I sat on a cliffside on Pyke island. We'd only been back from the tourney for a few days and some work had backed up. This kept the family busy. However, my father wanted me to stay out of the spotlight for now. I'd garnered far more attention than even I had intended to and we wanted the rumors to die down before I did anything else. I was disappointed that I wouldn't be able to attend any meetings for a while but I had insisted that in a few months, I would be allowed to command a number of ships alongside the rest of the Ironborn fleet. When asked why, I simply stated that we could be among the keys to keeping the Seven Kingdoms united.

The water below roared in protest against the cliffs and the salt spray filled the air. I watched the ships sail by until the serene quiet of the day was interrupted by the croaking of a raven. Its harsh voice clawed at the air and demanded attention. I turned to look at the ebony fowl and noticed that it had three eyes. It stared at me with cautious consideration.

I stood, patted my skirt down straight, then dipped into a curtsy, "Bloodraven. It's a pleasure to finally make your acquaintance."

The crow cocked its head to the side, feigning ignorance.

"I can see beyond your dream self," I sighed, not in the mood for cryptic messages. "Show yourself or speak as a raven, but don't insult my intelligence."

The raven seemed to laugh. In a burst of feathers and smoke, Bloodraven stepped forward. He was old and pale, his arms and legs twisted like gnarled roots. The wine-stained birthmark on his neck gave him away. He stared at me with his albino red eyes, "How do you know that name?"

I smiled, "I could call you Brynden if you prefer. I'm sure it's been some time since you were called by your true name."

He arched a pale snowy brow, "How could you know this?"

"In a way both similar and different from how you know things," I replied simply. "Have you come thinking to have me replace you? I'll spare you the trouble and tell you here and now that I will refuse."

He approached me and motioned to a large stone, "May I sit?"

I bowed my head, "By all means."

He took a seat on the stone and stared at me, "I have not come to seek you as my replacement. I have come to discover the truth of you."

"How do you mean?" I asked as I sat on a chair of stone that I summoned beneath me.

"You are a convergence in the history of the world," he explained. "Until your birth, I could foresee the future of every event, visit any moment in the sea of time. Now, however, There is no going forward. Evens have occurred that should not have, and they all change based on your actions."

"And you've come to find out why," I guessed.

Brynden nodded, "Among other things, yes."

"I could give you a guess, but that's the best I could do," I shrugged. "As strange as it may sound, I'm not from this world. This is the fourth universe I've been born into. But this one, as well as the last two, were worlds that were nothing but fiction in the world I lived my first life in. I know a great deal about this world's past, as well about the people who live in it. And I suppose my actions are now going to determine the direction the world actually goes in."

"But no one person can have that much influence over the course of history," he refuted.

"Oh, please," I smirked. "You know that's not true. Your plans for Brandon Stark prove that's false. But I don't recommend bothering with him anymore."

"And why is that?" Brynden asked, genuinely curious.

"Because I doubt very much he'll fall from that tower now," I chuckled. "He'll have no need and no desire to trek beyond The Wall to go find you. I would seek someone else. Someone less… notable."

"And you do not wish to learn the gift of foresight?" he asked, looking at me as if the idea would tempt me.

"You mean like my uncle?" I quipped and shook my head. "Your foresight would be useless to me. As you've already said, there is no set future when I'm around. What good is foresight when I can't see it because I'm the cause of its disruption?"

"I speak with the wisdom of experience," I countered. "I've seen more war, more death, more love, more joy, more sorrow, more of everything than you have ever witnessed. This life is just another step for me at this point. Another room I enter and leave before moving on to the next one. But like every room I enter, I will leave it better than I found it."

"And what will the cost be to achieve your ambition?" he asked, seeming genuinely curious to glean some insight into what he must have thought to be some strange type of immortal.

"The cost will be what it must," I answered, not able to put a number on lives or coin at this point. "I've learned that remaking the world is not an easy task. Nor does it come about for free. But I will make this world a better place, and I will drag its citizens kicking and screaming behind me to make it happen if I must."

"One might think you a tyrant speaking like that," he said with concern.

"Perhaps I am," I conceded. "But history only calls you a tyrant if your results are poor, otherwise it calls you a hero. They are, after all, two sides of the same coin."

"An interesting perspective," he chuckled. "Since you are so insistent on not receiving this gift, may I change the topic of discussion?"

"Are you going to ask about the Whitewalkers?" I asked pointedly.

My knowledge of the ancient enemy took Brynden by surprise. He stared at me for a few moments before nodding, "Indeed. I trust if you know of them, you know that they're beginning to wake?"

I nodded, "I'm not worried about them. I already have a plan to deal with them."

"I think you may be misjudging the size of their force and the potential for it to grow," he said with a doubtful tone.

"I can assure you that I am not," I smirked. "Their forces will be in the hundreds of thousands by the time they get past The Wall. It won't be enough."

"You seem very sure of yourself," he said conspiratorially.

I smiled sweetly, "I am. There is no power in this world that can contend with me. And so long as my family listens to my advice, I'll eventually bring peace to this world. The army of the dead is just an army, and the least of my concerns. I have more genuine obstacles to overcome than something so simple as an army."

"You heard her, you rotted an old stump," Euron's voice came from behind me. "Leave my little sister be or I'll sail north and carve you out of that tree before feeding you to my dogs."

"Euron," Brynden and I said in unison. My tone was one of joy, his was one of irritation.

"You heard me," Euron snarled as he stood behind me and glared at the elderly man. "Be gone from here. We have no need for your lies."

Brynden stood and seemed like he was going to defy Euron for a moment. Thinking better of it, he looked down at me and bowed his head, "Until we speak again, Lady Greyjoy."

My eyes popped open and Euron was sitting in front of me, "So how long has that old bastard been speaking to you?"

I was still resting on the cliff, but I had apparently dozed off. It was the only way Brynden could have spoken to me from this distance. I yawned, stretched, and shrugged, "Not long. A week or two maybe? He's only contacted me a number of times."

"Crows are all liars, Merida, remember that," he spat. "That old bastard used to come to me in my dreams as well."

"I didn't want anything from him and told him as much," I said as I sat up.

"That's my girl!" he grinned and patted my shoulder. "And did I overhear you talking about the army of the dead?"

"Did you learn about them with your crow eye?" I asked.

Euron chuckled and nodded, "Indeed I did. Not sure what to do about them, honestly. They can't cross water so it doesn't seem like I have to do much."

I gave Euron a disappointed expression, "That's so short sighted. I'll make sure they won't get past The Wall."

Euron threw his head back and laughed, "Oh, will you? You and what army?"

I grinned, "An army of krakens, lions, stags, and wolves."

"You think you'll be leading the Iron Islanders against the army of the dead, do you?" he chuckled. "And what makes you think father or your brothers will let you?"

"Because you'll want me to," I replied. "Besides, we have more important things to worry about before that."

"Such as?" Eruon asked.

"The Mad King is about to tip the scales too far," I said as I met Euron's eyes. "There will be war, and we need to be ready to do our part to ensure the transition of power."

"What have you seen?" Euron asked.

"We have two opportunities coming up," I replied. "One will be coming up in the next year. Another will be coming up in about eighteen years. The first opportunity will put us in high estimation with everyone. The second one will gain us untold favor with the North and the King."

"Didn't you just suggest that the Mad King won't be around much longer?" Euron asked.

"I didn't say he would be the king we would gain favor with," I smirked.

Euron laughed, "Your mind works in such sly ways, Sister. I wish we had more time to speak on it, but you have a visitor."

"Me?" I asked in surprise. "I've never had someone come to see me before. Who is it?"

Euron shrugged as he helped me to my feet, "Some mainlander who says he knows you."

"You didn't bother asking for their name?" I asked as I walked alongside him.

"He assured me that you would know him when you saw him," Euron spat. "Damn salty Dornish. Never met a single one that didn't think themselves some sort of cryptic individual."

"Dornish?" I echoed in confusion. "I don't know anyone from Dorne."

"Then when you tell him that we'll see how well he swims with a coat full of rocks." Euron chuckled with grim delight.

"So where is this mystery person?" I asked. "Did Father have him brought to the castle?"

Euron shook his head, "He's waiting at the docks. You know the rules. No outsiders beyond the villages."

Tommen escorted me along as Euron led me to his horse which he had left nearby with our horses. They were tied to a tree near the cliffside where I normally enjoyed resting whenever I had the opportunity. After Tommen helped me up onto my horse, the three of us rode down to Pyke village, then down to the docks where a small crowd was beginning to form. Some of the Drowned Men had surrounded a young man, and a number of villagers and guards had joined them. There was a palpable sense of anger and paranoia in the crowd. No one had ever come looking for me, and now the first person who did was some no-name Dornish commoner. They were rightly skeptical.

We pulled the horses to a stop a few yards from the crowd and dismounted. Euron barked for the crowd to make a hole so we could pass and Tommen kept close to my side to keep anyone at bay. Those people gathered moved aside for us and bowed their heads as we passed. Aeron stood defiantly between myself and the man who'd claimed to know me, his tempest tossed robes billowing in the salty sea breeze.

"How do we know you have not come to harm her?" Aeron barked.

"I have no weapons," the man replied. "And I'm wearing nothing but rags. If I were an assassin, I'd be a poor one indeed."

"Move aside, Aeron," I called as I approached. "I can't see the man."

Aeron turned and looked down at me, then scowled at Euron, "Why would you bring her? That's precisely what he wanted!"

Euron laughed, "It's what I wanted. I want to know who he is and how he knows our sister who has never left our island except for once, and only recently. She's never been to Dorne and has never met a Dornishman. So I figured it would be good fun to catch him in a lie and then send him to the Drowned God."

I looked up at the two men, "Will the two of you stop arguing. And move aside, Aeron! Let's get this over with."

Aeron looked at me and grumbled as he stepped aside so that I could see the visitor. The moment my eyes caught sight of him, I gasped. I was about to shout his name before he grinned that familiar grin and bowed low, "Lady Merida Greyjoy. My name is Allen. The Drowned God spoke to me in my dreams and commanded me to come here. I've come to serve at your side if you'll have me."

"Yes!" I shouted with glee. "Yes! Yes, of course! You are most welcome!"

"What?!" Euron and Aeron both shouted in unison.

I looked up at them and crossed my arms, "The Drowned God has sent him to me. I was given a similar message; that someone would be sent to me to serve me. If he says the Drowned God sent him, then I believe him."

Aeron scowled, "You think the Drowned God would send some Dornish rat to serve you?"

"Aeron!" I shouted, both angry and disappointed in his reaction. Calm waters surged against the shore in churning fury. "I don't care if the Drowned God sends me a drowned rat, a lame stag, or a mangy wolf. If He sends them to us, we will accept them with grace and humility as is required of us as His servants! Or do you think you know better than the Drowned God who is worthy of serving?"

Aeron blanched. Over the years he had begun to see me not just as his sister but as the voice of the Drowned God himself, or even as an avatar of the god. His stormy demeanor diminished like sails without wind. He bowed his head, "No, Sister. I should not have spoken in such a way. Forgive me. Of course we should welcome the man."

"You're forgiven," I replied, changing my tone to a softer, more amiable one. "Now, see about getting Allen some clothes, please. We can't have him serving in rags, as you put it."

"Of course," Aeron replied as he immediately turned to go fetch some clothes.

I looked up at Euron, "Euron? Would you mind if Allen used your horse to get back to the castle? I would like to show him where he'll be staying and have Tommen begin familiarizing him with his duties."

Euron looked down at me with a sly grin, "It's not my horse. I just took it. Go on, then. I'll find another."

I snickered. Euron was dangerous, dripped with guile, and knew or suspected far more than he let on. But he was humorous, charismatic, and amiable. It was no wonder he was more popular with the people than the other brothers. There were a number of times I wanted to tell him everything because I knew just how useful he would be in the future. But he was an ocean storm. You never knew which way his winds would blow at any given moment. Calculating how he would react to my plans was impossible. I didn't like someone as fickle and unreliable in my plans if I could help it, regardless of how useful they could be.

I looked at Allen, "If you'll come with me, please. We'll show you to the castle."

Allen fell in behind myself and Tommen. We took the horses and made straight for the castle. The trip wasn't long and I kept quiet the entire time while Tommen and Allen made small talk. My mind was racing. He said he was Allen! Could this be the same Allen from Thedas? It wouldn't be the first time I'd met more of the Fated in another world.

Upon reaching the castle I sent Tommen off to prepare a room for the newest servant. Meanwhile, I took Allen to one of the antechambers we used to let guests stay in while waiting for an audience with Father.

The moment the door to the chamber closed and whirled on Allen and stared up at him. He was in his mid-twenties, with dark skin, short black hair, and a wide grin.

"You're not Allen," I accused pointedly.

"What?" he asked in response. "Of course I am! You and I knew each other in Thedas. I'm Allen Amell. I ran the Amellian College for Mages in Ferelden."

He had the information spot-on. No one else from this world would have been able to know about that. I looked him over curiously.

"What was your nickname for me?" I asked.

He sighed and put his palm to his face in embarrassment, "Are we really going to go there? I told you I meant it as a compliment."

I crossed my arms, "What was it?"

"I called you a shortstack dommy mommy," he replied.

I grinned, "Then it is you! But you look so different! I didn't think it was really you at first."

"Then why did you say yes without hesitating if you didn't think it was me?" he responded.

"Because you look exactly like one of my friends from my first life…" I admitted.

"I do?" he asked. "That's a coincidence."

I considered the statement for a moment before remembering that I had met my wife from my first life in Thedas, and then realized that Aelfric, who was also T'Preea in my last life, was also one of my close friends from my first life. Serena was revealed to be my half-sister from that life as well. At this point I didn't put it too far out of the realm of possibility that Allen could also be someone I knew.

"Was your name Michael in your first life?" I asked directly.

Allen stared at me in surprise, "How'd you know that?"

"Michael Carter?" I pressed.

"Ok, that's just eerie," he said, growing more suspicious. "How'd you know that?"

"Mike!" I shouted with joy and jumped forward hugging him tight.

"Whoa!" Allen shouted as I hugged him. "What's going on? How do you know who I am?"

I looked at him, tears streaming freely, "Mike! It's me! Your best friend!" I shouted my name at him with a brilliant smile.

"What?" he said in shock as he stared down at me. "Are you serious?"

I nodded emphatically, "We met in high school! You were playing Pokemon Red at the lunch table and I noticed it. I hadn't heard of it before and asked if I could borrow it to play in my next class. You said I could but-"

"Don't save the game…" Allen finished quietly. "You didn't know why and I had to tell you that the game only had one save file."

I laughed and nodded, "We just clicked after that! We were best friends until…" I choked up, remembering the day I'd received the phone call from his sister telling me he'd died in a car accident. "Until…"

Allen held me close as I buried my face into his chest, weeping at the memory of his loss. He had been my best friend for twenty years and his sudden death had crushed me. I had never really recovered from the hole he left in my life.

"Until I died," he finished for me.

"If I had known it was you in Thedas…" I tried to say.

He just chuckled the way he'd always done and shook his head, "It's fine. We never did get to the point where we made secret codes so that we'd know each other in the off chance that we reincarnated into a new universe looking completely different than we had in our previous lives."

"I missed you so much!" I smiled up at him.

"Yeah, I missed you too," he replied. "But hey, at least now you're way sexier than you were back then."

I laughed and stepped back, rubbing my eyes, "You just think it's funny I have boobs now."

He cackled and nodded, "Pretty much. Why do you still look like a dwarf?"

I could only shrug, "I don't know. I looked like this in Thedas and in the Wasteland. And now I still look the same in this universe."

"Wait," he said. "The Wasteland? You mean you went to the Fallout universe as well?" I nodded and grinned, "Oh, I have so much to tell you about that."

"I can't wait to hear it," he laughed. "But, wait, does this mean you're single now?"

I snickered and shook my head, "In your dreams. I have plans for this world. And one of those plans is marrying strategically. Besides, I know I can get back to Faren somehow… And that's my ultimate goal."

"Do you think he's still alive?" Allen asked.

I nodded, "We were immortal in Thedas. I've… jumped back there before. Only a few times. But he's still there. And somehow so am I."

"How's that possible?" he said just as Tommen returned.

"My Lady," Tommen bowed his head. "I've had a room prepared just next to mine so we can both be close by should you need us. I took the liberty of borrowing some clothes from one of the other servants that should fit Allen until we get him a suitable wardrobe."

I looked at Allen and shrugged in answer to his question. I smiled at Tommen, "That's excellent, Tommen. Thank you very much for your effort."

"I'm happy to be of service, My Lady," Tommen smiled.

I looked at Allen and motioned to Tommen, "If you'll follow Tommen, he'll show you to your quarters. Once you're washed and rested, Tommen will familiarize you with our regular schedule."

Allen bowed, "I looked forward to serving you, Lady Greyjoy."

"I look forward to seeing what you're capable of Allen," I bowed my head.

Allen followed Tommen out. I remained in the antechamber considering the level of coincidence going on with the reincarnations. Thus far, three of the other Fated had been people I'd known in my first life. If I met Trianna again, I would have to ask them about their backgrounds as well. If I knew all of them, then I would have to start looking into why we were all being reincarnated and what made us so special. This possibility made everything more curious and complicated than they had been before. But having Allen with me again gave me a great deal more to work with. He might be more lackadaisical in manner, but he was thorough and steadfast in whatever he set his mind to, even if the methods he went by to accomplish his goals were sometimes chaotic.

In any case, having one of the Fated with me made this new adventure so much more exciting.