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.

23. Chapter 23

Alright, here's the next chapter, hope you all enjoyed it, had a bit of computer troubles as I had planned on releasing this back before Thanksgiving, but it ended up being pushed back. Fixed now though, and I hope you all enjoy it.

Darkness Reborn

Chapter 23: New Allies, and Further Conquests.

-Mordor, Middle Earth-

Saruman trailed just behind the Dark Lord as he was led deeper beneath the dark tower of Barad-Dûr.

It took several minutes to reach their destination, which turned out to be a massive tunnel, flooded with orcs, and trolls, busily working to expand it.

This tunnel was quite large, easily two hundred feet high, and at least twice as wide. Great pillars rose in support of the tunnel, though beyond them, the tunnel was kept relatively clear save for great carts of stone being hauled out from somewhere deeper.

Saruman took note of how the tunnel sat on an incline, and despite being deep underground, he could smell the outside air, leading him to conclude that this tunnel led all the way to the surface, exiting somewhere around the foundation of Barad-Dûr.

"This way." Sauron instructed, guiding him down the tunnel, deeper into it's dark recesses.

Saruman followed silently, his gaze drifting to and fro across the tunnel as they made their way deeper and deeper.

They passed by thousands of orcs busily working on the tunnel, and continued along in silence, the orcs occasionally noticing the dark lord and scurrying away from him as the ghostly figure marched past them.

They continued onward, passing deeper and deeper until rounding a bend. There they came upon an astonishing sight.

Saruman's eyes went wide as he beheld the towering structure. As wide as the tunnel itself, like a wall of shimmering light. Steps rose up to, and fed into the wall, and Saruman had a sneaking suspicion he knew where he was being led too.

"This… This is a portal." Saruman made note, amazement touching at his voice.

"Yes. A portal to another world. If you truly wish to join with me, than I would have you step through it. Show me your willingness to take a leap of faith." Sauron offered to him, gesturing towards the wall of lights.

Saruman took in a breath as his eyes ran over the massive construct. Such a monumental creation buried deep in the earth. Far from the eyes of the Valar, or anyone who the Dark Lord did not wish to know of this.

The White Wizard vividly remembered the warning they had received from the Blue Wizard, about how the Balrog of Moria had somehow traveled beyond the boundaries of their world. They had feared that it could one day ally itself with Sauron by building it's own force in this other world, and it seems those fears had been well founded.

Saruman suspected what lay on the other side of this great rift. Most likely a Balrog of Morgoth would be waiting there, waiting for him. If he chose to cross over, he would have to contend with both Sauron and a Balrog, but if he did not, if he hesitated, than Sauron would see that as a sign of treachery and most likely try to destroy him.

Here, so deep beneath the earth, and surrounded by thousands of enemies, Saruman did not doubt that he would be overwhelmed and killed, if Sauron chose violence.

Weighing his options, Saruman knew that he had little choice. He had set upon this path, and now he had to see it through to the end.

So with his head held high, and a confident stride, Saruman advanced on the portal, followed closely by a smirking Sauron.

He climbed the steps leading into the great rift between world, and paused at it's boundaries. Gently, he reached his hand out and brushed his fingers against the churning colors. As his fingers passed the boundaries, he felt a tug, a gentle pull from the other side.

Confident that this wasn't a trap, Saruman stepped forward into the portal.

For a moment, everything was awash in color. Whites, reds, blues, greens, purples. All different colors churning around him as he drifted forward, pulled to the other side by an unseen force.

This transition was without pain, and was actually quite mesmerizing in it's beauty. In truth, it ended far too quickly for Saruman as he was busy taking in the strange colors, and the make-up of this portal, he felt the weight of the world fall over him as he was gently pushed out the other side.

He had to halt a bit of forward momentum as he exited the portal, but otherwise felt no other ill effects of the travel.

The ghostly form of Sauron emerged beside him and strode forward.

Saruman took the opportunity to glance around and take in his surroundings.

He was again in a cave, though unlike with the portal beneath Barad-Dûr, which sat at the end of a long tunnel that led to the surface, this one sat at the far end of a massive cavern. Like the tunnel this cavern was bustling with activity. Orcs, trolls, and even men busied themselves with tasks, though amongst them, Saruman spotted ghastly sights that nearly took his breath away.

Corpses walked in service to the dark creatures. Corpses rotted almost to the bone, worked tirelessly at whatever tasks they were instructed to carry out.

The walking dead were the least of shocking sights that Saruman spotted at first glance.

At the base of the steps leading into the portal were several guards, these were towering undead. Skeletons draped in heavy ornate armor, equipped with round shields and great swords. There were four in total, and each one gave off an aura of dread. Their gazes turned towards Saruman after several moments, and he quickly ascertained that these were not simply reanimated bodies.

There was great intelligent that burned with the glowing red eyes of these corpse soldiers.

After several moments, Sauron advanced, heading down the stairs and into the cavern.

Saruman followed close behind, his gaze passing over the various beastly sights that greeted them.

"Welcome to Tantibus Arcis." Sauron offered over his shoulder as he led the White Wizard through the cavern.

"Tantibus Arcis?" Saruman responded, curiously, not recognizing the language.

"It is a name born from a language far older than even the world of Arda. It means the 'Nightmare Citadel'. This fortress was constructed her long ago to be the anchor point between our two worlds, and a haven for dark powers." Sauron explained.

Eventually, the two made it to a lift, which brought them up into the actual fortress.

There Saruman caught sight of even more ghastly sights that made his blood run cold.

In side chambers, hellish spirits were conjured, some being forced into corpse bodies, turning them into the armored undead that were seen guarding the portal, others were placed elsewhere. Saruman only caught a few glances at these devilish sights as they made their way through the fortress, but each time it caught his attention, and further confirmed in his mind that the forces of darkness were poised to win the battle for Middle-Earth.

"If you are to work alongside us, then you must first learn of our plans. With the discovery of this world, it has opened the doorway for conquest on a far grander scale than simply Middle-Earth." Sauron stated as he led Saruman high up into the citadel, eventually leading him to a great throne room.

There waiting for them, were three figures. One appeared human, one, who sat upon a great throne, appeared as an elf, and the last, was a Balrog.

The three appeared to have been waiting for them, as they all turned to the entrance-way as the two entered.

Saruman passed his gaze over the three, though kept his focus primarily on the Balrog.

The creature appeared as a great shadow, with glowing red eyes. Deep within the shadow, smoldering flames danced within, revealing the great power of the ancient beast.

"Welcome, Saruman the Wise, to Westeros." The man spoke.

Saruman pulled his gaze from the Balrog and directed it towards the human man.

Something about the man seemed off to the White Wizard. He had a regal air to him, a kingly nature, but there was something bestial about him as well. A ferocity that dwelled behind his eyes.

"Forgive me, you know my name, but I do not know of you." Saruman responded.

"Ah but my lord Saruman, you do know me." The man responded as he strode forward, a cruel smile spreading across his face.

Something about that smile, triggered alarms in Saruman's mind.

Suddenly, the man's eyes ignited in hellish flames, and in an instant fire exploded out from his body.

A blazing inferno circled the man, and out of it strode an armored figure of great stature.

Saruman recognized the figure instantly.

"Sauron!" Saruman gasped in disbelief, his eyes flickering between the armored form of the Dark Lord, and the ghostly form that stood beside him.

"Your companion is little more than an avatar of my power. A vessel created that I may puppet from here. It is naught but a shell, a container, a ruse, a deception. What you faced upon the towers of Dol Guldur, was this avatar. I am the true Dark Lord." Sauron declared, as Saruman backed away, having difficulties remaining upright when faced with the incredible power of the Dark Lord.

After several moments of posturing, Sauron allowed his armored form to fade, and he returned to his the shape of Aegon.

"How is this possible?" Saruman asked.

"How indeed." Sauron responded with a hellish smirk as he held up his hand, revealing the One Ring upon his finger.

The moment he laid eyes upon it, Saruman knew what it was. The One Ring. Sauron had found it! He had recovered his great instrument of power. Not only were the forces of the west truly doomed, but Saruman was starting to realize that his position of strength was not as certain as he once thought. If Sauron had the One Ring, than that meant he had returned to his full strength. No his strength had grown. If the Dark Lord now possessed the power to puppet an avatar from across worlds, an avatar that had the strength to even resist the powers of the Lady Galadriel, than that meant that his strength must have increased.

"You've recovered the One? How were the holders of the three not alerted to your recovery of it?" Saruman was able to ask.

"I covered the connection between the three and the one before I put it back on. The three are untouched by my powers and thus, even with the one, I could not corrupt them until I was able to retrieve them. So it was better to simply dampen the connection until the three had been recovered. Speaking of which, you wouldn't happen to know where the third is? I know that Galadriel possess one, and Gandalf another, but the third yet alludes me." Sauron inquired, with a curious look.

Saruman blinked once, than twice as he composed his thoughts. Finally he was able to set aside his shock at Sauron's retrieval of the One, and recompose himself.

"I am quite certain that the third of the three elven rings lay in the hands of Elrond Half-elven. The lord of Rivendell." Saruman answered, earning a thoughtful look from Sauron as he turned and paced a bit before sharing a glance with the woman upon the throne.

"I do not know this elf, nor have I ever had dealings with him, though Rivendell is one of the last Elven refuges of any great strength in Middle-Earth. So it sounds plausible." The woman stated in answer to Sauron's look.

"He is the son of Eärendil, I know you remember him." Sauron said to her, earning a moment of surprise before she let out a chuckle and nodded.

Saruman took the moment of silence to glance at the woman, now recognizing that she must hold some position of incredible importance, for her to be seated upon a throne while the Dark Lord, and one of the mighty Balrogs stood beside her.

Turning his gaze back to Saruman, the Dark Lord noticed his gaze on Lilith, and he offered a smirk.

"My beloved, perhaps you should introduce yourself to our new friend." Sauron offered.

"Ah yes, where are my manners. Greetings, Curumo, it has been quite a long time. I am Lilith, Queen of the Orcs, High Lord of Tantibus Arcis, and Queen of Westeros. You may, however, know me by a different name. One my enemies in Valinor gifted to me when they titled me the Black Foe of the World." Lilith greeted the White Wizard, who's eyes widened in terror at the implication she was making.

Saruman backed away several feet, fear flooding his body, as Lilith's cruel smirk drove all of the warmth from his body.

"That is not possible… you were chained! Banished!" Saruman uttered as his breathing quickened.

"I escaped. I broke free of my chains, and that wretched abyss. Through shadow, and darkness, I pressed, until I freed myself from that emptiness. I found myself here, long ago. And in this place of ice and shadow, I rebuilt my armies, reforged a great fortress, and gathered my greatest servants to me. You were wise to come here, Curumo, so very wise. Your offer to my dearest Sauron is an interesting one, and I am willing to offer you a high place among our ranks, and should you prove yourself capable, than perhaps you will find great rewards awaiting you." Lilith declared as she rose to her feet.

As she did, the Balrog knelt, signifying that she truly was who she claimed to be.

The true Dark Power stepped down from her throne, and crossed the room to stand before the White Wizard, Sauron following close by her side.

"You wish for power, for prestige, for recognition, and title? I offer you the chance to earn them all through your actions. Beings of such power are rare, swear allegiance to Sauron and I, and you will hold a position of prominence among my servants, as a chief captain. Equal to some of our most trusted. Call upon magic to make the oath. Swear on your life, and the magic within you, that you will serve us, and you will rise a trusted ally, and become apart of our plans for both of these worlds. Refuse… and I will destroy you, here and now. You have much to offer, but your death would also deliver a mighty blow to our foes. Either is fine with me, at the moment." Lilith declared, her gaze heavy and filled with malice.

Saruman could not meet her eyes for fear of his own spirit taking flight from his body out of fright.

This had been far beyond his expectations. The knowledge that the One Ring had been found and returned to the Dark Lord Sauron, was a massive blow, in and of itself, but the reveal that Morgoth had returned, that shattered any and all notion of victory against the forces of darkness. He knew now, without a shadow of a doubt, that he had made the right choice. He had to submit, otherwise he would certainly be destroyed.

He knew of what she commanded. She demanded an oath, born of old magics. Magics far older than even Eä itself. To swear an oath upon life and magic, would demand that magic uphold the oath. Any attempts to break it, knowingly, and willingly would see one severely punished, usually with death. One could not break such an oath, and if Saruman made such an oath to Morgoth and Sauron, then he would forever be in their service. But if he refused, than Morgoth would destroy him. He knew it would be difficultto defeat one of the battle-hardened Balrogs, let alone Sauron, even without the One Ring. Morgoth was an entirely different matter. She could vanquish him with a wave of her hand, he had no choice but to submit.

Only one thing remained to do, to clarify the words of such an oath. For he only had the chance to make it once, adding further oaths atop previous ones was dangerous, as they could interfere with each other and contradict one another, triggering a punishment. Most was clear, except for one part.

"I will swear such an oath, though I require a bit of clarification. You asked that I swear my allegiance to you… and Lord Sauron?" Saruman asked.

"Yes. Sauron is king of these lands, and he is my husband. He is my other half, my equal in all things, and when next we reveal ourselves to the forces of Valinor, it will be united." Lilith answered, earning genuine surprise from Saruman, who was unaware Morgoth even had the ability to hold another being to such an esteemed position, let alone would ever do so.

"All will be explained, after your oath is sworn, Saruman. As one of our chief servants, you will be privy to many a great secret, but first, we must assure your loyalty. When you make the oath, swear it upon the name you hold closest to heart. Either the name given to you at your creation, or the name you were given when you came to Middle-Earth. Whichever name holds greater value in your heart, and means the most to you. Swear your eternal loyalty and service to us, and arise as a valued ally." Sauron added.

Saruman took in a breath as that, and finally dropped to a knee. Bowing his head, he extended his hand. Lilith stepped forward and clasped his wrist, while Sauron reached out, preparing to cast the spell.

While a recognizable spell from their childhood, it was actually still used, even among the Valar. Though not in the same way, as no wands were required. Making such an oath was very similar to the use of the Unbreakable Vow, that had been a recognizable spell during their time in Hogwarts. This way of doing it was even older, but basically had the same application.

"I Saruman, do so swear upon my life, and the magic within me, to forever serve the Dark Lords Morgoth, and Sauron. Forever will I hold to their confidence, never will I break from it. From this day, until my last, I will remain loyal." Saruman declared, as a golden stream of magic left Sauron's hand and encircled Lilith's and Saruman's.

The light held for several long moments before fading, and when it did, Lilith drew Saruman to his feet.

"You've made a wise decision. One you will not come to regret. Come, there is much to discuss. I would hear what you have to tell us about our friends in Middle-Earth, and I would tell you of our plans here, and see if you have anything to offer to them." Lilith stated as she turned and gestured for Saruman to follow her.

The White Wizard followed behind as did Sauron and the Balrog. The group made their way into another room, where a large map of the known world laid out.

"Behold, the known world." Lilith gestured to the map, Saruman taking a moment to run his eyes over it, examining the layout of this strange new world he'd found himself in.

"My love… if you wouldn't mind." Lilith addressed Sauron, earning a nod from her twin as he gazed down at the map.

"We are here…" He began, pointing to the location of the fortress in the Land of Always Winter.

From there an explanation began, a long and arduous story. They told the White Wizard of how Lilith escaped from the void, and found herself here in this world. How she called out to Sauron and he found his way here as well. They told him about how they established a link between both this world and Arda, and how they worked to expand it into a portal.

They told him of these lands, of the Seven Kingdoms, and the far North, of the Wall, and the Great Families of Westeros. They told him about the East, about Essos, about the extent of their exploration and how far the two had gone in their trek across the world. They told him of the Valyrians and their fall, how they had found Dathrag slumbering there, how his awakening caused the Doom, and the destruction of the greatest civilization this world had ever known.

They told him of their plans in Westeros, and Aegon's grooming of the Targaryens. How he prepared a vessel for himself, born of Fire and Ice, of the blood of werewolves and dragons. A vessel that was born to be king. Eventually they made it to much more recent events, summarizing their conquest of Westeros, and their plans for the future.

It was a long tale indeed, lasting many hours as they gave their newest ally all of the fundamentally important information that he needed to know.

While Sauron did most of the explaining, Lilith busied herself by preparing a gift for their new servant.

She had a silver bracelet fetched from their treasure stash and brought to her, and she then proceeded to spend her time placing several enchantments onto it, that would allow Saruman to understand the common tongue of the Westerosi and for others to understand him.

Once she was finished, she gifted the bracelet to Saruman, so that he could quickly begin working in Westeros without having to spend a lot of time learning to speak the language.

Learning of their actions here in Westeros and Essos came as a great surprise to Saruman. They had accomplished much, and had already taken an entire continent for their own. Only the rebels in the Stormlands, and the false king Stannis Baratheon remained, but once they were dealt with, the Dark Lords would hold dominion over all of Westeros, with none left to oppose them.

From Westeros and their base in the ruins of Valyria, they would strike out at the various kingdoms of men across Essos, focusing first on the western half of Essos, before venturing into the mysterious further east.

The only threat that remained in the world was Daenerys Targaryen. The biological aunt of Sauron's host body. A woman who held three dragons at her command, and had the wisdom and guidance of the Blue Wizard Rómestámo. Though not a great threat, a threat she remained until Rómestámo was dealt with, and her defeat assured.

Once this world fell under their dominion, they would have everything they needed to prepare for war against all of Middle-Earth. For this world was beyond the powers of the Valar, and the light of Eru Illuvitar. From this world they could strike at all of Arda, and ensure the fall of the West.

"You now know of our plans, and have a basic understanding of this world and it's peoples. Have you any questions, or contributions?" Lilith inquired.

Saruman was quiet for a moment as he pondered all he had learned. For several seconds he considered what, if anything he could add.

The dark lords intended to forge an empire on this world and breed an unstoppable army. Their plans weren't constrained to this world, or Middle-Earth, no they intended to launch an assault on every world they could find. Now that they knew what was out there, they would stalk the void in search of other worlds, other universes, and then they would assault them, adding those worlds to their vast empire. They not only had conquered a vast territory already, but had the element of surprise with Morgoth still being kept hidden, and the knowledge that Sauron had reclaimed the One Ring, also being kept hidden. Learning about the other two Balrog also came as a surprise, not only had one been found here, having fled from the Host of the Valar during the War of Wrath, but they also managed to revive the Lord of the Balrogs, Gothmog.

Morgoth was breeding her Great Dragons once more in this dark fortress, and already had a number of them, which she claimed were of greater design and power than the first batch she had made so long ago.

The two had gathered great power to them. An army or orcs and men, great mammoths, and wild beasts. Sauron had devised a new form of troll that was more intelligent and vicious than any seen before, the Oleg-Hai, and he had created a greater form of foot soldier, the Uruk-hai. They had summoned spiders to their side, gained the allegiance of Smaug, they commanded an army of the dead, and even a new race of orcs, born of a dark power Morgoth had gained in these lands, a power over ice and death. Even creatures from beyond the realms of flesh had come forward to serve the dark masters. Demons and spirits were being called forth from the void, and drawn into the service of the Dark Lords

What could he add to this, what could Saruman the White offer that could help raise him in the eyes of his new masters?

"You have acquired much in your time here. The free peoples of Middle-Earth have little chance to stand against you, when the time comes. Much of what I could offer at the moment would be little more than buckets of water, added to the great sea of power you have amassed, but I do possess some gems of note. Information that could prove quite useful, for example." Saruman responded, earning curiosity from the two.

"Oh please do not keep us in suspense. Let us here what you have to offer." Lilith encouraged him to continue.

"Far to the North of Middle-Earth, in the lands once ruled by the Witch-King, there lies a secret chamber buried deep beneath the earth. A secret so vile and dark, that not even the lord of the Nine dared to investigate it. I know what lies there, in the shadows. It is a prison for one of your greatest servants, my lady." Saruman informed them, earning genuine surprise from the two.

"You speak of a Balrog?" Lilith questioned.

"I do. Thaurlach. When Ancalagon fell, he fled to those lands, and delved deep into the earth. He was pursue by an elven maiden of great skill and power. Glathlírel, and she had her allies build a great prison around the slumbering beast. Upon the arrival of the Istari, Thaurlach began to stir, and we sensed his awakening. For the first, and only time, the five wizards united their power and confronted the beast alongside the elf-maiden. The battle was short, the balrog realized it could not contend with all of us, and so it sued for peace. We ordered it returned to it's prison, to remain there until the end of days when it would finally be judged for the ruin it brought upon the world. It remained there, under lock and key, trapped in a deep slumber by Glathlírel. Even throughout the rule of Angmar, it remained hidden. Now, the White Council has heard of stirrings in that ruined land. The Angmarim are rising once more. Whether by your command or the volition of another, the power of Angmar is beginning to grow, and so Alatar, volunteered to go there and check to see if the Balrog was stirring or not. To our knowledge Thaurlach is the only other Balrog that remains in Middle-Earth. If another exists, it has kept itself hidden." Saruman informed the two, both of them absorbing this information as they listened to him.

"Freeing Thaurlach, and returning him to our side would raise the number to Four. This is an even greater reason now, for restoring Angmar. Another of the Balrog would further tilt the odds in our favor." Sauron stated, earning a nod of agreement from Morgoth.

"Yes. You are most correct. Contact your agents, my love, and have them turn their attention to Angmar. Find a lieutenant that you trust, to reclaim the Witch-King's throne in your name, and ensure this agent is ready to move against this elf woman, and the other Blue Wizard, who could be skulking around there. I hope you have a servant in mind for this task. They will be without our aid in the rebuilding of Angmar, so they must be ready to weather whatever challenges may arise." Lilith commanded.

"I have the perfect servant in mind. A Cargûl, the greatest of the Witch-King's servants. Mordirith. He was once the last king of Gondor, Eärnur, who challenged the Witch-King to single combat, and lost. He is now the commander of the Cargûl. I think sending him back to Arnor, to give rise to Angmar again, and restore the dark powers there would be the perfect retribution for the man who once aided in the fall of Angmar." Sauron responded with a devilish smirk, earning a chuckle from Morgoth for his idea.

"Ah yes, such a wonderful choice indeed. Very well, I will leave you to oversee the restoration of Angmar, and the return of one of my precious servants. I do hope you wont disappoint me." The Lady of Darkness said to Sauron.

"Have no fear, my love. I will see that great and terrible kingdom restored, and your lost Balrog returned to you. You have my word." Sauron responded to her.

"Good. While we are on the topic, let us speak of the Blue Wizards. One now resides here, and one moves towards Angmar, we guessed that the one here, came to these lands to follow Khulvar after he departed from the Mines of Moria, what do you know of this Saruman?" Morgoth questioned him.

"You would be correct in you assumption that the wizard here came to follow the missing Balrog. According to Alatar, he and Pallando sensed the departure of the Balrog but did not know it's meaning. They were then contacted by the Eagle lord, Gwaihir, who delivered to them a command from the West to investigate. Pallando volunteered to be sent to this world, while Alatar headed west to inform the rest of us. While your attempts to remain hidden have been successful thus far, the Valar are stirring, my Lady, they know that something is wrong, but they don't yet know what that something is." Saruman informed them.

"Ah… I see. So then the Blue Wizard did not come here by his own devices, but due to the commands of Manwë. That is troubling indeed. We will need to deal with Pallando quickly, to avoid him alerting the Valar to our actions here." Sauron noted.

"Indeed. I will contact Dathrag. It is time we dealt with this problem, as well as the threat of your aunt." Morgoth declared.

"Yes, we'll need to plan accordingly. Meereen is an ancient city, and has long held off invaders. Taking it will not be easy, especially as my aunt has three dragons at her disposal. We must be cautious, but I agree that it's about time to act." Sauron responded.

"Hm… Continue, Saruman. Tell us more about that has happened in Middle-Earth, about how our foes are reacting to Sauron's movements." Lilith commanded.

Saruman did as instructed, telling them all about his meetings with the other members of the White Council, about their speculations, suspicions, and plans. By the time he was finished the duo had a much better idea of how their enemies in Middle-Earth were reaction to their plans.

This information would allow them to further manipulate them, when the time was right.

For now, the discussions had to come to an end, as the two needed to return to King's Landing.

Using Apparition, they brought Saruman with them to the capitol, having decided that he would spend some time here in Westeros, learning of their plans, and their goals, as well as teaching him greater magics, and forming plans for his eventual return to Arda.

The presence of the White Wizard was quickly noted at court, as he now stood as one of Aegon's advisers, most of the time he merely listened in on their meetings, developing an understanding of the minds of Aegon's allies, and when not at meetings, Saruman delved into the history of Westeros, and began learning magic from Lilith. The first spell she intended to teach him, was the power of Apparition, the ability to quickly teleport to where he needed to go. A useful skill to get around fast, or escape from danger. Definitely a needed ability for a spy.

For now, he settled into King's Landing and began to fill his mind with greater understanding of this strange new world and all it had to offer, all the while, he began to plan for his eventual return to Middle-Earth, and the actions he would take. Saruman was now in service to the two Dark Lords. The embodiment of power and domination, strength and control.

In his observations of the two, he quickly noted their deep infatuation for one another. It was no ruse, nor was it a political gambit. Even when alone, or beyond the gaze of any observers, the two would share in intimacy. Their union was real, and it ran deep. Any worries that Saruman may have had in regards to Morgoth's fury, and the devastation that she could unleash, were quickly assuaged as he monitored their actions. Morgoth's interest were in control and domination, but she was more than happy to leave the ordering of her conquests to Sauron. If she had desires or opinions, she would make them known, but otherwise, she left the daily running of their newly formed kingdom in the hands of her husband. Meanwhile she would focus on furthering their powers, and further dominating the people around them through trickery, gift giving, coercion, and deception.

Saruman learned much as he bore witness first hand to how Sauron and Lilith dominated the minds of others. With the low born, the peasants, and serfs, they won their love through acts of benevolence, and generosity, and they secured such loyalty by delivering justice to them, whenever they were harassed, this painted the two in such a way that the lowborn would happily cheer for them as they passed by, and with the lowborn on their side, many of the greatest institutions of Westeros were now much more aligned with them. The High born were treated differently. With them the two Dark Lords commanded their respect, fear, and adoration, through the giving of gifts and position, while also delivering harsh justice. They ensured that people understood that if you sided with them, than you would know prosperity, and greatness, and if you were aligned against them, than you would suffer greatly for it.

When asked about the White Wizard, Sauron would answer that he was a traveler from distant lands, one come seeking an alliance with Morgoth, or Lilith as she was called by these people and Sauron. Throughout it all, the two never revealed themselves fully as the Dark Lords. Morgoth maintained the attitude of a sorceress, one of terrible and frightful power, but beyond that, none could say that she was something worse. Sauron held to the guise of Aegon Targaryen. He played the part of a king very well, and earned great loyalty and admiration from his subjects.

After learning of the finer details of their plans, and their history here in Westeros, Saruman found himself amazed at their genius. A plan to force these people to submit, for their own good. Thanks to Sauron taking the body of the crown prince of a fallen dynasty, he was able to use that name as a rallying cry for the people of this land, and using the threat of Morgoth's armies and power, he was able to convince people that what he was doing was for the greater good.

Sauron's servants believed him. The men of this land were completely fooled by Sauron's treachery. While it amazed Saruman, it did not surprise him. It only took Sauron a few years to pull himself up from captive, to noble adviser, while held prisoner by the Númenóreans. These mannish kingdoms had incredible history, but had long since lost their grandeur. Whatever incredible powers they had once held, whatever greatness that had once colored their history, had long since faded. Only now, thanks to the invigoration of magic in these lands, was some of this greatness starting to show again.

Saruman absorbed all of this, taking in each lesson, and learning from his new dark masters in the art of trickery, deception, and domination of the mind. All of it would be useful when he returned to Middle-Earth, and began his own conquests.

For now though, he played the part of student, but one day, he sought to be a master in his own right.

-Dragonstone, two weeks later-

Euron Greyjoy made his way up the path to the meeting ground where Stannis Baratheon was waiting. It had been several days since the Ironborn had arrived and blockaded the castle. They surrounded the castle at sea, and on land, laying siege to it, and cutting it off from the rest of the island and whatever supplies it had access to.

Stannis had a sizable fleet of ships waiting in and around the small fishing village beneath the castle, that too was blockaded, and cut off, forcing those who lived there to either attack, or begin drawing upon their food reserves. Euron knew that if he wanted to fully blockade the castle, he'd have to destroy Stannis' fleet, and take the fishing village, which had been his original plan, but upon arriving, he found that very few of the ships in service to Stannis Baratheon, carried his flag.

He quickly surmised that they were mercenaries, as he recognized some of the various sigils flown by the different companies. Knowing that at least part of Stannis' forces were made up of mercenaries, Euron came up with a clever gamble.

He called for parley with Stannis, offering to meet with the man to discuss terms of ending this battle quickly. He would offer words to the Stag King and try to convince him to surrender. His orders had been to capture only Shireen Baratheon alive, so anyone else was a bonus.

Euron had heard a few rumors in regards to Stannis, and his conversion to the Faith of R'hllor, and he suspected that such conversions had spread throughout the castle and the island. Euron himself had long since stopped believing in any of the so called 'gods' that people claimed were real. He had seen for himself what a true god looked like. He'd seen the power of her servants in Valyria. If her power far outweighed theirs, than she truly was a god, and not just some story.

He had long cursed the gods of this world, and none had ever struck him down. He had committed so-called unforgivable crimes in the eyes of the gods, and none had ever brought him low. Euron Greyjoy brought savagery and death to the many places of the world. Despite his disbelief in most gods, Euron likened himself to the most godly man alive, because from Ib to Asshai, when men saw his sails, they prayed.

Euron and his troop arrived before the gates of Dragonstone. Just beyond the range of the archers on the wall.

The gates soon opened, and out marched Stannis Baratheon and his own troop of guards.

Euron let out a chuckle as he caught sight of the Baratheon banner, with the flaming heart, and the burning crown placed upon a stag. His eyes momentarily drifted to the woman in red who came with Stannis, Euron instantly recognized her as the Red Priestess that everyone had spoken about.

"Greetings, King Stag… it's been a long time…" Euron offered as the troop came a halt a few meters away.

"I didn't come here to exchange pleasantries with you. You asked for this meeting, as a formality I am receiving you. Tell me what you want Greyjoy." Stannis commanded with cold hard eyes.

Euron gave the man a once over before answering. As a typical Baratheon, Stannis was tall and broad, strong as well, but there was a weariness to him. Something had happened to the Lord of Dragonstone.

Euron had been around sorcery long enough to know when magic had been used to ill effect. Stannis was suffering as the result of some spell, no doubt having been used by the Red Priestess. Euron couldn't tell if there was any sort of magic actively on him at the moment, or if this had happened some time prior to his arrival. Regardless of which it was, it was clear to the pirate king, that Stannis had dabbled in some dark ritual, and it had cost him.

Offering the Stag King a smile, Euron finally responded.

"I've come for your castle, 'King' Stannis. You can clearly see you are outnumbered, and those mercenaries out there couldn't have been cheap. It'd be a shame to lose them all before you had the chance to use them." Euron responde.

"You're immediate desires are easily recognizable. What I want to know is why you're here, Greyjoy? Why come to Dragonstone? What is it you hope to gain by making war on the Rightful King of Westeros?" Stannis responded with a focused gaze.

"Because the true King demanded it. Aegon Targaryen asked that you be dealt with. So here I am, ready to deal with you." Euron answered back.

"You'd submit yourself to the dragonspawn? Does the Dragonwolf intend to allow reavers and pirates to plague the Seven Kingdoms?" Stannis questioned with a hard look.

"It was my brother Balon who desperately wanted to return to the Old Ways. He spent all his life trying to color the Ironborn as what we once were. He was so focused on the past, that he never saw the present, or what we could be in the future. Balon is dead now, and I now rule over the Ironborn. I see a future for my people, one far greater than what Balon could have wished for. The Dragonwolf and I are of similar minds, we both know the way forward. There is only one true power in this world, a power so vast that not even your beloved fire god will survive the coming storm. For most, when faced with such a storm, all they can do is shelter in place and pray for survival, but men like us, the Dragonwolf and I, we see what can be gained by joining the storm, becoming part of it. You'd be wise, Stag King to do the same." Euron answered, his words earning the same cold look from Stannis, though the Red priestess's eyes widened a bit, and for a moment Euron thought he saw a flash of fear in her gaze.

"The Dragonwolf has claimed the Iron Throne, and you are the last of the rebels. I can assure you, that the Stag will not survive another rebellion. You're no Robert. You have no allies, you have no friends. I can see your fleets are filled with mercenaries hired from Essos. You should know, Stag King, the allegiance of such men extends to coin, only so long as that coin comes with the chance of spending it. No sellsword will fight for the losing side. All it'll take is one crew to break, and the rest will tumble down. You need victory in order to earn their loyalty. So far you have no victories in your campaign. You didn't fight your brother Renly, he died under 'mysterious' circumstances, and the only battle you actually fought was against Tywin Lannister, and the Tyrells, and you lost handily. Now the Tyrells and Tywin Lannister serve the Dragonwolf, so by my guess, he'd be more than happy to allow you to surrender, and swear fealty." Euron continued. While a naturally charismatic man, Euron knew well enough that Stannis had no ear for flattery. He was a dull man, as bland as they come. Everything was taken at face value for Stannis. The art of subtlety, and politics was lost on the man. Still, if Euron could convince him to swear fealty to Aegon without the need for battle, than it could further endear him to the new king, and he lost nothing in the attempt.

"The Iron Throne is mine, by right. If that Dragonspawn wishes to claim himself king, he'll need to come here himself and take that right by force. I will not bow to this upstart and his army of monsters and demons." Stannis declared with that typical Baratheon fury.

"And what of your wife and daughter? What becomes of them when you're dead? You have one chance to end this peacefully. Make no mistake, I'm more than happy to let this become a fight. I'll drag you out of this castle, dead or alive if I must. I make you this offer as a courtesy. Even if you manage to defeat me, and the Iron Fleet, what then? You've been hiding out on this island while Aegon Targaryen united the Seven Kingdoms against the Lannisters. You're pitiful collection of sellsword companies, versus an entire continent? I think not. You could triple your numbers, and it still would not matter. I have seen with my own eyes, three dragons under Aegon's control. Half of your fleet will burn long before it reaches shore, and half of what remains will break and flee. I called you a rebel before, but that too, was a courtesy. You Stannis Baratheon, are little more than a fly circling a bull's ass." Euron countered with a smirk.

"You'll see for yourself just what I am, come the morrow, Greyjoy. Go back to your ships, this meeting is over." Stannis demanded, turning away as he did to return to the castle.

"Be weary, servant of shadows. For the Night is dark and full of terror. Come the dawn, you will face Azor Ahai reborn." Melisandre declared with a smirk which Euron returned.

"I look forward to it." Euron responded before turning to leave with his men.

As they walked down away from the castle, one of the Ironborn lords who'd accompanied Euron questioned what was next.

"Tonight we'll move our ships into position to attack the port and Stannis' fleet. When the sun comes up, I want him to look out from his walls and see our ships closing in on him. Meanwhile I want you to take a single ship, and a hundred men, and sail around the island and slip ashore. Cross the island and wait for the fall of night. You will march on the sally port that faces the interior of the island. By tomorrow night, it will be open for us. You will storm the castle, capture the Red priestess, along with Stannis' Wife and daughter and drag them out." Euron instructed, knowing full well that Stannis would soon come down from the castle to command his men directly.

"You have a man on the inside, my king?" The lord asked him.

"I will soon." Euron responded with a chuckle.

Once he made it back to his ship, he went down to the hold where three men were kept chained and gagged.

He approached the three, who were broken and fearful, and offered them a smile.

"I have need of your services once again." Euron said to them.

These three men were warlocks that he had captured recently around Slaver's Bay. He had forced them into his service, through several means, both magical and physical, and he had forced them to teach him some of their magics. In exchange for their cooperation, he allowed them to live, and only tormented them leisurely.

It was by their magic that a storm had suddenly appeared over Pyke that had allowed Balon Greyjoy's sudden plummet off of a bridge to appear like an accident, and now he would need their services again.

He quickly removed their gags, and chains, and one of the three finally spoke.

"What is it you require?" The warlock asked him.

"Another storm." Euron answered.

"Blood will be needed." The Warlock told him. "Several lives, just like before."

"I have all that you require. Come…" Euron commanded them.

Everything carried out as planned from there, with Euron's fleet closing in on Stannis' ships, but not attacking them just yet. By midday the following day, a tumultuous storm had risen over the island, causing heavy rainclouds to block out the sky.

It soon began pouring incessantly, and lasted long into the night, rendering it near impossible to see anything once the sun went down.

Yes, everything was going according to plan.

Hiding within the fishing village were three of Euron's crew members who'd been sent ahead of the fleet, to infiltrate the village before the arrival of the Iron Fleet. These three men were waiting to capture a Baratheon soldier.

As the sun went down, more soldier began appearing as they prepared for the battle ahead.

The three pinpointed a man who was giving out commands to the various soldiers. They played the part of mercenaries silently awaiting commands and when the moment was right, delivered a message to the soldier, that told him he needed to meet with the castellan.

The soldier began heading back to the castle along with two of his men when he was suddenly ambushed by the three Ironborn. They killed his two guards and dragged him to a secluded location, where they kept him bound and gagged.

The three then gathered around him, all staring at him with cold, emotionless eyes. Silently, one removed an amulet from his pocket, and placed it around the soldier's neck.

This amulet was made of a silver chain, with an oval onyx jewel set into round Valyrian Steel. The piece of fine jewelry gave off a malevolence to it, feeling cold to the touch, and it chilled the soldier as it was placed around him.

Back aboard the Silence, Euron Greyjoy sat in his cabin. Just after sundown he began to enact his plan.

Closing his eyes and relaxing, Euron reached his mind out towards his crew members, towards the amulet, 'his' amulet.

Years ago, during his time in Valyria, he had succeeded in opening a previously unknown vault. As a reward for his success, the Dread Lord allowed him to keep anything he could carry out of the vault in a single trip. Inside were many ancient relics, as well as a small mountain of gold and jewels. From within, Euron found a suit of Valyrian Steel armor, which just barely fit him. He put the armor on, than proceeded to find anything else that he wanted, which included a few gems, a golden goblet, two Valyrian steel daggers, with ornate, gem-lined handles, and a black, jeweled amulet. The amulet itself had specifically caught his attention as he was leaving the vault. So much so that he had dropped a few other amusements so that he could carry it.

Long he would linger on the amulet, and upon inspection by the greater sorcerers of Arcem Ossa, it was revealed that the amulet held magic spells within it, and that it was bonding to Euron.

The greater importance of the amulet didn't immediately reveal itself until later, as Euron was studying and mastering some of his innate abilities, such as skin-changing. Learning to control animals was an arduous task, but Euron took to it, always eager to hold control over others, and eventually he began to practice controlling more intelligent creatures.

He started with orcs and slaves, but found it difficult to control those that he hadn't forged a bond with, but upon the suggestion of one of his teachers there, Euron tried utilizing the amulet as a sort of focus. He found that by placing the amulet onto a person, Euron could use it as a medium to possess them. It took great focus, but it was a far quicker method than spending weeks or even months with them, forming a bond with them.

The amulet wasn't needed to maintain control ether, and it wasn't needed in order for Euron to perform the deed again. Once he had skin-changed into a person using the amulet, he could do it again, without the amulet, it was just a lot harder. The amulet made it easier, and helped to establish a connection, but once Euron was in, he stayed there.

Every single member of his crew had been forced to wear the amulet at some point, and Euron had taken control over their bodies. The act of skin-changing, often left a small piece of the practitioner behind in whatever they were hopping into, so as a side-effect of skin-changing in her crew, they now all could feel his wants and desires, and he often didn't even need to speak for them to know what he wanted.

This, in turn, made it incredibly easy to command his ship, even though all of his crew were mute.

The trick, came down to getting the amulet onto a person, either by using it as a gift, or by forcing it onto them. Euron had a great deal of practice in using this ability, in conjunction with the amulet, in fact, he used this ability on pretty much all of his servants, allowing for a part of himself to be attached to all of them, which helped him to know what they were feeling, and helped him to understand them better, which meant that anyone he skin-changed into, became as easy to read, and understand as an open book, which allowed the charismatic and clever Greyjoy to easily manipulate them, without needing to directly control them.

Very few people knew that Euron had this ability, and most who did, would not, or could not speak of it.

He was very much hopeful that this unique ability would elevate him far and quickly in the eyes of the Dark Powers.

Morgoth, he knew was most definitely the sorceress Lilith, but the identity of her chiefest servant, and lieutenant, Sauron, was still a mystery, but Euron had his suspicions. Looking into the eyes of Aegon Targaryen, and watching them blaze with hellish power, Euron was almost certain that the mysterious second Dark Lord, that had long been absent from view, was really Aegon Targaryen, which would make his allegiance and marriage to the Dark Lady, even more fitting.

With one final chuckle, Euron pressed his will into the mind of the captured soldier, and like so many before him, the soldier quickly fell under Euron's control.

Euron's three crew members watched as the soldier's eyes rolled into his head.

Slowly, he stopped struggling and they released him and removed his gag. After a few moments he climbed to his feet, and spoke.

"Come." He commanded with a smile.

The four then made their way up to the castle, the man being recognized as one of the liutenants of one of the mercenary companies and allowed entrance.

The four men were just entering the courtyard of the castle when Stannis and his guards came marching by. The four paid him little mind as he exited the castle and headed down to ships.

Quickly, and quietly the four made their way towards the sally port, a small gate that led out of the castle and into the interior of the island. It was pitch black out, with the storm dumping torrents of rainfall on the island.

The constant roar of rain, helped to mask the four's movements as they made their way to the sally port.

Once there, they took stock of the guards around the gate, and on the walls, and came up with a plan.

Moving silently, and using the rain for cover, they began cutting throats in the night.

While there were some guards present, most sought shelter inside, out of the hellish downpour and lightning.

Most of the pour saps never saw it coming. The rain and thunder blocked out the sound of bodies falling and the occasional cry of pain or fright.

Methodically, the four picked off the nearby guards, and then got to work opening the two barred doors, and the portcullis the guarded the sally port.

Once the gate was open, a dry torch was lit and waved within the entrance.

It was almost impossible to see anything in the downpour, but with rain like this, the only light coming from the castle would be interior, so anyone out there seeing a light coming from the gate would know that was the signal.

Within minutes shadows began to emerge from the darkness, dozens of Ironborn reavers, led by their lord came rushing through the open entrance, sparing the four men hardly a glance as they raced inside, intent on completing their mission. They had to be quick, grab their targets and get out before they were caught.

The four quickly joined with the reavers, with Euron taking a followers position, happily pretending to be just a turncoat.

The reavers pressed into the main keep of the castle, using the rain to mask their movements and killing anyone who got in their way.

They stuck close to the walls making it difficult for them to be spotted, even during flashes of lightning.

Eventually they made it into the Keep, pressing deeper and deeper, and killing any man in sight.

Eventually they came across a serving girl who was grabbed and held at knife point, they demanded to know where Stannis' wife and daughter were, and where the Red priestess would be.

She gave up the info, while begging for her life, but the Ironborn had little in the way of mercy and cut her throat to keep her quiet.

Selyse Baratheon stood in the Chamber of the Painted Table along with the Red Priestess Melisandre.

Selyse was staring out into the storm when the door burst open with several Baratheon men retreating inward.

They were quickly overtaken by a troop of assailants who rushed into with them, surprising the two women and earning a scream of fright from Selyse as the guards were cut down.

Hearing her screams, some of the reavers quickly rushed over, grabbing her and quickly gagging her. They did the same with Melisandre, who while frightened and surprised, did not scream.

The two women were basically carried out of the room, surrounded by over two dozen men. As they were exiting, more men arrived, carrying a young girl with them, the princess.

Having acquired their targets, the reavers made a mad rush for the exit, knowing that at any moment their trail of bodies could be found, and the whole castle could go on alert.

The three women were helpless as they were carried out of the castle, and away from their home.

Once the reavers were back out of the castle, Euron released his control over the captured soldier, and his crew members slit the man's throat and reclaimed the amulet.

The three then raced out of the castle, never realizing that they were being followed.

Meanwhile, Euron returned to his body, feeling cold, and lethargic, but quite pleased as well.

He quickly shook off the after-effects of his skin-changing and left his cabin.

The storm still raged outside, and would continue all night.

Now that he knew he had Stannis' family, he began his attack.

In the darkness of the night, during the hellish storm, Ironborn longships crashed against larger war-galleys. With the storm upturning the sea, it became near impossible to guide your ships using the wind, in-fact most of Stannis' ships were anchored to avoid them being tossed into one another by the waves.

The smaller longboats that had accompanied the Iron Fleet were still able to move, using the darkness, and the wind to cover their approach and sail close to Stannis' ships and board them.

Fighting continued all through the night, when around dawn, the Ironborn retreated as the sun began to rise and the storm ended.

The following day, Euron received his captives aboard the Silence.

Three women, and a mysterious fourth who been caught by the Ironborn as they were leaving the island.

A jester of some sorts who had followed the ironborn out of the castle, and approached their ships. At first they thought him a soldier, but quickly discovered that he was little more than a fool.

He didn't seem afraid of them, or Euron for that matter, in fact he seemed quite simple, perhaps touched in the head.

Fat, and doughy, with his face tattooed in motley. The fool didn't quite seem to comprehend what he'd gotten involved with, but the Ironborn had captured him anyway as he simply hopped into their ship and hummed and sang a tune for them as they rowed back out to sea.

With his four captives, Euron sat back and waited for a bit, allowing for Stannis to hear about his missing family. He then had another message sent to the man.

It read simply, "I have your family, your Red Priestess, and your fool. Surrender, or with each passing day, I will gift a piece of them to the Drowned God."

Six hours later, a reply came.

"If you wish for this castle, then you must win it. If you've the courage to face me in battle, than we shall settle this ourselves. Tonight, on the beaches of Dragonstone just outside of the fishing village. A duel to decide the fate of House Baratheon. If you are victorious, than the castle is yours, and if I am victorious, you will return those you have stolen, and leave this island, never to return."

"Taking a gamble eh?" Euron thought to himself with amusement, as he lifted his gaze to the Baratheon messenger.

"Tell your king, that I accept." Euron replied.

With a quick nod, the messenger was led away and off the ship.

"If this is how you wish to end this, I am more than happy to oblige you." Euron thought to himself, knowing full well that this was an opportunity to also capture Stannis himself. If he could beat the Stag King, without killing him, he could return to King's Landing with the whole Baratheon set.

That night, Euron and his men arrived on shore, bringing with them Stannis' wife, and the Red Priestess, to show that they did have them, and that they were unharmed.

The two women had been kept bound and gagged this whole time, as Euron didn't much care for what either could possibly have to say.

The two were held by his men, as he made his way forward, clad in his scaled suit of Valyrian Steel Armor.

Thanks to the time of day that Stannis had chosen for the duel, it was near impossible to see what the armor was made out of, and despite being a full suit of armor and helm, it was much lighter than it normally would be, meaning that Stannis would see Euron in this armored suit and immediately conclude that he could win by outlasting Euron while Euron tired himself out in heavy armor. That was part of Euron's plan for this battle, let Stannis think he was tiring himself out, and them when the moment arrived where Stannis was starting to get winded, he'd let up on pretending and quickly take down the Baratheon King.

Stannis stood waiting for him, clad in his usual armor, and surrounded by his men, including his Hand of the King, Davos Seaworth.

"I'm here, Stag King. How will we do this? First blood? Death?" Euron inquired, smirking beneath his helm.

"Until it is done." Stannis declared as he drew his sword.

The sword that he drew, blazed brilliantly, drawing surprise from many of the Ironborn, and even from Euron himself.

Stannis' sword was glowing. Reds and yellows and burning whites, blazed off of the blade. It truly was a marvelous sight, but it was not the blade that held Euron's attention, it was the ruby that was set in the hilt. A ruby that seemed to twinkle with magic.

A chuckle escaped from Euron's lips as a realization struck him, and he glanced over his shoulder at Melisandre

"Azor Ahai? Lightbringer?" He asked with mirth in his glittering blue eye.

Panic flashed in Melisandre's eyes for the briefest of moments as Euron turned back to Stannis and lifted his battle axe.

The two warriors then charged one another and the duel began. What could have been coined as a dual for the ages, was little more than an average day for the pirate lord. Over his years at sea, Euron had personally fought many men, some were better fighters than Stannis, many were worse, but Euron had survived them all regardless.

The dual lasted only a few minutes as Euron blocked Stannis' strikes with his axe, and Stannis dodged or blocked Euron's own.

Stannis fought hard, but it was his own strength that was his undoing. He thrust his sword hard, aiming for beneath Euron's arm, hoping to strike at where there was less armor.

Euron caught the blade with his arm, pinning it between his arm and his body. He quickly noticed the lack of heat coming from the blade, despite it glowing like fire.

Stannis moved to pull it free, just as Euron turned his body, intent on tearing the blade free from Stannis' hand, instead the blade bent and suddenly snapped.

Both men backed away from one another in surprise.

Euron allowed the upped half of the blade to fall into the sand, as he turned his gaze towards it.

No longer did it glow, instead it was burned and blackened. The part of the blade that Stannis held, still glowed, though it was now less than half it's length.

Stannis seemed in disbelief as he stared at the blade, and it was in his disbelief that he was finally defeated.

Seeing the opening, Euron rushed forward, moving faster than one would think possible in a full suit of armor, and drilled Stannis in the side of the head with the flat side of his axe, earning shouts of surprise from Stannis' men and cheers from Euron's.

The blow knocked Stannis to the ground, and also knocked him senseless, Euron wasted no time in finishing the duel. He continued to use the flat end of his axe to hammer Stannis' body. Using the axe like a mace, he hammered Stannis' body, knocking the wind out of him, even as the Baratheon lord pulled his dagger and tried to crawl to his feet.

Euron used his axe to knock the dagger out of Stannis hand, cracking his wrist hard and earning a growl of pain from the Stag King. He then ended the fight with another swing of his axe across Stannis' face.

Once on the ground again, Euron stepped over him, and pulled Stannis into a headlock. He wrapped his arm around his neck and began choking the life out of him.

Stannis struggled, thrashing and clawing at Euron, even managing to knock his helmet off as he struggled.

Using the last of his strength, Stannis tried to claw at Euron's face. He succeeded in ripping off Euron's eyepatch, and cutting his fingernails into the skin of Euron's cheek, but that was about the extent of it. Within moments, Stannis was unconscious, and Euron released his limp body and rose to his feet, reclaiming his eyepatch as he did.

He held it in his hand and stepped away from the unconscious Stannis, moving over towards the broken lower half of his sword.

He picked up the glittering blade and examined it for a moment, his eyes settling on the ruby in the hilt.

After a few moments he chuckled and dropped the blade into the sand.

He turned his gaze over to Melisandre, who reeled fearfully when she caught sight of his coal black eye that shone with nightmarish malice.

"A useful trick to fool these people, though it might have been wise to tell the man himself that what he was holding, was little more than a brittle, broken blade." Euron chided her, cruelly.

Slowly, Euron replaced his eye-patch and turned his gaze back to broken sword.

It took him a few seconds, but he managed to quickly piece together the trick behind the blade, with another chuckle, he turned towards Stannis' men.

"It looks like I won. I'll be taking your Stag King, his daughter, his wife, and his priestess. You there, you're the King's Hand, are you not?" Euron addressed one of Stannis' followers, an older man, heavily grayed who wore a defeated expression on his face.

"I am, Davos Seaworth." Davos responded.

"The terms of the duel, Dragonstone is mine. Do you intend to hand it over, or shall we begin a siege?" Euron inquired with a tempered smile.

Davos Seaworth stared back at him for several long moments. He could hear Selyse and Melisandre shouting through their gags at him, most likely trying to convince him of one direction or another, though which they attempting, he didn't immediately know.

As Hand of the King, it was his duty to see the terms of this duel through to the end. Stannis was a man of honor, who did all in his power to try and do what was right. The man held himself to a standard. A promise was made, terms set for an honorable duel. The Greyjoy had won, and that was that. All Davos could do now was try and protect his king, and his king's family, and he couldn't do that, by hiding in Dragonstone.

Internally, Davos cursed the Red Priestess.

Stannis knew well enough that he wasn't the greatest fighter in the Seven Kingdoms, and his chances of beating Euron Greyjoy were about even, which meant it was too much of a gamble to take a chance on. Normally Stannis would have chosen another path, but Melisandre had claimed that Euron was a servant of the Great Other, a servant of darkness, and that it was Stannis' destiny to face him in battle and destroy him.

When asked if the fires had granted her anymore visions of the future, she had taken a moment to gaze into them, hoping for a sign, an affirmation to her beliefs. She then told the King that she could see him, standing amidst a pillar of fire, with the Dragonwolf at his feet.

Her vision, had led to many of those that Melisandre had already converted to her faith, to encourage the King to challenge Euron Greyjoy, and handle this in the old ways.

Stannis had made his choice, and not for the last time, Davos Seaworth cursed the misery that the Red Woman had brought to his King.

"You've won the duel, and the castle. I would ask what you intend for the Queen, and the princess Shireen?" Davos responded after several long moments.

"Shireen Baratheon has been requested by King Aegon. I will deliver her to him, along with the keys to his family's ancestral home. You King and Queen will be among the captives I present to his grace." Euron responded.

"I see. Than I'd best turn myself over as well. As Stannis' hand, I am one of your enemies." Davos stated, though he hid his nervousness well, he couldn't keep it entirely from his voice. Euron offered the man a smile and nodded at that.

Davos Seaworth knew he was risking his life, and he'd probably face the headman's axe for this, but he had to try and plead before king Aegon. If not for Stannis, than for Shireen. That girl was like a daughter to him, and he couldn't just let her sail away into danger.

"Tell you men to yield the castle, and return to their homes. I will leave some of my men here to garrison it until the King sends his own forces to occupy it. If for whatever reason, those in the castle should choose to refuse, than I'm sure the next force the king sends to reclaim his ancestral home, will be accompanied by dragons. See it done, Hand of the King, and then deliver yourself to my ship. I sail for King's Landing tomorrow morning." Euron declared, earning a nod from Davos, as some of Euron's men moved forward to collect Stannis and take him hostage.

While many of the Stag King's men bristled at the sight of their unconscious lord being dragged away, none moved to intervene. A duel had been fought, and now, the victor would have their spoils. As much as they hated it, they nod had to live with it.

Later on that night, Euron sat upon the deck of his ship holding the two halves of Stannis' sword in his hands.

The upper half looked to be burned out, worn, like someone had left it in a fire for far too long. The lower half still glowed radiantly.

Before Euron stood his brother Victarion, whom wore his typical scowl on his face.

"What manner of sorcery causes a blade to burn like a fire?" Victarion asked.

"In this case, an illusion brother. Feel it, there is no heat to this blade, despite how it looks." Euron answered, holding out the lower half of the blade to Victarion. For a half second, Victarion suspected some sort of treachery. He could imagine Euron's laughter as he grabbed the burning blade and scalded himself, but the idea fled quickly from his mind, as Euron was actually holding the lower half of the blade, but the blade.

His bare hand touched at the glowing red and orange metal, yet he seemed unfazed by it.

Slowly Victarion took the blade and ran his eyes along it. It was a beautiful sword, of that he had no doubt, but something about it seemed false. He ran his fingers along the blade itself, and just as Euron had said, no heat came from it.

"The jewel on the hilt. It's projecting a glamour of some kind. It makes the blade look special, but it isn't." Euron explained to him.

Victarion lowered his eyes to the shining red ruby on the hilt of the blade, and blinked several times as he took in Euron's words.

It all sounded ridiculous to him. Why go through all the work to make a magic stone that would make a sword look like it was on fire?

After a few moments he voiced such confusion.

"It was the red woman. She did it to make it seem like the Stag King was more than he was. It seems even he believed it." Euron answered him.

"Why choose a brittle blade then? Why not something hard and strong, something that wouldn't snap like that?" Victarion questioned.

"This was probably a good strong blade once. Castle-forged steel, fit to be wielded by a king. The thing is, magic is a powerful force, and you can't just subject something to it, without consequences. This sword has probably been under these magical effects for months, possibly even years, and it's worn the blade down. She's good, that Fire Witch, but she's no craftswoman." Euron responded, letting out a chuckle as he did before rising to his feet.

"Go now, return to your ship. At dawn's first light we sail for King's Landing to deliver our prize." Euron commanded, earning a hard nod from his brother who turned and headed off.

Euron stared after him for several long moments before heading into his cabin, his task now complete, it was time to see what spoils the Kraken would gain from this.

-King's Landing, A few days later-

Pleasured moans filled the air of the King and Queen's chambers.

Aegon thrust hard into Sansa's pussy, pushing himself closer and closer to his release. The redheaded werewolf had her legs wrapped around Aegon, keeping him inside of her as he approached his peak.

Beside them, Lilith lay on her back with Tauriel eating her out.

Lilith let out pleasured groans while running her hand through the elf's hair as she moved closer and closer to her release.

As Lilith let out a pleasured gasp and her body shook, Tauriel rose from between her legs, choosing to quickly finger her master the rest of the way to her climax.

Lilith's groans quickly became louder as she rapidly approached the tipping point. She heard her beloved Aegon groan as he finally released into Sansa's depths. A smirk touched at Lilith's lips, as she quickly joined him in the throes of climax.

Moments after her release, Lilith pulled the redheaded elf into a searingly passionate kiss, one that lasted for several long moments before finally coming to a halt.

When it did, and the two separated, Lilith allowed her gaze to meet with the elf's. Tauriel stared back, her eyes shining with lust, and desire.

Lilith let out a chuckle and pulled Tauriel back into a kiss, the two continued with their kissing, while Aegon rolled onto his back, and Sansa began riding him.

Lilith glanced over at the two, and found that she liked the look of the position. She quickly whispered a few words of magic, and from just above her clit, an erect cock suddenly grew. When Tauriel caught sight of it, her eyes went wide in surprise, though that quickly melted away as Lilith pulled her on to her erect member.

It took a moment for Tauriel to get over her surprise, but when she did, she quickly settled into a familiar rhythm of movement and began riding the dark lady's cock.

Lilith took in the sight of her elven slave, and felt content knowing that she had her completely enraptured. Tauriel's looks of defiance were becoming fewer and fewer. As she walked beside the dark lady, she grew more and more accustomed to the horrors that Lilith surrounded herself with. In the bedroom, she was quickly becoming a bit of a fiend. Always willing, if not eager, to engage in sex acts with whomever was offering.

Lilith knew that she had the elf worn down. Tauriel lusted for her now, for Aegon too. The constant barrage of flirting, seduction, teasing, and sex had broken down Tauriel's defenses. She tried not to show how much she enjoyed it, but it was getting harder and harder. More and more she found herself drifting to sleep in the arms of one of her bed-partners, only to awake in the middle of the night and realize the position she was in and remove herself.

She tried not to appear like she wanted it, but she did, and despite her efforts, it was clear as day to Lilith.

Soon they'd be gaining a new bed partner, and Lilith would begin working her charms on the Tyrell girl. Aegon already had her interest, and she was committed to the idea of marrying him, and being his wife, but Lilith would need to mold her into a loyal bed-partner, just like Sansa.

There was also the young Marcella to consider. Lilith found her beautiful, and had taken the opportunity to speak with the girl several times. If she continued to hold Lilith's eye than she would soon find herself in this very bed as well.

Lilith enjoyed her concubines, and her affection for the elf and werewolf extended far, but it was not unbreakable. She didn't often lose interest in her slaves or her concubines, so long as they returned her interest. Lilith was a cruel woman, but not so much a cruel lover. She only inflicted pain in the bedroom, if she found that it excited her partner. Pain was part of Lilith's everyday life, and she inflicted it upon the world constantly. She got her fill of it, in her day to day life, she didn't need it in the bedroom.

So long as her concubines played her games, she was more than happy to bathe in every manner of earthly pleasure.

She may never love them, not like she loved Sauron, but she did have affection for them, and even lust. So long as they loved and lusted after her, Lilith was fine with teasing them, and playing into their fantasies. Making them love her, and having them yearn for her, is what Lilith wanted from them. Once she had their desire, she would keep it by dangling her love before them.

Watching them reach for it, push for it, try and get it, always amused her. So long as they did, so long as they were willing to chase her, Lilith would never grow bored with them, and so long as she never grew bored with them, they would remain hers.

So having Tauriel so compliant, having won over the elf's desires, Lilith definitely enjoyed it.

Sansa was much the same, both the Dark Lords had won her over, so neither had any worries in regards to their future Queen of the North.

The four continued their love-making long into the morning before finally stopping around noon.

During the day, while Aegon held court, Lilith walked through what used to be the Dragonpit. All around her, a new structure was going up. Ruins had been cleared away, and in their place, a small fortress was rising in it's place.

This structure would serve as the heart of magical learning for the continent. Here they would attract wizards, and warlocks, witches and sorcerers. All manner of magical practitioners would come to this city, and from this location, they would form an academy of magical knowledge, with which to study magic, and train new practitioners.

The progress was steady, already most of the old Dragonpit had been cleared away, and the builders had started to break ground to set new foundations for the structure.

Lilith was very pleased to see this project starting to make some headway.

After visiting it, she then apparated to Harrenhal, her new castle.

Aegon had officially named her the Lady of Harrenhal, and a vast majority of their orcish army was now gathering there. Her forces were quickly put to work on tearing down the old ruins, and beginning to dig the foundation for a new castle.

Over these lands, Lilith intended to construct a monolithic castle, similar in might to Tantibus Arcis. This castle would stand high over the vast expanse of the Gods Eye, and from it the dark powers would project their colossal strength over all of Westeros.

Lilith was still planning how this mighty fortress would look, as well as how she would use it, so for now she just chose to observe as her army worked on tearing down the old ruins, to prepare for the eventual construction of her new castle.

Once her inspection was done, she returned to King's Landing, and walked through the streets. On occasion she would be noticed by the people, and many would light up upon seeing her.

Lilith was quickly earning a reputation as a beloved queen, one who wasn't afraid to walk amongst the people, and to heal their injuries and sicknesses. To the people of King's Landing, Lilith was a literal godsend, and those that had personally experienced the benefits of her magic, absolutely adored her.

The Dark Lady kept her typical aloofness, as she earned several cheers, and calls from the populace. Some young children would wave to her, and occasionally she would bless the people with a smile.

Being adored by her subjects wasn't something that Lilith had ever sought, not even as Morgoth. Lilith simply had never cared what people thought of her. Even as Sofia Potter, the only person who's opinion mattered to her was Harry. Some people came close, those like Sirius Black, but no one had ever crossed that threshold, no one had ever been so elevated in her eyes, that she not only wanted their approval, but needed it.

Having the love of these people was a nice feeling, but Lilith didn't allow it to get to her head. She had been human once, long ago, so she knew how fickle they could be. One day they'd be happy and smiling and cheering your name, and the next, an angry mob would be forming to come and tear you apart.

So while she enjoyed the praise and adoration, she didn't allow herself to be fooled into believing these people were truly loyal. The loyalty of the mob changed with the winds, and it always would. As Lilith passed around a corner, she came across an interesting sight.

The Septon whom had officiated her wedding was preaching to the commoners, warning of the dangers of sorcery, and that it was an affront to the gods.

Even now, more and more preachers were appearing in the city. Those of the Faith of the Seven who sought to ensure that their religion was adhered to, and that the Northern King followed the 'true' gods.

Aegon and her may have married in the light of the Seven, but that didn't mean all of the worries were now settled, and there was still the issue of Lilith being well… Lilith.

Rumors had also started circulating that Aegon intended to marry his cousin, and Margaery Tyrell. Not since Maegor the cruel had a Targaryen king taken two wives, let alone three.

And though most of the orcs and trolls had left the capitol, there were still many present to act as a workforce and to assist in keeping the peace. The presence of the inhuman monsters set many people on edge, especially the pious faithful who saw them as nightmarish creatures.

Though some listened to the preachers, there were many voices that drew up from the crowd that shouted rebuttals. Those that the king and queen had healed with their magic, those that they had fed.

When these shouts rose up, Lilith couldn't help but smile, as the Septon had no answer to them. He couldn't tell people that using magic to heal them of their injuries and sicknesses was wrong, he simply couldn't. To do so would alienate people from the faith.

A snort of amusement left Lilith as she continued on her way, walking unnoticed past the crowd. It wouldn't be long now before they began moving against the faith. After Stannis Baratheon and the rebel Stormlords were dealt with, the Faith of the Seven, and the Maesters of Oldtown would be the last bastions of power left in the Seven Kingdoms that didn't belong to the crown. The Maesters were more easily dealt with, and could be handled without bloodshed, but the Faith… that would need to be brought down to it's very foundation and then the roots would be ripped clean and the land salted in it's wake.

The first pieces had been placed, and more were set each day, with each act of goodness delivered to the peasants of this city. Soon though, soon a much bigger play would be needed. A strike to ignite the inferno that would burn down the temple of the faith.

An idea began forming in Lilith's mind as she continued on her way.

By the time she made it back to the castle, a devilish plot had formed in her mind and she was eager to share it with her husband. As she passed through the gates, she was joined by Tauriel. Whenever Lilith left in a rush, or used apparation to teleport to other locations, she'd often leave her protector behind. Not knowing where Lilith had gone to, Tauriel was left with little choice but to return to the castle, or just stay there and await Lilith's return.

The two made their way to the Throne Room where Aegon sat upon the Iron Throne. He sat brooding, as he was apt to do. In all of his long life, some things didn't change. One of those things was that he had always been one to stew in his own thoughts, and contemplate things. As Harry, as Mairon, as Sauron, and even now as Aegon, her beloved twin and husband, always found himself drawn into his own head when he was left alone. Brooding, scheming, contemplating, name it whatever you wish, but he always had a way of being drawn into his own thoughts.

When he noticed it was Lilith approaching him, he smiled, and his eyes lit up. He rose to his feet and descended the throne, meeting his beloved on equal footing.

"What have you been up to?" Aegon inquired.

"Just checking on some of my projects. I went to Harrenhal to take a look at the progress being made there. I think tomorrow I'll return to Casterly Rock to check on my pet, and if you ask nicely I may even check to see if your ships are finished being made." Lilith replied, earning a chuckle from Aegon.

"Well I hope everything is going as you wish. A raven arrived while you were gone, from Dragonstone. The castle has been taken and is now being held by the Ironborn. Euron and his fleet are sailing back to King's Landing with Stannis and his daughter in tow." Aegon informed her.

"He was successful? And so quickly… I do look forward to hearing how he managed this." Lilith responded, Aegon nodding in agreement with her.

"He should arrive her within the next two or three days. So long as the winds are good." Aegon offered.

"That's good to hear. It means we can finally deal with the last claimant to the Iron Throne, and put an end to the Baratheon royal dynasty. Once that is done, we can turn our attention to other threats, speaking of which, I had an idea that I wished to share with you. Come, let us discuss it over dinner." Lilith responded, offering her arm to her husband which he happily took and the two headed out, Tauriel following silently behind them.

-In Mordor, at the same time-

The Mouth of Sauron sat upon his fell steed staring down three figures before him. The Lieutenant of Barad-Dûr held a high place among his master's forces, but these three were beyond even him.

The Black Captains. The Black Hand of Sauron, a man of cunning, and sinister intention, and the leader of three. The Tower of Sauron, the most cruel, and monstrous of the three, a twisted creature of pain and agony who sought only to inflict his pain upon the world. And finally the Hammer of Sauron, a towering man who carried with him the legendary mace that Sauron himself had once used to fell the High kings of men and elves.

These three were monstrous figures and they were personal agents of the Dark Lord.

For a time now, they had been set to a secret task for Sauron, there travels taking them into the east. Now though, it seemed that they had returned.

"Long have you been absent, on behalf of our master, I welcome thee home." The Mouth offered to the three in courtesy.

"Our task took us far from here, yet after much time and effort, we have seen it done. Preparations must now be made. Soon the armies of Mordor will wash across these lands and see the Men of Gondor to their doom." The Black Hand responded.

"Then the time has come for us to reclaim Mordor?" The Mouth questioned.

"Very soon. We must make final preparations, but when we initiate our attack there can be no room for error, so we will spend the coming days ensuring that all is prepared so that when the signal is given, our master's plan will come to fruition." The Black Hand answered.

The Mouth nodded, and welcomed the three into Barad-Dûr. The fortress itself was very slowly beginning to rise from it's foundations, but one day, it would loom over all of Mordor, and the whole of Middle-Earth would once again know the power of the dark lord.

-Tantibus Arcis, Around the same time-

Deep in the shadows of the massive dark citadel, a ritual had been ongoing for the better part of twenty-years.

A dozen men and orcs sat in a circle around the body of a man, this man was once one of the greatest knights Westeros had ever seen.

Ser Arthur Dayne, the Sword of the Morning. Long ago, Arthur Dayne had fallen protecting his king at the Tower of Joy, after his death, his body had been brought to Lilith so that he may be revived and used for a very special purpose.

Lilith had done so, reanimating the deceased knight, and leaving him in the hands of Sauron's servants to do with as they pleased.

They kept the legendary warrior in a coma, kept him sustained as they performed a ritual around him.

This ritual filled him with dark energies, energies that were slowly and methodically fused into his being making him stronger, faster, more athletic, and greatly extending his life.

Upon his awakening he would have the strength of a troll, the speed and senses of an elf, and the endurance no mortal could hope to match. He would stand as a shining beacon of strength and power, beside his king. Once more, the greatest knight alive, would show the world his power.

Soon the ritual would reach it's conclusion, and after many long years, the Sword of the Morning would rise again to serve his king.

-The Bay of Dragons-

Tyrion stared out at the city of Meereen as their ship closed in on it's port. Soon they would dock, and they would go and meet with the Dragon Queen, Daenerys Targaryen.

Tyrion felt his nerves build, but he steadied himself and prepared for a meeting that might very well end in the deaths of himself and his entire family.

Still, they had to press on. Daenerys was the only option left for them at this point. She wanted the Iron Throne, and if they could ally with her, than maybe they could find their way home. Tommen may never be king of Westeros, but they could still one day reclaim the Rock, and the Westerlands. It was a gamble, and perhaps a fools hope, but they had no other choice. They had to take a risk, and see if a bit of Lannister luck yet remained.

-Arcem Ossa-

Deep horns filled the air, as out of the dungeons and catacombs of the Fortress of Bones, arose a great army.

At it's head, marched Dathrag. The Mighty Balrog had received the command. The time had come to march on the Blue wizard and his mannish allies.

The kingdoms of men would finally taste the might of the new lords of Valyria. It was time for the East to feel the wrath of the forces of darkness.

-To Be Continued-

There you go, hope you enjoy, here's my responses to you reviews.

Boban094: Yeah, lot's of exposition last time, hopefully this chapter is better.

Darth Queidus: Lol Saloman, yeah everything is going as planned

ShadeslayerX:Thanks, happy you like it, and yeah I believe it's 60 years between the Hobbit and Lord of the Rings, but don't worry, there is plenty of story to tell before we get to the Start of Lotr.

The Great Omen: Lol, that's a good one.

Gilead Maana: Thanks, hope you still enjoy it, and yeah, there aren't many threats in Westeros, but we're gonna see some interesting ones start to emerge next chapter.

Jedi7000nathan: Hmm, and interesting idea, we'll just have to see if any of the other istari can be turned.

AvidReader2425: You are most welcome, happy to please.

Deathchill: Thank you very much!

Chaosmar18: a lot of people are in for a rude awakening on that one.

Rrr: Okay, holy shit this was a long review but I absolutely loved it, and I'm happy to hear you're enjoying the story. I always try to adhere to this simply idea of there being very few'true' evils in the form of people. In my mind, true evil is a force of nature that cannot be reasoned with. It's a demon that only exists to cause pain and suffering. It's a monster that cannot feel love, or empathy, or find joy in anything, it only exists to cause pain and devastation, and it has no reason behind it's existence. So despite Sauron and Lilith being the primary evils in the world, I don't see them as true evil or pure evil. They have reasons, they have justifications, they have wants and desires, they don't just exist to destroy and cause pain. It's the idea that everyone is the hero of their own story. Most people don't wake up believing that they are the bad guy. They think what they're doing is right, based on their own moral views and their life. I don't condone their actions, but they can have a reasoning behind it, and I don't think that makes a person pure evil. Backstory gives these characters a past, a moral reasoning, and a sense of right and wrong. They were deeply wronged in their past, and now feel justified in what they've become. They are far better people than they give themselves credit for, but they've existed so long as a force of evil, that they just accept that it's what they are now. I'm happy you enjoy it, and I hope you continue too as the story goes on.

DBZx Skyfall: Thank you, very much.

Kelorus: Thank you, happy you think so.

Jmknz777: No you're great.

Ezylryb: Thanks a bunch.

Valkorion510: Not sure what that means but thank you.

38Solaire38: Thank you, and thanks for the consideration. I am feeling better, and I hope I can get out of the writing funk soon. I love writing, I just find that there are too few hours in the day. I pull up a chapter to write, watch some youtube videos on the side, and suddenly I look up and it's time for work or time for bed. Time just flies by too quickly sometimes ya know.

LunaAnt: Thank you very much, I'll try.

Connorfig: Hope you enjoyed it as much as I did writing it.

HelelBenShahar:Thanks so much, happy to hear you like it.

Asharzal: Hope you enjoyed it, I know I did.

Metalloid: Hope you still enjoying it.

SGArkosfan: Hope this sates you appetite.

Kamori I'm The Infinity: Hope you're doing well, and happy that you're enjoying it.

LongSelfindulgentReviews: Hope this wait wasn't too bad though I know it was a long one.

Tenaut: Hope you enjoyed it!

Guest: Hope you enjoyed this one.

KingZeRoPL: I hope you liked this one too.

Dominus1389: Oh don't worry, it's coming.

Wolftamer96: Yep, with Sauron now turning his eyes towards Angmar means that there's a good chance he'll hear more about the Dunedain.

Mats Bckman:I'm very happy you came to enjoy it, and I am desperately trying to get into a regular writing habit again. With my work schedule being so stupid, it's hard to get into a rhythm that works, but I am trying.

Scarlet Nerd: Yeah, Euron was meant to be truly terrifying in the show, but they just ruined his character and turned him into a shitty pirate instead of the dread sorcerer of terrifying power he was in the books. Can't wait to further expand his character, got some interesting paths ahead for him, hope you enjoy it.

Perseus: thanks, hope this was a good one.

Guest: Thank you very much, it means a lot.