Darkness Reborn

by I LIKE FEAR 1-2

The wrath of shadow has been reborn. The true Lord of all Darkness has returned to the world, and her greatest servant has returned to her. United by blood, and wrath, the twin shadows shall herald the end of creation. Hail Sauron, the master of Death. Hail Lilith, the lord of Fire, Shadow, and Winter. Evil fem/Morgoth, Evil Jon/Sauron. harem, death, deception, war.

28. Chapter 28

Time for the next chapter, this one took quite a bit of time to make for a number of reasons. Some in life reasons like being busy at work, and then getting a serious sinus infection that I'm still dealing with a cough, but also because this happens to be the hardest part of the story for me to write, and that's the start of a new arc. We're about done with major events in Westeros, so it's time to set up stuff in other lands, so it takes alot of setup and I find it difficult to do in the middle of the story, it's easier at the start, but in the middle of the story it becomes more difficult for some reason. Thankfully next chapter we can start moving into Shadow series stuff, and enjoy a bit of time away from Westeros. Can't wait, until then, I'm still interested in setting up a discord for this story and Broken Angel. I'll let you guys know whether i decide to go through with it or not.

Darkness Reborn

Chapter 28: Revived

-Valinor, Middle Earth-

"Albus… is that you?" Remus Lupin asked, blinking in disbelief at the form of a man he knew to be dead.

"Yes, my old friend. Ah, but allow me to offer you all proper attire, and a more reasonable venue." Dumbledore responded, waving his hand, causing the white expanse to shift into the familiar form of the Hogwarts Great Hall. At the same time, black robes materialized over the bodies of James, Sirius, Remus, and Lily. Even James' glasses appeared on his face. The quartet blinked several times, glancing around at their surroundings and each other.

"James, Lily, is that really you?" Sirius asked, as his eyes settled on them.

"Sirius… I… I think so. You look… different…" James replied, taking note that Sirius was noticeable paler and a bit more haggard than he remembered him being. Older too. James and Lily both noticed the same with Remus.

"I guess this means we've all finally been reunited." Remus noted, turning his gaze back to Dumbledore, whom offered him a kindly smile.

"You both…? And… you as well, Albus?" Lily asked, recognizing what Remus did.

"We're dead. We're all dead." James stated, blinking several times and running a hand through his hair.

"Ah, you were. Not anymore." Albus offered quickly, drawing all four's attention to him.

"What do you mean? Dumbledore, where are we? What's going on?" Remus asked.

"As you may have surmised, you all have passed on. Or I should say, you all 'had' passed on. Lily and James died on that night in Godric's Hallow protecting Harry and Sophia. Sirius fell through the Veil of Death, and Remus died defending Hogwarts in the final battle against Voldemort." Dumbledore offered to them, earning sorrowful looks from James and Lily, whom turned their eyes to their friends, who in turn, shared with them an acknowledgment of their solemn sacrifice.

"You say we had passed on. Are we alive now, how is that possible?" Lily questioned after several moments.

"Yes, my dear. You are alive. You have been brought back, at my request, to aid the powers that be against a terrible foe." Dumbledore responded to her, earning their full attention once more.

"What do you mean, Albus? What foe? Who brought us back?" James spoke, sharing a confused glance with his wife.

"Allow me to explain in full. That way, you have a better time grasping the whole situation. Please, come have a seat." Albus gestured to the Gryffindor table, leading the four to sit with him. James and Lily sat across from him, while Remus and Sirius sat on either side of the old headmaster.

"A lot of time has passed." Albus began, once everyone was seated.

"The world that you once knew, came, and it went. Where we are now, is a new place, a new world. The powers that be, the beings that created this world, are the ones who brought the four of you back. They brought me here as well, long ago. I have called this wonderful place my home for longer than you can imagine. The Valar, these mighty beings are called. They created this world, and rule over it. Their servants, helpers, people, are the Maiar. If it helps, imagine the Valar as gods, like those of the old Greek or Roman pantheons, and the Maiar are lesser but still mighty beings, that fit into varying categories, but it's easiest to simply imagine them as angels. Though calling them demi-gods would not be wholly inaccurate, just less close to reality as the Maiar hold no familial connection to the Valar. The place we're in now is Valinor, the Undying Lands. Home of the Valar, and the Maiar, and the Elves." Dumbledore began his explanation of where they were and who had brought them here.

Instantly, all four of them were dumbfounded.

"Why were we brought here? What reason could these 'gods' have for bringing the four of us here?" Lily asked, not able to grasp why beings of such power would care about four humans.

"Well, because I asked them too. Or more specifically, suggested. They have a problem, a problem, I worry was drudged up from our world. A problem that connects the five of us. I suggested the four of you be brought back as a means of ascertaining if this problem is as I fear it to be." Dumbledore answered.

"So, what's the problem?" Sirius questioned.

"Sophia." Dumbledore responded, sighing tiredly as he did.

"Sophia? What does she have to do with this? Is she here? How?" James asked, sharing a worried glance with Lily.

"Do you know what a horcrux is?" Dumbledore asked. James and Lily both shook their heads while Sirius paled, and Remus let out a breath.

"I do. Nasty bit of magic. Splitting one's soul. Staves off death, supposedly." Sirius answered, Dumbledore nodding in agreement with his simple explanation.

"Voldemort, sought to create a number of Horcruxes in order to grant himself immortality. It was how he survived the rebounding of his curse that night all those years ago. You see, Lily, your spell, your sacrifice, it worked. Voldemort's curse rebounded onto him when he tried to kill the twins. It destroyed his body, but because he already had several Horcruxes created, it allowed him to survive. What we didn't know at the time, what we wouldn't know for many years, was that when his body was destroyed, his soul split once more. Actually, it split twice. With two of the fragments latching onto the nearest living things they could find. Namely Harry, and Sophia." Dumbledore explained, causing dread to wash over all four of them. Despite knowing of the Twin's search for the Voldemort's Horcruxes, Remus didn't know that the twins had also been made into them.

"The only way to stop Voldemort was to destroy each and every Horcrux. Harry and Sophia, and some of Harry's close friends hunted down and destroyed them, one by one. Until only Harry, Sophia, and the last Horcrux, Voldemort's familiar remained. At the time, no one knew that Harry or Sophia were Horcruxes. In fact, I had my suspicions about Harry, but I never would have guessed that Sophia also had a fragment of the dark lord inside of her. You see, Harry could see into Voldemort's mind, he could talk to snakes, just like Voldemort could. I strongly suspected that he too was a Horcrux, but I never had any proof and never had the means to test my theory. I left my suspicions with Severus, who thankfully passed them on to Harry before his passing. Harry was able to confirm it, and thus, went to the dark lord, and met his end at Voldemort's hands." Dumbledore continued to story, gaining further despair from the four, and even tears from James and Lily as they learned of their son's death.

"Thankfully, as I had hoped, only one soul was required to pass on. When Harry was struck down, it was with the Killing Curse, and it was Voldemort's soul that was banished into death, allowing Harry to survive. Not long afterwards, what everyone thought was the last Horcrux, in Voldemort's familiar was destroyed. And with that, Harry struck down the Dark Lord, ending Voldemort." Dumbledore quickly went on causing the four to smile, but before it could last too long, Lily quickly questioned him.

"What about Sophia? What became of her?"

"For a time, nothing. For a time, everything seemed well. The world was freed from Voldemort's darkness. A time of healing and renewal had begun. It wasn't to last, however. Unseen to all, Sophia Potter began to display signs of a very disturbing nature. She began to seek knowledge in the Dark Arts, began to separate herself more and more from her friends, and family. By the time the realization settled in, that she too, could be a Horcrux, it was already too late. To this day, I am uncertain of just how much influence Voldemort had over her. Whether he possessed her entirely, or whether it was his darkness that warped her into the evil that would bring about the ruination of the world. Ultimately, the answer never came. Sophia Potter took on the title of Lilith and became the new Dark Lord. Her darkness spread across the world, until nothing was left. In a final desperate battle, Harry faced off against his beloved twin sister, and defeated her, but it was too late. The world was left shattered by her evil power. There was nothing left. The whole of the Earth was ruined. It stands now as a gray waste. A timeless crag. Nothing lives, in what was once our world." Dumbledore answered her, earning devastated looks from the four. Lily sunk into James, and openly wept while Sirius stared off into the middle distance, a faraway look on his face. Remus simply hung his head and let out a sigh.

When it didn't look like James or Lily was going to ask for more Remus chose to speak up.

"What does Sophia have to do with this place?" Remus inquired.

"Everyone deserves a second chance. And with her death, I have assumed that what remained of Voldemort had been banished as well. When I was brought to this world, the beings who brought me here, used my knowledge and memories to draw forth the spirits of others. You see, I am not the only person brought to this new world. Sophia was brought here as well. Her power, and her abilities were unmatched so the one who brought me here, saw fit to give her a second chance. Now freed from Voldemort, I believed, we all believed that she could be rehabilitated. For a time, all was well. She was brought here and walked in this place. But… one day, something changed. She became vile and twisted once more. Perhaps it was the darkness that had so long infested her soul, perhaps it was the remnants of Voldemort's influence. She became the Dark Lord once more. A vile demon, known as Morgoth. She brought darkness to this world for many long years. The devastation she wrought was unimaginable. Thankfully, the forces of light were victorious and managed to defeat her and capture her. She was bound in chains and cast beyond the boundaries of this world. For a time, all that remained of her evil was her chief lieutenant. A fallen Maiar by the name of Sauron. He took up her mantle as the new dark lord and has reined in her absence. Now though, there are strange stirrings in the darkest parts of the world. Movements that had not been foreseen, actions that the Dark Lord has taken, that disturb all of us. We worry, that Morgoth has returned. Even more so, that she may have regained her memories. You see, when she was brought to this world, it was like as a newborn. A fresh start, free from the horrors of her last life. Now the fear, is that she has escaped her prison, returned to the world, and carries full memory of her past with her." Dumbledore explained to the quartet.

"Say that's true, what are we supposed to do? If Sophia has grown so powerful that even these gods are worried about her, then the four of us aren't going to do anything more than annoy her. It's not like we can drag her back here or anything." James questioned, still trying to come to terms with what had happened to his daughter.

"Yes, in a fight, you four would not manage much. That isn't why you were brought back. I asked for you, specifically, so that you could help lure her out. If Sophia is back, and has her memories, then by seeing the four of you, she may choose to reveal herself directly to you, or have you captured and brought to her. Either way, offers an opportunity to capture her, and finally free her from this darkness once and for all. You see… when she was brought back, a mistake was made. We thought, I thought that with her death, Voldemort's soul fragment would have been banished freeing her from his evil. I thought that without her memories, she'd be free to start over, live a peaceful life. But I forgot something, I forgot something of supreme importance, that I believe, had I not overlooked, could have prevented this second fall into darkness." Dumbledore responded.

"What is it? What did you forget?" Lily questioned.

"Harry." Sirius spoke up, knowing immediately what Dumbledore was referring too. Remus smiled at that, and nodded in agreement, the two men earning curious and somewhat confused looks from the Potters.

"Yes, Harry. I should have asked them to bring Harry here too. He was always the light in her life. Always her friend. The two were inseparable during their childhood. They did everything together. Harry may have been the one to face the darkness, but he never did it alone. He always had his friends and most importantly, his twin sister there to support him. Sophia was always by his side, and always kept him safe. He was the light in her life, that made the darkness they endured bearable. Had he been here, I am certain that even without her memories, Sophia would have followed him on every adventure, intent on just experiencing life and all it's great wonders." Dumbledore admitted.

"He's right James, Lils, Harry and Sophia were absolutely inseparable. I didn't get to know them for very long. Thanks to that traitorous rat Pettigrew I ended up is Azkaban, but for the time I did get to spend with them, they were like two halves to the same coin. Always looked out for each other, always had each other's backs. Never once saw them argue, never once saw them clash. I swear, those two were always together. I even heard Harry sing to her once, can you believe that? Singing from a Potter! Must have come from Lily's side because I can't imagine anything like that coming from James' bloodline." Sirius added in, gathering a tearful smile from Lily, while James let out a chuckle.

Remus laughed as well at that, agreeing with Sirius' description of the twins.

"Singing? Really? Harry would sing to his sister?" Lily asked, trying hard to imagine something like that.

"Yeah. I only heard him do it once, and I think it was because he thought no one else was around. It was 'Marks, and the Fairday lady,' by the Cross-eyed Seekers. I swear, that boy… you never would have guessed it from him. Harry was always a shy lad, Sophia more so. Never would have thought him to be a singer. Honestly… those two… if you could get them going, playful as pygmies." Sirius added on, a smile on his face as he thought back on a time that, to him, felt so recent.

A long silence passed over the group for several moments before Remus finally asked.

"So, what is it you want us to do? What's the plan? You said there was a way to free Sophia from this evil, that you wanted us to lure her out, how do we do that?" He asked, bringing everyone back to the point of this whole situation.

"The powers that be, have devised a way to purge the evil that remains out of her soul. Freeing her from it. They've also agreed to my suggestion that Harry be brought back as well, to try and keep her from falling back into that darkness. They want her to have a second chance, a true second chance. What was given before was just, hopeful innocence, but this time, all will be fixed. In order to accomplish this though, we need to know where she is. A force is being prepared to go into the void and search for her. If she's still there, then she'll be brought here, and your help will be in trying to give her an attachment to the light once more. If she has escaped however, into the world, than I'm afraid I must ask you to place yourselves in mortal peril." Dumbledore explained.

"This is our daughter Dumbledore. Just tell us what we have to do to save her." Lily implored him, earning a smile form the old man as he gazed around at the other three. Seeing the same resolve mirrored in them, Dumbledore began to lay out his plans.

A large part of the old headmaster hoped that this was all for not, and that they'd locate Morgoth within the void, still bound and chained, but if worst came to worst, and she was free, then these four would reveal not only her existence, but the scope of that existence. If she saw them, she would no doubt make moves to retrieve them, interact with them, they would become some sort of focal point, even if at most she simply sought to destroy them. Her movements would reveal to him if more than just Morgoth had escaped from her prison. The idea that Lilith could be back was a thought that terrified him to his core.

He had no doubts in his mind that any plan to actually capture Morgoth would ultimately fail. In order for her to escape, she would have had to have undone the measures he put in place to limit her power. If she was back on Arda, then she would have her full power, plus the ability to regenerate any lost strength.

The scale of Morgoth's power had always been a mystery to him. Just like the other Valar he had granted her greater strength when he had made Sophia Potter into Melkor. Melkor, at her strongest, was still many hundreds of times greater than Lilith had been at the peak of her power. How the power difference came about was one thing that confused him. Melkor should have only been a bit stronger than the next most powerful Valar in Manwë. Instead, she was more powerful than all of the Valar combined. When he saw this, he immediately set limiters in place to prevent her from regenerating any spent power. The creation of the world took a great deal of her strength, and still she poured more into the world. Yet even when she became the Great Enemy, she still had more power than all the others.

It made no sense to Dumbledore, or as the Valar called him, Eru Illuvitar. He had achieved perfect results with each of the other Valar. They were exactly as powerful as he wanted them to be. So why was Melkor so freakishly strong? He simply couldn't find his mistake. Where had he gone wrong?

Without knowing the source of her unimaginable magical strength, he was left with nothing but fear at the idea of her breaking free from her chains. With her banishment to the void, he had hoped that she would become something else's problem. In the infinite expanse of the timeless void, she would remain trapped. Nothing would dare come near a being of her power, so there was little worry of any spirit freeing her from her chains. Long he had searched for a safe means of either destroying her or stripping her of her powers completely. Even after thousands of years, no answer was found.

The only way she could be free, is if somehow, she had regained her full power.

If she had her full power, and Lilith's memories, then he truly was in a grave position. The only thing he could do now was find out the truth, before she was ready for him. If he could discern, without a shadow of doubt that she was back, then he could begin working on any number of escape plans. He most certainly had plenty of those. There were also a few backup plans. Two that stood out most prominently as the ones most likely to work, though, that wasn't saying much. Though, deploying either of those plans, would be a serious gamble, and the effectiveness of either, was greatly diminished by the other. So, he'd have to wait, and then make the most intelligent move he could. No matter what happened, he had to ensure that Lilith never learned of the scope of his actions. That was a secret he had to protect.

So, he was left with no other choice than to once more, manipulate his old friends. He doubted they would survive, but he had to know, had to be sure. If she returned at her most dangerous, then all would fall before her. He had to be careful, he had to be.

"Alright, then let's begin…" The Old headmaster stated, his eyes twinkling in anticipation.

-Tantibus Arcis, Westeros-

"Hello, old friend." Annatar bade in greeting to the newly awakened Ser Arthur Dayne.

"Lord Annatar? What is this, where am I?" Ser Arthur responded groggily as he glanced around the darkened chambers before settling his eyes on the ancient friend to house Targaryen.

"You are in Tantibus Arcis. The seat of power for my master. I brought you here so that you may be healed of your injuries, suffered at the hands of Eddard Stark and his troop at the Tower of Joy. Do you remember that day?" Annatar responded.

Arthur sat quietly for several long moments, reflecting on that day so long ago. He blinked several times and put a hand to his throat. He vividly recalled the feeling of a blade passing through his neck from behind. He recalled the look of fear, uncertainty, and resolute acceptance as he stood over Eddard Stark after defeating him. How that look morphed into surprise, disbelief, and then shame, as the blade pierced Arthur's neck, and he fell to his knees.

He remembered Lord Eddard picking up Dawn and driving the blade into his heart. A hand quickly clutched at the covered flesh of his chest where he could keenly feel the pain of his weapon passing through his bones and heart like it was no more than cloth.

"I thought…" Ser Arthur began, raising his gaze back to Annatar.

"That you'd died? Very nearly, Ser Arthur. Very nearly. Had I not intervened, you would not be alive now. I brought you here and tended to your injuries these many long years. I saved your life." Annatar interjected, his gaze heavy, and piercing.

"Why? Why did you save me? Why me and not Ser Gerold? Why not save Prince Rhaegar then if you had the power to mend such injuries?" Arthur questioned him. The Sword of the Morning could vividly recall how his fellow knight fell in battle. And he remembered how they had learned of the death of their beloved prince and his own closest friend, at the hands of Robert Baratheon.

"Ser Gerold died instantly, you did not. As for prince Rhaegar… I was not there. Victory or defeat, fell on his shoulders, alone. If he won, it would have been his victory, and if he fell, his failure. Meeting Robert Baratheon on the waters of the Trident was his destiny. Even if I had been there, I would not have intervened. That was Rhaegar's destiny. The fate of the Rebellion fell on him. My purpose was clear, to ensure the continuity of the Targaryen dynasty. So I went to the Tower of Joy. Witnessed your defeat fighting Eddard Stark and Howland Reed. I used my magic to preserve you, keep you on the edge of life and death. Eddard took you to Starfall, along with Dawn. Your sister did not take your death overly well." Annatar said to him, slowly trailing the perimeter of the dark room, Arthur's gaze following him as he took in the mysterious wizard's words.

"My sister? Ashara? What… what happened?" Arthur asked, blinking in surprise.

"She threw herself from the Palestone Sword. Her grief consumed her. Be thankful that I was at Starfall collecting you when she tried to kill herself, otherwise I would not have been able to rescue her." Annatar answered with a heavy gaze.

"She lives?" Arthur pressed.

"She does. I brought her here, to have her injuries mended, just as yours were. She will awaken soon." Annatar returned, causing Arthur to let out a sigh and lower his gaze to his hands.

After several moments he lifted his eyes back to Annatar.

"Thank you, for that. I may not have always been so cordial with you, Lord Annatar, but… you have my thanks." Ser Arthur said to him, earning a soft smirk from the old lord.

"You offered wise council to our dearest Prince Rhaegar. You advised him to think on his actions, and question everything. You were trying to look out for your friend, and that is commendable, even if it put us at odds. In the end, we both wanted what was best for Prince Rhaegar. It may not mean much coming from me, but I know you and he were close. I am truly sorry for your loss. He would have been a good king." Annatar offered as an olive branch, knowing well enough that he had a rocky history with Ser Arthur. Arthur had never fully trusted the immortal, always questioning his motives, and it never sat right with him the interest he took in Rhaegar. Arthur was a very perceptive man, and he always held Rhaegar's safety as his highest priority.

"Know that I appreciate that. No point in dwelling on the past. Where are we exactly, how long have I been here? I'm assuming Lord Eddard took princess Lyanna and the babe back to Winterfell, are they safe?" Ser Arthur questioned him.

"We are at Tantibus Arcis. My master's fortress in the Lands of Always Winter, far beyond the Wall. It has been quite some time since I brought you and your sister here. You were both so close to death, and it took a great deal of time to heal your injuries. It's not an easy thing to pull someone back from the gates of the afterlife, even for one so gifted as myself. Just over twenty years it's been since that day, at the Tower of Joy." Annatar explained.

"Twenty years!" Arthur responded with shock, his eyes going wide.

"Yes. As I said, it was not easy to heal you. It took a great deal of time and effort to restore you to full health. You'll find that everything should work as well as it always did. Here in this place, so drowned in magic, I restored your bodies to full health. Not even time, could impede my work. Look in a mirror, you should see no difference." Annatar offered to him.

"The child?" Arthur began.

"Is a man now. Our king. I must offer my condolences yet again for princess Lyanna. She did not survive long after bringing our King into the world. She died, a few minutes after you fell. Her final act being to ensure her son was safe in Eddard Stark's hands. Lord Stark raised the boy as his bastard son. None, not even Lord Eddard's own wife knew the truth. Only the two men who were there, along with the nursemaid, knew the truth, and they kept that secret for many long years. Kept it from the likes of Robert Baratheon, and Tywin Lannister." Annatar informed him, settling the Kingsguards nerves.

"Is he safe? The boy? Does he know the truth?" Arthur asked him.

"Yes, as safe as he can be. But he is a king, his life will always be in danger. It is for that reason that I have worked so hard to save your life. He will need you, Arthur. He will need the Sword of the Morning. As for the truth, well… for many long years that truth was kept from him. He believed himself to be a bastard. A few years ago, he came to the Wall to explore. There he met a troop of my master's servants, and they brought him here at her command. She was the one who told him the truth, even used her magic to show him what happened that day, at the Tower of Joy so long ago." Annatar responded to his question.

"Your master? This woman, who is she? What interest has she in the King?" Arthur questioned him.

"An interest that began with Aegon the Conqueror. Long ago, Ser Arthur, I watched as the Targaryens fled the Doom. Many years passed before I finally approached them. The first Targaryen to actually meet me was Maegor, but our fates were intertwined long before he was born. My master foresaw the Targaryen conquest, and knew that one day, a Targaryen king would stand before her, and this king would help her fulfill her ambitions. My master desires to conquer all of the world. Now, thanks to our King, Aegon the Dragon-wolf, she has Westeros." Annatar explained to him.

Seeing Arthur's surprise, Annatar continued.

"Yes. After showing our king the truth of who he was, the two made a deal. My master, Lilith, would grant him command over her armies, and in exchange he would take her as his wife, and reclaim the Iron Throne. Very recently, King Aegon managed to retake the throne, and fulfill his oath, marrying my master, and making her Queen of Westeros. He holds the throne, and has been taught much of magic, and the power within his blood. He even has his own dragon, thanks to my master. He has reclaimed his family's throne, but soon, he must fulfill the rest of his oath to my master. Once their rule has been cemented here in Westeros, the two will march into the east, and they will not stop until they have brought this whole world to heel. He has many allies, but as it stands, he has no true protectors. A king needs a kingsguard. One of strength, skill, valor, and one unafraid to offer wise council. As I said, he needs you, Arthur." Annatar pressed, stepping forward to stand directly before the fallen knight.

Arthur stared up at him for several long moments, taking in all that he'd learned. After nearly a full minute, he climbed out of bed and stood before Annatar.

"Your master, she wanted the Targaryen name to take Westeros. Why then does she keep him around?" Arthur questioned, earning a smirk from Annatar.

Always the perceptive one, and never afraid to question that which appeared as odd, or suspicious. Ser Arthur Dayne was never one to mince words. Polite, and courteous, but he never just accepted things. If something confused him or seemed off, he would ask for information or clarification so that he could make the best judgment on the situation.

"Honestly, the power of his name and his blood was what led to her choosing him. However, after meeting him, let's just say that our dearest King Aegon has much of his father's charm. He seems to have won my master's heart in a way she never anticipated. A woman as cold as this icy realm of hers, with a wrath that burns hotter than the Seven Hells, and yet… I see her soften when she's with him. I see the ice give way to warmth, and the inferno die down. He loves her, truthfully. Just as his father loved princess Lyanna. I believe, truly, that she has come to love him. She wanted him as a tool to facilitate her ambitions, and instead found herself with someone she has come to adore. Watch them, and you will see what I've glimpsed. You always were an excellent judge of character." Annatar responded, chuckling to himself. Arthur took in his words, allowing the barest ghost of a smile to touch at his lips, when hearing of the comparison to his old friend.

"What is it you truly want, Lord Annatar? Surely, I was not your first choice as a guardian for the king. Despite my skills with a sword, the power of magic goes far beyond the abilities of a normal person. So why go through all the effort for me when you could have called upon any number of other servants?" Arthur asked, requiring further clarification for Annatar's actions.

"In truth, you are correct. If it had just been your skills, then I would have simply found others. My reasoning for you is more esoteric. I wish for our King to rise to heights, only ever dreamt of by mortal men. But I would have him do so with caution. I would ensure that each action taken, is taken deliberately and with forethought. Our king is wise, and surrounds himself with wise advisers, but none are so fearless as you when it comes to speaking the plain truth. There was a reason, despite your incredible skill that Aerys never wanted you around. Even in the face of a king's wrath you always spoke the truth as you saw it. I would have you by King Aegon's side, to speak with him when the weight of the future bares down on him. I would have your council for him, so that I needn't fear the false placation of those who only seek his approval, rather than what is best for him. You are a man who has never shied away from your duty. If you believe an action, or a path will endanger your charge, you will not hesitate to speak up. The future is full of danger, and I would have our King guarded by those whose sole duty is to the preservation of his life, not to his approval, or friendship, or the power that his position gives. Our king was raised by a man of honor, and is, in truth, an honorable man. But there is darkness in him. He is a wolf, and he is a dragon, and both beasts can be ill tempered at the best of times. I would not see this king's life ended for many long years. I may have had my reasons for coming to the Targaryens but I have grown fond of them, as I had grown fond of Prince Rhaegar. I trust that even after this, you are still the same man you've always been, and so you will always speak the plain truth to our king, and in doing so, ensure that he always sees the forest from the trees. I know you will not always be able to stop him from making mistakes or taking reckless action, but if your help can keep him alive just a little while longer, than there is hope for the future, and the glorious empire that he and my master will build. That is my reason Ser Arthur. That is why I saved you, saved your sister. I hope, if you believe nothing else, you can believe this." Annatar expressed to him, causing Arthur to take in a breath, and offer a nod of acceptance.

"Very well then. I swear that I will do what I must to keep our King safe from those who would bring him harm. Take me to my sister, I will speak with her, and we can then make for King's Landing. I suspect we'll have quite the trip ahead of us." Ser Arthur offered after a few moments of silence.

"Not quite. I'll have magical means of transportation prepared. We are in the Land of Always Winter, and travel is treacherous beyond the boundaries of the fortress. Come, I will bring you to Lady Ashara so that you may talk." Annatar said to him, gesturing towards the door.

The walk wasn't far. Arthur for his part, felt as fine as he did, at the Tower of Joy. Nothing felt off, nothing felt wrong. The scars were there, he could feel the scar on his neck, and the one on his chest, but they only hurt as an echo of pain, born only from memory. They arrived at another room where Ashara Dayne was slumbering.

As they entered the room, Arthur crossed its distance and sat on the side of the bed. He gently whispered to his sister, causing her to stir. Her violet eyes slowly drifted open, and she raised her head to look into her brother's eyes.

She stared at him, for many long moments. He offered her a soft smile, as tears began to build in her eyes.

Finally, she reached out to him, pulling him into an embrace, as she let out a sob.

"It is alright, dear sister. Everything is alright." Arthur whispered to her.

"Arthur, I had the most awful of dreams. I… I thought you were dead… I… I could not bear it. Eddard… lord Eddard, he had brought your body… it was so real…" Ashara cried to him.

Arthur allowed a sigh to escape his lips as his sister clung to him. Slowly, he peeled her away from her, and took hold of her face, allowing them to meet each other's gaze.

He stared at her for many long moments, before shaking his head and turning his gaze towards Annatar. After several moments, Ashara's gaze followed his, to find the Lord of Gifts standing at the entrance to the room.

"Lord Annatar, what are you doing here? W-wait… where are we?" Ashara asked as she finally took stock of the room, noticing that it was nothing like any room in Starfall. It was dark, and dreary. It held no warmth to it, almost like a dungeon.

"I brought you here after saving your life, lady Ashara. You very nearly died, thankfully I was there to save you, as I did your brother. And to answer your second question, you are in Tantibus Arcis, my master's Northern Fortress." Annatar answered, taking a step into the room as he did.

"You… saved me?" Ashara replied as she suddenly began to pale, her eyes returning to Arthur's.

The knight offered her a slow nod, his gaze piercing into her.

"Ashara…" Arthur began, but his sister let out another sob and pulled him into an embrace.

"I thought I had lost you. You were the only one who could understand. The only one who made it all bearable. Losing you, losing him, it was all too much. My heart could not take it. I'm sorry, Arthur. I'm so sorry." Ashara whispered to him.

Arthur let out another sigh as he held her.

"It's alright now, sister. We live. That is all that matters. We are alive. Take what comfort in that, that you can." He said to her, before pulled away, and rising to his feet. He offered her his hand, encouraging her to rise to her feet.

Slowly, she did so, her gaze returning to Annatar.

"Thank you, my lord. For saving me. For saving my brother. I… made a terrible mistake… I… thank you, for intervening on my behalf." Ashara offered to him.

"Think nothing of it, my lady. Come, we must prepare for our trip to King's Landing. There is much to do, and I would see you both away from this dreadful place." Annatar said to them.

Ashara blinked at him before turning her gaze to Arthur whom nodded.

He kept an arm around his sister as they walked out of the room, following just behind Annatar.

"We're going to King's Landing? I thought… I had heard that the capitol had fallen into the hands of the Rebels, that Robert Baratheon now sits the throne." Ashara said, earning a curious look from Arthur, whom then glanced at Annatar.

"It has been just over twenty years since your accident, Lady Ashara. Much has happened in that time. It took a lot to bring you two back from the brink of death. You'll find that the Stranger does not often relinquish those he has a grasp on." Annatar responded.

"Twenty years!?" Ashara gasped; her eyes wide. She glanced at her brother who offered a nod.

"I awoke mere moments ago, Ashara. I know less than even you about what's happened with the world." Arthur admitted.

"So then… why are we going to King's Landing?" Ashara asked after a few moments to collect herself.

"To meet with the King. The babe, that Lord Eddard brought to Starfall, the one he claimed was the child of the nursemaid… his bastard. That was a lie. That child was Rhaegar's and Lyanna's. His true name is Aegon Targaryen. After all this time, he had reclaimed his seat, and now sits the Iron Throne." Annatar replied.

Ashara's eyes went wide and that, and slowly, she began to pale.

"The child… was not his?" Ashara said in disbelief.

"No. he claimed the boy his bastard, for many years. Named him Jon Snow." Annatar offered, even though her words were not an actual question.

The trio arrived in a room, that was wide open and round. A large square table sat in the center, and on it, set several items. Annatar picked one up and began to whisper spells over it.

Arthur and Ashara stood together in the room for several long moments. A dim sound caught both of their ears, drawing their attention to a sealed window. The two ventured over to it and peered out of the glass. Neither could escape from their shock at what they could see below.

They were high up, a few hundred feet at least. Below them sat a vast expanse of walls, and towers and structures. Great pillars of steam rose up from the ground across the expanse of their gaze. Below dark figures moved in large quantities. Thousands of bodies busied themselves below in the dark, frozen expanse.

"This is the Land of Always Winter. Far beyond the Wall. The home of Annatar's master, our King's new Queen." Arthur spoke quietly to his sister, drawing her gaze to him.

He offered her a look before turning back to Annatar.

The old wizard had finished his work and was gazing at the two of them. He offered them his hand, allowing the two to cross the distance towards.

"This here, is a port-key. An object enchanted to be a medium that will allow us to be transported vast distances in only a few moments. You must be in contact for it to work. So, place your hand on the object and hold onto it. Trust that this will be somewhat unpleasant for your first time, but it will allow us to reach King's Landing without the need to travel for months." Annatar explained to the two, causing them to share a look.

Arthur was the first to let out a sigh before reaching and placing a hand onto the object, which happened to be a statuette of some kind.

Ashara followed moments afterwards, and once she was touching it, Annatar spoke the activation phrase. Ashara's cries filled the air as the trio was transported across the world. The world rushed past them as they were brought to their destination. Within moments they found the ground rushing up to their feet. Arthur was dropped to his hands and knees, his breathing unsteady and his eyes wide in disbelief while Ashara fell onto her butt, her whole-body trembling from fright.

Annatar stood over the two with an amused smile.

He let out a chuckle when Arthur lifted his gaze to the Lord of Gifts.

Slowly Arthur pulled himself to his feet, while Annatar offered a hand to Ashara who was still shaking as she stood up.

"That was…" Ashara stuttered.

"Let's never do that again…" Arthur groused.

"The King is out for a run, why don't we go and greet him." Annatar offered to the two, extending his free hand to Arthur.

This was actually something that Arthur was familiar with as he'd seen Annatar do it before. He could take someone's hand and disappear, transporting himself to another location. He'd done it with Rhaegar before, much to the Kingsguards ire.

Arthur took the old lord's hand and with a pop, Annatar apparated to the forest outside of King's Landing, taking Ashura and Arthur with him. The trio arrived in a clearing, Ashara once more letting out a shriek of surprise and fright pulling away from Annatar and glancing around in fear as tried to settle herself.

"Where are we?" Ashara asked after a few moments to collect herself.

"The King's Wood." Arthur responded, recognizing the path they were on.

"Yes, come. The King is ahead." Annatar said to them, striding forward.

Cautiously, the two followed after him. They traveled a bit deeper into the forest before coming to a halt at another clearing.

It was early in the morning, the sun was just cresting over the horizon bathing the forest in an eerie gray, while coloring the sky a majestic red and fiery orange. A low mist hung in the air, and soon a sound caught their ears as they stood in the clearing.

"What is that?" Ashura asked glancing around.

"The King's familiar." Annatar responded, shifting his gaze to a towering sight slowly emerging from the woods around them.

Ashura let out a gasp, and Arthur quickly pushed her behind him as out of the forest stalked the largest wolf either of them had seen. It was pure white and stood at least a head taller than any horse. The towering beast stalked towards them, moving with remarkable softness despite its massive size.

The wolf's movements were quiet, only given resonance by how large it was. As it approached the siblings took note of its blood red eyes.

Slowly the beast stalked towards them, closing in on Annatar who stood before it.

Once the beast was within a few meters the old lord of Gifts lowered his head in a bow and then offered his hand to the creature.

The wolf inhaled his scent and then closed the distance, allowing Annatar's hand to brush into its fur.

Annatar smirked, knowing full well that even with a different face, body, and even scent, that Ghost would recognize who this was. His bonded companion would recognize him no matter what face he wore.

"Hello, great beast. Come to welcome us?" Annatar asked as he brushed the fur on the wolf's neck.

"What is that?" Ashura whispered in fright, staring up at the colossal wolf.

"The King's familiar, as I said. A direwolf that he raised himself. Magic has returned to the world in force, and it is causing old magics to reawaken. Because of those magics, this wolf has grown utterly massive. It's also the reason for the old powers of certain bloodlines being reawakened." Annatar explained.

No sooner did the final word leave his lips when a deep panting filled the air.

Out of the woods around them stalked another massive wolf. This one was gray and black and brown. It stood only marginally larger than the white wolf, but it was difficult to tell.

This wolf stood at the boundaries of the woods staring in at them with a curious gaze.

From around it, another figure began to emerge.

This one, was far more monstrous despite being smaller in size.

A wolf-like creature stalked around the towering wolf. Its limbs were long, and it bore the shape of a man and a wolf put together. Its fur was an auburn brown, and it had startling blue eyes. On all fours the creature was nearly chest height with Arthur. Much smaller than the two towering wolves, but far more monstrous in its appearance. The creature's look was far more vicious, and it gave off an aura of dread.

Soon another emerged from the woods, bearing a darker coloring, with lighter blue eyes. It matched the first creature in it's shape and appeared to be the same size though it's limbs seemed longer, and it appeared a bit thinner.

A third such creature emerged then, along with a fourth. The third was more red in with deeper blue eyes, it was also noticeably smaller than the first two, coming up to chest height on Ashura instead.

The third creature moved alongside the fourth, which was the largest of the four, though still smaller than the two direwolves. This creature was nearly black, and it's aura was far more menacing than the other three. It's eyes were darker, giving off almost no color to them, unlike the others.

It was to this creature that Annatar turned his attention to.

"What are they, Annatar?" Arthur whispered as the creatures observed them, the black beast being the only to approach. Stalking out of the forest and coming to a halt several meters before them.

"Werewolves. Human wolf crossbreeds. This is the power of the Stark Blood. And this, is our king. Your grace." Annatar offered in explanation before addressing the black wolf-like creature.

Annatar offered the creature a bow, earning surprise from Arthur and Ashara.

The wolf-creature stared at them for several long moments before it rose up onto it's haunches. Standing upright the wolf towered over them, and after letting out a huff, the wolf began to shrink in on itself.

To the amazement of the Dayne siblings, the creature's body began to pull inward, it's features shrinking and becoming more man-like.

Rapidly it shrunk down skin and muscle sinking in on itself, fur receding, and bones cracking loudly as they reshaped. Within seconds, the wolf took the for of a man, and an instant before the transformation finished, clothes reshaped around his body.

Aegon rolled his shoulders as he retook human form. Audibly cracking his neck from side to side, before focusing his gaze onto Annatar.

After a few moments, the other three creatures began to change back as well. Retaking their human forms in the same manor.

After Aegon returned to human form, Ghost trotted over to his side, taking a place beside him before following along as Aegon advanced.

He stopped a few meters before the Lord of Gifts, and just as the last of his packmates finished changing back into humans, did he finally speak.

"Lord Annatar, if I'm not mistaken." Aegon spoke.

"King Aegon, it is a pleasure to finally make your acquaintance." Annatar responded with a bow.

"You've been gone for quite a long time. Had my wife not told me of your imminent return I would have continued to believe as the rest of Westeros does that you had left us behind or died." Aegon offered.

"I may have been absent, but I work here in Westeros has not yet come to an end. I come back to you all, bearing gifts, as I always have." Annatar replied before turning his gaze to Robb, Benjen, and Sansa who approached the group, now returned to their human form, and covered shirts and trousers, much like Aegon was.

"Lord Stark, it is my great pleasure to meet you. I hope all is well in the North, and that my subordinates at Moat Cailin have continued to serve well in my absence." Annatar said to Robb, offering him a bow as well.

"They have, Lord Annatar. Lord Hughes is an honorable and leal man. He has done well in his role as steward of Moat Cailin. I must say I'm surprised to see you again. As the King said, most of us thought you had gone from these lands after your disappearance from King's Landing all those years ago." Robb said in reply as he gave the ancient Lord of Gifts a once over.

"I'm happy to hear that all is well, and I must take the moment to offer my condolences, I did not know Lord Eddard well, I had more interaction with your uncle Brandon, but I hear he was a good man, and I know he looked after our King all these years." Annatar offered, with sympathy, his words earned an inhale from Ashara, while Arthur blinked several times, both now hearing of Eddard Starks death.

"Thank you for your sympathies my lord. My father was indeed a good man, and I hope to honor him in my own rule of the North. Where have you been all this time, my lord? What kept you away from Westeros for so long?" Robb asked.

"I was busy, saving these two from near death. The Stranger is not apt to give up those he's claimed, but I am persistent. Though I feel I must express that I was indeed here in Westeros, I had simply gone into the Far North, to the Lands of Always Winter, where magic was at it's strongest. A truth I feel no burden in releasing now, is that the one who sent me to the Targaryens so long ago was my master in Queen Lilith." Annatar explained to them, earning genuine surprise from the Starks while Aegon offered a slow nod.

"I guess I shouldn't be surprised to hear you were aligned with the Queen. I mean it makes sense, but still. How long have you known of this?" Robb turned the question to Aegon.

"Only for a few days. Lilith told me that Annatar would be returning to us, if only briefly, and she informed me of their connection. I felt it best to wait until he was here, so that he could reveal this himself. I knew that Lilith had been watching the Targaryens for long time, and now I know how. That also means though that she has, in a way, acted as a patron to both sides of my family. Aiding us when we needed it for many long years." Aegon answered.

"The Targaryens I can understand, she wanted the Targaryen name to help conquer Westeros, but why House Stark?" Benjen asked.

"House Stark was the key to getting into the North, they have the blood of the First Men, making them more strongly aligned with magic, and, it has much to do with the Song of Ice and Fire." Annatar replied smoothly.

"The Song of Ice and Fire?" Robb repeated, questioningly.

"A Targaryen prophecy. According to the Targaryens, it was this prophecy that led Aegon the Conqueror to attack and conquer Westeros. Apparently, he had a prophetic dream that from his line would come a destined warrior who would put a stop to the invasion of Westeros by a dark power in the North. Most interpreted the prophecy and it's name as meaning a battle between fire and ice, though Prince Rhaegar, after falling in love with your aunt Lyanna, came to understand that the Song was not a battle or an event, but a person. His understanding of this prophecy had confirmed my own beliefs that a union between Fire and Ice would be needed to unite Westeros, though I long held that it would be the culmination of the four great bloodlines, rather than a union directly between Targaryen and Stark." Annatar expressed, earning genuine curiosity from the group.

Arthur watched the exchange and took in his words. He recognized and now understood the ancient mystic's motives, and he didn't have to ask how Annatar even knew of the Targaryen prophecy. Arthur knew of it, but only because Rhaegar had told him that at one point in time the Targaryens had such a prophecy, but it had been lost since the Dance of Dragons, only being found again by Rhaegar after Annatar told him of it, during one of their many conversations in regard to prophecy in general. According to Rhaegar, Annatar had learned of the prophecy after being approached by King Viserys Targaryen who sought wisdom from the magical lord in regard to it.

"What do you mean by that, a merging of the four great bloodlines?" Robb asked, sharing a glance with Benjen.

"First Men, Rhoynar, Andal, and Valyrian. Rhaenys and little Prince Aegon, had three of the four thanks to Rhaegar and Elia. I had long thought the true Targaryen my master would call out to would be the one who held all four of these bloodlines. In truth I thought that either little Aegon or Rhaenys would marry a Northmen, and fulfill my beliefs. But it seems my Queen had other intentions." Annatar explained, earning a curious look shared by the three Starks while Aegon stared off for a moment and made a noise.

"Well, while good to clear away some of the mystery you've long carried Lord Annatar, I doubt you came all this way to share these things with us. Especially not out here to the forest. Who are your companions?" Aegon asked after a few seconds of quiet passed.

"They are my gift, King Aegon." Annatar replied with a smile, drawing attention over to the two Daynes. After taking a moment to stare at them, Benjen let out a gasp.

"It cannot be…" Benjen uttered in disbelief.

"Uncle Benjen?" Robb asked, glancing at him.

"Benjen Stark?" Ashara spoke up, her eyes meeting his.

The two stared at each other for a long while. After a few moments Ashara looked away, her gaze falling to the forest floor.

"Those two… the woman is Ashara Dayne. She hasn't changed at all from the last time I saw her. It was at Harrenhal, before the Rebellion. She danced with your father during the Great Tourney." Benjen began to respond, earning shocked surprise from Robb, and Sansa, and a look of immense curiosity from Aegon, "The other, is Ser Arthur Dayne, the Sword of the Morning."

"I thought they were dead. Ser Arthur fell at the Tower of Joy. I've heard the story a thousand times." Robb replied, dumbfounded, as he stared at the legendary knight in awe and disbelief.

"And Lord Annatar saved him. Saved them both I'm guessing. Just as Lilith is able to heal the sick and injured in King's Landing, Lord Annatar must have used his magics to save them. You said you had to claw them back from the hands of the Stranger himself. I'm guessing their injuries were great." Aegon stated, his gaze passing over the two. Ashara caught it and held it for a moment, before once more returning her gaze to the ground. Arthur though, met his gaze with a powerful and analytical eye.

"Ser Arthur Dayne." Aegon spoke, causing Arthur to blink and then step forward, dropping to a knee as he did, and bowing his head.

"Your grace." Ser Arthur responded.

"It is a surprise to see you, though not an unwelcome one. I do not know what Lord Annatar's intentions were when he worked so hard to save you, but I am happy to see you amongst the living once more, if for no greater reason than I have heard you knew my father well." Aegon offered with a king smile, causing Arthur to raise his gaze to the King.

"Your grace, I was indeed honored to know your father as a friend. If it is your wish, than I will tell you of him, of the man he was, beyond the veneer he presented to others. As for Lord Annatar's desires, I cannot say I know them for absolute certainty, only what he has told me. All I know, is that I am Kingsguard. We serve for life. So long as my heart continues to beat, that duty does not end. If you will have me, than my sword is yours, your grace." Arthur proclaimed, bowing his head once more.

"Some have called you the greatest fighter that has ever lived. Others speak of a knight of unparalleled skill. I have no reason to doubt their stories, or the tales that they tell. What I do know is that you were my father's friend, and according to Maester Aemon, my father placed great trust in you. You followed your prince's orders to stay behind, even though it placed him in grave danger. You did your duty, even to your final moments, had Lord Annatar no intervened. Had he not been there to save you, you would have given your life to protect mine. I have nothing but respect for you, Ser Arthur, and I would gladly accept you by my side. I have no Kingsguard at the moment, so you would be the first of them. With you help, I hope we can find others suitable to stand beside you as the brotherhood is reformed, and brought back to it's former glory." Aegon declared his gaze soft, yet carrying an aura of authority to it.

"Then I swear to you, King Aegon of house Targaryen, to always serve and defend you. I will guard you from all, I will keep your secrets, and offer my council when commanded. I will take no wife, father no children, hold no lands. My life, is yours, until my dying breath." Ser Arthur swore, earning a resolute nod from Aegon, while everyone watched on with a mixture of awe or intrigue.

"Then rise, Ser Arthur, once more as a knight of the Kingsguard." Aegon commanded, causing the man to rise to his feet.

The two met each other's eyes and after a moment, Aegon offered a smile and turned towards Ashara.

"Lady Ashara, for as long as you wish it, you may remain at the Red Keep. So much time has gone by, and I know there is much you probably wish to learn before returning home. You should know, both of you should that your older brother and his wife, both passed due to illness some years ago. I am so very sorry for your loss." Aegon offered to her, as well as Arthur. Ashara took a breath at that and closed her eyes, a few tears gathering in them. While Arthur allowed his gaze to drop for a few moments, as a flash of sorrow appeared in his eyes.

"Your grace, who now rules over Starfall?" Arthur asked after a moment.

"At the moment, from what I've heard, it is your sister Lady Allyria. Though she rules only until young lord Edric comes of age. Your brother had a son before his passing. Edric Dayne. Unfortunately, we do not know where the boy is. He was squire to Lord Beric Dondarrion, and went with him to hunt down Gregor Clegane when he started burning the Riverlands. Last I heard, Lord Beric had formed his company into a band of outlaws calling themselves the Brotherhood with Banners. A troop that was fighting against the Lannisters in the Riverlands during the war of the Five Kings, and even during mine own campaign. What's become of them now, I do not know, but according to my sister Arya who a captive of theirs for a short time, your nephew was still amongst them, so the boy yet lives." Aegon explained to them.

"Who is this Beric Dondarrion? Why would he turn outlaw, taking my nephew with him?" Arthur asked.

"I will explain the situation in greater detail, why don't we return to the Red Keep. You both must be starving, and I know people will start to worry if do not show myself soon. Settle yourself in the knowledge that I do not believe lord Beric to be a bad man. He was betrothed to your younger sister, and according to mine own younger sister, he is an honorable man, though one that found himself in an interesting, and somewhat desperate situation. Come. I'll explain more back at the Red Keep. Lord Annatar, I do not know how long you will be with us, but I would welcome you in the Red Keep once more." Aegon said to them.

"I will join you for a short while, my King. Though I fear my duties will take me away from you soon. My queen has asked that check up on her forces, in faraway lands." Annatar expressed.

"I see. Well then rest here for now, until your duties demand your attention." Aegon commanded, earning a nod and a bow from the Lord of Gifts.

The trip back to King's Landing occurred mostly in silence. They arrived at the Red Keep as people began rising for their morning rituals.

As they passed into the keep, more and more frightening sights, filled the eyes of the two Dayne siblings. The presence of the orcs, and uruks, the lumbering Olegs. It truly was a fearful sight.

"What are they?" Ashara asked her brother, as they followed the king into the castle.

"They are the queen's servants. Orcs, mostly. The larger creatures are trolls. All serve the Queen, and have now taken Aegon as their king." Annatar answered her question.

Ashara offered a small nod of acceptance as they made it into the throne room. The sight of it surprised the two Dayne siblings. Both having a vivid recollection of the Targaryen décor that once filled the halls. It was mostly absent now. Aegon's banners hung from the walls, but little else filled the room in a way that the two remembered. For example all of the dragon skulls were gone.

They arrived in the Small Council chambers where Aegon offered everyone to take a seat.

"While I believe you remember my uncle Benjen, and you've likely gathered who my brother Robb is, I should make formal introductions. My uncle Benjen Stark. My brother, Robb Stark, Lord of Winterfell, and Warden of the North, and this is Sansa Stark, my sister." Aegon offered as they sat down.

"It's a pleasure, my lords, my lady." Ashara offered respectfully.

"Much has happened in the years since you've been indisposed. As you may have guessed, Robert Baratheon won the war, and took the throne. After you fell at the Tower of Joy, Ser Arthur, Lord Eddard took me back to Winterfell, named me Jon Snow, his bastard, and raised me as such. King Robert ruled Westeros with Jon Arryn as his hand for many years." Aegon began to explain, taking the part of storyteller.

"Robert married Cersei Lannister and gained the full backing of the Westerlands. The only real major incident that occurred during Robert's reign was the Greyjoy Rebellion. It began when Balon Greyjoy burned the Lannister fleet at anchor, and the Ironborn began raiding the western coast. Robert led the counter attack and the Greyjoys were swiftly crushed. Balon submitted and all returned to peace. For years, Robert drank and whored his way through life, but the Kingdoms were at peace so few cared. To most peoples knowledge he fathered three true born children to Queen Cersei, and dozens of bastards from women he slept with throughout the Seven Kingdoms." Aegon continued, earning a grimace of annoyance from Arthur, while Ashara listened patiently and observantly.

"Recently, Jon Arryn died. His death came suddenly, and drew speculation and concern from several parties. King Robert rode north and named Eddard Stark his new Hand. Lord Eddard went south, and served as Hand of the King for a few short months. In that time he investigated Jon Arryn's death, and came to the conclusion that the former Hand had been murdered. The only person Lord Eddard told the truth to was Stannis Baratheon, and according to Stannis' declaration, Lord Stark learned that Robert's true born children weren't actually his at all. Apparently they are the children of Cersei and her twin brother Jaime." Aegon informed them, Ashara's eyes went wide at that, and she blinked several times as she digested the scope of such a scandal, while Arthur grimaced once more.

"Shortly before or after this truth was discovered, King Robert died in a hunting accident. His son, Joffrey then assumed the throne. Lord Eddard attempted a coup to install Robert's true heir in Stannis, but he was caught and arrested by Queen Cersei. Shortly afterwards, Joffrey executed him on the steps of the Sept of Balor, triggering the War of the Five Kings. Robb raised the Northmen in revolt, and joined them with the Riverlords, Stannis raised his own forces, while Robert's youngest brother Renly joined forces with the Tyrells to try and take the throne for themselves. Balon Greyjoy decided this would be a good time to rebel again, and attacked the North. Westeros descended into chaos. The North and the Riverlands fought the Westerlands. The Ironborn fought the North. The Baratheon brothers fought each other until Stannis had Renly killed using some kind of sorcery, than Stannis attacked King's Landing. It was all total chaos." Aegon continued with the story, letting out a sigh as he did.

"Around that time, King Aegon learned of the truth surrounding his birth, and took command of an army provided to him by Queen Lilith and marched south, taking all of the Far North. He then subjugated the Wildlings, and took the Wall, where he freed the Men of the Night's Watch from their oaths and disbanded the organization. He captured the Gift and the New Gift, granting them to the Wildlings, before then marching into the North. Once there he freed Winterfell from Ironborn occupation and returned his younger brother Bran to his rightful seat. Once the North was taken he contacted Robb and joined forces with him and Lord Edmure Tully at Moat Cailin and they marched south together, aiming to unite Aegon's new army with Robb's and Edmure's at Riverrun. On the way the Freys were butchered for attempting to betray us to Tywin Lannister. Once our full force was gathered we marched into the Westerlands, burning the Golden Tooth, and then laying siege to Lannisport and Casterly Rock. Both were swiftly taken thanks to the aid of Queen Lilith's sorcery." Benjen continued the tale, Aegon and Robb nodding in agreement with him, as he summarized the events of what had happened recently.

Not long after we took the Rock, the Tyrells who were now working with the Lannisters broke their alliance and agreed to join Aegon in exchange for the King's agreement to marry lady Margaery and take her as another wife. Around the same time, the Vale chose to join with us, seeing that the tides were turning against Lord Tywin and King Joffrey. With all but the Stormlands, the Iron Islands, and Dorne, allied with us, we marched on King's Landing. The fighting was brutal but we took the city, and then the Red Keep. Joffrey and Lord Tywin were both captured, and Joffrey was put to death for his crimes. Lord Tywin probably wishes he had died, though for all intents and purposes, the Proud Lion is gone." Robb carried on from there.

"Since then, Dorne has rejoined the fold, Balon has died, and his younger brother Euron has taken over the Iron Islands and sworn allegiance to us, the Ironborn were even pardoned of their crimes in exchange for their help in defeating Stannis Baratheon and reclaiming Dragonstone. Westeros, in it's entire, from the sands of Dorne, to the Land of Always Winter, is now mine. Recently, I fulfilled my oath to Queen Lilith and we were married here in King's Landing. Given our plans, and the scope of our ambitions I have decided to also marry Sansa, to help in securing the continent. I have plans to split the continent into two kingdoms with Sansa's line ruling the Northern Kingdom, and Lady Margaery's line ruling the Southern Kingdom." Aegon took over from there.

"That is quite the ambitious plan, your grace." Arthur noted, as he took in the scope of such an endeavor.

"It is, but if you look at a map you'll see that that the Far North, the land's beyond the Wall, it's almost as large as the North is, and the North is almost as large as the other Seven Kingdoms combined. The Northerners already feel like outsiders in Westeros, and are often forgotten or ignored by their overlords in the South. By splitting the realm in two, and uniting them under a single banner, I can ensure all of the continent is properly governed. Sansa is half Stark, half Tully, and I intend for the Northern Kingdom to be comprised of the Far North, the Gift, the North, the Iron Islands, and the Riverlands. Meanwhile the Southern Kingdom will comprise the Eyrie, the Westerlands, the Reach, the Stormlands, the Crownlands, and Dorne. It will be the blood of the dragon that unites the whole realm, but this way, I can ensure that this massive expanse can be properly governed." Aegon agreed with him. Arthur appeared thoughtful for a few moments before nodding in understanding.

"That's what's been happening recently, as well as the scope of my current plans for Westeros, though upon my oath, in time I will march into the East with my Queen, and we will conquer Essos as well. From Essos I will most likely forge two or three new kingdoms, much like the two I will make here in Westeros. Until that time however, my focus is here. Now, if you have any questions, either of you, Lord Annatar? Please feel free to ask. That was a pretty basic explanation of all that's happened recently though I'm sure there's things you're both curious about." Aegon asked of them.

"What has become of Queen Rhaella, your grace? Last I had heard she had been sent to Dragonstone, with prince Viserys." Arthur asked.

"Queen Rhaella died on Dragonstone giving birth to my Aunt Daenerys. She, along with my uncle Viserys were smuggled to Essos where they lived for some time. A few years ago, my Aunt was married to a Dothraki horse lord, and by some sequence of events, managed to hatch three dragon eggs, acquire an army of Unsullied and mercenaries, sack the cities of Astapor and Yunkai, and conquer the City of Meereen, becoming it's queen. My Aunt became well know for freeing the slaves in Slaver's bay, so much so that she earned the moniker the Breaker of Chains. I know not, what has befallen my uncle, though he was not with her. I can only assume that he perished as some point. While ruling over Meereen, queen Daenerys was approached by a Blue Wizard, one who had become an enemy of my Queen Lilith. He began feeding Daenerys lies, about Lilith, and about me as well, twisting her in believing us some kind of evil. A few short weeks ago, I was contacted by Daenerys who asked if I would come and meet with her in Meereen. I agreed, but strongly suspected some kind of trap. My Queen Lilith has long been preparing for an invasion of Essos, and had sent forces to inhabit Valyria, and build a great fortress there. I contacted the lord of those forces and ordered them to march on Meereen. My intention was to meet with Daenerys and if I found she could be reasoned with, than I could call off the attack, but if she couldn't, than I could take the city by force, capture my aunt, and deal with this Blue Wizard, and his deceptions. Well… I met with Daenerys and at first things were cordial. They, of course, tried to convince me that my wife was evil, and that I must side with them, but beyond that, our interactions remained relatively pleasant. While I was there, I learned that the surviving Lannisters who had fled the fall of King's Landing which included Cersei, her son Tommen, her aunt Genna, and her brothers Tyrion and Jaime, were also there. I also learned the your fellow Kingsguard, Ser Barristan was also there, acting as my aunt's Queenguard. When our meeting was done and I tried to leave, they sprung a trap and tried to use some sort of magic to bewitch me. I was able to deflect the spell, causing it to hit Ser Jaime, and I was able to summon my allies to attack the city. The battle lasted all day, but they weren't ready for our attack. I managed to capture my aunt, the Lannisters, and several others including the Blue Wizard, and Ser Barristan. They're all hear with us now, as a matter of fact." Aegon explained to him, following up his answer with an explanation in regards to Daenerys knowing full well that Ser Arthur would followup by asking about her and Viserys.

"So Barristan is here?" Arthur asked.

"Yes, though his loyalty to Daenerys means that so long as she is convinced that I am the enemy, he will refuse to see reason. He has already refused my offer, but I'm hoping that when I speak with them again today, they'll be more reasonable. Maybe you can help, in that endeavor. I do not wish to have to kill him, nor do I wish any ill upon my aunt. She was misled by a vile and corrupt foe. When you see what has become of Ser Jaime, you'll understand just how dangerous this Blue Wizard is." Aegon answered him.

Arthur nodded, and from there began to ask more questions.

For well over an hour the two siblings were brought up to speed on what had happened in their absence, and how the world was changing. They spoke at length about Rhaenys and how they had just learned she was alive, about how Prince Oberyn had gone to meet with her, and try to convince her to come to Westeros.

Needless to say both Arthur and Ashara were excited at the prospect of seeing her again. Ashara had known the girl during her brief time in service to Princess Elia as one of her Ladys in Waiting, so she was very hopeful to see the girl.

Occasionally Annatar would ask a pertinent question in regards to something that Aegon wanted to discuss, without needing to bring it up. A few times, Aegon even spent a few moments talking with Annatar which on it's own was such a queer concept. It was one reason why Aegon was happy that Lilith was still asleep and not here from these discussions as he questioned her ability to maintain her composure at the sight of such a thing.

Sauron's avatar was masquerading as Annatar, and was participating in a conversation with Sauron himself, all the while Sauron had to make it seem like neither one had ever met the other. And at it's very core, the whole situation boiled down to Sauron having a discussion, in part, with himself.

Lilith would have found the situation to absurd for even her to keep a straight face, so he was happy not to place her in the predicament of fighting off her own laughter at the strangeness of it all.

Eventually they ran out of questions, and the siblings had downloaded so much information that it was time to let them process it. Ashara accepted Aegon's offer to remain at the Red Keep for a week or two, so that she could settle, and regain her focus, and Arthur asked to be allowed to escort her back to Starfall when she left, in order to see her home safely, as well as to present himself to the Lady of Starfall and allow her to judge whether he was still worthy to carry Dawn once more.

Aegon was more than happy to allow this, but for now, the siblings needed to rest, or at least Ashara needed too. Arthur was determined to get to work, starting first with Ser Barristan.

They arrived at the dungeons of the Red Keep, with Aegon instructing Arthur to remain just outside to listen in on the reactions of Barristan and Daenerys. Once he had heard how they thought, and what they saw in him, then he could enter, or if he wished to step away then he need only make a sound and Aegon would exit leaving this for another time.

Arthur accepted the plan and waited just outside of the cell room, as Aegon entered.

Barristan was the first to notice the Dark Lord's arrival.

"So… is it time?" Barristan asked, his words alerting Daenerys and Missandei to Aegon's presence.

"That depends on you, and Daenerys. My offer still remains. We are family, Daenerys. I wish you no harm. Rómestámo has filled you head with lies, he seeks to confound you into believing I am something, that I'm not." Aegon responded, his gaze passing to Daenerys who rose and approached the bars, glaring at him hatefully.

"You are a liar. You seek only destruction, and to bring suffering to others. I will not play party to your ambitions." Daenerys replied.

"I did not strike first, Daenerys. I came to you in peace, and would have left just the same had you let me. You are the one who attacked me." Aegon said to her.

"You think I'm a fool? Your army was waiting outside my walls. You had no intention of ever engaging in peace. You plotted my downfall and you butchered my people." Daenerys countered.

"I had every intention of calling off the attack if I believed you could be reasoned with. You must understand Daenerys, you had three dragons, that makes you one of the most dangerous people in the world. I would be a fool to not plan out how to deal with you. The last time Targaryens fought Targaryens with Dragons it nearly wiped out our family, and there's only four of us left now. You were a threat to the stability I'm trying to enforce here. I went there to gauge whether you could be reasoned with, or not. I had thought we'd reached a measure of understanding, I'd hoped we could proceed further, but then you allowed Rómestámo's lies to get the better of you. You attacked me, would have allowed Rómestámo to perform whatever spells he wished to on me. I knew in that moment that I couldn't reason with you, at least not with him whispering in your ear. I don't regret what came next. I took the initiative to defeat you, and now I'm giving you the chance to survive. You are the one who doomed your people, Daenerys. You are the one who put them in harms way. I may have been their doom, but it was by your hand that it came upon them." Aegon responded, sighing heavily and fixing her with a mighty stare.

"You command an army of monsters and corpses, you murdered my child and then brought him back as your own puppet! You think I would ever submit to such evil!" Daenerys seethed at him.

"Yes, I command monsters, and yes I have powers of my own, powers I used to defeat you. One of your children is dead, I don't apologize for it, but I can bring him back, if you desire." Aegon offered, causing her to blink.

"Bring him back? You already have! You…" Daenerys began to respond in confusion.

"No, not like that. I can bring him back fully. Restore him to what he once was. I used him as my weapon, I do not deny that, but I would happily return him to you, if you would but bend the knee, and agree to serve me. You don't need to suffer, Daenerys. Rómestámo is my enemy, the Blue Wizard is my foe. He's used you as a pawn, pitting you against your own family. He sought to make you a weapon in a war that has nothing to do with you, a war that began long ago, devoid of any connection to you, or the Targaryen line." Aegon began, cutting her off, earning a blink of surprise as Daenerys took in his words.

"From the moment Annatar walked before King Maegor, our line has been aligned with Lilith's cause. You are the one going against everything that we are. I may command an army of monsters, but I do it for the right reasons. We're not so different, you and I. Do you remember what I told you in Meereen? Your army of Unsullied has slaughtered more children than my army of orcs has. You command monsters too, but you did it for the right reasons, to free the slaves, but you also did it for selfish reasons, to take back the Iron Throne. You've done noble things Daenerys, but you've also done horrible things. Rómestámo has tried to convince you that you're some holy crusader, untouched by darkness, but that's not true. You're human, full of flaws, you have your own desires and ambitions. I'm offering you the chance to change the world, to reshape it. One day, I will hold dominion over this world. One day, it will be so, and I'm offering you a place at my side, a chance to save people. I must walk a narrow path in order to rule. Even just here in Westeros I command dozens of different cultures and ideals, and hundreds more will join them when I march east. I cannot always do the moral thing, but in the end, I will bring an end to the chaos. I will bring this world to heel. I will bring Order to all things in this world. I will not stop until it is done. I'm not asking you to place blind faith in me, I am asking you to walk by my side and bare witness to this world I am trying to build." Aegon continued as he stepped up to the bars, taking them in his hands as he stared in at Daenerys who stared back, meeting his gaze.

"You enslaved my people…" She began.

"Change does not come overnight. I must fight the battles that I can with what pieces I can. I must fight the battles I know I can win, and win quickly. One stone, is enough to start an avalanche. Slavery has been a part of Essos for thousands of years. It will not disappear overnight. I have to pick my battles." Aegon interjected.

"You're saying you didn't want too?" Daenerys asked, disbelievingly.

"I'm saying it wasn't my choice, and I wasn't in a position to fight over it. Sometimes in this world we must be willing to take three steps back in order to leap forward. I cannot save everyone in this world, and I'd be a fool to try. I'm giving you the chance to help me change the world. To change the ways of others, to put an end to such such practices. These things only come about if we win." Aegon explained to her.

"And what kind of world is it you want to build? You wish to shroud everything in darkness, and ensure that there is no greater will than your own." Daenerys demanded.

"I already told you. I envision a world of order, free from the chaos and stagnation of this age. For ten thousand years, this world has known nothing but it's consistency. It has not grown more than a few inches, and it wont unless something changes. I will break the old system and give rise to a new one. I will put an end to the power struggles and short sighted whims of this lord or that. I will forge a world of progress and development, where the need for slaves is no longer present. Where every man, every woman is free to rise to the pinnacles of greatness, based on their own merit. You have a choice Daenerys. You can resist me, you can fight me, and in return I will be the nightmare the Rómestámo has made you believe I am. In which case, nothing will change. You will never see me any other way, you will never open your eyes, and forever live in resentment and suspicion. Or you can accept my offer, see your friend and your protector freed from these cages, and you can stand at my side and help me in fixing this world, one problem at a time. You can see for yourself that I will change things, and fix the broken systems that have held this world in stagnation for so long." Aegon expressed to her, his voice filling with passion.

She stared at him for several long moments before Aegon pulled away and turned around to Ser Barristan.

"You're a loyal man, Ser Barristan. I know you wont turn on your Queen, though the offer still remains." Aegon said to the man.

"You know my character well enough. It doesn't matter what you offer me. I will stand with my Queen in life, or I will give my life for hers. That is what it means to be a Queensguard." Barristan said in response.

"I know." Aegon said softly.

"Why are you here, Sauron?" Daenerys asked.

"You know why." Aegon responded.

"You seemed confident in what you would do to me when we spoke last. Have you lost your nerve or was that all just false bravado?" Daenerys questioned him, her words earning a rueful smirk from Aegon.

"Every tactic must be attempted. Fear is a powerful tool but it does not work on everyone. Some people simply wont respond to threats." Aegon said to her, his gaze turning dangerous, which caused Daenerys confidence to begin to shrink.

"So you were just trying to frighten me? Is that what you'd have me believe?" Daenerys asked, her eyes locked with his.

At this point Aegon's eyes began to blaze like fire, causing Daenerys to gasp and take several steps back.

"That is for me to know. It's up to you whether you wish to find out." Aegon said to her, his smirk never leaving.

Several tense moments passed before a loud pounding noise echoed from outside the cell.

Aegon pulled his eyes away from Daenerys and began to head towards the door. He stopped before passing through the door, and glanced over his shoulder.

"I've dispatched Prince Oberyn to Essos. He goes now to Rhaenys. You've been alone for a long time, Daenerys. Believe what you will of me, but we are family. Rhaenys will soon be with us, making us the last four Targaryens in the world, including Maester Aemon. You can still have a family, we can place this awful business behind us. I am not without forgiveness. For now, my offer remains." Aegon said to the room before completing his exit.

He stepped out of the room to find Arthur there staring off. He made a motion and Arthur followed along with him as the two departed the dungeons.

"Selmy hasn't changed a bit. He wont break unless princess Daenerys does." Arthur noted.

"I suspected as much." Aegon agreed.

"Why did Daenerys call you Sauron?" Arthur asked.

"Sauron was the name of Lilith's original lieutenant. A man whom served her for many long years, and was greatly admired by her servants. He became a legendary figure for them. He died long ago, but Lilith has chosen to give me his name as a sort of title, to show her servants, her armies, that I am, to her, that man. I am the greatest of her allies. That's what the name means, that's what it entails. Sauron was real, and he was an enemy to the Blue Wizard, but I am not the Sauron that Daenerys has been convinced I am." Aegon offered as an explanation as they continued along.

"What do you intend to do if Daenerys continues to refuse your offer?" Arthur asked.

"I don't know. I've tried threatening her with the worst things I can imagine, but she's lived a hard life. Always on the run, always fighting to survive. I knew it was unlikely to work, but I tried my hand at it, so that we could get it out of the way. For now I'll keep her in a cell. Hopefully, in time, I can convince Maester Aemon, and maybe even Rhaenys to come and speak with her. Maybe you can as well. You knew Prince Rhaegar, knew him better than even Ser Barristan did. She might be willing to listen to you." Aegon responded.

"If it comes to that, then I'll try. Your grandmother was a good woman, and I wouldn't want her last living child to suffer due to the machinations of others." Arthur said to him.

"I'd like to hear about her, when you feel up to it. Maester Aemon has shared with me a bit about Rhaegar due to their correspondence, but I know very little about my grandmother." Aegon asked of him, Arthur giving him a nod of capitulation at the idea.

The two continued out of the dungeons with Arthur thinking on the situation as they went and how best to handle it.

Aegon allowed the knight to ponder in silence as they went. Internally, he was grinning. It was not yet known by others but Ser Arthur Dayne would soon prove to be one of his greatest allies in the coming conflicts. Once he reclaimed Dawn, and was once more clad in the white-silver armor of the Targaryen Kingsguard, he would once serve as a symbol of nobility and honor, and having him at Aegon's side would be like a radiant beacon of light that would aid the Dark Lord in manipulating his foes. For how could a knight of such regal nobility and purity serve anything less than a just and noble king?

Through Annatar he knew a great deal about Ser Arthur, and he knew it wasn't going to be simple to earn his blind loyalty. Ser Arthur would hold to his oaths, but in order to bring him fully into Aegon's confidence, he had to draw the knight with proof of his accomplishments.

"Interested in a bit of a workout to clear the head?" Aegon inquired.

Arthur raised an eyebrow at him, then nodded. Aegon smiled, and began leading him to the training yard.

Up in the Royal bedchambers, Cersei Lannister opened her eyes. Slowly she pulled herself up, her eyes flickering around the dimly lit room that was colored by the early morning. Her eyes froze when they passed over Lilith who lay sleeping on the other side of the bed.

Cersei stared at her for several long moments, a cold chill washing over her.

This had been her second night as the new handmaiden to the Queen, and she was just as rough as she had been the first night.

Cersei jumped as she felt a hand touch her shoulder, she whipped her head around to find Tauriel standing beside her, motioning for her be quiet. She made a motion urging Cersei up and out of bed.

Slowly, the former queen followed, timidly reclaiming her gown from the ground once she was out of bed.

As soon as she was dressed once more she followed Tauriel out onto the balcony that overlooked the sea.

"How are you feeling?" Tauriel inquired softly.

"I've been pulled into a life of servitude and rape. My daughter is held as a hostage here, my son will soon be shipped off to the fucking Riverlands to be raised by that dullard Edmure Tully, my father has been turned into some kind of monster, and my brother is under some kind of spell making him apathetic to all of this. I am surrounded by enemies, and forced to meekly serve those that have placed chains around my neck. How do you think I feel?" Cersei spat in response as she glared out at the sea.

For a moment she thought of throwing herself over the balcony to her death, but a sudden pain quickly shot through her neck, and she let out a gasp.

"Be thankful that our master finds you amusing, and pleasant in bed. So long as you remain in her good graces, being raped is the worst you'll have to endure." Tauriel said to her, her gaze following Cersei's, gazing out longingly over the sea.

"You say that like you have some sort of experience. You don't seem to have any trouble participating in their vile perversions." Cersei noted, turning her eyes to Tauriel.

"I've learned well. You endure it long enough, and you start to desire it. I was a maiden before they took me. The Queen was the first person I ever lay with, though the King took my maidenhead. As much fun as they get out of torment, and pain, in the bedroom they prefer pleasure. Give them no reason to resort to other means, and you'll only have to worry about pleasure. It's a hellish torture, horrible and demeaning. But… if left with the choice, I would rather a cock go where it should, then a knife go where it shouldn't." Tauriel countered.

"I guess it depends. Eventually that pain would stop, and you'd be free." Cersei responded.

"No. They are not so inexperienced, and with their magic, even if you do die, or come close to dying, they can simply fix you. That is why I warn you to enjoy it while it is just this. There are far worse things they could wish of us, than as simple pleasure slaves." Tauriel cautioned her, knowing full well that a fate far worse than rape for the sake of pleasure, awaited them if the Dark Lords chose it. For example, they could rape them for other reasons, more vile and painful reasons.

Cersei continued to stare at the elf for several long moments before leaning on the railing and turning her gaze back to the sea.

"So… how did you find yourself in this position? I'm here because of Sansa, because of my son. Who are you though? What did you do to earn such a fate?" Cersei asked with genuine curiosity.

"I was in the wrong place, at the wrong time. I was once the captain of the guard for my king. I protected his lands, and shielded his realm from harm. I was dragged into a great battle, and was captured by the Dark Lord. He brought me here as a gift for his wife and master. She seems to have a taste for women. I think she uses us as a means of foreplay. To her worked up, and excited, then she can have the one she truly wants. She has a lust for women, but her heart belongs to him, and his to her." Tauriel answered, taking a deep breath as she did.

"So where does Sansa fit in all of this, if that's true?" Cersei asked.

Tauriel simply shook her head at that, and let out a sigh.

"That poor girl is under the King's control. He has her wrapped around his fingers. In truth they both do. They've convinced her that they love her." Was Tauriel's reply.

"You're convinced they don't?" Cersei inquired.

"Yes. They love only each other. Their union is one devoid of any and all outside connection. There is only two things in the world, either of them love, and that's themselves, and each other. I don't know why they share such a bond, nor do I know how it came about, but to them, Sansa is just a puppet, a tool. She is a slave with a different collar." Tauriel explained, causing Cersei to let out a rueful chuckle before sighing.

"So it's like the wizard said, pure evil." Cersei noted.

"I've learned out master's routine, you should follow my lead, and develop a habit. Soon lady Sansa will go North, while we will quickly join her for her marriage to the King, afterwards she will stay in the North, and it will just be you and I, until the Tyrell woman joins the fold. Though, even she will only be a temporary placeholder. We will go where our master goes, and fulfill her desires, the others will come and go, based on our master's needs and desires. Once Sansa is gone, the Queen will lose interest in demeaning you, and just use you for pleasure, like she does with me. So do as I do, and learn to enjoy it. Every other alternative is worse than you can imagine." Tauriel explained to her, revealing the depths of her despair.

Whatever fight had resided within the elven warrior, had faded almost completely. Her spirit was diminished, and her hope had faded. All that mattered now was living. All that she had left to fight for was each day of life. So long as she did everything for the cause of survival than she could hold onto a small fraction of her spirit. It was some measure of resistance, some measure of defiance. So long as Survival flashed in her mind, she could hold on to who she was. Tauriel was forced to fight every day, to keep that one command echoing in her mind. Survive.

The moment that word faded, all that she would be left with was the whims of her dark master. If that word faded, if that purpose faded, then Tauriel would truly become their slave. The moment she woke up and sought to fulfill her master's needs for any reason, other than her own survival, she was lost.

A shudder passed through both women, as, after a moment of silence, Lilith strolled out onto the balcony, stepping between them and staring out over the ocean.

"Beautiful morning is it not?" Lilith spoke, her tone calm, and serene.

Cersei shied away from the vicious tyrant, unable to bring her gaze to her, while Tauriel just continued to stare forward.

"Yes master." Tauriel responded.

"Yes." Cersei whispered, almost fearfully.

"A long day ahead of us." Lilith smirked, turning to head back into the room.

Tauriel quickly followed after her, Cersei trailing behind her.

The two followed after their dark mistress, heads kept low as just hoping they'd be ignored all day.

Meanwhile Lilith had something interesting to check on.

She arrived at the training yards to find Aegon in a dual with Ser Arthur Dayne. The two traded blows in a spectacular clash of steel.

Aegon panted heavily, as did Arthur as their swords locked together, it was Arthur who noticed Lilith first, this strange, almost otherworldly woman, standing on the sidelines watching them in blazing eyes.

"Your grace." He nodded towards her, causing Aegon to ease back and glance over at her.

"Finally awake?" Aegon addressed her with a smile.

"I was having a good dream. I see Annatar has returned with his charges." Lilith noted.

"Yes, indeed. Lilith, this is Ser Arthur Dayne, the first of my Kingsguard. Ser Arthur, my wife, Queen Lilith." Aegon introduced the two, Arthur kneeling and bowing for the queen.

"You may rise Ser Arthur. Your deeds are legendary, even I have heard of them. Your victory against the Smiling Knight was an intriguing tale. I do hope you'll keep my beloved Aegon out of trouble." Lilith addressed him.

"You honor me, your grace. I will do all in my power to keep the King safe." Arthur said to her in response.

"I expect no less from a knight of your reputation. I'm going to take a stroll around the city, and then make a trip to Meereen, I want to see what I can do there while the aftermath is still fresh. I will return before Sansa departs." Lilith informed him.

"Very well. Let me know if you need me for anything. Otherwise I look forward to your return." Aegon said to her, as he stepped forward and kissed her cheek.

Lilith smiled at him, a charming, and alluring smile. "Try not to have too much fun while I'm gone."

"I'll be absolutely miserable until you're back." Aegon responded earning a snort of amusement from Lilith.

"Charmer." Lilith teased him, before turning to stroll away. She made it several yards before stopping and taking the hands of Tauriel and Cersei. Cersei let out a shriek of fear as Lilith apparated them away, the trio disappearing in an instant.

"So that was her." Arthur noted, rising to his feet.

"Yes, that was Lilith. She's definitely an intimidating force." Aegon stated.

"Indeed. Shall we return to training, or would you to take a break for now? Your skill with a blade is impressive, my King, and what you lack in skill you make up for in speed and strength." Arthur asked of him.

"Yes well, being a werewolf makes me naturally stronger and faster than a human could be. I had nothing really to do in Winterfell growing up, other than training, so I got quite good at it. Lately though I've been practicing with two swords. My increased strength allows me to fight with two swords with far great proficiency than a normal man." Aegon explained.

"I could see that. When time permits I'll help you to refine your fighting technique. Even with increased strength, greater skill will always out class it." Arthur said to him, earning a smile from Aegon.

"That is something we most certainly agree on. Come, let us break our fast for the day. I like to practice in the morning before I am called upon to perform my kingly duties." Aegon exclaimed.

"Very well then. We should also begin searching for suitable candidates to fill the rank of your Kingsguard. Surely there are at least a few knights of some renown still around that could be worthy of such a title." Arthur suggested.

"A few I've taken note of. Though there is something I wish to get your opinion on in regards to the nature of the Kingsguard and the role it will play as the nature of the realm changes. Come, let us discuss it." Aegon offered to the man as they placed their training swords away and ventured into the castle.

-Mordor, Middle Earth-

As things continued on, far from King's Landing, in the realms of Arda. An attack was beginning to commence.

The Black Hand, the Hammer, and the Tower, stood before the Mouth of Sauron.

"The time has come. We march on the Black Gate. In the coming weeks, we will commence an assault on all of Gondor's fortifications in Mordor. Ensure each force is ready. Once the Black Gate falls, we will wipe out each defensive position in turn, one by one." The Black Hand instructed.

"It will be done. Long have we waited for this moment, now is the time to reclaim our master's realm." The Mouth declared.

"Yes, the time has come. And soon, the Elf-Lord will be amongst us as well." The Black Hand replied as he turned and marched away from the Mouth, his fellow Captains trailing beside him.

-Meereen, Essos-

Lilith stood atop the Great Pyramid, staring out over the dead city. All was silent within the heart of the city itself. Some fire still smoldered, and far below, her forces could be seen still pilfering the city of riches and valuables, all the while they repaired the only part of the city that mattered, the port.

Tauriel and Cersei stood behind her, staring out of the devastation with fear and uncertainty.

"So much darkness, so much pain. This place has known nothing but suffering and death. Let us see what can be drawn forth from the death of this once great city." Lilith smiled cruelly as she gazed out over the ruins of Meereen.

With that Lilith brought her two servants down into the city, they arrived in an abandoned square where nothing but burned out stalls now resided.

"Wait here." Lilith commanded.

Within a moment she appeared at the port where prisoners taken during the fall of the city were being loaded onto ships for transport to Valyria.

The orcs and men quickly noticed her and qualled at her presence. She passed by then to stand before the lines and lines of prisoners.

Her gaze passed over them until they settled on a teenage boy. She pointed at him and commanded the boy be pulled from the line.

The surrounding guards quickly did as instructed while Lilith began searching through groups of women. Her gaze passed over them with monstrous intent. She searched until she found one that caught her attention.

This woman was beautiful, probably in her early to mid twenties. She had tan skin and a lovely face. Her hair was a sandy blonde color and she had pale brown eyes.

She was a bit shorter than Lilith but had a lovely body. Her clothes, ruined as they were, marked her as a noblewoman. Lilith had her drawn out of the crowd and ordered the guards to take the two to the square she had chosen as her ritual sight.

With these two collected Lilith swiftly returned to the square where Tauriel and Cersei waited for her.

Lilith paid them little mind as she got to work preparing the area for a ritual.

There was a lot the Lord of Darkness could do with all of the death and suffering still contained within Meereen. One thing she intended to do was create herself a sort of homunculus that she could use to move around discreetly in Ards.

Taking the idea from Sauron's Avatar and knowing that she couldn't set foot in Arda without risking their plans Lilith had to find a solution. She had no intention of just sitting around waiting for Sauron to complete all of their work.

So she would create a vessel for part of her soul and use it as her own sort of Avatar. It wouldn't be like Sauron's. Hers would more so be like an autoumomous puppet that followed her instructions and will that she could possess and directly control at will. Unlike Sauron's Avatar which sat around inert if he didn't actively control it this would more so be its own entity that was bound to her and that she could control and more importantly experience through without having to go to Arda.

Once the area was prepared, Lilith set about gathering corpses. She would levitate them several at a time to the center of the square, placing them in a circle side by side.

By the time the circle was complete, nearly a half hour had gone by and over fifty bodies had been placed in the circle. Around the halfway mark several men arrived with her chosen sacrifices.

Both the boy and the woman were pleading in their own language though Lilith paid them little mind.

"What is she doing?" Cersei whispered to Tauriel.

"Some kind of ritual. I don't know it's purpose but I fear we shall soon find out." Tauriel answered back.

Once she had completed her preparations, Lilith wasted no time in commencing. Using her wand as a focus she began to speak the required spells. The air, already heavy with dread began to fill with malice and evil.

Quite quickly the bodies of the fifty corpses began to rise into the air and break down. They broke apart in a sort of whirlwind shredding down into blackened ash. It took nearly two full minutes before the bodies were fully evaporated and once they were the ash began to pull in itself.

It coalesced into a humanoid shape, one that seemed close to the form of a woman. The shape was black as night and the ash seemed to harden and shift as it took it's shape.

With a dark chuckle Lilith motioned for the boy to be brought forward.

This boy was no older that Fifteen. He was frightened beyond measure and the moment he was placed before Lilith he began to pray for some kind of salvation.

Lilith smiled down at the boy and then with no greater pretext she cast a spell at him.

"Avada Cadavra." Lilith intoned the sickly green spell launching from her wand and striking the boy in the chest sending him soaring away.

As soon as the spell had struck and the boy had died, Lilith used the Horcrux creation spell to grab hold of the small fragment of her soul that had broken free from the murder and forced it into the ashen body of her creation.

The effect was immediate.

Fire and cold erupted from the body. Lilith reached out with her consciousness taking control over the fragment of her spirit bonding it to the vessel. Many long minutes passed as Lilith focused her will on her newest creation.

Meanwhile Tauriel and Cersei had sought cover behind a fallen stall as heat and cold blasted the square in an alternating sequence.

It took some time, but Lilith was able to stabilize her creation and once she did, she smiled brightly and called for the woman to be brought forward.

She was dragged kicking and screaming before Lilith who wasted no time in levitating the woman off the ground and paralyzing her.

"You should be honored. You face is she one I shall wear while I explore Arda. This is an opportunity no other has had. I know you are afraid, but it will all be over soon." Lilith said to the woman.

Once she finished speaking, she made a motion with her wand causing the woman's clothes to rip off her body and fall to the ground. The woman could do nothing but scream.

Lilith then spun the woman around so that she was facing away from her and set to work. Using the tip of her wand she traced it along the woman's body starting first with the bottom of her heel.

The woman's screams grew in intensity as Lilith trailed her wand up the back of her leg. A dim blue light emitted from the tip of Lilith's wand and a deep thin cut formed beneath it as Lilith trailed it up the woman's leg.

Lilith trailed her wand all the way up to the small of the woman's back. She then repeated the action on the other leg. A thin trickle of blood seeped from the cuts and the woman continued screaming in pain as Lilith cut into her skin.

Once she had finished with the other leg, she connected the two cuts and then proceeded to up the center of her back. She continued to the nape of her neck where she stopped and then moved down to the woman's arms.

The whole process took just over five minutes to complete and once she did, Lilith spun the woman around and place the tip of her wand to her chest. With a cruel smile Lilith spoke the words to another spell causing her wand to glow a pale grey. The woman's screams grew to new heights.

As this happened Tauriel and Cersei watched on with morbid fascination. Neither was able to tear their eyes away from the sight despite how sickening it was. It seemed as if Lilith was torturing the woman as she was held in place, unable to move.

After about a full minute of this, Lilith pulled back, and put her wand away. The woman didn't stop screaming as Lilith let out a chuckle and reached out, grabbing the woman by the throat. In a single instant, the woman's screams stopped, and in the next, Lilith placed her other hand on the woman's chest, and with a pulse of magic, her skin erupted open, and her body was ejected out of it.

Cersei let out a shriek of disgust and horror, while Tauriel flinched as if she'd been struck.

Lilith still held the woman's head by the neck, but below the neck, her entire body had been skinned. hanging from the next was a sheet of flayed flesh. The bleeding headless corpse fell at the feet of Lilith's construct which began to advance.

As the entity advanced, the flayed flesh of the woman began to open up, peeling back and allowing the entity to crawl into it.

Cersei began retching at the sight while Tauriel was frozen in horror. She watched as woman's skin wrapped around the shadow entity, folding and pulling in on itself, while the shadow expanded and shaped itself to fit in the skin. The horrific process occurred over several moments, with the entities' head diffusing into the woman's severed head, filling her lifeless brown eyes, with a fiery inferno.

Within moments, the last of the creature's new skin suit, pulled into place, tightening around it, as if the skin had always been its own. To the unaware observer, they'd never guess what this thing was. It now looked exactly as the woman had, the skin being held in place by dark magics. Lilith smiled at her creation and reached out, poking at its body. Her prodding revealed the depths of her success. Her shadow had slotted into its new home perfectly. It had shaped and hardened itself where it needed to, giving the full appearance of a human being. Breasts and butt were soft, belly had some give to it, a rib-like structure sat below the chest. Hardened masses pressed a bit against the skin at the pelvis, and along the spine. All in all, a perfect doppelgänger. The cut that had aided in skinning the woman, was held closed now, and completely unnoticeable.

"Beautiful." Lilith sighed, very pleased with herself.

"Beautiful." The word left the woman's lips.

The creation of this Homunculi would allow Lilith to walk in places she normally couldn't due to the scale of her power. She was simply too strong to go unnoticed. To the Valar her presence would appear like a great hurricane of darkness. Without some means of shielding herself from their gaze, any attempt to return to Arda would immediately alert them. This Homunculi held barely a sliver of her total power. In truth, it had about as much magical power as she had during her teenage years at Hogwarts. It was much more powerful than a regular witch or wizard, but nowhere near as strong as she had become later in life. In truth it was comparable to something like the one of the Nazgul.

That was fine with her though, as when focusing her will into the construct she could pilot it, as if it were her own body. She could see through its eyes, feel through its skin, hear and smell and taste. That was one of the reasons she had taken the woman's head, and not just skinned that as well. She needed her sensory organs to assist her in experiencing things through this body. Without her direct control over it, her puppet would act in accordance with her will and desires. It was basically a lesser form of Lilith, or perhaps more accurately a familiar of hers. It had her thoughts and memories, it knew everything she did, so it knew how to react in any given circumstance. She could dispatch it as an agent of hers or she could use it for it's true purpose, as a means of returning to Arda and getting a view on the situation there. She trusted Sauron's reports and explanations but being able to see and experience things herself would give her a much clearer picture of the situation there.

"Ah, well now that that's done, shall we get to work on the rest?" Lilith hummed to herself, her words earning a cruel smile from her puppet.

A black gown was summoned and placed around the puppet, making it appear like Cersei or Tauriel.

Cersei was pulled along by a fearful Tauriel as they followed after their master. The puppet moving alongside her.

Lilith led them to a rundown city street, bodies piled high within it, the scent of rot, assaulting the nose causing Cersei and Tauriel to gag at the putrid scent. Lilith stared at the rotted corpses with a devilish smirk. She could hear their screams of torment and agony as they were cut down, she could feel the pain and despair they endured in their final moments. Before her very eyes, the Dark Lord could see the spirits of the dead clustered en masse, crying and wailing over their deaths.

Lilith drew her staff, raised it into the air and brought it down. A powerful shockwave tore out from the ground causing all of the spirits to turn to her.

She then lifted her staff, and a few meters before her, a tear began to open, a rip in reality. From it, an essence began to emerge. Unseen to Cersei but visible to Tauriel, a creature appeared out of the tear.

In that moment, Tauriel felt a familiar fear. She vividly recalled when she had first awoken at Tantibus Arcis. How she was brought through the fortress and encountered that thing that had tried to invade her memories. She felt the same kind of fear now, as she did then, and it caused her to lock up in fright.

The entity she saw before her now, was cloaked in tattered hooded set of grey robes. Only it's hands and its face were visible. On either hand were four long fingers covered in rotted, almost mummified flesh. The skin was purple and bruised and seemed read to rip at an instant. The creature's face though, was infinitely more horrifying. Teeth. That's all Tauriel could see. Its whole face was just multiple rows of pointed teeth sat atop each other, leading into a blackened maw.

The entity began to speak in a language Tauriel did not know, but it's words caused all heat to flee her body.

Cersei collapsed to the ground, as her body began to shake, unable to withstand the unknown sound that he just filled the air around the clueless woman.

"What is thy will, my master."The demon asked.

"Gather all those who are willing. Any who swear their allegiance to me will be offered a chance to partake in this collossal feast." Lilith replied, gesturing to the ruined city around her.

"I will spread the word, my master. I am certain that many will come to indulge in your most generous offer." It said with a low bow.

"Good. And once you are done Sageth, you make partake in the despair of all those who fell in this place." Lilith added, again earning a bow from the demon.

"Yes, my master. Thank you. I will ensure that many are swayed by your offer. Give me naught but a few days." Sageth said to her as it slunk back into the rip, which soon closed behind it.

Lilith grinned evilly before rolling her shoulders. She would use the slaughter of the Meereenese to gather a mighty army of demons and spirits to her cause. Many would be tempted to swear their allegiance to her, with the offer of so many fresh souls to feed on, torture, and ravage. Years ago, Lilith had met the demon Sageth while communicating with creatures in the Void. She convinced the creature to swear allegiance to her, and since then, he has acted as her emissary within the Void, recruiting other demons and dark spirits to her cause.

Demons were interesting tools for her to use. They were largely unable to affect the physical world, as even if they left the Void they would simply remain in the Unseen world and be unable to really effect things. Their presence could be felt, but unless they were monstrously powerful, or in an area of incredible darkness, where magic was powerful, and the boundaries between the physical and spiritual realms were weak, there was little else that could be done.

Where demons became some of her strongest servants was if she used them as magical allies, or if she bonded them to physical bodies. Demons could possess people; they could also place themselves into objects. So, vessels could be made for them, or people could be used as hosts for them. Demons that swore themselves in service to Lilith would be offered the chance to receive a physical body, one that would allow them to roam around and interact with the physical world. Already, Lilith had a small army of such creatures in her service both at Tantibus Arcis, and Arcem Ossa. Demons were exceptionally powerful and made very useful tools and allies. The trouble was trusting them, as demons were pure evil, and would happily betray you if they saw gain in it. So, she only put her faith in those that swore upon their magics and souls to serve her, as Sageth had. She would then provide them a means of entering the physical world to fulfill that service.

Sageth would now venture into the void and reach out to the demons there, bringing them her offer. The power that many of them could gain from so many souls, it was too tempting an offer for most to pass up. There were hundreds of thousands of bodies lining the streets of Meereen, with that many bodies, and that many dead souls, Lilith could raise an army of possibly hundreds of demons. The power of a single demon, in the right vessel could be enough to wipe out dozens of trained soldiers, sometimes even small armies. So, raising a force of a few hundred demons, would grant her a monstrously powerful fighting force, with the added caveat that the demons were only possessing a physical body, if that body was destroyed, they'd simply be banished back to the Void where they could be summoned again and placed in a new body.

Powerful magics were needed to actually kill demons, and such individuals were few and far between when compared to normal soldiers. To Lilith this was a no-brainer. She had been tempted to try and summon something large and powerful, like they had with Gothmog, but eventually she decided against it. An elite force of shock troopers and siege weapons in the form of several hundred rampaging demons, was far more valuable. There was another benefit that if that particular demon really got into its role, it may choose to bond with some of its allies, like orcs or humans under its command, granting them some of its powers. Which in turn would raise the fighting power of that particular force as well, and sometimes, not always, but sometimes, those powers remained, even if the demon was no longer there, meaning that such strengths could be bred into future generations of soldiers.

With a smile, Lilith turned to a few of the soldiers that had continued to follow her around after brining along her earlier sacrifices.

"We shall be residing within the Great Pyramid for the next few days. Ensure that I am not disturbed unless it is of the utmost necessity." Lilith commanded them.

She earned resolute nods, from the soldiers who quickly rushed off, she then turned her gaze to her two slaves, finding them both pale from fear. Cersei herself was almost ghostly, and the sight of her caused an idea to form in her head.

"Oh, now there's an interesting thought. I wonder what my dearest Sauron would think of that?" She wondered as she held out her hands to the two, beckoning them forward.

Without much other choice the two approached her and took her hands. The trio, along with Lilith's puppet were then Apparated to the nearby pyramid, so Lilith could continue planning whiling she waited for Sageth to complete his task.

It wouldn't be long now before they turned their attention back to Arda, and Lilith had no intention of missing that party. For now, she'd take a few moments to play around with her newest toy while she waited for her servant to return to her. Once everything was ready though, she would join Sauron in Arda and, through her puppet, get a chance to see just what has become of the world she'd ravaged so long ago. Until such a time, she would wait. There was still one or two things left to do before then, still, Lilith couldn't hide her excitement, this truly would be fun.

-To Be Continued-

Alright there's chapter 28 for you. Hope you all enjoyed, We can finally start getting into Shadow of War material here in the next few chapters so that'll be exciting. Can't wait, until then, see ya.