1,578Author's Notes
For thousands of years I lay dormient, who has disturbed oh shit I'm back! That is correct I have returned from my long slumber of not doing shit. Lot has happened in my life but for the most part I am doing a lot better now. I won't make the promise that new chapters are going to come out regularly but I will be trying again to update this fic when I can.
Thank you to everyone that reviewed and gave me their best. It really did help when I saw that.
Lastly, I used this as a opportunity to go back and fix the entire story up a bit. Fixed a few errors in the story and grammar and all that. I also marked the chapters with the Lemons in them. I think. Maybe I missed one.
No one was talking. Either people were scared to speak and possibly risk saying some sort of truth or just didn't have anything to say at all. Jaesa was of both groups. She was unfamiliar being on this side of this this situation. Normally she was the one peering in and seeing all a person had to hide but now this realm threatened to make her speak out all her innermost secrets. Perhaps ones she didn't consciously know herself either.
The realm of the Maiden itself was something that made Jaesa even more uncomfortable. Everything was white, a stark sterile white. The only way anything was able to stand out was that objects' only form were their outlines and those just looked like they scratched out of that canvas in sharp black. There was no color, just various shades of the same two colors of white and hard thin black. When one thought about it, this was symbolic of the Maiden's black and white view on mortality. This was a Force realm, everything had a meaning behind it.
Eventually they had found a dirt road that led in the direction of the massive city in the distance. However, no matter how long they travelled it never seemed to grow closer. There was a sense that the very land itself was rejecting their advancement. Thankfully they had Jaesa and a Greenseer among their party. While neither were able to get them any closer to their target, Jaesa was able to see the deeper flows of the Force and the Three Eyed Raven had the experience to utilize what she saw. With some time, quiet and controlled whispers, they were able to find a second path. One that led them to a small village.
Faceless villagers phased in and out, jumping from one place to another in an unsettling routine of what one might find in a village in the Seven Kingdoms. No one stopped the group of newcomers but at times every form in the village snapped to a ridged stance and stared directly at them before snapping back to what they had been doing. For the intruders' part they did a good job at hiding their reaction to the odd reception.
"There, it's a tavern." Naraiz pointed out a large building that had all the general characteristics of a tavern and inn. The group had little reason to object and followed him in, the frequency of the villagers stopping what they were doing and staring at them increasing as they approached and entered.
"My lord, do you have a plan?" Rathari asked as they all sat at one of the back tables. The room was sparsely populated, only a bartender and a serving maid and no customers. However, out of the corner of Jaesa vision she could see out the window and now all the villagers were just standing still in the direction of them.
"Shh, I have an idea." Naraiz quickly hushed the armored member of their party. Within a blink of an eye the serving maid was at their table. A sound came from the empty part of her head where a face would be, but it only came out as deep garbled mess of noises. Even Jaesa was becoming unnerved by it all, but her master just gave a big grin as he leaned forward. "Who are we my lady? Why we are group of adventures, brave and strong and willing to do what other can not. In fact, we are returning from a mission given to us by the princess herself. To slay the vile undead dragon known only as Dragotha. We succeeded only by the skin of our teeth and the favor of the gods and we are now on way back to the capital to bring the good news of his defeat."
The rest of the group all stared at the Lord of the Sith unsure of what he was doing. None of them had a clue to what he just said or how this creature would react. But then they all felt some sort of shift in the Force. Like someone had just snapped something into place. Light shades of color came to their vision, never expanding beyond a very muted color pallet but enough to where it wasn't so hard to look at things.
"Oh how wonderful. It is an honor to be serving such heroic adventurers. Please let me get you some of our best drinks." Jaesa and the others looked back at the faceless creature that had been standing before them and it had now changed. Not only could they understand what it was saying but it now looked like it had a lightly painted on visage of a young woman. Its features did not move with its words but now it at least resembled something human. Still… most of them were happy when it walked away.
"What did you just do?" Fay asked first.
"I played along. One good thing that came of my… experience… with the Maiden is that I know what she's looking for. We need to play along with the fantasy that she has set up. The more we do the more we will be accepted by realm and hopefully get close to her. So… play your role." Everyone digested his advice and knew that given the growing sense of dread and warning that had dissipated, there was merit in what Naraiz said. There was no longer this foreboding feeling in their minds. As if the realm accepted them into its fold, or least it didn't seem them as intruders anymore.
As the odd serving girl came by with mugs of what looked to be ale, though none but Naraiz were quick to drink it, another quiet descended on the party. While they now understand part of the function of what was happening to them it wasn't so easy to slip into a role that they were unsure of.
"Fuck it." Jaesa finally had enough of the silence and began downing the mug of surprisingly decent drink. "We know how to survive here without the bitch immediately casting us out or having her drones rip us to pieces. But now what?"
"We must find her avatar in this realm. Likely it would be at the heart or at least near it. A princess in a castle would be the most likely place." The Raven atop Talzin's shoulder muttered quietly as to not alert the two beings in the tavern to his identity. While it was easy for the others to fool the Maiden, the two of them had been at odds for as long as the Three Eyed Raven had existed. She knew his presence and it was taking all his attention to cloak himself and maintain his part in the ongoing ritual.
"Which is why I said what I said. It gives us an in that fits within her worldview. But once we actually find her what then, please tell me it's painful." Naraiz had this sadistic grin that had not been on his face in a long time. Jaesa personally had missed it greatly and it was made even sweeter by its new rarity.
"First, we must confine her into a single location, symbolically. Locking her in the top of the tower should suffice. Then the opportunity should present itself as the Weirwood Network will recognize a crack in her mental armor and seize it. With the boost we will provide it, we should be successful in rebinding the Maiden." With a plan in place, the various Force Users began contemplating just what sort of fight it would be it achieve victory. None of them were under the impression it would be easy to rebind a One. A being as close to divinity as possible in the galaxy.
"And we can finally get out of this mind fuck of a place." Just even being here in the first place unsettled Jaesa given everything was so saturated in the Light but the whole truth thing here also freaked her out.
"I would think you'd like this place apprentice. Given that you hold the truth so highly in your opinion. What? Not happy when it's your truth on the line?" Naraiz baited her, which might have been the realm's effect on him because she knew that he was aware of all her secrets. But his words cut a little deeper than perhaps he meant. Truth was important to Jaesa, she hated the lies of her home world and the Jedi's own two faced bullshit. And even in her darkest moment she never thought about herself as someone who was lying and denying the truth.
"It's the lighting here master, it's too bright. Though I do love the irony that the first person to reveal something they didn't want was our very own beacon of light." A Cheshire smile was on Jaesa's face as she looked to Fay in a attempt to shift the focus of conversation. The former Jedi sputtered a bit at having that admission brought back up and attempted to hide under the hood her new outfit gave her. "Come on missy, there's no-"
"Stop." The sound of a heavy dagger hitting the table and Naraiz's order shut Jaesa up quickly. "That wasn't something for any of us to hear. Now, going forward we are going to need to watch ourselves. However, if we do say something… compromising, then all of you would be best to ignore it. And we'll handle it once this mission is finished." The meaning was clear as day. Nothing mattered until the Maiden was locked back up. But Jaesa couldn't help but sulk back into her seat… while still smiling. She was baited, Naraiz just needed an excuse to set aside what Fay said and make the going policy all in one go and he had used her to do it.
"I'm so pretty, I'm so pretty, I'm so pretty… hehe… I love it." Rhaella giggled as she stared into the tall mirror that showed off her naked form. Despite doing this little ritual every day since she first arrived in Braavos it felt no less exciting each time she did it. Before she dreaded mirrors as they would always remind her of the horrible life she led/had. But now, they only showed just how good things were now.
All traces of bruises and cuts that her brother had given her were gone. It was like the years she lived trapped in the Red Keep were washed away like mud from worn boots. And now all that remained was a spry and supple form that Rhaella couldn't help but feel proud over. Another happy giggle escaped her as with a spin, her body moved in only the places that would drive men wild. True Targaryen beauty in its prime, forever. She touched the warm metal that ringed her neck, it barely extended off her flesh as it partially was fused into it. While on the surface it was a slave collar, but she didn't see it like that. She wasn't a slave, finally she was free.
"Mother! Are you decent?" The urge to throw her son out of her home once again returned with a vengeance as he interrupted her daily self-indulgent ritual. There were really only two lasting reminders of her brother, his sons. Rhaella still refused to believe that her darling daughter was Aerys' child, Daenerys was too innocent a babe to be that monster's child.
"No Rhaegar, I'm quite indecent. Unless you wish to see your mother as the gods brought her into this world then best go far from this room." The sole true Dragon of the house shot back and smirked at hearing her brother's spawn sputter indigently at her words. Her now enhanced senses allowing her to hear the curses the boy muttered back at her. "What was that?"
"Nothing! We are having a very important guest today, please do not embarrass me." He was such spineless coward now, much better behaved now that he was cursed with the One Ring. Rhaella had been told all about the golden ring on Rhaegar's by her mate. That since she was chained to his soul, the ring recognized her as an extension of its true master. Rhaegar's now cowed state to his mother was a sign that all was going well and that the One Ring was getting deeper and deeper encroached onto his mind. He would never be able to harm or even fight back against her.
"But sweetling, that's a mother's job. Not only that but this is my house, they are not your guest but mine." This was her nest, her domain and no one entered a dragon's domain without the dragon's express permission. She of course knew all about just who was coming, the servants and guards had quickly come to side with her in the short and pathetic power struggle between her and Rhaegar. They told her everything he did or tried to do. Including trying his darndest to get an audience with the current Sealord.
There had been a time when she thought the world of Rhaegar. He genuinely was the hope for her house. Intelligent and talented, he could have been the true king that Westeros needed. But then he began to change. It started with prophecy, the prince had stumbled upon the ramblings of dreamers and thought fate to be absolute. Then came Naraiz, in a combination of seeing anything his father approved of as evil and likely jealousy of his powers Rhaegar came to see the Sith has the worst thing to ever happen to him. Her son became fixated on the Sith to the point where he was blinded to all of things. Slowly but surely, Rhaegar became a shadow of himself and no longer the promising young boy he had been.
"Please just… this is important mother." He said before finally leaving her door.
"That boy. I would feel bad for what's in his future if I could care." And she didn't. Both Rhaegar and Viserys were Aerys' kids beyond a shadow of a doubt and the last piece of him in the world. Once they were gone Rhaella could finally be completely and utterly free of him and her past self. That cowardly weak woman that couldn't do a thing for herself. She looked back at the mirror and admired herself one last time, for a moment debating if she should drop her Mask and admire her true self but chose to skip that for the day. Instead, Rhaella got dressed in a simple but luxurious summer dress and gently picked up a napping Danny.
Leaving her room with the baby in her arms, Rhaella walked the halls of her Essosi home. This manor was slowly becoming the home she wanted it to be, warm and inviting. The servants all smiled as they passed their lady, happy to serve such a kind and capable woman. At the moment they were living off the gold that they had brought with them to Braavos but eventually that would dry up. Rhaegar and others would ask questions if she suddenly just happened to receive funds from overseas, so some other means of income would be needed. Preferably something that was cash fluid so that way she could get money from Naraiz and not have to explain where it came from. Perhaps whores… that would certainly rile up Rhaegar.
"He already calls me a whore behind my back." She mused as the morning sun drifted into the halls. Only the sounds of the city and sudden clangs of wood spread through her home. Likely it was her brother's other son that was being trained in the courtyard. Viserys was becoming even more disappointing than Rhaegar, none of the talent his brother had in youth and all the entitlement he had now. Rhaella could guide the boy down a better path… if she cared to. All traces of motherly love left her body when Viserys cried for the death of his father. He had not been spared that monster's attentions and yet he still grieved for Aerys. Her last act of kindness to the second spawn of her brother was that she would let him live and die by his own actions.
"My lady, something has happened." One of her two Nightsister attendants materialized from the shadows. They were both her protectors and greatest tools to ensure her and her mate's plans in Braavos are carried out. "Three of the four lookouts we have around the block have disappeared."
"Oh? And the fourth?" Daenerys was starting to get a bit fussy and that was getting ahold of Rhaella's attention more than the news.
"Sister Konval is watching him as we speak, I did notice that he seemed to be unnerved when I observed him myself." Could they have been compromised? The real question would be by whom. The Spider was an ally, so it was not Robert's court, none of the other notable spymasters of Westeros had agents in Essos. If it was someone native to Braavos that raised even more questions. No doubt every person worth a damn knew who they were given Rhaegar's attempts at grabbing ahold of some sort of power here. But even with his failing about, they had not made a single wave in either the high or low circles of power of the city. No here cared that they were Targaryen… as far as Rhaella understood it.
"Look into this. I trust you to keep your mistress's home safe, understood?" Her voice was gentle as she was looking at her daughter, but the undertone was anything but nice. This was the dragon's nest, and no one was allowed to disturb it. The Nightsister was unafraid, however, as she was simply a tool to one of the Emperor of Quill's chosen mates, she bowed her head and melted back into the shadows to carry out her orders. "Hmm, I wonder if Rhaegar has pissed off some gang lord or noble enough to make them think it's worth it to sell us out to Robert. What a surprise they will get."
"Did you hear that?" Fay stopped the group as they traveled down a forested road. It was deathly quiet as there wasn't even the sound of birds or other animals to break up the silence. Neither wind nor trees made a sound either, in fact the Force seemed too utterly still as well.
"I believe so, the sound of wings flapping." Talzin agreed while the Sith of the group just looked to each other in confusion. There had been no sound as far as any of them had heard. Ever since they had left the village there had been a distinct lack of anything happening. To the point that several of them were worrying they had found themselves in some sort of loop or were just trapped to continually walk forward without getting closer.
"You two are the first, we're all going crazy. Honestly surprised it wasn't me." Jaesa remarked to the silent agreement of the others.
"None of us are going crazy. Clearly this is some sort of defense to the core that we must overcome." There were clues in Rathari's mind. Their outfits, the roles they apparently were supposed to play, the setting of the landscape and the behavior of the beings within it. There was a method to how it all functioned but without any real indication of what they were supposed to do now they were left in maze both furtively and perhaps literally.
"Listen, unless we get ambushed by a tribe of goblins or attacked by an owlbear… there's nothing we can do but walk. Unless either of you have some sort of mystical nonsense that can guide us through this?" Naraiz asked as he looked to Talzin and the Three Eyed Raven who both shook their heads. Meanwhile the others muttered their confusion on what was a goblin or an owlbear. "Okay then. We have little option until either some gets an idea or-" As if to answer the call that had been made, a beastly roar echoed through the forest.
"Fucking finally!" Jaesa shouted out as she pulled out her daggers.
"Seems I might have given the Force some ideas there. But I could do with a random encounter right about now. Rathari and myself in front, Jaesa covering the flanks, both Talzin and Fay in the back! Form up!" Naraiz shouted and immediately the Sith under him listened quickly and took up arms towards the source of the roar. Talzin took several steps back and a sickly green fog formed around her hands, the first actually bright and solid bit of color any of them had seen in awhile.
"Why am I in the back, I can fight too?" Fay questioned as now there sounds of trees being shoved aside and something was making their way towards them.
"Clerics in the back, keep the fighters hale and hearty. You are not a Jedi in this world, you are the heal bot. Channel the Light Side and heal us when we are injured. We've been typecasted and there's nothing but to suck it up and accept it." Fay grumbled; it had been a long time since she was regulated to the role of healer. In fact, she recalled the last time was in the last war she actually participated in. That had finally caused her to begin her wandering.
The party of Force Users all braced for what was quickly approaching, by the number of trees that were being sent to the ground it must be massive. And it was, a creature the size of two men in height and with the wingspan of a small house burst onto the road. It roared in anger as it leapt to hover in the air, it's mighty wings creating a strong wind that the party had to push back against.
"That's not it! It's supposed to be the other way around!" Naraiz angrily shouted as he stared in disappointed fury at the Bearowl. Indeed, it was a massive beast with the body of an owl and the head of a bear. The snarling monster was a bit more defined than villagers, its body having a clear outline and even some noticeable definition of its feathers and fur.
"You were the one that asked for this, don't complain." Jaesa laughed just before the beast started the fight with a diving swoop toward the five intruders to the realm.
With honed reflexes each of the Force Users dodged out of the way of both the wings and sharp talons of the beast. Talzin took the initiative and was the first to recover, some of the only deep color of the realm in the form of green smoke snaked its way from her arms towards the feet of the Bearowl. The beast attempted to attempt another dive but before it could gain the needed height it found its legs grappled by the power of the Nightsister Sorceress. It flailed about trying to escaped but it wasn't enough and it roared in pain and anger after it felt the blades of Jaesa's needles sink deep into its back. The Sith Assassin laughing madly as the monster continued to try and buck her off its back.
Naraiz and Rathari each saw the chance to end the fight quickly and rushed toward the pinned beast. With coordination that only came with years of experience, training, and trust between the two, the pair stood before the Bearowl and moved to their attack. The beast continued to shake wildly in its chained position but through the pain saw the two new foes and tried to swipe them away. Rathari tanked the two attacks by the beast's talons with his heavy armor, allowing Naraiz to use his back as a springboard to get the height needed to attempt clean slices to the monster's neck.
Both Midwan and Saarai were inches from the line between fur and feathers when the beast seemed to have a life-or-death moment of strength. It spun in place, breaking the hold both Talzin and Jaesa had on it and flew straight up into the sky. Jaesa was flung through the air and crashed into the hard bark of a tree meanwhile her master had a bit more practice with mid air maneuvering was able to land on his feet after being repelled. Fay immediately ran over to the Assassin to begin the healing process. The two might not be close or even friendly most of the time, but in this hostile environment none of them could afford to be taken out. They were in the Force itself; death was one step closer than it was in the living world.
"This is not a foe that we should have difficulty with, if anything this is rather embarrassing." Rathari kept his eyes toward the sky, knowing that the next round of the fight was at any moment.
"The realm itself is dictating the laws of reality. It is a test, only force of will matters." Talzin began preparing her next move, holding a ball of swirling mass of green energy.
"I know that I'm faster than that, and Jaesa should have hit something vital but the thing is still kicking. It's not a hard fight, we're just at a handicap and the bitch is cheating." A feral roar accented Naraiz's complaints and the rest of the part all stood ready for the return of the monster… only for it to not come back alone. Five forms dove out from the edges of the treetops onto the open area of the road.
Taken by surprise, the party lost its cohesion. But given just who made up the group, it wasn't at all a loss. All of them returned their instincts. Quickly the scene turned to a controlled chaos with only a single point of center forming around Rathari, Fay, and Talzin. The man maintained his control over his reach and blocked and shouldered any and all attacks that was meant for the women next to him. Suffering was his life, and he would endure it all. But not without help. With ever slash or strike of a wing that hit his body, he could feel the rejuvenating power of the Light Side coursing through his veins. Fay was hard at work acting as a conduit for the Light Side to heal her ally in amounts that normally would turn a mind to mush. But Rathari had achieved Balance in the Force, he was able to handle the numbing power of the Light.
While in the middle of the chaos was the two casters and their defender, two Sith were happily maneuvering between the five monsters slashing and stabbing as they went. Naraiz moved with the grace of a leaf in a gentle breeze… but at speeds like a typhoon. Both of his blades slashed and cut into the feathered bodies of the Bearowls with every step he took. His mastery of Form four was on full display as he moved between talons and jaws both trying to stop his onslaught. Then in the edges of vision was a shadow that struck at the weak points and joints of her targets. Jaesa had developed her skills at her needles over the years to the point she was more comfortable with them rather than a lightsaber or longer blade. It was not death by a thousand needles, but instead death by several extremely well-placed hits to vital areas. She only would have ended the fight within her first couple of strikes but these monsters looked to be more resilient than they should be as guessed by Naraiz earlier.
The first to die was by strangulation, green smoke choked the life out of a damaged and fatigued beast and hit the ground with a hard thud. Its body however melded back into he realm that had given it life. The domino effect began quickly two more were dispatched by Naraiz and Rathari, the latter tripping one Bearowl onto another and the other Sith Lord running both his blades into the necks of the monsters and into the ground. Only two remained, both flapping tiredly above the group.
Smiles and smirks were on the faces of all of the Force Users but those vanished when they felt some sort shift in the realm. Everything froze as it felt like they were being put under a microscope for a split second. A sensation of observation washed over them before the roar of one the Bearowls ended it all. With suicidal abandon the monster dove into the middle of the group, flailing madly in the most incoherent attack possible. From both the recklessness and odd feel before, the Force Users were caught off guard and scattered away. It didn't take much to finish off the crazed monster now that it had ditched any sense of coordination. Jaesa pierced its eyes deep and Rathari sunk his blade deep into the beast's heart, letting it then fall to the ground where it also returned to the realm. The entire group was ready to end this fight with the last monster when they heard a cry for help.
"She's got me!" For the first time, they heard panic in the voice of the Three-Eyed Raven. All of them reached out with the Force to try and grab ahold of the flying Bearowl but it was already too far and with their guide in one of its taloned feet.
"Tell me, was there ever a moment where you thought this might never come?" Rowena asked him as they sat at the high table of the wedding feast. Jon had done quite a bit of work to find a Septon willing to carry out the actual wedding to three people, but most of the Faith thankfully were heavily distracted by the wager they had with Darth Nagash. They genuinely thought that if they turned the Iron Islands to the Seven then he would leave the realm.
"A few. There were times during the war that I wondered if we would succeed but always, I knew that if we won this would be the result… in a sense." Below instead of seated with them at the high table, was the now King and Queen of Westeros. Robert and Lyanna both were among the guests, drinking and feasting in a way that was while joyous was slightly unbecoming of royalty. Despite it being winter, Robert had ordered their wedding feast to be the biggest in the past hundred years, and he and Lyanna were enjoying it with the many that had been invited. "I really should stop them."
"Don't. Let them have their youth, they've earned it." A gentle hand over his stayed him from dragging both the king and queen back to the high table. Though Jon still considered it when he looked over to the sole member of the royal family that looked like their station, Queen Cersei.
The Lord of the Eerie felt bad for the young woman, he could she the strain on her face trying to keep it all together. This was by far not what she ever expected of her life certainly. While it was true that she was Queen now, it rang a bit hallow given the circumstances. Afterall, the war was fought for Lyanna and she was the one that everyone knew Robert loved and favored. If word ever got out that the real reason this was done was because Lyanna couldn't carry a child then Cersei would be seen as little more than a broodmare. And even if the truth wasn't confirmed… it could be rumored once it became obvious that Lyanna wasn't bearing any children.
Tywin likely was too concerned with securing family's future or simply didn't care about baseless rumors. Power came with having your grandson on the Iron Throne. The Lannisters would also be funding much of the new crown's rebuilding efforts for years to come. The continued war with the Iron Born was only going to add on that. Jon could simply not fathom the idea of agreeing to such a deal with his own daughter, but as Hand of the King he was thankful that the Lion had.
"Another cup!" The voice of the king echoed through hall along with the shouts and laughter of the guests. It looked like he had engaged in a drinking contest with some of his bannermen. Queen Lyanna looked like she both disapproved of this but happily resigned to watch the debacle. Lord Arryn knew this would be his challenge, to keep Robert from devolving into a king controlled by his vices. He only hoped that Lyanna would be a help in that regard, as he doubted that Cersei would hold much sway over Robert's behavior.
"He's going to be the death of me isn't he? One day I'm going to walk out of the Red Keep as Robert returns from a hunt and his falling off his horse drunk and dragging some boar behind him." It was a bit extreme and not entirely likely, but the scene below certainly did not assuage his fears.
"It's his wedding feast Jon, let the boy have his fun and stop worrying." This time his wife was a bit more firm in her request for him to settle down and relax. She was still smiling but Jon had been married long enough to know that this was the last warning he got.
"Fine-fine, I just take solace in the fact that Eddard is having a more respectable time than Robert is."
"Jon… he's marrying a Dornish woman."
"By the Seven…" Jon sunk into his chair, his prayers going out to the stoic young man. But like always this talk with his wife helped his nerves. Perhaps things will be for the better after all.
"My lord hand." The voice of Varys however brought all those worries came back. He looked behind him and the spymaster was leaning over to his side. "I have news that needs to be addressed."
"Can it wait until after the festivities, it's the royal wedding after all." Whatever it was had to wait. If Jon heard one more thing that threatened the peace, then he was sure a loss of a Hand was the next thing to befall the realm.
"The nature of this news leaves little in my mind that this is the only time we could discuss it." Like usual the Spider was being his secretive self. But there was the lack of any playful wit and only a serious look of calm urgency, so Jon had to admit that this might be worth the trouble. Rowena sighed in disappointment but didn't try to stop her husband from getting out of his seat and following the Master of Whispers.
The Lord of the Eerie wondered just what sort of news could be as he followed Varys back to the Tower of the Hand. Whatever it was clearly needed the utmost secrecy given all that being done to keep eyes and ears away.
"Let's hear it Varys. What is so troubling that it can't wait until the next Small Council meeting." The only thing that it could be was a development with the Iron Born. That was the only serious issue the Realm faced at the moment. Or maybe it was the Faith… though they had been distracted by their wager with the Sith but it wasn't out the realm of possibility that they stopped for a day to protest the wedding.
"Rhaegar Targaryen is alive." It took several moments for Jon to process what Varys' words.
"No… no… that's absurd." Denial came quickly.
"My little birds do not lie. Rhaegar Targaryen has been seen in Braavos, first as a beggar so I didn't believe it either, but then that same beggar is now staying with Rhaella Targaryen and is meeting with the Sealord himself." Jon needed a drink, perhaps an entire barrel of wine. He steadied his shaking hands on a nearby table, clenching the hardwood with all the strength he had to steel his nerves.
Varys had been right; this was indeed the only time they could discuss this. Robert and the rest of the Keep were completely distracted. This news could not reach him or Lyanna. The realm needed peace after the war and there was no doubt still some Houses that would jump at the chance to restore the Dragon to power. Especially with how popular Rhaegar had been. That had started to change somewhat given the claims of him kidnapping Lyanna Stark had been proven undeniably true. But still, there were many in the Seven Kingdoms that would use the chaos to their advantage. Rhaegar being in Braavos however did bring up a silver lining, that he wasn't in Westeros.
"Do you know what was spoken with the Sealord? Can we expect an invasion from Braavos?" Ironically this might be like another Blackfyre rebellion… just not led by a Blackfyre. The last was the War of the Ninepenny Kings, Jon had been a much younger man in those days. He had wanted to go off and join the battles but his advisers had convinced him to lead from the Eerie. Truth be told… that was probably for the better as he had not been a warrior like Robert in his youth.
"I doubt that, while Rhaegar can claim the Iron Throne, he lost it and that will never go away. And there is little that he can promise the Sealord even after becoming king. But the Sealord agreed to meet with him regardless, strange." For the first time ever, Jon saw a look of genuine confusion on Varys' face. This was not the Spider playing with him, this did somewhat assuage some fears that Jon had that maybe he was only waiting for a chance to support the exiled Dragons in a bid to return them to power.
"There is a clear a present danger with Rhaegar remaining alive. Both to the realm and to its new royal family." Lyanna would be devastated, Robert would furious, and the whispers would begin about the legitimacy of his reign. This had to be contained, subverted and completely hidden from the King and Queen. "Varys, how quickly can we get a man to finish Rhaegar off. I don't care about Rhaella or her other children, they aren't the threat Rhaegar is."
"It could be difficult, the man himself is likely paranoid and is a skilled fighter. But it could be done." It left an awful taste in his mouth but Jon knew that this sort of thing had to become more utilized by him in the future. Robert was a direct force of will, lacking any subtlety. Perhaps if the marriage with Cersei grew into something good she could teach him a bit but that was unlikely. As his Hand, Jon knew he would need to cover the areas of rulership that Robert lacked.
"All I ever wanted was for my family to live peaceful lives. My wife, my children, those boys… to never know war or tragedy. I failed at both for Robert and Eddard, the least I can do is ensure that the realm remains as they deserve it."
"How long do you think it's been on the outside?" Naraiz pulled his sword out of the vanishing body of some simulacrum of a street thug. The band of Force Users stood in a cracked and barely sketched out alleyway in the Maiden's city. More and more the realm around them was building its defensives as obstacles formed out of nothing.
"The only one that still has any sense of the waking world is the Raven, given the nature of this world it would be impossible to say." Rathari leaned against the blank wall that formed the side of a vaguely defined rowhouse. Their journey had brought them finally to the center of the Maiden's realm, a great shining city on a hill dominated by a majestic castle that speared the sky with its towers. It was everything that one might see in a fairy tale if it wasn't for the uncanny way it all looked to be outlined and filled in with just blacks and whites. The second that the Three Eyed Raven had been taken any progress they had made in defusing the realm's unearthly nature had been wasted. Even getting into the city had been a challenge as the creatures that acted as people were nearly impossible to understand, nearly.
Thankfully the functionally of the ritual that kept them in the Realms of the Force still worked, so they knew that the Maiden hadn't killed the Greenseer yet. If anything, she was using him as bait for the rest of them. It either meant that the Maiden had awoken fully to their presence and was scheming or was still only partially aware and trying to figure out what they were. Both Talzin and Fay suspected the latter as they believed that if the Maiden truly knew who they were she would prefer to eject them and keep the Raven. With him and her grasp she could tap into the Weirwood tree network and possible fully escape from her prison. Such a event would be felt in her realm and since it had felt like some time since he had been taken and nothing had happened, it was unlikely that the One fully knew what was happening in her realm.
"We are all truly fucked without the bird. There are only two places she could be keeping him, right next to her or as far she can while still being in her castle." Naraiz looked down the alleyway and, a sigh of relief escaping him as it appeared that they were out of trouble for now. The realm still operated by certain rules, a self-imposed order to create a stronger cohesive whole.
"Perhaps maybe-" Fay was not able to finish her thought as she vanished from the spot she stood on. Talzin subsequently also disappeared from the Siths' presence. Naraiz, Rathari, and Jaesa all blinked at the spot where their allies had been stand at before shouting out expletives… well two of them did.
Fay meanwhile only noticed a sudden shift in location. Now she stood in a grand church still in the Maiden's realm. The white and black space she stood in was somehow a little odd to the rest the Jedi had experienced. The scratch marks that were used to define every outline were smoother and curved more to illustrate what it was depicting. No amount of changes to the world could relax Fay's instinct that something was deeply wrong with this place however.
"Be still Beacon of Light, for no harm will come to you." The Jedi turned back, standing at the pulpit of the church was being that Naraiz had described to her as the Daughter. She was radiant in the Light of the Force, it left Fay speechless at the sheer power that was in her presence. "I can not stay long, the Maiden is distracted for but a moment. Once she notices me and my brother's arrival she will not stop at removing us. But it is in that moment that the Bringer of Balance will be able to make his way to her core."
"But why bring me here? I need to be at his side." She had faith that Naraiz would be able to accomplish their goal. But at what cost? This was a deity of the Force that they were dealing with. Somehow knowing Fay's thoughts the Daughter smiled before holding out her hand and in it formed a simple small blade. The size of a person's hand and without any true marking or definition other than the blade on its upper half.
"This and one like it must be plunged into the Bringer of Balance. It will grant him the power to right the wrong he committed and seal away the Maiden." Fay assumed that Talzin was having a very similar conversation with the Son right now. The blade floated over to the Jedi's hand, landing softly. The ground shook and strands of whipping light began to circle around the Daughter. "It is time, go. Fulfil the will of the Force."
"Wait!" Fay shouted but it was too late. The Daughter vanished into nothing but a beacon of light and then nothing. The church fell away, crumbling brick by brick until it was nothing but ruins. The entire city began to shift and change. Streets formed in front of Fay that led to a great stone stairway that led up to the castle that dominated the skies. Off in the distance she could see Naraiz, Rathari, and Jaesa all climbing the stairs up to the keep.
Catelyn stood among the household guard proud and excited for the return of her husband. Not only had the Gods blessed her with child but also a victorious husband who was returning from war. The Mad King had been defeated and King Robert had been crowned with her new good sister as queen. It could not be a better day.
"Do you think he'll-"
"Quiet!"
But then there were the odd looks that the Stark guards had among themselves. The cagey way at which the Maester spoke about Eddard's upcoming arrival. And even the servants themselves seemed on edge today. Catelyn did not know just what could be the matter and everyone said things were fine when asked. Whatever it is, it would resolved by her husband no doubt.
The trumpets sung as a rung of Stark troops came into Winter Town, victorious soldiers returning to wives or lovers with stories and maybe trophies. The parade itself made its way through the streets up to the keep itself and soon enough Eddard Stark was back in Winterfell. The people cheered at their smiling lord, such a rare sight for all of them that they cherished it. After all the tragedy that had befallen the House, it was all over they hoped.
Catelyn herself beamed in joy as he rode in, their marriage may not have been a traditional one but the time they spent together gave her hope. Perhaps even more than if she would have married Brandon. She wasn't deaf to the rumors and stories about the Wild Wolf. But the Tully girl had thought that he would do the right thing and stand proud beside her once they were married. Looking back she wasn't so sure. But now she had a Stark man that would stand by her.
"Cat." He spoke the word so softly as he descended from his horse, immediately coming to her side. His hand went for her belly and she gave him a nod of confirmation, though she was already beginning to show though the heavy coats of the North.
"Welcome back my lord, I'm so happy that you've returned. Is your sister well? The news from the south has been strange to say the least." Catelyn knew that Lyanna was alive and married to Robert but only the gods know how that poor girl must have suffered under the Dragon's mercies. Ned gripped her hand and there was a change in his eyes for a brief moment but she caught it.
"Lyanna is well. But there are things we need to speak of." His words were quick but not quick enough. A carriage then pulled into the courtyard of Winterfell. Eddard did not notice fast enough but Catelyn did. The first Lady Stark watched as the second Lady Stark exited the carriage with a bundle of cloth in hand. The denial of what was in front of her took only a second to pass. The hope that she had escaped a Wild Wolf was shattered as the very thing she had feared Brandon would do had been done by his brother.
Unable to contain her emotions at this, a slap was heard across the courtyard of Winterfell. The guards made no move to stop Catelyn as she turned away from her husband and ran into the keep with tears in her eyes. All of the guards and residences of the keep were already outside so there was no one to stop her as she ran through its halls. She came to the lord's chambers and slammed the door behind her. All Catelyn could do was pull herself in the bed and hide, the shame of it all threatening her like a predator stalking outside the covers.
How could Eddard do this to her? Not only siring a bastard but bringing home his whore as well. There wasn't a person in Westeros that would not laugh at her and ridicule her family house for suffering this insult. Eddard was best friends with the king, there was nothing her father could do to seek retribution for this. She would always have to live with the bastard and its whore mother if that was what Eddard intended.
Catelyn was so wrapped up in her spiraling that she did not hear the door open again. She did however feel the weight of someone new on the bed. Did Eddard come to make excuses? Had war changed him so much as to turn him cruel? Whatever it was she could not face it, denial was better and so she stayed under.
"Lady Catelyn, I believe we need to talk. Can you please come out?" It wasn't Eddard but the whore. A Dornish whore if the accent was to anything to go by. Now facing her husband was one thing but this woman was another, so yes Catelyn pulled herself out from the furs and blankets of the bed to face this intruder. Only to be disarmed by both the supreme beauty and thoughtful look of understanding on her face.
"Why are you here? Just to shove salt in the wound further?" Spiteful venom came from her lips even if her initial anger was a little blunted.
"I am here because you are hurt, and I want to help. Also to answer any question you might have. And before you ask, know that I told Eddard to leave this to me. He very much wanted to be here but I felt his presence might do more harm than good." Catelyn had to admit that probably was the wise move. If it was just him then she would have only sunk deeper into herself and she didn't even want to think what would have happened if they both were here.
"Then answer my question again. Why are you here, in Winterfell? Couldn't you have just remained wherever Eddard had found you? Is it the Bastard? You think that it might have a stronger claim then my own child?" She instinctively put a hand over her stomach. That had to be it. Clearly this woman was of noble birth based on her beauty and elegant way of speaking. This was just some move of another house to usurp Winterfell.
"The matter of Jon first, he is not Eddard's. He is a bastard born from Brandon Stark and a woman of Dol Guldur. Darth Nagash found the babe during the war and presented it to Eddard after everything was done." That… cooled Catelyn a lot. It made too much sense. Eddard was not the whoremonger that Brandon was famous for being. The idea that dutiful Eddard could father a bastard was silly now that it wasn't so possible in Catelyn's mind. In fact this only reinforced her relief that it had been Eddard she married instead of Brandon.
"If that is true, then who are you? I doubt the bastard's mother given what you said." What relief that Catelyn had was stunted by the look of steely dread on the woman's face.
"I am Ashura Dyane, though now it is Ashura Stark. By the King's orders I was married to Eddard Stark as his second wife." There was a palpable silence in the room now. As if Catelyn couldn't properly understand the very words that had been spoken. Second Wife? Blasphemy by the laws of the Seven. Ordered by the King? No man could compel another to wed. Ashura Dyane? What connection did the Dyanes have to either Robert or Eddard, none as far as Catelyn knew.
"H-how? This doesn't make any sense." The Tully pulled herself off the bed and walked aimlessly in the room in confusion.
"It doesn't. But Robert was adamant, if he was going to marry both Lyanna Stark and Cersei Lannister than Eddard would marry two women as well. It was a choice made by both the peace of the realm and love." Of course the Lannisters would be involved in this somehow. Catelyn cursed the Game of Thrones and its never ending machinations. It was something she had come to enjoy about the North, how little they schemed about each other. Their honesty was refreshing for the southern girl. But that last word threw her the most.
"Love? What love?" Ashura did not answer but pulled out from her gown a bundle of letters.
"We started after the Tourney of Dol Guldur. Eddard had protected me and we spoke for some time during the festival. Then we exchanged letters until the start of the war. You may read them if you wish." Ashura held out the many letters for Catelyn. A part of her only wanted to reject the offer, o never read a word of this illicit affair. But another part of her, knew that this was the sort of story that if it had been any one else she would have swooned at hearing it. Such a romantic tale if only if it could have been someone else's.
In the end, she took them. Ashura sat patiently as Catelyn hurried over to the small table in the room. The first Lady of Winterfell began reading quickly, her heart melting at every word exchanged between the two. It really was like a tale she would hear as a girl. A brave prince stands up to a famous knight for the protection and honor of a lady. They share together words, their hopes and dreams and their fears and pains. Catelyn even gasped a confession Ashura gives Eddard of what happened to her at the hands of some bandit many years before. And shares in Eddard fury and promise to Ashura. By the end, it was very difficult to not feel like she was the intruder on their love instead of the other way around.
"I… this is still not right by the gods. A man can not marry another woman while married." It was a faying shield, one withered by their story and inevitability of the fact this was ordered by the King. Catelyn knew that the Faith did not have the power to stop this. Not in the North or anywhere if their failure at tarnishing the Siths' name was anything to go by.
"Then let the gods punish Robert, he's the one that forced the issue. But whoever the gods punish I mean to be happy. I have found the one man that I feel safe around and I am not losing that. And I don't believe you should lose him either." Catelyn didn't want to lose Eddard either. He was the father of their child, a good man and perhaps the one she could love more than any other. But now there was someone else. A third party to this marriage.
"I would like to be alone. Thank you Lady Dyane, I will think on what you have said." It couldn't happen, calling her Lady Stark. Not yet. But the Dornish woman respected her request, she sat up and quietly walked out of the room. Catelyn fell to her knees once the door closed. She didn't know what to make of any of this, none of it was as black and white as she thought the world to be.
By every damned fuck I can muster do I want to kill this bitch. I blasted apart another monster in the shape of a castle guard, something had happened and given us a pathway up to the castle. I don't who or what had given us this opening but we were taking it.
The second we entered the keep everything tried to kill us. It actually made me a little sad that the DnD party thing was over because it would have been cool to LARP through this keep and sneak up on the Maiden in disguise. But plans rarely go as they are intended. Instead we were making a mad dash both trying to find the Three-Eyed Raven and the Maiden herself. Talzin and Fay still were missing in action but I trusted them to handle things themselves. Both were badass in their own right and I could still feel they were alive back in the real world.
"Do we feel any closer?!" Rathari shouted as he held up a shield to five striking guards trying to surround us. The castle walls shifted and changed but not nearly as much as they did back in the city. I'm pretty sure that the Maiden couldn't manipulate the environment as much here.
"It's gotten real hard to navigate this place since we lost the bird and Talzin! Maybe is the best guess I got!" Jaesa meanwhile was trying to set a new record in most kills in a single encounter. Her blades never stopped moving and seemingly following the rules of this world every cut was a kill shot. "Master, I think at this point you should just go all out. We're close enough!"
"Got it." I jumped back from the fray and began the chant to release all of my power. There was no point in hiding anymore. I could it immortally as the Force flowed into my soul, desperate to fill back up what it thought was missing. The Maiden's realm responded in kind, the white and black started to seep into each other. It didn't take on any new color but now the black was no longer just the outline. With the last word in the sequence of chants finished, I pulled all the surrounding energy into my palm. A bit of color finally came this world as a great purple glow formed in my hand.
"Book it! He's going to destroy everything!" Jaesa shouted as she Force Teleported away and Rathari smashed the floor to escape. The tidal wave of castle guard monsters stormed toward me but they weren't fast enough. I love doing this shit.
"Final Flash!" A giant purple beam fired through all the walls of the castle and exploded out the other side, tearing a scar across the sky as it did so. Reality itself rumbled as the beam cut through the castle and left behind a hole so big that a AT-AT could comfortably walk though it. I sighed in bliss as I was able to perform a move that I had only theorized before. All of the monsters that had been going for my throat were vaporized. "Now… where is that cunt."
Jumping over the mangled walls I started looking for whatever could be her core. I'm betting a ballroom rather than a throne room. But as continued my search I felt something beneath me. It was the Dark Side? A unbelievable amount of rage and hate. More than I had ever felt before in either this new life or Naraiz's. That was saying something. And the dots didn't connect fast enough as out from under me a great black hand encased in the most edgy and spiky armor ever reached up and grabbed my leg.
"KILL!" Before I could respond it yanked me down and whatever it was threw me high into the sky. We were in the Force, I was master of that thing. It didn't take much for me to grab ahold of non-existence as a anchor and hold myself in the sky. There below I could see what had attacked me.
A giant, encased in a suit of armor that would make Guts' Berserk armor look cute in comparison. This thing radiated the Dark Side. It could only be one thing, the Warrior. But he was still trapped in Andalos, I had confirmed that. Maybe this was a piece of him? Or more likely it was the Maiden's representation of him in her realm. Made it more impressive that it was bathed in the Dark Side of the Force. But there, in its other hand was this tiny little women in a tattered princess dress. Bingo.
"Finally found you bitch! And no amount of Dark Side daddy is going to keep me from putting you back in your cage." Without any more ceremony I unlocked my Tsân's full released form. My body changed and the two summons of Saarai's angel form and Midwan's Devil form tore through the fabric of the Maiden's realm. She wouldn't be able to reject me from her realm so long as I had this anchor of my Tsân here. This was why I hadn't brought them out before now, as the Maiden could have adapted to them if given enough time.
"K̷̯̱̺̻̐̀̀́̍́Ỉ̵̧̹̪͓̩̗̯̫̞̆̓̀͋̄̏͠Ļ̸̡̛̛̯̦̻͖̣̹̙̭̼̀̍̎̿̀̐̾̽̇̀̚͝L̷̪̺͚̙͚̥͓̣̠͝ͅ!" The Warrior simulacrum shouted in rage as it reached up into the sky and thousands of black spares formed nothing, all extended towards me. I smirked as I readied for a true battle of titans.
"Yes! This will be fun! Get-" Blood. Blood dripped from my mouth as I struggled to understand what just happened. I looked down and my body had a total of seventeen holes in it and three of them still had spears lodged in them. A glance to the right and I could see Saarai was in the same boat and a glance to left… yup… Midwan had dozens of them in her body.
All three of us were yanked back down to the castle, hitting the stone floor with a deafening crack. Every bone in my body would be broken if they existed. Everything felt stiff and I struggled to even move anything. There wasn't a single clink of the chains that connected me to my Tsân. Move. Move. Move! Run Away! We were so in over our heads.
"K̸̡̧̼̖͈̹̺̜̳̖̱̿̐͋̾͒́̄̉͋͘͜͝͠͝͝I̷̠̜̟̺͇͗̈́̆͆̀́̀̆̊͒̈́͝Ļ̶̲̮̜͇͇̱̯̌̈̍́͜͝ͅL̸̛̛̰̜͔͚̞͉̙̣͈̝͋̊̇͐͐́̓͗̀͋̈́̌̌̀." The Warrior rumbled as I felt its armored hand wrap around me. It lifted me up, my body limp in its claw. The most I could do was keep my eyes open. Smoke billowed from between the slits the beast had for eyes and no mouth to speak of in its helmet. Meanwhile the Maiden looked as smug as ever. She was awake… definitely awake. That's why she never ejected us from her realm. Because she has this thing to protect her. We never stood a chance.
"My brave knight returns to me. Come to renew your vow of fealty to me?" Bitch… I want to rage out and have a moment where I turn all this around. But it's not coming! Something feels wrong. Not only is the pain and damage breaking my body but there's something behind it sapping my will to fight. No. Not to fight. But see victory as possible. I can fight, but I can't see the point of it. "But you have tarnished your honor, now my loyal brother shall execute you where you stand."
"Ķ̸͇̦̃͘͜͜͠͝I̷͖̫̗̜̙͉̥̗̓̀̓̓̉L̶͙͍̲̼͖̅̈Ĺ̴̗͝." Its fingers tightened as that bitch's smile got bigger. She was enjoying this. Damn I want to drag her face along the ground as I bring her back to her cage. But I can't. These are Gods and as much as I hate it I am still only a man.
I felt my death again. But not from this thing's strangle hold on my. I felt to blades pierce out from under the Warrior's hand. It dropped me and started screaming. The bitch started screaming two. I fell to my hands and knees, I could see the what stabbed me. Two blades, one black and the other white. They were already melting into my very core. I'm dying. Damn, there's too many names I want to cry out for.
Blank. Filled. Empty. Nobody. Hollow. Unknown. Known. Null. Absence. Presence. Void. Space. Lack. Barren. Loss. Gain. Lonely. Company. Null. Nothing. Something. Full. Empty. Void. Nobody. Absent. Present. Unknown. Silence. Space. Hollow. Null. Valid. Nothing. Everything. Barren. Void. Matter. Single. Lasting. Ending. Can't, Can. Unknown. Absent. Empty. Void. Whole. Everywhere. Nothing. Everything. Nobody. Loss. Space. Future. Zero. One.
I have already cheated Death, I will not Ė̸͉̜̮̯̻͍̊n̴̡͙̬̜̻̟̝̣̙̱͈͔̘̼͚̮̂͐̿̃͂̈́̄͒̈́̏͜͝d̸̢̢̧̹̟̜̗̫̬̳̞͍̮̮͈͙͑̇́͒͊͂͠.
Out the outskirts of the Maiden's realm, three newcomers step into being. The first, the only Sith to ever transcend and become one with the Force. A man whose will kept the Sith Empire from falling apart many times. One of the greatest unsung heroes in all of Sith History, Darth Marr.
"My-my, he does get up to the most interesting of situations doesn't he." The Force Ghost of Darth Marr looked up in the distance. A beam of swirling Black and White broke into the sky of the Maiden's domain. I threatened to consume everything if left unchecked.
Next came a Jedi of supreme renown. Grandmaster of the Order during the Old Republic days, a woman that had overseen the galaxy in one of its most troubled ages. A being that shepherd the Light and guided on a path of greatness, and would remained so had it not been for the machinations of her enemies.
"By the Force, he can't do anything without making it all about him can't he?" Satele Shan formed out of pure Light as she stepped into the Maiden's realm. The Force around them cracked and broke in ways that likely were causing untold panic among the mortal world. It had to be stopped, not only for the now but also for what was to come.
The last figure strode into the One's personal domain. It was he who first brought Balance to the Force if but for a moment. It was he whose philosophy would go on to shape the very galaxy. If not for him, all would be dust and gone.
"The Son and Daughter have played their hand. If we do not act the Tyrant will form in place of the Emperor." Darth Revan, the first man to truly find Balance in the Force and master of both Sith and Jedi. They all looked up at the sky in hope that they might be able to turn the tide and stave off a twisted fate that threatened to ruin all they had worked for in life and in death.