A/N: Hi, guys! How you all doing?
Going through more stuff, which have distracted me from my writing for a bit. However, this relaxes me and provides the thing I need to weather these times, which we all need to do.
Well, here it goes.
Khiara walked through the bloody remnants of the Imperial Guard barracks. It was fortunate for all that the barracks, all of their pavilions, didn't catch fire, as whichever genius designed the compound thought it was a good idea to construct the quarters for those responsible for protecting the imperial family next to the black powder storage and the armory. As soon as all of the bodies were cleared out and properly buried, Khiara ordered all of the black powder withdrawn and moved to a safer area, what was left of it anyway. Yujin, you might be playing the role that I picked for you, but I never thought you were this shortsighted.
After the emperor was killed, all of the palaces were locked down with each of their respective guards. However, central command for the imperial guard rested on the barracks and it didn't take much to figure out that once you purged the barracks, the imperial guard would be paralyzed. Even Yujin knew that simple fact and had his men converge on the barracks as quickly as possible, where they killed whoever was unfortunate to be there in their sleep, including all of the senior officers under Captain Dao's leadership. Some managed to wake up and put up a fight, as evident from a few of the corpses identified to be affiliated with Yujin, but that didn't amount to much. In total, two hundred and fifty men and twenty officers were killed, and the core of the imperial guard had been gutted.
But Khiara had no time to mourn. She circulated among Lord Buko and the garrison commanders that she had immediately appointed Daeron as the new captain of the imperial guard due to his seniority and because he was the only remaining officer, so all of matters of the imperial family would have to go through him. Lord Buko immediately agreed, as he knew better to not antagonize one who could ride a dragon. She also had Lord Buko suspend all civilian functions in the government, cooperating with Minister Zong in granting temporary authority to the army and fleet to administer the empire. Admiral Okamoto was quick to deliver, as he secured the entire fleet for her cause and had already issued orders to the captains to implement blockades over all of the harbors and ports, thereby squeezing the merchants. And due to the plan implemented by Minister Zong, all of the capital had been secured on the morning of the emperor's death.
The next task was to come up with an angle for her father's death that achieved maximum damage to her enemies. There was no question about Yujin's role, so she had declared her brother a traitor and hung the bodies of his men by their necks outside the main gate while also outlining all of the consequences for helping him in any way. The tricky part was explaining the rumors about the involvement about Captain Dao, which Yujin deliberately spread to throw a smokescreen. It'll be much more difficult to explain his role, as no one would easily believe that the emperor's captain of the guard would kill him easily. Whether it was true or not was irrelevant, as Captain Dao was closely associated with the Prime Minister and this would give Khiara legal grounds to investigate him and everyone in his faction.
"You do realize that if you frame this wrong, everyone will turn against you and the Prime Minister will pounce on it," Minister Zong reminded her.
"And that's why I am asking your opinion. Because of the confusion, we have much flexibility on how to shape this. But as you stated, it has to be done carefully," Khiara said.
"All right, Your Highness," Lord Buko made his presence known. "How about… Captain Dao wanted to get higher in the ranks, but he and his family could go no higher and killed the emperor on the Prime Minister's orders?"
"Captain Dao might have sought to advance himself by being Prince Sumeng's lover, but even he knew better than to do something as stupid as killing the emperor for that reason," Admiral Okamoto stated.
"How about this?" Minister Zong stroked his chin. "We utilize the fact that the Prime Minister wanted to make his daughter the next empress, and then we stretch just a little bit by him directing Captain Dao to press the issue to the emperor himself. Only… Yujin acted independently and Captain Dao was forced to be premature. In that way, we don't really say explicitly that he killed the emperor, but we cast enough doubt that will give us reason to question the Prime Minister and his ilk because they had designs on the throne."
"That can work," Khiara nodded. "From my experience, it's best to limit how much information that people know because they can be more imaginative than we give them credit for. Keep them imagining, we can control the narrative because too many people will have conflicting opinions."
"But we also have to take into account that the Prime Minister might resist because he will never submit to questioning," Lord Buko pointed out.
"And therein lies our chance," Khiara responded. "If he does, it only makes him more guilty and we therefore have just cause on our side. The possibility of internal strife will be high, but given what we know of how much the Prime Minister can actually marshal in terms of resources, we can take him if we can act quickly."
"Especially since Lord Joon is coming from the northern provinces with his troops," Minister Zong added. "Besides Benjen Stark and the capital field army, the dragons will be the decisive factor, as we all know."
"We're all forgetting one thing, something that could be a problem," Admiral Okamoto reminded them. "What about Prince Kaijin? The emperor made him the Commandant of Firearms and whatever he does can influence how much success we have. His command might be small in comparison to the northern and southern armies, but all of the firearms units are elite and well-trained. Moreover, Prince Kaijin is not aligned with anyone, so he might resist us and the Prime Minister."
"I'll take care of my brother," Khiara waved that concern away. "He won't be hard to persuade and he won't be a problem once I have my words with him. Our immediate tasks should be to secure the capital from the Prime Minister until the northern reinforcements arrive and to find Yujin. He'll still be in here, because he cannot outrun the curfew and his power base is within the underbelly. We just need to find out who and where Yujin is interacting with and then come up with a way to trap him."
"Your Highness, we have provosts who know this city inside and out. The issue would be to find out where he would be hiding, as this city is densely-populated and everyone is disconnected from each other."
"Offer up a reward then. One hundred thousand silver taels for his head, five hundred thousand if they can bring him in alive," Khiara commanded. "Let's see how loyal his base really is then."
As expected, the Prime Minister fled Yin with his supporters and amassed an army to besiege the capital, sixty thousand men in total and the bulk of them from the southwest province. Khiara learned that the captain-general of Southeast Imperial Army, to everyone's surprise, was sitting this conflict out since he didn't want to bring about severe consequences about himself even though his official reason was to safeguard the eastern border from the threat of the shadowmen. With that one statement, her chances of success had dramatically increased, as they can focus on the threat from the southwest. Of course, one of the southeastern generals dissented and brought twenty thousand men to support the Prime Minister, but that would be insignificant in the grand scheme of things.
With that settled, Khiara turned her attention to another matter, Daeron and Daenerys Targaryen. As they were together now and Daenerys having made clear intentions to retake the Iron Throne, it won't be long before Daeron himself, his family, and his friends returned home. She wasn't going to try to force Daeron to stay, as that would only end badly, but she would be damned before she could get more things out of their departure.
Khiara arranged to meet them in the imperial gardens, where her father had spent his leisure time away from the politics and when he didn't want to use the Purple Palace. Looking upon the ponds, the trees, and the decaying flowers, she was surprised at how much time could pass by from just walking around. And it neared dusk when Daeron and Daenerys finally came to her. She saw that they were very much in love, from how tight their hands were entwined and how close they were to each other physically. And they looked like two pieces in the puzzle from the way they looked next to each other. It was something that Khiara could never claim to understand, and yet felt stumped that she didn't know what it was. Interesting…
As if knowing what to do, Daenerys followed Daeron's lead by bowing her head in deference. "Your Highness," Daenerys addressed her.
"Your Majesty," Khiara dipped her chin slightly in respect and looked to Daeron. "Prince Daeron."
"Your Highness." Now that he found his woman, any attachment that might have occurred between them both was slowly evaporating. Khiara felt herself slightly frown, as she didn't like wasted effort, but she had more important concerns at the moment.
"I trust prison has not treated you so unfairly," Khiara said to Daenerys.
"Nothing that I haven't experienced already, Your Highness," Daenerys answered.
"Good, for I need you to have all of your faculties with you."
"Why is that?" Daenerys asked.
"It would be a shame if Prince Daeron left this empire without something to remember it by," Khiara stated.
But Daenerys had been made aware of what was going on between Khiara and Daeron and she didn't like what she was referring to. "I know you used him," she spoke through her eyes. "Don't think for a moment that I will trust you."
Khiara gave her a look that said, "You're a queen. You can't trust anybody, can't you?" In that moment, Daenerys blinked, for she was dealing with someone who at the moment possessed more experience in politics and knew how to manipulate others to do her bidding but at the same time was not evil.
"What do you mean by that, Your Highness?" Daeron inquired.
"It is undeniable that you will press your claim to the Iron Throne," she spoke to the both of them. "Both of you come from the most recent holder, although Prince Daeron's claim derives from the senior line. You will both marry each other to prevent conflict and both of you will bring back the reign of the dragons over Westeros."
Daeron and Daenerys glanced at each other, surprised at how fast her mind worked. "How would you know that?" the latter was stumped.
"It is what I would do if I were in both of your positions," Khiara answered. "But even with dragons, you're going to need help. And I am willing to add to the benefits that my alliance with Prince Daeron already contains."
Daenerys grinded her teeth, for she knew exactly what she was talking about, but Khiara ignored it. "What kind of benefits are you referring to?" she asked.
"Soldiers, weapons, coin, food, you need all four to increase your chances to get the throne," Khiara shrugged. "And I have all four in abundance, provided certain conditions are met."
"How can you provide all of that? You're just a princess, from what I learned," Daenerys told her.
"What will happen in the next few moons and then after both you eventually go home will determine how much material support you will obtain from me," Khiara pointed out. "Prince Daeron worked with me to safeguard his family and the rewards were great. I am only asking that the alliance continue, with some changes."
Daenerys and Daeron looked at each other again, more concerned now. "And what would you suggest we do, in return for your support?"
"Rain fire," Khiara said, with her meaning clear to the both of them. I will be the only person in the world who can claim to have worked with dragons and their riders, she mused.
Arya watched from the side of the gardens as Khiara conversed with Jon and Daenerys. She was more than excited in seeing the one causing so much chaos in the Slavers Bay, the one who made many feel terror under the flames of her dragons. And she was as beautiful as many claim her to be, which made Arya all the happier for Jon since he deserved someone good after all that he experienced while a boy at Winterfell. Good to feel not disappointed, for once.
Arya couldn't claim to have the best hearing, but she started to learn how to read lips. The master assassin outside of Yin taught her that there will be moments where she will not have the luxury of sound, just as some people didn't have the ability to see. He said that it was a compensatory response, as the blind will work hard to develop their hearing to become razor sharp and the same could be said for the deaf in that they will use their eyes to maximize their advantage. Just as no one expected blind people to see where they were going, no one considered that the deaf would be able to find ways to work around their limitations. And reading lips was one way, as people will say whatever they wanted in front of the deaf and they will never see that they can still understand them.
Considering how much distance Arya had between herself and the three potential rulers talking to each other, she realized just how valuable reading lips was. And she could decipher what was being discussed.
"What do you mean by rain fire?" Daenerys asked Khiara. "You mean for us to do your dirty work?"
"My enemies are not yours, as you have had no dealings with Hudam Shu, the Prime Minister, before your arrival here," Khiara said. "But he's an obstacle to all of us, and he must be removed if you want what I have to offer."
"What makes you think that we'll do what you want?" Jon kept silent, as like Arya, he knew that Daenerys was still not privy to the details.
Khiara removed a flower from its branch and observed it closely. "Your nephew might be honorable, but he cannot say that he didn't make mistakes. Then again, those mistakes helped me come closer to my goals."
"What mistakes do you refer to?" Daenerys narrowed her eyes.
"During Daeron's time here in the capital, he stirred up the hornet's nest by investigating the livelihoods of some very powerful people here. People who have much to lose if their schemes were to see the light of day," Khiara stroked the flower.
"And what was his mistake there?" Daenerys saw no problem with what Jon did.
"In that he went after those people without having the resources or the networks necessary to protect him when they had no compunctions in harming him in any way possible. You should understand that you cannot afford to anger those who have influence no matter your feelings, given that you are a queen after all."
Daenerys clicked her tongue. "You think that my nephew should have turned a blind eye to what he viewed was wrong?"
"If he wanted to act, he needed to do it with some intelligence and with some backing, the latter of which I gave," Khiara answered, while both Arya and Daenerys didn't take well to her implying that Jon was not smart.
"By backing, what exactly did you give?"
"I offered him and his family protection, made sure his uncle and friends got benefits, and put his adoptive sister in a place where she would thrive. All of that I could provide well within my means," Khiara revealed.
"In exchange?" Daenerys knew that there was always a price, but she had an idea of what it was.
"Let's just say that the boy who knew nothing about intimacy became a man that had seen everything," Khiara smirked.
Daenerys smiled back, although everyone knew that she was very displeased. "So, you've got what you wanted. You could claim a dragon was in your bed, you protected a dragon rider, and you could claim that you can control a dragon. Is that right?"
"Hold on there," Khiara stood straight. "I never claimed to control a dragon. I merely gave Daeron options and he made his choice. You really think that I was the only who enjoyed it?"
Daenerys scoffed. "I might have done similar things for more selfish reasons, but you took advantage of his weakness while he didn't know any better. I presume that you merely went after my nephew because all you ever did was use people and you could claim my nephew as just another addition to your list of accomplishments."
Khiara blinked, as she didn't expect to hear that, but she recovered quickly. "Who said I had a list, as if I needed such an arbitrary concept to blind me into a false sense of security? And we both had to something to gain from one another, so there are really no grounds for bitterness between us."
Daenerys couldn't believe what she was hearing, but she couldn't say anything since she could detect no malice in Khiara's voice. As for Arya, she found herself continually surprised at the type of woman Khiara actually was.
"You know, I really do hope that for your sake, you find someone special, someone who won't be easy to control," Daenerys finally stated. "I know what it's like to be lonely and I can see that you've been alone all of your life. And if a dragon can't satisfy you fully… then you are right. There is nothing to be bitter about, for we both can have the knowledge that nothing really happened, while we both have much to look forward to with each other." She put her head on Jon's shoulder, affirming their bond.
"Perhaps we can go over the specifics of your support for our claim to the Iron Throne at a later time. Perhaps over dinner?" Jon finally said.
Arya grinned, as Khiara was, for the first time in a long time, speechless and she could only nod as Jon and Daenerys made their way out of the garden.
When the day was done, Arya retired back to Jon's palace and she found him walking with Daenerys in the roofed walkways, their hands tight in each other's. At that point, she had no reason to fear Daenerys, for she was making Jon happy and therefore, she wanted to know here better.
Straightening her white robes, Arya approached the couple and put on her best smile. Jon kissed the top of her head when they closed the distance while Arya curtseyed to Daenerys in respect. "Your Majesty," she addressed her.
"You don't need to do that," Daenerys gently put Arya upright. "It's nice to finally meet you. Jon couldn't stop talking about you, including about what you did here in Yi-Ti."
"And it's nice to finally meet you, the mother of dragons," Arya referred to the name she had heard people use to refer to her.
Daenerys became slightly bashful at that. "I love my children, although I am afraid of my other two, Viserion and Rhaegal, both of whom who are still in Meereen."
"I'm sure they are fine," Jon assured her. "They're not get themselves hurt and not hurt their mother."
"So, Captain, huh?" Arya just noticed the change in Jon's uniform, which reflected his new position as Captain of the Imperial Guard even though Longclaw and Dark Sister remained with him.
"I'm the only officer in the Imperial Guard left, so I guess it was just a natural step," Jon dryly remarked.
"You'll do great, Jon. Although… I don't like that you have to be around the princess any longer," Arya expressed.
Daenerys nodded in agreement. "I've met many sorts growing up, and I can say with confidence that the princess is someone you can't trust nor can you hate."
"You can say that again," Arya groaned. As much as she disliked Khiara, she never did anything evil and that confused her, since she thought Cersei was the best example of a schemer who had a kind face when in fact, the "queen" could never match Khiara in everything.
"Walk with us?" Jon asked Arya, which she quickly accepted by taking his left side. The three walked through his palace, enjoying what little peace could be gained from everything that was happening all around.
"So, it is true then? You two are fond of one another?" Arya had to ask.
"Yes," Daenerys spoke with confidence. "And more."
"You better treat my brother right, or you'll hear it from me," Arya lightly threatened, with Daenerys merely smiling.
"Oh, you don't have to worry about that. He's my blood and I can't afford to lose any more."
Arya bobbed her head, satisfied. Then, they came upon Meleys' resting area, which was large enough for Drogon also and she was surprised at how the black and red dragons were behaving so close with each other. Their heads rubbed against the other's and soft purrs of affection left their mouths.
"Would you look at that?" Arya didn't want this to end, for who could say back home that they saw dragons acting this way.
"Perhaps we'll see some eggs come soon," Daenerys kissed Jon's cheek. "Only right, since our dragons have been waiting to see each other for many years now."
"Just like us," Jon grinned back while squeezing her shoulder.
But before Arya could enjoy watching the dragons' affection play out further, she turned around and saw her friend in the Jade Order run up to her.
"Arya, you're needed," she caught her breath.
"What is it?"
"We've been assigned to assist Minister Zong in tracking down Yujin. Someone's spotted him in lower quarter."
Jon had by now become fluent in guanhua and was alerted, while Daenerys didn't understand what was being said.
"What's going on?" she asked.
"They might have found where the emperor's killer is at," Jon explained to her. Daenerys was aware of the situation.
"Sorry, Your Majesty, but I have to go. I have personal business to deal with Yujin," Arya apologized.
"Don't worry. Do what you have to do," Daenerys understood.
Before Arya was out of earshot, she could hear Daenerys ask Jon to teach her guanhua, which he eagerly accepted. Hope she can handle the strokes, or she'll have to do them one hundred times, Arya mused.
Sam rubbed his cheeks, his temples, and his eyes as he completed his last scroll for the day. His new duties had made him much busier than he ever was and he didn't know for sure if he could handle it for the long term. At the same time, the empire was the only place where his skills and inclination for the book were valued and he wouldn't trade it for anything else int the world, save for a few other things. After he completed his day's work, he poured himself another cup of tea. Seven hells, this is mad. What have I got myself into?
Thankfully, the Grand Secretary was able to regain consciousness after being knocked out by Yujin at the Purple Palace. However, because he witnessed everything, he was deemed a "person of interest" to the investigation committee, staffed by provosts selected by Minister Zong and Lord Buko, and therefore all access to him was restricted while he was placed under close military supervision. And with the suspension of all civilian functions, the army and the fleet assumed all decision-making processes and therefore, the investigation committee had nearly unlimited authority, although they still had to answer to Princess Khiara.
As for the Grand Secretary, the emperor being deceased meant he no longer had the basis to exercise his position since his patron was gone. As such, his time as the Grand Secretary had concluded and consequently, there was no one to fill that position in an official capacity, not with martial law declared.
However, because Sam had worked in close proximity to the Grand Secretary and because he was Jon's close friend, Khiara pulled strings and persuaded Lord Buko and Minister Zong to appoint Sam as the Secretary to the Armed Reconstruction Council, the official name given to the senior officers that would hold on the reins of power in the empire. Comprised of nine members, among them were Minister Zong who resumed his previous rank as a lieutenant general in the army, Lord Buko, Admiral Okamoto, and Joon Kitara once he arrived with his northern troops. And in a special session of court before all control was turned over to the armed council, Khiara declared herself regent of the phoenix throne, making her the unofficial ruler of the empire. For Sam, he was the Grand Secretary in all but name, only this time he had to answer to generals and admirals, and he quickly discovered that he was in more danger than he thought he was.
For one, Lord Buko was someone to really be cautious of, as the others had warned him. He only had heard of the garrison commander in passing and only interacted with him a few times while the emperor was still alive. Even though Sam agreed with his stance on corruption, he likened his responses to every problem in society as an insect that needed to be squashed. The problem with that thinking was that not all problems were created equally and not everything could be resolved with force. That was the approach his father adopted when trying to make him more like a man, and he would forever be abhorred by anyone who believed that all types of force were justified no matter how they were applied.
On the other hand, Sam knew that Minister Zong, now General Zong, and Admiral Okamoto were the most approachable of the council besides Lord Joon, who had yet to arrive. General Zong and Admiral Okamoto were politically savvy and also knew how to keep their ambitions in check. They also knew how to connect with the dozens of army officers who wanted to remain professionals and outside political circles, as they were the ones who could counterbalance Lord Buko and his ilk.
Nevertheless, Sam learned to keep his feelings close to his chest and just did his duties. He had to dictate all official communications between the garrison commanders and those that managed to breach the force that besieged the capital. He had to ensure that all of the officials appointed to administer the quarters would do their jobs well, which was nothing he wasn't used to before. But one mistake on his part, and he would be eaten alive by the beasts in the army.
But while he was where the Grand Secretary's quarters, he heard someone knock hard on his screen door. "Come in," he said. He was surprised to see one of Meiying's servants come, who he had seen a few times. "What are you doing here?"
"It's my lady," she was near hyperventilating. "She's… she's…"
"What?" Sam stood up in concern. Before the last words left the servant's mouth, he was running back to Meiying's house and found so much blood and bodies starting from the gate. Horrified, he ran into her house and remembering where he met her parents, he found her crying over their dead corpses. Instinctively, Sam knelt beside her. "My gods, what happened?"
"Yujin… Yujin…" she managed.
Sam knew that Yujin did try to court her one time, but he didn't understand just yet. "Why did he do this?"
"He said… retribution for pushing him away and for my parents' words about his mother," she cried out.
Sam's fist clenched. "That bastard… I'll find him and kill him myself."
Meiying reached out, covering his hand with hers. "Don't. Just stay here." And she hugged him tight, with Sam just holding her as she sobbed into his robes. All Sam could do was to rub her back and let her know that her world hadn't ended.
"I'm here," he told her.
Even after he had the servants secure the house with soldiers and started to clean up her parents' bodies, he didn't leave her, for she needed someone close to her to help her get through this. While Sam didn't have a good relationship with her father, her mother did nothing bad to him and he said silent prayers while they were buried. Don't worry. They will be avenged, he promised in his mind.
Later on, Arya arrived, along with a few members of the Jade Order and six hundred men. The commander of the troops interrogated Meiying as gently as he could.
"Do you know where he went, my lady? It's important." Meiying remained silent, tears ruining the eye shadows. "Please, anything you can tell us will help."
"Captain, I think that's enough," Sam ordered him. "She's lost her parents."
"We have a fugitive loose in the city, Secretary," the captain reminded him. "We have to find him before he causes more damage."
"Maybe we could trap him, use the reward and see who is interested," Arya pointed out.
"And also, he can't escape because this city has been locked down tight. We'll catch him eventually," Sam added.
The captain realized that he was going to get anything more, so he departed with his troops.
"Arya," Sam spoke to her. "If possible, if you find Yujin, don't kill him. He's wronged too many people now, and we all want our share of his flesh."
Arya gave him a dark grin. "Obliged. I'll let him that you send your regards." And with that, Arya and her friends donned heavy cloaks and disappeared into the crowds of the tense city.
"I'll take you to my friend's palace," Sam said to Meiying. "You'll be safe there."
Meiying said nothing, but she kissed him lightly on his lips. Surprised, Sam stood there, frozen. However, after a moment, they both closed the distance and their second kiss became deeper and more filled with passion.
"Can I stay with you tonight?" she asked.
"Of course," Sam smiled as they walked to his quarters in Jon's palace. Hope Jon doesn't mind.
Ardroon walked through the now tense city of Yin, having become so with the establishment of checkpoints by the garrison. Everyone had to be searched whenever they crossed a bridge, tried to go through a gate, or pass into one of the quarters. The soldiers at each checkpoint were quite thorough, which also included the female citizens, as they left no stone unturned. Of course, it didn't help that their husbands, brothers, or fathers took offense, and they were soon calling them all sorts of names, with the most prevalent being "shitshirts" since they wore armor that were as brown as shit.
Ardroon lost count of how many times he was searched by the provosts or the soldiers at the checkpoints, which only increased since he was a shadow man and they were not looked upon favorably in general. In fact, out of all of the places in Yin, the place with the highest concentration of people from Asshai received one of the heavier concentration of provosts or constables now following the army's orders. It was one of the consequences of a people trying to find a life outside of the peninsula and still being seen as foreign.
But Ardroon paid it no mind, for he was not really Ardroon at this point. The dragon spirit, still in his body, didn't spare a thought to how man treated each other, for it was a theme that remained constant no matter how much time had passed and no matter how much they claim to advance themselves. People will always find a way to discriminate against one another, as they need to feel that sense of superiority and power despite how miniscule and fleeting that was. That was probably the greatest addiction anyone could feel, the feeling that even for a moment, they are above others because they can't accept that they are just like everyone else. Kings, lords, emperors, queens, traders, and the common man were all vulnerable to such urges and the dragon spirit could merely huff at how much things hadn't changed.
At the same time, he was not going to inconvenience himself any longer. Coming upon another checkpoint, one of the soldiers tried to stop him and direct him to be searched. "Piss off," the dragon spirit through Ardroon answered. The soldier took offense and tried to drag him, only for the dragon spirit to push his arm away punch him with his left hand hard. He fell to the ground, screaming as he held onto his cheek, which was burned from the spirit's knuckle. Ardroon could only look with surprise at his hand while the other soldiers at the checkpoint surrounded him and point their weapons. Interesting…
You don't know the half of it, the spirit answered.
"Hands up in the air! Do it now!" one of the soldiers shouted while aiming his tanegashima at Ardroon's head.
"Put that toy down, boy," the spirit spoke in a commanding tone. "Before you hurt yourself."
"Before you what?" another exclaimed. "Do you even know who you are talking to?"
"From what I could see, I'm addressing a bunch of confused, scared little children."
"Scared of who? Scared of you? We're supposed to be scared of you?" another hissed. "You just made the biggest mistake of your life, you fuck."
"Great, an obscenity," Ardroon rubbed his head from boredom. "Funny how quickly you people resort to such words in times of stress."
"Us people? You just told the private here to 'piss off' not too long ago."
"There's a difference between using language in times of duress and using it in normal circumstances. And I believe that I have the right to speak to you as I see fit."
"Look at him," Ardroon immediately recognized that type of tone, for it belonged to one with an established authority over the men in front of him. "A shadow man talking to us like he's better. You mountain apes should know your place."
"In case you don't know the difference between us," the spirt spoke using Ardroon's memories. "I come from the sea. I never seen the mountains in my life before I came to this land. Let me guess. You like to bash our heads in, don't you?"
"What did you say to me, scum?" the leader put his hand on his sword's pommel.
"Don't play games with me. You might be a soldier, but you're nothing but an overglorified constable who only joined because he wanted a justified way to hurt people less powerful than yourself. Your type is unfortunately all too common in any decade, in any century," Ardroon then spit at his feet, causing the leader to draw his sword.
"You're dead!" the leader had enough.
"Enough!" another interrupted. Ardroon and the leader looked in the direction of the voice, where a white devil and a group of soldiers armed with tanegashima came running to them. The leader and the soldiers at the checkpoint immediately stood at attention, for they recognized the stripes on his waist and who exactly it was.
"Captain Waters," the leader addressed him.
Gendry ignored him while he remembered Ardroon. "I apologize, good ser. These men were only doing their duty, only they could be quite overzealous at times." With that said, Ardroon was escorted by Gendry and the soldiers past the checkpoint, where Gendry dropped the authoritative pretense since he knew exactly who was inside the shadow man. "Must you always antagonize those you consider yourself inferior to you?"
"Live as long as I have, boy, and you'll understand why I am like this," Ardroon answered. "Congratulations on yet another promotion, Captain Waters. It's not every day that a white man can be appointed to command a battalion in the Golden Empire, straight from a company commander," Ardroon congratulated him half-heartedly.
"And it's not every day that I get to converse with a spirit inhabiting a man," Gendry shot back.
"More blessings will come your way, bastard. From a blacksmith to an officer, next you'll be a general and a major lord," the spirit spoke through Ardroon.
"Next, you'll say I'll be a king," Gendry finished for him.
"No, a crown is not in your destiny. You might have the blood of a king in your veins, and you might come from a line of dragon riders, but a throne you'll never sit on."
"Thank the gods," Gendry breathed out in relief. "But how do you know all of that?"
"You still don't understand?" Ardroon looked at him incredulously. "I met many types of people through the thousands of years that I spent stuck on this planet and I've learned who will rise to greatness. You certainly have what it is required to rise through the ranks from nothing."
"I wouldn't know about that," Gendry said.
"And that's why you'll be great, because you know your own limitations or at least understand that you have some, which is a great blessing since many try to do things that are beyond their capabilities."
"You seem to have a lot of faith for something that looks down on people so easily," Gendry noted.
"I'm merely stating the facts, which were formed from my experience. As I said, you learn and see a lot after over fifteen thousand years."
Gendry breathed out in shock. "Fifteen thousand years… I would lose my mind if I lived that long."
"That's because you are but flesh and blood and therefore, you can only handle so much before you expire. Myself, I was molded by the powers that be and I am not governed by the natural laws."
Gendry shook his head. "All of this head stuff… really is straining me."
"And I don't expect you to understand everything, for even the dragon riders have their limits on how much they will ever know about life, the universe, all of that."
Gendry and Ardroon spoke nothing more as they returned to the palaces, now under heavy guard and only Gendry being a battalion captain and personally knowing the new captain of the imperial guard allowed them both entry. Searching through Ardroon's mind, the spirit discovered that he knew certain individuals who worshipped the deity R'hllor. Intrigued since he knew R'hllor from the first days of the earth, he discovered how Ardroon communicated with those individuals, which was quite simple.
As for Ardroon, he didn't resist the spirit searching through his mind, as they had a somewhat symbiotic relationship. Ardroon was able to be protected since no one could hope to extinguish a spirit, and the spirit could get up to speed on what went on in the world. And as he expected, the world looked more like hell than the one he saw before he retired to the mountains.
Directing Ardroon to speak to the fires, the spirit then took over and finally established contact with the one Ardroon had known a long time ago, the one who was currently advising in the lands of the First Men before the Andals arrived and took over half of it.
"Ardroon," Melisandre addressed her old friend.
"Ah, so you must be one of the ones spreading your interpretation of R'hllor," the spirit used Ardroon's voice.
Melisandre was shocked, for she knew that someone had assumed her friend's body. "Who are you?"
"You dare address me like that, girl? You might have lived longer than normal, but what you've seen is nothing because I was here long before you entered this world," the spirit spared no punches.
Melisandre was surprised at being called a girl, but from her experiences with the spiritual, she knew better than to argue with one who clearly had no origins in the physical world. "What do you want?"
"Your friend is temporarily unavailable, which will work in our favor. And you can help prepare the land of the First Men against the threat that is rising from the north," the spirit went straight to the point.
"What would you know about the threat?" Melisandre asked.
"Whatever you think you know about it… you have little idea. You weren't there when the first Long Night descended upon the world and you cannot comprehend just who you will be actually fighting," the spirit told her.
Melisandre, for the first time in a long time, felt fear grow inside of her. "What can you tell me?"
"The wall at the north of Westeros… it's not the only barrier that was constructed to contain the threat. And even though the people who lived beyond the wall managed to escape, it will do nothing to slow down the inevitable, for what you will face has no need for man or beast to demonstrate its strength."
Melisandre gulped. "What can I do?"
"Continue what you are doing, for the adversaries currently lined against you must be removed before a united front can be formed. The threat has slept for so long that many of the mortals have forgotten, but I remember the Long Night as if it was only yesterday. And they have been consumed by their schemes for too long to work together, as it is against man's nature to cooperate after much blood has been spilled," the spirit directed her.
Melisandre, meanwhile, nodded. "But what about yourself? Will you be able to bring the dragons back to their home?"
"It's the only way that can happen. While the Golden Empire will be affected, Westeros will be in more danger since they are ill-prepared."
Melisandre nodded again before the communication ended. As for the spirit, he returned partial control to Ardroon, who was afraid of how serious the threat was from how the spirit described it.
"You're afraid. But not as frightened enough, for you don't know what will come," the spirit told him as they walked through the palaces and looked upon the dragons flying in the sky. "Let's hope those beasts are up to the task."
A/N: Khiara finally asserting her control over the capital and then the empire, proving herself as the GoT version of Wu Zetian.
But Daenerys got through the small crack in her armor, which never happened to her. And yes, unlike in the shitty final season, Arya is off to a great start with Daenerys.
Sam is about to take Meiying to fourth base, but he's going to have to support her through her parents' murder at the hands of Yujin.
And Ardroon aka the dragon spirit telling Melisandre that she knows nothing about the great threat... I'll give you all a hint. I likened the Night King to the character who received the following rebuke: "Your politics bore me. Your demeanor is that of a pouty child." It's an indication as to what is going on.
See you next time!
