Alright heres the next chapter for you, a few major events this chapter, but not a lot. Sorry this took so long, got hung up on writer's block and then when I got back into it, Cyberpunk came out and devoured my free time, so I apologize once more. Anyway, hope you enjoy.
Darkness Reborn
Chapter 18: A Day in the life of a Dark Lady.
-Casterly Rock, Westeros-
Tauriel's eyes drew open and she took in a heavy breath. Sleepily, she stretched, working out the stiffness in her limbs. She felt her body ache, and a grunt of discomfort left her lips.
She sat up in bed, and let out another grunt, as she felt an ache between her legs. Her cheeks reddened as she vividly recalled how the Dark Lord took her the night before. He was rough, and it had left her feeling sore, but to her shame, she had enjoyed it.
She had been in the service of the two Lords of Darkness for several days now, and each night they would draw her into their bedroom to lay with them. Despite having her own room, she had yet to sleep in it.
She turned her gaze slowly towards her bed partner. There she saw the naked back of her master. Lilith lay sleeping on her stomach, her arm hanging off the side of the bed. The blankets just barely covered her modesty, hiding her lower half from view.
Tauriel's gaze drew along the pale flesh of her master's back, and up towards the pure blackness that was her hair. The Dark Lady truly was beautiful, even fresh from bed and disheveled from a night of rowdy lovemaking.
It took great effort to pull her eyes away from her master's body, and gaze around the room in search of the Dark Lord. He was absent, no doubt already awake and setting about the day's tasks. Sunlight peeked in through the shuttered windows, and the smell of the ocean filled her nostrils.
Taking in a breath, Tauriel rolled her shoulders and stretched once more, allowing her muscles to flex and shift. It pained her to think about how comfortable she could sleep in this bed. How easily she could settle into the warm embrace of her master. It burned her to admit that the Dark Lord and Dark Lady were quite lovely, and in the bedroom, the two were passionate lovers.
Slowly, Tauriel crawled from the bed being careful not to wake the slumbering Lilith. Despite how sensual the Dark Lady could be at night, in the morning she could be quite the terror. It was a fact that was almost surreal, and Tauriel barely believed it at first. The Great Foe of the World, the Darkness itself, was not a morning person. It'd almost be funny if she wasn't so terrifying.
Once free from the bed, Tauriel tracked down her gown and set about dressing. In her short time as Lilith's slave, she had earned some favor from her master. Her actions on the first night had impressed Lilith enough for her to openly admit that she actually liked Tauriel, and intended to keep her. While the thought itself made Tauriel sick to her stomach, such a thing, wasn't without it's benefits. One such benefit was that her gown was made thicker, so as to hide her body from the eyes of others. By Lilith's own admission, now that she belonged to the Dark Lady, no others would look upon her body, or get to enjoy Tauriel's form, outside of Lilith and Sauron.
Late into the night, on her first night with them, the Dark Lord had taken her virginity. She could still vividly recall how he pulled her onto his lap and pressed her down onto his cock, how his length pushed deep into her depths, not stopping, even as it encountered her maidenhead. He took it, without a second thought, pushing himself deep into her, as she struggled and squirmed trying to ignore the pain.
One thing she was thankful for was that the loss of her virginity had taken place towards the end of their first night together. She was already wet and fully aroused, but Sauron was also growing tired, which meant it was easier on her, and she didn't have to endure it all night.
He was rough with her that first night, but not so much as he was in the nights that followed. Both of them were intense and passionate lovers, and both had stamina. Tauriel had difficulties keeping up with them, more often than not, but she was learning. She was thankful that at the very least, the two seemed more interested in sex, than pain, at least in the bedroom. Neither had actively tried to hurt her yet, though she mentally prepared herself for it each night.
Tauriel was learning how to pleasure her master and her master's lover, and how to be pleasured by them in return. The more she learned, the more they seemed to enjoy her presence, and the safer she felt. So long as she did what they wanted, they seemed content to allow her to remain in control over her body, and they had yet to ask her to perform any tasks that she'd normally refuse.
Learning to live life as a slave was a difficult task and Tauriel was not without her pride. Had it been anyone other than the Dark Lords, she may have put up some manner of resistance. Because it was them, she felt cut off, she had no avenue of escape or reprieve. The only thing that offered her any chance of safety, was to do as she was told, and follow her master's commands.
With no other options, she did so. By now, they knew more about who she was, about her role as a captain of the guard for the woodland realm. They had even put her skills to the test, having her fight against several orcs, and men, just to see if she had any skills.
She had managed to defeat them, her speed and agility, allowing her to outpace the lowly orcs and armed peasants. She had been given two daggers, to allow her to defend Lilith should she be attacked. Not that the fallen god needed it, but Tauriel had no complaints about being rearmed.
Several issues of note had arose in the last few days. The first being that Tauriel had no idea where she was. This continent was known as Westeros, and where that was in conjunction to Middle-Earth, she had no clue. Also there was the culture barrier. The collar she wore, on top of controlling her through punishment, also had several other functions. One was that it helped to translate the words of the those around her. The language they spoke in was not the same common tongue as found in Middle-Earth.
She also couldn't read any of the writing. The culture of the Westerosi was human in nature, and thus foreign to her, which made her feel even more out of place, than she normally would.
With that in mind, she was busy learning the language of the people, when she wasn't serving her master. Learning to actually speak the common tongue without her collar, and learn to read it on her own. She had lessons with the castle Maester, a grumpy old man, who was quite knowledgeable, despite his short temper. He had been commanded to teach her how to read and write in the common tongue so that she could do so without the aid of magic.
Her lessons were going as well as could be expected, yet still the customs of this land were confusing.
As she finished dressing, she ran a hand over her hair. It was a strange feeling, how clean it was. She was so used to living in the wilds, living off the land, that smelling like flowers, or fruits, was such a strange and odd thing. The collar she wore also had spells in place that kept her clean, no doubt so that she was always ready to serve her master in whatever intimate manner she required.
Quietly, Tauriel left the chambers, she returned several minutes later with food, and drink. Once done, she approached the slumbering Dark Lady, and knelt by her bedside. Reaching out, she gently traced Lilith's naked shoulder. While the touch was as gentle as could be, Lilith still began to stir. Slowly, her eyes peeled open, and met with Tauriel's. Lilith let out a gentle sigh and reached out, her fingers tracing Tauriel's cheek and than her jawline.
"You know, you are quite the pleasant sight to wake up to in the morning." Lilith noted.
"Thank you, master. I brought you food." Tauriel responded, causing Lilith to blink and slowly pull herself up.
Tauriel's eyes fell as Lilith sat up in bed. She didn't want her master to catch her ogling her naked body.
Lilith was absolutely radiant and Tauriel had trouble with tearing her eyes off of her, even when she was fully clothed. She didn't know why, most others didn't seem to have such a problem. Of course people stared at the Dark Lady, she was beautiful after all, but for Tauriel it was so much harder. It was almost like everything about Lilith triggered a response in Tauriel's body. All it took was staring for too long, and she'd feel her heart-rate quicken. Stare for even longer and a warmth would begin to spread between her legs, as her arousal grew.
It wasn't something she understood as she had never looked at a woman like that before. Of course Tauriel knew that Lilith was not a woman, but she appeared as one, so that logic still applied. The Dark Lord, for all his charm, charisma, and beauty, did not do the things to her, that Lilith did.
Was she falling under the Dark Lady's thralldom? Was she one day going to be nothing more than a slave to her will, with no thoughts other than her master's pleasure? Such an idea terrified her, and yet each day, she felt herself asking if it were true.
Lilith rose and strode across the room, taking a gaze at the selection offered for a morning meal. She could feel Tauriel's eyes dance from her naked body to the ground and then back again, as she struggled against the effects of Lilith's allure.
A cruel smirk spread across Lilith's face as she selected some grapes to eat and began to pick at them, eating them as she strolled back over to the bed.
"Eat, my dearest mól." Lilith invited, earning a nod of compliance from Tauriel. "You'll need your strength."
Her added words caused Tauriel to pale slightly, but she did as commanded.
Soon afterwards, Lilith dressed and the two departed. The two passed down through the main keep, moving by the main hall. Within, preparations were already being made for the beginnings of court.
Lilith took little interest in the goings-on, she was far more interested in her own personal agenda for the day. She passed down into the mountain, Tauriel shadowing her steps the entire way. They came to a forge, freshly built, near to the exterior of the mountain. Within were several men and orcs, busily working away.
"My Lady!" One of the orcs addressed Lilith the moment he spotted her. The others heard him, turned, and the moment they caught sight of Lilith, they bowed.
"I've come for my project, is it done?" Lilith inquired.
The orc offered a heavy nod and moved over to a corner of the forge. He addressed an individual who was quietly scanning several designs, outlines for various weapons. The orc informed him of Lilith's presence, causing him to turn and glance back at her. Seeing that she was indeed there, he went to a case nearby and removed something.
"My Lady, I've completed your request, just as you asked for it." The man offered as he approached her, dropping to a knee as he did, and offering her an object.
Lilith examined his offering with a critical eye. For several long moments, she was silent before reaching out to retrieve it, taking the object in her hands.
"Well done. Excellent work. I'll know who to return to if I have any other metal working needs." Lilith offered praise.
"I'm honored my lady. The lads and I slaved night and day to get it just how you wanted." The forge-master replied.
"My thanks." Lilith offered, turning away from the man and exiting the forge, Tauriel following just behind her.
Lilith ran her eyes over the object in her hands as she walked. In her grasp, she held a black Valyrian Steel crown. Lilith intended the crown for her beloved Aegon. It was of intricate and powerful design. Forged by a blacksmith that was descended from a long line of smiths who had been raised from slavery from Old Valyria. This man, and his forefathers had been taught how to mold and craft Valyrian Steel, how to weave spells into the metal working, and he was one of the finest smiths they had, only surpassed by one other, the man's own son.
The crown was not yet finished though. It was a blackened band of dark metal, and at the forefront of the crown seven sections rose up taking the image of flame. These sections started small, and then increased in height as they moved towards the center, with the center-most flame standing the tallest. Along the black metal band was two golden strips on either side, and upon the flames backdrops, were inlets for jewels to be set. Lilith now intended to bring the crown to a jeweler to have red and orange gemstones inlaid onto the flames to give the crown the appearance of a burning fire.
Lilith then took the crown down to Lannisport, after retrieving the necessary jewels from the Lannister vaults, and brought it to the city's most renowned jeweler.
The man was more than eager to get to work, once he saw who his customer was and what he'd be making for them. The chance for it to be his work that the new king wore for his crown, that was a chance a person didn't get often.
With that done, they passed through the harbor to admire the towering ships that were being built at record speeds. Afterwards, they were returning to Casterly Rock when they took note of the Hound's troop appearing along the road.
"Oh, this ought to be interesting." Lilith mused as she guided Tauriel back up to the Main Hall, where she took her place next to Aegon who was in the midst of court. She whispered into his ear as she sat, informing him of Sandor Clegane's return.
Aegon nodded at her words, and a few minutes later, the doors to the hall opened and in came two dozen blood soaked orcs and men, led by the Hound. By his side was a troll, who held Gregor Clegane by the arms and was pushing him forward.
Noise rose up in the room as people spotted the Mountain that Rides, beaten and bloodied. Lilith raised an eyebrow at the sight of the man, he truly was a giant. Definitely lived up to his reputation, but in the end, no man, no matter how large, could overpower an Oleg-Hai.
They came to a halt at the front of the chamber, as jeers and curses spilled out from the mouths of nearly everyone in the room.
The Mountain was thrown to the floor and the Oleg placed it's foot upon his back, keeping him pinned to the ground.
Gregor Clegane offered very little in the way of struggle, his breathing was heavy, he was doused with sweat and blood, and his face was heavily burned on either side.
"Sandor Clegane… welcome back." Aegon greeted as he rose to his feet.
"I brought a gift." Sandor responded, gesturing to Gregor.
"Indeed. I'm surprised that he yet lives. Given your history, I would have thought he'd be returned in pieces." Aegon noted.
"Aye, that had been my intention when I left. However, once we rooted him out, and I put his face to the torch, everything else I could think of, felt too quick for him. So I brought him here, hopeful that you'll come up with some ideas to drag out his end longer than I can." Sandor explained, earning a nod of understanding from Aegon.
"Sometimes we're too close to the source of our vengeance. We wish them to suffer, but our wrath is too great. Too consuming in it's intensity, to give the target of our pain the punishment they deserve." Lilith offered with a smirk.
Aegon nodded in agreement to that and began to move down from the high table. He was joined by several others, like Robb, Edmure, and the Blackfish, while even more stepped out of the crowd to offer their aid in dealing with him.
"Gregor Clegane… Do you know who I am?" Aegon questioned as he stepped in front of the downed man.
The Mountain did not reply. He merely let out a growl.
"Get him up." Robb commanded after a moment of silence.
The troll did as commanded, removing his foot from The Mountain's back, and grabbing him by the arms, hoisting him to his feet.
Close up, Aegon was able to get a good look at The Hound's retribution towards his brother. Both sides of Gregor's face were heavily burned, bone was visible near the corners of his brow. Blackened skin stretched from the top of his head, down to his jaw, leaving only a ragged strip of unburned flesh running down the middle of the man's face. Gregor Clegane's ears were blackened like coals, though his eyes were left relatively unscathed.
The skin of his cheeks seemed barely able to hang onto the bone, the burns were so severe. It was very likely that the man was near delirious from the pain.
"Lilith, my lady, I have a request for you." Aegon asked, turning his gaze back to the high table. Lilith stared down at him, raising an eyebrow as she did.
"His injuries…" Aegon gestured to the man's face. "I want him lucid enough to feel what comes next."
Lilith grinned devilishly at that and rose to her feet. She drifted down from the high table, passing in front of the giant of a man. She gave his injuries a once over, and than passed her hand over his face. Quickly, before the eyes of all, the blackened skin fell free, and in it's place, raw pink skin quickly took it's place. It happened within moments, and the Mountain let out a grunt of pain as feeling returned to much of his face, and the oversensitive, raw skin, felt like it was burning, when exposed to the open air.
"Good enough?" Lilith inquired.
"Yes. I just want him to be conscious enough to understand me." Aegon thanked her as she stepped to the side.
"Do you know who I am, Gregor Clegane?" Aegon asked again, as the Mountain's eyes focused onto him and seemed now to be able to clearly hear what Aegon was saying.
"I am Aegon Targaryen. Son of Rhaegar Targaryen, and Lyanna Stark. My father's son… you butchered my baby brother… raped and murdered his mother." Aegon stated, his voice cold, and his gaze piercing.
The Mountain's lips curled in disgust, as he leveled a hateful glare at Aegon.
"You are a monster of the highest order. A hellish fiend, that deserves no protection or mercy by the laws of the living. Your fate, is suffering. Your death will not come quickly, that I promise you." Aegon stated as he turned, took a few steps back, before turning back to face the Mountain again.
"Release him." Aegon ordered.
The troll did just that, and the moment he did, the Mountain attempted to advance. With a wave of the hand, and a single word, the Mountain fell to the ground, screaming in pure agony.
"Crucio!" Aegon snarled with a frightening intensity to his eyes. He held out his hand and slowly approached the man, as Gregor Clegane thrashed and screamed.
Those within the room watched, none truly knew what Aegon was doing, but most were more interested in taking in The Mountain's suffering. The man was a monster, a terror on the lands of Westeros. Aegon had been right when he said that no laws of the living would protect him now. People despised the Mountain, and were happy to see him suffer. No one turned away from his thrashing body, no one uttered a single word in his defense.
Aegon released the spell and began to circle the downed man who was gasping for air and shaking. The sight of the titan brought so low was a scene that no one could tear their eyes away from.
Aegon stared down at him for several long moments before raising his gaze towards the surrounding lords.
"The Cruciatus Curse, born of foul dark magics. It's said that the feeling of the curse is like ten thousand burning hot blades, raking across the inside of one's flesh. It is a pain unlike any other, said to draw men to madness." Aegon spoke to the crowd as he turned his eyes back down towards the Mountain.
"Well do it again, let's hear him scream some more!" Greatjon Umber roared, earning a cheer of agreement from a dozen lords and as many orc and uruk warchiefs.
"Ah, but we wouldn't want him to escape into the realms of lunacy. I'd rather he stay here, with us." Aegon responded as he turned his eyes back towards Lilith.
"My Lady… you and your servants have an eye for cruelty, perhaps you know of some ways for us to keep the Mountain around long enough to endure proper justice." Aegon addressed her, earning a cruel smile from the Dark Lady in return.
Lilith let out a chuckle as she turned to a nearby orc, she gave it a once over before speaking. "Your knife." She demanded. The creature quickly complied, drawing the blade and presenting it to her with a bowed head.
Lilith took the blade and examined it. A short, curved, dagger of iron. Jagged and sharp, with a serrated edge to it. With a smile, Lilith held the blade before her and began to whisper twisted incantations. Those in the room watched as they felt a cold chill sweep past them. An aura of dread filled the room, as twisted curses danced off of Lilith's lips and into the blade. Several moments of this passed before she finished with the final spell and turned towards Aegon.
She approached him and offered him the knife.
He took it, without hesitation and turned towards the Mountain.
"Hold him up." He commanded the nearby Oleg.
The Mountain was pulled to his feet, his head hanging limply as his body continued shaking from the effects of the Torture Curse.
Aegon approached the man and drove the blade in between his ribs, earning a shout of pain. Aegon held the knife in place for several long moments before pulling it free. Once he did, he eyed the wound and watched as it closed in mere moments. A cruel smile spread across his lips as he turned to the surrounding lords.
"My dearest Lilith has offered us a tool of justice this day. This knife, will heal every wound it inflicts. Every cut, every stab, every piece removed. The Mountain will have difficulties dying from this weapon. With such a tool, we can take our time, and ensure that he experiences justice for every person he's wronged." Whispers rose up from the crowd, and with one look, Aegon could see the fires of retribution ignite in dozens of eyes.
"Strip him." Aegon commanded, and a half dozen orcs quickly surrounded The Mountain and cut his armor and clothes free, leaving him naked in moments.
He then turned his attention towards Sandor Clegane and offered him the knife. "Would you like to begin?"
Sandor stared for a moment before approaching and taking the blade. It felt cold in his hand, and he paused for a moment to run his eyes along it. He then took the blade and dragged it across his brother's pectorals, cutting from one side to the other, watching as the cut healed mere moments after the blade made it's pass. It was so quick that barely a trickle of blood could escape before the wound had vanished.
A wicked cruelty descended onto the Hound's face as he drove the blade deeper into the flesh of his brother's breast, cutting hard until he felt bone. Gregor screamed and frothed, as a strip of flesh was peeled back, only for it to begin to heal mere moments later.
Cheers of hellish delight spread through the crowd of onlookers, shouts of cuts to make or pieces to take, rose up as Sandor continued to cut and slice at his brother.
For nearly ten minutes this went on before the Hound had his fill. Blood had drenched the Mountain's body, as pieces of flesh littered the floor. The knife was returned to Aegon who, in turn, presented it to Edmure Tully.
"For the Riverlands that he burned, for your people that he butchered, I ask that you deliver this man the justice he deserves." Aegon commanded.
Words of encouragement came from the crowd, men shouting for cuts to make, pieces to take. Edmure took in a deep breath before taking the knife and approaching The Mountain. He summoned up his full hatred for the monster, knelt before him and drove the knife hard into his chest.
He quickly ripped the blade free and drove it in again, and then again. Bloodthirsty cries rose up from the surrounding lords and soldiers.
Each stab dug deep, and earned a cry of pain from the man, and each wound healed over in a matter of seconds. Seventeen times, Edmure drove the knife into the Mountain's body, each time envisioning his country burning at the Mountain's hands.
He pulled back after the seventeenth stab and ran his eyes over the Mountain's bloody form.
He turned and presented the knife for Aegon to take.
He did so, and gazed around at the surrounding lords and soldiers.
"This man has committed countless crimes. He has raped, pillaged, burned, and murdered countless innocents. No punishment will ever be great enough for this beast, no pain ever fulfilling justice. His suffering will not undo his crimes, and yet suffer he will. Here now I say to you all, five hundred blows he will receive. Five hundred cuts with this blade. His end comes soon, but before then, he will be made to suffer by our hands. In the names of all those who have been tormented by this monster, let him feel their pain, echoed through our fury!" Aegon declared, earning a righteous and bloodthirsty cry of anger from those around him.
He turned his gaze to the nearest orc and tossed him the knife.
"Get us started and pass it around. Five hundred cuts. Count them off, make certain we do not miss any." Aegon commanded, howls of glee filling the room as the Mountain's torment continued.
Aegon stepped away from the torture, passing Robb and Aemon, both of whom moved with him, away from the torture.
"A harsh punishment…" Aemon noted, watching Aegon closely. The moment he had turned away from the carnage, the glee in Aegon's eyes, the bloodlust, seemingly vanished.
"The Mountain is a nightmare for countless people. When the smallfolk whisper the name, Gregor Clegane, their thoughts are filled with terror. The man is a monster, and his reputation spreads fear and unrest. I would see such a reputation torn down. I would see the Mountain dragged down from the heights that Tywin Lannister pulled him up to. Come the morning, when people speak of the Mountain, they'll speak of how he screamed, and how, in the end… he begged for death. This is as much a political move to strike at the Lannister's power base, as it is an act of justice. In a few days, I'll be leaving to Bitterbridge to meet with the Tyrells, when I do, I'll take the Mountain with me, and he'll be put to death, in a manner fitting a monster like him." Aegon explained to the two, earning a thoughtful look from Robb as he contemplated Aegon's actions, while Aemon nodded in understanding. He was relieved to see that Aegon wasn't reveling in the torture, nor did he show any signs of being unhinged. He was calm, focused, an analytical quality to his gaze.
"With the Mountain dealt with, the last of Tywin's support in the Westerlands has been dealt with. If things go well with the Tyrells, we can focus on bringing Dorne into the fold. When they hear about what happened to the Mountain, and when word of his death spreads, they'll no doubt be willing to speak with us." Robb surmised.
"Yes. An added benefit." Aegon agreed, pulling at his collar. From within his shirt, Euryale rose up, trailing along his fingers and then slithering around his wrist and into his sleeve.
He admired the serpent with a curious gaze for a moment before glancing back at the scene of torture. He ran a critical eye over the situation before turning away motioning for Robb and Aemon to follow him. He had better things to do than listen to the Mountain scream. The man would meet his gruesome end very soon, and Aegon would have his fill of vengeance for the loss of such valuable family members, but for now he could wait.
Lilith's eyes followed after Aegon as he departed the hall, a charming smile touched at her lips as she admired his cruelty and cunning. After several moments she turned away, stepping past an orc warchief who was cheering on Ramsay Bolton as the young man peeled a strip of flesh from the Mountain's chest.
"Make certain they don't go overboard. He isn't allowed to retreat into the realms of madness." Lilith commanded to the warchief as she passed him.
"Yes, my Queen!" The orc bellowed after her.
Lilith strolled out of the chamber, followed closely by Tauriel who was eager to escape the gruesome sight.
As they exited, they came across Sansa who was heading towards the Great Hall, no doubt curious to see what all of the shouting and cheering was about.
"Sansa. Hello." Lilith greeted her with a smile, earning one in return.
"My lady." Sansa offered in response.
"Come Sansa, let's take a walk." Lilith said to her as took Sansa's arm, and the two strolled away from the jeering soldiers and their victim.
The two walked out to the walls of the castle overlooking the sea. It was already starting to get on into the afternoon, and was a relatively beautiful day. The two spoke about nothing in particular, merely chatting. The whole time, Lilith subtly worked her charm on the young werewolf, teasing her with her allure, enticing looks, and gentle blushes from Sansa as she tried not to stare.
Tauriel passively observed the Dark Lady's seduction. She'd seen it several times already as the two lords of darkness worked this young woman in ways that were honestly very disturbing for the elven huntress, despite not knowing exactly what they planned for the girl.
The way the Dark Lady would tease her, whisper to her, or even occasionally engage the girl physically, Tauriel could tell that she was twisting the girl's mind. Making Sansa into some sort of puppet through her manipulations. The Dark Lord was much the same, though far more direct with his seductions. It pulled at Tauriel's heartstrings because she could clearly tell that Sansa was an innocent young girl, and she'd no doubt been turned into a beast against her will, or at least without her consent, and now the two lords of all darkness were twisting her into a loyal concubine.
The thought was sickening, and yet, Tauriel could do nothing but bare it, and hope she did not see the girl in their bed at the end of the day. It troubled her greatly to imagine the day when she'd be commanded to lay with Sansa, to the amusement and perverse pleasure of her dark master.
Any thought of warning Sansa or speaking out was always met by a powerful stinging pain to the throat. A pain that somehow never became manageable, no matter how much Tauriel tested it.
She watched as Lilith placed a hand on Sansa's shoulder, and leaned in close, whispering something to the redhead, causing Sansa's eyes to widen and a pretty smile to dance across her face as she blushed.
Lilith stayed very close to her for a moment, whispering things that Tauriel simply could not hear.
More whispering and Tauriel caught sight of Lilith pointing towards her as she spoke softly to Sansa. The young woman glanced for the briefest of moments before her eyes flitted away, and she blushed deeply.
"I'm telling you Sansa, he wants you, he wants to feel the warmth of your thighs around his waist, he wants to feel your naked body against his. You needn't be afraid…" Lilith's sensual utterings passed forth from her lips that were mere centimeters from Sansa's ear. The warmth of Lilith's breath, brushed at her cheek, and caused the young werewolf to grip at the fabric of her dress and bite her lip to fight off the urge to turn and catch the Dark Lady in a kiss.
Lilith smirked a predatory grin, as she caught that desire flitting across the werewolf's mind. The way that Sansa would dance with the idea of initiating in affectionate gestures with Lilith, was a strong sign that she was falling under the Dark Lady's influence. With a combination of Allure, lust, temptation, and a general sense of affection, Lilith was slowly winning over Sansa's desires. Every move was tactical, designed to manipulate her mind, and pull her in the direction that Lilith wanted for her.
Sansa was an important key to controlling Westeros. Through her, they would have powerful ties to the North, the Riverlands, and the Vale of Arryn, having those ties would secure the loyalty of those kingdoms, meaning it was valuable to have her by their side. It didn't hurt that she was a pretty thing, and would no doubt end up being fun in bed, when she finally worked through her timid nature.
Lilith continued to spend time with Sansa until late afternoon rolled around. At around that time Lilith left Sansa's company and wandered the castle, arriving at the spot where a Weirwood tree once stood. Now only a stump remained, overlooking the sea. Lilith stared down at the remains of the ancient tree. As she stared, she felt a familiar call, an echo, passing out from an incredible distance.
Slowly, she approached the stump and placed her hand upon it. Much like how she could on the Wall, Lilith could once more hear the faint echo of something calling out to her. Whispers that were unintelligible, coming from so far away, it may as well have been from another world.
So preoccupied by other matters, Lilith had never taken the time to investigate this presence. Taking a moment, Lilith pressed her will into the tree stump, finding it's ties to the Weirwood trees, to still be present, but it was almost like this tree had lost power to it. Like it had been cut off. It felt cold, and empty, lifeless even, yet the connection remained.
As Lilith pressed her mind into the connection between the Weirwood, as she had done so long ago when searching for Sauron, she felt a presence. The instant she noticed it, the presence retreated, vanishing into the vast network of interconnected trees. Whatever it was, it could obviously feel her as well.
"What in the world was that?" Lilith wondered as she continued to search through the connections. She continued this for several hours, but found nothing of further interest, and resolved to try again some other time.
After sunset, Lilith set out to try once more to call upon a beast of the ocean. She had some men row her out a bit from the shore, where she proceeded to sacrifice another body to the sea.
With days of no luck, Lilith knew that it was only a matter of time before she finally get a hit.
As she had predicted, the time finally came. The corpse she had fed to into the water, was seized by the tentacles of a giant squid. The squid pulled the body in, and began to consume it, drawn to the area by the blood, and Lilith's dark magic.
As soon as she felt the beast approach, Lilith rose to her feet and stepped off the boat. To the amazement of the men who had rowed her out there, and had done so several nights before, she was now standing on the water's surface.
"Finally. I was growing impatient but you finally came." Lilith thought to herself as she drew her wand and pointed it at the water.
For several moments, silence hung in the air, than suddenly, the water began to bulge and rise.
Seconds passed and a large orb of water rose from the ocean, contained within the orb, was a large squid. The beast was nearly fifteen meters long, and most importantly, female.
Lilith let out a chuckle and began walking on the water, back towards Casterly Rock, the orb of water, containing the squid like a cage.
As she made her way back to the castle, a predatory grin spread across her face. With Aegon's fleet, and her new pet, the seas would be theirs. Very soon, they would hold dominion over land, air, and sea.
An hour and a half later, Aegon entered into the cavern beneath Casterly Rock, and made his way to where Lilith had constructed her alcove. The Dark Lord could feel the torrents of twisted magic that his lover was calling upon, which led him to suspect she had been successful in capturing a beast of the sea, now he needed to see what she was going to do with it.
He arrived to find her sitting cross legged, before a pool of boiling water. Her arms were outstretched and from her palms, wisps of magic flowed through the air and into the pool. Lilith's voice, along with a low moan emanating from the poll, were the only sounds that filled the area. The water before her had turned foul and black as it boiled and frothed.
Aegon turned his gaze towards the water, his sight piercing into it's churning depths. There, within the darkness, something moved, and writhed beneath the surface.
"It seems you were successful in your hunt." Aegon noted, turning his sight back to Lilith.
"Indeed I was. And now, I will use my captured prey to spawn a beast of terrible power." Lilith responded, her fiery gaze locked onto the bubbling pool.
"Oh? And what sort of beast would that be?" Aegon inquired with a smirk.
"These people believe they know what a kraken is. I will show them just how grievous an error they've made." Lilith replied with a devilish snarl.
"The Kraken, a beast of legend. Oh my wondrous Lilith, will you never cease to amaze…" Aegon hummed as he turned his gaze back towards the boiling pool.
"From this captured squid, I will birth a new beast of the sea, one of ancient and foul power. With this leviathan and your fleet, we will be unstoppable on the ocean." Lilith stated aloud.
"That we will." Aegon agreed, turning his gaze back to her, and offering her a nod of approval. He then turned and headed away, leaving her to her concentration.
Waiting outside the chamber was Tauriel, who had thankfully been left out of her master's current affairs.
"Lilith will have no need of you this night Tauriel, you may retire to your room." Aegon spoke to her as he passed by, earning a slow and cautious nod from the elf, this being the first night she had been left free to sleep in her own bed, away from the lust of her master, and her master's lover.
Bewildered and deeply troubled by what was happening within the chamber, Tauriel quickly departed. Lilith remained out of sight for the remainder of the night, and the next day, as well as the day after that. For nearly three full days, Lilith performed her spells, and called upon ancient and twisted magics to shape her newest servant.
Come the third day, Aegon returned to examine Lilith's work. The boiling waters had calmed by this point, and the water had turned to a murky, cloudy blue. Within the pool, a large, malformed creature floated, unmoving.
"Success?" Aegon inquired, turning his gaze over to Lilith, who laid beside the pool, one of her arms hanging in the water.
"We shall see. My little beasties grow within their mother's body, feeding on her like parasites. Within a few weeks, their eggs will hatch and they will feed on her flesh, and eventually each other. Only one will survive the trial of birth, and that beast I will claim as my familiar." Lilith responded, her gaze locked onto the malignant, almost tumorous body of the giant squid she had captured. It had been warped and defiled by dark magics, and could almost barely be recognized as a squid any longer.
"The Iron Titan has reported in, two armies carrying the Tyrell banner, march on Bitterbridge from both sides. It'll only be a day or two before they arrive." Aegon informed her.
"Good. I will accompany you on you meeting with the Tyrells. I wish to see them for myself, and gauge their value. You'll leave one of the Nazgûl to watch over my project for me while I'm away." Lilith instructed as she sat up, and gazed over at him.
"As you wish. The four from Middle-Earth have finally arrived with their Fellbeasts. The Nine are now fully reunited." Aegon informed her.
"Good. How shall we travel to Bitterbridge?" Lilith inquired, her gaze returning to the pool.
"Portkey. Dragons would be fine, but I don't wish to risk Tywin's agents getting a good look at our dragons before we're ready to assault King's Landing. So long as he doesn't have accurate information on them, methods to counter them will be difficult to come by." Aegon answered her.
"Your logic is sound baby brother. Let me know when we're ready to leave, I'll be here until then." Lilith said to him as she set her legs in the water, and began muttering spells.
Aegon gave her a good once over before smirking, and turning to head out. She was definitely invested in this project of hers, her attention was almost completely taken up by it. Lilith had always enjoyed breeding beasts, and with her intention to take on a new familiar, it was obvious that she was going to plan down to the last detail.
The Kraken would mark the second of her familiars, and if it was even half as terrifying as Midir was, than it would prove to be a formidable ally.
Another day and a half passed, before Aegon had received word that the Tyrell forces had arrived at Bitterbridge. He had a prepared a portkey, and gathered up several people to take with him to the bridge to meet with the Tyrells. Robb, Edmure, Lilith, The Hound, The Witch King, and the Mountain, would be coming with him, the latter of which, along with the Hound were going for a very specific reason. A show of frightening wrath.
"Is this going to hurt?" Edmure inquired, as they all gathered around a spear that Aegon had enchanted and turned into a port-key.
"Not at all. Just don't let go until you feel the ground touch your feet. Otherwise you'll die." Lilith responded with a teasing smile, earning unease from most of those gathered.
"I don't see why I have to be here…" The Hound muttered with a nervous edge to his voice.
"You wish to see your brother die, correct?" Aegon asked, earning a hard nod from Sandor in response, "That's why."
"Good luck to you all. We'll be awaiting your return." Benjen offered, alongside the Blackfish and Maester Aemon.
"Be back in a flash." Aegon responded with a smile as he took the spear and held it out between them.
"Just grab hold of the spear, and as I said, do not let go. This is teleportation magic, that will take us to Bitterbridge in mere moments. Anyone have any questions? No? Alright then." Lilith instructed before turning her gaze to the Mountain who was on his knees, naked, and in chains. She reached out and placed a hand on the giant's shoulder before using the other to grab the spear.
Once everyone was touching it, Aegon spoke the activation phrase.
A chorus of screams accompanied their arrival at the orc encampment at Bitterbridge. Robb, Edmure, and Sandor all released the spear and backed away, cursing and yelling, glancing around in disbelief.
Aegon and Lilith both laughed at them, earning scowls from the three men in response to their snickering.
The Witch King remained silent and instead moved through the camp towards where the Iron Titan stood. At the approach of the master of the Nine, the Iron Titan dropped to a knee, his soldiers following in his actions.
"You alright there, Stark?" Aegon asked his brother with a wolfish grin.
"That was unnerving." Robb muttered, embarrassed by his frightful outburst.
"Fuck me, but it worked. We're here. Looks like the same time of day too." Edmure noted, glancing around.
"Amazing magics at work." Lilith hummed as she strolled past the Mountain and made her way towards the Witch King and the Iron Titan.
Aegon continued staring at Robb for a moment, allowing Robb to feel his judging eyes on him for just long enough to ingrain it into his mind that Aegon was never going to let the sound of Robb's cries of fright, leave his mind, and he would forever torment him with it.
Once that was done, he motioned for two nearby uruks to grab the Mountain and he went to join Lilith.
"Have the Tyrells sent an emissary yet?" Lilith asked as they approached the two wraiths.
The Iron Titan nodded it's head, and pointed to a nearby hill, where tents could be seen, flying Aegon's flag.
"You've already established a meeting ground? Good. Send out a rider and inform the Tyrell commander that we'll meet with them there." Aegon commanded, earning another nod.
"Ready to go and see if we have the Reach?" Lilith inquired.
"Yes, let's." Aegon responded, offering her his arm.
He escorted her over to where horses had been gathered and helped her mount hers, before doing the same.
"Such a gentleman." Lilith hummed, earning a smirk from Aegon as their companions joined them on horseback, the Mountain being dragged along by rope tied to the back of a warg.
Aegon and Lilith led a procession up the hill to the meeting ground, which consisted of a few scant tents, with basic furnishings within to allow for a comfortable meeting place.
The Iron Titan remained behind, with orders to prepare an attack on the Tyrell forces, if any attempts were made from the Tyrell army to push on towards their encampment. So far, both Tyrell forces remained in a leisurely stance, and hadn't taken formation, and had instead established camps on either side of Bitterbridge. Neither had set out to set up siege lines, or prepare defenses to try and block in their forces, so it seemed like the Tyrells had been true to their word, though time would surely tell.
Once at the tents, the group settled in, and waited.
Down at the Tyrell camp, a messenger arrived with word from Aegon's army.
"My Lord! Word from the Targaryen force. Their king has arrived and is awaiting you on the hill. You are to arrive with all participants, and a troop of no more than thirty guards, to be matched by thirty of his own." The messenger informed Mace Tyrell.
"Well, it would seem the Dragon King is ready to play politics." Noted Garlan Tyrell.
"Yes, it would seem so." Olenna Tyrell agreed, as her son turned to her.
"Well we shan't keep him waiting then. We must go and present ourselves, and hope for the best. Let Prince Oberyn know, and ask if he'll join us." Mace commanded one of his men.
"Are you sure it's wise for all of us to go there together? What if things turn out poorly?" Loras asked.
"We have to appear unified Loras. If we do not show our full support and trust in our new king, than we may lose the opportunity to make a good first impression. You know what they say about first impressions, you only get to make them once." Margaery noted, earning a conceding nod from her youngest older brother.
"Let us not waste any more time. We've made our choice, made our gamble, now let's see where the chips fall." Olenna stated as she rose to her feet.
The Tyrells were soon joined by Prince Oberyn and his paramour, both of whom the Tyrells had offered the chance to escape King's Landing with them, in the hopes that it would both endear the Tyrells and Martells with one another, but also to provide the opportunity for Aegon to meet with the Martells. It was the hope of the Tyrells, that this would further raise them in the eyes of Dragonwolf.
Their troop road up the nearby hill to where the meeting tent had been set up, and they got a good long look at Aegon's soldiers along the way. Not just more orcs, but several Uruks, as well as a single Oleg-Hai.
"The stories were true, he does have giants in his army." Margaery noted to Garlan, earning a cautious nod from him.
"You've come to speak with King Aegon?" Came the barking growl of a towering Uruk.
"Yes, we are here to meet with him." Mace Tyrell replied, though his tone came out a bit less steady than he had intended. The Uruk that had spoken, had teeth that were nearly an inch long, skin that was a dark purple in color, and he stood nearly seven feet tall. An intimidating presence to say the least.
"Aye, he awaits you in here, follow me." The uruk instructed.
The Tyrells fell in line behind the Uruk and entered into the large open tent. There, Aegon awaited them, his eyes falling to them as soon as they entered, a hard and critical gaze that unnerved many.
By his side, Lilith stood, watching them enter with a curious gaze.
"Welcome, Lord Tyrell. I am King Aegon, of Houses Targaryen and Stark. By my side is Lady Lilith, Queen of the Far North. Robb Stark, Lord of Winterfell, and Edmure Tully, Lord of Riverrun." Aegon welcomed them after they finished arriving, introducing his fellow lords to the Tyrell host.
"Your grace." Mace Tyrell offered, courteously.
"Your mother asked for this meeting, Lord Tyrell, speak of your intentions." Aegon commanded, his gaze locked on the man.
"Your Grace, with recent news of your survival, house Tyrell has chosen to hold true to it's original oaths to house Targaryen. We owe your house much, and would gladly return to your service." Mace began, appearing well-meaning, but it was a schooled and rehearsed response. Aegon could clearly tell.
"Word had reached our ears that your house had consigned itself to unity with the Lannisters through marriage. Are such ties so easily broken?" Robb asked, his gaze hard, as he eyed the southerners with suspicion.
"A marriage that was never officiated, and our alliance with the Lannisters was merely a political maneuver, it had nothing to do with oaths or things of the like. House Targaryen was extinct as far as anyone knew, so we had to find our own way to survive. The moment we heard of your existence, we began planning for how we could best serve and hold true to our oaths." Mace responded, trying very hard to sound genuine, but he was getting to the point where it sounded like he was laying it on a bit to thick.
At the very least, the women in his family could sense this as well, as both Olenna, and Margaery seemed to be fighting the urge to cringe.
Aegon stared for a moment before shaking his head and letting out a sigh.
"Let's skip the pleasantries shall we? You needn't flatter yourselves, or me. You made a move that was politically beneficial to your house, marrying into house Lannister, forging ties to the royal Baratheon line. You did what was best for you, and had Tywin any chance of winning this war and keeping his head, you'd still be with him. You came to me, in the hopes that I wouldn't set your country on fire, and set your castle to the torch. That I wouldn't do to your eldest son and heir, what I did to Walder Frey. You stand here before me, scared of what I'm planning on doing to the Reach, so why don't we just make things clear, shall we. We needn't lie to one another, we needn't fool around and play with the issues. I hold no ill-will towards House Tyrell, they haven't wronged me in any way that I can think of. With that in mind, you are standing between me and my birthright. If this meeting does not end satisfactory, my next campaign will be into the Reach, and I will set it to the torch, just as I've done to the Westerlands. You're here to save yourselves, I'm here to give you the chance to. So let's skip the bullshit, and the false flattery and pretenses of loyalty. Your loyalty to my house, died with my father and the Mad King, if it hadn't you'd have been fighting for a way to support my aunt and uncle in Essos. So… now that we've established where we stand with one another, let's get to why we're both here. The Reach will bend the knee and serve me, there will be no disputes. That is my goal, and you know what I plan to do, to see it reached, so let us work from there… shall we." Aegon addressed them in a cold and cool tone. His gaze was hard, and piercing, his tone calm, yet each word carried with authority.
Mace Tyrell was thrown off balance by Aegon's challenge, and obviously hadn't rehearsed where to go from here.
"Who are you?" Lilith inquired, breaking the silence. Her question was directed towards Prince Oberyn and his paramour, both of whom stood out, amongst the Tyrell host.
"I, my lady? I am Prince Oberyn Martell." Oberyn replied, earning a curious look from Aegon, who pulled his gaze from Mace and turned towards the younger brother to the ruler of Dorne.
"Forgive me Prince Oberyn, but what are you doing here?" Aegon asked.
"The Tyrells offered me a way out the cesspool that is King's Landing, without drawing the Lannisters' attention. I had no intention of becoming a hostage, or a casualty when your army came, so my paramour and I accepted their offer. They asked that I come here today, perhaps hoping to be the ones to introduce us." Prince Oberyn explained, offering a charming smile.
"Well this is unexpected, but much appreciated. It makes my display far more impactful." Aegon stated, a dark smirk touching at his lips.
"And what display would that be?" Oberyn inquired curiously.
"Your sister's killer. The Mountain that Rides, Gregor Clegane, I have him here, and here is where he will die." Aegon stated, turning his gaze to a side entrance of the tent. He began walking towards it, motioning for Prince Oberyn to follow.
Though his actions were directed towards the prince, everyone followed Aegon out of the tent, where two towering posts had been hammered into the ground. From the tops of both posts, ropes ran through metal rings. These ropes stretched all the way down to to the ground, one end laying outstretched, while the other end was tied to one of the Mountain's arms.
The man in question was laid, face down in the mud, barely moving. Ropes from the posts, tied deeply into his wrists, almost to the point of cutting off circulation.
"It's truly him…" Loras muttered upon seeing the brute.
"I had prepared him as a display of my resolve for the Tyrells and their army, and Tywin's spies who are no doubt among your forces, however, with you here Prince Oberyn, I believe it's message will be more well received." Aegon expressed as he approached the downed man, Prince Oberyn trailing not far behind, his eyes alight with fury as he stared down at his sister's killer.
With a wave of his hand, and unseen magic, Aegon released the Mountain from the spells that kept him passive. He let out a long groan of pain and exhaustion, as four uruks approached him, and each grabbed hold of a limb.
"What is it you plan on doing to him?" Prince Oberyn asked, his eyes never leaving the Mountain.
Aegon was quiet for a moment before turning his gaze towards Prince Oberyn. "He murdered my brother, and raped and murdered my brother's mother. He has suffered every day since coming into my possession, and today, his suffering will result in his end. I've kept him alive for this moment, and I had intended to send his parts to you and your brother, but I believe the tale of his end, will serve as a far greater catharsis, than just a few dead parts."
"Yes, I would very much like to see his end, hear his screams…" Oberyn responded with hate boiling in his eyes, his paramour stood behind him, a hand placed gently on his arm, but she did not seek to hold him back, nor comfort him, instead she seemed only to want to project her presence, and remind him that she was there, letting him know, so that he could choose to turn to her, if needed.
"Lord Tyrell… I apologize for interrupting our meeting, but I feel the sudden need to see to vengeance, if you wish not to be part of these gruesome proceedings, I will understand, but know that we shall continue our discussion upon the conclusion of his execution." Aegon expressed to Mace, who offered a slow nod and glanced at his children, most notably Margaery, whom he didn't want to have to bare witness to whatever bloodshed was going to occur.
"My dear…" Olenna quietly whispered to Margaery, though she kept her gaze on Aegon as he headed towards the Mountain.
"I wont turn away, grandmother. She isn't." Margaery replied, her gaze cool, and focused.
Olenna's eyes flickered from Aegon to the only other woman present besides Oberyn's paramour, Lilith, who stood prominently from the crowd, her beauty and elegance, and pale skin and pointed ears, separating her from the rugged and battle-hardened men and orcs around her. She stood with power, and focus, her eyes alight with anticipation. Cruelty danced in them, a vile and vicious cruelty that unnerved the Queen of Thorns. This woman, she had to be the so-called sorceress they had heard about.
"I'm ready to begin now. I will do this myself. The man who passes the sentence, should swing the sword. It cannot always be the case, yet it should be as often as possible, especially when it is personal." Aegon stated aloud as he moved to kneel next to the Mountain.
His gaze lifted to the surrounding crowd for several moments before turning back to Gregor Clegane.
Aegon placed his knee upon the Mountain's shoulder blade, and grabbed his arm from the Uruk that was pinning it.
"What's he doing?" Edmure asked of Robb.
"I don't know, I've never seen an execution like this one." Robb answered.
"Whatever it is, I just hope it hurts." Sandor Clegane growled, watching the scene intently.
"Hold him down, he will struggle." Aegon commanded the Uruks who pressed their full weight onto Gregor's other limbs earning another moan of pain as his senses began to come to him.
"For all that you've done, your soul will know no rest. You will suffer an eternal torment, fitting one so vile." Aegon whispered to the Mountain as he wrenched the arm free of it's socket with a sickening and audible pop.
The reaction was immediate, the Mountain let out a roar of pain, and began to struggle as Aegon released the now limp arm, and adjusted himself to the other arm, where he repeated the action, dislocating the other arm.
"Flip him over." Aegon commanded as the Mountain screamed. The Uruks did just that as Aegon rose to his feet and moved over to Gregor's legs. The Mountain roared and thrashed, as the Uruks pinned him down.
Aegon stared down at him for a long moment before bringing his foot down on the man's knee cap, shattering it, and earning a roar of rage and pain.
Aegon than circled around and repeated the action on the other knee.
Now all four of the Mountain's limbs were useless. He couldn't move his arms, and with his knees broken, he wouldn't be walking anywhere.
Aegon knelt down next to the main and drew a knife which he then drove into the Mountain's belly, cutting into flesh, fat, and muscle. He cut across the belly from one side to the other, before rising to his feet and sheathing his knife.
He stepped away from the Mountain as did the uruks who quickly headed over to where several buckets had been placed. Each of these buckets had been filled with animal guts, filth, and all other horrid forms of disgust. Swarms of flies and maggots sat upon them and within the buckets of spoiled parts. The four uruks each took a bucket and returned to Gregor where they proceeded to pour the contents of the buckets upon his body, dousing his torso in the foul concoction, though aiming specifically for the open wound on his belly.
"The man who passes the judgment should swing the sword, that's what my father taught me. But this man deserves far more than one man's justice. He deserves the wrath of an entire country for the things he's done. A vile and monstrous terror. One who raped, raided, pillaged, murdered, and burned his way across the Riverlands. He deserves only to suffer, for as long as the gods allow him to suffer. Westeros will decide his fate, and the agony of it." Aegon growled as the Uruks took hold of the ropes tied to the Mountain's arms and began to hoist him up into the air. His cries of pain filled the area as he was pulled up nearly ten feet off the ground.
"Birds and bugs will feast on your flesh, while the bile and corrupt filth poured into your wound will sour and defile it. Eaten alive, sickness, or blood loss. I wont allow any less. Do you hear that Gregor? Birds… they like to follow armies around, feed on their scraps, as I'm sure you know. They're watching you, so much meat, so much blood, and what of the flies? They're already upon you, already gliding across the flesh, in search of the most succulent meats to feed on. This is where you'll stay until you die, Gregor Clegane. For the murder of my brother, for the rape and murder of his mother, for the Riverlands you burned, for every crime you've ever committed… this is your fate now. You only have one choice left before you now… scream, or don't." Aegon delivered his final words before turning away from the sight, and marching back towards the tent.
Lilith smiled up at the sight, taking in the pain of the titanic man and how low he had been brought. Even one of the most physically imposing of humanity, was still nothing more than a pathetic little weakling when placed before their incredible might. Oh how slow this man would die, Lilith let out a quiet muttering, a single spell, a curse to drive the hunger of the insects that squirmed on his flesh. She hoped to hear more of his screams before the day was done.
"A fitting fate for you, brother… fed to the maggots and the birds, out here in the middle of fuck's nowhere. A fitting fate indeed." Sandor growled up at his brother.
"My love…" Oberyn's paramour whispered to him as everyone began to return to the tent, save for Sandor.
"Go, my love. I wish to stay a moment, and admire his end. So slow and painful… I could not have wished for his suffering to be greater." Oberyn responded quietly, enthralled by the suffering on display.
Meanwhile, back in the tent, everyone returned to table, where Aegon ordered that wine be brought.
"You alright?" Robb asked quietly as people began to settle in.
"Yes… I hope that my siblings and their mother can know a bit of peace now. I only wish that Amory Lorch had lived to experience something similar." Aegon replied.
"It's alright. Leave him to the birds and the bugs, it's more than what he deserves." Robb said to him placing a hand on his shoulder and offering him reassurance, which Aegon accepted.
"Apologies, my lord, that was something that was long overdue." Aegon address the Tyrells.
"To long overdue in my opinion." Olenna noted to herself.
"Now, you wished to join me, that was the basic understanding I got from our earlier discussion. Well than, what is it you have to offer to me? To my campaign to reclaim the Iron Throne? What can House Tyrell provide me?" Aegon questioned as he turned his full attention to Mace Tyrell.
"You would have our full support in your campaign. We'd provide our armies, as well as our crops to your endeavor. We'd also provide use of the Redwyne fleet. Not to mention you'd have free passage through our lands, to continue your campaign." Mace offered.
"Fascinating, a very interesting offer, and I do like ships, but I wasn't so much asking what the Reach could provide me, but what your house in specific could provide. What can house Tyrell offer to me? What can you do to ensure trust between us? You must understand that turning away from Tywin Lannister during a moment of weakness, does not instill great trust in your reliability, I have no need for fair-weather friends." Aegon pressed, leaning on the table as he did.
"Well… we could establish stronger ties between the Reach, the Riverlands, and the North. House Tyrell would offer it's full support in matters of court, whatever you required, we'd be more than happy to assist." Mace again offered, though it was quickly noted by Aegon and Lilith that there was something he was holding back, an offering that he was keeping in reserve, and both had a strong guess as to what it was.
"Again, useful offers, but offers of friendship, duty, and loyalty matter very little when faced with a threat. You are turning away from Tywin Lannister when he faces such a threat, I want to know why I should believe you wouldn't do the same to me? Abandon me, the moment things turned sour. What assurances can you provide to remove that air of mistrust?" Aegon pressed once more.
"The best way to forge such ties and remove such fears, is to establish strong bonds. The best way to do so is usually through establishing familial ties, usually through marriage." Olenna Tyrell stated aloud.
"And you have a granddaughter." Aegon noted, turning his gaze towards Margaery who stared back at him, unflinchingly. He ran his eyes over her for a moment. She was quite lovely, beautiful and incredibly pleasant on the eyes. There was a gentleness to her, but something more was buried beneath it. A cunning resided within her gaze, a calculating cunning that matched her grandmother. He could see that Margaery Tyrell was afraid of him, frightened by what he had done to the Mountain, but she controlled her fear so well, she focused it, redirected it, kept it contained. Whoever had trained her, had done a marvelous job.
As Aegon eyed her, Lilith stepped away from him and circled the table, stopping directly before Margaery, breaking her sight line with Aegon.
For a moment, fear, and uncertainty danced in Margaery's eyes, as her gaze met with the glowing orange orbs of Lilith's eyes.
"Hello, I'm Lilith, Aegon's betrothed. Queen of the Far North." Lilith said to her.
"Hello your grace, my name is Margaery, it's a pleasure to meet you." Margaery replied with a courteous bow.
"Sansa speaks very highly of you, says you were kind to her while she was trapped in that vultures nest in King's Landing." Lilith noted.
"So she found her way back to her family? I'm happy to hear it. She was such a sweat girl, she didn't deserve what Joffrey or Cercei put her through." Margaery responded, causing Lilith to smirk.
"So you wouldn't mind having your husband be married to another woman?" Lilith inquired.
"He is a Targaryen, and a King, norms are what he sets them as. I'm sure I'll find some way to manage." Margaery replied, displaying modesty, and a cool temperament.
Lilith eyed her for a moment, studying her before using her mental powers to send a set of images flashing into Margaery's mind. These images came quickly, but they were vivid, and drew a noticeable reaction from the young woman. She blinked several times and visibly blushed.
Within her mind, the clear image of Lilith and Aegon, wildly fucking Margaery filled her head space. It was such a clear image, and it held for several long seconds so much so that Margaery could see it when she blinked.
"Sorceress…" Margaery thought to herself. The woman was smart enough and informed enough to know that such a thought wasn't natural. Lilith's reaction was proof of it, her devilishly charming smile, which Margaery quickly returned, despite her blush.
"That could be one way to manage things…" Margaery said with a demure smile.
Lilith stared at her for a long moment before turning her gaze to Aegon.
"I like this one." Lilith offered before heading back to his side.
"Well, it seems you've earned Lilith's approval, so that conundrum's been avoided. Much will change in the years to come, a new system is being forged, and will see the world fundamentally changed by it. If you believe you are capable of weathering the storm that is coming, than I will accept your marriage offer, under the condition that house Tyrell swear fealty to me here and now, and your forces prepare to join me for future campaigns." Aegon commanded.
"Than we will do so. House Tyrell swears itself to Aegon Targaryen, as the one true king of Westeros." Mace said, drawing his sword and planting it in the dirt, his sons following suit as the Tyrells knelt.
Aegon offered a solemn nod at them, his gaze drifted over to Lilith who glanced at him before turning her gaze to the bowing Margaery, a predatory smile drifting across her face. It would seem that Lilith had found herself a new plaything.
Time would tell just how this Margaery Tyrell would fit into this dynamic, she was nothing like Sansa or Tauriel. Margaery Tyrell was clever, intelligent, and capable, she was also driven, which meant a possible challenge, though it also meant that she could prove far more valuable than just another bedroom toy to play with. Both Aegon and Lilith had an eye for people, and Margaery Tyrell was dangerous. Perhaps not to them in specific, but something about her, spoke of charisma and passion, two things that could drive a person to incredible heights.
Yes, time would indeed tell how this all played out. For now though, the Reach had entered the fold.
-To be Continued-
Alright here you guys go, just some moving forward in this chapter, getting more story going, more focusing on what Lilith is doing and not just Aegon. Setting up for some stuff coming up, so I hope you enjoy.
Questions:
Eternal Tortoise: I'm sure Sauron could manage that, though I do believe that was Saruman in the lotr, just as a side note.
Hades Darkstar: Yeah don't worry, Tauriel will be trapped for a bit, but that's kinda the point, she needs to start off stuck in a rut to try and find a way out of it.
Serafina Adler: Yep, definitely is a perk, I would say.
Blacked6666: Hey, happy to hear you enjoy it so far. Yeah I try to keep the quality high, hope this one was alright. I know not a lot major happened, mostly just set up for future stuff.
Guest: Thanks
Guest: Thanks
Naruto: Always happy to hear from you.
Jedi7000nathan: Yeah, Writer's block is a kick in the nuts sometimes, though my biggest issue, days just meld together. I post a chapter, take some time to relax, and before I know it a month has gone by and I'm not entirely sure what I've been doing all that time. It blows me away sometimes ya know. Also, put in a few notes in this chapter, just to clear some things up ;)
SlyMonster: No problem
Yohnos: We'll definitely see more of the Nazgûl and as for them going after Frodo, I could see that still happening, if only to give the impression that the fake is actually the real deal.
Asonia99: We'll be getting to Essos in the not to distant future, my friend.
Agustin Muoz: I can understand that, been trying to draw more upon Lilith's perspective, and I hope to give her more to do now that the early stages are out of the way.
Scarlet Nord: Happy to see you're enjoying the story so much. Alot of future setup in this chapter. And yeah, definitely some canon divergence will be happening for lotr. Lilith is a manipulator, just like Sauron. I tried to note in earlier chapters that while Morgoth was a destroyer, Lilith was more like Sauron, manipulative, cunning, deceptive, to the point where you could argue that Sauron is actually a lot like how Lilith was when they were younger.
Fireblaster53: Here's your update friend :)
Connorfig: Yeah we're gonna see some stuff from Shadow of War, and from the lotro video game series, gotta draw inspiration from somewhere.
Yuki1781: Got the chapter up, took a while but I did.
Cjthedvall: Happy to hear you like it, does me joy to hear.
Crimsonblade257: Hope this keeps you situated for a while. Always happy to help people deal with boredom especially now with lockdowns and stuff.