Alright here's the next chapter. Got a lot of exposition out of the way for the last one, so this one can focus more on the story and get me back into the groove of things, I hope you all enjoy.
Darkness Reborn
Chapter 21: The Shadow in the West
Darkness surrounded him, as Tywin Lannister thought on his long life. For hours he had sat awake within the confines of what he assumed to be the Black Cells.
Everything had gone wrong. All of his plans had been ruined. His family had been cast down into the dirt. Whatever hopes the Lion had for command over the Seven Kingdoms had come to an end.
He had very recently awoken from unconsciousness, dried blood caked the side of his head, which pounded with a splitting headache. The battle had no doubt reached conclusion already, or at least the castle had fallen. Tywin had no idea how long had passed since he was knocked unconscious, and he could only guess as to the hours that had gone by since his awakening. The Black Cells were deafeningly quiet. No one else was present, or at least nearby, leaving Tywin entirely alone.
He wondered, if only halfheartedly, if the pyromancers had done as he ordered, and set wildfire caches throughout the city, to be detonated to destroy swaths of the invading army. He had given the command, and the pyromancers' guild seemed only to happy to obey. Now he wondered, if they'd ever intended to follow through with his command, or if they saw an opportunity to return to the side of their ancient benefactors, House Targaryen.
He had no way of knowing from within the Black Cells. Perhaps they had done what he'd asked, though if such were the case, than the Red Keep would have also been damaged in the inferno.
He doubted it. No, the most likely outcome was that the pyromancers took one look at Aegon's three dragons and happily stood down, most likely ambushing and murdering the men he'd sent to ensure they carried through with his plan. He had hoped his plot would have destroyed much of the invading army, perhaps killing many lords, and even possibly ending the life of the Dragon-Wolf and or his sorceress. Something, to aid his family in their future endeavors. Had the pyromancers done as he'd ask, at the very least, it would take years to repair King's Landing, giving his family plenty of time to find a way to survive and recover out in Essos.
It wouldn't be long, he knew the time was coming where he'd meet the Targaryen king, face to face, and his head would roll not long afterwards. Nothing could stop that now.
For a half-moment, Tywin Lannister contemplated biting his own tongue off, and drowning in his own blood, denying Aegon the opportunity to kill him. It was an entertaining thought, but Tywin eventually brushed it aside. Doing something like that may have allowed him to snub the dragon one final time before the end, but it would further denigrate his family name. People would call him a coward, unwilling to face the 'king's' justice. No, he'd face the headman's axe with dignity befitting a lord of his station. He wouldn't cower, he wouldn't flee. In his final moments, Tywin Lannister would remain strong.
"Such conviction." Came a chuckle from the darkness.
Tywin glanced around for it's source, before focusing on a figure, illuminated by a fire that burst into existence.
There, standing before him, was an old friend.
Dressed in black armor, with a black cape, stood the illustrious Lord of Gifts. A man not seen in Westeros in almost twenty years.
"Annatar?" Tywin muttered, partially confused at the sight of the elegant man.
"Hello Lord Tywin. It has been too long. How have you been, my old friend?" Annatar responded with a smirk.
Tywin glared at the man for several long moments, his eyes flickering from his face, to the ball of fire burning over his palm that illuminated the dark room.
"Many suspected you were dead. Have you come now to return to the side of your old dragon masters? Or perhaps you're here to gloat?" Tywin replied as he took in a breath, and focused his gaze on the ancient sorcerer.
"Oh… Tywin… the dragon's have never been my masters." Annatar chided, letting out a snort of amusement at the idea.
"You served them for centuries, and benefited greatly from their patronage. What would you call that?" Tywin inquired in response, as he began to wonder if his mind was playing tricks on him, and if the old lord was actually here or not.
"So clever, yet like so many others, you do not see. Everything that has happened these last few years has been according to my design. My years of 'service' to the Targaryens, was not merely for their benefit, but for my own. I required them, their name, their blood, their power, so that I could get what I really wanted." Annatar responded, smiling down at Tywin.
"And what would that be?" Tywin asked in reply.
"Westeros, of course." Annatar responded, his voice changing as he answered, and his shape shifting to appear as Aegon Targaryen.
Tywin's eyes went wide in disbelief and he sat up straighter as the Dragon-Wolf stood over him.
"My beloved Lilith and I have been planning to seize this continent for centuries. Since before the Doom claimed Valyria. We set the pieces in place, ensured that the Targaryens fled before the Doom fell on them. We triggered the downfall of the greatest civilization this world has ever seen. I had always intended to use the Targaryens to further my plans, but Aegon the first, that wonderful arrogant fool, he laid all of the ground work for me. He and his sister-wives marched on Westeros and brought it under their control. I had spent years influencing their dreams, and soon, I began influencing them directly. When I first appeared before Maegor, it was with plans already set in place, to eventually take the throne. And now I have. By all the laws of gods and men, as the trueborn son of Rhaegar Targaryen and Lyanna Stark, the Iron Throne is mine." Aegon explained to the old lion, Tywin's eyes wide in disbelief as he absorbed this terrible revelation.
"How is this possible? What sort of twisted magic brought this about?" Tywin snarled.
"A great act of magic, but beyond that, all that was needed was lineage. I decided long ago, that I would take a Targaryen as my vessel, but after a time I decided that a Stark/Targaryen hybrid would be far more useful. So I sowed the seeds for it's birth. I whispered prophecy into Rhaegar's ear from the moment he was old enough to understand. When the time was right, and he was walking the path I'd set for him, I turned my attention to his father. I whispered into our old friend's ear, and then, all that was needed was to for me to stand back, and allow it all to come tumbling down." Aegon answered with a dark chuckle.
"Why? You caused all of this death. You twisted Aerys into a monster, and led the Seven Kingdoms into war. Because of you, the realm bled in three wars! If you had the power to take Prince Rhaegar's child, why cause all of this chaos and bloodshed? Why topple the dynasty you spent centuries grooming?" Tywin snapped, realizing that if Annatar was speaking the truth, and he was in fact the source of Aerys' madness, than Annatar had caused the deaths of countless thousands over the last twenty years, from Robert's Rebellion, to the War of the Five Kings.
"I never intended for it to collapse as far as it did. Aerys would die, and so would Rhaegar. But Rhaella, Aegon, sweet Rhaenys, Viserys, and even later Daenerys, all would have been part of my plans. I would have brought them under my thralldom, made them powerful servants to my will. You and the fat king Robert, saw those plans dashed. Of course when you set a nation on fire you can't hope to control the inferno. Their losses, while annoying, didn't overly disrupt my ultimate goal. At the end of the day, my rise, was what mattered. The damage done by Robert Baratheon, and his war, that was always meant to be my story. The idea was a simple one. The rightful heir to a fallen dynasty, rises from the ashes to reclaim his lost throne. A magnificent tale, one spoken of for ages. I would restore the Targaryen dynasty, save my family, and reunite these ravaged lands. My accomplishments would eclipse even my namesake. The war of the Five Kings was a magnificent setup for such a tale. I couldn't have hoped for better, had I planned it all out myself." Aegon answered, his calm, cruel exterior, remaining unbroken as he stood over Tywin.
"All of this… all of this chaos and devastation… all for gravitas. You used twisted magics to take the body of prince Rhaegar's son, and you led the Targaryen dynasty into collapse, all so you could pull it back from the brink. All for your own glory. You manufactured all of this! You drove Aerys mad, you triggered the Rebellion, you were responsible for it all.." Tywin declared, realizing as he rose to his feet, that he'd been outwitted, not by a green boy who got lucky, but by a centuries old sorcerer. Annatar had been poised to tear them apart since the day he arrived before King Maegor centuries ago.
Everyone, everything, every act that had occurred in Westeros for the last three centuries, had all been part of this mad man's grand plot to seize the Iron Throne, and rise from the ashes of a fallen dynasty, as a conqueror.
"I did not turn Aerys mad, I merely encouraged the madness that already dwelled within him." Aegon hummed with amusement.
Tywin glared hatefully at him. If it were possible, the old Lion's eyes would have lit up like hell fire.
He seemed almost ready to advance on Aegon, to close the distance between them, and try to strangle the life out of the man, his fury boiled openly for Aegon to see.
All of this had been for Annatar's ambitions. All of this death, all of this destruction, the ruination of his house, all for the plots of this sorcerer.
"So… after all this time, you've taken on this body, stealing the face of a Stark and a Targaryen, and you've brought the Seven Kingdoms under your control. After all these years you've finally succeeded in your plans. Why tell me this? What happens now?" Tywin challenged him.
"Now? I make plans for the rest of the world. Essos is next. And then Sorthoryos, and Ulthos and every other land in the world. I'll rule this world, and you're going to help me do it." Aegon declared, a hellish smirk spreading across his face as his eyes began to glow like demonic flames.
Tywin's eyes went wide at that, as on either side of Aegon emerged two of the Nazgûl from the darkness.
The Nazgûl rushed forward, seizing Tywin by the arms, he let out a shout and tried to resist, but his arms were pinned against the wall, with impossible strength.
Despite himself, the lord of House Lannister felt fear well up within him.
That fear turned to terror as his eyes settled on Aegon, who's own eyes glowed with hellish flames.
Slowly, Aegon advanced on the old lion. As he did, the fire that he had held over his hand, remained in place, floating unassisted as Aegon reached out, taking hold of the front of Tywin's armor.
With a sharp pull, Aegon tore away the front of the armor, sending it careening behind him and into the blackness of the dungeon.
"You dreamed of glory, you dreamed of lifting your family to unimaginable heights, you sought greatness… I can promise you, my old friend… you will know greatness, unlike anything you could possibly imagine. You will birth a new era of monster into the world, and you will be known, and feared, the world over… and in exchange for the greatness I offer, you will never again, know the warmth of daylight. You will never again know the grace of gods. Your dominion now, my lord, is darkness." Aegon intoned, as he spoke, his voice began to deepen, and reverberate. Tywin felt a blazing heat pour into his flesh, and flames began to touch at the edges of his sight as he stared into Aegon's eyes.
Aegon held out his hand, drawing his wand as he did. He placed the tip to his palm and with a gentle swish, a small gash was cut into the flesh. Blackened, smoky blood began to drip from the wound. Tywin watched him closely, mesmerized and terrified by what the sorcerer had planned.
Aegon put away his wand and pulled out a medium sized dagger before lifting his gaze to meet with Tywin's.
"My will… eternal." Aegon intoned before driving the blade up underneath Tywin's chest plate.
The old lion gasped as all the air fled his lungs. The blade pierced his heart and he felt his blood wash out over his stomach and down his legs.
Aegon withdrew the blade, and to Tywin's growing horror and pain, began to press his bleeding hand into the wound.
Tywin thrashed and screamed in pain as he felt Aegon's hand slide into his flesh. The Nazgûl held him in an iron, vice-like grip, so all he could do was kick and shake.
He felt Aegon grip his heart, and in that instant, Tywin froze.
"On this day, the gleaming lion falls, and from the shadows…" Aegon began
"...a lord of the night, rises!" Lilith finished, emerging from the darkness behind Aegon.
Aegon held the old lion's heart in his hand, allowing his blood to feed into Tywin's heart. As it did, a curse spread forth from Aegon's lips, cruel, malevolent magics spilling forth into the man's body.
Smoke began to rise from Tywin's chest wound mere seconds later, and as it did, the man went limp.
Aegon ripped his hand free, sending blood splattering across the ground. He watched, as the hole in Tywin's chest, visibly stitched itself closed, disappearing in a moment, as smoke poured out of it.
As soon as the wound was healed, the Nazgûl released Tywin, allowing him to collapse to the floor.
Slowly, Aegon knelt, and took Tywin's arm as he began to shake, no doubt feeling an unearthly chill pass through his bones.
With a smirk, Aegon placed one of the two remaining Seven Rings of Power, on Tywin's finger. The one he had used for his Avatar was no longer needed to keep it functioning so that along with the one he had taken from the Dwarven King Thráin still remained in his possession. The ring he gave to Tywin was Sindya.
The moment he placed the ring on the fallen lion, he felt a connection begin to form between him and his newest pet.
"You will know true greatness in my service, Lord Tywin, but don't worry, your enemies will get the justice they so desire. Soon, you will know a hell unlike anything you can possibly fathom, and it all begins, with a thirst, that never truly fades." Aegon whispered to him before rising to his feet.
He then took Lilith by the arm, and the two strolled out of the cell, followed closely by the two Nazgûl.
The last things Tywin Lannister heard before darkness claimed him and he drifted into the realm of nightmares, was the sound of the iron bars of his cell, swinging shut.
In his last moment, before he slipped into unconscious, he could only curse himself, for not biting his tongue and ending his life when he had the chance.
-Break-
The sun was slowly rising over the city of King's Landing, though that meant very little when one took note of the blackened clouds that hung overhead.
In the early dawn, the sun was about to color the morning sky, but it wouldn't last for long. Soon it would slip above the clouds, and the brief respite of sunlight would give way to a dark and cloudy day.
Despite that, the city was in good spirits, or perhaps it was better to say the invading army was in good spirits, while the citizens were just trying to stay out of their way, and avoid getting killed, mugged, raped, or otherwise brutalized by the thousands of soldiers, wandering from street to street.
While many men and orcs celebrated their victory, some continued with their duties, going from house to house, building to building, searching for Lannister soldiers or Gold Cloaks. Occasionally a man would be dragged out onto the street, and if he put up any sort of resistance he was simply cut down, and left to bleed where he fell, or he was fed to one of the wandering beasts.
The main thoroughfares of the city, had been cleared and secured, as had the Red Keep.
Olenna, Margaery, Sansa, and Arya, rode in a wheelhouse down the Dragon's Way, heading through the city, towards the Red Keep.
"Gods the smell." Margaery muttered quietly to herself.
Sansa wanted to voice her agreement, but she knew Arya would tease her for it, so she kept quiet. Instead she simply glared at her younger sister, who had one of the small windows of the wheelhouse open and was staring out at the ruined city, as well as the street which was lined with corpses.
"Do you think they caught Cercei and Joffrey?" Arya asked aloud.
"I hope so…" Sansa responded quietly.
Margaery glanced at her and offered her a reassuring smile, which helped to brighten Sansa's spirits a bit.
"I hope so too. Do you think Jon's going to execute them himself?" Arya inquired, turning her gaze away from the open window and to her sister.
"Probably. Maybe. I don't know." Sansa responded.
"Do you think if he has someone else do it for him, he'd let me do it?" Arya asked, the question appearing so innocent, yet it's nature greatly disturbed the three other occupants of the wheelhouse.
"My, you're a bloodthirsty little thing, aren't you." Olenna noted.
"They're on my list." Arya replied.
"And what list is that?" Margaery asked, with a bit of morbid curiosity.
"The list of people I'm going to kill. I wonder if Meryn Trant is still alive…" Arya responded, causing all three women to share glances with one another.
They felt the wheelhouse come to a halt as it passed through the gates of the Red Keep.
The four quickly exited taking in the sights, orcs and men were busily collecting bodies, or tearing down Lannister and Baratheon banners wherever they could be found.
"Must say this place looks much better now, wouldn't you say sister?" Garlan Tyrell inquired as he approached them, Loras following behind him.
Both men looked unharmed, though Loras was limping a bit, and showing signs of discomfort.
"You're both looking well. Were you hurt? Is father okay?" Margaery inquired, knowing full well if anything had actually happened to their father, she'd have heard about it already.
"Father is fine, chipper as usual. I'm doing well, my arm hurts a bit from all the Lannisters that fell to my blade, but beyond that, all is well." Garlan replied with a proud smirk, earning a chuckle from Margaery while Loras rolled his eyes.
"What about you Loras, are you alright?" Margaery questioned her other brother.
"I'll live. I think I pulled something." Loras responded, muttering the last part.
"What of the King, is he well?" Sansa asked the two men, Margaery also gazing at her brothers, curious to hear how her future husband was doing after such an intense battle.
"His grace is fine by all appearances. Seems to be in a wonderful mood." Garlan replied.
"That doesn't surprise me." Olenna noted.
The group began to head into the castle, the Tyrells to meet with their patriarch, and the Starks to do the same.
Robb and Benjen were both unharmed from the battle, even if they had suffered injuries, they'd have healed by now.
"So what happens now?" Arya inquired as she sat with Robb, Sansa, Benjen, Edmure, and the Blackfish.
"Well I think the little ladies need to take a trip back to Winterfell as soon as possible, lest Cat tear apart the North in a storm of worry." Brynden Tully noted, earning a snort from Robb.
"Yes… once things settle down here, and we're ready to march home, we'll all be going back. Let our family finally be reunited. We can figure out the finer details of your betrothal to Aegon before we leave, but I think it's for the best that we get you home. Someone's going to have to tell mother, by the way." Robb responded before finishing with a wolfish grin that caused Sansa to pale.
While she didn't exactly like the idea of leaving her beloved Aegon, she knew Robb was right. She had to go back and see her mother, speak with her, and explain this situation. As well as the important part of just seeing her family again. Her mother, Bran, Rickon.
"I wonder if anything has changed. It feels like forever since any of us have been there." Arya noted.
"We'll have to see. Only one way to find out." Robb stated with a thoughtful look.
"It'll be nice to finally return home. Though we can't forget that we still have the Ironborn to deal with." Edmure pointed out.
"Bah, let the bloody reavers try anything. A few ships sunk with dragon fire, and Balon will be back on his knees ready to kiss whatever ass he has to in order to stay alive." The Blackfish stated dismissively.
"I doubt they'll put up much of a resistance, now that the kingdoms have been reunited, but until King Balon bends the knee, he's still an enemy." Robb agreed with his uncle.
"True. I guess we'll have to see. Victory is still fresh. Raven could come any day now." Brynden responded.
In another section of the castle, Olenna and Margaery sat and listened as Mace Tyrell regaled them with stories of the battle. Almost like a child, with his excitement, he went into detail about how his forces fought alongside the burning southern wall, buildings one one side, a blazing inferno on the other. He spoke of how the beasts and monsters in Aegon's army fought with an unmatched fury. How Olegs could swat three or four men away with a single swing, or some of the beasts like the wargs could leap forward dozens of meters and tackle a man off the back of his horse, all the while an orc remained mounted to it's back.
The two women listened with moderate interest. More curious about the spectacle of magic and monsters, and beasts, rather than the fighting itself.
When the attack had occurred, Margaery and Olenna got to watch from the distant encampment. They could barely make out the city walls from that distance but they got a decent looks at the darkened shapes of the dragons and the fellbeast as they attacked the walls.
Such sights were things not easily forgotten, and to hear of other strange scenes, was of great interest to the two so they were more than happy to listen as Lord Tyrell and his sons regaled them about the battle.
Later that night, the two women found themselves standing in the throne room, gazing up at the Dragon-Wolf as he sat upon the Iron Throne. That towering wall of steel, that symbolized conquest and death, had always been intimidating, though for many years, there hadn't been a king who truly brought out it's aura of power and dominance. Only Robert Baratheon had ever come close, but his terrible kingship, quickly diminished him in many eyes.
When Aegon sat upon it though, this twisted chair of steel, seemed to emanate power, dominance, and wrath. Despite his regal appearance, and cool look, King Aegon appeared as an imposing figure, one who no doubt did his ancestors proud.
Filling the room were a number of Aegon's generals, as well as captured lords and ladies who had been hiding either within their estates in the city or in the Red Keep.
These people were busy swearing fealty to Aegon, once the final one had finished, Aegon addressed the crowd.
"My Lords and Ladies, I understand you've been through much these past few weeks. You have my sympathies. Know that I seek no further harm to you or your households. I ask that you all return to your homes, set your affairs in order and see to your lands. In the weeks to come, the city will be rebuilt, and court will be held in earnest. I look forward to seeing you all then." Aegon commanded the gathered lords and ladies, many of which ruled the various lands throughout the Crownlands.
Once that was done, Aegon gathered his advisers, as well as the Tyrells, Lord Yohn Royce as a representative from the Vale, and Sansa. He asked for Sansa, and Margaery because of their engagement, while asking for Lady Olenna because of her wisdom. Aegon openly admitted to them all that he had no fear of a woman's opinion, and thus had no reason not to hear what they had to say. Margaery and Sansa would be his wives and would need to rule in his stead whenever he wasn't around, so making sure they knew what was going on, and knew what he was working towards was important to him.
The group had gathered in the Small Council chambers, and the discussion began in earnest.
Maester Aemon who had long been acting as Aegon's personal maester, was asked to deliver recent news to the group once they were all settled.
"Storm's End has fallen. A raven arrived before dawn. Randall Tarly captured the castle after a brief siege. The defenders inside tried to hold out, but after he sent spiders over the wall, they quickly surrendered." Aemon offered to the group.
"We'll need to secure the rest of the Stormlands. With the castle taken, many of the Stormlords will bend the knee and agree to serve, but many will still choose to resist and serve Stannis. As far as we know he's still on Dragonstone correct?" Aegon inquired.
"Yes, your grace. It seems that way. Though we wont know for certain until men are sent to check." Aemon answered.
"Once Stannis is dealt with, the Stormlands will be in disarray. They'll need a leader… without a Baratheon that may prove difficult." Robb noted.
"We may be able to install a Baratheon on the seat, if we can capture Stannis' daughter Shireen Baratheon. Place her with a loyal husband, and ensure the Baratheon blood line continues, even if the name ultimately fades." Aegon pondered, earning many thoughtful looks from the surrounding lords. That was an idea, and it had some merit, though they'd have to get their hands on the girl first, and she'd have to bend the knee.
"Who would you install as her husband, if you wished to secure their loyalty?" Robb inquired, as he gazed down at the map that sat before them, his eyes trailing along the Stormlands.
"My first instinct would be someone local, someone who knows of the customs of the area and can help unite the kingdom. Unfortunately the only friends I have in that area are from the Reach, and the Stormlords don't exactly have the best relationship with their counterparts in the west. I need stability, not another uprising…" Aegon responded, his gaze also transfixed on a map of Westeros.
"The Westerlands will also need to be considered, your grace. Many of House Lannister still live, especially Tywin's heir in Tyrion." Roose Bolton made note.
"Indeed. Anyone I install in the Westerlands seat will be seen as illegitimate by the lords there that will continue to support the Lion. So long as Tyrion and Tommen and possibly Jaime Lannister if he is freed from his oaths, are allowed to live, their lines will always pose a threat to the stability in that region, and some will raise their banner if called upon." Aegon agreed.
"There's still the girl, Myrcella. She may not be a Baratheon, but she does carry the blood of House Lannister, though she would need a powerful husband in order to ensure that when the time comes she doesn't raise the Westerlands in revolt for her brother. That is, of course, if Dorne agrees to give her up." Robb stated.
"Indeed. I'm still uncertain of what to do with her. If Dorne agrees to hand her over, she may need to become a hostage in order to keep the Lannisters across the narrow sea from acting out. For now, the Westerlands is under our control, and for the time being, it's stable. Perhaps when we return to the west and begin our campaign against the Ironborn, we can look into the houses in that area, and find one suitable to uplift? A possibility, but for now, we need more information, so we'll leave the Westerlands alone." Aegon decided, earning a nod from his advisers and lords.
"Alright, than back to the Stormlands. How do we go about securing them?" Robb turned the conversation back to the original topic.
Aegon was quiet for a moment as he gaze down at the map. He then lifted his gaze to Lilith who stood across from him. She offered him a cunning smirk, which he returned after a moment of sharing a mental conversation with one another.
"Lord Tyrell…" Aegon began, turning his gaze to the man.
"Your grace?" The lord of the Reach responded.
"Send word to Lord Tarly. Command him to prepare his forces at Storm's End to march. We'll send a raven out to every major and minor house in the Stormlands. Each one will be commanded to ride to King's Landing and bend the knee to me within a month's time. Any house that refuses to bend the knee will be seen as supporting Stannis Baratheon or the Lannisters, both enemies of the crown, and will be considered in league with them. At the end of that month's time, Lord Tarly will march on every castle and keep in the Stormlands that refuses to bend the knee. I'll send a force to Storm's End to hold it while he carries out this task and brings any and all errant Stormlords to heel. If more than a few decide they wish to test me, than I'll send one of the dragons to see their numbers thinned. With Stannis and the Ironborn to deal with, I will not have rebel lords and ladies running around so near to the capitol." Aegon ordered, earning a firm nod from Mace Tyrell.
"So we'll deal with Stannis and the Stormlands first, and then finish off the Greyjoys? A wise course of action I believe, Stannis is the last major threat to your rule on the continent." Edmure noted.
"Yes, that's how I see it as well. Balon and his ilk will be little more than a headache. Stannis is the last tie to the Baratheon dynasty left fighting in Westeros. We deal with him, and then we can turn our attention to the Iron Islands and determine how best we can go about dealing with the kraken." Aegon agreed, he was about to continue speaking when someone called out to him.
"Your grace, a thousand pardons for the intrusion." They all heard a guard say as he entered into the Small Council chamber.
"What is it?" Aegon inquired, as most people turned towards the sudden intrusion.
"An old man is here, claiming he needs to speak with you. Says he has knowledge of a plot Tywin Lannister tried to perpetrate, says he comes from the Alchemists' Guild." The guard explained.
Aegon stared at him for a moment, blinking several times before motioning for him to bring the old man in.
"What do you suppose this is about?" Edmure whispered to Robb.
"I haven't a clue, uncle." Robb responded.
The guard returned a moment later, along with another guard, and a withered old man late in his years.
"Greetings alchemist, to what do I owe your sudden appearance?" Aegon inquired as he circled around the table and approached the old man, stopping several meters before him.
The old man offered a bow, as best as he could manage before speaking.
"Your grace, I apologize for the suddenness of my arrival, but myself and my fellow Wisdoms, believed it was wiser not to wait with the information that we possess. We also came, begging your forgiveness for the lives that we've ended, in the hopes of ensuring your victory." The old man explained to him.
"What is your name, Wisdom?" Aegon inquired.
"Hallyne, your grace." He replied with another bow.
"Wisdom Hallyne, what information do you possess, what lives have you ended to ensure my victory?" Aegon asked him, eyeing the man curiously.
"A plot, your grace. One Tywin Lannister attempted to force us to fulfill. He had ordered us to create a massive quantity of the substance, that he could then use to destroy this city, when your forces invaded." Hallyne informed him, curious whispers quickly spreading through the crowd of lords and generals and war-chiefs.
"What is the substance?" Lilith inquired, curiously.
"Wildfire." Aegon answered, staring at the man. He blinked several times before glancing back at Lilith. "Tywin Lannister intended to burn down the city with wildfire."
"What madness would possess him to do that?" Robb asked in disbelief.
"There's over half a million people in this city, more, if you count all the refugees. The amount of blood he would spill, just to try and destroy us…. I can't believe it." Edmure muttered, slightly shaken by the thought of the whole of King's Landing going up in flames as they pushed through the streets.
"How did the old lion get such a mad notion in his head? Tywin is a heartless bastard, but not even he's cruel enough to murder hundreds of thousands of people. It would ruin his family name forever." Brynden Tully stated.
"He got it from his son." Brienne said to herself from where she stood beside Sansa.
Sansa, having heard her, turned her gaze to her sworn sword. "What did you say?" She asked.
"Ser Jaime told him…" Brienne replied, blinking several times.
"Aegon!" Sansa called out to him, drawing his gaze over to her. "Tell him…" she commanded Brienne.
"What is it?" Aegon asked, focusing his gaze on Brienne.
"When I was traveling with Ser Jaime down to King's Landing… he told me something. Told me what happened the day Tywin Lannister sacked this city, and Ser Jaime killed your grandfather." She began, drawing all eyes to her.
"Go on." Aegon pressed her.
"He said… that Aerys had planned on destroying the city with caches of wildfire hidden throughout King's Landing. He said he wanted to deny the rebels a throne. Said that… that your grandfather planned to rise from the ashes as a dragon… I'm assuming… Ser Jaime told his father this same story… and that's where he got the idea." She explained, some of the surrounding lords staring at her, dumbstruck.
They all knew the Mad King was insane, but to hear that he actually planned on blowing the city to hell and killing everyone in it… that was something that would take time to digest.
Silence filled the room as many took in this information. Eyes eventually drifted back to Aegon, who had closed his eyes and shook his head. After several moments he opened them and glanced over at maester Aemon.
"Kinslaying is an unforgivable crime, but were he still alive, I'd have executed the Mad King myself. Before I deal with Ser Jaime, I'll have to thank him for putting a stop to that. A half a million dead people, is a half a million wasted lives." Aegon growled, showing signs of annoyance. Aemon offered him a small nod, to show that he understood.
Lilith watched Aegon rub his eyes, and try to regain his focus. She knew her twin well enough to know that he didn't actually give a damn about the lives lost, no he cared more for the potential. King's Landing was the largest city in Westeros. If the Mad King had blown it away and killed the thousands within it's walls, it would have set the entire continent back several generations at least. Half a million people, was half a million workers, soldiers, breeders, builders, farmers… it was a million hands that could be put to good use.
It was an aspect of her time as Morgoth that he always tried to temper. Often times her fury would be so great that she would just wipe out entire towns or villages, leaving nothing left, killing every single person. While at times Sauron conceded the need for it, other times he would do everything in his power to try and convince her to spare the people in those towns, and villages. Orcs were good fighters, decent builders, but there were traits that men possessed that far outclassed the orcs, turning people to your side, corrupting them, was far more beneficial than just outright killing them.
Lilith agreed with his logic, in truth, it was a lesson he'd learned from her during her earliest reign as Dark Lord. So she understood why this bothered him so. Had he known what Aerys was planning to do with the city, Aegon probably would have killed him before he departed, in order to ensure it didn't happen.
"So the Lion sought to mimic the Mad King… what absolute madness." Olenna muttered, finding the whole thing disgraceful.
"Lord Tywin gave the order, but the alchemists refused…" Margaery noted, just loud enough for most people to hear her.
Aegon caught her words and turned his gaze back to the pyromancer.
"Yes, that's right. The city didn't go up in flames. You mentioned that people died to ensure my victory?" Aegon questioned the man.
"Yes, your grace. While we did produce the substance as ordered, when the time came for it to be used, our members killed the men that lord Tywin had sent to oversee us. Their blood is on our hands, some of them, no doubt of noble birth, but it was all to ensure that your victory was not spoiled. Our guild has long served house Targaryen, and it was our great pleasure to have your family's patronage. We are overjoyed to see your return, and will offer our services in full." Hallyne explained, earning a slow nod from Aegon.
"I see. You made the right choice, Wisdom. Not just for me, but for all of the people in this city. We all owe your guild a great debt, one I will see repaid. See to it, the men you killed are brought here to the Red Keep, I would have them identified, so that we can properly tally them. You and yours are forgiven for what you had to do to stop Tywin's mad plot." Aegon offered to the alchemist earning a smile and bow from the old man.
"Thank you, your grace. We look forward to serving House Targaryen once more." Hallyne offered another bow in gratitude.
"Before you depart, I would have you speak with my cousin, and tell him of these wildfire caches, as well as how we may best remove them from the city, without causing harm." Aegon commanded, glancing at Robb who nodded and stepped forward from the crowd, recognizing the severity of the task. These caches were dangerous, so long as they remained within the city.
"Of course your grace. We can safely transport them back to our warehouses, which have all the necessary precautions to snuff out the flames should an incident occur. Was there anything else you'd like from us, your grace?" Hallyne inquired.
"An accurate counting of what you have, I may find need of it in dealing with future enemies. Beyond that, halt your production of wildfire until I decide what I'm going to do with it. One last thing, bring a small sample to the Red Keep. I would like to see this substance my family was so enthralled with." Aegon instructed, earning an astute nod from the old man, who quickly turned to leave.
"I'll make sure those locations are secured, and that this threat is cleared away." Robb said to Aegon.
"Good. Let me know if you need anything Robb." Aegon responded, Robb offering him a nod as he walked with the guards and Wisdom Hallyne out of the room.
"When word of this gets out, Tywin's reputation will be ruined. What he tried to do, what he was willing to do. Even if his plan was a failure, the simple act of putting such a plot into action is enough to condemn the man." Roose Bolton noted aloud.
"Condemn him to the darkest pits. Were I a lesser man, I'd say let him bathe in the stuff and see how he likes burning alive." The Blackfish spat with disgust.
"Such a thing is truly reprehensible. I would have never thought him capable of such barbarism, I regret having ever agreed to tie our families together." Mace Tyrell agreed wholeheartedly. Such a plot of annihilation was utterly disgusting to those with even halfway sensible views.
"We should all be very thankful that the alchemists chose defiance over obedience. As the king said, we owe them a great debt." Margaery stated.
"And I intend to see them repaid for their foresight. For now though, we should see to the security of the city. My lords, my ladies, we shall reconvene on the morrow. Hopefully we can hammer out further details then. Until such a time, you are all dismissed." Aegon declared to the room.
Margaery offered him a curious gaze as she passed, one he returned, a small smile touching at his lips. Sansa lingered the longest, and he offered her a comforting smile as she passed him. She returned a comforting look, no doubt sensing that the news of what his grandfather had planned, disturbed and unnerved him.
Most probably got that assumption from him. And while the news had bothered him, it was for entirely different reasons, though he allowed his subordinates to think him troubled by such a revelation, as it helped him appear more like them. More human.
Once the room was cleared, Lilith approached him.
"You seem troubled… why?" Lilith inquired, curiously.
"I miscalculated. Had the pyromancers not chosen to rebel against Tywin Lannister our armies could have gone up in flame. The city matters little to me, the lives of the people equally so, their destruction would be a colossal waste of valuable resources, but so would the deaths of our soldiers. Westeros fell easy enough, but that was because we used my family names to subvert some of the resistance. Essos will not fall the same way. We need these soldiers to keep our momentum. I very nearly walked right into a trap." Aegon responded, revealing the source of his displeasure and aggravation.
"Yes, it was a misstep that could have ended badly for us. We'll simply have to be more cautious in the future, and not allow our pride and our power to blind us to what men are capable of." Lilith offered in agreement. She knew very little about wildfire, having only really heard of it mentioned before, but she knew enough to know that it was deadly, and that having it explode all around you would have decimated their armies, killing tens of thousands. And while the blow wouldn't have been fatal, it would have been a setback to their plans.
"I should have considered all possibilities, given the foe I was facing. Tywin is ruthless, and I should have anticipated some greater trap. I will not make the same miscalculations again. I wont allow luck to be the deciding factor in the wars to come." Aegon declared, his gaze meeting with Lilith's.
She stared back at him for several long moments, while she understood why he was aggravated, a part of her liked seeing him so fired up. He held his composure, and after so many millennia, he was a far cry from the angry little boy, Harry Potter was, but that anger still remained. Harry Potter, always blamed himself when things went wrong, always believed there was something he could have done differently, or better.
He had made a miscalculation, and it had almost cost them. Luck was on their side, but luck was a fickle thing, and wouldn't last. She wouldn't try to comfort him, or convince him otherwise. He had served with Tywin Lannister for years under the guise of Annatar, and thus, should have suspected such treachery. But being so close to their goal, and so confidant had blinded them to what desperation does to a person. She'd fallen prey to it before, and underestimated her opponents, and unfortunately, she would again. She just hoped that Sauron would see through her pride and see what she wasn't, so as to avert such cataclysms, and it seems, she would have to do the same for him. It was a role she wasn't used to, having relied on him for it, throughout her reign as Morgoth, but now it seemed they'd need to work together to keep the other from underestimating their enemies.
"We were lucky this time, but I agree, we cannot allow luck to be the deciding factor in our conquests. Let us ensure that pride does not blind us in the future." Lilith said to him, earning a nod and a small smile from him.
"Yes, these low men, may prove to be of little threat to us, but we cannot underestimate them, lest they set out work back, and force us to drag out our conquest of this world." Aegon agreed.
After several moments of silence, he spoke again. "Come, let us see to this wildfire, and gather some for ourselves, I wish to study it, and determine it's nature."
"Have you never sought to do so before?" Lilith hummed as they walked out of the room together.
"It had crossed my mind, but I was always too busy. Perhaps now with the Iron Throne, the Alchemists' Guild can be convinced to give up some of their secrets in exchange for taking them into our confidence and teaching them in the ways of magic." Aegon answered, earning a thoughtful hum from Lilith.
The remainder of the day was spent dealing with the caches of wildfire throughout the city. Privately, Aegon took the opportunity to speak with the leader of the Alchemists' Guild, offering the man the opportunity to work with Lilith, if they were willing to share their own secrets, she would, in turn, teach them greater spells and tricks of alchemy. Being a master alchemist herself, there was much that could be shared between them.
All it took to earn the intrigue from the Alchemists was for her to show them how she could easily transmute base metals, an art their own order once possessed, and she earned their astonishment by showing them the pinnacle of alchemical achievement, a Philosopher's Stone. A stone that could create the Elixir of Life and transmute objects into gold.
The acquisition of the Alchemist's Guild was a noteworthy boon to their conquest of King's Landing. The power of magic had returned to the world in a big way, and the powers of the alchemists were returning as well. Having the opportunity to study under such a powerful magical being with knowledge of the alchemical arts surpassing even themselves, was one they simply could not pass up.
By midnight that night, Aegon and Lilith had retired to their new chambers, where they spent some time with Sansa and Tauriel before turning their attention towards studying the alchemist flames, and determining what they could accomplish with it as a weapon.
It took the two several hours to dissect the powers behind the substance, using diagnostic spells, the two learned of the elements involved in the make-up of the flammable liquid. After a few brief experiments, they concluded that it was as powerful as it was dangerous. Sauron had long known this, as he'd seen the effects of wildfire during his time working for King Aerys, and Lilith was confident that the stories she'd heard were valid and accurate in regards to it's potential.
With those conclusions, the two began to the brainstorm ideas on how to weaponize wildfire. It had a low ignition point, as even direct sunlight could ignite it if left out for too long, so it was dangerous to transport, and difficult to use in the midst of a battle, because at any moment, some could combust, triggering a fiery hellstorm.
In order to weaponize it, they'd need to come up with practical methods of transporting and deploying it, magic would greatly assist in these endeavors, and Aegon wondered how it's properties would be affected, if it were frozen.
Bombs quickly became the point of discussion between the two. The idea for hollow metal balls, filled with wildfire, that could be lobbed at enemies, either in formation, or upon battlements. If they could design such a bomb, out of material that easily cracked open, and sparked, they could create powerful firebombs, that could release fire so hot it would melt stone or steel.
It was somethings the two intended to look into, both envisioning such instruments of war, and how they could employ them to crush their foes, in this world and every other they came across.
The following day, orders were given to begin reconstructing the damage done to the city. Lilith took some time to awe the crowds of onlookers as she used her magic to repair structures that had been collapsed during the fighting, either by their siege beasts, or by the bombardment that had occurred prior to the attack.
At first people were terrified, the Faith of the Seven had a strong hold here, and magic was abhorrent to them. Though Lilith quickly began to win over the common folk with a plot of her own. She overhead Margaery inquiring with Aegon if there was anyway they could spare some food to feed to the homeless, and the refugees within Flea Bottom. Margaery's heart went out to these people and she was very popular with them. Lilith, sensing an opportunity decided to accompany Margaery, along with Aegon, Tauriel, Robb, Aemon, Loras, and Sansa down to Flea Bottom two days later with carts full of food, to give away to the people.
While Margaery happily offered the food to them, she used the opportunity to paint the image that it was by Aegon's good graces, that the people were being offered this bounty. Margaery used the gesture to help endear the Dragon-Wolf to the smallfolk. Having just taken the city, and being surrounded by an army of monsters, he was an intimidating presence, so Margaery intended to soften his visage a bit, adding more nobility and kindness, to the domineering aura of the king.
Aegon took note of how clever Margaery was, watching her actions with great interest, and even going along with it, aiding her in passing out food to the lowly residents of Flea Bottom. A lesser man, may have simply taken Margaery's actions at face value, as simply an act of kindness, but Aegon saw through it. While she did enjoy helping people, Margaery also adored having the love of the people. She liked it when they smiled at her, or thanked her. It was a simple motivation, but it had powerful implications when one noted that Margaery would one day be a queen.
He didn't mind playing party to this showing, it helped endear his people to him, and it helped to stabilize the city. A king must be loved, feared, and respected in equal measure. He must be firm, but fair. His nobility and just nature spoken of in equal measure to his valor, and his wrath. Kindness was a tool, and it was such an easy thing. Sauron never understood the minds of those who saw it as beneath them to simply be kind. It was so easy, and it won you the love of those around you. Kindness was so very useful, and it was a tool to always be used in the hands of a master manipulator. In order to get into the hearts and minds of the people around you, you needed to get past their defenses, such a thing was impossible if they saw you as a threat, or as an enemy. Showing patience, and a level-headed mind reduced the chances of people thinking you a threat, and showing kindness and offering aid, removed the number of enemies you had.
Such were tools, ones to always be exploited. But of course, one must never forget that you have to know your audience. These Smallfolk didn't give a damn who he was or what house he belonged to, all they cared about was having food, and being safe to go about their lives. So long as they had that, the people were happy. Orcs were different, acts of kindness could be seen as a weakness, and they would seek to exploit such things, so with them, one had to be harsh, firm, even merciless in some circumstances. Different peoples required different methods.
So with the Smallfolk, you would find yourself greatly rewarded by showing them acts of kindness, and benevolence, after all, they are the foundation of your kingdom, and will see it grow and evolve. Sauron and Lilith were not kind people, not anymore. There was far more wrath and anger in them, than there was kindness, and love, but even with that, kindness was an easy thing. It wasn't hard to be selfless, it certainly wasn't without it's benefits from Sauron's perspective. Show kindness to your people and treat them how best you can earn their love, whether that be with a kind and just hand with the Smallfolk, a firm and fair one, with the highborns, or a ruthless and authoritative one with the orcs.
Sauron and Lilith had always worn many hats, as Morgoth Lilith had forgotten such things, but she remembered them clearly now, and the two could navigate the landscape of their new kingdom with ease, winning hearts and minds to their cause.
Would either shed a tear for these lowly people if something happened to them? No. To the dark lords, they were a resource, one that needed to be cultivated in order to grow. So cultivate it they would, and it seems they'd chosen the perfect candidate to help them do that. Margaery Tyrell understood the power of having the love of the smallfolk, and she intended to harness that power.
Not to be outdone, Lilith set about her own task to win their favor.
The first time she saw someone with an injury, someone who had some sort of sickness, or perhaps a wound they'd sustained during the chaos of the battle, she offered to help heal them.
The first happened to be a small child, who been struck by a passing horse a week earlier, that had broken her arm. Her mother was a simple woman, who could barely afford the clothes the two were wearing, but when Lilith offered her aid, she cautiously accepted.
People watched as Lilith performed her magic, she numbed the child's arm before breaking and resetting the bone, and healing it through. It sounded painful but the girl barely felt anything more than discomfort, and after only a few minutes, her arm was fully healed.
Before the child held her arm in a sling and couldn't move it, but once Lilith was finished with her work, she held it up, waved it around, and smiled brightly when it no longer hurt anymore.
People were amazed, and the girl's mother thanked Lilith profusely. When asked who she was, as no one really knew who Lilith was supposed to be, Aegon introduced her as a queen from the far north, and one of his intended, thus a future queen of Westeros.
The smallfolk were surprised by this, but they were in for another surprise when Lilith instructed all those with ailments or injuries to gather in a line before her, and she'd heal them.
While Aegon and Margaery handed out food to the people, Lilith healed them, using her magic to fix whatever ailments were troubling them.
Such a task was easy for one such as she. None of these were magical injuries, or stemmed from a magical source. Because of that, magic healed them with incredible ease. It got to the point where by midday, Lilith had healed over four hundred people of their various injuries and sicknesses. Human bodies were simple things to her, so it wasn't much of a hassle to correct them.
Lilith used this as a dual opportunity, firstly as a way to win the love of the smallfolk alongside Aegon and Margaery, but also as a way to slowly begin converting the people into worshiping the two of them.
At some point, Margaery and Aegon had finished handing out food and were now standing alongside the rest of their companions as they watched Lilith heal person after person, showing no signs of fatigue.
"I still have difficulties understanding it, this magic that you and she possess." Margaery stated as they watched sores on a man's chest seemingly fade away into nothingness as Lilith's hand passed over them.
"Magic is at once, incredibly complex, yet also as simple as can be. What about it vexes you?" Aegon inquired, glancing at her.
"All I've ever heard of magic, says that you need a drop of blood, or to kill a goat in order to make things happen, yet when I've seen the two of you perform it, all you seem to need is maybe a few words, if that, and incredible things happen." Margaery explained, her question earning curiosity from Loras as well, while maester Aemon simply smiled, having questioned this very same thing before.
"The reason for those differences my lady, boils down to those that can use magic, and those that have magic. Anyone with the skill and resources can learn to use magic, if they are willing to pay the price. Magic requires power in order to accomplish things. If you don't have that power within you, than you need to get it from somewhere else. Sacrifice is a potent source of power, which is why you often hear of it being used to cast spells. A normal person can kill a goat, and use the power gained from it's death to accomplish what Lilith is doing now, but that power is finite, it doesn't come back and you can't really take it with you. You have to use it immediately, otherwise the magic will begin to fade. Using sacrifice as a medium allows non-magical peoples to perform magic, but it has it's costs in blood. When you have magic in you, like Lilith and I, you don't need to kill a goat, or draw blood. You simply have the power available to you." Aegon explained, his words earning great curiosity from his companions.
"And this power, it just keeps coming back, there's no limit to it?" Loras asked.
"There is a limit. Each person is different, and holds a different amount of this power within them. Like the different depths of a lake. Imagine if you will, a body of water. You drink from it, and you've now removed some of the water from the lake, there is less than there was before, but then it rains, and what you took from it, is now replenished. Magic is constantly being regenerated within a magical person's body, so while they can run out, it'll eventually come back, either within hours, or days, depending on the person." Aegon answered back.
"How come we haven't seem more people with such gifts? Is having magic within you uncommon?" Margaery inquired.
"In a manner of speaking, I suppose. Magic exists in all things, but only a few have the capacity to perform magic with what they have available to them. As for why you don't see more magical people running around, well it has to do with how the two different methods of magic collide. If you don't have magic, you have to use sacrifice in order to power it. If you do have magic though you don't have to, you can just use your own power. The problem is, these two schools of magic don't overlap very well without the proper teaching. If you have magic and try to use sacrificial magic like a normal person would, it wont work for you, because your body is trying to use it's magic, instead of whatever you just sacrificed, causing the spell to fail or backfire. I can use sacrificial magic, I just need to adjust my focus so that I'm drawing upon the sacrifice rather than my own power. If I don't do that though, everything gets jumbled up and whatever I'm trying to do, fails. So magical people don't generally appear because they're untrained, and don't know how to use their powers, while people who use sacrificial magic, tend to draw the ire of those around them, because they're killing things to fuel their powers. And as another note, magic is actually common in powerful families, magic tends to aid it's practitioners, so many a great house will have powerful magic locked within them. The Starks are a good example, descended from werewolves, their power is reactivating, allowing for them to draw upon these inborn abilities, while also granting them access to magic in general. The Targaryens have it, I've shown Maester Aemon how to cast a few spells, how to tap into his own inborn magic. Even your own family, the Tyrells have magic within them." Aegon noted, earning surprise from Loras and Margaery.
"We do?" Margaery asked after sharing a glance with her brother.
"Yes, you're descended from an ancient sorcerer, are you not? Some stories claim Garth Greenhand to be a god. Ancient and powerful magics lie within you, and I believe it to be one of the reasons Lilith was happy to allow for our union. She adores magic, and wishes to see it prosper and to see those who share in this gift, rise up to build a better world. She has and continues to teach it to me, I have taught a bit to my family, those like Maester Aemon, Robb, Sansa, and Benjen, I hope to teach Arya someday as well, even if her wolf's blood hasn't activated yet, I have no doubt that it will, she's more wolf than any of my siblings. I can teach it to you if you like, you and your family." Aegon offered, again earning surprise from the Tyrell siblings.
"Truly, you could teach me how to perform magic. To heal people like her ladyship can?" Margaery questioned him, eyes alight with excitement at the prospect.
"Of course. It's not easy to learn, mind you, but then again, nothing worth doing is ever easy. Magic comes in all shapes and forms, and people often find themselves drawn to one school or another. The ability to heal, to transform objects, to transmute them, to cast protective spells, or use offensive magic. Some people have natural gifts in fire magic, like the Targaryens do. Some people have the ability to shape-shift, like how the Starks can turn into wolves. Magic is as varied as the peoples of the world, and everyone has their strengths and weaknesses. If you truly wish to learn it, we'll set up a time and I can have you join me and Maester Aemon in our lessons. That goes for the two of you as well, Robb, Sansa. You both have the gift of magic as well, if you'd like to learn more about it, beyond the powers I've already taught you, all you need to do is ask." Aegon responded.
"Learning such powers is a cautious endeavor. Magic is powerful, and can be quite dangerous, but we've seen what it can accomplish. It restored my youth, it brought down the Lion's Mouth, it brought a demon of fire and shadow into this world, it raised the dead, and it kept enthralled those in court when Lord Annatar would walk the halls of the Red Keep and perform his magic. Magic is power, and can accomplish anything, from raising the Wall, to smashing the arm of Dorne. It is truly a magnificent power, to be feared and respected." Maester Aemon noted, offering both caution and praise to the idea. Many a nights, he'd sat with Aegon discussing magic, learning of it's properties and understanding this power and what it could accomplish.
For another hour or so, Lilith kept up her actions, healing the peoples as they came to her one at a time. She could have easily prepared some more powerful showing of magic that would have helped her heal many more people at once, but this method was far more personal and earned her a far greater connection to those she helped.
It got to the point where basically every injury or sickness she was healing with relative ease, some took a few moments longer to deal with, if the ailment was particularly complex, but most were dealt with in mere moments. For a being that helped to shape a world, and could uplift mountains and darken skies with her powers, healing a mortal body, of a non-magical injury was almost boring. But if Sauron and her would one day be worshiped as gods, such endeavors would need to be seen through to the end.
By the time she was finished, hundreds had been healed of their injuries, and they cheered for her, and for their new king as they departed to return to the Red Keep.
While many of Aegon's companions saw Lilith's actions as kind, and caring, one couldn't help the feeling of sickness welling in her gut with each passing moment.
Tauriel watched the display with disgust. The ruse was as clear to her as anything. She didn't have to be skilled in the political field to see what the Dark Lords were doing, and watching as the people cheered for them, and wished them good health, it sickened her. Slowly but surely, this land was slipping further and further into their thralldom, and there was nothing she could do about it.
For the remainder of the day, she shadowed Lilith, and when night fell, she was once again in bed with the dark lords, as well as Lady Sansa. It deeply bothered Tauriel by just how infatuated and in love Sansa appeared when Aegon and Lilith got her alone.
She'd fallen under their sway, and to watch her being ravished by the two, was unnerving at the best of times, and sickening at the worst.
Of course, Tauriel was no better, and she knew it. She was beginning to desire their touch, and she hated it. She hated how good it felt, she hated how good they were in bed, and how they made her desire it. She wanted nothing more than to scream and rant at them, but she couldn't find the courage. The fear of punishment, and the loss of what little control she had, kept her from lashing out, and because of that, she was instead becoming accustomed to it.
Already she was being drawn into their depravities, forced to pleasure Sansa for them, while the two pleasured each other. It was demeaning and while a part of her wanted too, she couldn't blame Sansa for it. The girl believed Tauriel to be a willing participant in these acts, and Tauriel couldn't correct that assumption, without suffering as a result.
So most nights, she would lie with the dark lords and their werewolf pet, and as awful as it was, she was beginning to be able to turn her brain off and just enjoy it. She tried not to think, she tried not to analyze, all she tried to do was seek pleasure and provide it, and so long as that was the only thing on her mind, she actually found that she enjoyed it.
Their nighttime activities were intense, often leaving Tauriel exhausted. The two Dark Lords would pass between their two redheaded bed mates, taking them several times before turning to one another for the remainder of their time together. Often times, the two started separate, one with Tauriel, one with Sansa, than they would both fuck Sansa until she was exhausted and then the two would couple with one another for the remainder of the night.
It was demeaning, and Tauriel despised it, but she also began to desire it. Without thinking, she'd find her eyes drawn to their lovemaking, she'd begin touching herself without meaning to, it was getting worse, with each passing day, and Tauriel feared what would become of her, as the days bled into months.
The idea of a new bed partner joining them was also one that filled her with mixed feelings. On one hand, she hoped that the two Dark Lords would focus their attention on Sansa and Margaery, and she would be left alone, but on the other hand, she worried that they may choose to keep her involved, even with Margaery there. They had already sunken their claws into Sansa, and Tauriel had no doubt they'd do so with Margaery as well. Sansa was a kind young girl, and it tore at Tauriel's heartstrings to see what she was becoming, and Margaery appeared so kind, and lovely, the idea of her becoming just another warped servant of the Dark Lords, saddened her.
Every night, she was forced to endure their lust, and their depravities, and every night, she'd comfort herself by remembering that the two had both been beaten before, there was still hope left in the world, but such thoughts were becoming more and more difficult to summon up. How much longer could she manage this? Tauriel had no idea, she had no guess, all she had was each and every day. She could only endure it as best she could, and pray for salvation.
The following days were filled with further manipulations.
Tauriel would shadow Lilith as she walked through the streets of King's Landing, sometimes stopping to heal those in need, other times, she would examine old structures. Several times, Lilith had gone to the ruins of the Dragon Pit, to examine it.
Eventually she decided that she wanted to use that as her base of operations within King's Landing.
She spoke with Aegon about it, telling him she intended demolish the structure and build something new there. A temple, that she could use to begin teaching other's magic. A place that would eventually become a minor symbol of her power.
Aegon had no cause to deny her. If she wanted to take the ruin and make it into something useful, he was all for it.
The two discussed many things as the city was repaired and various lords and ladies began to return after seeing to the affairs of their lands. As it stood, once many of the prominent lords arrived, they would hold Aegon's coronation, and have him officially named King of Westeros. It was little more than a formality at this point, but it would serve to establish that the Targaryen dynasty had returned to power.
Not long afterwards, Aegon intended to execute Joffrey, as well as the remaining surviving Lannisters. The house would more or less, be declared extinct, save for Tywin, the survivors in Essos, and Marcella No Name.
Most of the surviving Lannisters were from the branch family, the Lannisters of Lannisport, but the point still needed to be made. Joffrey and Tywin would serve as a firm warning to all, just what would happen should they risk the wrath of the Dragon-Wolf.
Beyond that, the two spoke of their plans for Westeros, and how they intended to build their power base here.
Lilith made the decision that while Aegon ruled from King's Landing, she would work on repairing Harrenhal, and take it as her seat of power in the south. She would return the castle to it's former glory, and than some, ensuring that the power it commanded over the continent would not be in question. It also stood as a good center-point to deploy their armies if the southern half of Westeros rose up in rebellion in the future.
Aegon loved the idea, and was more than happy to put their army of orcs and beasts to the task as soon as the Stormlands, Stannis, and the Ironborn, were all dealt with.
A little over a fortnight after the capture of King's Landing, Littlefinger arrived along with Robin Arryn. Aegon eyed the Arryn entourage as they approached, the young boy being led by the infamous Petyr Baelish. Aegon had heard conflicting reports about the man. He was spineless, a weasel, not to be trusted, little more than a cockroach, most of which came from Edmure Tully, though he'd also heard from Sansa that Baelish had tried to offer her some support during her time in the capitol, even offering to help her get home, if she had been willing to escape with him. Sansa wasn't the best at reading people, but she had a far keener eye now, than she had when she was younger. King's Landing had taught her many lessons, in regards to reading people's intentions.
Her biggest criticism with Littlefinger was that she didn't understand what he was truly after. He showed her kindness, but she had no idea what his motive was, so she had a hard time placing trust in him.
Those weren't the only tales that Aegon had heard, many more had been spoken to him. So he was left with coming to his own opinion of the man. On first glance, he appeared as little more than your average man, but a closer look, revealed a discerning eye, hidden by a cool confidence.
The man's heart, was far darker. Beyond the flesh, Aegon could see the darkness that writhed within him. It would be interesting to see, what, if anything this man could provide, and whether or not, it would be worth it, to keep him alive.
There was the small caveat though of the role he played in Eddard Stark's death. Aegon didn't know what role he personally played, but before his death Janos Slynt had said that he was on Littlefinger's payroll, which was one of the reasons he'd stayed loyal to Joffrey instead of siding with Ned.
So at the very least, Littlefinger had sided with the Lannisters after Robert's death, and while Aegon was sure that some would be more than happy to see him killed for siding with them, if Aegon killed everyone who sided with the Lannisters over the Starks, he'd have to set fire to most of the continent.
Littlefinger would have to be punished for his actions, but not so severely that others who'd followed similar loyalties would begin plotting against him in order to spare their lives.
For now, he welcomed them to the capitol and with instruction from Baelish young Robin swore fealty to the crown, officially joining the Eyrie with the rest of the kingdoms under Aegon's command.
His actions were met by cheers from many of the Vale knights, and lords that were either still here from the attack on King's Landing, or those that had come down from the Vale to bare witness to the coronation of the new king.
A short while later, Baelish was summoned to a meeting with Aegon so that matters could be discussed. Aegon was joined by Lilith, as well a Benjen, Robb, Edmure, the Blackfish, Roose, and Mace.
"Lord Baelish, welcome." Aegon greeted him upon his arrival.
"Your grace. I'm honored by your summons. What can I do for you?" Littlefinger responded with the courtesy of a skilled player in the great game.
"I've asked you here to discuss a few things. I understand you were Master of Coin for many years under Robert Baratheon, and later under Joffrey." Aegon began.
"I was your grace. Brought on by Lord Jon Arryn, for my distinguished record while managing the customs at Gulltown." Baelish replied, earning a snort from Edmure.
"Lord Arryn must have gone senile in his later years, if your handling of the crown's finances are any indication." Edmure noted, earning a hum of agreement from both Robb and Brynden. Most in the room, knew of how far in debt the crown was, and the issue of repaying the Iron Bank, still hung over the Iron Throne. Despite the previous king being deposed, the Iron Bank would still try and have it's due. Aegon had never interacted with them before, but he already knew what argument they would use to justify it being his responsibility.
When they came for their money, they'd say that it was a Targaryen debt, since technically, Robert Baratheon had Targaryen blood, due to his grandmother. They'd say that as far as they were concerned, the Targaryen rule over Westeros had never been broken, the blood of the dragon had always sat on the Iron Throne, even if it was mixed with a bit more Stag and Lion for the last few years.
Regardless, they were going to come for their gols, and Aegon got the joy of dealing with them.
Thankfully he was ready for when that day came, for now though, he could only let out a chuckle of amusement at Edmure's jab.
"There is little else to be done when the king commands that the gold flow. Robert Baratheon lived outrageously beyond even the means of the crown itself. I did what I could to see his desires answered for, and though Jon Arryn gave prudent and frugal advice, King Robert never chose to listen. I apologize for the situation you find yourself in now, it was not my intention to place you in such a position. Know that I will endeavor to do whatever I possibly can to correct this problem." Baelish offered to them, outwardly appearing repentant, and well-meaning.
"You needn't concern yourself, Lord Baelish. I will deal with the bankers when they choose to reveal themselves. My reason for calling you here does not lie in your skill as a financier, but more so with someone who was once on your payroll." Aegon stated, earning a curious look from the man.
"And who would that be?" Petyr inquired.
"Janos Slynt." Aegon responded, coolly. While most in the room gave Aegon inquisitive looks, Benjen's eyes darkened, and a glare took up residence on his face. Benjen had been there when Janos had revealed that the reason he turned on Ned was because he was on the queen's and Baelish's payroll.
"The prior Commander of the City Watch? Yes, I paid the man, I own quite a few establishments here in the capitol, or I did, I'm not quite sure if they're still standing, but it was in my best interests to keep the gold cloaks on my payroll, to make sure my businesses were protected." Littlefinger explained to them.
"Before I had Slynt executed, he told me of the role he played in Eddard Stark's capture. How Lord Eddard had tried to convince him to join in his cause and depose Joffrey. He told me that he refused, because of you and Cersei. Said that he was being paid by you. So I'll ask you… Lord Baelish, what role did you play in my uncles capture, and his eventual execution?" Aegon questioned, his tone calm, yet it carried a weighted anger behind it. His eyes were piercing, and Baelish immediately felt his muscles tense and fear began to grip his heart.
After hearing Aegon's words, Robb's look began to reflect Benjen's while the rest looked on, waiting to hear Littlefinger's response.
"Your Grace… I will admit that… when it came to Lord Eddard's imprisonment, I did have a role to play." Baelish began. Outwardly, it appeared as if he was composing himself. He almost appeared ashamed, but Aegon saw past it. He could see the wheels turning, the gears grinding. A lie was forming quickly in the man's mind, one that had no doubt been developed, for just such an occasion as this.
"Go on…" Aegon instructed firmly.
"Lady Catelyn… when she came to the capitol, asked that I look after her husband. I've always held her in high regard, so despite the difficulties of such a task, I agreed to do what I could for him. I tried to help him understand the dangers of the capitol, tried to show him that spies were everywhere, unfortunately, Eddard Stark was not built for the south. He learned the truth about Cercei's children, and chose to support Stannis. He then foolishly warned Cercei that if she wanted to protect her children, she would leave with them, take them to Casterly Rock. He was a good man, your uncle, but his honor got him killed, it made it impossible for me to help him." Baelish explained what had happened to them.
"So you betrayed him!?" Benjen snarled with a fearsome glare, taking a step forward as he did, only to halt as Aegon held up a hand.
"No. I didn't betray him for what he wanted. Had it been possible to remove Joffrey from the throne, I would have happily aided lord Eddard in the task. But it wasn't possible. He warned the queen about what was coming, about what he intended to reveal. He didn't understand her truer nature, and saw her only as a mother. No doubt imagining what Cat would do in the same position. He was an honorable man who tried to spare her from what was coming, but all he ended up doing, was alerting his enemy to his next move. He came to me, convinced me to aid him, to use my connections to the gold cloaks to overthrow Cercei and Joffrey. I agreed to help him, but before the plan could be enacted, I learned that Varys had discovered our intentions, and that he had warned Cercei of exactly what we were planning on doing. I knew than that any attempts to dethrone Joffrey would end in failure. I may have money, but the Lannisters also had money and a powerful name to back them up. With a few words from Cercei, Janos Slynt and the rest would have been convinced to side with them. I knew we'd all be killed if I didn't act." Littlefinger continued on, Aegon listening intently, keeping the smirk from his face. This man was an impressive liar, and Aegon could definitely find a use for him, that is, if he could see this lie through to the end.
"You went to the Queen…" Aegon guessed.
"I did. I went to her with an offer. I offered to bring the gold cloaks over to her side, and I'd aid her in capturing Lord Eddard alive. I knew he was too valuable to be killed, so if he was captured, he'd likely be used as ransom, or even sent to join the Night's Watch. At the very least, he'd have survived. If I didn't do anything, the chances were good he would have perished in the battle. He was still recovering from his injury fighting Ser Jaime, and despite his skill in battle, one can't be expected to fight well with a lame leg. When it came to the events in the throne room, when the battle began, I put a blade to his throat, and stopped him from getting involved. I regret that it came to that, but with everything already in motion, I did what I had to do. My plan worked. Lord Eddard was captured, alive, and unharmed. Had it not been for Joffrey, he no doubt would have been traded for Ser Jaime the moment he was captured. I apologize sincerely for my actions, I made a promise to Lady Catelyn, and regrettably, I failed to protect Lord Eddard from this place." Baelish finished his explanation.
While Benjen, Robb, and Edmure were furious, the rest stood in silence, staring at Aegon, waiting for his response.
Aegon remained cool and collected, his face blank, save for the piercing quality of his eyes as he stared at Baelish.
"Lilith." Aegon spoke up, after several long moments of silence.
"Hmm?" Lilith responded.
"You once showed me the past, showed me my own birth. You were able to see the truth about me that no one else did. What do you see when you look at him… is he telling the truth? People I hold in high regard have a low opinion of you Lord Baelish, and as you can see, none of them believe you." Aegon asked of Lilith before gesturing to the Stark men.
Lilith smirked at him, sensing what game Sauron was playing.
It was obvious that only Mace Tyrell believed what Littlefinger was saying. If Aegon wanted him dead, he could easily just call him a liar and gut him right there, and none of these men would raise a finger to help the former Master of Coin. But Aegon wasn't doing that. He wanted to spare Baelish, perhaps sensing some use in him, but in order to do that, he had to verify his story. It didn't paint Baelish in the best of lights as he had still helped to capture Lord Eddard, but if the rest of his story proved truthful than it could imply that he had the best intentions. After all, he was right, only a fool would have killed such a valuable prisoner as Eddard Stark. Some of the best lies, afterall, were built on partial truths. No doubt everything Baelish claimed had happened in the throne room, had happened, and could be verified by those who were there, but only Cercei would be able to confirm the rest, and she was no longer available to demand such answers. For a lie to work, there had to be at least some truth to it, something that could be verified by others.
So with that in mind, she turned her gaze towards Petyr Baelish. Her hellish eyes boring into him, causing the man to tremble. He then lurched, seizing at his head, as she fired a mind probe into his mind. Everyone watched as Littlefinger gasped and dropped to his knees clutching his head.
Lilith found the memories and watched the events take place. A smirk touched at her lips as she realized just why Sauron wanted such a man as a servant. Weasel though he may be, capable and ambitious he most certainly was. Petyr Baelish had risen from a lowly little lordling, to the ruler of one the most powerful Kingdoms in Westeros. He was a man of great skill, and ambition, with a cunning to match. He'd prove a valuable tool and ally, if his ambitions could be adjusted to serve their purposes.
She could see his thoughts, and his plans. She could see all that he'd done, and wanted to do. She quickly came to understand the nature of his mind, and she let out an amused chuckle as she pulled her probe back, and stared out at the surrounding lords.
"Does he speak the truth?" Aegon asked.
"As rare a thing, for a weasel to speak with honesty, as it may be. He does speak truthfully." Lilith responded, earning fake surprise from Aegon, and genuine surprise from the rest.
"You… you just read his mind. Saw the things he said happened?" Edmure asked, confused, concerned, and in disbelief.
"I saw his entire life, Lord Edmure. From his first memory, to now. Lord Baelish is a cunning man, but he has a weakness. Something that throws off his ambition. His love for your sister, Catelyn. He loves her, and would give the world for her. She made him promise to look out for lord Eddard, despite the fact that he thought him foolish, and reckless. His love for her, was the reason he agreed to help lord Eddard at first, rather than standing with the rest of the Small Council that immediately joined Cercei and Joffrey. He's not a good man, by any stretch of the imagination. But he was willing to try to keep his promise, despite the threat it posed to him, and more importantly, he did genuinely try to help Sansa, while she was here." Lilith replied, speaking the truth about his intentions, but misaligning them and keeping the fact that he was lying a secret.
Robb and Benjen stewed quietly for several moments, while Baelish pulled himself to his feet, his eyes wide and quivering. Despite how bad his head now hurt, he had heard everything Lilith had said. And while a part of him was absolutely mortified to realize that she had just read his mind and had somehow seen his entire life, another part of him was confused as to why she wasn't telling them the truth.
"Here, allow me to show you." Lilith said to Aegon, approaching him, and placing her forehead to his. He closed his eyes and for nearly a full minute, silenced passed as the two held still like that.
After a few agonizing moments, Aegon pulled back and offered a grateful nod to Lilith, earning a smile from her in return.
He then turned towards Baelish, who was still trying to piece together all that was happening.
"Lilith saw your memories. Saw what actually happened through your eyes, and now she's shown me it as well. You told us the truth, and I commend you for it, despite how it makes you look." Aegon began, earning a slow nod from Baelish as he was now forced to wonder why Aegon was keeping his secret, if he knew the truth.
"Your grace… I…" Baelish began to try and say, but Aegon continued.
"You genuinely believed he would be spared if he was captured. But you made a miscalculation. One many have made since that little shit came to power. You underestimated just how bloodthirsty Joffrey was. A trait that many have come to underestimate. You made a choice, and that choice aided in leading Eddard Stark to his death, despite your intentions. For that, I will have to punish you. You will be stripped of your title as Lord of Harrenhal, the castle, and it's accompany lands. You will serve the realm to the best of your abilities by returning to your former position as Master of Coin. And in doing so, you will undo the damage done by Robert Baratheon. You will retain your titles earned through your marriage to Lysa Arryn, and will continue to raise young Robin to the best of your abilities. When the time comes, the boy will be sent to be fostered, either with his aunt or his uncle, to ensure that he receives worldly experience. See this done, and I will pardon you for your crimes, fail in any of this endeavor and I will happily send you to the afterlife. Regardless of your motives, or what you intended, your actions assisted in getting Eddard Stark killed. I cannot say if anything could have gone differently, I was not there. So I will trust in Lilith's words and the things she has shown me. Set your affairs in order, Lord Baelish, I would set you to task at the earliest opportunity." Aegon commanded, his tone leaving no room for argument.
Littlefinger stared back at Aegon for several long moments, feeling unspeakably small. There was something about the King that unnerved him deeply. Something that separated him from the other Starks. He wore a mask of cold focus, and yet behind his eyes, Baelish sensed malice. Something terrifying. Lilith was no better, as she stared at him, with this cruel smile on her face.
"Your grace, I accept this punishment, for all that in entails. I will endeavor to do everything in my power to see the realm flourish. You have my word." Baelish said with a low bow.
"Than see it done." Aegon instructed, dismissing the man.
Baelish exited the room with haste, holding onto as much dignity as he could manage, while trying not to quite literally run away. As soon as he was out of ear shot, Edmure spoke.
"Do you really believe it's wise to let that wretch regain his position?" He inquired.
"There is a phrase I once heard, 'keep your friends close, and your enemies closer'. I believe the things Lilith showed me, but I most certainly distrust the man. I don't want him hiding out in the Vale, plotting and scheming. I want him right here, where I can keep an eye on him." Aegon responded, glancing over at Edmure as he took in a breath.
"Despite his reasoning, he helped get our father captured." Robb noted, glaring after Baelish.
"He did. And if he wasn't the Lord Protector of the Vale, and he wasn't the guardian of our new Warden of the East, I'd have thrown him in a cell. We don't know what power Baelish has in the Vale, and we don't know what other influences could be there to disrupt things. I'd rather the man I know to distrust and watch, than someone I don't know at all. Save your wrath, Robb, uncle Benjen. Save it for Joffrey, the boy who ordered father's death. Littlefinger is a nobody, who rose to a powerful position due to his skills and ambitions. I would exploit the man for all he's worth, while he remains loyal, but make no mistake, I will be watching him, and the second he steps out of line, I wont hesitate to deal with him." Aegon responded, assuring them that he had his eyes on Baelish. Now wasn't the time to go cutting the heads off of everyone who had any involvement with the Lannisters. A cool and focused response was needed.
Aegon sensed opportunity in Baelish, what kind, he wasn't quite sure yet, but he trusted his instincts, and allowed the man to live. Clear as day, Aegon had seen what had really happened in the throne room on that fateful day, as well as Littlefinger's words. "I did warn you not to trust me."
"Useful advice, Lord Baelish. I'll be sure to keep it in mind." Aegon thought to himself, hiding a devious smirk from those around him.
That day continued on as normal, though Aegon did take some time to observe Arya's training, taking note of how skilled the girl was becoming in acrobatics and swordplay. She was naturally nimble, and showed a great deal of determination and perseverance, always eager to try again, and never allowing her frustrations to keep her from making another attempt at her given task.
Aegon knew the girl would make a useful servant in the years to come. She had the drive, and in a few shorts years, once she was old enough, he would make her a werewolf, and join her with the ranks of her siblings.
That night, Aegon and Lilith discussed further plans, and how they'd go about restructuring the continent, they also discussed their upcoming wedding, and what they intended for it.
"You needn't appear so aloof, I know you've wanted this since we were children." Aegon pressed her, earning a smirk from Lilith as she stared off into the middle distance.
"Yes, I have, but do you honestly expect me to have an answer to that question? What do I want my wedding to be like? The answers to that question are more varied than the stars in the sky. It changes by the hour." Lilith responded, turning her gaze to him.
"Well you'll have to come up with something. Of all my skills, wedding planning is not one of them." Aegon said to her, earning a snort of amusement from Lilith.
"And you think I have any skill in such things? I know it may have escaped your notice but all of the weddings I've ever had a hand in, have ended rather poorly for those involved. Not exactly the kind of effect I'd like to have on my own." Lilith countered.
"I remember all too well. Still though, I wouldn't dream of denying you whatever your heart truly desires for your wedding day. Whatever you wish, I'll happily play my part. If you desire it to be some extravagant three day celebration, than so be it, I'm sure I'll have to endure more than a few of those in the coming years. If you desire something more private and intimate, than I'll happily oblige. This is your day, you are the bride after all, so it's whatever you wish." Aegon offered to her, causing Lilith to turn pensive as she thought on how she wanted this to go.
"Alright, get out a quill and parchment, I'll need someone to write down my thoughts." Lilith instructed him, earning a laugh from Aegon.
"Oh this'll be good. Let's hear it, what does your heart desire?" Aegon responded, as Lilith began describing how she envisioned their wedding to be. Aegon was more than happy to entertain her fancy, this was something he and she had desired for a long time, so getting the details hammered out no matter how complex or mundane, brought him one step closer to marrying the woman of his dreams.
The two were up late into the night and decently into the morning discussing wedding ideas. Neither slept at all, and set about their morning tasks with their typical vigor.
Two days later, and the Martell host arrived, Doran Martell leading it, alongside his brother Oberyn, and his daughter Arianne.
The Martell host arrived before the king and swore their fealty to the Targaryen dynasty, ensuring that Dorne was returned to the fold. As an offering of fealty, Prince Doran presented Myrcella No-Name as a gift.
The gathering of lords watched as the girl was brought forward. She was well kept, the vision of a young high-born maiden. She was attempting to appear composed, but the young woman was obviously terrified of the situation she now found herself in.
"Ah, princess Myrcella… welcome home." Aegon greeted the frightened young woman.
She stared up at him for a moment, struggling to find her words before finally offering a bow.
"Your grace…" Myrcella responded.
"You must be quite weary from your travels, and I expect you are eager to hear about your family?" Aegon questioned her.
"Yes, your grace." She replied, allowing some of her fear to show.
"Your mother, uncles, and little brother, are all still alive. They've fled the capitol, and gone into exile in Essos." Aegon offered to her. Young Mycella took in a breath at that, allowing herself to settle at the knowledge that some of her family yet lived. It took her a moment to notice that Joffrey hadn't been mentioned. As she returned her gaze to the Dragon-Wolf, he continued. "Your grandfather Tywin, and your brother Joffrey, are both my prisoners, and will face justice here within the next three days."
Myrcella quietly nodded at that, as her gaze fell.
"In the meantime, you are my quest here in the place you called home for most of your life. Until I decide otherwise you shall remain as my ward, here at the capitol in the hope that your presence will dissuade those of your family that yet live from making any rash actions that would see further blood spilled." Aegon declared to the girl, and the gathering lords. Despite his words, everyone knew that it was simply a formality. The girl was being used as a hostage, to ensure that Tommen, would think twice before making an attempt at reclaiming the Iron Throne.
All the young girl could do was nod in acceptance of her new role. She was alone now, with no one coming to her rescue.
Not long after the meeting, Aegon spoke privately with the Martells, taking the time to meet with Prince Oberyn. During their meeting, Aegon offering Lilith's services to heal the man of his sickness.
Though hesitant to accept at first, Prince Doran accepted the offer, and within minutes, the pain of his joints and limbs began to fade. Having been struck with gout for quite some time, he was mostly confined to a wheelchair, so his travel to King's Landing to personally swear fealty to the King was a bold statement. Now though, with Lilith's aid, his sickness abated and he found that he could move again without many issues.
"So the rumors are true, you truly possess powers over magic?" Arianne Martell noted to Lilith as she finished helping Prince Doran to his feet, allowing the man to walk around the room.
"Indeed I do." Lilith responded, offering the princess a smirk, which she seemed to observe curiously.
"Will wonders never cease." Oberyn stated as he observed his brother walking about lifting his legs without much difficulty, his pain seemingly gone.
"My gift, to house Martell, for your loyalty. One of many gifts to come." Aegon said to the two men.
"Your last was well received, as is this one. I hope the next will be as enjoyable." Oberyn responded.
"My coronation is tomorrow. Following that, I will see Joffrey executed, and Tywin Lannister punished for his crimes against our families." Aegon said to them.
"Punished? And what punishment could fit the crimes that man has inflicted?" Oberyn questioned, curiously.
"Forgive my brother, your grace. His hatred for the Lannisters is a fiery thing, and he sometimes forgets his manners." Doran stated, sending a glance at his brother whom merely raised an eyebrow at him.
"There is nothing to forgive, I understand that there is much hatred between your two houses, and I understand why. Trust that the punishment shall fit the crime. I intend to hurt the man in a way that goes far beyond the flesh. A pain that someone like Tywin Lannister would never recover from. Come… let me regale you with tales of what the future will hold." Aegon offered to the two men, directing them to accompany him.
Lilith and Arianne followed behind, linking arms as they trailed after the three.
The following day, the capitol was abuzz with activity as Aegon's official coronation commenced.
The coronation was held in the Red Keep, and Aegon was anointed by Lilith. It was an obvious breaking of tradition as the High Septon had often anointed the king as a way of showing the ties between the crown and the faith of the Seven. While some quietly questioned the change in procedure, most just wrote it off as an aspect of Aegon's northern heritage and upbringing. Within the minds of some of the most devout though, they began to wonder as to the piety of the new king, and his leaning in regards to worship. Was he of the Old Gods of the North, or of the New Gods, like most of Westeros? Time would soon tell.
A crowd of lords, ladies, and war-chiefs stood in attendance, as Lilith placed the crown she had made for him, upon his head, and named him Aegon of House Targaryen, sixth of his name. The Dragon-Wolf, King of the Far North, King of the Orcs, the Andals, the Rhoynar, and the First Men. King of Fire, Shadow, and Winter. Lord of the Seven Kingdoms, and Protector of the Realm.
His ascension earned roars and cheers from the crowd as he rose to his feet and stared down at his subjects.
Formalities were seen to, and his crowning now official. All that remained was to bring the Stormlands to heel, deal with Stannis Baratheon, and deal with the Ironborn.
Celebrations were held throughout the city, as Aegon traveled about, meeting with his various supporters, old and new.
"Truly a dashing sight, your grace." Sansa offered in praise, earning a smile from Aegon. He was adorned in kingly regalia, most of which was colored red and black. He also wore a long cape, which was emblazoned with his custom sigil, the mirrored image of the white direwolf, and red three-headed dragon, on a black field, overseen by a crimson eye. An image similarly displayed on the banners hung throughout the room. One of the first of many signals that times were changing.
"Indeed, our beloved Aegon does make quite the showing as king, perhaps he'll lose the scruff now that he's official." Lilith agreed with a smirk.
"Oh come now, you're telling me you don't enjoy the beard?" Aegon responded, scratching his chin as he did.
"I think it makes him look more rugged. He looks good with a beard." Sansa countered, causing Lilith to chuckle.
"I'd agree if he actually grew a real beard. This peach fuzz, just makes him look funny." Lilith teased in reply, reaching out to trail her fingers along his jawline.
"Ah, I see you're in a humorous mood today." Aegon responded, his words causing a smile to spread across Sansa's lips as she glanced at Lilith.
Lilith stared back at him for a moment before glancing at Sansa.
"He seems surprised. Why shouldn't I be in a good mood? It is a time to celebrate, is it not." Lilith responded.
"Surprised, but pleasantly so. I'll leave you lovely ladies to your gossip, I have others I must see to before the day is done. Until later." Aegon offered to the two before heading off to continue making rounds, speaking to his supporters.
"He truly is a sight to behold. I think he'll make a wonderful king." Sansa expressed as she and Lilith watched Aegon head off.
"I'm certain he will. He has a clever mind, and a cool demeanor. He is passionate, yet thoughtful. Stern, yet fair. He will be a king to shame all who've come before. And he'll have his queens there to ensure his rule succeeds. Speaking of which, I've heard rumor that you'll be leaving us soon?" Lilith responded, finishing with a question as she turned her attention to Sansa.
"Robb thinks it's best that Arya and I head back to Winterfell for a time. To see our mother and brothers…" Sansa responded.
"You have been away from them for quite some time. I'm sure you miss them dearly." Lilith responded in a gentle fashion.
"I do. And I'm happy to get the chance to see them again, but I know I'll miss Aegon while I'm gone, and you too, my lady." Sansa replied earning a smile from Lilith.
"As I will miss you, my dear. I do believe I'm starting to grow quite attached to you, and I know I'll miss your companionship. As well as your presence when the sun goes down." Lilith said to her, reaching out to Sansa and gently pulling her close to whisper that last part in her ear.
Her words earned a smile, and blush from Sansa, as she averted her gaze.
"I'll miss that as well…" Sansa admitted.
"Then we best ensure our remaining nights can keep us fulfilled until your return. We'll also have to discuss your wedding with Aegon, I'm certain it wont be long after your return from Winterfell." Lilith to her, her voice kept low, almost a whisper, giving her an excuse to hold the lithe young woman in her arms.
"Yes, I think that would be for the best. When will your wedding be, my lady?" Sansa asked curiously.
"Not long from now. Aegon and I intend to wed before he and I march against Stannis and the Ironborn. So it will not be long. I'm hopeful you'll be here to enjoy the festivities." Lilith answered.
"We should be. I don't think Robb intends to return to Winterfell until after the war is completely over. So we still have time." Sansa said with a demure smile, one that Lilith mimicked.
Elsewhere in the room, Aegon stood talking with Robb, Benjen, Roose, Ramsay, Greatjon, and Maege Mormont.
"This place looks much better without all the lion banners strewn about." Robb noted.
"I most certainly agree." Aegon responded.
"Words reached my ears that you've got plans involving splitting the realm in two, your grace, even taking a Stark bride?" Maege made note.
"Aye, continent is too large to rule from here. It's not my intention to go through all of this hard work to take back the Iron Throne, just to have things go back to the way they were before. I don't intend to just forget that the North exists. As for my choice in bride, Sansa has the blood of the First Men in her veins. She descended from the King's of Winter, just as much as I am. Besides that, the two of us have known one another our whole lives, and we've always had a close bond. With things the way they are now, Sansa is more than perfect as a bride to aid in ruling the North, and the lands beyond it. It makes the most logical sense, and more than that, it's an easy choice, given our shared affections." Aegon responded to them.
"Huh? Well it's good to know that we wont be bowing and scraping to the flowery ponces of King's Landing. Maybe this way, things can actually get done." Greatjon expressed.
"Well at the very least, young Sansa will be in good hands. Poor girl has been through enough, she deserved some happiness." Maege added.
"Aye, she does. Excuse me, my lords, I must see to one of my future brides." Aegon offered, as Margaery and a few of her handmaidens drifted through the crowd, keeping a reasonable distance away, while the King spoke with other lords, but taking position to seize upon the opportunity to speak with him, once he was finished.
Aegon caught the action and moved to speak with her.
"Lady Margaery." Aegon greeted her.
"Your grace. A crown suits you." Margaery offered, her eyes running over the blackened Valyrian steel of his crown, and the fiery gemstones inlaid into it, making it appear like a crown of flames.
"Thank you. Lilith had it made for me. Forged by some of her craftsmen from Valyrian steel, and personally enchanted by Lady Lilith. It apparently has some protective spells on it, to help keep me safe." Aegon responded, earning a bit of surprise from Margaery, which quickly morphed into curiosity.
"Lady Lilith has smiths who can reforge Valyrian Steel?" She inquired.
"Lilith has smiths who can make Valyrian Steel. She knows the secrets and has access to smiths who can forge the precious metal. She had swords made for Lord Robb and Lord Edmure as gifts for their service. Both are incredibly beautiful blades." Aegon informed her.
"That's amazing." Margaery stated with wonderment.
"I am in agreement. Come, let us take a moment or two to talk. I'd like to thank you for all that you've done to help the peoples of King's Landing." Aegon offered to her, earning a gentle smile from her in response.
"I appreciate that your grace, but it isn't necessary. The people of King's Landing, especially the poor, and destitute require our help in order to survive. If we just ignore them, then how is the problem ever going to fix itself. I see no reason why we should horde unnecessarily. If we have enough food, or other resources, we should share it with those less fortunate. I find what Lady Lilith offered to the people to be of far greater value than even an offering of food. Healing them of their pains and sicknesses, it shows her true character. She is lovely person at heart, even if she chooses to hide it behind a veneer of aloofness." Margaery responded, Aegon blinking several times at her dissection of Lilith's actions and character.
"That is kind of you to say. I believe Lilith feels much as you do, in regards to aiding those less fortunate. If we can, without bringing any harm to ourselves, than why shouldn't we. Lilith is a complicated woman, but at her core, her true passion lies in magic, and all that it can do. She would take every opportunity to express that love, and allow magic to flow freely, if she could. She has a temper that one, but I have seen a softer side to her. One must be hard to rule over the orcs, and other monstrous beasts, but within her, I sense something greater than a simple warlord." Aegon expressed, his gaze softening as he spoke of his beloved twin.
"You truly love her." Margaery noted softly, a gentle smile touching at her lips.
"I do. I love her in a way that I hope to love you one day." Aegon said to her, gifting her with a charming smirk.
"I too hope that such feelings blossom one day, your grace. Until such a time though, we shall continue to learn about one another, and further our friendship." Margaery returned, offering him her arm, which he accepted, the two proceeding through the hall to continue their discussions.
"I agree, the best foundation to form a relationship is with trust, and that comes only through interactions, and the building of mutual respect." Aegon agreed with her as the continued on, speaking with one another for another half-hour before Aegon was forced to pull away to engage in discussions with other lords and ladies.
For a short while, the city celebrated. Aegon and Lilith even returned to Flea Bottom to ingratiate themselves to the lowest born among their servants. This second arrival was met with cheers and blessings from the crowds, many of whom began drawing forward even more of the injured or sick for Lilith to heal. This time, Aegon joined her, revealing his own skill in magic, and his abilities to heal their ailments. He intentionally took longer than Lilith did, in an attempt to display lesser skill, but aside from that, he offered the same miracles that she did, healing the injured and the sick.
Aegon even took the time to command several orcs to begin work on a task of clearing out the sewers beneath the city, in an attempt to deal with the stench. He offered them choice meats in repayment for whomever volunteered to climb down into the sewers and clear away whatever blockage they may find.
Not exactly the most glorious of tasks, but the reward of choice meats was more than enough to convince a small legion of orcs and goblins to climb into the sewers and start locating where the clogs were. There was also the added entertainment of shoving smaller goblins into shit piles, to keep them amused while they worked.
These acts, observed by high-born and low-born alike, were met with amazement and cheer. Quite quickly, the new powers in Westeros were winning favor with the populace, and slowly but surely, people were beginning to see them, in a different sort of light, one reserved for something greater than royalty.
The festivities though, had to eventually draw to a close, and the time came to deal with the trash.
Lords and ladies, war-chiefs and generals stood in attendance as Joffrey No-Name was brought into the throne room and dragged before Aegon.
Almost everyone, who was anyone, was in attendance to watch what would become of boy-king. The Starks, Tullys, Tyrells, Martells, and even every member of house Lannister still living, sans Tywin, were in attendance, though most of the Lannisters, were held in chains as they watched their king be dragged through the crowd of lords and thrown before the new king.
Joffrey did not look well, he was pale, and sickly. His breathing ragged. A nasty infection now spread across his leg where Ghost had nearly torn it off during the capture of the Castle. The young man was shaking, terrified and disheveled, adorned only in a pair of britches and a sack shirt.
"Joffrey No-Name. The False King." Aegon addressed the boy, drawing his gaze up to Aegon.
"You have been brought here to answer for your crimes. The murder of the man who raised me, my father, Eddard Stark. The torture of my sister, Sansa Stark. The murders of each and every one of Robert Baratheon's bastard children. I could go on, listing every murder, and torturous act committed on your orders, but that would simply be redundant. Do you have any last words to say before your sentence?" Aegon condemned the boy.
"You cannot do this to me! I am the King! You cannot do this!" Joffrey snapped back at him.
"Have you nothing to say in your defense?" Aegon inquired, staring down at the seething urchin before him.
"My defense? A king can do as he likes! You think I'm afraid of you, bastard! I'm not! I will not bow to you, you filthy dragon-spawn bastard!" Joffrey snarled in response, practically frothing at the mouth.
Aegon stared down at him for several long moments, the corners of his lips, pulling upwards ever so slightly as he tried to fight off the smirk that was threatening to form.
"Very well. Than today, here and now, I Aegon, of the Houses Targaryen, and Stark, do hereby sentence you to die. For your crimes, your death will not be painless, nor will it be pleasant. Begin."
The towering Uruks quickly surrounded the boy, and began to beat him. Heavy blows to the body and limps, breaking several bones as he screamed out in pain. After a minute or so of the beating the three stopped, and Aegon rose to his feet.
"For threatening my sister with rape, and torturing her almost daily, I will have you castrated, so that, if only for a moment, you will know what it is like to be one of the 'freaks, or monsters' you so despise." Aegon declared, his words earning gasps from several people present, many a woman looking away as the uruks proceed to rip off the boy's clothes, mimicking how he had ordered Sansa Stark stripped in this very throne room, though this time, no one would be coming to stop it.
On one side of the room, the Starks and Tullys watched with fiery rage, burning in their eyes. Sansa most of all, as she relived the moment where she was degraded in almost the same place. Arya watched as well, with a cruel grin, as Joffrey was stripped naked, despite his protests and screams.
On the opposite side of the room, Myrcella stood, near to the Martells holding back tears as she watched her brother's fate. He was not a kind brother, and she didn't particularly like him, but he was still her brother, and a part of her wished for his torment to end.
A heated blade was brought forth and presented to one of the uruks as Joffrey was pinned to the ground by the other two.
Without much in the way of fan-fair, the uruk took the blade and proceeded to remove the boy kings penis and scrotum. His screams of agony ripped through the hall, and many, save for the most vicious or morbidly curious, looked away in horror.
Within moments, it was over, the uruk carrying the king's severed member over to a warg that sat next to it's handler and tossing the flesh to the beast for it to consume.
Joffrey continued to scream, writhing in agony upon the ground, clutching as his stump, his howls growing in pitch with each passing moment.
"For the murder of Lord Eddard Stark, I now sentence you to die. In honor of the fallen, you will die by the very beast you murdered to start this war. Your life will now end… at the fangs of wolves." Aegon declared with a merciless glare, allowing real hatred to show in his eyes.
"Please! Mercy!" Joffrey screamed as on either side of the Iron Throne, Grey Wind and Ghost emerged, the two towering wolves were absolutely huge, either one standing taller than a horse. Many gasps were heard from the crowd, especially from those who hadn't seen the beasts before.
The two massive wolves descended towards Joffrey as he screamed and pleaded.
"I curse you, Joffrey No-Name. May your spirit never know rest, never know peace. May you wander the darkest pits forever lost, without love, without friendship, without hope. Grey Wind, Ghost…. Kill." Aegon commanded, and with that the two wolves leapt forward sinking their teach into Joffrey's flesh.
The crowd watched as the boy was ravaged by the two wolves. He was tossed about slammed hard into the ground, as the wolves ripped and tore into him. His arm came off first, flying into the air, and landing at the foot of the Iron Throne. Than came a hand from his other arm, which was ripped free and tossed aside in a frenzy. Soon his stomach was ripped open, his intestines spilling out and torn from his belly by ghost.
Joffrey torment continued, long past what people would have thought possible. Even missing his arm, his hand, with his guts spilling out, even with all the blood, the boy still screamed. Unseen by all, was Lilith, who mouthed black curses that sustained the boy's life, keeping him alive so that his torture could endure.
And endure it did, as his stomach was ripped out of his belly and shredded open.
Blood and bile covered the floor, and many could only look on in horror, as the monstrous boy king, met an equally monstrous end.
His screams finally died when Grey Wind sunk his teeth into either side of the boys head, lifted his body up off the ground and viciously shook it. The sound if dislocating bones was nearly deafeaning as Grey Wind dislocated the boy's entire spine, and began crushing his skull. With a final twist Joffrey's body ripped free from his head and sailed across the room, landing several meters away.
Silence filled the room, the only noise presence was the snarling of Grey Wind. As soon as Joffrey's screams ceased Ghost settled and turned to face Aegon, his white fur matted with blood and awful.
A prickly cracking could be heard as Grey Wind still held Joffrey's skull between his teeth, crushing it slowly, like a hard piece of candy.
"Grey Wind." Aegon addressed the beast, causing it to cease it's growling and turn towards him. "To Robb." Aegon instructed.
Grey Wind did as told and trotted over to his master, depositing Joffrey's skull before the Stark entourage.
"My Lord Stark, my gift to you. The head of the bastard who took your father's. I know it will no replace the dead, but I hope that his passing will settle your heart, in the recognition, of justice served." Aegon declared, earning a hard nod from Robb who stared down at the mutilated head before glanced at his sister.
Sansa had tears in her eyes as she glared down Joffrey's twisted face. She stared down at it for several long moments before gazing up to Aegon and offering him a tearful nod of thanks.
He smiled back at her, as Lilith stepped up beside Sansa, emerging from the crowd, and placing an arm around her as an act of comfort.
Sansa leaned into her, accepting her offer as she continued to glare at Joffrey's mauled head.
While the room held silent, Robb quietly whispered to one of his men to retrieve Joffrey's head, and prepare it for travel to Winterfell, where it would be presented to his mother.
Within moments, the head was removed, and Aegon instructed the rest of Joffrey's remains to be taken and fed to the beasts. No honorable burial, no closure.
After a few moments, orcs had scooped away most of the pieces of Joffrey and carried them out of the Throne Room leaving nothing but blood behind.
"The time for blood has not yet ended. Today, the fate of house Lannister will be decided." Aegon declared as the chained Lannisters were brought forward and forced to their knees before Aegon.
Before him sat almost two dozen people. Ranging in ages, the youngest being a seven year old boy, and the eldest being a man in his late fifties.
"I am not without mercy, I will not condemn children needlessly, so for the children amongst you, I will spare your lives." Aegon decreed, motioning for the three youngest members of the group to be removed from the lineup. The three, a boy and two girls were brought over to the side, away from the older members of the family.
"These three children will be split up and kept as wards of responsible houses. Until such a time as I decide where to place them, they will be kept here in the Red Keep. See them out." Aegon commanded, having the three children removed from the room.
"My Lords and Ladies, here today I proclaim the end to House Lannister as it was once known. In this, I sentence all remaining members of the house, to death." Aegon declared, earning cries from several of the captured Lannisters, and begs for mercy from others.
Aegon held true to his word and remained unmoved as a figure was dragged into the room, bound in chains. The cries of the Lannisters quickly died out as the figure was brought before them and held in place by four uruks.
The figure's eyes were locked on the floor, beneath it's feet where pools of Joffrey's blood remained. Heavy breathing could be heard as it seemed enthralled by the sight.
No one recognized the figure at first, not until Aegon spoke his name.
"Tywin Lannister." Aegon named the figure, causing gasps to rip through the crowd.
The one proud lion had been changed. What stood before them, could hardly be described as a man.
With skin a sickly pale, and black eyes with blood red irises, the once great lord was a terrifying sight to behold.
He seemed utterly enthralled by the sight of blood on the floor, and with a wave of his hand, Aegon commanded the uruks to release his chains, freeing him. The moment they did, he fell to the floor, his eyes locked onto the pools of crimson fluid.
Slowly, he lowered his face to the floor, and to the horror of all watching his mouth opened, revealing sharpened, elongated teeth. He stuck out his tongue and ran it through the bloody pool, lapping at the blood like a dog would from a water dish.
The room was utterly silent as repeated the action once than twice.
"Tywin Lannister… as punishment for you crimes, for all of the deaths you've caused, for ordering the murder of my half-siblings Aegon and Rhaenys, I hereby sentence you to the foulest of curses. On this, you shall become a kin-slayer." Aegon declared with such coldness, that the room itself seemed to chill at his words.
Slowly, Tywin lifted his head, despite the monstrous look in his eyes, a human reaction reflected in them.
"No…" Tywin groaned, as he began to shake.
"Begin." Aegon ordered with icy cruelty.
In unison, those that held the captive Lannisters drew blades and placed them to the flesh of their captives. Cries of pain were heard as deep, bleeding cuts were made causing fresh life fluid to leak out from their wounds.
The moment blood was freed, Tywin's eyes turned to his family members.
He began shaking, as if fighting to resist some unnatural urge. The orcish captors shoved their captives forward and stood back.
Tywin stared at his family members for several long moments, waging an internal battle with himself. Aegon watched as the lord of House Lannister fought with every ounce of his will to resist what was about to happen. With a cruel smile, Aegon directed his will towards the ring that Tywin now wore. The One Ring began to glow as Aegon whispered a mental command deep into Tywin's psyche.
Like a bolt of lightning igniting dry brush, Tywin seized, his back arching as he let out a terrifying hiss.
Many onlookers could only watch, enraptured by the beastly sight, as suddenly Tywin shot to his feet and lurched forward.
His movements were impossibly fast, almost a blur to most eyes.
He was suddenly on one of his family members, seizing the man by the head and shoulder. With a flashing of teeth, Tywin bit hard into the man's shoulder.
Blood erupted from the wound, and people watched in horror as Tywin Lannister committed two of the chiefest of cardinal sins in the world. Kinslaying, and cannibalism.
As the first death was carried out, orcs guards in the room had moved forward to the front of the crowd forming a barrier between the onlookers, the prisoners, and the monster they were now trapped with.
Soon many of the Lannisters were on their feet, running for their lives.
Tywin released his first captive and shot towards the next, tackling a woman to the ground and biting into her neck. Her screams died out after several seconds, her skin going pale as the blood was drained from her.
The terrified prisoners were held at bay by the orcish guards, several made a run for the iron throne, but they were halted by the Nine who stood guard around the base of the throne. Shoved back or beaten the condemned prisoners were forced to face their deaths at the hands of their patriarch.
Tywin's actions became faster, and faster. Biting and tearing he shot through the crowd of prisoners in a bloodlust of such fury it was almost otherworldly. Blood and limbs filled the air as one by one, the members of house Lannister were torn apart.
The blood letting lasted many minutes, and it was one of the most gruesome sights many had ever laid eyes upon.
By it's end, Tywin was left sitting on his knees before the body of one of his cousins, staring down at the corpse, broken and defeated. Blood soaked his entire body, to the point where it almost appeared black.
Dark crimson pools now covered the floor, dyeing the stone red.
Aegon stepped down from the Iron Throne at the completion of the twisted act, stepping past the Nine, who remained in place, save for the Witch King who followed his master, the two arriving before Tywin.
"Everything you did, was for the good of your house. All for House Lannister. You betrayed my family, my grandfather, you tried to destroy this city, you murdered my family's subjects, you murdered my brother and sister and their mother. All for your own pride, all for house Lannister. Now it has all but died at your hands." Aegon said to the defeated creature, who no longer stood as a man.
Slowly, Tywin raised his gaze to Aegon, and to those watching, and could see his face, they were left stunned by the sight. Bloody tears fell from Tywin's eyes, and a look of such utter defeat dwelled there. He looked destroyed devastated beyond measure. Broken down to his most basic parts.
Aegon stared down at him for several moments before glancing over at the Martells. Doran and Oberyn were both completely enthralled by what they were seeing. The man they both despised beyond measure had been completely broken, shattered down to nothing. The great Tywin Lannister, reduced to a weeping mess, before the eyes of almost every great lord of Westeros.
Neither of them could have possibly asked for more, from the man's punishment. This was more than death, this was more than torture, here and now, everything in Tywin's life, every act he had perpetrated, everything he had done for the good of his family, had all been destroyed by his own hands. The Lannisters were nothing, any longer, and Tywin Lannister, would no longer be known as the Proud Lion, but instead, as a sickly and twisted monster. A blood drinker, a cannibal, and a kinslayer. He was now the monster, everyone knew he was, and nothing could hide it any longer.
This was a justice that went beyond what either brother could have hoped for.
Aegon slowly allowed his gaze to circle the room, falling upon many a lord and lady all around him. There was so much fear and terror in the room, one of the greatest figures in Westeros had been turned into a monster, and had killed his own family at the orders of King Aegon.
That was power, none of them could match. His eyes finally made it to Lilith, and with a smirk and a small nod, Aegon drove the point home.
"From this day forward, you will serve me and only me. Tywin Lannister, is dead. Arise, from his death. Emerge from the corpse of the Lion, as your true self. Here today, I name thee, Orepheus, the Nightwalker. Swear yourself to me, and arise, my lord." Aegon commanded, silence permeated the room, as everyone watched with disbelief.
"I will… serve you… King Aegon. I will serve…" The newly named vampire declared, broken, and hopeless to refuse.
"Arise, my lord. Arise and serve." Aegon declared with a smirk.
Orepheus rose to his feet, his head still bowed. All who looked upon the demon before them, saw it as thus. Tywin Lannister truly was dead. No one knew or understood what he had become, but the ruthless slaughter of his own family, and his submitting to Aegon, showed that he was no longer the Proud Lion of Lannister. What stood before them all, was something new, something terrifying.
"See Lord Orepheus to a bath, and some proper clothes, his service begins on the morrow, and I would like him presentable." Aegon instructed a cluster of orcs. The vampire was quietly led away, broken and defeated as it was, it went without question.
Aegon turned his gaze to those around him, seeing fear, and awe in the eyes his servants, and a proud gleaming smile upon Lilith's face.
"To you, my loyal subjects, know that your service and loyalty shall always be rewarded, and to all those who break from my confidence, and turn on me, death will be a mercy. This, is my wrath… Speak of it, if you wish, or do not. Remember, all of you, this is what happens when you command the death of a dragon, or a wolf. Remember it well, and teach it to your children. I will not hesitate to visit worse upon my enemies. As swiftly as I can heal your ruined bodies, I can as easily devastate you. This punishment, was a long time coming. This fate… will befall all who oppose me, oppose us. Stand with me, my lords and ladies, and together, we will build a new and better world. Stand against me, and I will see all that you know and love, turned to ashes before your very eyes." Aegon declared to them all. Making clear to his subjects, that he was all things. Hero, and monster. Healer and torturer. He was justice, and vengeance, and all who stood against him would beg for death before the end.
Those in the room who hated Tywin, could only stand in amazement at what had been done to him. The body remained, alive. But Tywin Lannister was dead. As dead as dead could be, as far as they could see.
Those who didn't hate Tywin were scared beyond their wits at the message on display. The king was a force of fear and awe, and to stand against him, was to call down the wrath of darkness upon yourself, and your house.
The Wolves of Winter stood in amazement of the devastation of house Lannister. The Boltons were beyond impressed with the wrath of their king, father and son realizing that their decision to side with Aegon had been the right one, for this would have been their fate, had they turned against the Starks. The Tullys saw now what they believed to be the darkest recesses of their King's mind. This was his wrath given form, to all those he considered enemies.
The Tyrells could only thank the gods that they'd turned away from the Lannisters when they did, otherwise their house could have been up there, alongside the Lannisters, facing similar devastation. The downfall of what had once been the most feared man in Westeros, was a sight that would never be forgotten.
The Martells were awed by the devastation. Tales of Tywin's collapse into a beast, would be spoken of for generations to come. He was worse than dead, ruined beyond measure. They couldn't have dreamed of worse for the man who had once considered himself the head of the greatest house in all the lands.
Tauriel stood with closed eyes and unshed tears. The terrifying slaughter on display had shaken her to her core. Bit by bit, she found her hope slipping away. What manner of beast had that man become? What new horror had been added to the Dark Lords' arsenal? She didn't know, but the nightmares would haunt her for many days to come.
Petyr Baelish watched with a sinking gut, and a calculating gaze. That should have been him. That fate, that suffering. He knew of his crimes, and he knew that Aegon knew of it. Yet here he stood, by the King's side, as one of his appointed advisers. For the first time in a long time, Littlefinger doubted himself, doubted his own skills. Who was this new player in the great game? Who was this Aegon Targaryen? This wrath was beyond the measure of anything that had come before. The Great Game had changed, of that much, he was certain.
Lilith strolled across the pond of blood and mangled corpses, her bare feet blackening as blood covered them. She moved with unmatched elegance, approaching Aegon. She stood by his side, the two sharing a glance with one another, both smirked at the other before Aegon raised his hand and gazed down at the One Ring. Lilith's eyes followed his gaze, trailing over the Ring of Power, as the elven inscription upon it burned brightly.
Aegon's gaze was filled with reference, and finally, he clutched his hand into a fist, and shared one more glance with Lilith. The two then turned to the surrounding lords and ladies of Westeros. "Shall we begin?" Lilith inquired.
"Yes… let's begin." Aegon answered back, both of their eyes glowing with hellish flames, as they gazed out at the crowd. This land was theirs now, and no force could hope to resist their will or might.
Westeros now belonged to the Dark Lords, a new age was about to begin.
-Elsewhere in Pentos, around the same time-
"I've made contact with the Griffin. He says the boy and the Golden Company are ready to start moving." Illyrio Mopatis stated to Varys as the two stood in his office within Illyrio's estate in Pentos.
"Things are not looking well in Westeros. We need to make contact with Daenerys and form an alliance with her immediately. If we want any chance of surviving. The Dragon-Wolf will no doubt be sending agents after out into the east in search of the Lannisters, and that'll eventually lead to whispers about the boy, reaching him. He isn't ready yet, and the arise of this new threat, had put us in bind. We cannot trust that the houses of Westeros will bend the knee when the boy marches on the continent. We need an alliance with Daenerys, we need her dragons, there's no other way." Varys responded.
"What was the most recent news you've heard?" Illyrio inquired.
"The Capitol has fallen. Tywin Lannister and Joffrey were captured. That was the most recent song I've heard but none have come recently. I fear that none will for a time." Varys replied, turning his gaze off to something in the distance.
"I see. I'll contact Griff and let him know that plans need to be changed. What of the Lannisters, what do you plan on doing with them?" Illyrio asked.
"I'll try and convince Tyrion to join me in my travels to Meereen, he has a clever mind for politics and strategy and he could prove quite useful to us. As for the rest, their names could prove useful, in the right circles, though they may also be useful bargaining chips, if offered to Daenerys. I'll try and convince them to come with me to seek her out." Varys responded, giving his old friend a look.
"Have you heard the rumors about the company she keeps? I've heard whispers that the Mother of Dragons has a sorcerer in her charge. An old man, with a keen mind, and magical powers. Whispers I've heard says he's aided her in hunting down the Sons of the Harpy, and he's done a very good job in catching them." Illyrio asked, his tone lowering. His questioned earned a sigh from Varys, who again stared off.
"I had heard such rumors. Despite my feelings, perhaps such things will be needed if we are to succeed. Aegon has a sorceress of his own, so we'll need something as well to counter her." Varys admitted in response, Illyrio nodding at his words.
"I'd heard another rumor as well. This one stretches back a bit, and I hadn't thought to mention it until now. Over two weeks ago, I heard tale of kraken sails being spotted off the coast of Essos. Sailors whispered of ships heading east, a lot of them." Illyrio offered.
"That does not bode well. We should hurry, time is of the essence. If they were headed where I fear they were, they may have already reached her by now." Varys declared, earning a nod from his friend. The two quickly set about their tasks, they needed to get ahead of this situation and find proper footing, otherwise everything they were working towards would slip through their fingers.
-Meereen, two days later-
"Focus." Rómestámo instructed to Daenerys. The young Queen sat on a balcony overlooking all of Meereen. She had her hands cupped before her, and nestled between them was a small flame. A tiny fire burned there and was very slowly growing in size.
"That's it, you're getting it." The Blue Wizard encouraged her. Daenerys face scrunched as the flame grew even larger before suddenly evaporating.
Daenerys opened her eyes and stared at her empty hands. Looking over her shoulder was Missandei, whom offered her a reassuring look as Daenerys eyes started to twitch and she suddenly took in a deep breath to hide her embarrassment.
"You're doing much better today my queen. You made it last a very long time." Missandei offered as reassurance to her queen.
"Thank you, I appreciate your kindness." Daenerys replied, trying not to let her annoyance show.
"You are improving. In only a few short months you are already actively displaying magic. I've seen others take years to make it to the level you're at. Do not despair, you are making progress, and that's all that matters." Rómestámo offered as well.
"I know. I just wish this was a bit easier. I know I'm making progress, but it hard to see it sometimes." Daenerys responded with a sigh.
"Nothing worth doing is ever easy. Keep at it, and soon, who knows what powers you will command." The wizard noted, sagely.
A knock was heard, and Daario entered the room.
"What is it?" Daenerys asked, glancing back at him.
"Kraken Sails have appeared in the harbor. A large fleet. One of the ships is headed into port, looking to dock. I think someone wants to talk to you." He informed her. Daenerys shared a glance with the wizard before rising to her feet, and heading towards her throne room.
Within minutes her guards were gathered, as were her advisers. Ser Barristan was by her side, whispering to her to be cautious of the Ironborn, as a woman was led into the chamber by the second sons.
"You stand before Queen Daenerys Targaryen…" Missandei began to announce her queen when she was suddenly and boldly interrupted by the woman.
"I know who I'm here to see! I am Yara Greyjoy, Queen of the Iron Islands. We can spit titles at one another later. I've come to form an alliance with the Dragon Queen." The now revealed Yara Greyjoy declared.
"Queen of the Iron Islands? Does that mean Lord Balon is dead?" Ser Barristan inquired.
"Yes. Murdered by my uncle, Euron Greyjoy. The mad monster, murdered my father, and stole the Iron Throne from me. So I stole the Iron Fleet. Given hows I want my throne back, I'm gonna have to kill him. But given who he's gonna ally with, I gonna need friends of my own. And you're gonna need a fleet, and a decent commander at sea." Yara responded, staring up at Daenerys, speaking to her the whole time as she answered Ser Barristan's question.
You've come to me offering a fleet, and you're asking I help you take back the Iron Islands?" Daenerys clarified.
"And in exchange, I'll help you beat back the Dragon-Wolf, when you march on Westeros." Yara affirmed.
"The… Dragon-Wolf?" Daenerys replied with a confused look. Glancing at Ser Barristan and earning a shrug from the man.
Yara's cold demeanor broke at this, and her eyes widened.
"Wait… you haven't heard?" She asked, disbelief filling her voice.
"Heard what?" Daenerys asked.
"About the Dragon-Wolf, about… your nephew…" Yara answered, blinking several times.
Daenerys stared back at her for a moment, digesting that answer. After several long moments of confusion she finally spoke. "What?"
"The Queen's nephew is dead. Aegon Targaryen was murdered by the Mountain." Ser Barristan stated, eyeing the Ironborn Queen with equal confusion to his queen.
"Not the babe mothered by Elia Martell. I'm talking about the child born of Rhaegar Targaryen and Lyanna Stark. The child was named Aegon, I guess after the other Aegon died. The child was raised by Eddard Stark, hidden as his bastard. The people call him the Dragon-Wolf." Yara countered, causing both of their eyes to go wide.
Daenerys stared down at the woman, than glanced at Ser Barristan who turned away for a moment, taking in a deep breath, before glancing back at her.
"What? What is it?" She asked him.
"I… I remember the boy. I saw him while we were at Winterfell. He looked so much like a Stark… I never would have… but they're claiming he was Rhaegar's…?" Barristan responded, recalling how he'd seen the boy so long ago, and even heard him singing, and how song had reminded him of Rhaegar.
"I don't understand…" Daenerys said.
"The boy. Eddard Stark brought a baby home from the war, from Robert's Rebellion. He claimed the boy was his bastard son. The child had Stark coloring, dark hair, gray eyes. I never would have guessed it. He looked so much like his father. But now that I think about it… he actually looks more like his mother, more like Lyanna. If what she says is true, than that boy is Rhaegar's son with Lyanna Stark." Barristan explained.
"You said you'd help me fight him… why would I fight my own blood?" Daenerys turned the question towards Yara.
"I thought…. I thought you knew, I… I didn't… The man has to be stopped. He commands an army of flesh eating monsters, I've seen them with my own eyes." Yara declared.
"Monsters… what kind of monsters?" Rómestámo asked.
"Vicious, sickly creatures. They came down from the North, led by the Dragon-Wolf. Word I hear is he found a sorceress in the Far North, far beyond the Wall. And she had at her back a massive army of creatures… Dark-skinned beast, with blotchy skin. Bow-legged stance, sharp teeth, and an appetite for human flesh. I've seen them, hell I've fought them, blood as black as the abyss, and it stinks like rotten meat." Yara described, causing Daenerys to pale, and Rómestámo's eyes to widen.
"Orcs…" Daenerys muttered worriedly.
"I need to hear what this woman has to say." Rómestámo whispered to Daenerys.
"As do I." Daenerys agreed. Her gut sinking as she realized something terrible was happening, right this moment.
Yara was commanded to join them in the council chamber to talk, as they all made their way over to the chamber, Rómestámo felt fear boil in his belly. Is this woman was an Ironborn, that meant that she was from Westeros and had faced orcs there. Meaning Rómestámo's fear were correct. Months ago when he had felt a swell of darkness boil across the earth, it had come from Westeros. The Balrog expressing it's power in Valyria had indeed been a distraction.
That thought deeply concerned him. If the Balrog was acting as a distraction for him, than what the hell was in the West that it was protecting. 'A sorceress…?' What could that mean?
Rómestámo needed to hear what the woman had to say. He had to know what he'd been missing. Something far more terrifying was at play here, something beyond what he'd previously imagined.
-To Be Continued-
Hope you all enjoyed, here's my responses to your reviews.
The Dark Revan: Thank you.
Nerf585: I can understand that, it was an interesting concept. I still look back on it from time to time. I haven't permanently discontinued it, otherwise I'd have put it up for adoption, but I haven't found that spark to get back into writing it.
38Solaire38: Thanks, hope you enjoyed Joffrey's fate.
Jedi7000nathan: Yeah Jaime was sent with Tommen, he was told that Joffrey and Tywin would be on those ships, but Tywin lied to him, knowing Jaime would do something stupid like tell Cercei or choose to stay behind and fight in the battle, getting himself killed, so Tywin sent him away to guard the new king, Tommen.
David Daniel B: Will definitely be interesting to see.
Ezylryb: Hope you enjoyed it.
Dscot: Hope you enjoyed the fate of many of the Lannisters. :)
asonia99: Yep, plenty of it. Now that they have the continent, the two dark lords can use all of their knowledge of modern history, as well as secrets learned during their time as Ainur, to build a more incredible kingdom.
Iamjmph01: hope you didn't have to wait to long.
Yuki1781: Thanks!
Valkorion510: Thank you very much.
ShadeslayerX: I think Jaime got it. Olenna mentions him having it, at least in the show, he has it when he takes Highgarden. Don't know about the books.
Wolftamer96: We'll definitely be seeing more Black Númenóreans as the story progresses.
Keylerbrito17: Thanks.
Rrr: Hope you enjoyed everything, had plans for Tywin for a while, hope you liked his fate. Thanks you some of the cool ideas. Yeah, we'll get to enjoy the events following the Shadow of Mordor/War games soon.
AvidReader2425: Hope both updates were enjoyable.
LongSelfindulgentReviews: I did, I most definitely did.
Trinity seven: Yep, Pycelle is a traitor, though he was sent east with Tommen. He may be a coward, but Tywin knows he's a skilled maester, and they could use someone with his knowledge.
Loke13: Thanks
SGArkosfan: Hope you enjoyed.
Guest: Hope it was worth the wait.
Naruto: Thanks.
Scarlet Nerd: Thanks, so happy you enjoyed it.
NiroWhoCares: True, they don't need heirs. Children aren't meant to be heirs, but more so powerful tools, as any child of the two would be a god-like entity that will aid them in taking on the Maiar and Valar, that's at least how they view children.
Crimsonblade257: Hope you enjoyed Joffrey's fate. I certainly did.
Light Lord Cybergate: Hope my explanation made sense, it was definitely something I thought about, but didn't know how to address it during the last chapter, so I made sure to settle it in this one. Hope you enjoy.
