Alright time for the next chapter, hope you all enjoy.
Darkness Reborn
Chapter 24: The Stag Falls
-Meereen, Essos-
Daenaerys sat upon her throne in Meereen surrounded by her advisers, as a troop of newcomers were brought before her. Having just sailed into Meereen that morning, word had already reached her ears that they were Westerosi and that they very much needed to speak with her.
At the moment, she needed information on what was happening in Westeros, so hearing from these new arrivals quickly became paramount.
As they were escorted in, she felt a hand gently rest on her shoulder. She glanced over and Ser Barristan leaned down to whisper to her. "I know those people. They are the Lannisters, those three specifically are the children of Tywin Lannister. Cercei, the wife of Robert Baratheon, Tyrion Lannister, and Jaime Lannister, the King-Slayer. The boy at the front, I think that is Tommen Baratheon, Joffrey's younger brother. The older woman is Genna Lannister, Tywin's sister, and the bald man there is Lord Varys, the Spider, the Master of Whispers for Joffrey."
"What are they doing here?" Daenerys whispered back, just as softly, trying as hard as she could to keep the surprise off of her face.
"I do not know, but considering what Queen Yara told us is happening in Westeros, I can only imagine." Ser Barristan replied.
"You think King's Landing has fallen?" Daenerys replied, sensing what he was thinking.
"I don't know, let us hear what they have to say." Ser Barristan responded as the Lannister entourage was finished being led in.
"You stand now before Daenerys Stormborn of House Targaryen, Queen of Meereen, Khaleesi of the Great Grass Sea, the Unburnt, Breaker of Chains, and Mother of Dragons." Missandei informed the new arrivals.
"Greetings, Queen Daenerys. My name is Tommen Baratheon, son of Robert Baratheon." Tommen began to speak, his words coming out as practiced, though he was obviously intimidated.
"Why are you here, Tommen, son of Robert? This city is far from the kingdoms your father stole from my family. Why have you traveled all this way?" Daenerys asked the boy.
"We have come here in search of your help, Queen Daenerys. Far and wide across Essos, the people speak of the Breaker of Chains. Someone who helped to free the slaves held in captivity, and has ignited the fires of hope for all those still yet enslaved. Westeros has fallen into darkness, and it needs your help. We've come here to beg for your aid." Tommen responded honestly.
Daenerys felt her gut sink at that, and glanced over at Rómestámo, whom took in a heavy breath and let out a sigh.
Nearby, Yara stood and also let out a sigh as well. It had all happened so fast. Hearing about the fall of Casterly Rock had been the last she'd heard from Westeros before departing with her fleet to Meereen. It hadn't been overly long since then, only a couple of months, and already King's Landing had fallen as well. That painted a very poor picture of their chances in the wars to come.
"Your brother is the ruler of Seven Kingdoms, I'm sure you could find support much closer to home?" Daenerys said to the boy, knowing full well that that wasn't true, considering what they'd heard from Yara.
"Unfortunately not, your grace. The kingdoms of Westeros have turned to the side of Aegon Targaryen, your nephew. Seeing as how the Ironborn have made it here, I'm assuming that means you've heard about his existence, and his conquests?" Varys answered for Tommen.
"I have. Queen Yara brought me news of my nephew's survival. About how he was raised by the Starks, and now marches at the head of an army of orcs." Daenerys responded.
"Orcs? Is that what those beastly creatures are called?" Varys asked.
"Indeed it is, Lord Varys. What has happened in Westeros? The last bit of information, Queen Yara could provide us was the fall of Casterly Rock and Lannisport. Now we see you all here, without your king or Lord Tywin. What are we to make of that?" Barristan questioned the spider.
"Ser Barristan, it's good to see you again. To answer your question, after the fall of Casterly Rock, the Dragonwolf sent forces into the Reach and set it on fire. His actions caused the Tyrells to break their alliance with the crown, and join Aegon. Then the Eyrie sided with him, and then the Dornish. He then marched across the continent, intent on taking the capitol. The only kingdom left resisting Aegon's conquest was the Stormlands. By now, Aegon will have captured the capitol, and is no doubt laying waste to the Stormlands, dealing with Stannis Baratheon. Lord Tywin and King Joffrey stayed behind in King's Landing to rally the defenders against Aegon. They've no doubt been captured, if not killed." Varys explained, his words evoking a response from Cercei whom could only hope that her son was dead, and not held in the clutches of the Dragonwolf.
Daenerys was quiet for a long few moments as she took this in. She then shared a glance with Barristan, whom nodded.
"You claimed to come here seeking my aid? My aid for what, exactly? It should be very clear that I have no interest in helping you reclaim your stolen throne. Is it your intention to convince me to fight my nephew?" Daenerys questioned them.
"No, your grace. Though, unfortunately, I believe fighting him will be necessary. He commands an army of monsters. He turned my great-uncle into a monster. He has this sorceress at his side, one who's helped him with monstrous things. My great-aunt Genna was his prisoner for a time, she was there when Casterly Rock fell." Tommen replied, gesturing to Genna.
"You were there when the castle was attacked? You bore witness to this Aegon, his army, and his sorceress?" Rómestámo spoke up, eyeing the group with a critical gaze.
"Yes, I was there. I bore witness to the fall of Lannisport, and Casterly Rock, and I was Aegon's prisoner for a short time." Genna replied, taking in a breath and stepping forward from the crowd.
"How did you manage to escape him?" Rómestámo inquired.
"I did not escape. I was offered in trade, for the life of his cousin, Sansa Stark." Genna answered back.
"This sorceress… have you seen her?" Rómestámo asked after a moment of silence.
"Yes… I've seen her." Genna responded as a chill washed over her. Seeing the woman's reaction, Rómestámo shared a look with Daenerys and Barristan before turning back to the woman.
"Please, go on." Daenerys encouraged her.
"She's… She's a monster! A hellion. A nightmare. She used her powers to crush the Lion's Mouth and drop it into the ravine! I saw the cavern collapse with my own two eyes! She dropped the whole thing into the ground, forming a land bridge right up to the top of the outer walls. Then their army washed over us. Monstrous creatures, giant wolves, giant spiders, men without faces, flying beasts, there was so much screaming, and screeching! I can still hear it in my ears! That piercing shriek that caused all heat to flee my body. A sound so awful it ripped at the ears and tore at the heart. I can still see them, those black robed figures atop their monstrous winged-beasts." Genna began, her composure slipping as she recalled the nightmare she'd endured.
Rómestámo watched her closely as she continued, dread building in his gut as he heard her descriptions of the things she'd seen.
"I was captured, along with my husband and my brother. We were held in cages for a while outside of the castle, before being brought back in. When we were we were taken before the Dragonwolf. He was seated there, in the seat of my father, of my elder brother. When we were gathered before him, he addressed my husband, made note that he was a Frey. He had already put most of the Frey line to the torch and it seems he wasn't done yet. He descended from the high table, took a blade, and cut my husband's throat where he stood. I can still feel his blood splashing across my face, hear his gurgles as he gasped for air. She was there, by his side, sitting at the high table. The sorceress, watching us with those glowing red eyes!" Genna continued onward.
"Did she say anything to you? Anything at all?" Rómestámo asked?
"No, only Aegon spoke. My brother and I were offered in trade for his cousin Sansa, though before my brother was turned over, he was stabbed, and his wound festered and her turned into some kind of monster." Genna answered.
"Describe this monster for me?" Rómestámo commanded.
"It…" Genna began, but stopped with a tremble.
"It had no face." Tyrion spoke up.
"No face?" Daenerys blinked with confusion, glancing over at Rómestámo who's eyes were widening as he took several steps forward to the edge of the steps leading down.
"No face you say? What else?" Rómestámo questioned, paling as a horrible realization was setting in.
"I don't know how to describe it. It was our uncle, he'd been turned into this thing, this shapeless, formless thing. It was invisible to us. It wore armor, but had no body beneath it. When it wanted to escape, it merely took off the armor and we could no longer tell where it was. It claimed to be a servant of the Witch-King." Tyrion described, causing Rómestámo to take in another grasp and shake his head.
"Rómestámo?" Daenerys questioned the wizard who began muttering to himself.
"The Witch-King of Angmar. The Dark Lord's Chief Servant. The Lord of the Nine." Rómestámo said to her as he turned a worried gaze to her, causing Daenerys to pale. She'd heard of the Nine. Rómestámo had explained to them all about Sauron's personal servants. Nine shapeless entities who were once great king's of men, whom Sauron had turned into his slaves, using corrupted magical rings. The chief amongst them being the Witch-King, a being they say no living man can kill.
"I was right. It is him." Rómestámo concluded, closing his eyes and taking in a deep breath.
"This creature that Kevin Lannister became, you know what it is?" Barristan questioned, his response earning looks from the Lannisters.
"Yes. A Cargûl. A wraith, born of the powers of the Nazgûl. The Cargûl are mighty foes, and act as agents and lieutenants of the Nazgûl. The Nazgûl carry in their possession, cursed blades, known as Morgul blades. They are blades designed to break off in the body of those pierced by them. The broken piece of the blade filters a curse into the body of the victim, slowly turning them into a wraith, and binding them to the will of the Nazgûl that created them, and to the Nine's dark master." Rómestámo explained to them all.
"So these things can just use these blades to make invisible soldiers? Why aren't there more of them?" Daario questioned.
"Morgul blades are difficult to create, and a wraith is a terrible power. Each one created may be in service to it's dark master, but that doesn't mean it is wholly loyal. Cargûl can turn treacherous if they are granted too much freedom or power, and just because they were created by the Nazgûl, does not mean all Cargûl are weaker. There are some among the Red Wraiths, that come close to the Nazgûl in power, and among the forces of darkness, treachery is commonplace. So they only turn those they know they can control, and who will be of great use to them." Rómestámo replied.
"You know of these things? You knew the name of the monsters that fight for Aegon as well." Tyrion noted, sharing a glance with Varys.
"That I do. I am Rómestámo. Rómestámo the Blue, some call me. The situation is far more dire than you know, my friend. In light of this news, I would strongly advise that we speak at length in regards to what you know." Rómestámo responded, turning his gaze away from the Lannisters and towards Daenerys.
"I am in agreement, your grace. I would like to question them further, and that man there, Lord Tyrion, he traveled with your nephew up to the Wall, he was with him for a short time, but it was far longer than I." Barristan noted, earning a slow nod from Daenerys as she rose to her feet.
"I agree with you. We must know of all they have to tell us, and perhaps we may find something that could aid in our plans. I do not trust them, but I will hear what they have to say." Daenerys agreed with her Hand before addressing the Lannisters, "I will offer you, and your entourage safety within my city, so long as you answer any and all questions myself or my advisers may have of you. As for your request for aid, that will be determined at a later date. We have much to discuss but before that begins, there is something I wish to address before we continue, something important that I do not wish to have hanging over these discussions. Ser Jaime Lannister…"
Jaime took in a breath as Daenerys addressed him. Slowly he emerged from the crowd, stepping up beside Tommen.
"Your grace…" Jaime replied coolly.
"You are the same Jaime Lannister who served on my father's Kingsguard? You are the one who killed him?" Daenerys questioned.
"I am." Jaime replied, doing what he could to maintain his composure, knowing full well he probably wasn't going to live through today, but at least the rest of his family would find some safety here in Meereen. If he had to die so that they could find sanctuary here in the city, than that would be a price he'd willingly pay.
"My Hand, Ser Barristan… he… told me some things about my father. Told me the truth about him. I understand that he was an evil man… a terrible man. For all of my childhood my brother Viserys blamed you and Robert Baratheon for all that we had lost. I admit I blamed you as well, and I still do. But after having heard from one whom I trust, one who knew my father and of his madness, I cannot help but wonder if perhaps he did not deserve the fate he met. I wish to hear from you, yourself. Why did you do it? Why did you kill him?" Daenerys questioned him.
Jaime was silent for a moment as he digested that. Barristan was staring at him with a critical gaze, obviously still holding to the idea that Jaime was an honorless knight who murdered his own king. Even if the Mad King deserved it, regicide was still regicide.
"Speak the truth, Ser Jaime, you will find that Queen Daenerys is not her father." Rómestámo spoke, his gaze passing down into the knight. Jaime lifted his eyes to the wizard, and found Rómestámo's gaze to be piercing, yet there was understanding there, almost as if he knew the truth that Jaime had only shared with three other people. His father, his brother, and Brienne of Tarth.
"You told her about her father's madness?" Jaime questioned, turning his gaze to Ser Barristan.
"I did. Some of it. I did not wish to taint the memory of her father, but I made sure to help her understand that the stories of the Mad King were not exaggerations." Barristan responded.
"So you told her how he was raving mad? How he saw enemies in every shadow? How he wouldn't let people touch him, so his hair grew long and matted, and his fingernails became long and yellowed? How he liked to burn people alive?" Jaime questioned just a bit ruefully, earning a slow nod from Barristan as he and Daenerys, and all of her advisers stared down at the Kingslayer.
"You mention how he laughed as they screamed?" Jaime asked, earning a nod from Barristan, he asked again, "How about how he like to rape his wife afterwards, did you mention that?"
Jaime's question earned a sigh from Barristan while Daenerys let out a breath, her blood running cold. She sent a glance towards her Hand, but the pained look on his face showed that what Jaime was saying was the truth.
"Unfortunately, your grace, that's probably how you were conceived." Jaime noted, again earning a sigh from Barristan, but also one from Tyrion as well who knew that was a point that probably didn't need to be made.
"Your father wasn't just a mad man, your grace, he was a monster. I could go on for hours about all the terrible things I saw him do, and keep in mind I was only in his service for a short time, so I'm certain Ser Barristan could tell you so much more, but that's not important. What is important is that you understand that the Mad King was a nightmare, a cruel, vicious, evil man. Only by recognizing that, can you hope to comprehend just why he would go as far as he nearly did. He planned to murder everyone in King's Landing, and I stopped him. I put an end to the Mad King because he was a monster, who would have happily killed half a million people." Jaime declared.
Daenerys blinked at that, taking in what was being said. After several long moments, she spoke. "My father wanted to kill his own subjects?"
"He had plans to kill everyone in King's Landing. He had the Pyromancers Guild create caches of Wildfire and place them strategically around the city. He intended for Robert to be King of the Ashes. He would wait for Robert's army to arrive and when they broke into the city, the pyromancers would detonate the Wildfire caches and burn the city to the ground, killing everyone within the city's walls. I was there, in the throne room when he gave the order. Since I'm not a raving lunatic, I killed the messenger, and then when your father tried to run, I drove my sword into his back. Do you know what his dying words were, your grace?" Jaime explained to them all, earning shock and surprise from those like Genna and Cercei, as well as Daenerys and even Barristan.
"What were his last words?" Dany asked quietly, still taking in just how close her father had come to committing one of the greatest atrocities of all time.
"His last words were the same thing he'd been saying since my father's army broke into the city. 'Burn them all'." Jaime said to her.
Daenerys was quiet for many long moments as she took that in.
"Why did you never say anything, Ser Jaime?" Barristan asked.
"Would it have mattered?" Jaime questioned with a sigh.
"It might have…" Barristan responded softly.
"No one cared. Not you, not Ned Stark, Not Robert Baratheon. You all saw what you wanted too. In the end though, it never really mattered. I didn't do it for you, or for the realm, or for Ned Stark, or the rebels, or Robert Baratheon. I did it, because the Mad King was an utter lunatic, and I was not going to stand by any longer. I was forced to stand by when he executed Brandon and Rickard Stark. I was forced to stand by and listen as he raped the innocent queen Rhaella. I was not going to stand by while he murdered half a million people. Oaths, allegiances, duty, honor, what does any of it matter, when faced with half a million lives." Jaime declared with a hardened gaze.
Silence hung in the room for several long moments as everyone took that in. Finally, Daenerys took in a breath, and spoke.
"I thank you, Ser Jaime, for telling me the truth. I knew that my father's crimes were many, but I did not know just how far his madness extended. We will continue these discussions later." Daenerys said to him, before turning away from them and beginning to depart. Her face was pale, and she was quite obviously deeply disturbed. Hearing just how far her father's madness extended, sickened her to her very core.
"We will have accommodations made for you, during your time here in the city. When our Queen is ready, she will summon you to continue these discussion." Ser Barristan said to the Lannister host before turning to follow after Daenerys, knowing full well that she now had a great deal on her mind, and would no doubt be distracted by it, for next few days.
The Lannisters were led out, happy to accept this small victory for what it was. They had at least found refuge, which had been one of their most central hopes. Time would only tell if their luck would hold.
-King's Landing, Westeros-
Familiar pain wracked through Aegon's body forcing him awake with a gasp. His sudden movements awoke Tauriel, though Lilith and Sansa remained asleep.
Aegon sat, staring off for several long moments, taking in deep breaths, as vivid flashes of pain, echoed through his body. Like razor blades, slicing off strips of his skin, the pain held for several long moments, enough so that he had to grit his teeth to resist it. As it always did, the pain faded, and Aegon let out a sigh of relief.
He let out several breaths and brought up his hands. He found them shaking, which served to unsettle him.
"Are you alright?" Came the quiet question from Tauriel.
Aegon turned his gaze towards her, finding her eyes locked on him. He stared back at her for several moments before sighing.
"Just a bad dream. Go back to sleep." Aegon responded, as he rose from bed and headed for the balcony in their room that overlooked the sea.
Aegon stepped outside and took in a breath of fresh air, the sun was just beginning to peak over the horizon, but it wouldn't be for another hour or so that he'd usually awaken for the day.
The cool morning air helped to shake the jitters from this fresh nightmare.
"It's been so long..."Aegon thought to himself with a sigh as he leaned on the railing of the balcony.
The nightmares, they'd finally returned. For almost all of his life, the Dark Lord had suffered from these nightmares. He could vividly recall almost every time he'd had them over the course of his long life. Images of unspeakable pain, and the feeling of that pain, like a memory, burned into his brain.
They were nightmares of torture, more specifically of him, being tortured. He'd had them since the fall of the Earth. Since Eru had ruined the world, and Lilith had died so long ago.
He had no idea how long after the devastation that the nightmares began, but once they started, they would visit him again and again at random intervals. Sometimes he would have them nightly, sometimes, a year or two would pass between them. But he always remembered them, because they were always this vivid, this striking. So striking were these nightmares that he could often feel the pain that correlated with the images he would see, as if it was happening in real time.
The torture changed within these nightmares, sometimes he was burned, sometimes he was cut, sometimes he was mutilated, or flayed. There were even times when his limbs were fed into a mechanical grinder, that crushed flesh, muscle, and bones into paste. The pain ran the gambit of everything he could imagine, and he could always feel it, when he awoke. There was only two constants within these nightmares, only two.
The pain, and the place.
Within these nightmares, he was always in the same place. A dark dungeon of stone, with floors that glowed like fire burned beneath them, and sulfuric smoke rose and burned at his nostrils. He could always hear screams in these nightmares, unending screams from all around him.
Aegon had a very good memory. With a bit of time and focus, he could remember almost every event of his long life, even rather mundane details, but he could never place the source of these dreams. He knew, they had to be memories. Memories he had repressed.
It was his theory that at some point, during his war with Lilith so long ago, when he was still Harry Potter, she had captured him, and tortured him ruthlessly. At some point he'd escaped, or been rescued and in an attempt to spare his mind of the pain he'd suffered, he or someone else, locked away the memories of what happened.
He didn't know which it was, and frankly didn't care. These memories came from a dark time in his life, when he hated Lilith and she hated him, when they warred against one another, blinded by their rage towards each other. He couldn't actively remember this torture, and he didn't want too. Remembering more of his suffering at Lilith's hands could only damage his current relationship with her. She'd tormented and tortured him plenty during their war, adding more to it, would simply be a headache that he didn't care for.
Were it not for the vividness of these nightmares, he'd happily forget about these suppressed memories.
He'd started having these nightmares an indeterminate amount of time after the Earth was destroyed, and he'd continued to have them sporadically, all the way up until his body was destroyed during the fall of Númenor, but they came back when he recreated a physical form, and then he stopped having them again, when his body was killed for a second time after the One Ring was taken from him, during the War of the Last Alliance. Though the lack of a body, didn't really stop him from having the nightmares, it more so stopped him from needing to sleep, or at least wanting to in some cases. If he didn't sleep, he didn't have nightmares, and if he didn't have a body, he didn't feel tired. So he hadn't had these nightmares since the Ring was taken from him almost three thousand years ago. This had been the first time he'd had the nightmares in this new body.
"Troublesome…" Aegon thought to himself with a tired groan.
He caught the sound of incredibly soft footsteps approaching him. He knew well enough that it had to be Tauriel. Lilith and Sansa were far more audible in their movements than the elf was. He turned his gaze to her as she stepped up to him, offering him a cup of water. He spotted visible concern on her face, and in her mind's eye, he could clearly see why. He was pale, ghostly pale. He definitely appeared sickly.
He accepted the kind gesture and drank down the water, letting out another sigh as he did.
Slowly he turned and lowered himself to the ground, sitting with his back against the railing, his eyes turning up to find Tauriel now standing over him.
"I've looked worse." Aegon noted with a smirk.
"You appear ill, master. Is that… is it even possible for you to be ill?" Tauriel asked, concern still present on her face.
"Not anymore." Aegon responded with a dry chuckle, as he took another drink of water. Tauriel continued to stare down at him, for several long moments, so he chose to respond to her concern. "You needn't worry yourself. As I said, it was just nightmares."
"Forgive me for saying this, but you look awful for it just being nightmares." Tauriel said to him.
"I know. But these aren't ordinary nightmares. I appreciate your concern, truly I do, but I'm fine. These nightmares come and go, but I've always had them. Do me a favor though, don't tell Sansa or Lilith about this. There isn't anything to be done about bad dreams, and I'd rather not have them fusing over me." Aegon said to her as he pulled himself back to his feet.
"As you wish, master." Tauriel responded, though he could tell that she didn't fully believe him when he said that it was nothing to worry about.
"After all this time, you're actually starting to care." Aegon note as he finished the cup of water, and handed it to her.
"Return to bed, I'm going for a stroll to clear my head." He began as he headed back inside, "And Tauriel…" He continued drawing her gaze to him, "Thanks."
Tauriel offered him a look of surprise as he returned inside and began to dress for day. Aegon merely smiled at her shock, he knew she had a difficult time rationalizing his kindness. He was the Dark Lord after all, and when he showed kindness, it always confused her.
Sauron had learned long ago, that wielding kindness and fear in equal measure was the best way to earn the loyalty of your servants, and it was also the best way to keep your enemies guessing. Kindness was an easy tool to wield, a few kind words, was sometimes all it took to earn someones allegiance. Forgiveness in the face of failure, kindness, in the place of wroth. By offering Tauriel a few words of kindness, he'd further earn her loyalty, and make her doubt all the things she knew to be true about the Dark Lords. The power of words was an incredible thing. A lesson Lilith and Sauron had learned from Eru. In their childhood, the enigmatic headmaster warped and twisted the minds of people using only his words. By offering kindness, and forgiveness, he could turn and manipulate people with ease, and both of the Dark Twins had learned these lessons from him, at some point in their long lives.
After several long moments she returned to bed, and Aegon departed, heading out to start the early morning off with a bit of exercise.
He found his way out into the training yards where orcs and uruks busied themselves with drills. He called over several of them, and ordered them to assist in his training. The rules were simple, they would fight him with everything they had until he told them to stop, if they managed to break his defenses and land a hit, he'd reward them. Aegon armed himself with two swords, and then called the orcs forth, two at a time, and began dueling with them.
For over an hour, he fought against them, dueling with them, and gaining further experience in fighting with two blades against multiple opponents.
Aegon had always been an adequate swordsman. During his time as Harry Potter, he had learned to wield a sword in order to counter Lilith who was by far, the more skilled with a blade. The sword that she had crafted, Ira, was a special blade, designed to be an instrument of war and terror. The blade was a spellbreaker, meaning that it could be used to block incoming spells and dissipate them. The blade was also cursed, meaning injuries inflicted by it, could not be healed by magic. The final nasty trick of the blade was that it was imbued with the spell Timeo, a spell that would cause a victim to begin to feel panic and fear. So if a person was cut with Ira, they'd be unable to heal the wound with magic, and they'd suddenly start to panic, making it easier to deliver follow-up strikes.
Lilith had learned to be quite skilled with that sword during her younger years, though as she grew older she turned more toward the use of her staff. In order to counter her in the early years of their war, Harry had to learn how to use a sword to better counter her, and he got reasonably good at it, but never to the level of a true swordsman.
For most of his long life, Sauron had never really had much interest in swordplay, beyond his basic skills with a blade, he preferred to use magic to accomplish his goals. And when it came to his enemies, he preferred to defeat them through cunning and deception, preferably with his involvement being limited to the mere knowledge that he orchestrated his opponent's downfall. If Sauron could avoid having to personally get involved in a fight, he generally would. With that in mind, he had discovered that this new body of his, had a knack for sword-fighting. He found that he was good at it, very good in fact.
So he took the time to hone this inborn gift, and learned to adapt the use of swords into his fighting style. Sauron was strong and fast, but he had always lacked skill and grace in battle, now he was developing both. He doubted he'd ever be as skilled as some of the elves or the Maiar who were bred for war, but he'd at least have far greater versatility in combat, and be able to hold his own against such foes in physical battle.
It was about an hour later when Garlan, Loras, and Margaery Tyrell came strolling by, the two brother seemingly interested in a morning workout, while Margaery took to escorting them there along with one of her handmaidens.
They arrived to find a crowd of cheering orcs, men, and olegs, surrounding the training yards.
"What seems to be going on here?" Garlan inquired as they passed a few members of the crowd and arrived beside two knights in service to House Tyrell.
"Watching the King fight, my lord. He's been at it all morning." One of the knights responded.
"The King?" Margaery responded, peeking through the crowd.
The three curiously maneuvered themselves to get a better view, finally catching sight of the duel in earnest.
Aegon was fighting three on one. Facing him was a man, an orc, and an oleg. The man was armed with sword and shield, the orc, a set of javelins with a small buckler on his arm, and the oleg carried a large mace.
Aegon was breathing heavily, and had sweat pouring down his face. Small trails of dried blood colored the corners of his mouth, showing that he'd taken at least one good hit so far.
He was in the midst of an offensive against his mannish foe, striking out with duel swords, hammering at his opponents shield. The man he was facing was a bit older than Aegon, and seemed to know what he was doing. He took the onslaught on blows, and kept on the defensive. Seeing an opening, the oleg charged forward with a warcry and brought his mace down towards Aegon with a two handed blow that would have exploded a person's skull if it connected.
Aegon pushed away from his opponent just in time to avoid the attack which struck the ground with a hard and loud thud. The blow shook the ground and caused Margaery and her handmaiden to jump in surprise.
Aegon was backing away from the oleg as it pulled it's mace from the dirt, when suddenly he dropped to a knee, just as a javelin came passing right through the space that his upper body once occupied.
The nearness of the strike, caused gasps and shouts to rise up from the crowd.
"Wow…" Garlan muttered at the showing of agility and spacial awareness.
"Are they trying to kill him?" Margaery questioned, concern and disbelief coloring her face and tone.
"He wants a challenge. I think the king's in a mood, my lady. He's been dueling all morning, like some sort of demon. He's taken a few good blows, but he just keeps getting back up." One of the knights said to her.
"You can see it on his face, he's got some pent up fury to unleash. The clashing of swords and the intensity of battle is a great place to unleash all of that emotion." Garlan noted, Loras nodding in agreement with his elder brother.
The man and the oleg quickly charged at Aegon, the man going on the offensive, delivering swift strikes that Aegon deflected as he back pedaled. Just as the oleg closed in on them, Aegon delivered a counter-attack on the man, he deflected the man's incoming attack while spinning and using the pommel of his opposite sword in a blow that landed right across the man's face, which knocked him to the ground.
Right then the oleg brought his mace down towards Aegon, again aiming for his head.
Unable to dodge the strike, Aegon used both swords, the redirect the downward strike away from his body and into the ground. He then followed up by driving one of his swords into the oleg's weapon arm, and he drove the other into it's breast. The oleg let out a roar of pain and dropped to a knee as Aegon pulled his sword free and placed it at the oleg's neck.
He was about to speak when he heard the orc cry out as he launched another javelin at him.
In a swift movement that left everyone amazed, Aegon spun and swung his swords, knocking the javelin right out of the air as it passed within a meter of him.
The spear fell somewhere in the ground, and silence quickly fell across the training yards.
Aegon stood panting, beads of sweat poured from his brow. Though he didn't get tired easily, this body still reacted as a human body would when pushed into an active state, having fought for over an hour now, Aegon was properly doused in sweat, as well as dirt and a bit of blood.
The silence continued for several more moments when a shout was heard from the crowd.
"Your grace! Apologies, your grace! Let me through you rabble." A voice called out over the silence and soon a messenger came pushing his way through the crowd.
"What is it?" Aegon inquired, as he rolled his shoulders and cracked his neck.
"Ships in the bay, your grace. Bearing the sigil of House Greyjoy." The messenger informed him. Aegon mused on that for a moment before letting out a chuckle.
"Time to see the War of the Five Kings to it's conclusion." He said, before turning to the oleg and the man, both of whom were back on their feet. "See to your wounds, and well fought. I look forward to our next encounter."
The two nodded at that, as Aegon turned towards the orc.
"You have a tell, you give a cry when you launch your attack. Try to silence yourself until after the blow is struck, that way your opponent wont hear it coming." Aegon offered a critique to the orc.
"Yes, my king. I'll do just that." The orc responded, with a nod and a bow.
Aegon than offered his swords to the master-at-arms, and passed through the crowd which began to disperse as the king departed.
Aegon stripped off his the clothes on his upper body, as he made his way over to a barrel of water. He quietly muttered a spell to clean off the sweat, mud, and blood, which all seemed to vanish in a shimmer. He then collected some water to drink, and doused himself with in order to cool off.
As he did this, Margaery took the opportunity to approach him, her brother following close behind.
"Your grace." Margaery greeted him.
"Lady Margaery? What a lovely sight to grace this troublesome day." He said to her, taking another scoop of water, and drinking down most of it, before pouring the remainder onto his head.
"That was quite the fiery spectacle, my king. You seem quite energetic this morning." Margaery noted, taking his compliment in stride and offering him a pleasant smile.
"I found myself in need of distraction. I had a long night." Aegon said to her.
"Does something trouble you?" Margaery inquired with genuine concern and curiosity.
"Nothing you need worry about. Just some bad dreams that kept sleep at bay. I find myself rather restless, as of late. I'm hopeful that the arrival of Euron Greyjoy, and his captive, will see an end to my most immediate troubles." Aegon responded, pleasantly.
"Yes, an end to this horrible conflict, once and for all." Margaery agreed.
"Go, and see to it that my wife is awakened and informed of what's happening, let us prepare a welcome for the conquering heroes." Aegon instructed a servant, as he pulled his shirt back on.
"My lady, I look forward to seeing you later during the celebrations." Aegon offered to Margaery.
"As do I, your grace. Until then." Margaery responded pleasantly as he turned and headed off into the castle, no doubt intent on preparing to receive Euron Greyjoy, and his newly acquired hostages.
A short time later, Lilith found herself entering into the throne room, Sansa and Tauriel trailing beside her. As they entered, they went their separate ways, with Sansa heading over to her family, while Tauriel kept to the shadows in the corner of the room. Lilith headed for her seat, which sat closest to the Iron Throne. A modest seat, similar to those of the small council masters. Not exactly her preferred choice for a seat of power, but it suited it's purpose well enough. No her true southern throne would be built in Harrenhal, a seat that would actually reflect her might and power. Here though, it was better for their purposes to wield the authority of the Iron Throne, and to that end, she accepted a more modest seat when participating in courtly matters.
Aegon was already perched upon the Iron Throne, his appearance regal, yet their was a tiredness to it, that Lilith noted when she glanced up at him. Even sat upon that towering monstrosity of a throne, she could still see that he wasn't as confident as he normally was. He wasn't as collected. Something was distracting him, and she could tell. It took him several long moments before he noticed her staring up at him, and when he did, his visage brightened, though Lilith noted that it took him longer than it normally did for him to notice her.
He offered her a smile, which she returned before taking her seat. Her ass had barely hit the seat when Lord Baelish passed by, offering a quick bow and greeting before arriving at his seat on the opposite side of the throne. Maester Aemon stood at the base of the throne, quietly keeping to himself, though he did offer Lilith a kind smile when she caught his gaze. Opposite him, on the other side of the throne was Orpheus, who stood silently, his eyes watching the door, awaiting the entrance of Euron and his captives.
A few seconds passed when Saruman appeared, by Lilith's side, his calculating gaze passing out over the crowd of gathered lords, ladies, knights, and war-chiefs.
Several long moments passed before the doors to the throne room opened, and in marched a troop of guards, and behind them, Euron Greyjoy and his entourage. Among them were his six captives, all bound and gagged, save for Shireen Baratheon, who was only bound.
"Welcome, King Euron, you have returned to us, with gifts, it seems." Aegon addressed the Iron King.
"That I have, your grace, that I have. May I present to you, Stannis Baratheon, his wife, his daughter, his beloved Fire Priestess, his Hand, and their fool. All gifts to you, your grace." Euron offered with a smirk and a bow. As he rose, he continued to speak, "Dragonstone has been retaken, and is ready and waiting for it's true owners, to return home to claim it."
"You have gone far and above what I have asked of you, King Euron. For your valiant efforts to root out the rebel King, Stannis Baratheon, I hereby pardon all crimes of House Greyjoy and the Ironborn committed during the War of the Five Kings. I ask that you kneel, and swear your allegiance to the Iron Throne and House Targaryen. Do so, and you shall arise with new purpose and the allegiance of all the kingdoms of Westeros." Aegon declared.
Euron offered another bow, and dropped to a knee, as he did, his men followed suit. Aegon then descended from the Iron Throne to stand before the kneeling Kraken.
"You have done great things for the kingdoms of Westeros, and have put an end to the War of the Five Kings. For that, you shall be greatly rewarded. Do you swear your allegiance to the Iron Throne, and to House Targaryen?" Aegon began.
"I do. I, Euron, of House Greyjoy, do so swear fealty to the Iron Throne, and to House Targaryen. The Ironborn swear there service and fealty, should you ever have need of our axes, you need only give the word, your grace." Euron responded, playing the part of a humble lord quite well.
Despite being in exile for a time, and spending most of his life in the company of cutthroats and pirates, Euron knew the dance of politics and knew it well.
"Than arise, Euron, of house Greyjoy, Lord of the Iron Islands, and Lord Reaper of Pyke. Arise and let us see an end to this, remove their gags." Aegon commanded, as Euron rose to his feet.
Euron gave a nod to his men to do as the king commanded. They removed the gags from the five of the six who still had them, and Aegon focused his attention on Stannis Baratheon.
"You are Stannis Baratheon?" Aegon questioned, knowing full well that it was him, but also recognizing that he, as Aegon Targaryen, will have never met Stannis before, even if he had seen him as Annatar, several times in the past when he was just a boy.
"I am." Stannis responded, glaring at Aegon as he did.
Aegon returned his glare with a smirk before turning his gaze towards the remainder of the captives. His eyes passed over Stannis' wife, and daughter, but paused on the Red Priestess. When he looked at her, he noticed that her eyes were wide and quivering. Terror reflected in her gaze, as if she was looking upon some sort of demon.
A cruel smirk began to form on Aegon's face as he pulled his gaze towards the last of the captives, the fool. A plump man, who's face was painted or perhaps tattooed in motley. He stared back at Aegon with a whimsical look, his gaze unfocused, and spaced. Aegon grew concerned as he felt the essence of death drift off of the fool. Something about this man was unsettling, though Aegon didn't know what it was. He would need to investigate further, after this was finished.
"This conflict between us, is over, Stannis Baratheon. Kneel, swear fealty to me, and I will allow you and your family to live." Aegon commanded after a moment of silence.
"You think I will submit to you so readily Dragonspawn? This conflict is not yet over, not while the son of my enemy, sit upon my throne." Stannis replied with a cold, hard gaze.
"I'm offering you the chance to live, and you would spit on my offering. Are you mad, or dense?" Aegon inquired, his response earning several chuckles from the crowd.
"I will not kneel to you, or any other usurper. The Iron Throne is mine by right. If you wish to claim it as your own, than you must win it." Stannis declared earning a raised eyebrow from Aegon.
"He does realize that that is exactly what we did, right?" Lilith inquired with amusement.
"The corpses that littered this very room when I took this castle would signify that I did in fact, 'win it'." Aegon responded.
"The throne never belonged to Cercei's bastard. It has been mine from the moment my brother Robert died. Not Joffrey, not Renly, not even you, hold right to it any longer. If you wish to claim it, than you'll have to kill me for it. I will not bow to the Dragonspawn." Stannis declared.
"You want me to kill you?" Aegon questioned in response.
"I want you to try. That is, if you think you have what it takes." Stannis challenged him.
"What do you propose, King Stannis?" Aegon inquired, a touch of amusement, and agitation creeping into his tone. The audacity of the Stag was quite the incredible sight.
"That we finish what my brother, and your father began at the Trident. I challenge you to a duel for the throne. One on one. Everything we have, no champions, just you and I. And the gods will favor the one meant to rule." Stannis answered, earning several gasps from the crowd, which followed with murmurs and a few incredulous jeers.
"Another duel, like how you dueled me for Dragonstone? How did that turn out again?" Euron spoke up, earning a few chortles of laughter from his men, and several of the surrounding observers.
"My sword snapped, Greyjoy. Had it not, you would be dead now." Stannis responded with a cold confidence.
"A duel for the right to rule? Not since the days of Maegor has such a thing took place, if my memory serves me correctly. Fine. If it'll get this settled. Let it not be said that I would deny the gods their blood due." Aegon replied, earning several cheers from orcs and men.
"My King, you must be victorious! He is a servant of the Great Other! That ring he wears… I have seen it in the flames. It is a tool of the enemy, a weapon of evil. You must be victorious, the Lord of Light will make it so." Melisandre got out quickly to Stannis, her words catching Aegon's ears as he turned to prepare a dueling ground.
"Choose your weapons and call upon whatever aid you wish from your Fire God, than we'll see this done." Aegon stated, as he gestured for all the observers to clear back.
Stannis called for a sword and shield, which were provided for him, while Aegon drew the sword from his belt, and ran his gaze along it. Just a simple bastard sword, nothing spectacular. Aegon intended to create two swords that would become his personal weapons, once he'd mastered his fighting style, and got a feel for his preferred sword length, and type. He'd yet to decide on whether or not he wanted two sword of similar length, or on longer and one shorter, for his primary and off-hand weapons. Considering his physical strength far exceeded even the strongest of humans, it didn't overly matter, in terms of his endurance, he just needed to settle on what would fit better for his new fighting style, and until he made that decision, he'd keep from crafting any fancy, or magical weapons and just stick with basic ones that could be cast aside if they broke.
As Stannis was given a sword and shield, Melisandre spoke up again.
"You will be victorious my king. You are the Lord's Champion." She said to him, earning a glance from Stannis as he tested the weight of the sword and shield.
"Your lord failed me before, when I fought the Kraken, why would he help me now?" Stannis asked, gazing at her with a cool glare.
"Perhaps it was so you would end up here, to face your destiny. That ring upon the dragon's hand, I've seen it in the flames, a tool of the night, of evil itself. He is a servant of the Great Other, a foe to all that live and breathe in the light of the world. You will be victorious, I know you will be. Please your grace, trust in yourself, and trust in the Lord, you will be victorious." Melisandre answered him
"She's right, you will be victorious. I know you will. You are the Lord's Chosen." Selyse said to him with conviction.
As he turned his gaze to his daughter, she stepped forward and hugged him as best she could, despite her hands still being bound.
Stannis stood in silence for a moment before turning his gaze to Davos. "Look after her." He commanded softly, knowing full well that he could die in this duel.
"I will. I promise you, I'll do everything I can to keep her safe." Davos offering in response.
Stannis nodded at that, and peeled away from Shireen. He gave her a look, which she returned with tear filled eyes, before turning to face Aegon.
Aegon stood across from him, a large open circle having been formed around the two by observers.
"You should have accepted my offer." Aegon said to him.
"I will not cast aside my birthright so readily. My cause is just, that is all I know to be true." Stannis declared boldly.
"Very well. I wished to end this war without further bloodshed, but if you truly wish to see your life ended, then so be it. Your brother was no friend of mine, nor were any of the people you allowed your Red Witch to burn alive, I could have offered you forgiveness, I could have healed your daughter's scars, you could have joined my forces and earned your honor back. Instead, you will die, here and now. After today, when people talk about Stannis Baratheon, they wont speak of the lord of Dragonstone. Nor will they mention the great commander. They wont talk about the Siege of Storm's End, or the Master of Ships. No… after today, when they speak of you, they'll speak only of how you begged for death, and I, being the merciful king, obliged." Aegon finished by parroting words once spoke to him to long ago. Words that drew a smile from his beloved Lilith, as she knew exactly who's dark charisma gave birth to those words.
For a moment, Aegon remember the Graveyard from so long ago, and a flash of nostalgia crossed his face. He then let out a chuckle, and began to advance.
Stannis began to advance as well, and as he did, a presence seem to build in accompaniment of his advance. Aegon noticed it, as did Lilith, Orpheus, and Saruman, even the Nine took notice of this strange occurrence.
It was a shadow of a shadow, something nearly beyond perception. Whatever it was, it was beyond the man himself. This was no power of Stannis Baratheon, it was something far greater, and yet, barely a flicker of flame compared to the blazing inferno that was the Dark Lord Sauron.
For a moment, Aegon halted his advance, and his eyes flashed to Melisandre, her eyes locked on the battle, and her lips moving as she silently uttered prayers to her lord.
"So you choose to reveal yourself, fire god." Aegon thought to himself, as he sensed a shift in the room. A heat building from behind him, that drew whispers and gasps. Behind him, Lilith was grinning, almost manically. Her eyes were blazing, and her hair and robes were moving as a gentle breeze of hot air began to flow off of her.
"What is this presence, my lady?" Saruman questioned Lilith, from his place beside her.
"An echo of something great. A god of this world. R'hllor, the Lord of Light. A deity primarily worshiped in Essos. The woman in red there is a Red Priestess, a worshiper and devout follower of the Lord of Light. It seems he's chosen to bare witness to his spectacle." Lilith responded, before uttering a dark curse that caused the presence to immediately vanish, and with it, a chill descended upon the room, and Melisandre let out a gasp.
Most people in the room couldn't tell this was happening, only noticing the slight changes in the rooms temperature, they'd only noticed when Lilith's intensity grew.
"This land is mine now Fire God, you aren't wanted here!" Lilith growled internally with a vicious smirk spread across her face. One day, even the gods of this world would bow to her and Aegon, or they would be destroyed. Neither of the dark twins would stop until this world was completely theirs. That meant the land, the people, the oceans, the skies, all of it. Even the very heart of this world, and all the deities who ruled over it.
Aegon and Stannis met in a clash of swords. Stannis moved defensively, striking out from behind his shield, allowing Aegon to make the more offensive moves.
He intended a proper duel, to wait for his opening and deliver a killing blow. Had this been the day before, or had this duel occurred the following day, perhaps Aegon would have entertained the duel, and played with Stannis for a while, unfortunately for the Stag King, the Dark Lord was still rather disgruntled from his earlier nightmares, and still had some pent up aggression he wanted to release.
So with a snarl, Aegon deliver a heavy blow against Stannis' shield, sending him stumbling backwards to drop to a knee, a half-curse half-snarl tearing free from his lips.
Stannis shot up and thrust his sword at Aegon who side-stepped it, and countered with a swift strike that once again was aimed at Stannis' shield. The blow was hard, and a clang ripped through the air. Stannis again cursed, his arm ringing out in pain. Despite being blocked by the shield, the force behind Aegon's blows was incredible.
Aegon moved to deliver a downward slash, that Stannis used as an opportunity to counter. He raised his shield to block the strike, all the while dropping to a knee and stabbing forward which his sword. His blow struck true, earning a gasp from the crowd, even as the loud bellow of metal on metal filled the air.
Stannis' sword had managed to pierce into Aegon's chest, striking him through the ribs and into a lung. Gasps and cries from those in the crowd filled the room. Sansa tensed for a moment when she saw the strike, and Margaery let out a gasp, her eyes widening in disbelief.
For a moment, Stannis seemed surprised, and a bit of confidence crept onto his face. Slowly, Aegon's gaze lowered to where the sword pierced his chest, and he took in a breath. He could feel the wound trying to hell, and he could feel blood seeping into his lung. A grunt of discomfort escaped his lips, as he grabbed at Stannis' blade, his eyes igniting in a blazing orange hellfire.
Stannis' own eyes went wide as Aegon held the sword in place with one hand, and backhanded Stannis with the other. The blow was loud, and it sent Stannis into a back flip that tossed him two meters back.
The strength behind the one-handed blow drew disbelief and amazement from the crowd, as Aegon pulled the sword out of his chest, and spat out a mouthful of blood.
The small pool of blood on the ground steamed and smoke, and bubble, until it eventually evaporated away. Within moments of removing the blade, the wound healed over. This body had the healing factor of a werewolf, meaning nothing short of cutting off his head, would kill it.
Aegon rolled his head and waited for the wound to finish healing before turning turning to find Stannis pulling himself to his knees. Blood dripping down the side of his head, one of his eyes was red from burst blood vessels. He seemed disoriented, unfocused. Aegon stared at him for several long moments, as he considered his injury. A sigh very nearly escaped his lips, and he cursed his distraction. He was still in a mood of sorts, due to the reemergence of his nightmares, and that had led to him making a mistake in his offensive.
He'd need to keep that in mind for the future, as another lesser learned through pain.
Advancing on Stannis, Aegon quickly closed the gap, his sword in one hand, and Stannis' sword in the other. Seeing Aegon approach Stannis tried to quickly pull himself up, but was barely able to make it to his feet when Aegon reached him, and slashed out with both blades. The swords cut across Stannis' chest, causing a shower of blood to erupt, and two screams of despair to tear out through the air. One from his daughter, and one from his wife.
Stannis gasped, as he felt air rush out of his lungs. He felt himself start to fall forward but Aegon held out a hand placing it on his chest, and causing him to go rigid.
Even as he felt all of his strength leave him, Stannis found himself rooted in place. Some unseen force was keeping him locked in place, frozen on his feet as he bled out.
"This is your end, Stag King. Fitting for you to die here, before the Iron Throne, seeing as how you're giving your life for it." Aegon stated as he stepped back from Stannis leaving him frozen in place, with a body-bind spell.
"I could leave you to bleed to death, but that would just be cruel. As a man of faith, I will honor your beliefs and see you on your way, as all fire worshipers would want. As you sent so many, when you let your Red Priestess run loose." Aegon stated with a raise voice, allowing all to hear him.
He then held out his hand, and at the base of Stannis' feet, flames erupted, rotating outward and rising upward. The fires raced up Stannis' body and he could do nothing, not even scream as the flames consumed him.
Cries of astonishment spilled out from all those who'd born witness to the king's magic, but they saw no joy in his eyes, nor were any reminded of the Mad King, and his laughter. Aegon stood in silence, watching as the flames tore into Stannis' clothes and burned his flesh.
"No!" A scream tore out, and from nearby a figure came rushing into Stannis'. His wife Selyse had broken free from the grip of her captors and ran to her husband attempting to rescue him from the fire.
All she managed to do was catch herself aflame, and the eerie silence of Stannis' burning was soon replaced by Selyse's screams. Her attempts to help her husband ended swiftly as her dress went up in flames.
The screams did not last long however, as Aegon reached into the flame, and pulled her back, driving his sword into her heart as he did. He screams died in her throat at that moment, as Aegon ended her misery. He slowly lowered the woman to the ground, and knelt over her. He lifted his gaze to meet with Stannis' who was still trapped in place, and could only watch in terror and agony as his wife met the same fate he was about to.
It was in this moment that Stannis had a realization. It was his last thought as his vision faded and a cold darkness overtook him.
"You were right, Melisandre. There he is, at my feet." Stannis' last thought was of the vision Melisandre had seen in her flames, no more than a few days ago.
"Stupid woman…" Aegon thought with a sigh as he stared down at Selyse's burned body. He had no intentions to kill this woman, he knew almost nothing about her, yet in one fell swoop, she had just made Shireen Baratheon, an orphan.
Aegon slowly lifted his gaze to the burning body of Stannis, with a wave of his hand, the body-bind was undone and the flames began to die. Stannis' body collapsed to the ground, his skin charred black.
With another sigh, Aegon rose to his feet, and turned his gaze to where Shireen was, she had her head buried in the side of Stannis' Hand, who held the girl as she wept and wailed.
Melisandre just stared on, pale, and in disbelief.
"Live by the flame, die by the flame." Aegon said to himself with a shake of the head.
He slowly approached Shireen and Stannis' Hand, earning the gaze of the man himself.
"What is your name?" Aegon asked.
"Ser Davos Seaworth, your grace." Davos replied.
"See to the girl." Aegon instructed, earning a blink, and a nod from the man before Aegon turned to their guards.
"Take the four of them to the rooms I had prepared for them, just in-case Stannis had chosen otherwise. Keep a watch on them, the Red Woman, especially. They are not to be harmed, but if they attempt to escape, or perform any other unsavory acts, deal with them." Aegon instructed, earning nods from the guards.
As they were led away, Aegon turned and headed back towards the throne, stopping only briefly to turn and address the crowd.
"The War of the Five Kings is now over. Let this conflict that has ravaged our homes for so long, finally come to an end. Go home, and celebrate with your family and your friends. The war is over, and now we rebuild, and work towards a shining future." Aegon declared to them all, earning cheers from his men, and the orcs.
He stood proudly for several long moments, before heading out, followed closely by his subordinates, and Lilith.
"Are you alright, your grace?" Maester Aemon inquired as they walked.
"The wound has already healed, though I appreciate your concern Maester Aemon." Aegon replied to his grand-uncle.
"Yet you still sustained a wound. Interesting. Did you make a misstep, or was something else on your mind?" Lilith spoke up, causing him to stop and turn to her.
"Just some nightmares that woke me out of a dead sleep. It's left me in a bad mood, and I think it best I remove myself for the moment and brush aside those dreadful thoughts." Aegon offered to her, earning curiosity from Lilith.
"Nightmare of our first life, my love. Nothing to do about it now." Aegon whispered into her mind.
"Our first life? Why are you having nightmares about that time? It was so long ago." Lilith questioned in response.
"Some wounds never fully fade, my love. Don't worry about it. I'll be fine, I just need a few hours to recover." Aegon said back to her before turning and resuming his course.
"Your grace!" Came a shout that stopped him in his tracks. He turned as a messenger approached, stopping at Maester Aemon to hand him a letter, "This just arrived on a ship from Essos."
Aemon glanced at the letter, taking note of the stamp of the three headed dragon, on the seal.
He showed it to Aegon, and the two shared a glance.
"Daenerys…" Aegon hummed with curiosity as he opened the message and red it's contents. He then gave the letter a second read before handing it to Lilith.
She scanned it's contents and then lifted her gaze to him.
"A trap?" She inquired, a smirk touching at her lips.
"Sounds like it to me." Aegon replied.
"What do you think?" Lilith inquired.
Aegon was quiet for a moment as he turned thoughtful, finally he spoke. "I think it's time to deal with Daenerys, and put that problem behind us. But we need information first. Dathrag's army wont be there for nearly a month."
Lilith turned thoughtful for a moment before an idea sparked in her mind, and her gaze turned to Saruman.
"Saruman, how would you like to have a hand in dealing with our rogue Blue Wizard?" Lilith inquired, her question causing Aegon to smile as he realized what she was planning.
"What did you have in mind?" Saruman asked in response.
"Daenerys Targaryen has invited Aegon to Meereen, she wishes to discuss the possibility of an Alliance. Whether by marriage, or just through mutual cooperation, she wishes for their to be no bad blood between them, as they are the last Dragons. She asks him to come there and speak with her, if he is at all interested. Situations in Slaver's Bay prevent her from taking the time to travel out to speak with him, and she knows that he has a dragon he can fly, so it would be far easier and swifter, if he went there. If he feels at all unsafe, they can meet beyond the edges of the city, away from her armies, and the confines of buildings. She will await his response, and any sight of his dragon." Lilith explained the contents of the message to Saruman, while Aemon, Orpheus, Baelish, Sansa, Tauriel, Robb, and Edmure listened in.
"You believe this invitation to be a trap?" Aemon inquired.
"Yes, she has a wizard with her, a rogue member of Saruman's order." Aegon quickly lied.
"Indeed. Pallando is his name. He ventured into the far off reaches long ago, and spent most of his time wandering the desert. He has long since lost his purpose, and has chosen to take up arms against the Dark Lady. He no doubt has been feeding lies and deceits to Daenerys Targaryen, in the hopes of using her armies against King Aegon, and Queen Lilith." Saruman quickly added, building upon the lie.
Tauriel paled at her words, knowing just a bit of what they were referring to. A wizard, one of the Istari. Someone who could help her, but any attempts to speak up, or act in a way to warn him about the threat he faced, died in her thoughts. Pain built in her neck, enough so to keep her from speaking.
"If she is being manipulated, than how do you plan on getting close without springing this wizard's trap?" Robb inquired.
"Saruman will go. Pallando does not know another of his order is here. Saruman can convince him he is there to help Pallando, meanwhile, he can use a Glass Candle, to report back what's going on in Meereen, and what they're planning. I'll give it a few days, and send a message back to Meereen, informing Daenerys that I will meet with her, and we'll time that message to arrive around the time Saruman does, allowing him several days to plan for their attempt, and how best to counter their trap." Aegon delivered the plan that he knew to be brewing in Lilith's mind.
"If we time this right, you can arrive a day or two before Dathrag's army arrives at Meereen." Lilith noted.
"Are you sure this is a good idea, Meereen is half a world away?" Robb inquired.
"I'm not sure. All I do know is that as long as Daenerys is out there, being manipulated into fighting us by a decrepit old wizard, we'll always be in danger. She had three dragons, and they can cause unprecedented damage to everything we try to build. I'd rather deal with this problem now, so I can focus on building a better world, than risk it being burned away in dragon flames." Aegon responded, earning a nod of understanding from Robb.
"So… do you believe you're up for it?" Lilith inquired to Saruman.
"I do. I will travel to Meereen, and confront my old friend, and discover what it is he's planning, and I will relay that information to you." Saruman answered with confidence.
"Good. Then I will have port-key and a Glass Candle prepared for you. You'll travel to Arcem Ossa, and sail the rest of the way to Meereen, you should arrive with three weeks or so to spare before Dathrag arrives." Lilith said to him.
"I will also write a letter that you will take with you to Arcem Ossa and then to Meereen. Five days before Dathrag's army arrives, you will present it to Daenerys, make up something about it just arriving. It will carry my answer, and I will arrive with two days to spare before Dathrag's army arrives. With any luck, you presence and my arrival will keep Pallando distracted enough to not notice the approach of Dathrag's army until it is to late. Once we know what the Blue Wizard is planning, we'll come up with a way to counter him." Aegon added, earning a nod of affirmation from Saruman.
With a plan in place to deal with Daenerys, the Dark Twins began their work. That night, after Sansa and Tauriel had fallen asleep, Aegon lay awake with Lilith in his arms. She was gently stroking his chest, while he gazed at her with love in his eyes.
After several long moments, he let out a snort of laughter and said, "You know, you'll have to sit on the throne while I'm gone. Keep things neat and orderly."
"I'm sure I'll manage. A few days of keeping things running, while you play your games with Daenerys, I'm sure I'll manage." Lilith responded.
"I hate us having to be apart." Aegon said to her after a quiet few seconds.
"It'll only be a for a few days. That's nothing, we've been separated for far longer than that." Lilith replied with a chuckle.
"Still… I wish I could take you with me." Aegon offered to her.
"You know as well as I do, that he'll see right through me. This body of yours will shield you from him for a time, so long as you hide yourself well enough, and keep your powers suppressed. Saruman couldn't see through you upon seeing you. I don't think Pallando will either, but me… he'll see me coming from a world away. No… you go and deal with the Blue Wizard, and bring me back a wondrous prize." Lilith said back.
"A Maiar, three more dragons, and a beautiful Targaryen woman to play with. I cannot think of better gifts for my beloved… Sister." Aegon whispered that final part into Lilith's mind, ensuring that neither Sansa, nor Tauriel could hear that part.
Lilith smiled at him and leaned close, kissing him on the lips and then settling into his side, taking in his warmth.
A few long moments of quiet filled the air before Lilith spoke again, this time also in his mind. "What were your nightmares about? You said our youth, when we were Harry and Lilith. And I noticed you channeling old Snake-face for a bit during your duel against the Baratheon. Feeling a bit nostalgic or something?"
"I've always had these nightmares Lilith. Always. Ever since our world was destroyed. Their nightmares of pain and suffering. My suffering, at your hands." Aegon offered to her.
"Oh." She responded, leaving a wide gap of silence after her response.
"I'm not looking to blame your anything, or drudge up the past. These nightmares come and go, and I haven't had them since I lost the One Ring. It's been nearly three thousand years since I had a body that needed sleep, and after getting this one, I went this long before finally having them again. It just struck me hard, that's all. I wasn't prepared for them to come back, especially as I've been in a good mood lately. Don't worry, like I said, it's in the past, and I don't blame you for it. My mind just holds onto those memories of pain and torture, and I just have to deal with it. I'll be fine by tomorrow." Aegon explained to her, causing her to wrap her arms around him a bit tighter.
"Aegon...?" Lilith spoke up, pulling a bit away from him.
He turned his gaze to her, meeting her eyes with his.
"I love you." She said to him in a moment of tenderness, that caused him to smile, and kiss her in reply.
"I love you too, Lilith. I always have." He responded softly, as she cuddled back into his side.
The two Dark Lords continued to lay in each other's arms for the remainder of the night, both taking joy in the presence of the other, and their affections for one another.
Elsewhere in the castle, Melisandre sat awake in her bed. She was in a nicely furnished room, rather than a cell, though the windows were barred and locked, and multiple guards were posted outside. She felt empty, and terrified.
Nothing could chase away her terror, nothing could make the fire come back. Watching Stannis burn, watching who she believed to be Azor Ahai, fall so easily to the servant of darkness, had broken something in her.
She felt cold now, and for the first time in a long time, she felt alone, as if not even her god, could watch over her in this dreadful place of darkness and death.
Not far off, Shireen Baratheon lay asleep, dried tears staining the bed sheets, and her scarred face.
Nearby, sleeping upright in a chair was Davos Seaworth, who'd spent most of the day comforting the now orphaned princess. When she had finally passed out from her crying, he hadn't the heart to leave her alone, so he posted up in a chair on the far side of the room, and quickly fell asleep.
In one of the neighboring rooms, stood Patchface, the fool.
He stared out one of the barred windows, his gaze on Blackwater Bay.
"The Princess wails, and weeps, and cries, I know, I know, oh, oh, oh. He comes for her, in stormy night. Shadows in the towers, shadows on the throne, shadows in the deep, oh, oh, oh." The fool sang to himself, his gaze locked onto the calm waters of the bay.
Drool began to drain from the corners of his mouth as he began to hum a tune to himself. A grin, lay plastered on his face, yet it never reached his eyes. Sleep did not come for the fool, it hadn't for a long time.
-Tantibus Arcis-
Several sorcerers sat around the body of Ser Arthur Dayne, when a high ranking official entered the room suddenly.
"The time had come, prepare to awaken him." The official stated.
"Has the order finally come?" Came the question from one of the faceless sorcerers.
"Yes. Ser Arthur has been summoned by the King. Awaken him, the Dark Lord has a special task in mind for him." The official commanded.
The sorcerers shared a collective nod, and then began to channel their powers together, uttering a spell in unison.
Dark magics began to gather around the comatose body of the Sword of the Morning. These magics built, stronger and stronger until they finally sank into his body, and with a gasp, the Legendary knight's eyes, sprang open.
-To Be Continued-
Alright, there you go. Stannis is dealt with, we get to deal with Dany next chapter, and we saw some essence of R'hllor make an appearance, I wonder what that could mean for the future. Can't wait till then, until later.
Lord of Erebor: Thanks, I appreciate it!
Chaosmar18: Yep, it's coming up soon.
38Solaire38: Thanks, it's definitely coming up here soon.
Garrusvakarian304: Thanks, hopefully I can start getting updates out a bit faster now. It's my New Years resolution.
Asharzal: Dorne will most definitely get more involved as time goes on, especially now that the continent is secure.
TehStorm: Oh, it'll be exciting, that much is for certain.
Guest: Thanks, I appreciate it.
Jedi7000nathan: Thanks for the suggestions on the Dark Númenóreans, and yeah, I've been playing LOTRO a lot lately, it's my current go-to game, that, Battlefleet Gothic 2, and Halo Infinite. Gwathnor is a cool idea for a new servant as he is listed as a type of lesser Balrog-like enemy, meaning he isn't a nameless one and is most likely a servant of Morgoth. It'll be interesting to see what happens to the fellowship when they pass through Moria now that the Balrog there is gone.
Valkorion510: Thanks!
AvidReader2425:I'm happy you enjoy it, I most certainly enjoy writing these stories, I just wish I had more time for them.
ShadeslayerX: That was actually something that the games switched from canon. In canon Minas Ithil falls centuries before the story begins, though the Shadow games take place in the sixty years between the Hobbit and LOTR. So for my story it fits in well, but for the true canon, it's completely off.
Alexanderpirkas: Thank you very much!
Naruto: Thanks.
Kamori I'm The Infinity: Yeah, Euron was disappointing in the show, I'm definitely sticking with the book one for my story, and yeah the captains are from the Shadow Series.
Deathchill: Thank you very much.
Luffythewitchking1616: Hope you enjoyed this one.
Guest 2: Hope the wait was worth it!
Charlesincharge3: Hope this sated you for a bit.
Crimsonblade257: Thanks, hope is was decent, a lot was setup for next chapter where we can deal with Daenerys and the Blue Wizard, but also for some future stuff against unforeseen enemies.