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.

17. Chapter 17

Okay, here's the next chapter, sorry this took so fucking long, I had a bad case of Writers block and could figure out how I wanted to advance. There are parts of this chapter I wrote four or five times before I finally got them the way I wanted them. Sorry again for the long wait. Hope my writers block is finally passed. This chapter we'll start to follow Lilith a bit more, and hopefully as further chapters go on we can see things following her more and more. Hopefully less focus on just Aegon from now on.

Darkness Reborn

Chapter 17: The Dark Lord Returns.

-Ravenhill, Middle Earth-

Gandalf the Grey slowly made his way over to the collection of dwarves as they surrounded the fallen body of their king. Thorin lay on his back, staring up at the skies, his breathing was shallow and lifeless, his stare unfocused.

His fellows and former members of his company, quietly mourned as the mighty dwarf slowly faded from this life.

Despite their survival and apparent victory, none celebrated. The men of Laketown were terrified that Smaug would soon return, as were the dwarves. The elven force had been decimated by the battle, and they were planning a quick retreat to their own realm. The arrival of the dragon was unexpected and it was only by the grace of the eagles that any of them were alive.

"Gandalf..." The old wizard heard the broken king mutter his name as he stepped into view.

Putting on a comforting smile, Gandalf stepped past the dwarves who parted way for him and he knelt by Thorin's side.

"Gandalf… he lives… the dragon lives… Azog lives..." Thorin uttered, pain and blood coloring his voice.

Gandalf offered a slow nod at that, knowing that they were all in a precarious position.

"Erebor has been reclaimed. The Dwarves have taken back their home. They will be ready should Smaug attempt to return, should Azog attempt to retaliate." Gandalf offered to the dying king.

"There... was... another…!" Thorin struggled to get out.

"Another?" Gandalf questioned.

"I- I heard the voice of… I heard a man… I did not see him, but I heard him." Thorin gasped.

"A man?" Gandalf replied, earning an affirmation from the fallen dwarven king.

Gandalf sat in silence, concern etched in his eyes. He offered a nod to the dying king and reached out, placing a hand over Thorin's and offering him what little comfort he could before rising to his feet.

His eyes turned towards a nearby tower where Gwaihir the Windlord, the Lord of the Great Eagles sat perched. The eagle stared back at Gandalf, an unspoken conversation held with their eyes. Gandalf knew that Thorin was a goner, there was only one who could possibly heal the Dwarven King, yet he was miles away in Lothlórien, no doubt recuperating from the battle at Dol Guldur. Lord Elrond could possibly heal the dying king, but only if he were taken there with the utmost of swiftness, and even then, the possibility was slim.

Gwaihir understood what Gandalf was thinking and spread his wings.

"My friends, please stand back. The king may yet find the strength to pull through this." Gandalf spoke, earning a look from the dwarves as he knelt back down by Thorin's side and placed a hand over his chest. Gandalf quickly whispered a handful of spells, calling upon what healing magics he knew to help preserve what little life was left in the dwarven king.

"What are you planning, Gandalf? Is there a way to save him?" One of the dwarves asked.

"I can give no guarantees, only offer a small hope. Lord Elrond may be able to heal him, but only if Thorin reaches him in time. He must go to him with great swiftness." Gandalf responded as he rose to his feet and ushered the dwarves back.

They watched on as the Lord of the Eagles rose up into the air and drifted forward, gently picking up the dwarven king in his talons and taking to the skies. As he rose up, the dwarves called out prayers and encouragement, begging their king to fight for every second of life.

Gandalf offered his own silent prayer to the powers that be. Thorin's survival would provide a desperately needed boon to their cause. One that would do well to raise spirits after what had happened. There wasn't much hope, only a fool's hope really, but still, it never hurt to try.

Gandalf stepped back, and allowed Thorin's kin and comrades to continue offering their hopes as the eagle quickly left the Lonely Mountain behind. Bilbo Baggins sat nearby, watching the sight mournfully, having already shared final words with his friend the king, despite it not being said, he seemed to also understand that there was little hope.

Yet still, Gandalf could hear him offer a quiet prayer of hope to his friend.

Gandalf offered him a look which caught the hobbit's attention. When their eyes met, Gandalf gave him a small, grateful, smile. To show his friend that he was happy that he had survived.

Bilbo returned it, though it didn't hold for long, the pain of recent events still stung to clearly.

"Mithrandir." Gandalf heard his name. He turned to find an elf approaching him.

"Yes?" The old wizard inquired.

"King Thranduil asks for you." The elf soldier informed him.

Gandalf offered a nod and followed as the soldier led him into the underbelly of Ravenhill.

They arrived in a chamber where the body of Bard lay with a sword impaled through his chest. The sight caused Gandalf's heart to break, knowing that a good man had lost his life this day. It took him a moment but he began to realize that something further was off than just the dead man. It was something the elves noticed as well.

King Thranduil and his son Legolas stood over the fallen man, sorrow, suspicion, and uncertainty filled their gazes.

"My lord..." Gandalf greeted the king, earning a quick glance from Thranduil before he returned his eyes to the body of Bard.

"The Arkenstone is gone, and some foul magic was performed here." Thranduil noted aloud.

"A servant of Sauron, no doubt. Thorin Oakenshield will most likely pass from his injuries, but the Lord of the Eagles has offered to take him to Lord Elrond, it is my hope that he may be able to heal the Dwarven King. Before he departed though, he told me he heard a man, with the orcs." Gandalf offered to the two as he gazed at the shattered ice that lay strewn about the room. A twisted malevolence hung in the air, like the cold fingers of death. All three had been around corpses before but the feeling in the air was more in line with that of a haunted graveyard, than a single dead man.

"His body bares no signs of torture, save for a few injuries from the battle. The blade passed cleanly through him, no hesitation. Yet he appears haunted. The pain and horror reflected in his eyes..." Legolas expressed, sharing a glance with his father, before turning his gaze to the Gray Wizard who was now kneeling over the broken pieces of ice that lay conspicuously around Bard's body, encircling him but not touching his body.

"Some unknown magic was performed here. A ritual of some sort. In all my years though I have never come across it's like. This feeling, it's unnatural." Gandalf concluded as he ran a hand over the ice, feeling the cold stain of a malevolent magic still lingering within the frozen crystals. The chill that would have normally been of little bother, burned at his fingertips and the cold fingers of dread seemed to dance up his arm.

"You were right, Mithrandir. About everything. It's so very obvious to me now. We have all been played for fools." Thranduil admitted after several moments of silence, earning a sigh from Gandalf as he rose back to his feet.

"I wish my warning had been more accurate. This goes far beyond what I had imagined. When I encouraged Thorin and his company to reclaim the Lonely Mountain I had hoped to deny the enemy the position as well as remove the opportunity for our enemy to ally with the Dragon. It seems though, we have been outplayed. Smaug arrived with Bolg's army, this whole thing was a trap." Gandalf surmised.

"With the aid of a dragon, the Dark Lord's power has grown vastly. The other lands must be warned." Legolas stated.

"They will be. I will personally deliver word to Lord Elrond, and I will inform the rest of the White Council before departing to Rohan and Gondor." Gandalf responded, earning a nod of acceptance from Thranduil.

"There is something else. Tauriel, she's gone missing. She was here with me, but I cannot locate her." Legolas stated quietly, earning a look of concern from Gandalf.

"Who is she, this person you speak of?" Gandalf asked.

"A captain among my ranks. If the orcs have captured her, surely they would have left a trail." Thranduil answered.

"But there was none. Azog and Bolg are easy enough to follow, but there is no sign that Tauriel left this fortress." Legolas responded.

"That is concerning. Perhaps this mannish ally of the orcs had something to do with it?" Thranduil suggested after a moment of thought.

"We cannot know where they have gone too. If she was a captain among your forces, I would strongly suggest you rethink the defenses of your kingdom, anything she may have known could now be in the hands of the enemy." Gandalf implored, earning a saddened look from Thranduil though he offered a nod of agreement.

His son Legolas, meanwhile turned away from the two, anger flashing in his eyes for a moment.

"Is there nothing we can do for her?" Legolas asked aloud.

"There may be something." Gandalf offered, before Thranduil dashed his hopes.

His answer earned the attention of both the elves.

"Thorin did say he heard the voice of the man while he lay dying, meaning he was with Azog. Azog despises men and dwarves and elves. He would only play party to one if that man held significant strength or stood as a chief servant of the enemy." Gandalf began to explain.

"What are you thinking, Mithrandir?" Thranduil inquired.

"There is only one race of men that Sauron ever held to high regard, even if it was only in hatred." Gandalf noted as father and son shared a look with one another.

"A Black Númenórean?" Legolas inquired, his eyes widening slightly, as Gandalf nodded.

"I will speak with the members of the White Council, and perhaps see if any of them have heard whispers of a man rising in the ranks of our enemy. Though perhaps the Dúnedain would know more. A rogue among their ranks. If Sauron has been dwelling in Dol Guldur these last few years, it's reasonable to suggest that perhaps this mannish agent hails from the ruins of the Northern kingdom. If we could learn his identity, we may have a way of rescuing your friend." Gandalf explained to the two, earning a nod of agreement from Legolas, while Thranduil seemed to think on the matter for a moment.

He then turned to his son, and saw the determination in his gaze. Knowing full well that he intended to find and rescue the elf captain, Thranduil saw little point in trying to dissuade him.

"Seek out the Dúnedain, there is a young ranger amongst them, I think you should meet him. He may be able to help in giving us information, or perhaps his people can offer greater aid. If this is one of the Black Númenóreans, than the Dúnedain will surely wish to sever this tie to the darkness." Thranduil instructed, earning a nod from his son.

"This Ranger, how do I find him?" Legolas inquired.

"Among the wilds he's known as Strider. His father Arathorn was a good man. His son may grow into an even better one. If anyone can help you, I'm certain he can." Thranduil answered, his son offering him a parting gesture and a nod to Gandalf before he turned and left the chamber.

Gandalf quietly turned his gaze back to Bard, and let out a sigh, without the aid of the eagles, the day's events would have gone much differently. This had all been a trap, and they were lucky to still be alive. Now things had just gotten worse. Sauron had returned, and he now had an alliance with Smaug. Action would need to be taken, and immediately. Despite being diminished, Sauron's power had returned, at least in part. His threat had also grown with this new alliance.

Yes, action must be taken immediately, less the whole of Middle Earth fall under the Dark Lord's influence.

-That same day, Casterly Rock, Westeros-

Lilith awoke, stretching her limbs and letting out a sigh. Pleasant dreams quickly fading. She glanced around the room and found her bed empty. She made a noise as her thoughts turned towards Aegon, he'd been gone for a while already and she wondered how the battle at Erebor was going. She hoped he'd be back soon.

She'd grown use to his presence in their bed, and his absence this night had made it difficult to sleep. When she did though, her dreams were of him and their time together which led to a much more restful slumber.

Letting out another sigh she rose to her feet and dressed herself. Her stirring roused the large slumbering wolf that lay at the foot of the bed. Ghost slowly sat up as she readied herself for the day and quickly followed her as she made to leave.

Before departing, Lilith tracked down where Euryale was hiding and collected the serpent to take with her.

She then headed down to the Great Hall to enjoy a bit of breakfast before proceeding with the day's events.

With Aegon gone for a few days, Lilith had the intention of building the loyalty of her newest servants and ensuring that word would spread not only of her destructive power, but also her greatness. She was still a mystery at the moment, and had allowed Aegon to use his ties and family name to gain them some momentum in propelling towards their goal of conquering these lands, but the time had now come for her to start adding onto it as well. Ensuring that their servants were loyal to both of them, would ensure greater success in future conquests and the establishment of their own dark realm.

She arrived at around the same time as Sansa Stark was, and quickly approached the young werewolf.

"Hello Sansa." Lilith greeted, earning Sansa's attention.

"My lady." Sansa offered in reply, a small curtsy in greeting that displayed an air of politeness, but Lilith easily saw through the mask. Sansa was weary of her, and most likely, a bit jealous. She held great affection for Aegon, probably loved him, if not for the taboo nature of her feelings for him, she would probably be more willing to display what resentment she felt towards Lilith.

Whether she chose to act on those feelings would determine how Lilith dealt with her. If the little wolf proved to be a fun and passionate plaything, than she'd get to keep Aegon's affections, and if not, Lilith would be quick to deal with her.

Deciding that now was as good a time as any to start testing what would probably be the first of many concubines, Lilith approached Sansa, offering her arm and guiding her forward into the hall.

"Come, break your fast with me, I'd like to talk with you." Lilith offered, earning a tentative nod from the young woman.

The two sat together as they ate, getting through their meal with little conversation, though once they were both done, Lilith took the opportunity to begin speaking with Sansa.

"You needn't be so nervous. I know I can be intimidating but I mean you no harm. Aegon speaks very highly of you, I can tell that he holds you in high regard." Lilith expressed, trying to get Sansa to come out of her shell a bit and begin talking.

"Thank you, my lady. He's spoken very highly of you as well." Sansa responded.

"That's good to hear. I'd hate to think my affections were wasted on someone who felt nothing for them." Lilith noted, nodding to herself.

"I can assure you my lady, he definitely feels something for you. I see the way his eyes light up whenever you enter the room." Sansa offered, as hard as it was to admit.

"Oh? Well that does raise my spirits. Has he spoken to you in regards to our intentions?" Lilith inquired.

"Your intentions…?" Sansa responded, unsure of exactly what she was referring to.

"In regards to you." Lilith clarified.

Sansa blushed at that, her eyes drifting down to the table. "He may have mentioned it. I didn't know what to make of his offer."

"Understandable. It isn't exactly a normal thing. But it is in a dragon's nature to take what they desire, and I believe I've noticed some of his desires directed towards you." Lilith stated, her words causing Sansa to blush further.

Lilith felt a smirk tug at her lips as Sansa struggled to collect herself. She was obviously deeply infatuated with Aegon, and would no doubt be a willing bed partner. She was decent looking, so Lilith had no issues when it came to that. All that remained was whether she'd be an obedient and dutiful bed partner, or if she'd seek to challenge Lilith for what belonged to the Dark Lady.

As of right now, it didn't seem so, this young woman was a bit timid, when it came to matters of the heart. It seemed, for the moment at least, that Sansa would be quite pliable when it came to the bedroom, which worked in Lilith's favor. If she could mold an obedient concubine, than she'd have some assistance in dealing with the other women that would no doubt come along during her life. Sansa would need to learn the rules, and learn the boundaries, if she stuck to those rules and boundaries, than the girl may get her wish, and the chance to enjoy intimacy with the Dark Lord.

"Have you done it before?" Lilith asked, earning a look from Sansa.

"Done what?" Sansa asked, confused.

"Have you lain with anyone before?" Lilith clarified, her question quiet so as not to alert others in the hall as to what they were discussing.

Again, Sansa blushed and her gaze dropped to the table.

"No, my lady." Sansa muttered quietly.

"Well then, perhaps we should discuss what you should expect. Come." Lilith rose to her feet, offering a hand to Sansa who nervously took it.

"Don't be nervous, Sansa. I'll show you everything you need to know." Lilith expressed as she guided her along, teasingly chatting with the girl over the course of the morning, what she might expect in the bedroom. While Sansa remained mostly quiet throughout it, she couldn't help a few quiet squeaks when Lilith expressed in detail certain facets of Aegon's 'anatomy' that she hadn't been aware of.

Lilith took pleasure in teasing the young woman, though Sansa did seem to lighten up as the morning went on. Past midday and the two found their way back to the Great Hall where it was time to hold court.

Here is where Lilith began to make a few plays at securing greater loyalty from the allies they'd gathered.

"Sandor Clegane." Lilith commanded, calling forth the mighty warrior.

Slowly, uncertainly, Sandor emerged from the crowd, taking a knee before the high table.

"Clegane, acting in King Aegon's stead, I am naming you lord of Clegane's Keep. The false knight, Gregor Clegane is hereby denounced, and stripped of all titles and lands. I am giving you five hundred soldiers, ride out to your home and spring the wretch from the keep that now rightfully belongs to you. The Mountain is the last remaining holdout in support of Tywin Lannister here in the Westerlands. I see it as only fitting that you deal with him. Bring him to justice, in whatever manner you see fit. I ask that you return with his body, dead or alive, so that the King may look upon the face of the man who aided in murdering his half-siblings and the princess Elia Martell, before he is forever cast aside." Lilith commanded, earning a strong nod from Sandor as a hateful fire ignited in his eyes. The chance to murder his older brother without anyone complaining, that was to good an opportunity to pass up.

A roar of approval went up from the crowd with several lords offering their assistance or that of their soldiers to see the Mountain finally brought down.

"Ride out as soon as you are able, and see that filth scrubbed from these lands." Lilith finished her command, again earning a nod from the Hound as he rose to his feet and returned to the crowd.

"Lord Stark…" Lilith continued, turning her gaze to Aegon's cousin who sat beside her on the high table.

"My lady?" Robb responded.

"I have a gift for you, and for house Stark." Lilith began, motioning towards an orc who quickly stepped forward carrying something long, wrapped in cloth. The orc unfolded the cloth and tucked it away, revealing a sheathed sword. He brought it up to the high table and set it before Robb before offering a bow and retreating back down towards the crowd.

"I understand when Lord Eddard was captured in King's Landing he held your family's ancestral Valyrian Steel Greatsword, Ice, I believe it was called. While there is little I can do to mend the loss of your beloved father, I can swear to you that your family's heirloom shall be returned to you the moment it is recovered. In the meantime, I offer house Stark a gift, in the hopes that it may be used to protect your kin, your kingdom, and your king, in the harsh days to come. May this sword be a symbol of House Stark's resilience and strength." Lilith said to him, gesturing to the blade and offering a nod and a gentle smile.

Robb hesitated for a moment, taking in her words before rising to his feet and picking up the blade.

The first thing Robb noted about the blade was that it was a longsword, and it felt exceptionally light. His ran his eyes across the scabbard, formed of blackened wood with an intricate silver locket that depicted the sigil of house Stark. On the end was a similar silver chape. His eyes than traveled across the hilt. The grip was dark, matching the color of the scabbard, the pommel was rounded and formed of a darkened grey metal. The crossguard was similarly formed out of a dark grey metal, and took the form of two wolf heads arching towards the blade. The detail was excellent and precise, the blade itself seemed almost new.

Drawing the sword, Robb let out a breath as his eyes ran along the blade, and the smoky ripple pattern that extended throughout it's length

"Valyrian Steel?" Robb questioned, gazing towards Lilith.

"This sword has no history, no past. The blade itself was forged nearly two hundred years ago, but it has never seen use. The finer details such as the hilt, crossguard, and scabbard were done recently." Lilith responded, earning surprise from all those that had heard her.

"Two hundred years ago? Your craftsmen know how to reforge Valyrian Steel?" Robb asked.

"Reforge. Smelt it. The secrets of Old Valyria are well known to me. As some may have heard, I have been around for a while." Lilith answered with a smirk.

Robb's eyes widened at that and returned to the blade. This sword was freshly crafted. Formed of Valyrian Steel, this was without a doubt the newest Valyrian Steel sword that Westeros had received.

Many in the crowd began to whisper, amazed at the sight of such a rare spectacle as Valyrian Steel. Even with their current army at Casterly Rock, the number of Valyrian Steel swords present, numbered at less than half a dozen.

To see a new one, and to hear that Lilith knew how to forge Valyrian Steel, sent many to audible discussion. The prospect of one day earning such a mighty weapon and symbol of power, ignited ambition within the hearts of many lords, knights, and soldiers.

"Thank you, my lady. House Stark accepts your gift, and the hope it provides. With this blade, I will see my father avenged, and my brother on the throne that rightfully belongs to him!" Robb declared, holding the sword aloft and earning a cheer from the crowd at his words.

"May it serve you well, Lord Robb, and may it always find it's way into the hands of a champion of House Stark, with the strength to wield it. Born of the secrets of Old Valyria, let this blade forge a new kingdom of greatness, and let those with the strength to wield it, forge a great future for the North. One day, we will see Ice join it, but until that day, let this blade hasten the way." Lilith offered, earning a resolute nod from Robb as he ran his eyes over the sword once more, before sheathing it.

"A wondrous gift my lady, I'm sure the moment my colleagues at the citadel learn of your knowledge in the forging of Valyrian Steel, they'll be clamoring for information." Maester Aemon noted from nearby with a dry chuckle.

"I do look forward to educating them. Yet the giving of gifts has not yet concluded." Lilith responded to him earning a curious look from the maester.

"Lord Tully…" Lilith turned her gaze towards the Lord of the Riverlands who sat on her opposite side from Robb, he was in the middle of a drink, pausing to glance at her, startled by her sudden address.

"House Tully has proven a formidable ally, and your loyalty to family is to be greatly admired. The Riverlands have suffered greatly in this war, yet through it all, you have remained unshakable in your loyalty to house Stark and then to house Targaryen. I am certain my beloved King Aegon would wholeheartedly agree that such devotion and courage, deserves to be rewarded." Lilith offered, again motioning towards an orc in the crowd who approached carrying a blade. He set the sword on the table before Lord Tully and offered a quick bow before retreating.

Edmure sat in stunned silence for several long moments before reaching out for the sword.

It was also a longsword, it's sheath was colored red and blue, the colors of the Tully family sigil. It had a black grip, with a flat round pommel, on either side of the pommel was a carved trout. The cross-guard was straight and round, the ends flaring out a bit. Drawing the sword from it's sheath, he found it to also be forged from Valyrian Steel, and etched within the fuller of the blade, near to the cross-guard were the Tully house words, 'Family, Duty, Honor'.

Edmure stared in awe at the blade, taking a moment to show the blade to his uncle, the Blackfish. The blade itself was absolutely stunning, similar to Robb's.

"My lady… I don't know what to say." Edmure began, turning his gaze towards her.

"You needn't say anything Lord Edmure. Continue pressing forward, as you have been, and use this sword to honor your family's words. Know that I am grateful for your service, as is your king." Lilith expressed, earning a resolute nod from Edmure as he sheathed the blade.

Again a cheer rose up from the crowd, this time led strongly by the Riverlords. Seeing as how this was the first Valyrian Steel blade to find it's way into house Tully, it was definitely a moment to be celebrated, and one to be committed to memory.

Lilith smiled down at the crowd, allowing the cheers to carry on for several long moments. The giving of gifts had always been an easy way of earning trust and loyalty from one's followers, but it was when the gifts meant something deeper that they truly inspired devotion. These Valyrian Steel swords meant a great deal to the people of Westeros, so the giving of one as a gift held far greater value than the enchanted blade would normally hold.

Court continued from there with some asking where King Aegon had gone, since he obviously wasn't at court, but Lilith simply brushed aside their concerns, saying that he was attending important business and he'd be back in a few days.

The day went by rather quietly with Lilith spending the rest of the day down at Lannisport repairing the damage done to the walls of the city using her magic. It was quite the sight to see, pieces of wall lifting into place and combining with other pieces. Those near enough to observe were left speechless as Lilith went about the process, simply filling her time.

At the end of the day she returned to Casterly Rock, and stood atop the main keep, her eyes set firmly on the west, and the sunset sea. The way the sun dropped below the horizon and lit the sky with fiery oranges and reds, it was truly a marvelous sight. Despite the near constant cloud cover, the few moments before sunset did offer quite the beautiful showing. All too soon however, it was over and darkness would settle across the land.

As humans began to settle in for the night and find some sleep, the orcs, goblins, and uruks would become more active at night. The sounds of their labors filling the air.

Vast tribes were hard at work within the interior of Casterly Rock, mining and digging, harvesting what resources there were. After a few short days of investigations, it became apparent to those within the mines that the Lannisters had very nearly drained the resources of the mines beneath Casterly Rock.

Most of the veins that remained were sparse and shallow, most likely kept for show. No doubt new tunnels would need to be dug in search of more ore deposits. It ultimately didn't matter, the gold would have been beneficial but it was not needed. The mines themselves would still serve as a decent location from which to spawn more orcs from.

From atop Casterly Rock, Lilith was able to look down at the shipyards of Lannisport where the very first sections of Aegon's new warships were just starting to be set out. These ships would far surpass what currently sailed on the seas and would ensure their dominance on the ocean. The thought brought a smile to Lilith's face, Aegon always did have a far more technical mind than she did. When it came to his devices, he favored objects in his creativity, whereas Lilith favored beasts.

If Aegon's warships would rule the seas, than she would have to think of some sort of beast to compliment them.

For an hour or so she gazed out over the ocean, pondering ideas. Finally, an interesting one settled into her mind and she set to work preparing all that she would need for it.

The first thing she did was set some of the orcs and men to the task of constructing an enclosed space within the cavern beneath Casterly Rock, where a small port resided. A portion of the cavern was to be sequestered off using wood, stone, metal, and rope. What Lilith intended with this construction was unknown to the builders, but they carried out their commanded task, regardless.

As the builders set to work planning out the construction of Lilith's requested sanctuary, Lilith herself prepared a cursed ritual to draw in one of the fabled beasts that swam in the waters around Westeros. She would need to draw one of these beasts in and capture it, first and foremost. Once that was done, she could move onto the next phase of her plan.

Come nightfall, Lilith strolled down into the dungeons where the captured Lannister prisoners were held en masse. She would select one, healthy and fit, and have orcs drag him out of the cell and then take him down to the cavern beneath the Rock, where he was set on a small boat and rowed out into the ocean.

It would take about an hour or so to get far enough from shore, and once there, Lilith would cut the man's throat and dump his body into the ocean. As he sank beneath the waves, she would whisper foul spells and curses, as the water was died red with blood.

A few moments would pass, and then she would order the orcs to row them back to Casterly Rock.

This would be the first night of many to come. It may take days, or even weeks, but Lilith would draw forth a great beast from the seas, and use her magics to tame the monster. Once it was hers, she would set about using it as a breeder for something far more powerful.

For now she needed to wait, but the Dark Lady was patient, in time, the world would know of her true power. That was ultimately what mattered. She could wait, and fill her time until then. With her tasks done for the day, Lilith would retire for the night. Another quiet lonely night, without her dearest Aegon. She wondered when he would return, and if his plans in Middle-Earth had worked as anticipated.

Whatever the answer, she hoped for a speedy return. Until then, dreams would have to suffice.

The next day Lilith awoke and set about a new set of tasks. She ventured down into Lannisport and located an orc overseer that was keeping an eye on prisoner cages, where a majority of the Lannisport garrison was kept, most of them simply low ranking soldiers, all of the officers, knights, and high-borns had been taken up to the castle.

Aside from manual labor, these particular prisoners mostly spent their time in pens.

"My Lady, to what do we owe your magnificent presence amongst these lowly sods?" The overseer asked dropping to a knee and bowing when he noticed her.

"I've come to see these prisoners dealt with in an organized manner. I'm tired of having these pens present such an eyesore." Lilith responded as her eyes ran over the disheveled, dirty, and tired soldiers.

"How would you have us deal with them, my lady?" The overseer asked.

"Draw them out and ask them what their skills are. The builders will be set to task repairing the city, the farmers will be sent back to their villages to work the fields, find what they are good at, and set them to the task. This kingdom is now mine, and so are these men, set them loose to perform whatever jobs they know how to do, and get these pens broken down, we can use the space for something else." Lilith commanded, earning a sharp nod from the orc overseer.

"It will be done, my lady. What of the poor saps who have no skills? What do we do with them?" The overseer asked.

"If they have no skills of note, than they will join the ranks of our army. A place in this world, and a meal in their bellies will convince them. Whatever it takes, just get these people out of here, I'm tired of having to care for them." Lilith instructed, again earning a nod as the overseer turned to bark orders at some of his men.

With that done, Lilith ventured to the port to inspect how Aegon's ships were coming along. She didn't expect much progress but, the morale boost from her presence would encourage them to work faster and harder.

Around noon she ended up back at the castle and encountered Sansa again. So she invited the young woman to walk with her so they could continue to chat. Today Sansa was far more open and willing to talk, which was helpful for Lilith to learn more about her. Gaining Sansa as a concubine would help to secure the North, by offering them further ties to the Throne. Securing the North would ensure that a massive buffer existed between Lilith's dark kingdom in the Far North, and the rest of the continent.

So with that in mind, Lilith fully intended to seduce Sansa, and to aid her in that endeavor she used her magic to produce an effect around her, very similar to a Veela's allure. It made Lilith appear more radiant and this effect was directed solely at Sansa. While not as blatantly noticeable as a Veela's natural allure, Lilith's variant was far more effective in manipulating others. She had used this ability to masterful effect in her youth, before being reborn as Melkor. It was an ability she had gained by splicing her own DNA with that of a Veela, and a vampire, back in the days when she was actively performing twisted rituals on herself to increase her power.

As one of the Ainur, and a Valar to boot, she could easily replicate the effect, since she knew how to do it, and wasn't constrained by physical limitations.

She would use this allure to slowly push Sansa into developing an attraction towards her, this would than allow her to manipulate her far more easily. The process was subtle and would take a while to actually begin taking effect on it's own, so Lilith would speed along the process with other forms of magic.

When they had finished their walk and conversation, they parted ways, and when doing so, Lilith gave Sansa a kiss on the lips, one that carried magic through it, triggering the release of certain chemicals that would help facilitate feelings such as adoration, love, attractions, lust, and the like.

Sansa was obviously surprised by the kiss, and stared wide eyed after Lilith as she turned and strolled away. She obviously hadn't expected it, nor was she ready for just how good it felt. Nor how familiar the kiss felt. It was a quick thing, more than a peck on the lips, but less than a full blown kiss, and yet it had felt similar to when she would kiss Aegon.

Those was what filled Sansa's mind most predominantly as Lilith strolled away, and it was a thought that Lilith caught as well, reading the werewolf's mind as she left her.

"Working your magic as well, my dearest Aegon? Or is it something more?" Lilith wondered, as she kept walking. Perhaps Aegon used similar magics to seduce Sansa, or perhaps the familiarity that Sansa felt was more akin to how they both kissed. Despite how much time had passed, and despite their many differences, they were still twins, and did things in similar ways. Kissing had always been one of those things.

If that was what Sansa had noticed, than she was far more perceptive than Lilith had first realized. The Lord of Darkness wasn't certain, but for now, she would keep playing her games with the werewolf, and have fun while she did it.

"My lady…!" Came the call from maester Aemon, as well as Casterly Rock's resident maester, both of whom were approaching her.

She turned her gaze towards them and found the Rock's maester holding up a sealed scroll, that looked to have been recently delivered via raven.

"What is it?" Lilith inquired as they reached her.

"A Message, my lady. Barring the sigil of house Tyrell." Maester Aemon responded.

Lilith took the sealed scroll and ran her eyes over it for a moment. She then broke the seal and read it's contents.

A quiet moment passed before her gaze flickered back up to the maesters.

"Gather Lord Robb and Lord Edmure." Lilith instructed, "Tell them to meet me in the war room, you come as well."

Both men nodded and bowed before turning to head off.

A few long minutes had passed by before the two lords, and the two maesters, entered into the war room.

"My lady." Both lords greeted her.

"In just over a fortnight, a Tyrell army will arrive at Bitterbridge from both sides. From what I can tell, the Queen of Thorns will be among them along with Lord Mace Tyrell. The Tyrells wish to discuss an alliance, and have asked that we forgo attacking their forces that are marching on Bitterbridge. Their forces will not attack the crossing, and are only headed their to give the appearance that the Tyrells are still firmly sided with House Lannister." Lilith explained to the two men, tossing the parchment across the war table where it landed before Lord Edmure.

Edmure shared a glance with Robb before picking up the scroll and reading it's contents, he then passed it to Robb who did the same.

"You believe this is a trap?" Robb asked, setting down the parchment and locking eyes with Lilith.

"I don't know, perhaps, but then again, we are set to march on their kingdom next. Perhaps they are desperate." Lilith answered honestly.

"If House Tyrell sides with us and breaks their alliance with House Lannister, it'll open an avenue to Dorne that'll allow us to easily court the Dornish Prince, and allow us the chance to strike out at Stannis in the Stormlands before marching on King's Landing." Edmure noted aloud as he stared down at a map of Westeros on the table.

"They have an army marching on Bitterbridge, we should definitely warn the Iron Titan, that the Tyrells are on the march. Beyond that though, if the Tyrell army stands down and does not attack the bridge, then perhaps their intentions are genuine. A large portion of the Tyrell army is locked in the Crownlands, with this note, we know they've raised another force in the Reach that'll also be at Bitterbridge. They know our next target is Highgarden. They either hold out with Tywin Lannister or try to negotiate a way to survive this." Robb surmised.

"Well than, if the Queen of Thorns wishes to bargain, then we'll hear what she has to say. They're coming to us by land so it wont be overly difficult to devastate their armies with dragon fire, if they choose to attack. If they submit than their kingdom will be spared." Lilith stated after a moment of thought.

"I wonder what the price will be for such an easy time?" Edmure wondered aloud.

"I wouldn't expect it to be too steep. They are severing their ties to the Lannister's by doing this. If they cannot forge an alliance with us, than they're still in danger, just far more than before because they've lost their only ally. No, they're coming to us because they're desperate. House Tyrell owes it's power to the Targaryens. They don't want to go the way of House Gardener." Robb responded, Lilith offering a quiet hum of agreement with his logic.

"Once Aegon returns, I will share this information with him, and see what he thinks. We may no longer need our plans in the Reach, if everything works out." Lilith stated, earning nods from the two lords.

If the Tyrells submitted without a fight, that would free up a massive amount of resources that would have been lost, taking the Reach. Dorne was very likely to side with them, so that left the rebel king Stannis, and the bastard King Joffrey. Once they were dealt with, only the Eyrie would remain, and they would most likely submit once their was no other choice, so the continent would be secure.

If the Tyrells were smart and sided with them, than things would become far easier as they continued. Time would tell though. For now, it was best to be on guard, and cautious.

Tywin Lannister was not to be underestimated, if the stories of his history were anything to go by.

-Two days later, Tantibus Arcis-

An unnatural and guttural scream echoed out from somewhere nearby, startling the elf Tauriel awake. Her whole body jolted as she shot upright at the sound of the scream.

Her eyes flickered around the room she was in, taking in unfamiliar surroundings.

She was in a dark room, the walls were made of stone and the floors a darkened wood. A small barred window was shuttered on one side of the room, and standing like sentinels in all four corners of the room were corpse-like statues that were only dimly visible via candlelight and the dim glow that eked through the closed window. The sight of the figures immediately set her on edge as she took note of their eyes. They stood almost completely motionless, save for the gentle fluttering of fabric or strands of hair. They could be easily mistaken for grotesque statues if not for their eyes. Shining icy blue eyes that stared in at her, unblinking, and undeterred.

Slowly Tauriel lowered her gaze to her body, her eyes widening slightly as she found all of her original gear and outfit to be missing, and in their place, a long black gown. This gown was as dark as night with long sleeves that ran down to her wrists, and the gown itself dropped to her ankles. She felt warm in the gown, which immediately tipped her off that it wasn't of natural make. It retained her body heat despite that fact that it was very nearly translucent. It was soft, as if made from silk, and if not for the warmth that it provided she would have thought herself naked, as the gown itself felt like little more than a gentle breeze on the skin.

Her gaze caught sight of her fingernails and she took note of how clean they were. She had spent many days out in the wilderness and had recently come from battle, there was no way her hands should be so clean.

A terrifying and disturbing thought came to mind as her hand brushed against her forehead where she had received a decent cut during the battle. She felt no blood, and the cut itself was already far along in healing.

Her hair was soft, freshly cleaned, and her flesh carried a delightful scent, one that when focused on, caused her skin to tingle, almost as if it were an aphrodisiac. She shook her head and tried to focus on the last thing she could remember.

Where was she? How had she gotten here? What happened in the battle? The first thing that came rushing back, Kili, the dwarf that had fancied her, the one she had felt the stirrings of affection for in return, he had died. She remembered cradling his body and crying and then… nothing.

She tried her hardest to remember what happened afterwards but all that came from it was an overwhelming sadness and a feeling of loss.

A few stay tears fell from her cheeks as her eyes drifted to one of the corpse-like statues staring back at her.

Seeing it, she took in a deep breath, and wiped the tears from her eyes. Now was not the time. She had to figure out where she was, and what was going on.

She began to slide across the bed, removing herself from beneath the thick fur blanket that had been covering her. It wasn't until she freed her legs and began moving, her dress slightly rising along them, that she truly felt the cold.

It was enough to cause her to pause, her hands didn't feel overly cold but they had been pressed close to her body which was kept warmed by the strange cloth that she had been clothed with. But once she allowed a bit of her skin to be exposed, she felt how truly cold the room was.

It was a chill that seemed greatly unnatural. Elves were highly resistant to the cold, so the fact that this chill affected her so meant that it had to be wintry even within the confines of this dark room.

She slowly continued, pulling herself out of bed and placing her bare feet on the cold wooden floors. It was as she stood that she can to a startling realization, the corpses were still staring at her. Their movements had been almost imperceptible, but she knew they had moved.

She focused her gaze on one, it's tattered fur clothes, dark rotted flesh, and brilliant blue eyes. In it's hand it held an axe, worn and bronze by the look of it. The sight of the weapon sealed it for her. These were no mere statues. They weren't macabre decorations of some vicious orc, these things were animate, and they were standing guard over her.

She stood without moving at the end of the bed for nearly a full minute before turning towards the shuttered window. She slowly made her way over to it, keeping the nearest corpse in her periphery the entire time. It slowly turned it's head to watch her, but did not move or react beyond that.

She reached the window, feeling the cold intensify to the point where it actually caused her to shudder. She unlatched the shutters and pulled them back, revealing a metal barred window that overlooked a sight that she was not ready for.

Before her stood a massive fortress extending far off into the distance. Towering walls, blackened towers, and the movement of thousands filled her gaze. Fire and smoke rose from within the fortress and illuminated the night sky. Beyond the distant outer walls, Tauriel could make out an expanse of snow covered hills and icy glaciers. Her breath now visibly filled her view and the raw and bitter cold made perfect sense to her. The sky was dotted by a handful of clouds but more importantly it was lit up by the most beautiful sight she had ever seen.

Teal color danced in the heavens, drifting softly across the night sky in literal waves. Tauriel stared up at the walls of color as they glided overhead as far as the eye could see. Despite not knowing where she was or who had taken her, this sight very nearly brought her to tears it was so beautiful.

It was many minutes before the bitter cold started to cause her lips to begin cracking and she thus had to shutter the window and take a few steps back.

She stood quietly for several long moments before returning to the bed, taking the blanket and wrapping it around herself to repel the cold. As noted, elves had a natural resistance to the cold. A cool night didn't bother them, and a cold winter could be easily ignored, even as frost built upon the skin. This cold though must have been truly bitter to have chilled her so.

She pondered this for several long moments, contemplating how she was affected by the cold and what it meant for her escape attempt. The instant her thoughts turned towards escape, a minor irritation began to spread around her neck. It was so weak that at first it felt masked by the cold, so she didn't immediately take notice of it and continued with her thoughts.

The gown she was wearing insulated her quite well despite how thin it was. Even standing before the open window it was her hands, feet, and face that felt the sting of the cold, her body felt fine, warm even.

That made the cloth useful to her, but she'd still need something to cover her hands, feet, and face. Heavier clothes also wouldn't hurt as this cloth was no doubt very frail with how thin it was, and it most likely wouldn't survive a trek through the wilderness so she'd definitely need more. A worrisome thought did strike her as she pondered this. Not only had someone stolen her from the battlefield, but they'd also taken her clothes and gear, and bathed her. This gown was all she wore, no smallclothes, or any other accessories.

It left her feeling vulnerable, and a bit disturbed at having someone handle her body in such a manner despite being asleep. She had to guess that in the light of day, it wouldn't be hard for someone to see her body beneath the thin fabric. It was pitch black which would help a bit, but any light source would easily pass through it, meaning her frame would appear clear as day. Why she was dressed in such a revealing and ridiculous garb, she did not know, but whoever had done it would pay.

The moment that thought passed through her head, the irritation around her neck, grew sharply into a stabbing pain that caused her to let out a yelp and jolt, her hands immediately flying to her throat, with the thought that she had just been pierced by a blade.

Pain spread into her hands as they felt warm metal around her neck. The pain was minor and seemed to quickly fade, allowing her to explore the strange accessory that she hadn't noticed before.

Her fingers traced it, feeling how it encircled her neck like a collar. A thin chain of metal, inset with some kind of stones that she couldn't see. Her hands traced it once more searching for a latch to remove it. As that thought passed into her mind, the irritation was felt again, though this time, she also felt it in her fingers.

This metal collar was somehow reading her mind and punishing her, she quickly realized. Panic began to set in as she quickly searched the collar for a release to remove it, but nothing stood out to her, and the itching irritation of the collar was growing more intense the longer she searched. Her frustrations growing she squeezed her fingers beneath the collar and began to pull, intent on ripping it off.

A scream ripped out of her lips as pain surged through her neck and fingers. Everywhere the metal touched, felt this same pain like a burning blade being jammed into flesh.

Tauriel fell back onto the beck kicking and struggling with all her might to fight through the pain, but it was no use. The collar wouldn't give and the pain became to overwhelming and she was forced to release it. The moment she let go the pain stopped, but the irritation remained.

She now knew without a doubt, that the collar was reading her mind.

She lay on the bed, gasping and trembling from the pain. It took nearly three full minutes before she could focus enough to sit up. The collar offered no give when she tried to remove it. It held firm despite how thin it was. Powerful magics were involved in it's constructions she knew, but knowing this did nothing to help her situation. She wasn't overly knowledgeable in the ways of magic, she was more a hunter and a fighter, than any sort of mystic.

Taking a deep breath, she went through what she knew. She was currently being held prisoner by someone, who appeared to have a large army at their back. Whoever it was had placed her in a collar that read her thoughts. If she thought of escaping, removing the collar, or punishing the one who had put it on her, the collar would cause her immense pain. So much pain, in fact, that it would immediately stop her from any coherent actions. She was effectively trapped, for the moment.

Continuing to ponder her situation, she was broken from her thoughts by the sound of a door being unlocked. She bolted upright and knelt on the bed, watching as the door opened and a shadowed figure drifted into the room. It was a man, draped in tattered black robes. His skin was incredibly dark, in a way she had never seen before. It seemed almost to be a grayish brown in color, and was heavily marked with black tattoos. He wore little more than a long set of tattered black robes, with a hood covering his bald head. His face was similarly marked with intricate tattoos, and his irises were dark, nearly black in the poor lighting.

"Come… the dark lord summons thee." He spoke in a deep baritone.

Tauriel tensed at his words. 'The dark lord? That's impossible, Sauron is gone, diminished. That simply isn't possible.' Tauriel thought to herself as she kept her gaze locked on the new arrival.

After a moment of silence he made a motion with his hand, and the four undead sentinels in the room began to advance on her.

She quickly did as asked, not wanting to be manhandled by the undead creatures, rising from the bed, and slowly crossing the room, glaring heavily at her captor all the while.

"Follow me." The man commanded, turning and guiding her out of the chamber.

She followed behind him, her own steps shadowed by the shambling creatures that acted as her guards.

"Where am I?" She asked as they made their way through cold stone corridors.

"Tantibus Arcis." The man responded.

"Tantibus Arcis? I've never heard of such a place. Nor of the tongue it's name derives from. Could this be some sort of orcish fortress? I need to know where I am, if I want any chance of…' Her thoughts were cut off by a burning irritation spreading across her neck.

She ground her teeth together angrily as she continued to follow the man.

Deeper and deeper into the fortress they traveled, passing by crowds of laboring dead men, and hordes of orcs, busily training.

The more Tauriel saw, the more her gut sank. Any hope of this massive fortress being undermanned, or partially abandoned, quickly fled from her mind. Orcs, men, the dead, they were everywhere. They passed through twisted halls filled with jeering orcs, goblins, and uruks, who sang foul songs and drank equally foul grog. The smell of the chamber, burned at her nostrils, and those that took notice of her, sent hellish glares in her direction.

She kept close to her guide knowing full well that she would be easily ripped apart by the horde, if she strayed to far.

Further and further down they traveled, passing by dozens of chambers, equally as packed. At some point or another they passed underground, and things became far more twisted and unnatural. Upon the ceiling of the halls, large spiders spun their webs. These spiders ranged in size, some the size of coins, some as a large as dogs. Many of these spiders were covered in thick hairs, and were unlike other spiders Tauriel had seen before. Further down and more nightmares began to reveal themselves.

Haunting voices began to fill the air, their source was unknown. Quiet whispers that seemed to follow them, and the occasional bloodcurdling scream that caused Tauriel to jump. All of it was unnatural and set her on edge. The further they traveled the colder it got.

At some point, Tauriel wrapped her arms around herself, tucking her hands under her armpits to try and keep them warm. They continued to pass by chambers, though many of these were sparsely populated or even appeared to be empty. At one, Tauriel, glanced inside and saw an orc, with sunken and mummified flesh. This orc had glowing blue eyes and long white hair. It was surrounded by a sea of corpses, nearly two hundred dead men in varying stages of decomposition that stood around it.

She didn't linger for long, not wanting to know what the strange orc was.

At some point, they passed into a large open hall. The room was empty, save for three individuals in the midst of some sort of ritual. Tauriel couldn't help but come to a halt as she spotted the goings-on of the chamber.

Two orcs and a man, stood around a twisting blue orb of light. This orb was large, nearly ten feet across, and within it, unnatural movements could be seen. A pale yellow mass of translucent material twisted and flowed in on itself within the orb of light. The three sorcerers were uttering twisted words of power, performing spells, their arms raised and their heads bowed in deep concentration.

The entity within the orb continued to twist and churn before suddenly reacting. Twin lights that could only be described as eyes came together, locking gazes with Tauriel.

Tauriel felt herself step back in surprise as the yellowish goop suddenly stared at her. As she stared at it, she felt an overwhelming sense of calm fill her mind. A gentle and peaceful calm that seemingly filled her with warmth. She felt herself remembering her childhood, recalling memories of her distant past.

Confusion settled into her mind as the images played before her, why was she so calm? What was this warm feeling? Why was she suddenly so nostalgic?

Images of her parents began to fill her mind, and a sinking feeling filled her gut. It was a feeling born from years as a huntress, years of surviving out in the wilds, she felt a presence nearby, a threatening presence, and it was there with her, inside of her mind.

Panic began to set in as she realized something was watching these memories, reading her thoughts, taking in her life, forcing her to relive the past. It had to be that thing, the being inside of the sphere of light. It was in her mind, that had to be it. She had to fight it.

As her internal panic began to grow she felt a numbness overtake her limbs, she was unable to move and could only stare back at the creature. She felt more of her memories drawn forward, more of her childhood brought straight up to the surface.

Fear began to overtake her when suddenly a firm grip took hold of her arm and she was pulled away.

A foul curse sprung forth from the lips of her guide as he dragged her away. Something in the Black Speech, an awful sound that burned at her ears, but it did enough to shake her free of the creature's influence.

She was quickly dragged from the chamber, her guide maintaining a death grip on her as she pulled her forward.

"What was that thing?" Tauriel managed to ask.

"Evil from beyond this world." Her guide responded as his grip loosened. Tauriel now walked by his side, keeping her eyes straight ahead. She no longer wanted to know what went on around her, she knew enough, this place was a nightmare.

They passed into another chamber, this one was thankfully filled with orcs and men, they seemed far less excited and joyful than the ones above. These seemed drained, tired, many filled the large chamber, and most were sprawled out, relaxing, it seemed.

They passed to one side of the chamber where two towering trolls resided. They stood on either side of a heavy wooden platform with chains attached to it from the ceiling.

"We are headed down. The Dark Lord has summoned her." Her guide stated to the two, earning a rough growl from one of the trolls as they both turned towards large cranks and grabbed hold of them.

Her guide brought her onto the large platform, and suddenly it began to lower.

As the platform was lowered, a warmth began to fill the air. With the warmth came comfort, but soon even that vanished as the heat grew in intensity the further down they traveled.

Soon the stone walls that guided the platform down gave way, revealing a massive open chamber. Tauriel couldn't help but gasp as her eyes spread out across the expanse of this underground chasm. Heat filled the air, and burning light pushed back the darkness. Other platforms could be seen raising and lowering throughout the chamber, carrying workers or materials up or down.

Throughout the chamber, thousands of workers diligently mined for resources. Raw ore veins surrounded them and seemed to be everywhere. Deep cracks split the ground all across the chamber, and from within, the shining light of magma burned deep below.

When the platform first reached the ground and they stepped off of it, Tauriel couldn't help but hiss at the heat of the ground. It wasn't so hot that it burned, but it was hot enough to startle her.

"Come. We are almost there." Her guide commanded, marching forward.

Not far from their birth, a tunnel resided, guiding them into a lower chamber in the mines.

This chamber was filled with a burning heat and a sea of lava. A single stone platform held suspended over the lava pool, and upon it, stood a man. They approached him, and Tauriel felt her dread grow.

Her eyes began to run over the man's form as they approached. He was tall, not the tallest man she'd ever seen, but above average. He had dark shoulder length hair, his hair was nearly black, from what she could tell. He was lean, and muscular, his skin pale. He was currently without a shirt, wearing only trousers, and his skin was covered in a sheen of sweat.

As they approached he turned his gaze towards them. His eyes caused Tauriel to freeze. Glowing emerald green eyes, alight like flame, stared back at her, a smile that had been on the man's face, morphed into a smirk that caused her skin to tingle.

He was handsome, beautiful in way that men often weren't. He had features of beauty found usually in elves, and yet the light covering of a beard and mustache covered his face, giving him a more rugged appearance. He seemed young, very young. Most likely barely into his twenties from what she could see.

As he turned his emerald gaze towards her, his eyes began to change. The bright emeralds that glowed with brilliance quickly gave way to a hellish flame of orange fire.

Tauriel took a fearful step back, as the man slowly took a step forward, rotating his shoulders as he did.

The orange flame of his eyes filled her with fear as he approached, staring at her.

His gaze made her feel naked, no, it was more than that. His gaze made her feel as if her spirit was on full display. It felt almost like his eyes pierced through flesh and bone, and could see straight into her heart. She felt fully revealed, as if all of her personal feelings, all of her most intimate thoughts and desires, were on full display.

A blink of the eyes was all it took for the feeling to fade. A blink and the hellish inferno of his gaze, gave way to dark gray eyes with violet rings in them. The violet of his eyes was so feint it was almost imperceptible, had she not been so drawn to his gaze, so focused on his eyes, she could have easily missed that trait. With the fiery glow of his eyes removed, the piercing quality of his gaze seemed to diminish, but it did not vanish completely. His gaze was still intense, and filled with an analytical quality that left her feeling bare.

"Hello. I must say, you are quite lovely." The man offered, his voice calm, and edged with an accent she couldn't quite place.

"Who-who are you? Why have you taken me prisoner?" Tauriel demanded as the man stopped in his approach standing roughly ten feet before her.

"In these lands I am known as Aegon, of house Targaryen. Rightful king of the Andals, the Rhoynar, and the First Men. You… may know me better by another name." He answered with a cruel smile. Tauriel felt her heart sink as she recalled what her guide had called him.

She took a fearful step back, causing the Dark Lord's smirk to grow.

"Your people had many names for me, Gorthaur the Cruel, the Enemy, the Dark Power, the Necromancer of Dol Guldur, the Nameless Enemy. I am the Dark Lord Sauron, High-Lord of Mordor, Lord of Barad-Dûr, Lord of the Earth, and Lord of the Rings. I welcome you to my domain, and my service." Sauron declared, as Tauriel backed away further, falling to the ground as she did.

Sauron stepped towards her as she tried to back away, only for her to run into the legs of the corpses that had still been following them.

"What is your name, my dear?" Sauron inquired.

Tauriel remained silent, though it quickly became apparent that, that would do her no good. A stabbing pain lanced through her neck and she let out a scream of pain, tears forming in her eyes.

"What is your name?" Sauron asked again.

"T-Tauriel!" She shrieked, and the pain stopped.

"Tauriel? How lovely. Welcome to my service Tauriel. It has been so long since I've had a new elf among my ranks. I would advise against disobeying. As I'm sure you've figured out, any attempt to escape, retaliate, or break from my commands, will be met with severe punishment." Sauron responded.

"Yo-you will never get anything from me. I would sooner die than reveal anything about my people!" Tauriel snapped at him, mustering all of her courage.

"Reveal anything? You know something of importance? Interesting…" Sauron responded, raising an eyebrow at her.

Tauriel stared back uncertain and confused.

"I can tell you're under an assumption that just isn't true. I don't know who you are, and I didn't know you had anything useful to offer to me. Beyond your body. I took you for the sole purpose of breaking you and turning you into a body slave for my beloved." Sauron explained as he knelt in front of her.

Tauriel stared at him, horror, confusion, and fear filling her gaze.

"That's right… you will be body slave to my beloved. You will serve her, pleasure her, and protect her. You will do so willingly, because if you refuse…" Aegon rose to his feet and made a motion with his hand. Tauriel's eyes went wide as she felt her body begin to move against her will. She slowly rose to her feet, unable to stop herself, she stepped towards the Dark Lord, and reached out to him, cradling his face in her hands.

He smiled, a genuinely charming smile and leaned down towards her. No matter how hard she fought, she could do nothing to stop her body from reacting. It was like she had simply been removed from control, and was merely an observer.

His lips brushed with hers in a gentle and almost loving kiss. She had never kissed anyone like this before, so the feeling was completely foreign to her. She felt one of his hands circle around to the small of her back and press her body against his as the kiss deepened.

It continued for several long moments before he pulled back, and she suddenly felt control return to her. She stumbled back and fell to the ground again, staring up at him in horror.

"Obey, and you will remain in control. Obey and my dearest Lilith may find you interesting enough to keep. Refuse, and I will strip you of control. We will use you, and when we are done, you will be killed. Now you know the price of refusal, so… will you serve me?" Sauron said to her, extending his hand to her.

Tauriel stared up at him, horror reflected on her face. Already she was envisioning all of the terrible things he could do to her, and that he could make her do.

She had no idea how he controlled her so easily, perhaps it was the collar she now wore, but regardless, he had a way to fully manipulate her body, and force her into becoming a passenger in her own life. Though it only lasted for a few seconds, it was more terrible than any pain she had ever felt. To simply be an observer while your body reacted according to another person's will, it was truly awful. And what made it worse was that he knew nothing about her. He did not know she was a skilled fighter, or an elven guard captain. He had probably guessed that she had some fighting skills since he had collected her from the battlefield, but beyond that, he did not know what she was capable of.

Horrible thoughts spilled into her mind, he had forced her to kiss him, what more could he force her to do? Not only could he use her body as he saw fit, but also her skills, what he knew of them. She was a skilled fighter, and he could use her to hunt, kill, and slaughter her fellows, her own people.

If she refused, than she was lost. He would assume command of her body and do whatever he saw fit with her. She had only one choice, it was the only chance at any sort of salvation no matter how small or unlikely.

Slowly, she reached out, placing her hand in his.

"Smart woman." Sauron responded as he pulled her to her feet.

"What is thy will my master?" Tauriel muttered, quietly.

"You will serve as servant and slave to my beloved Lilith. You will serve her dutifully, in all things she requires of you. That is my will." Sauron responded, earning a solemn nod from Tauriel, her spirit worn down to almost nothing.

Sauron offered her a chuckle before releasing her hand and taking a few steps away from her. He held something aloft in one of his hands, something cradled in his fingers. Tauriel slowly eyed the object, and took note that it was a simple golden ring.

"My work is finished. The ring has been adjusted. It's ties to the Three Elven Rings of Power has been blocked for the moment. So long as the block is in place, I cannot manipulate the Three, but they will also not be able to sense, the One." Sauron said aloud, turning his eyes towards Tauriel.

She stared back in confusion, not quite understanding him.

"How old are you, Tauriel?" Sauron inquired, sensing her confusion.

"Five-hundred-and-eighty-seven, my lord." Tauriel replied meekly.

"Ah, a young elf. Interesting. So the battle of Erebor was the first major conflict between my forces and your kin, that you've had the pleasure of partaking in?" Sauron surmised, earning a nod from Tauriel.

"Well then, you should know, that your kin survived the battle, thanks to the Eagles." Sauron offered to her, hope filling her gaze for a moment.

"Yes, they survived, and my forces retreated. The Mountain is now in the hands of the dwarves. And all I have to show for my troubles. Is a lowly little elf, the Arkenstone, and a dragon…" Sauron added, causing fear to swiftly return to her.

"Oh… and one other, rather important boon… my ring." Sauron expressed, turning his eyes back to his ring.

Tauriel stared at him for a moment, before panicked realization filled her eyes.

A moment of bravery filled her, the Dark Lord's ring, the One Ring, he had it! She had to do something, had to stop him somehow! The thought didn't last for more than a moment before she let out a scream of pain and collapsed to her knees, a stabbing pain ripping into her throat.

"Well done Tauriel, that's a fighter's spirit!" Sauron clapped, smiling down at her, as she gasped in pain and threw a fearful and tormented look at him.

Sauron's grin was hellish, the excitement in his eyes filled the young elf with terror and a soul-crushing dread. Slowly, deliberately, taking joy in her suffering, he placed the One Ring upon his finger.

An explosion of power surged into him as he felt his old power return to him.

Raw magical strength raced through him, his veins ignited in flames and the ground began to shake.

In a nearby cave, the Balrog Khulvar sensed the surge in Sauron's power, and let out a roar of triumph, a demonic chuckle filling the air soon afterwards.

In another fiery chamber, Lilith's dragons stirred, awakening and letting our shrieks and growls, feeling the Dark Lord's power swell to monstrous levels.

Sauron's eyes began to glow with hellish fire, as the air around him began to boil. His servants nearby, dropped to the ground, kowtowing before his might.

Tauriel lay cradled on her side, shielding herself from the sight of the Dark Lord.

Flames began to erupt around Sauron, and a demonic chuckle filled the air.

Nearby, the dark creatures of Tantibus Arcis began to roar and cheer as they felt the power of the Dark Lord tear up through the very foundations of the citadel.

-At Casterly Rock, the same time-

Lilith shot awake, a familiar power flooding her senses. She quickly apparated atop the main keep, her gaze turned towards the North. "Sauron? Such power…!"

Lilith could feel the monstrous strength of her beloved. Why though was he releasing such torrents of strength? Had the Battle to take the Lonely Mountain ended in failure? Was this his fury, she was feeling? It didn't seem that way, the explosion of power wasn't directed, it was simply expanding, like a burst of excitement.

It was obvious that Aegon had returned from Arda, but what was keeping him from returning here? She hoped he would come back soon, less she lose her patience and go north to figure out what was keeping him.

This power though, it was intense, surprisingly so. He had always stood above the other Maiar, though he rarely gave a showing of such immense power. She could hear his Ringwraths letting out shrieks of glee, and could even sense their own power increasing. Midir was reacting, upon a hill nearby the mighty dragon stared out to the north, flapping his wings and bellowing smoke. Umbra was already in the skies, roaring and breathing green flames, excited as the dragon could be.

Yes, Aegon had definitely returned, and something had happened, something immense.

-Back at Tantibus Arcis-

From the pillar of hellish fire that had encapsulated the Dark Lord, a towering figure emerged. Sauron, in all his glory, encased in his armor, his power radiating in fiery waves, now stood before the cowering Silvan Elf.

The intensity of his strength began to grow before suddenly Sauron withdrew his power, drawing it into himself. His form shrunk, and he resumed the shape of a man, his breathing heavy and excited.

"Wow! Now that, was unexpected…" Sauron stated, staring at his ring with reverence.

He held his hand aloft and continued to admire his ring for several long moments before turning his gaze towards Tauriel.

"The time has come to return to my campaign. Prepare Tauriel for flight, I will take her personally. We leave in an hour." Sauron commanded to his servant, who offered a firm nod and moved to pull Tauriel to her feet.

She quickly went with the guide, eager to escape the newly empowered Dark Lord. Sauron now had the One Ring, such a thing spelled disaster for the world.

A short while later, Tauriel was brought to the surface, into a large clearing in the fortress where a deep tunnel underground sat nearby.

The Dark Lord stood waiting there for her, she had been given actual clothes to wear, trousers, a heavy coat, gloves, and boots, all to help keep warm. All warn over her silk gown. When she was delivered to the Dark Lord, he was redressed, wearing dark clothes, and a long cloak. He seemed to be in a spectacular mood, and as she was brought to him, a heavy thumping filled the air as something large moved up out of the nearby tunnel.

Moments passed before a dragon emerged from the tunnel, the long serpentine beast took in it's surroundings as it emerged, taking in a deep breath of air.

"Are you ready to join with our master, great Smaug?" Sauron inquired, identifying the dragon as Tauriel was brought up next to him.

"Yes. Let us go and join with the great one." Smaug responded.

"Alright than. I will show you the way, and along the path, I will show you locations of importance so that you will be able to navigate some of these territories. It shouldn't take more than ten hours or so to get there. So let us be off." Aegon informed the dragon, before turning to Tauriel and offering his hand.

Slowly, she took it and he pulled her close to him.

"From this moment forth, you will address me as King Aegon, My King, or Your Grace. You will tell no one that you are a slave, nor will you tell them of my true name. Understood?" She offered a small nod, averting her eyes from him. He stared intently at her, and a burning pain spread through her neck.

"Yes, My King." Tauriel gasped, pain flashing in her eyes, as she internally cursed herself for not refusing.

"Good. Now hold on." Aegon commanded, and he felt her slip her arm around his waist and grab the arm he had wrapped around her.

With a smirk, he took to the skies, flying up into the air, blackened mist wrapping around his body, and Tauriel's.

Tauriel let out a shriek of fear and surprise before quieting, earning a laugh from the Dark Lord.

Smaug was soon in the air following them and they began to fly south, away from the fortress.

For a while, Tauriel clung to Aegon, fearful of falling to her death, but it soon became apparent that it wasn't just the Dark Lord holding her aloft physically, but rather magic that was keeping her in the air with him. So long as he continued with whatever spell he was using, she was in no danger of falling, even if she loosened her grip.

The moment she realized she could pull a bit away from him, she did so. She drifted alongside him, flying quickly through the air. Following nearby was the mighty Smaug, who kept above and just behind them.

Letting her fears slowly fade, Tauriel decided to try and find some comfort in her situation, taking in the landscape seemed like a good place to start.

There was little in sight on the ground at first, snow covered hills, the occasional mountain, or frost covered peek, everything seemed to be encased in ice and covered with snow, it held little beauty to it, but the sky though, that was where Tauriel felt her gaze turn to, to pass the time.

The shifting green aura in the sky was incredible and she felt at peace, staring up at it. Thankfully, the Dark Lord had little to say during this stretch of the trip, so she was allowed the time to take in the beautiful sight and daydream of better times, and of home.

After a while a solid string of mountains came over the horizon, and she felt the Dark Lord gently squeeze her arm, drawing her attention.

"This is the Northern most stretch of the Frostfangs mountain range. These mountains stretch for miles hundreds of miles south and separate the Far North from the Lands of Always Winter. As we pass over them we will be entering the Far North." She heard his voice whisper into her mind. She tensed at the intrusion but offered a nod of understanding.

"So that great fortress rests in the Land of Always Winter, beyond the Far North? Alright then." Tauriel devoted that bit of information to memory. She did take note of the fact that she didn't recognize either of those areas. Given the name, the Far North, did that mean she had been taken North of the Lonely Mountain? If so, that meant that they were headed south, back towards it, and most likely, near her homeland. If they kept heading south, eventually they'd come close to the Dark Lord's domain, Mordor.

He spoke of continuing a campaign. What campaign was he speaking of? She hadn't heard any mention of orcish attacks in the south, at least no major or coordinated ones. As far as she was aware, Gondor still held most of Mordor. Was that the campaign he was referring too?

She didn't know, but she kept quiet and watched as the mountains quickly approached. Her only other thought was wondering if he was telepathically communication this info to the dragon as well? He probably was, which was why he had chosen it over shouting over the wind.

Regardless, more time passed, as they flew over the mountains. Soon and endless stretch of snow covered forests filled the world below her. Occasionally she would spot movement below, her elvish eyes picking up orcs and men, laboring together in camps, cutting down trees, building forts and villages.

"This area is known as the Haunted Forest and it covers most of the Far North." She heard whispered into her mind.

"Haunted Forest?" Another place Tauriel didn't recognize.

This forest truly was massive, and filled her gaze for quite a while as they continued to fly. Eventually Tauriel got lost in daydreams and was simply thinking to herself when she felt another squeeze of the arm from Aegon. She turned her gaze towards him and he nodded forward.

She turned her eyes towards the horizon and her jaw fell open. Quickly approaching was a towering construct. A wall of gleaming ice that radiated with reflected sunlight like a massive jewel. This wall was hundreds of meters high, and stretched over the horizon in either direction, seemingly splitting the land in two.

"This is the Wall, built thousands of years of ago, it stretches three hundred miles from the Bay of Seals to the Bay of Ice. It separates the Far North from the lands known as The Gift." Aegon whispered into her mind.

Tauriel couldn't help herself as she ran her eyes along The Wall, admiring it's beauty and immense stature. Even Smaug felt his interest in the Wall grow as they drew closer and the tingling of intense magic, filled his senses. There was power contained within this great construction, and that power held strong even after thousands of years.

They passed over The Wall, spotting the massive Nightfort bellow on the southern side. The once abandoned castle, was now alight with movement as orcs busily repaired it and brought it up to working order.

For a while they flew, Aegon only mentioning at one point while they flew that they had left The Gift and were now in the North.

The almost unending snow quickly gave way to rolling hills and quiet moors.

They drifted a bit to the west, with Aegon pointing out the nearby mountain range as the southern end of the Frostfangs.

Soon they were passing over a massive castle that again caused Tauriel's jaw to drop.

"This is Winterfell, built by my human ancestors over thousands of years. This castle has been around since the Years of the Trees. It was built by men and giants, long ago, or so the stories say." Aegon expressed, earning awe from Tauriel and Smaug. Such an ancient castle, standing for so long was incredible, to say the least, and the castle was truly monstrous in size, it could no doubt withstand an army of countless thousands breaking against it's outer and inner walls.

"I've never heard of this place either. Where has he taken me." Tauriel couldn't help but wonder as they continued south. She did also take note of Aegon's mention of 'human' ancestors. So the Dark Lord had hijacked a royal human line in these lands, no doubt to aid in his conquests. And this was the castle they had built? That did not bode well for her people.

Further south they continued for a while, as the air grew warmer and the foggy cool lands of the North began to give way to warmer wet lands.

Aegon called this land, The Neck, a swampy bog land, that was near impassable accept by a single roadway. The swamps below reminded Tauriel of Mirkwood, and despite the dreary nature of that place, it made her homesick. She'd definitely prefer to be in the spider-infested Mirkwood, than here, with the Dark Lord.

They turned further west, passing over a part of the sea, Ironman's Bay, it was called, and than they came across a castle on a fork in a river, a castle called Riverrun, the capitol of an area called the Rivelands. From there they went further west, passing into the Westerlands, and eventually, a towering castle came over the horizon.

Dread filled Tauriel's heart as two massive dragons flew up to greet them. Both were unique in their own way, different in shape, and both were foremost interested in the Dark Lord, but quickly turned their gazes towards Smaug. The two dragons flew up to Smaug, letting out roars and bathing the Great Dragon in their flames. Smaug returned the gestures, spewing forth a massive wall of flames at both of the two dragons.

"Great Smaug, may I introduce my familiar, Umbra, and our master's personal steed, Midir." Aegon offered to the dragon as the three titanic beasts circled one another before Midir and Umbra dove down towards the towering castle, landing just outside it's walls on the hills leading up to it.

Smaug quickly followed as did Aegon and Tauriel, coming to land on a newly carved pathway leading up towards a wooden wall that had been erected at around where the Lion's Mouth, had once stood.

A crude gateway was carved into the wall which soon swung open, as several individuals came rushing out.

Several large winged beasts rose up from the castle and lowered down towards them, landing a good distance around Aegon and Tauriel. Upon the backs of these winged beasts, sat five of the Nine Nazgûl. Tauriel recognized the hooded figures from stories she'd heard, and felt her dread grow.

Many of those on foot who had come out to see what was going on were men or orcs, and they immediately bowed, dropping to a knee at the sight of Aegon.

Aegon noted one of them and quickly approached the man, releasing Tauriel as he did.

"Uncle Benjen!" Aegon greeted as the man rose to his feet. The two men met in a hug, an action that surprised Tauriel and caused her jaw to drop open.

"Have fun on your trip?" Benjen inquired.

"Like you wouldn't believe." Aegon responded with a laugh, earning one from Benjen as well.

Horseback riders soon exited the walls, along with two of the largest wolves that Tauriel had ever seen. One was gray while the other was pure white. The white one trotted right up to the Dark Lord, stopping before him. This wolf was easily as large as a horse. Aegon smiled and ran his hands along the wolf's fur.

"Hello boy, were you good while I was gone?" Aegon asked, causing Ghost to lick at his face.

"You've seemed to have made it back in one piece." Came the voice of Robb who had arrived on horseback. He was quick to hop off the horse and offer Aegon a quick bow, before the two met in an embrace.

"My adventures were far from dull, just wait till you hear." Aegon offered, still smiling. He turned his attention from Robb to an interesting sight. A woman, in a black gown, similar to the one Tauriel had been forced into. Though her gown was far thicker and offered far more decency, it did accentuated her frame quite a bit.

This woman was incredibly beautiful and the way Aegon's eyes lit up when he spotted her, it was easy for Tauriel to pinpoint who the Dark Lord's beloved was, and who she was meant to serve.

Aegon approached her and she smiled, holding open her arms for him.

He stepped into her embrace, kissing her as he did.

"Welcome back." Lilith said to him.

"It's good to be back." Aegon replied, reaching up to brush a few stray strands of hair from her face. When he did, Lilith's eyes went wide, and faster than lightning, she snatched his arm, seizing it by the wrist. Her eyes shot to his hand, where she had felt an incredible power, when he had brought it close to her.

Aegon let out a chuckle as Lilith's eyes fell upon the golden band that wrapped around the base of his pointer finger. She stared at it for several long moments, her eyes wide. Slowly she turned her gaze to him.

"I've returned with quite the boons, my love." Aegon said to her, freeing his arm from her grip and cradling her face.

A smirk quickly spread across her lips, as she leaned in and kissed him again.

"Come, there is someone who wishes to see you." Aegon expressed, taking Lilith's hand and guiding her down towards where the towering dragon Smaug waited.

Lilith smiled up at the dragon, her pace quickening as she stepped out of Aegon's grasp and approached the Great Dragon.

"It truly is you…" Smaug noted, his eyes wide as he stared down at her.

Lilith stared up at the dragon for several long moments before speaking. "Hello you magnificent beast. The last of my greatest creations in Middle-Earth. It'll be good to have you among my ranks, Great One. I, am Lilith." Lilith greeted the Great Dragon.

"Lilith? I see. You power is as magnificent as the stories say, my master. I will serve you, and bring fire to this world in your name." Smaug declared.

"Yes, we will burn away this rampant chaotic world, and bring a new order to reign supreme. It is time you took your rightful place among my ranks. With your might added to my forces, nothing can stop us." Lilith agreed with the dragon, earning a powerful growl from all three of the Great Dragons.

"Go now, mighty Smaug, and explore our conquered territories. When our armies are set to march, I will summon thee for war. Midir will accompany you, there is much of this world to see." Lilith declared, earning a nod from the dragon, as he and Midir took to the skies, intent on doing just that.

Lilith took in a breath, breathing in the scent of smoke, and ash, that accompanied the Great Dragon, she then turned her gaze towards Aegon.

"You have done well my love." Lilith began, but as she did, Aegon's smile fell and he shook his head. He glanced around as more people had now surrounded them, taking in the sight of the new dragon that had accompanied the king's return.

"I do aim to impress." Aegon offered her a hand.

Lilith took it and he turned and began to head towards the castle.

"Come, we have much to discuss. Come Tauriel." Aegon directed, motioning for Tauriel to follow them.

Lilith's eyes caught on the elf as they walked, and a cruel smile spread across her face. Tauriel shuddered but followed close behind.

They quickly returned to the Rock, and held a feast. When asked of what he'd been doing, Aegon explained to the gathered lords and knights of how he had used magic to travel to a far away land. Lilith had instructed him to oversee a battle taking place somewhere far from Westeros. He regaled them with the tale of the battle for the Kingdom under the Mountain.

Many were surprised to hear of the army of dwarves, and how Aegon described them. People who were nothing like the dwarfs found around these parts. The dwarves he'd seen were stout men, hardened and muscular, clad in thick armor. They were powerful warriors and hardy fighters. He told them of the elves, and even gestured to Tauriel who was standing as far out of sight as she could. It took some time for people to begin noticing her pointed ears. Aegon explained how Tauriel had been a part of a group of Elves and Dwarves that had attacked the overlook where he'd overseen the battle, and how he had taken Tauriel as a prisoner.

When questioned about whether or not she posed a danger, Aegon simply shook his head and offered a her a look. "She gave me her word that she wouldn't cause me any problems, even swore to me that she would willing serve me in exchange for her life. She gave me her word, isn't that right, Tauriel?" He directed at her.

Tauriel felt the unbidden command, as the pain in her neck began to grow.

"That is right, your Grace." She offered, with a cold nod.

Several looks were shared, but it seemed that Aegon had her under control.

Aegon continued his story, telling them how the battle was nearly won by Lilith's soldiers when Giant Eagles fell out of the sky, swooping down and crushing dozens of orcs in their massive talons. If it hadn't been for these creatures, Lilith's forces would have won the day, easily. He didn't tell them about the second army, nor did he mention that Smaug was there. Some people even mentioned it, asking if these eagles could have been killed by the dragons. Aegon replied that he was sure they could have been, but there was a lot of them there, over three dozen at least.

Hearing that, Lilith pieced together why Aegon had no doubt chosen to flee from the battle along with Smaug. That many eagles working together was an absolute nightmare to deal with. Perhaps is Aegon had unleashed his power at the time and fought alongside Smaug, they could have dealt with many of the eagles, but in the end, the Mountain was ultimately worth it. Smaug was far more valuable to her than the Lonely Mountain, or it's riches, and it seems that Aegon had found something even more valuable as well. His Ring. She definitely intended to ask him about that, as soon as they were alone.

"Before we end the feast, there is a gift I would like to bestow upon my intended. Taken from the enemy during the battle. Given the loss of her forces, I am certain that she is in need of some reassurances. This great gift was taken from the leader of the host of men who fought during the battle. A jewel of magnificence that represents the unity of and power of the Dwarven people. The Arkenstone!" Aegon said to the crowd, drawing forth the stone from his pocket and revealing it to the crowd.

Cries of astonishment and amazement went up from the surrounding people as they gazed at the glittering jewel.

"My Lady, The Heart of the Mountain." Aegon stated, offering Lilith the stone.

The Dark Lady stared at the jewel, taking in it's beauty and magnificence. She slowly reached out, taking the jewel in her hands. She held it gently for several long moments, relishing in it's beauty.

"I thank you, my beloved Aegon. This gift will surely balm the wound to my pride form this loss. Your courage and valor in taking it from my enemies is to be commended. I will cherish it, and hold it dear." Lilith thanked him. She had always enjoyed shiny jewels, and this, well this was the closest she'd seen yet that could compare to the true majesty of the Silmarils. The Arkenstone was a fair second, and a jewel she would cherish in the days to come. The only question was, how to go about displaying it.

As the feast continued, Lilith pondered ideas for the Arkenstone, while Aegon discussed with Robb and Edmure the note that had been received from the Tyrells. He agreed that it could possibly be a trap, but that they may also be desperate to prevent a war in their kingdom. He decided that when the time came he and Lilith would fly out to Bitterbridge with the Nazgûl, and meet with the Tyrells. If it was a trap, they'd have three dragons there, plus the Five Nazgûl that were with them, on their fellbeasts.

One way to counter an ambush, was with overwhelming force.

Robb and Edmure agreed with his logic. After all, if this worked out, they could secure the Reach and gain it's armies without a need for battle, which would mean their conquest would get much easier.

Towards the end of the feast, Aegon spent a few moments talking with Arya, regaling her with his adventure, as well as speaking with Sansa, though strangely, he noticed that she had a difficult time meeting his gaze. When he asked Lilith if she knew what that was about, she mentioned that she'd recently been bonding with Sansa, and may have mentioned certain 'assets' of his.

Aegon couldn't help but laugh at that, and soon after, the feast ended.

After the feast, Aegon showed Tauriel where her room was. It was a small quaint room, just outside of the wing of the keep, where the lord's slept. Once she was shown where her room was, Aegon directed her to follow him to where he and Lilith were staying.

Tauriel followed, subserviently, fear in her eyes, and her body tense. They arrived at the bedroom to find Lilith already there waiting.

She eyed Tauriel curiously as Aegon led her in and shut the door behind her.

"Take off those clothes, it should be plenty warm enough here." Aegon commanded, as he shared a glance with Lilith.

"So… more than just a political prisoner?" Lilith noted, a smirk touching at her lips.

"Yes. Much more. This is Tauriel, your new body slave. A Silvan elf, from the Woodland realm." Aegon expressed to her as Tauriel finished removed her clothes, save for her silk gown.

Lilith's smirk grew at that as she motioned for Tauriel to come closer.

For a moment, Tauriel hesitated, when, to her her surprise, she felt a burning pain begin to spread through her collar.

"My beloved Lilith has as much control over you as I do." Aegon stated, letting out a cruel chuckle.

Taking in a breath, Tauriel approached, as she did, she noticed a glow begin to surround Lilith, her already impressive beauty seemed to radiate brighter, and Tauriel felt her heart skip a beat.

Lilith was currently sitting on the edge of the bed, and as Tauriel drew closer, her smile grew more intimidating.

Once she was right before Lilith, Tauriel stopped. Lilith rose to her feet, and the two were standing mere inches from one another.

Lilith reached out, placing her hands on the clasp that held Tauriel's gown on. She undid it, and guided the gown down and off her body.

Tauriel didn't resist, to afraid of the Dark Lord taking over her body and using it for whatever he wanted, to attempt any refusal.

"Did Aegon tell you who I am? Do you know who he really is?" Lilith asked as Tauriel's gown fell to the floor.

"You may answer honestly." Aegon stated.

"He is the Dark Lord Sauron. He called you his beloved." Tauriel responded, arms stuck at her sides, naked as the day she was born.

"But he didn't mention who I really was? Shame on you Aegon." Lilith pouted, earning a chuckle from her beloved.

"I do know how you like to make an entrance. And it's been so long since you had the chance to torment an elf. I thought this would be the perfect gift for you." Aegon replied.

"Well, she isn't Ñoldor, which is a bit disappointing, but, to be fair, I may be a little out of practice, so a little Silvan elf will be good for me to work out the kinks." Lilith responded as she ran her eyes over Tauriel's body.

The Elven huntress was quite lovely. She was tall, and thin, long red hair, with a patch similar covered pubes, which stood out against her pale skin. She had decent curves, in the hips, butt, and breasts, all in all, a typical elven beauty. In truth, she was rather average, by Elven standards, but she was definitely beautiful in comparison to human women.

"Well then, we should get introductions out of the way. I wouldn't want my personal slave to not know who I am. That would just be redundant. A body slave should know their master better than almost anyone. So Tauriel, my name is Lilith. In this bedroom, you will call me master. Outside of it, you will address me as My Queen, Your Grace, My Lady, whichever you so desire." Lilith began.

"Yes, Master…" Tauriel replied, her voice coming out as a shaking quiver.

Lilith grinned, a pulled Tauriel into a lustful kiss, surprising the elf who froze at first before feeling her body begin to react to the kiss.

To her surprise, it felt good, very good. Lilith tasted sweet, and as her scent filled Tauriel's nostrils, she couldn't help but note that the smell made her feel comfortable, warm even.

Without realizing it, she felt herself kissing Lilith back, and when Lilith pulled away, Tauriel momentarily followed her before pulling back as well, surprise flashing across her face.

A sinking feeling welled up in her gut, as Tauriel realized that Lilith was doing something to her. Some sort of magic was manipulating her.

"Come now Tauriel, no need to worry. I'm not going to hurt you. I'll show you such pleasures as you would never even dream of. I'll show you bliss the likes of which that old fool Eru, couldn't hope to replicate." Lilith smirked. Grabbing Tauriel and throwing her onto the bed, Lilith shrugged off her gown, and stood over the terrified elf.

"You should know, I had another name your creator gave me long ago. A name I was given when I rebelled and broke free from his manipulations. A name I was given when I set fire to his creation and smashed it to little pieces." Lilith growled down at her, excitement building in her eyes as they began to glow a hellish orange.

"No…" Tauriel uttered, as tears began to build in her eyes. What this woman was insinuating wasn't possible. She couldn't be who she was claiming to be.

"I. Am. Morgoth." Lilith declared before jumping on top of the elven huntress and pinning her arms to the bed. She then slammed her lips into Tauriel's kissing her roughly and using her magics to assault the elven woman with pleasure and excitement.

Aegon, by now had removed his clothes and approached the two. Climbing onto the bed, and taking Lilith's hips, he positioned himself at her entrance.

Lilith paused in her assault on Tauriel's lips and glanced over her shoulder at Aegon. He smirked down at her and pushed his length into her waiting sex, earning a loud moan from the Lady of Darkness. She turned her gaze back to Tauriel, who was breathing heavily and appeared drunk from pleasure, her eyes glazed over as the overwhelming potency of Lilith's power, washed over her.

Lilith smirked and let out another moan, before releasing Tauriel's arms and grabbing her body to move her up a bit, allowing Lilith access to Tauriel's breasts.

A soft moan escaped from Tauriel's lips as Lilith began to roughly kiss, suck, and bite at her breasts and nipples. As she continued with Tauriel's breasts, she shifted herself so that she could slide a hand down between Tauriel's legs. As her hand passed over her pubes, Tauriel clamped her legs together, trying to halt her advance.

Lilith pulled free from one of Tauriel's nipples, releasing the sensitive teat from her lips with an audible pop as she glanced up at Tauriel and smirked devilishly.

Lilith leaned up, settling into Aegon's embrace as he continued to fuck her, his hands encircling her, cupping her breasts.

"She's scared." Lilith teased.

"Of course she is, you and I are the manifestation of evil, and we've about to fuck her senseless. She'd be insane if she wasn't scared." Lilith let out a laugh at his response, her laughter quickly turning into playful giggles as he teased at her nipples, pulling them and kissing at her neck.

"Well, best not to disappoint her." Lilith responded as she reached down and grabbed Tauriel's hips. She lifted the elf's lower half up off the bed, and pushed her forward, scooting her further up the bed, so that Lilith could drop down to all fours, her head now positioned right over Tauriel's sex.

"It's been a while since I asked, and maybe the Woodland realms have adopted more human activities, but how familiar are you with concept of going down on someone?" Lilith asked, earning a laugh from Aegon, while Tauriel didn't answer.

Lilith simply let out a chuckle and grabbed Tauriel's thighs. She then released a stinging hex from both her hands causing Tauriel's to let out a yelp and kick with her legs, the action caused her muscles to loosen up enough for Lilith to easily keep her legs parted, and lower her head between them.

Tauriel's eyes went wide as she saw what Lilith was going to do and soon enough a throat moan escaped her lips, as she felt Lilith run her tongue along her opening.

She felt Lilith kiss at her entrance, which caused Tauriel to let out another moan of pleasure.

Lilith continued to work on the elf's pussy for several long moments, occasionally moaning which would send shivers up Tauriel's spine. Soon enough Lilith could feel her own pleasure growing as Aegon leaned over her, playing with her clit as he fucked her.

This caused her to change tactics, resting her head on the inside of one of Tauriel's thighs and kissing and sucking on her clit, while proceeding to use two fingers to fuck her slave's cunt.

Within minutes she had Tauriel cumming her cries of pleasure filling the room.

As Tauriel shook from the throws of orgasm, Lilith placed a kiss on her pussy, and sat up, removing herself from Aegon's cock. Aegon than moved and sat beside Tauriel, Lilith sitting on his lap, putting his cock back inside of her as she hugged his head to her breasts, the two of them glancing down at Tauriel as they continued with their fun.

"Do you like her?" Aegon asked.

"She has some fight…" Lilith responded.

Tauriel let out a heavy breath as she stared up at the ceiling. Her legs were still shaking from the intense pleasure she had just experienced.

"Tauriel, devote my actions to memory. I'll give you a few days to learn, I'll teach you how to pleasure a woman, so pay attention." Lilith commanded, earning a slow nod from Tauriel.

With great effort, Tauriel sat up, and wiped the wetness from her eyes. Once she did, she turned her gaze towards the two lovers. Both were glanced at her even as they continued to fuck.

Lilith smirked and motioned her over. This time, Tauriel didn't hesitate, she slowly crawled over to them, Aegon reached out grabbing her butt with one of his hands, while Lilith reached out, taking the back of Tauriel's head and pulling her into a kiss. Tauriel, returned it, her actions sloppy, amateur, but with intent.

As Lilith pulled back, she smiled, a let out a moan, she then turned her attention back to Aegon and began to move faster, her release quickly approaching.

Lilith came first, with Aegon following soon afterwards, the two lovers meeting in an intense and lustful kiss as Aegon filled Lilith's depths with his seed. The two then held each other for several long moments, recuperating, when Lilith began to wiggle her hips, enticing him to keep going.

He smirked at her, grabbing her hips and lifting her off of his lip, only to let her fall back onto it. The two continued like that for several moments before recalling the presence of their spectator.

Both turned their gazes towards Tauriel who was watching them.

"You still wanna play?" Lilith inquired, meeting Tauriel's gaze and releasing her own allure.

Tauriel seemed to almost whine at the radiant sight of Lilith but in the end she nodded.

Lilith smiled and shared a glance with Aegon who raised an eyebrow and shrugged.

"I think I'm gonna like her." Lilith said to him as she shifted herself and laid down on the bed. Aegon shifted as well, now hovering over her, where he resumed his thrusting.

Lilith let out a sigh of pleasure and motioned Tauriel over to her.

Tauriel did as commanded and crawled over beside Lilith.

"Sit on my face, facing Aegon." Lilith commanded. Tauriel stared down at her for a moment before complying. She did as she was told and felt Lilith grab her hips and resumed eating her out. She locked eyes with Aegon and let out a pitiful moan of pleasure. He smirked at her, his eyes beginning to glow.

Tauriel closed her eyes at the sight, as she felt his hand slide around her head. She was pulled into a passionate kiss with the Dark Lord, as his Dark Master, ate out her pussy. Thoughts of escape, or rebellion were quickly fading, this was her fate now, this was what she was now, a slave to the Lords of Darkness. If she wanted to maintain control over her own body, she had to do what she was told, and the only way she could maintain her sanity was by trying to find something redeeming in her torture. Right now the only thing she had was pleasure, so that would be it. That would be what she held onto for sanity's sake.

With in mind, she wrapped her arms around Aegon's head and began kissing him back with far more passion. It was best to enjoy this while she could. She never knew when the two would grow tired of her, or decide they wanted her torment to become something far worse. If being a willing bed slave to their perversions kept her alive, than she'd do it, if learning to enjoy it, kept her sane, that would be what had to happen.

One day, she would see her homeland again, she just hoped that when the day came, she was still Tauriel, and not something far more twisted.

-To Be Continued-

Alright there you go, hope you all enjoyed, Comments section time.

FuZZyloGiC00007: Thanks, and I will.

Ezylryb: Thanks!

GiantPsychoGecko: Yes, he'll definitely be getting a power-up. :)

DBZx Skyfall: Thanks! I appreciate it.

godisme: Yep, Tauriel gets to join in on the fun. True in all regards, it's gonna be interesting. And yeah, Sauron could use his real name in Westoros and he will eventually, he only uses Aegon right now because it's a useful name to throw around, it opens doors as it were, but he'll begin to slowly spread his true name to his followers and than beyond.

38Solaire38: Yep, she's definitely going to be pleased.

darth Queidus: Thanks, and yeah that would be a cool little crossover story, maybe as an omake for Broken Angel, definitely something to think about. Yeah I enjoy stories like that too, sometimes evil should win. Remember, 'Evil will always triumph because good is dumb.'

Cjthedvall: K, here you go.

Blacked6666: Thank you, I appreciate your approval.

naruto: Me neither, it's gonna be fun.

Seraphina Nova Black: No problem, happy to answer any questions or concerns.

KingZeRoPL: I'm sorry for your breakup. :(

Mr2Legit2Quit95: Oh yeah, he's a right bastard. Up there with Joffrey for how much I want him dead in the show and the books.

Lord of Erebor: Thanks, I appreciate the praise.

Black Magic99: They might be, depends on where the story goes.

Chaosmar18: Yep, it's a pyrrhic victory for them. They are most certainly not ready for what's coming.

LeoMadara: Here you go, hope the waiting wasn't to bad.

BlueDensity: Don't worry, you didn't sound whiny or aggressive, I can understand where you were coming from. Until the entire story is out, you can't really know how the author is seeing or thinking of everything at the time. You don't know what I have planned or how the story will go, and unless I specifically drop hints or foreshadow certain events, I can't expect you to know what I'm thinking or how I'm seeing things, so it's no worries from me. I'm happy to address your concerns, and I hope you continue to enjoy.

Trinity seven: Happy to hear it, will definitely enjoy it. Ooh, I wonder what the reaction of the Dothraki would be to a Mumakil? 0.0

FunkyRooster:Yep it's gonna be a cool reaction. Hmm… now that would be interesting. Aegon hearing about how they're planning a quest to take the fake ring to Mount Doom, now that would surely open the door to some fun and interesting possibilities.

Eternal Tortoise: I hope you got my reply, but I'll reiterate that that's a very good idea. No doubt it'll be something they can focus on in the future. We've seen that they can turn horses in canon, the Children are in hiding and probably avoiding Lilith like she was the plague and there is only a handful of them left, but the Weirwoods do offer me many interesting ideas. So thanks of the suggestion.

Scarlet Nerd:Thanks for all the praise, I really appreciate it. Happy to hear you're enjoying the story and I hope you continued to enjoy the future chapters.

ValteriaBiggles: Well there is a major disproportion in power when you consider that the west has all of the Maiar, the Valar, and Eru on their side, and also that the Elves can actually infinitely respawn. Basically if they wanted to, every elf that is killed and sent to the Halls of Mandos could be reembodied and sent back to Middle-Earth, so unless they are corrupted or turned against the Valar, the Elves can just keep coming back. That's one thing that's majorly broken on the West's side and could even out the power levels. With that in mind, there are also other crossovers sections that I plan on doing so we'll get to see a lot of changes moving forward. I hope that wasn't too vague but trust that I have a few ideas to keep the balance of power, relatively interesting.

Guest: Here you go, hope you enjoy.

dragon slayer of death 98: Ooh devious, hope you enjoy what's to come.

Tacomaster05: Sorry you feel that way, the story had to go a certain way because of where I'm leading it, and also I always intended for this story to follow both of them as Main Characters, I do realize that Lilith hasn't had a lot to do in recent chapters which was kinda forced by the constraints of the narrative, but I'm focusing on her far more as the story goes on. Happy you like Broken Angel though.

TekamanBlade: Thanks

Yuki: Will do, and thanks

Dedeec156: Thanks, here you go!

Hunter 1: Sorry it's so late, Writer's block is a bitch, here you go.

Crimsonblade257: Yep, more focus on Lilith going forward, I had her doing quite a bit here in this chapter, and will be having her take more of a leading roll going forward.

PristinelyUngifted: Thanks I hope you enjoy.