Hey everybody!

First of all, I would like to thank you all for the likes and support. It's stuff like this that keeps me wanting to continue working on this story. Now I'd like to answer some questions.

AliveCucumber & BatSpyder487: Don't worry I don't intend to abandon this story.

: I'm going to keep the Gendry/Daenerys romance, while I'm going to have Jon's romantic partner be a surprise. As for having Lannisters in Middle-Earth, I'm going to have to say NO! Aside from Tyrion, and maybe Jaime, Myrcella and Tommen, the Lannisters are gold-digging, power-hungry A-holes. And I am not about to have them get a share of Erebor's treasure (they have enough gold as it is). As for the Martells, we shall see…

Disclaimer

I do not own Game of Thrones or the Hobbit Trilogy. Those belong to their respective copyright holders.

King's Landing (A couple weeks later)

It was mid-morning, and after a long and tiring journey from the North to the Crownlands, the Northern party had finally arrived at King's Landing. And in many of the Northerners' humble opinion, King's Landing seemed to be a place best admired from a distance.

As they approached the King's Gate at the southern corner of the southwest wall, he could see the marble-walled Great Sept of Baelor with its seven crystal towers rising above Visenya's Hill to the west. In the north of the city, the Hill of Rhaenys was capped by the collapsed ruins of the Dragonpit dome, which had not been in use since the last dragon died a century-and-a-half ago. Most importantly, of course, in the south-eastern part of the city was Aegon's High Hill, where the pale red bricks of the Red Keep gleamed in the afternoon sunlight from where it loomed over both the city and Blackwater Rush. Surrounded by high, thick walls, it looked both beautiful and secure.

It also stank to the high heavens.

"What is that smell?" Arya gagged; she'd finally talked Ned into allowing her to ride alongside him for the last few days of their journey, even purchasing a lovely dun rounsey which Arya had swiftly latched onto, dubbing the mare, Cider.

"Half-a-million people living on top of each other without a properly maintained sewage system," Ser Wylis commented dryly. The plump knight had been to King's Landing before on business for House Manderly, so he was already familiar with the state of things in King's Landing.

Arya cocked her head to the side, "Why doesn't the smell bother you then?"

The knight chuckled, "It does bother me Lady Arya, I'm just good at hiding my discomfort. A good skill to have when dealing with particulary unsavory tradesmen."

Ned nodded. "Aye, and good for dealing with the courts of the South."

Ned took a moment to look at the group around and behind him. The Northern party now consisted of the original Stark party and the newly added Bolton party, who had joined the Starks at Moat Cailin. Arya was riding next to him on his right-side, with Ser Wylis to her right on his slightly overworked horse, and Bran just behind her. While Smalljon Umber was to his left, followed by Roose Bolton.

The lord of the Dreadfort had an unremarkable form, neither plump, thin, nor muscular. He had pasty skin, short strong fingers, a plain face, beardless and ordinary, with his only noticeable feature being his strange eyes, paler than stone and darker than milk, like two white moons. Yet they did little to hide the calculating intelligence and ruthlessness that made the Bolton lord so feared.

The others, including Catelyn, Sansa, and Maege, were riding in the wheelhouse for the duration of the journey, flanked by guardsmen on both sides. As they neared the Gate of the Gods, Ned couldn't help but feel worried about all those who came with him. He had never liked King's Landing. This was where his father and brother had been murdered, all those years ago. This city had caused so much pain and grief for House Stark, and deep within his soul, Ned felt that his family was going to experience even more pain.

Eventually, after crossing through nearly all of King's Landing, the Northerners finally arrived at the Red Keep.

Unsurprisingly, King Robert Baratheon, Queen Cersei Lannister and their three children Joffrey, Myrcella and Tommen Baratheon were the first to greet them in the courtyard. The once mighty and renowned 'Demon of the Trident' was now fat and red-faced, garbed in a black velvet doublet decorated with a crowned golden stag, a green doublet, and a golden mantle with a cloak of black and gold squares.

The queen hadn't been called the most beautiful woman in the world for nothing; with flowing golden hair, emerald eyes, fair skin, and a slender graceful build, she was a striking figure draped in crimson velvet and dripping in jewels. However even her beauty couldn't disguise the coldness in her eyes and the slight sneer on her lips as she surveyed the Northern party. A gesture mirrored by her son, Joffrey Baratheon, who was standing beside her. The crown prince of the realm was a comely young man, tall and lean, with Lannister blond hair and green eyes clad in ornate finery. The two youngest children however were far more agreeable; both had the Lannister coloring which could be seen while they were beside their father.

The only Kingsguard at their side were Ser Barristan Selmy and Ser Jaime Lannister, the Queen's twin brother. Tyrion 'the Imp' Lannister, the Queen's youngest brother, was standing beside Jaime. A dwarf with stunted legs, stubby fingers, and a jutting forehead, Tyrion had mismatched eyes of green and black, with dark blond, flaxen hair. The two brothers were talking about something that made Jaime laugh.

To the right of the Royal Family were the Hand of the King Jon Arryn and his wife Lysa Arryn née Tully. While still broad-sholdered, Jon Arryn had gotten older with time, and was now leaning on a cane. Once a pretty, slender girl in her youth, Lysa Arryn had grown thick of body, as a result of her many pregnancies, miscarriages and stillbirths. Despite being two years younger than her sister Catelyn, Lysa looked ten years older; her face becoming pale and puffy, and it appears she now paints and powders it. The reason their son Robin Arryn wasn't with them was that Lysa felt he was too sickly to join them and left him in the Tower of the Hand with loyal soldiers.

At a distance from the King was Stannis Baratheon, the eldest of King Robert's younger brothers. A tall man with broad shoulders, his stern face spoke of a serious, stubborn, rarely-forgiving, hard man who valued his pride and honor. His wife Selyse Baratheon née Florent by his right side, and their daughter Shireen Baratheon by his left. Lady Selyse was not a particularly attractive woman. As tall as her husband, thin, and had the Florent trait of too-large ears, Selyse sported pale eyes, a sharp nose, and an unfortunate hair growth on her upper lip. As for Lady Shireen… Just by looking at her, no one would have believed that the girl had barely survived greyscale, let alone without leaving so much as a scar.

Not far from Stannis' direction was his most loyal bannerman Ser Davos Seaworth, a former smuggler turned knight sworn to Stannis Baratheon. A slight man with brown eyes and an ordinary face weathered by the elements, his beard and thinning brown hair were peppered with gray. Most of his sons had squired under Stannis for years and the 'Onion Knight' was considered to be Stannis', right-hand man.

The King's youngest brother Renly Baratheon was not too far from Stannis and his family. Lean and lithe, he greatly resembled his brother Robert back in his younger years. Renly was currently beside his niece Shireen.

Varys the 'Spider', Master of Whisperers, and Grand Maester Pycelle were standing to the left of the royal family. A short and slender man with a small pointed beard was standing with them as well. He seemed to regard most Northerners with disinterest, only flashing a delighted look upon his face when he caught sight of Catelyn.

The banners of House Tyrell and Tarly could be spotted next with Lady Olenna Tyrell, the 'Queen of Thorns', her son Mace Tyrell, the Lord of Highgarden and Warden of the Reach, beside his elderly mother and next to him was his second son Ser Garlan. Formerly of House Redwyne, Lady Olenna was a small woman, the size of a child. Appearing wrinkled and wizened, with soft, spotted hands sporting gaunt thin fingers, the Dowager Lady of Highgarden was supposed to be a cunning old woman with a wicked wit and a sharp tongue. Her son Mace on the other hand, was a handsome and once-powerful-looking man who had since turned to fat. With curly brown hair and a trimmed triangular beard, which had white and grey specks in it, he appeared to be red-faced. Mace Tyrell had lost his two youngest children Margaery and Loras nine years ago, when Loras fell off a boat and Margaery tried to catch her brother, only for a wave to hit the boat and cause her to fall overboard as well. Neither of them had ever been found. Ser Garlan was exceptionally handsome, tall, broadly built, and had a beard and brown curly hair.

Not too far from them was Randyll Tarly, Lord of Horn Hill and one of the finest commanders in Westeros. A lean and balding man with a short, bristly grey beard and a fierce and stiff posture, he was standing next to his wife Lady Melessa Tarly née Florent (cousin to Selyse Florent), their two youngest children, Dickon and Talla Tarly. In contrast to her husband, Lady Melessa appeared to be a very warm and welcoming person. Dickon, a tall and strong young man, was Randyll's heir, after his original heir Samwell Tarly drowned in a pond and his body was never found. Rumour was that the Lord of Horn Hill didn't even seem to mourn his son like his wife would. Talla was a youthful and pretty young lady who appeared to be quite polite at the very least.

House Greyjoy banners were also seen. Balon Greyjoy, Lord of Pyke and Warden of the Iron Islands, had aged considerably, since the bitter Ironborn was ultimately crushed in his failed rebellion. Gaunt with a hard face, sporting hard black eyes with long grey hair flecked with white that hung past the small of his back, he was standing right beside his daughter Asha Greyjoy. Lean and long legged, with dark eyes and black hair cut short, her face was thin, with a big, sharp nose, and wind-chafed Ironborn woman appeared wild and headstrong, and looked surprisingly happy to be at the capitol.

House Tully banners could also be spotted. Ser Brynden 'Blackfish' Tully was next to his nephew and heir of Riverrun, Ser Edmure Tully, who was next to his sister Lysa. Ser Brynden was tall and lean, with a hoarse, smoky voice. He was clean-shaven, and his face was craggy and windburnt, his features lined and once-auburn hair had long gone to grey, and he had bushy eyebrows and laughing eyes of deep blue. While Ser Edmure had auburn hair and deep blue eyes, like most Tullys, and grew a fiery red beard. Of stocky build, Edmure was a head taller than his sister, Catelyn.

And finally, standing as far away from each other as possible, were the banners of Houses Martell and Lannister.

Representing House Martell were Prince Oberyn Martell and his nephews, Quentyn and Trystane. A tall, slender, graceful, and fit man with lustrous black hair with only a few silver streaks, Prince Oberyn was known to be a fierce and deadly spearman with a dangerous, bloodthirsty temper. Leaning on his right-side was his long-time paramour Ellaria Sand. Although not accounted as a beautiful woman, Ellaria was regarded as attractive and eye-catching, with an exotic, sensuous flair. Behind them were the three eldest of Prince Oberyn's bastard-daughters, the Sand Snakes; Obara, Nymeria and Tyene Sand. While to the left of Oberyn, Quentyn appeared to be short-legged and stocky, thickly built, with a plain face, brown hair, brown eyes, and stubble on his cheeks. And next to him was his younger brother, Trystane. A boy of four-and-ten, with olive skin and straight black hair, he appeared to be more handsome than his older brother.

And representing House Lannister was the Lord of Casterly Rock and Warden of the West himself, Tywin Lannister. A tall, slender, broad-shouldered man in his fifties, his arms were thin but muscled, his golden hair had started to go bald, and pale green eyes flecked with gold surveyed the courtyard withcold and calculating efficiency. Intelligent, politically astute, ruthless, and controlling, Tywin Lannister was by far the most feared man in all of Westeros. If one was to make an enemy of 'the Old Lion', they would be signing their own death-warrant.

All of the Great Houses summoned for this meeting stood in attention, waiting for the last of the Northern party to arrive.

Once all of the Northerners had disembarked, Ned was the first to kneel, with the rest of the party following his example. Robert strode quickly before Ned and signaled for all to rise.

"Your Grace," Ned greeted, his head still bowed.

"You've gotten fat," Robert replied.

Ned gave Robert's midsection a pointed look. They locked eyes and immediately started laughing. The King wrapped his oldest friend in a bear hug, which Ned awkwardly returned.

"Gods be damned Ned, it's so good to see you," Robert said cheerfully. No one could deny how happy the King was upon seeing the Warden of the North.

"You too, your Grace," Ned replied, smiling at his friend while managing to keep his shocked expression in Robert's weight gain hidden.

Robert scoffed at this before greeting Catelyn, who was planning to see her brother and sister.

"Cat, it has been too long," The Stag King greeted the Lady of Winterfell before wrapping her in a hug.

Lady Stark was speechless of the tight grip, while Arya and Bran are struggling to contain their laughter at the scene, making Robert laugh in return.

"Ah, these must be your children, Ned?" Robert asked Ned, who nodded at the King's question.

"From left to right, my eldest daughter, Sansa, my youngest daughter, Arya and my son, Bran," Ned said, as he introduced his children to the King.

The King shakes their hands before ruffling Bran's hair and laughing it off.

"I'm sorry to hear about your boys, I remember hearing about what happened," Robert said rather bluntly to him.

Ned took a deep breath, but before he could answer, Jon Arryn interfered and greeted his former foster son.

"Ned, it's been a long time hasn't it."

Lord Stark smiled at Jon Arryn, then hugged his foster father.

"You too, Jon Arryn," Ned said back to the Hand of the King.

Once the Warden of the North noticed the gathered houses of the realm within the courtyard, Lord Stark grew worried.

"Why are all the representatives of the Houses all gathered here, Your Grace?" Ned asked Robert in a concerning manner.

Robert scoffed at his question.

"Damn priestess said something about 'seeing through the flames' that you would be arriving around mid-morning. So I had every one of them stand out here to wait for you."

Ned would have been flattered if he hadn't felt concerned about how the other Lords and Ladies felt about all of this.

"When is the meeting to start? I would like to get this matter, as well as other matters concerning preparation for Winter resolved as soon as possible," Ned said to both Robert and Jon Arryn.

While Lord Arryn nodded in understanding, Robert began to laugh.

"HAHA! Nothing but duty and honor for you, Ned? Don't worry, the meeting is going to be held this afternoon. That red priestess said something about 'performing the Lord of Light's spell' at the Dragon Pit. But first, let's get drunk and pissed!"

The Dragonpit

The Dragonpit was once a huge domed castle at the crown of Rhaenys's Hill. The main gate consisted of massive doors, mainly bronze with some iron, and were so wide that thirty knights could ride through it at once. A score of lesser entrances were also present, some of them were oak-and-iron doors. The building's walls were thick and the roof strong. But now the great dome was broken, the building ruined, the pit's walls blackened by fire.

The Royal Family, including the Baratheons and the Lannisters, as well as a couple members of the small council were the first to arrive in the Dragonpit. Followed by the Arryns and the Northerners, the Tyrells and the Tarlys, the Greyjoys and the Tullys and the Martells.

Given the size of the ruined castle, all of the gathered nobility only two-thirds of the open space. And as the last person entered, they began to settle around a raised stone platform at the center, next to allies and kin. The children would sit closer to the platform, while the adults would sit behind them. Sansa, feeling lonely, decided to sit next to Arya, Bran and Lyanna. Over the past few years Sansa and Arya had somewhat gotten along, and Bran had often acted as the voice of reason between his older sisters.

Shireen awkwardly waved at Bran, who politely returned the favour, while Arya, Sansa and Lyanna both looked at him in a comicly disapproving manner.

Due to Cersei keeping a short leash on Myrcella and Tommen, the two children look saddened by not being able to play with the other children.

This led Joffrey to start mocking his younger siblings.

"Why would you two want to spend time with the likes of those filthy savages of the North," Joffrey spat in disgust towards Bran, Lyanna and Arya.

The comment was heard by the elder Northerners, with reactions ranging from shocked, to indignant, to enraged. Sansa seemed to have been shocked by the prince insulting her family, while Renly, sensing that hostilities were brewing, decided to introduce himself to the younger children.

"Ignore my nephew's foolish words, everyone seems to do so. Except for Cersei," Renly cheerfully said to the children, making them giggle at his comment. The adults' tempers were somewhat assuaged as well, though they now began to feel wary of the Royal family.

Taking the time to catch up with her family, Catelyn began conversing with her sister, brother and uncle. Lysa snobbily told them that her son Robyn isn't feeling well so she left him inside, much against Jon Arryn's protest.

When everyone was finally settled in, Melisandre, the red priestes of R'hllor, walked to the center of the dragon pit. The 'Red Woman' was regarded as a beautiful woman by many. She has long hair the color of deep burnished copper, unsettling red eyes, and pale, unblemished skin. The priestess is slender, graceful, and taller than most knights, with full breasts, a narrow waist, and a heart-shaped face. As was the custom of the red priests of her faith, Melisandre wore a dress made from long red fabric.

Arya and Bran were shocked by her presence and how she calmly entered the scene. Sansa meanwhile joined her mother and met her aunt and uncles.

"The Lord of Light has brought us here to learn what happened to the missing children of the lords and ladies of the land, who disappeared nine years ago," The red priestess announced to the group atop the platform, gathering their attention

She began to draw strange markings on the ground as everyone stared at Melisandre in confusion. Eventually the red priestess did finish what she was doing and turned to the rest of her audience.

"The Lord of Light has shown me through the flames of their survival. The children are not in this world, but in another realm. A realm that is far older than our own," Melisandre said aloud, leaving everyone shocked and confused.

"Another realm?!"

"Preposterous!"

"Madness!"

As the gathered audience voiced their disbelief, Melisandre had one of Stannis' men hand her a strange box with markings all over it. The audience went silent as the priestess opened the box and revealed a large, glossy black orb.

"This stone has been in the Lord of Light's keeping, ever since the Company of the Rose gave it to us as payment for a great debt," explained Melisandre as she held out the stone in both of her hands. As Melisandre finished her sentence, she made direct eye contact with Ned. Causing the Lord of Winterfell to feel that did not go unnoticed by Catelyn as she glared ice-cold daggers at the red priestess.

"The stone holds powerful magic unlike anything Westeros, or the known world has ever seen. With this stone and the power of the Lord of Light, we shall see where the missing ones can be found," Melisandre called out.

Davos and many of the Southerners had looks of discomfort, some even showing hints of fear. While the Northerners and the Martells were a little more accepting of the notion of magic, barring Catelyn and Sansa.

Melisandre then began chanting in an unknown language, the moment she placed the orb on the ground, in the middle of the drawn red priestess would continue her chant for another minute-and-a-half before suddenly stopping. For a couple of minutes, no one dared to say a thing, nor did Melisandre who appeared confused at first glance.

"We were brought here for this? The false promises of a mad woman's false god?" Balon Greyjoy spat out in disgust.

Ironically, Randyll Tarly agreed with the Ironborn and was openly showing his detest of the random summoning to the Capital. Even Tywin Lannister, who disdained the Ironborn as much as everyone else, had to agree with Balon about this apparent farce.

Only for their thoughts of disbelief to come abruptly to a halt, once the stone began to glow until flames erupted from it. While everyone looked positively terrified at the sight that they were witnessing, Melisandre could be seen smiling in relief as her prayer had been heard, as the flames began to expand over the platform and merge into one massive one.

Once the flames had merged, the center of the flames began to show glimpses of this new world Melisandre had proclaimed moments ago, causing everyone to sit down in disbelief of what they were now seeing.

Magic had returned to Westeros!

Melisandre smiled widely at what she did moments ago, before she turned to the larger group.

"The Lord of Light has answered and now shows us a new world. Even though I do not know the origin of this world, we can see and hear what transpires in this realm. However, they cannot hear or see us," Melisandre informed the many nobles within the Dragonpit

After the red priestess said these words, Ned sat down and lost himself in thought. He hoped that Robb and Jon were alive and well in this new world they were somehow placed in, and that no harm befell them. Though that was only wishful thinking.

His thoughts soon turned toward his sister Lyanna, and Ned prayed that she could forgive him for not being there for her son.

Not noticing Melisandre briefly staring at the Warden of the North before continuing on.

And chapter 2 is done!

I'm sorry if this chapter seems to be full of filler info, but I'd like to give my readers an idea of the characters in this story. Like in "Unexpected Allies" I'm going to use the actors of Game of Thrones, but with their book appearances (for the most part). Plus use the actors introduced by STARKILLER 21.

Thanks and see you next time!