this since the time of Tywin's Father ruling over the West by orchestrating House Reyne and Tarbeck rebelling against House Lannister. When Tywin put the rebellion down, it had merely delayed their plan, but was a scenario the Maesters could work with by making Tywin cold, cruel, unyielding in everything being done his way and no other way. With the best way to make it happen being the death of Joanna and using the deformed babe that was Tyrion Lannister to do it. Adding the souring relationship Tywin would one day have with King Aerys would only enhance their desires to make House Lannister hated on all sides by the time they were ready to execute their plan.

None of the various Houses knew or suspected it was thanks to Maul they had learned of this plot by the Maesters to bring them low. But when they did, many would be shocked and, in some cases, be in debt to the dragon.

And while Lannisters pay their debts, the Targaryens collected on them while ensuring those who paid never forget what they owed.

(Casterly Rock-Sometime Later)

It was night when Maul arrived at the castle keep of House Lannister and admired it from afar to take in its greatness. Every major House with a Warden had a mighty keep that stood over all the others in their control. An absolute symbol of power that said no one could challenge the House who ruled here, and in this instance, it showed. Here in the West, Casterly Rock was a grand and majestic seat of power for the might lions and ruled over by the most feared lion of all. Tywin Lannister worked tirelessly to keep his House strong, feared by all, and made sure everyone knew you don't cross him without paying for it one way or another. He had put down two Houses which had rebelled against his own and left one with the mines to manage to be flooded with bodies there during the flooding to be drowned without caring if they died or not. In his eyes, the people were sheep at best, pretender lions at worst, and decided the best way to handling things was to make an example of these false lions.

Hence why no one crossed Tywin Lannister directly or indirectly. With the latter no longer an issue after what was discovered with the Maesters and there conspiracy.

Not that Maul cared about the man's position or feelings over what happened to his House or family as his pain was minor compared to House Targaryen's own. It didn't help that the lion had contributed to it on different levels and all to pursue more power for his House, but in truth, the man did such things for himself and his stupid legacy. Not only that but the man set stupidly high standards for his children in the hopes one of them would be worthy of the Lannister name.

Only for his ambitious and ruthless nature to bite him in the ass since two of his children had not met his standards and the third one, he didn't even try to nurture to be a proper Lord. One was now Queen of the Seven Kingdoms, but was sleeping around with her cousins, twin brother, and had three children with said twin brother in secret. The twin brother she was fucking was a member of the Kingsguard, one who was considered dishonorable for breaking his oath to serving the Targaryen King at the time, even if the King was filled with madness. Had the man told everyone why he broke his oath, many would have understood his reason for it, and most would likely be praised for his heroics since the death of the King had no doubt saved an entire city from being burned alive.

Tywin's third son, Tyrion Lannister, the only one worthy of being called one, was denied the means to be instructed by his father on being a future Lord. Being a second son of a Lord, it was expected the young man to serve the older brother in that regard. Unless the said older brother died, exiled from Westeros, joined the Night's Watch, the Order of Maesters, or the Kingsguard that protected the King at all times. When Jamie Lannister joined the Kingsguard, much to his father's ire, Tyrion was put in place to become the next Lord of Casterly Rock when Tywin Lannister died.

Something Tywin constantly hated to no end. He could disown Tyrion before his death. An option which was no doubt very tempting. But what would that mean for his House? Who would take over Kevan? His brother was strong, but he was not meant to rule. To serve House Lannister? Yes. To rule it? No. Gerion Lannister? Even less qualified. The man brought a bastard into the world and demanded said child be raised here in Casterly Rock, even going so far to wanting her legitimized!

Tywin Lannister would not put his faith in his own siblings and even less in his first two children since one was Queen in a loveless marriage and the other was a glorified bodyguard not allowed by the laws befitting his station to have children. While the old lion knew nothing of the sinful deeds the two did together and the proof being the man's three Grandchildren thought to be Baratheons, he clearly saw them as disappointments. Sadly, given the situation, Tyrion was in an almost secure position right now to be the next Lord of Casterly Rock and Warden of the West.

A position that Maul intended to secure for the misunderstood Lannister among the Pride of lions that ruled here.

It was easy to get into the castle, even more so at night. An entire army could try storming this place and be repelled easily. As a single person, empowered by the Force, skilled in different arts, including stealth beyond normal comprehension, Maul was able to walk through the place unopposed. It was so easy for him to walk down the empty corridors this late at night, few people walking around with guards or the servants being around to carry out duties so late.

He only stopped once outside of a single door. It was slightly open and the hearing of a child laughing caught his attention. Glancing inside, he saw Gerion Lannister with his child, Joy, on her bed. Holding her close, a book in his hand, and a smile on his face while he read to his daughter. Maul simply watched them for the briefest of moments to see the two were happy as could be right now. The man fulfilling his vow to be the best father a man could be to his child now that he had returned from what many would say was a piece of Hell itself.

Walking past the room to give the two continued peace without interruption, Maul made his way to Tywin's solar, where he sensed the man was still working late into the night to ensure things regarding his House got done. The guards were at full attention, but they were no match for Maul or the dagger he used to kill them before entering the room. Tywin was too surprised to see someone visit him at this hour to realize, at first, this man was not a Lannister or servant of his House, and only came out of it when the door shut behind Maul.

"You have a lot of nerve coming in here to face me," said Tywin coldly while discreetly reaching for the blade hidden underneath his desk.

"And you have a lot of nerve condemning me for the act itself considering your own reputation when it comes to others," countered Maul while slowly walking toward Tywin's desk.

"I should call for more guards to come here," threatened Tywin with Maul not being intimidated in the slightest.

"You could do that. But they would get here too late. You would be dead like the two men outside your solar," countered Maul while Tywin was clearly weighing his options.

"Why are you here? Who sent you?" asked Tywin cautiously.

"No one sent me Lord Tywin. As to why I am here, the lions owe the dragons a debt. I intend to collect, and I intend for the lion to pay said debt. A debt you took on when you sacked King's Landing. A debt you owe for what happened to Elia Martell and her children. A debt born out of blood and lives taken as a result," replied Maul as he removed his hood so the man could see his red and black tattooed face.

"So, the Targaryen rumored to be in Essos with three dragons has come to pay me a visit. I suppose you coming here personally to end my life should be considered flattering in some sense. If not for the fact you are seeking to end my life for my so called past sins against your House," commented Tywin while Maul now stood in front of the desk currently being the only object between the two men.

"Do you deny sending Armory Lorch and Gregor Clegane after Elia Martell? To kill her children?" asked Maul with Tywin clearly calculating his odds in terms of what he should in giving a response which could be the truth or a lie.

"No. I did send them after Elia Martell and her children. Robert and Jon Arryn both wanted proof of my loyalty to them and the future royal family after word spread of Rhaegar dying at the Trident. Elia had just given birth to a child, a son, named Aegon, and would have been a threat to Robert's rule. The act done on Elia was to keep the Dornish in line with fear and what would befall them in the future should things continue. I will admit, the daughter could have been of some use in the future but why take the chance with her being alive when death is much more final?" said Tywin since there was no real point in lying to this man.

"Some would say it would be somewhat justified to do to you what you did to her. Wouldn't you agree Lord Tywin?" asked Maul with Tywin not answering at first.

"People know better than to try given the position of my children and overall family," said Tywin with Maul seeing his answer for what it was.

It was a deflection of the reality that Tywin would do horrible things to others, but he would not allow anyone to do it to him. Hypocritical and unable to accept his family could face something similar if the right events were set into motion. In truth, the man was as much a hypocrite as any other man in his position. He just felt there was no need to admit it. Whether out of pride or status as a Lord of Westeros was unknown to all except for Tywin himself. But the man would not admit, never admit, the cold hard truth of how many would say he deserved the same fate as many others he had ruined in life.

"Unless they have the means and muscle to pull it off. Which I do," said Maul with Tywin looking at him with usual deadly serious look on his face.

"My death will achieve nothing for you," said Tywin with Maul smirking at him.

"Are you sure? I imagine a lot of people you wronged, if not their families, would say otherwise," replied Maul before he was upon Tywin before the man could grab the hidden blade to defend himself.

Tywin slowly looked down, gasping for breath, choking on his own blood, with said blood slowly leaking from the side of his mouth down his face onto his clothes. The sword in Maul's hands piercing the old lion's chest out the back and into the chair. The Lord of Casterly Rock trying to comprehend the pain his body was feeling right now, the concept of death and dying invading his mind of the cold hard truth of his time in this world coming to an end. As this happened, Tywin Lannister found himself looking back on everything he did, both good and bad, while struggling to understand the emotions felt from each deed done in the name of "forging his legacy" as he kept telling everyone.

Even more so when Maul used the Force to reveal certain painful truths to Tywin about his twin children and their dirty little secret.

"Everything…I have...done. My…legacy. It was…all…pointless," said Tywin at last while seeing his actions, everything he had done, for the good of his House, had resulted in an empty investment.

"And you can take that painful truth with you to the other side," said Maul before pulling the sword out and watched the infamously feared lion of House Lannister slumped over on his desk.

Dead.

Cleaning his sword off on Tywin's sleeve, Maul walked out of the solar without worry or fear of being scene. And, on an impulse or whim, the young man decided to whistle The Rains of Castamere, which made him feel even better over what he just did.

Not to mention one more message left behind in Tywin's solar.

(Riverrun-Weeks Later)

Word of Tywin's death spread faster than the death of Jon Arryn. The news shaking many to the core since many believed the old lion would never die. At least, not from a blade from a rival or enemy he had brought low in the past. Everyone always believe Tywin would die from old age and even that was a stretch since the man ruled over his House as he did his own life with an iron fist.

So, when a servant found two dead guards and Tywin himself dead in his solar, it had startled many who soon saw it for themselves.

Cersei had wailed and cried over the loss of her father. Jamie had cried with her knowing their father, the ever infallible, infamous, and cold hearted Twin Lannister was dead. Cersei had blamed Tyrion for it at first and calling him a kinslayer. How he wanted to take over as the new Warden of the West and Lord of Casterly Rock. She blamed him for killing her father just like he did their mother. She had wanted him arrested and brought up on charges, but that was stopped when word reached the royal court that her brother had a strong alibi. As it turns out, Tyrion was nowhere near Casterly Rock at the time of Tywin's death when it happened. The so called "imp" of House Lannister was in Lannisport with his uncle Kevan on business when word reached them of Tywin's death.

Gerion Lannister even came to King's Landing personally to reveal who the real killer was by giving the King the parchment found next to Tywin's body when discovered. Apparently, the parchment had been written in the old lion's blood for good measure.

A Lannister always pays his debts. Consider the payment owed by his House to mine paid with his life.

-Maul

It had sent the King into a rage knowing the "dragonspawn" was here in Westeros, further enforcing his belief Jon Arryn, along with the others, had been killed by the Targaryen. It was even worse when you considered the man had yet to be seen or found by anyone in passing. It was like the man was a shadow or a ghost you knew was there but could not see until it was too late. It put many who had supported House Baratheon on high alert since those who did could be targeted next.

Which was why Maul was now in the Riverlands.

Like with Casterly Rock, Maul had no problem getting into the castle that has been the seat of power for House Tully hundreds of years. When the ambitious Holster Tully sided with House Baratheon during the rebellion, it had split the Riverlands due to several Houses being loyal to the dragon. When the smoke had cleared, Holster, along with Jon Arryn, had asked the new King to be lenient with those Houses who had been for the Targaryens. Not out of kindness mind you, but for the strategic value gained by having their support in the future should the banners be called for another fight.

"Hypocrites and ambitious men all. They will die this day," whispered Maul while knowing the best way to hurt House Tully was to kill the current Patriarch.

Unlike with House Lannister, the evil was not centered around one man running the entire family with an iron fist with no room for flexibility or compromise when possible. Holster Tully was a man who had fought in wars and saw everything from a strategic point of view. Everything he did was weighed with pros and cons in order to decide the best course of action. A very good concept to have when running a House, but when it came to the happiness of his family, he fell short in that regard.

Edmure Tully was Holster's son and heir but was a fool and an idiot with no sense of direction on what he should do in life, much less on how to be a Lord. He walked around like he was entitled being the future Lord of Riverrun. He ignored half things taught to him while waving off warnings about the need to learn such important and crucial things when running a castle. There were a few times when the man would get drunk with his friends and loudly badmouth several of the Houses who had fought for House Targaryen. Sometimes, it happened when the Lords and heirs were well within ear shot of Edmure and many could see those words would not be forgotten in the future.

As such, many servants secretly feared for the day when Holster died and Edmure became the new Lord of Riverrun. A fear Maul was going to make a reality in order to further divide the Riverlands to the point where the fool would be unable to rally to the Usurper's side should he be called upon. Quite a number of Houses had been angry with House Tully for siding with the stag over the dragon, knowing had the Trout sided with the latter, as they should have, the former would have lost at the Trident.

In Maul's mind, the Trout were oath breakers, seeking to rise higher than intended by those with their grand ambition to rule when they were unfit for the position. They took everything the dragon built and cast it down or weaken them to put their own people and institutions in place. And just look what these actions produced! Very little in terms of results with people suffering, the corruption from these greedy people growing, using fear to keep the people in line, and conveniently using of various issues like the Greyjoy Rebellion to turn public opinion against those who despise them.

It was time to turn the tide against such people. One action at a time.

Hence why Maul was here, in the heart of the Trout's power, staring down the Head of House Tully, who was staring back at him, not the least bit surprised when the dark shadowy robed figure had entered the solar. It was clear to Maul that the old man was expecting him. Seeing there were no guards at the door or any warning from the Force meant there was no trap laid out nor was anyone aware of him coming here.

"So, you finally came for me," remarked Holster calmly while Maul used the Force to shut the solar.

"You were expecting my arrival," surmised Maul with Holster nodding.

"It wasn't hard to figure out. Lord Arryn, Lord Baelish, Grand Maester Pycelle, and Tywin Lannister all had one thing common with me," said Holster since it didn't take long to fill in the blanks.

"They conspired or benefited from the fall of House Targaryen," concluded Maul with Holster nodding since that was exactly what happened.

"You are hurting those who hurt your House. While I don't like it, doesn't mean I cannot understand the reason. Especially if it happened to me for what I did," remarked Holster while sighing.

"Your House betrayed mine. My House helped yours rise up to be the ruler of the Riverlands. Had you stayed loyal you would have risen high through my House being on the Iron Throne. And you betrayed it for the falcon who said you could have more if the stag took over," Maul shot back with Holster sighing again.

"What do you want to me say? I should have stayed loyal? Stood by the dragon? Stood by Rhaegar after I learned the truth behind him and Lyanna Stark marrying in secret? No. I had no love the dragon long before the Mad King sat on the Iron Throne. My House never did. It was a means to an end. When the falcon came to my home and said I could have more with Robert as King when the time came, I saw an opportunity to gain more for my House and I took it! I gambled on the stag winning the war over that of the dragon and I won by association!" stated Holster with Maul glaring at him.

"Did you really win? Look at what has become your House by siding with the stag, shall we? You have one daughter, Lysa, who is married to a man old enough to be her Father. The child they were able to have together is still being breast fed by the woman and nearly smothered by her so called love. As for your son and heir, Edmure, he's a spoiled idiot who feels the lands around him serve his purposes while giving the people living on it the figurative whip. Your other daughter, Catelyn, married the Warden of the North, but is constantly acting high and mighty over everyone. Acting like she was above the Lords of the North, servants, and even trying to forcibly convert the people there to her faith. Catelyn Tully Stark goes so far to belittle everyone who is not of 'noble blood' or someone of 'great importance'. She makes so secret at how she despises bastards and believes all of them to be evil creatures according to her own version of the the Seven faith. Aside from your brother, the rest of your House is filled with oath breakers and hypocrites," remarked Maul with Holster grunting at the accusation of his children being screw ups.

"Our faith is the true faith. And she is not wrong about bastards. Many are greedy and take what is not theirs to take," said Holster while Maul scoffed.

"And yet, you are all so easily forgiving of High Lords like Walder Frey or the current King who has plenty of said bastards to their name. Tywin Lannister wiped out two Houses and allowed the Mountain to rape a Princess of Dorne and kill her baby with the blood of the latter being on her rapist during the horrible act. What does your faith say about that? What does your faith say about their cruelty for such crimes?" asked Maul with Holster wincing since he had a point.

"How the Seven faith and the King handles these things is entire at their discretion and not my place to judge them for it," replied Holster though it was a lame excuse, and he knew it.

Maul knew it too.

"Its sad really how you act that way with those not of your faith or those of lowborn birth yet give those of high standing a free pass on the subject. You even have no problem having your daughter shove the Seven faith down the throats of the North in the hopes they will accept the changes or else risk being cast aside. As a result of the woman's arrogance and supposed piousness, the North as a whole despises Catelyn Tully Stark, and only follows House Stark because her husband has proven himself worthy to lead them justly despite how he was fostered by the falcon," said Maul with Holster looking away from him.

"They are a bunch of heathens who worship trees with faces. They needed to be brought into a light of our faith and to cast out the last remnants of magic," said Holster with Maul glaring harder.

"And your so called holy teachings of the Seven and this 'light' has helped in shielding child molesters, murders, and rapists as long as they speak a few choice words of repentance. All the while trying and planning to not to get caught when they do it again afterwards," countered Maul with Holster glaring at him.

"Do not insult my faith Targaryen," warned Holster while Maul's glare did not stop.

"And I shall say the same you Tully. I follow the Old Gods. You want to insult my faith than I shall do the same to you with yours," countered Maul with his tone being even more threatening which made the older man flinch once more.

"Killing me will not achieve much for you here. It will only make more enemies for you," warned Holster with Maul grinning at him.

"Really? And what enemies would those be Lord Tully? Your incompetent son? House Arryn? The West? Your boy is an idiot who gets drunk and fucks whores in the nearest brothel while passing on important duties you give him to one of his subordinates while taking the credit when done. House Arryn? Your daughter Lysa has been unfaithful to Jon Arryn and young Robin is really the late Lord Baelish's bastard child. The West will soon have a new Warden in the form of Tyrion Lannister, who is not as cruel as his father was when ruling over it. And Dorne will back me for the justice I will soon bring down upon the Mountain and Armory Lorch when the moment is upon us. The Tyrells will try to make a play to get in my good graces once I sit on the Iron Throne, as they always do when trying to tie their blood to the seat of power. An issue I can deal with at a later time once the smoke clears and my position is secured," said Maul calmly while he saw Holster gritting his teeth at this.

"You still have to contend with the North, even if you do follow the Old Gods," countered Holster with Maul grinning.

"The North won't be an issue for me like you believe Lord Tully. I am of the North. Its blood is in my very veins through my mother's side of the family. Or do you think any of them would reject the only son of Lyanna Stark?" questioned Maul with Holster clenching his teeth and hands.

"Without the letter proving her intentions or they married, you are either a Snow or a Blackfyre. Neither of which will get you, their loyalty. Lyanna Stark's son or not," countered Holster with Maul's eyes now narrowing slightly.

"You mean the letter you supposedly destroyed? Or the proof of their marriage in front of the Old Gods and New? I have all the proof I need of my legitimacy. Not having the letter proving her intentions is not an obstacle. It only further proves your guilt of treason against the crown and the dragon. The fact one of your own children is involved only furthers your guilt," said Maul while knowing the letter would help him in justifying his actions against House Tully, if it was destroyed by the man in front of him, there was more than enough evidence to go around.

Jon Arryn's own journal was proof of it when read and Maul was confident Holster had one such journal too for his own logs to record important actions related to his House or the Seven Kingdoms.

"I did destroy it. Your mother's family deserved to suffer for Brandon Stark backing out on the marriage arranged by Rickard Stark to have his heir marry my daughter. Instead, he breaks it off, marrying some unknown woman in front of his own heathen religion. I was well within my right to see both Rickard and Brandon brought low for such an act of dishonoring the agreement," challenged Holster while Maul's eyes narrowed dangerously.

"You have no right to speak of dishonor to me, oath breaker. You held the marriage agreement over my uncle Ned's head and held back on providing your forces to fight in the rebellion if he didn't marry her prior to the upcoming war. You preyed on his desire for justice for the cruel way his father and brother died. Something you had a hand in when your other daughter Lysa took my mother's letter meant for Uncle Brandon and gave it to you. As a result, you allowed a rebellion to happen when it could have been avoided and your House could have still risen high had you been loyal. Instead, you chose to be cruel and vindictive over a small slight such as an arranged marriage to your hypocritical bitch for a daughter. And before you get high and mighty with me Lord Tully, need I remind you, again, of having your other daughter being arranged to marry Jon Arryn. You use your children as currency to buy the allegiance of other Lords to get what you want. Hardly befitting an honorable man, much less a father," Maul shot back while Holster grit his teeth more in anger at being called out on his parenting.

"Everything I did was for the good of my House and its future. Nothing else matters," said Holster coldly while Maul smirked.

"Tywin Lannister practically said the same thing before I killed him," remarked Maul while Holster glared back at him.

"Enough! Kill me already and be done with it. My only regret now is my inability to see you brought low and completely destroyed as intended during the rebellion," remarked Holster bitterly.

"I would think you had more than one regret Lord Tully. Given your son is a fool, will bring ruin to your House when made the new Head of it, and your daughters soon being shamed when the truth comes to light. Of course, what would one expect from a father who was only slightly better at raising his children than Tywin Lannister?" said Maul before reaching out with the Force and choking the man with great joy and watched the man struggle at the unexpected way of dying.

Holster for his part, tried to breathe, curse his attacker, and anything else a man in his position would try to do when your life was in the hands of another. But Maul was not having him do anything except just struggle to breathe and raised him out of the chair slightly with his power to ensure the man understood the severity of his situation.

Maul heard how his uncle Brandon died being strangled while desperately reaching out for the sword the Mad King had placed near him. A sword that could have been used to reach his father Rickard, who was being burned alive by wildfire at the time. It was difficult for Maul to stomach when the Force had shown him those images of the past, and even more so when it showed him the smiling faces of those schemers like Holster who heard the news.

This man had smiled when hearing the news. Smile at hearing Brandon Stark dying. Rickard Stark dying. Knowing they could play Ned Stark like an instrument to get the entirety of the North behind them for their planned rebellion. They believed their actions justified one way or another, believing those they had killed or manipulated to be killed were a necessary sacrifice for the "greater good", which was really them getting all the power they usurped from the dragon to call their own.

Maul was making sure the memory of their smiles when hearing the news of Rickard and Brandon Stark dying came back to haunt them all. He did it with Petyr Baelish, Jon Arryn, Grand Maester Pycelle, and the group of Maesters who plotted against both sides of his family. They all smiled when seeing and/or hearing the news of the Mad King's actions, all pleased with the way things were turning out.

"Goodbye Lord Tully. I'll be sure to smile as your House falls from grace. Just as you smiled when father's House fell to ruin through your machinations," remarked Maul before crushing the man's windpipe.

With his task done, Maul took out a parchment with the Targaryen sigil on it and placed it on the desk of the dead man's solar so anyone coming into the room would know who was responsible.

(The Vale-Weeks Later)

The death of so many High Lords was making a lot of people nervous and slightly panicky, as word soon spread of Holster Tully being killed. Presumably by a vengeful Targaryen if the House sigil of the three headed dragon left behind on a parchment was any indication. It caused quite a frenzy within Riverrun when Holster was found the next morning and caused an entire search of the castle from top to bottom.

Edmure Tully had gone into a raging fit. Swearing up and down the castle every chance he could about how he would avenge his father and ending the dragons for all time. When the funeral happened, only the Holster's brother Brynden "Blackfish" Tully left the Vale while Lysa refused to go. The woman had a crazed look in her eyes and refused to leave the safety of the castle where she had her "precious Robin" would be safe from harm. Catelyn and Ned were able to attend it despite the latter feeling a sense of guilt over the issue, even though the Lord of House Tully had brought it down on himself. Ned and Cat had a heavily armed escort from the North to ensure nothing happened to either of them while traveling or staying there.

Which gave Maul the perfect means to strike at the Vale without any possible interference from anyone who wasn't his target. Maul had no problems with the Blackfish. If anything, he respected the brother of Holster Tully because the man stood against the older sibling. He also knew the man would have been part of Lysa's protection detail in the Vale to protect her and not at the Bloody Gate if allowed to stay. It was one of the reasons why he went after Holster in Riverrun over going after Lysa first. Maul had heard the woman was becoming increasingly unstable, the loss of her secret lover, Petyr Baelish, only made it worse, and the loss of her husband, Jon Arryn, only increased the paranoia within the woman.

He had prepared her fragile mind to be cracked even further and Maul intended to ram the preverbal fist right through it to make the rest of Lysa Tully shatter into a thousand pieces. It was only fitting since the woman had ensured Lyanna Stark's message to Brandon was never found by him, resulting in his capture, which caused Rickard Stark to later be held prisoner with both killed soon after.

She had been crucial to the start of the rebellion. A means to start a war, to crush the dragons, and bring an end to a dynasty forged from fire and blood.

Maul would ensure she understood the stupidity of her actions before the end.

It was almost impressive to see so many Vale knights standing at the ready of the castle, all on high alert for possible threats, yet never one seeing or sensing him due to his powers. He had blinded their senses to him with the Force. Their eyes could not see him. Their ears could not hear his footsteps. Their noses could not smell him if they tried. All they could do was shiver when his form walked by, as if death itself had just brushed by them without even giving the fools a glance.

So loyal to the point of blind obedience. Even when they knew the order given was wrong. So, devoted to their Lord's wife. If they knew the truth of this woman and her intentions, Maul doubted they would be so loyal after he got through with the woman.

Unlike with Riverrun and Casterly Rock, he didn't hold back in his killing of the Vale knights in the castle that Lysa Tully Arryn had surrounded herself with. These men were loyal to House Arryn, his wife, and the dead falcon's so called "son". Not to mention the falcon's nephew Harold Harding would try to take over once Lysa and Robin were removed. The fewer loyalist the blood of the falcon had, the better for the dragon in the long run to bring the rest into the fold.

The castle ran red with blood long before he made his way to the woman's room.

Throwing the door open to the chambers of Lysa Tully Arryn, he saw her clutching the weak little thing she called a child of House Arryn. Passing it off as Lord Arryn's when in truth it was her secret lover's bastard child. Maul had seen into Lord Baelish's mind and knew how the late Master of Coin would act regarding this and would never allow the boy he fathered to live to adulthood. Robin would simply be an inconvenience later when growing up. The boy looked a lot like Baelish did in his own years as a child and the mockingbird had to use the boy when able through Lysa herself.

Not that it mattered now. Both were about to meet their end. And while many would say spare the boy, Maul knew the boy was very sickly due to Baelish being the same way. The difference was Holster Tully made sure Baelish got necessary treatment when at Riverrun. Lysa did not give her child any kind of medicine to treat any such sickliness and just let the boy suckle from her breasts any chance she could.

As if it would give the child a means to defend himself from any and all illnesses.

"Stay away! Stay away! Do you know who I am? Who my husband is? Where we are?" shrieked Lysa in a panic.

"I do know who you are, Lysa Tully Arryn. I know who you are late husband was, and yes, I did kill him. I also know where we are right now. We are in the room where you and your bastard son will die," said Maul with Lysa shrieking in panic and her son wailing and crying while screaming for someone to protect them from harm.

"GUARDS! GUARDS!" yelled Lysa franticly before an invisible hand grabbed her throat and squeezed.

"Mommy! Let her go!" exclaimed Robin while seeing Maul raise his hand slightly just before the woman struggled to breathe.

"How does it feel Mad Trout? How does it feel to have your life slowly fade away in the grip of another while struggling to live? Your actions in hiding my mother's letter caused the death of so many people. You helped in the death of my Uncle Brandon Stark. In the death of my Grandfather Rickard Stark. The very nature of Robert's Rebellion. The deaths of countless people on both sides of the war who were lied and manipulated for the greed of a select few. And for what? Because the man you love, who never loved you, said to take it to your father? Knowing what it was and what it held in terms of the truth? You are a wretched thing. It's only fitting you would fall in love with an even more wretched piece of shit like Lord Baelish to produce such weak offspring like this one here," remarked Maul while releasing his grip on the woman.

"How dare you speak that way about my love! He was a great man. A strong man. A man with conviction and cunning. Not like the fat stag or my elderly fool for a husband. He was handsome and strong in ways you could not begin to understand," spat Lysa angrily at him.

"He was a weak pathetic man who died a coward. Just as you will soon enough," remarked Maul with the woman shrieking once more.

"I will be avenged. The Seven will punish you for this treachery!" exclaimed Lysa while Maul felt his rage build at her words.

"Treachery? You have no right to speak to me about treachery, Tully whore! Not after what you and the other ambitious fools did to obtain your so called positions of power!" stated Maul before he unleashed Force Lightning at the woman and her child.

Any form of civility or restraint Maul had at that point snapped when he unleashed his power on them both with the rage burning inside of him needing to vent. These wretched people he killed, one by one, dared to justify their selfish actions, deeming them for the greater good, when all it did was making life for everyone around them worse. They dared say their cause was just, pure and righteous in what they did to bring the dragon down. But Maul knew the truth. They wanted power. Positions of power greater than what they already had and to cast down those who had it before them.

Even now, Lysa was thinking of her precious Petyr Baelish and how they would have one day ruled over the Seven Kingdoms through her love's hidden machinations. How she would be his Queen and Robin their precious Prince. How she hated her sister for having a better life, even in the North. She hated her own Father, Holster Tully, for denying Lysa the first child she had that was Petyr's back when they were back in Riverrun. Her Father had ordered Lysa to drink the moon tea to end the child in the womb and had Petyr secretly kicking out to hide the shame of it all. The woman hated everyone and everything not Petyr Baelish. How she was glad her actions caused the incident between the Starks and the Targaryens, which helped bring about Robert's Rebellion. She was so proud of hurting the "She-Wolf whore" and the Starks as a whole, especially after what Brandon Stark did her Petyr in their duel for Catelyn Tully's hand in marriage. Maul would make sure Lysa Tully understood one simple truth regarding her actions before she died by his hands.

And the truth of it all, there were serious consequences to the woman's actions. Consequences which the woman would pay for in blood like most of her family who wronged House Targaryen.

When it was over, only the charged boned corpses of Lysa Tully and young Robin were left in the room, smoke coming off their bodies, and their clothes badly burned almost beyond all recognition. Walking away from the now dead people, Maul made his way out of the castle, the dead bodies he left behind, and decided to pay a visit to another ambitious fool unworthy of living.

The Late Walder Frey.

(The Twins-Sometime Later)

Walder Frey was not one to believe in religious superstition or the Gods in general. He believed they did what anyone else did when it came to life. Eat, shit, and fuck over anyone they wanted no matter who it was they bent over. As such, Walder Frey did just that for most of his life. He had done such things for nearly ninety name days and still going strong despite his body getting frailer with each passing day. Still, he had been able to keep on doing things most men his age would be unable to do by this point in time of their lives. Namely eat, shit, and fuck women who he took as wives and mistresses while producing one child after another.

By the Seven, his oldest son and heir was nearly seventy. Or was he seventy now? He had so many damn children it was hard to keep track of them all and their ages. Many people, including his own children, were even wondering if Walder's heir would die before Walder himself did. Though with the way other Lords were dropping like flies, it made some wonder if the Stranger was going to come for the old man sooner over later. Especially given how the various Lords who died were tied to the crown and those who supported Robert during the rebellion. And while Walder had sent his forces to the Trident after the battle was over, he still sided with the stag while hoping it would give him some boon in the end when taking King's Landing.

It had annoyed him to no end when no such boon came after Robert's Rebellion. He had committed his troops to the winning side and deserved a reward for it, yet the stag had refused because House Frey bannermen came after the fighting was over. Bah! What did it matter? He brought his bannermen to the winning side and thus deserved to be rewarded, late to the war or not! Walder had the bridge, had the right to rule the Twins, and had no problem naming the price for the tolls to cross being what the Head of House Frey wanted.

And he was the fucking Head of House Frey!

It didn't help that Holster Tully had made a jape about Walder Frey being late with his bannermen to the battle, which made the nickname stick like a bad stench. For centuries, House Frey had to endure kissing the fucking sigil and ass of House Tully. Even more so when the Trout was placed in good standing with the current King and the strength of the North through marriage. It seemed House Tully would forever cast a shadow over House Frey long as long as Walder Frey lived and long after Walder died.

Or so he thought. When hearing Holster died, Walder laughed knowing he had outlived the fucking old Trout while knowing the man's son, Edmure, was an idiot. Barely above the level of intelligence Walder's own incompetent sons when he gave them an order. Word had reached him of a dark robed, hooded, facially tattooed figure roaming the Seven Kingdoms, killing High Lords all throughout the land. Tywin Lannister, Holster Tully, and Jon Arryn being chief among them. Walder also suspected the large number of Maesters being purged throughout the Seven Kingdoms was also through this man too.

Walder maybe a greedy ambitious man, but he wasn't stupid in seeing things where others didn't see when it came to the events around him. Walder knew well enough that the Maesters being purged for their past actions in manipulating the realms for their own personal gain was due to this individual who was killing off stag supporters. It was no secret the dragons were not loved, even during the height of their rule, and many schemed to see them fall one way or another.

The Order of Maesters being just one of the groups that had tried. Though the true extent of their plans and schemes being unknown until recently. Needless to say, the Order of Maesters would never be able to do what they did ever again.

But now wasn't the time to worry about some Order filled with old gray robed fucks with chains on their bodies to signify their learned ways of wisdom and knowledge. No, Walder was more concerned about his own House and the fact he might be a target for this individual seeking to take the heads of those who backed the stag over the dragon during the rebellion. He could feel it in his old bone someone was going to come for him and his House. If there were two things Walder Frey learned about in life, it was seeking to take things from others when having the upper hand and knowing when someone was out to get you to take what was yours.

Having a large brood of ambitious children waiting for the day you died helps one develop such skills.

When a dark robed, hooded figure entered the Main Hall of the Twins seeking passage, Walder had felt those same instincts kick in almost instantly. This person was the man everyone had spoken of and were afraid of being near due to his skills in ending lives as if he was the Stranger. At the same time, Walder's instinct of seeing golden opportunities to claim large boons from others manifested inside his head and the presence of greed slowly started to overpower his sense of fear, if not his self-preservation. Walder knew this man was an enemy of the crown, capturing or killing him would put the stag in debt to House Frey. Walder could practically ask for anything. Anything! He could have one of his brood marry into the royal family to one day influence the Seven Kingdoms. If that was possible, he could ask to become the new Lord of the Riverlands instead of House Tully.

It was something too good to pass up.

"Welcome young man. I am Walder Frey. What business do you have that requires you to come to my home and cross my bridge?" asked Walder while having an idea since the man was traveling his bridge to head North.

"I am but a simple traveler wishing to head North. Nothing more," replied the figure in a raspy tone while keeping his face hidden behind the shadowy hood of his robes.

"Plan to go visit the Starks in the North, do you? Or maybe go to the Wall to take the black? No, I don't think someone like you intends to do the latter. You may wear their colors already but going there to freeze your cock and balls off is not one for the likes of one such as yourself," remarked Walder while stalling for time as his bannermen secretly got into position.

"I wish to visit the North to see the wonders of the Kingdom. They say it snows there even during the summer. I have never seen summer snow before," replied the figure calmly while Walder sneered.

"Yes, I'm sure the North has its small…wonders. What with it snow, boring castles, savages for men and women alike," commented Walder while the room seemed to become a tad darker.

"And this place is any better?" asked the figure while moving his robed head slightly to see the line of Freys nearby looking at him nervously.

"You make it sound like my castle isn't worth admiring. My House has ruled here long since before your whore of a mother was even a twinkle in her limp cocked father's eye," spat Walder rudely at the man in front of him while the figure's hands twitched slightly and the room got noticeably colder.

"And look what your House has done with this place since ruling it. This place is cold, dark, depressing, filled with power hungry members of your House praying for the day you die. Your family is a pack of wild animals, no better than scavengers waiting for the moment to pick your body clean of value. Not that you have anything remotely worthy to pick off of your body with the way you look and smell," said the figure with a hint of amusement.

"You dare speak to me like that?! In my own castle?!" demanded Walder while narrowing his eyes at the figure with anger burning in his eyes.

"I do actually. Why? Feeling insulted? Is it because I am insulting you and your House? Or because I am speaking the truth about it?" asked the figure in a mocking tone while Walder Frey looked ready to have a heart attack.

"You're just like the rest of those shits who mock my House. Holster Tully, Jon Arryn, even Tywin fucking Lannister mocked my House. Well, I am alive, and they are dead in the ground rotting!" said Walder in anger.

"It's not mocking if the words spoken are true, Lord Frey. And the truth of matter is, you are a vile piece of filth. You try to take from others because your castle's position is a strategic one to cross for anyone wishing it. Whether they be a Lord or his bannermen marching across in the event of a war you still try to squeeze more than your station demands. You were deliberately late with your bannermen at the Battle of the Trident because the winning side would be determined there. You wanted your forces to back the winning side in the aftermath while hoping to get some kind of reward despite coming in at the last moment," remarked the figure with his tone almost mocking the Lord of the Twins.

And Walder Frey was not having it.

"Kill him! I'll present his corpse to the King myself to get the reward I want!" commanded Walder while men came into the room armed with swords, shields, spears, and crossbows now aimed at the figure.

"Foolish old man. Even now, your greed overpowers your sense of self preservation. Of course, what would one expect from slimy old weasel," remarked the figure with a mocking laughter at the end.

"Don't just stand there you dumb shits! KILL HIM! KILL! HIM!" Walder Frey practically shouted through the entirety of the Twins.

"I have better idea. I kill every single one of you," whispered the figure before he moved with unheard of speed and punched the nearest armored man right in the chest with his arm putting a hole through the armor and chest of it wearer itself, crumpling like it was wet parchment.

And just like that, chaos had irrupted within the Main Hall of the Twins.

Before anyone could move or react due to the shock of being attacked, the robed figure easily threw the injured man he just punched into a group of men carrying crossbows. A spin kick to the nearest Frey had snapped the neck of the one receiving it with a violent "SNAP!" echoing throughout the Main Hall of the Twins. By that point, the Frey bannermen and the Freys themselves finally got over their shock of being attacked by one man. Unfortunately, the figure was ahead of them and drew his double bladed sword, killing men left and right without any hesitation or fear of being hit. The men with crossbows tried to hit him with their arrows, but the figure moved too fast for them to hit, and the arrows themselves hit their fellow bannermen before they too were struck down by the blade the man wielded.

Walder Frey could only look on with growing fear and worry at the sight before him becoming more and more dire. His bannermen and family was being brutally killed in front of him by this…this…demon! This incarnation of the Stranger was staining his castle, his ancestral home, with the blood of his kin without mercy. Men of House Frey had lost their hands, arms, legs, torso, and heads with each move this thing made against them. This monster even using some as living shields when some of the archers tried to fire at the man from a distance, only for the robed figure to be upon them within moments, staining the walls with their blood.

It was pure madness!

When the last body fell, only the figure and Walder Frey were left alive in the room. The old man had long since pissed and shit himself at seeing so many of his House fall to this creature with eyes burning like fire behind the hood of his robes. The double bladed sword dripping with the blood of House Frey and its loyal bannermen while Walder Frey himself looked ready to die from his heart finally giving out.

"Well? Have you nothing to say now?" asked the figure while flicking the weapon slightly to make most of the blood come off of it.

"Y-You…Y-You…monster!" exclaimed Walder Frey fearfully while the figure approached him slowly with the sound of boots stepping on the pool of blood and flesh beneath it.

"Monster? Who was it that ordered his men to kill me? Who was it that insulted me while in this room? Who was it that acted like a greedy fuck in wanting more than his station allowed? Who was it that sat in his fucking chair and called my mother a whore?" asked the figure while standing in front of the large table that was between him and Walder Frey.

"I am the Lord of the Twins. I can speak to you anyway I wish," countered Walder though his confidence was nowhere near what it had been when they first started this meeting.

"You are nothing more than the Lord of piss and shit. You are a corpse in all but name and should have just done this world a favor by dying long ago. You can barely hold yourself together and the fact you can still be with a woman and have children with them is a miracle unto itself," remarked the figure just before the table was grabbed by an invisible power and thrown against the nearest wall.

"I have powerful friends. Friends who remember me for all I have done for them. You will pay for this Targaryen!" stated Walder while the figure's burning red eyes seemed glow brighter.

"I'm sure you do Walder Frey. But I think after all the death and destruction I have caused so far up to this point throughout the Seven Kingdoms, your friends won't even consider making me pay for your death. Oh, and just so you know before the end, my name is…Maul!" said Maul before grabbing Walder Frey by the throat and squeezed what little life the old man's body had out of him.

All Walder Frey could do was struggle with what little strength he had and stare into those burning eyes that screamed with rage worthy of a dragon.

When it came to meeting the Stranger, this was one meeting Walder Frey would not be late attending.

(A/N: YAY! Another update. I'm sorry this is taking so long. I have been delayed. Dog had to go to the vet and uncle in the hospital for a heart condition. Scary shit. And with what free time I have is spent on playing Ninja Gaiden Collection. I am currently trying to beat the first game on Very Hard. I have beaten it on all the previous difficulties and Very Hard makes them all look tame by comparison. I have to "fish" in certain spots of the game for yellow essence (if you play the game than you'll know what I am talking about) to build up enough of it to buy what I need to eventually fight the super hard bosses and mini-bosses. Trust me when I say it is not easy. It is VERY HARD! Pun not intended. I want to get the trophies and the final outfit for Ryu too, which is the Mark of Murder outfit from Ninja Gaiden 3 with ability perks that go with it. Once I get that item, I can clean up on what I need and beat the game on Master and some other trophies I can only get with the final outfit. So, my advice to anyone playing the game, play easy, normal, and Hard in that order before playing Very Hard. Granted you could play it on normal right away, but easy helps you get some of the easier trophies ahead of time. Also, I am trying to get as many powerful enhancements as I possibly can and playing the ninja trials to help get them sooner. Until next time…PEACE!)