A/N: Hi, all. How have you been? Been busy with work and other things in life, but I will try to update regularly. And man, more things going on with the world, but hope you all are keeping safe.

Joon tried his best to keep his cool as dispatches from all over the field came into his tent. He counted at least four new reports every few minutes, all of them coming from the brigade captains that had all been engaged by the forces of the Prime Minister. The volume got so high that it became too much for him and Quartermaster Shin to handle, so they had to delegate some of the responsibility to the junior officers going over the maps. Joon knew that in war, nothing ever went to plan. However, the premature actions of one overzealous company captain had threatened to jeopardize their advance on the capital and thus leave Khiara, Jon, and the others trapped there.

After they had marched into Asabhad, surprisingly with little to no resistance, Joon took control of the port city, appointed a lieutenant-general from the northeast army as the interim governor of the city, and handed over the harbor to the fleet, who landed several battalions of marines to assist the part of the army left to maintain security. At least a dozen more battalions of marines were off-loaded at Asabhad and given to Joon to command. Joon appreciated the fighting capabilities of the fleet's marine forces and thus had them form part of the vanguard, much to the disconcertion of his generals. "They want to fight. Let's see how well they could still do," Joon said.

But soon enough, Joon regretted his decision. While approaching the outskirts of Yin, one of his cavalry brigades reinforced by a company of marines came into contact with the rearguard of the Prime Minister's forces. The commander of the brigade sought to resolve the matter peacefully and thus opened a dialogue with the ranking officer there. The brigade lieutenant was able to recall every word said when he reported to Joon.

"Good to see you again," the cavalry brigade captain greeted the enemy officer. "It's been a while."

"Likewise," the officer answered.

"So… here we are. Both of us following orders we both see as right."

"So it would seem. But Lord Joon has committed treason by marching his army here, while the Prime Minister has the backing of the new emperor."

"I don't know about the Prime Minister, but he doesn't have the authority to act on the emperor's behalf regardless of the circumstances."

"Be careful of what you say. We might have taken the examinations together, but much has changed since then. I would hate to kill a former acquaintance of mine."

"Look, no one has to get hurt. Besides, we were able to take Asabhad without much bloodshed and march all the way here. The way I see it, Lord Joon has the upper hand and the momentum here."

"And the Prime Minister can easily stop you here at this moment. My advice to you is to turn around and go back north."

"I cannot do that. I have my orders and my business is further east. Please, stand aside."

"I'm afraid I have to stop you. My orders are to not allow you one more inch."

"Please, don't do this. None of us or our troops want to kill each other."

The brigade lieutenant then explained that the marine company captain rushed forward and forced his way to the enemy officer. "What the hell is going on here?"

"Stand aside, captain. We're just talking," the brigade captain tried to warn him off.

"You're treating with a traitor and a mutineer. As for you," he turned to the enemy officer. "Stand aside right now!"

"No," the enemy officer defied him.

However, the marine captain then drew his sword and stabbed him through the belly, causing him to fall over. Before the enemy troops could respond in unison, the marine captain drew his tanegashima and fired into the air. "Men, marines, forward!" The marines followed their captain and opened fire, starting the skirmish that alerted the enemy to their presence, causing Joon to accelerate his plans while putting them at risk.

Immediately, Joon removed that marine captain from duty, since he met enough men with that itch for combat during his time in the army and knew that they unnecessarily put the rest of the troops in danger. With the rest of the army still trying to make their way down the road to Yin, Joon had to rush forward with twelve thousand men, even though they would all be outnumbered five to one. Fucking marines… Joon growled.

From what Quartermaster Shin could gather from that first shot fired, the rearguard of the Prime Minister's forces had been thrown into disarray, as they did not expect to be struck so soon and assumed that they had time before they would meet the northern soldiers in battle. What's more, the skirmish instigated by the marine captain had resulted in disproportionate casualties to the enemy, with over four hundred dead in a matter of minutes and only twenty dead on their side. Joon could attest that to the northern soldiers possessing more combat experience than their southern counterparts and the fact that all of the marines were armed with tanegashima due to the fleet making the transition to an all-black powder arsenal, while the Prime Minister's forces were still armed with traditional weaponry. But still, that marine made things more difficult for me. I'll still keep him away from the front, he refused to praise his actions despite the information drawn from that.

The next day, two more cavalry brigades had engaged the enemy about five miles from the western bank of the river that fed into Yin. Although the reports said that they had the initial advantage, the enemy was pouring infantry into the battle, now forcing Joon to commit more forces into the fray and further endangering his plans. Why do they have to act impulsively?

However, leveraging his training and experience, Joon acted calmly and told Quartermaster Shin and his other subordinates to gather as much timely information as possible since he needed to direct the various brigades and generals from his tent. In the past, he would have led his troops directly into combat and would have gladly exchanged the comforts of his temporary headquarters with the feeling gained from charging on horseback. But now, Joon was in command of over one hundred and fifty thousand men, which was too large to command from horseback without losing sight of key details and thus forcing him to remain inside his tent as he gave his orders.

"Have Captain Chu send his infantry to reinforce Captain Moon at this point," Joon pointed on the map. "Strike the enemy here, here, and here," another order came from his mouth. "Bring in the cannons, the rockets, and the missile troops to the flanks. Pour down iron on those bastards."

Joon again resented being stuck in the tent, but thanks to the actions of a few premature junior officers, he had to give orders behind the lines instead of watching the battle unfold. Nevertheless, clear lines of communication had been set up and Joon was able to gain a clear picture of the field, and so far, his troops were performing to expectations.

The skirmish had resulted in a larger battle than even the enemy was prepared for. Subsequently, Joon's scouts told him that the enemy generals were sending in cavalry and infantry brigades in a haphazard fashion in order to gain the upper hand. This showed that they knew little about what they were facing, as more prepared commanders would have sent in light troops first to engage and assess the field before sending in the core units in waves. What shocked him more was the enemy had not even bothered to provide cannon and archer cover for their advancing troops, which left them at the mercy of the more skilled and experienced northern soldiers.

Eventually, the enemy had seemed to correct their initial tactical error and began to rain iron balls and arrows on Joon's troops. They had to conduct a withdrawal to get out of range, which the enemy exploited by regrouping and finally getting into proper battle formations. When that happened, Joon had the missile troops and cannons brought up quickly, but he told them to hold their volleys until the right moment. After a messenger brought him news that the enemy had charged into the beleaguered northern troops without protecting their flanks, Joon gave the order to open fire. Thousands more had perished, but the northern soldiers and the marines retook the initiative and started to force the enemy back into the river.

But many hours passed, and Joon's reports all indicated that the enemy was not cracking as quickly as they had anticipated. Apparently, the southern soldiers turned out to be more committed to their cause than expected and thus, they were not putting down their weapons and surrendering. That was when Joon reprimanded himself, for he had forgotten one important piece of advice from the general's book: "Throw your soldiers into positions whence there is no escape, and they will prefer death to flight. If they will face death, there is nothing they may not achieve. If there is no help for it, they will fight hard." And that was the mistake that Joon had committed, for he forced them against the river and now he had given them every reason to fight harder than ever. Oh, my gods. How could I have not considered that?

Joon shook his head before writing down his next order. "Have the cannons, archers, and other missile troops concentrate fire on their rearguard and aim into the river. Also, release the rockets on them. Light up the sky with them also, so that we may all see each other."

"My lord," they all affirmed before they carried his order out. Joon rubbed his forehead and ran his fingers down from his eyes and cheeks to his chin, groaning at how he overlooked one simple but important aspect of war. I'm getting sloppy.

After a while and getting worried about the outcome of the battle, Joon walked out of his tent, his camp being blanketed by the darkness, save for the explosions visible against the night. Taking out his spyglass and thanks to the light afforded by the "starlight rockets", he saw in closer detail the carnage that was being spread out over the riverbank. Horses were no longer useful, and everyone was fighting on foot. Heads were crushed or sliced off, men screamed out in pain while their limbs were severed, puncture wounds galore amongst many spear thrusts and tanegashima shots, and those who resorted to fighting with their hands. He was amazed at how long this battle lasted, which had now broken half a day and night by this point. As much as he wanted to join them and lead from the front, he was their overall commanding general and if he was killed or wounded, his men would suffer more. And I thought holding my katana and swinging it against those zorsemen was difficult work…

But then, Joon heard a faint sound in the distance. It didn't take long for him to recognize that they were wings flapping in the air, as he got accustomed to Meleys. What got his attention was that he heard two sets of wings. Two dragons… His eyes widened, as he surmised that Daenerys Targaryen was freed and somehow, she was riding her dragon into combat.

Acting quickly and knowing full well of the dragons' capabilities, he turned to his personal adjutant. "Have the captains fall back and fire a starlight rocket in the air above us, a green one."

"My lord?" The adjutant was confused.

"Do it now, or we will all be burnt to a black crisp!" Joon barked.

Immediately, the adjutant shouted to the trumpeters, "Fall back! Tell them!" At that, four men put their lips to four horns that gave off a long droning sound that echoed through the field. Almost immediately, Joon could see that his captains had followed orders and began the withdrawal. Seeing that the enemy was about to pursue in the belief that they were about to accomplish a rout, the adjutant then ordered a green starlight rocket to explode in the air while Joon trusted Jon, who was certainly among the riders, to know that meant they were on his side.

What happened next was something that Joon never dared to imagine in his darkest dreams. Upon seeing the green "starlight," two streams of dragonfire poured onto the charging enemy masses. It was a scene that even the texts describing the Rhoynish Wars of ancient times had failed to capture. Even from outside of his command tent, Joon could see men flailing about as they tried to get the fire off of their bodies, swords melting, war beasts bellowing in vain, and even the waters catching flames. The dragonfire burned so bright that Joon had to squint his eyes, as the flames were so terrible in their wrath that night only served to amplify their effect. "My gods," Joon whispered out, a sentiment by the other officers outside of the tent.

Getting another illumination rocket in the air, Joon could see that the enemy forces had fled in terror. But there was no time to celebrate their victory, for Joon turned to his adjutant once more. "Issue orders to Captain Xu. Tell him to begin pursuing the enemy as far as possible and to ascertain where the enemy camp is."

"Yes, my lord."

Hearing the wings flap closer, Joon finally made out the distinctive red shape of Meleys. The black dragon, he was not familiar with, but it was much larger than Meleys, almost matching the size of the mount of the Conqueror. So, this must be the Black Dread reborn. He had heard tell of Daenerys' dragons, but it was another thing entirely to see it firsthand.

Both of the riders slid off their dragons while the officers and soldiers steered clear of them. Joon was pleased to see Jon in his armor and was not surprised to see Daenerys donning only simple robes that were customary to Yi-Ti. However, he could see that with enough time and training, she could become a fighter for she had that look in her eye. Who knew that the Dragon Queen herself had it in her?

"Good to see you again, Lord Joon," Jon bowed his head while speaking in guanhua. Despite being a prince, he knew how to respect his elders.

"Likewise, Prince Daeron," Joon bowed back while he turned his gaze to Daenerys. "Queen Daenerys, it's good to see you again. I only wish that our first meeting happened in… better circumstances."

Daenerys shook her head. "Nonsense, my lord. Daeron here has told me much about what you did for him, and I can only be grateful for you taking care of him and teaching him how to be a better man."

"Thank you… Your Majesty," Joon addressed her formally. "But regarding him being a better man, I can assure you that he did that all by himself. As the old saying goes, you can lead a horse to water, but you can't make him drink."

Daenerys nodded in agreement. "That's a good saying. I think I will use that more often, my lord."

It was then that Joon noticed Jon wearing a different uniform despite the presence of Dark Sister and Longclaw. "Any changes since I was gone, Prince Daeron?"

"The Princess Regent has appointed me Captain of the Imperial Guard in light of Captain Dao's treachery and Yujin's subsequent massacre of the rest of the guard," Jon answered.

Joon had heard about that, but he was not privy to the specifics. "Come inside, both of you. We have much to discuss."


Kaijin took in the strong scent of incense, one that was purported by the monk to be able to communicate with those long lost. The weeks following his father's death had been trying for him, but with practically no one that he could rely upon for comfort and guidance, there was only one place that he could go, and it didn't exist in the physical world.

Kaijin never considered himself to be a strong believer in the spiritual, but he certainly developed a deeper respect and appreciation of the otherworldly deities that inhabited the physical realm. There were many things that didn't make sense to him and causes rooted from the same deities that were responsible for the world's creation appeared more logical to him than what man was capable of doing. The rebirth of the dragons was certainly proof of that, as man had tried to force their will on their reappearance several times and had failed miserably. And contrary to what he had seen in his sister, there was only so much that a person could accomplish and not even Khiara had the answer to how one can cope and heal from the passing of their father. If she even had affection for him in the first place.

And that was possibly the saddest thing that Kaijin identified in his family. Their father hated Yujin for killing his mother, his favorite concubine, he thought of Sumeng as incompetent and excluded him, and he distrusted Khiara because of what she did while her mother the Empress was still alive. As far as he could remember, he was the only one who could say that he enjoyed warm relations with the emperor, with his treatment of his mother being a sign of that. And because the emperor had been a positive force in his life until his murder, it was Kaijin that decided to mourn him like any filial son for their departed fathers.

He wore white mourning robes, which symbolized purity and rebirth, the latter because the people in the Golden Empire believed that nothing truly died and was instead transformed into something else, hopefully a higher form. But how much higher can father become, since he was the emperor? He performed the funeral rites, which included bowing before the emperor's tablet and pouring him a drink for the afterlife. Usually, the mourning period was supposed to last for three years, since conventional thinking in the empire recommended that amount of time in order for it to mirror how long a child would be weaned, which reflected their idea that death was merely a rebirth into something else. Even the emperor was supposed to mourn for that long, which he had done for the empress. Though that didn't apply to those occupying positions considered vital, which included the emperor as he mourned for only twenty-seven days.

Unfortunately, the same applied for Kaijin, who was recalled to Yin upon the death of the emperor just a mere week after his death by Khiara, who had quickly maneuvered herself as Princess Regent. Has she no shame? However, he had also received reports that the Prime Minister had surrounded the capital. No matter his feelings and despite his half-siblings view on the matter, Kaijin was obliged to protect his blood and the Prime Minister was the current threat.

Just managing to get himself out of his stupor, Kaijin assembled his two major-generals and his brigade captains. As Commandant of Firearms, he led over thirty-five thousand soldiers in a centralized command just outside of the jungles around Yin. Although he had the smallest army, he had among the best officers and soldiers at his fingertips, as the firearms units had the best pay and only restricted to those who received the highest scores in the examinations. On top of that, all of the officers had to have proven themselves in combat, and there were plenty who had done so. Kaijin's command was probably the most professional and well-trained force in the whole of the empire, save for the northern troops. And his first orders were to link up with Captain-General Benjen Stark, who was coming to Yin with the Capital Field Army. Good. Benjen is Daeron's uncle, so he has all the reason in the world to fight hard.

But first, he needed guidance, as he was still confused on what to do. That was why he needed to seek guidance from the world where only the strong scent could grant access to, if it even worked. Feeling his breath hitch and then himself falling backwards into a void, he stood back up and found himself in a garden under a night sky. It was filled with blossoms, something that his father had grown to cherish when he was his age.

Walking through the blossomed trees, Kaijin then saw his father appreciating one in his hand. Overjoyed, he ran towards him and bowed his head low. "Father, you have no idea how happy I am to see you!" he managed while holding back the tears.

The emperor looked at him with sadness, confusing Kaijin. "And how I long to touch you, my son. However, you have much work to do and I cannot interfere, no matter how much I want to."

"What do you mean?" This was not the sort of exchange he wanted from his father.

"I failed, my son. Nothing changed while I was on phoenix throne, and I chose to be a merry emperor who brought some festivity back to the imperial court. However, in doing so, I allowed sorts like your brothers, the Prime Minister, and even your sister to take control I might have made my feelings known to them, but I didn't act on them. People will say, thousands of years from now, that my reign was the prelude to strife in our great empire," the emperor reflected.

"No, father," Kaijin shook his head. "Not all of that was your fault."

"But I had the mandate of the heavens, my son, and I didn't do much to maintain the peace and prosperity in our empire. And now we have dragons in our lands, and the gods know what they will bring."

"Father, I don't think you should be worried about the dragons. I might know Daeron very well, but I do know that his heart is in the right place. Have faith in him."

"Just like his grandfather before him and the other 'mad' Targaryens?" the emperor was not convinced. "I don't know what logic compelled Lord Joon to bring the dragons under his roof, but the empire will be haunted for sure."

"You're wrong about that, father. That, I am sure of," Kaijin dissented.

"And I hope I am," the emperor surprised. "I was right many times, but I didn't act. If I am wrong and I didn't act that time, that might bring me some peace at last, for I followed my senses for once."

Kaijin scratched his head. "I am not going to try to burden you with what is going on in the world that you left, father. I came here for what I can do, because I feel lost without you."

"As I said, there's nothing that I can do. Once I cross the river, I will meet the supreme being and you won't hear from me again."

"Please, father," Kaijin was not prepared for that eventuality. He kneeled before him. "Say anything. I need you still."

The emperor set the blossom in his hand down and put his hand on his shoulder. "What brings me joy is that I helped mold such a fine young man, and that at least the good in me passed on to you. However, you're too good for what will await you in Yin, especially after Khiara gets what she wants. When that happens, there is only one thing that you can do."

"And what is that?" Kaijin asked.

"You're a good man, my son. And I urge you to stay good, even if you have to be that elsewhere. That's my final request to you."

Kaijin nodded, as he didn't want to worry his father with hesitance. "I will, father."

"Then you have all of the answers you need for now. Right now, you have people who need you and those who trust you. Go back to them, but remember what I ask of you." Suddenly, a soft breeze blew. "Ah, looks like it is time now for me to go to the river."

As he walked further amongst the blossomed trees, Kaijin could see a large mass of discarded petals blowing towards his father. "Wait, father!" He tried to run after him.

"Be good," the emperor turned around once more before and told him one more time before he was covered by the petals and finally disappeared into the air. As Kaijin ran to where his father was and knelt down in agony, the world turned bright white. He found himself back in front of the incense sticks.

If Kaijin thought he was going to get answers, he felt more confused than ever. Be good, even if I have to be that elsewhere? What does that even mean?

"Your Highness," his subordinate general approached him. "We've made contact with General Stark. Apparently, he has his own orders to Yin, given to him by Lord Joon and Princess Khiara."

Kaijin snapped himself out of it. "Understood. Invite him to my tent and we will begin to plan the advance southwards together." The general nodded while Kaijin tried to ease him by exhaling. He knew that he was stepping into potential danger in Yin, not including the already present threats from the Prime Minister, but he felt that there was simply no way that he can turn away. Father, why have I been put into his situation? he thought despondently while he tried to be the soldier that he was born to be.


Lieutenant Ong kept his conical straw hat tight around his head as he tried to blend in with the crowd while also covering his face. Even though he was not as well-known as his superior officer Captain Lok, he knew that one familiar with the composition of each of the imperial households would know who he served. Consequently, he had to lie low and keep his head down if he wanted to escape the city alive. How did it come to this?

Lieutenant Ong had not counted on his circumstances going from bad to worse. Originally posted to the capital garrison and commanding one of its battalions, his position allowed him to perform military duties while being able to partake in leisurely activities. Such activities included gambling, drinking wine, and enjoying the company of beautiful women. However, he had enjoyed the comforts in the capital a little too much and he found himself in debt because he was living above his means. Whether it was by coincidence or by forced intentions, Prince Yujin was at the same gambling den that Lieutenant Ong was at and he paid off his debt while transferring him to his own household.

"Your Highness, I am thankful for you paying off my debts, but I am a soldier and an officer," Ong tried to talk himself out of Yujin's service, since he was very aware of his reputation.

"Both of which don't really say much, considering how I found you in the first place," Yujin sneered. "And I do need an officer of your standing to assist the captain of my personal guard, considering that your predecessor proved unable to do the tasks that I required of him."

Ong gulped, since he didn't need to know the details of what happened to him. "Your Highness, I-"

"One more word, and I shall contact the local treasurer. I'm pretty sure that there will be a nice spot for you, befitting of any debtors," Yujin threatened.

Ong gulped, for he was also aware of what went on in those prisons. For the past three years, he had managed to survive Yujin's household while servants and even a few of his guards were abused or even killed because of his unstable disposition. Wondering how such a person could even have people supporting, Ong began to understand after meeting Captain Lok.

Lok was a snake, as he had blackmailed his way to the top through his ability to find one's intimate secrets by pretending to be friendly. The only difference between him and a vulture was that Lok chose his targets and didn't react whenever blood was in the air. And it was Lok that introduced Yujin to the criminal underworld, for Lok was previously a local constable who worked on vice. Lok's partner, Phuc Du, had longed plan to take control of the yapian market and he was interested if Yujin wanted to make some coin that could not be traced by official records. Lok himself had gotten wealthy by mixing crushed opium into spirits, which quickly got himself a large client base.

And that was what made servitude to Prince Yujin more bearable, for Ong had never seen so much silver taels flow into his pockets in his entire life and he was not going to get wealthy through the established channels. With the potential to earn as much silver as he can, Ong gritted his teeth and put up with Yujin's behavior while accumulating thousands of silver taels each moon. It wasn't long after that Ong resumed his free-spending habits, only this time the treasurers and debt collectors were afraid to approach him since they feared Prince Yujin.

But now, Ong, along with Captain Lok and dozens of other men in Yujin's service, had to hide in the city once the army began to lock down Yin. While Prince Yujin told them all that Captain Dao had killed the emperor, Princess Khiara and the newly established council told the rest of the population that Yujin was responsible and that Captain Dao was guilty of attempted treason. What does that even mean? Regardless of what was being circulated, it would only be a matter of time before they would be caught and they needed to be smuggled out of Yin if they wanted to survive just a little longer.

"So, here is the situation, men," Prince Yujin gathered Captain Lok and Lieutenant Ong to the safehouse in the low quarter of Yin. "I have found someone who could run the blockade at the docks."

"You mean they're brave enough to try to sail past heavily-armed warships, Prince Yujin?" Captain Lok inquired.

"One of the captains that Vinh bribed in the past has told me that he is willing to turn a blind eye once again and allow us passage in exchange for twice the original regular payment."

"How soon will we leave, Your Highness?" Lieutenant Ong asked.

"We can leave by tonight. Once we pay the man, all we have to do is sail by the dark of the night and we'll be free."

"And what then, Your Highness? We'll have to run for the rest of our lives?" Captain Lok asked.

"This inquisitory fashion is unbecoming of you, Captain," Yujin noted. "Are you having doubts?"

"Your Highness, I merely want to know what your plan is. They're offering one hundred thousand silver taels for your head and five times that amount if they can bring you in alive, meaning that every lowborn and cutthroat within a hundred leagues of this city will be looking for you."

"We must get out of this city first. Then, we make our way to the Mountains of the Morn. I know of a shinobi clan there that will give us shelter while we consider our options to retaliate against both my sister and the Prime Minister. The longer we can evade the constables and the army, the higher our chances of surviving for many years to come."

Lieutenant Ong learned how to keep his feelings close to his chest, but it didn't take a smart man to understand that Yujin's plan was incomplete and thus, his confidence in his prince had taken a new hit.

"I'm with you, my prince. Till the end," Captain Lok affirmed. Yujin looked expectedly at Lieutenant Ong, and he had to give off a look of resolution to satisfy him.

But in the hours that passed by and made their way closer to the dead of night, Lieutenant Ong realized that if he was going to take this any further, he would really be fucked. He imagined that he was going to be damned for being involved in the storming of the imperial guard barracks, which was quite massive and made him more surprised that they actually caught them all in their sleep. Ong didn't consider himself a good swordsman, but he managed to parry the sword strikes of an imperial guardsman before shooting his forehead. At the same time, he was only following orders and he didn't hold any malice against Captain Dao or any of the others in that regard.

That might not save me, Ong thought through. But if he wanted to keep his life and not suffer through the terrible consequences that befell a traitor, there really was only one option that he could take. I might have gotten rich because of Prince Yujin, but it's now me or him, and I choose myself.

Tiptoeing his way from the safehouse, careful as to not catch the attention of Captain Lok, Ong was able to blend in with the crowd while walking towards one of the checkpoints that separated the low quarters to the one of the upper ones. Glancing behind him once more to see that no one was following him, the soldiers and constables finally started to search him.

"I wish to make a statement," Ong told the leader at the checkpoint.

"What are you talking about?" the leader asked.

"It's concerning the whereabouts of Prince Yujin. Should I go on?" Ong posed.

The leader, not expecting to have someone approach him with information about Prince Yujin, had one of his men run to wherever he had to go while he himself sized up Ong. "And why should I believe you? Do you have any idea of how many people made false claims on knowing where that traitor is because of the reward?"

"Did any of those liars ever serve Yujin in a close capacity, say a lieutenant seconded to his household?" Ong challenged. The leader was dumbstruck, for that was not the response that he was looking for.

Very soon, Ong was escorted by a company of soldiers to the Ministry of War, which was now fully occupied by armed troops and considered the unofficial center of the newly established council. After searching him one more time and finding no weapons on him, the guards presented him to two middle-aged men dressed in armor, both of whom said no words as they looked at him up and down.

"Do you know who we are, lieutenant?" one of the men asked.

"Yes," Ong nodded. "You are War Minister Zong and I have seen Lord Buko in the past."

"Correct," Zong rolled up a scroll he was reading. "I was just reading through your service history, Lieutenant Ong, and I must say that I am not impressed with your accomplishments. Given your vices, you would have been stripped of your commission years ago and sent to prison. However, you found yourself a sponsor in Prince Yujin, who paid off your debts and had you posted to his household."

"That is one way of describing it, Minister," Ong answered.

"And now, you want to betray him, the very man who helped you escape confinement and a possible dismal end to your time in the army," Lord Buko joined in. "Why have you decided to step forward now?"

"I wish to survive, my lord."

Zong scoffed. "You lined your pockets with the taels gained from Yujin's underground activities and the minute your loyalty to him is tested, you want to abandon him? What kind of man are you other than one who will always try to save his own skin?"

"With respect, Minister, you can berate me as much as you want. But all I know is that if you hesitate now, Prince Yujin and his men will be able to escape the blockade at the docks."

"Impossible," Lord Buko shook his head. "You can't run the blockade without being fired upon and there is no chance that they can evade a warship."

"Not unless they bribed one of the captains to look the other way, my lord."

Zong and Buko glanced at each other. "Do you have a name for his captain, lieutenant?"

"No," Ong was not going to give up his bargaining piece. "I would like guarantees, please."

Zong sighed impatiently, but he knew that he had to make Ong feel secure if he was going to get the key information from him. "What do you want, besides your life?"

"The reward for bringing him in alive, and a separation from the army 'under honorable circumstances'," Ong replied.

"And what makes you think that you're in a position to demand anything, lieutenant?" Lord Buko narrowed one of his eyes. "What's to stop us from say, arresting you right now and trying you for treason and murder?"

"You can do that, my lord. But if you do that, I will not say a word about where Yujin will go and who is helping him. And I'm sure that you will suffer if you rejected this chance that I present."

Zong and Buko looked at each other once more before they both nodded. "We'll be keeping you here in protective custody. Once your tip proves reliable, we'll talk again."

But somewhere deep in Ong told him to not expect the best outcome, for that rarely happened. Stay alert, he told himself.


Theon led his band of wildlings, which included Tormund and Ygritte, down towards the entrance that Ramsay had inadvertently revealed to him while he was playing his sick game after just being captured during the sack of Winterfell. Well, Ramsay, you just made your first big mistake, ever.

But to the others, Theon was leading them into a large subterranean tunnel that seemed to go nowhere. The fact that the tunnel gave off that unwelcoming feeling didn't help matters. "You sure you know where you are going?" Tormund asked.

"Trust me. I was… a guest here," Theon put it mildly.

After going through more of the tunnel, they finally came upon the heavy iron gate that Theon had stopped at, where he poured his heart out to Ramsay before knowing who and what he really was. Only this time, it was locked. "What?" Theon exclaimed.

Tormund scoffed. "Well, thank you very fucking much, squid. You've led us to a place with no entry."

"So, what do we go?" one of the other wildlings asked. "Go back outside or try to get through this?"

"This is heavy iron," Theon answered. "We won't be able to get through this by force. And we can't go back outside, since we're tight on time and the others are depending on us."

"At least you have some ideas, right?" Ygritte asked.

Ever since Tormund told him how to impress Ygritte after what had happened the last time they talked, Theon has been waiting for the moment to step up and show himself to her. And he wasn't going to wase it. "Wait for me to unlock the door," he replied.

Tormund chuckled mockingly. "You do not look like the Old Gods or whatever you believe in, squid. So, I'm having a hard time trying to see how you're going to accomplish that."

Theon had to think hard. They had no tools to break through the locks and he didn't know how to pick through them, which might have proved useful in the previous years at Winterfell, all of which represented an innocent time for the young Greyjoy. At the same time, they needed to take the Dreadfort, for without the castle, their advance south would become difficult.

That was when he had an idea, something so outrageous that he was sure to get laughed at. But there was nothing better. "We put snow on the lock."

Tormund and Ygritte blinked, very confused. "What?"

"I have seen it before. After a while, snow makes metal brittle and stiff, making it easier to break and shatter. If we can put snow on the lock and then wait, we might have a chance," Theon suggested.

"I don't see that working," one of the other wildlings noted.

"You got a better idea?" Theon challenged. "Or do you want to explain to Mance why we are getting delayed? Your families are depending on you now and they need to move fast." That wildling groaned at that reminder, having no counter to it. "Anyone want to get the snow?"

Tormund shook his head. "It's your crazy idea. You do it." Ygritte was also looking at him with expectation.

Frustrated but knowing that he was not going to get help, Theon huffed while he ran back the other way, grabbed a handful from snow from the outside of the tunnel, and proceeded to stuff every opening of the lock with it. Seeing that he needed more after it was melting, Theon ran back and forth until his hands were more than stinging from their touch.

"So, they tortured you here?" Ygritte asked Theon as time passed.

"Yes," Theon nodded. "And in there is where I lost my eye."

"How do you feel, going back in there?"

Theon cracked a grin. "Pissed off. But also ready to exact my revenge. Where else am I going to get the satisfaction?"

Ygritte smiled back. "Good. Now that's what I like to hear, not this self-pity that I saw in you before."

Theon shrugged. "I have my chance. I am not going to waste it, not like before."

"And I hope you continue that way," Ygritte smirked back in challenge.

Before Theon could respond, he checked at the lock. Seeing the metal slightly bloated and then noticing small cracks, he ran to it and laughed. "It's coming." He turned around to Tormund. "May I see your sword please?"

"Why?" Tormund crossed his arms. Losing patience, Theon tried to grab it, only for Tormund to push him away. "The fuck you on about?"

"I need something to crack it," Theon pointed to the lock. "Unless of course you would like to use your hands."

Before Tormund could answer, another wildling gave his axe, which Theon took eagerly and thus surprising everyone when the lock smashed and the gate crashed open.

"Welcome to the Dreadfort," Theon handed the axe back while they charged into the dungeons.

Theon smelled the familiar stench that he had to endure many moons of as they finally entered the torture chamber. His heart stopped when he looked upon the cross that he was tied to, where Ramsay cut his finger and then his eye out before forcing to be "Reek." Gulping, he couldn't move.

Seeing what was happening, Ygritte moved next to Theon. "Is that it?" He nodded. "What are you going to do now?"

For a moment, Theon hesitated, as he still felt himself affected by the past associated with that cross. However, remembering what Ygritte just said about self-pity and no longer wanted to be stuck by Ramsay, Theon exhaled before he pulled out his sword and started to cut the cross into pieces.

Tormund, seeing that Theon was distracted, tried to stop him, but Ygritte held out her arm. "No, let him do this. He needs to."

What started out as a couple of weak swings turned into a flurry of strong cuts that finally decimated the object of his torment into nothing more than blocks on the floor. He grunted out loudly with each swing, the memories of his torture at Ramsay's hands flashing before his eyes, and he felt more anger with each subsequent flash. Afterwards, he caught his breath and turned around, to see the wildlings and Tormund perplexed as to what they had just seen. But for Ygritte, she smiled proudly, as her center of attention had taken a major step to retaking his life.

"Come on now, we got a castle to take," Tormund told Theon before he and the others rushed further into the upper hallways of the Dreadfort. Before he could join him, Ygritte grabbed him and smashed her lips with Theon's, surprising him at the gesture but then liking the warmth.

"I'm going to fuck you tonight," Ygritte decided.

Theon chuckled. "You better fuck me hard," were his words as they began the humiliation of House Bolton.

A/N: The battle from Joon's POV was partly based on the Battle of Toba-Fushimi (1868), the first major battle of the Boshin War. And I'm taking a different approach to my other battles, in that this is the first one that takes place largely from the command tent. But Joon is already on good terms with Daenerys, which can lead to more dividends to him.

Kaijin is getting confused, even with his father's last command. Will he get the answers he needs soon?

Oh, boy. Yujin didn't do a good job at obtaining loyalty, and that's going to blow back on him.

And Theon helping to take the Dreadfort while smashing that cross... personally, I don't care much for his character, but I felt that his actions were very much deserved and added some satisfaction to his very messed up life. And now, he's got a wildling for his troubles.

Hope you all liked that. Till next time!