Fate was a fickle thing. Sometimes it will fuck you outright. And sometimes it will perform a little foreplay to create a sense of security before destroying the concept of a happily ever after. Such was the fate of the heroes who fought of the night. They had thought they won, that humanity could flourish once more. They were wrong. Prophecies were spoken to fulfil, there were rare cases of those changing. Their victory and the way it happened was not one of those instances. It was what had led to their current predicament.
The corridor was long, dark and cold. They didn't know where it led, nor did they know how they had come here. All they knew was that they needed to reach the other side. The dark corridor led to a dimly lit room.
"Where is this?"
"Ned! Is that you?" a tall man rushed over to the source of the voice and embraced the boy who he thought was his brother.
"Ack! Let me go you giant of a man!" A Dornish snarl made the man let go and squint down at him.
"Where in The Seven Fucking Hells are we?!" roared another giant of a man.
"Allow me to explain that."
They all turned in unison, towards the front of the room, where a wall was dimly lit. Before it was a figure, sat on something none of them was quite exactly familiar with. The figure was revealed to be a man no older than two and twenty. On his head was a mop of thick auburn hair, and deep blue eyes. He wore a simple tunic and fur over it.
"Who are you?" the oldest of the Starks questioned, his grey eyes narrowing dangerously on the youth.
"A friend" the man assured him. "My name is Raven and I have summoned you all here to remedy a mistake that I made, a mistake that cost me the lives of everyone important to me."
"You brought us here?" the oldest lion spoke, a scoff following his words.
"I did" Raven answered simply, voice void of any emotions. "I will show you the future. I will show you what happens after the decisions you have made at The Tourney of Harrenhal. None of you will be able to leave until you are done with what I have to show you."
"How did you manage to bring us here? Where even is here? And the future? Are you toying with us?" the younger lion asked, the smugness in his tone making two men roll their eyes.
"You are not physically here. In the past, there exists an incarnation of me. With his help, I have drawn your minds into this realm between the living and the dead, the realm of dreams and nightmares. Time will not pass while you are here, and when you return you will find your days starting normally."
"This is ridiculous" muttered the old lion. He turned to leave and found the pathway gone as if it never existed.
"I told you" the man spoke, "you will only be able to leave once you are done with what I have to show you."
"What are you?" asked a red-haired femme, fear clear in her voice.
"Someone who is trying to make things right," Raven asked, for a moment his cold void eyes going soft and glassy. But that soon faded back to the cold and void. "I would like for all of you to be seated. Sit as you wish but introduce one another before you begin."
"Well since we have no choice" spoke a young man, "My name is Oberyn Martell. This is my brother Doran and my sister Elia."
"Rhaegar Targaryen. My mother, The Queen Rhaella Targaryen."
"Olenna Tyrell."
"Tywin Lannister, Lord of Casterly Rock and Warden of The West. My son, Ser Jaime Lannister."
"Ser Barristan Selmy of The Kingsguard."
"Robert Baratheon, Lord of Storm's End and Lord Paramount of The Stormlands. This is my brother Stannis."
"Ser Arthur Dayne of The Kingsguard. This is my sister Ashara."
"Jon Arryn, Lord of The Eyrie and Warden of The East."
"Hoster Tully, Lord of Riverrun and Lord Paramount of The Trident. These are my children, Catelyn my eldest and Edmure my youngest."
"Rickard Stark, Lord of Winterfell and Warden of The North. These are mine, my eldest Brandon, my second eldest Eddard and my only daughter Lyanna."
"Interesting" Rhaegar thought. The selected people were not just any people. The Wardens and the mother of another Warden who ruled through her son, the Lord Paramounts. All of these were important people, powerful people that could turn the tides for when Rhaegar would decide to overthrow his father. He looked at Raven and he saw the man staring at him.
"Sit" Raven spoke and the gathered people took their seats, each sitting with their family. Ned sat in between Lyanna and Robert, having a feeling that he should be between them. He couldn't explain why exactly. "Now the viewing will begin" Raven stated. The wall that was glowing mildly became a little brighter and slowly a scene came into focus.