Atop his horse, the Lord of Maidenpool watched his army taking position. One thousand and two hundred soldiers were his, one thousand and eight hundred followed the orders of Bryen Darklyn, the Lord of Duskendale. Together, they were overlooking their host, the proud colours of Mooton and Darklyn ever present. The army of three thousand had gathered in a small valley, a day's ride away from Duskendale. The lands belonged to Rosby a gentle plain on which they had taken position, the archers camping on a hill. In the distance, the Targaryen host had to travel through a dense forest to reach them. And reaching them, they had to, because the lords Mooton and Darklyn were determined not to let them pass any further into their lands.
“It will be a glorious victory”, Bryen proclaimed and he glanced at him, smirking. Dark-haired, as most of his line, with confident blue eyes and sharp features. Grenn Mooton was a different breed and he knew it. Less an intimidating warrior, he nonetheless felt confident in his heavy armour, moving a hand over his bald head, as he took a deep breath, allowing himself to feel the same confidence Bryen showed so clearly.
His brother however was looking grim, as always. Tall, lanky and losing his hair at an early age, safe for his thick, brown beard, Jon Mooton was still more of a warrior than his brother, a surprisingly fearsome opponent if armed with a spear. “Are you sure about that?”, Jon asked and Grenn sighed, mostly to defuse his own doubts. “Do we have to talk about this again?”, he interjected. “Yes, brother, we are sure about it. The Dragonlord has barely half our numbers in his host”
“He has a dragon”, Jon replied nonchalantly, to which Bryen chuckled. “One dragon”, he agreed, as he moved his hand to his archers, standing atop a nearby hill. Five hundred of Duskendale's best. “How hard can it be to kill one dragon?”, Bryen asked, as he looked at his son. Damon of the Dark Blade, his heir and the best knight in Duskendale, perhaps in all of the Riverlands, at least according to his own accords. Looking a lot like his father, tall, dark and pale, with haughty, blue eyes and high cheekbones, the young knight approached them, handing his father his bow and a single arrow.
“We all know the stories”, the lord said. “They breathe fire, yes, and if he'd have a hundred of them, I would have bent the knee. But one dragon? It doesn't take much to kill one dragon” He raised his bow and faster than Grenn could see, he had shot the arrow into the sky, being the perfect archer he was. In the distance, he heard a screeching sound, as a goose, part of a larger flock flying into their direction, fell from the sky. “Just one dreadful shot for Balerion the Black”
“We've been hunting geese earlier this year”, Damon explained. “Not too hard to hit them and Balerion is so much larger. We brought five hundred archers to make sure” Grenn gave him a nod, though he noticed that Jon's dour expression remained. “A dragon is not a goose. And Aegon Dragonlord is no fool”, he explained. “He knows you can kill him easily. Why would he risk this?” He gave his brother an urgent look. “This man has planned something. What if he attacks the camp?”
This time, Grenn felt a sting of worry. “He wouldn't dare”, he said. “What man would rather slaughter women and children than to meet their opponent head on?” Jon gave him a nod. “What man indeed”, he spoke. “They say Aegon Targaryen is a man of honour, but I have never met him. Think about it, can you risk it? What about Amerei?”
The thought of his daughter caused Grenn's confidence to falter. She was his only child, his heiress until he found a new wife that would bear him sons. After the early death of his wife, she was the closest family he had left and no matter what, she would always be his firstborn. A wonderful daughter, the best a father could hope for. Gentle of heart and soft of voice, slender of frame and with delicate features, she was his pride, the Maid of Maidenpool and it was only natural for him to keep her close, wasn't it?
It had been foolish to take her with him, he had to agree on this. He did so in a fit of bravery, out of the desire to celebrate with her once they had killed the dragon. Admittedly, he also hoped to find a suitable husband for her. Damon Darklyn was her friend already, perhaps once their houses would fight side by side, Bryen would agree to such a proposal. A powerful alliance in this region. It seemed a good idea, but now? The closer the battle came, the less sure he was about all this.
“What would you have me doing?”, he asked and Jon sighed. “Get back to the camp”, he urged him. “I lead our men and you are not needed for that. If things go sour, make sure Lord Mooton returns to Maidenpool. Your city needs their lord and your daughter needs her father”
“When it comes to Amy, she's not alone. Robin is with her, as well as Dana”, Damon explained and Jon shook his head. “Darkrobin is fifteen and half the warrior you are”, he said. “And the Darke Lady... well, she's a woman, not a fighter. Not quite whom I'd like to see as my only niece's bodyguards” To this, Damon rolled his eyes. “Amy doesn't need bodyguards. We're barely in danger, so she sure as hells isn't either!”, he said. “You're worrying too much, Mooton”
“Agreed”, Bryen said. “Enough with this! We have a battle to win, my friends!” He pointed at the host. “This right there is all we need to kill the dragon. Just think of it! His skull in the Dun Fort and the Dragonlord's head in Harrenhal. The king will reward us handsomely. You all read his letter. Stokeworth and Rosby will be ours, maybe even Dragonstone!”
A curious look appeared in Damon's blue eyes, the ambition that had driven the Darklyn kings for centuries. “Or maybe more”, he said. “Father, Grenn, you will be the first men to kill a dragon in centuries! Imagine how the other lords will see you. You could be the men they follow! You don't have to kneel to Harren Hoare any longer! Down with that black tyrant, I say! The kings of Duskendale and Maidenpool of old, or maybe... kings of the Trident”
“You think big”, Grenn remarked, as a mere smile flashed over Bryen's face. “That is my son”, the Lord of Duskendale replied. “Always ambitious” Grenn sighed. “Then which one of us should be the King of the Trident once we're done with this?”, he asked. It was unlikely it would come to this, he knew it. A nice thought, but if pushed, could he truly rebel against his king? The downfall of the Bullister's was still too fresh in his mind.
“Whomever kills the dragon!”, Damon offered. “Your cavalry, or my father's archers” Grenn was okay with this. Of course, it was hardly fair, given that Darklyn's archers had an advantage, but to be honest, he didn't want to be King of the Trident. Maidenpool, his beautiful city by the sea was all he wanted. Keeping it safe from the dragon's wrath, it was the only reason he had agreed to march with Bryen Darklyn, despite Jon's vehement advice against it. Of course, the thought of a new wife was also what motivated Grenn here. With the king's blessing, he could court any maiden in the kingdom, so that he might further his line with healthy son. Tully, Piper, Vance, Blackwood, they were standing above him, always had been, yet could they deny him if he'd slay the beast? A powerful alliance could be crafted here, if he'd play his cards right.
It was in this moment that horns sounded from the distance. Grenn tensed up. He had been to a number of battles in his lifetime, but being the Lord of Maidenpool was mostly a peaceful position. Quiet people, a calm land. Aegon Targaryen sought to change this. He was a threat and Grenn Mooton would never allow him to harm his people.
“They are advancing”, Bryen proclaimed, as he gave Grenn a nod. “My friend, may the Seven be with you today. Fight bravely!” To this, the Lord of Maidenpool replied in sound. “And with you, mylord”, he answered. Silently, he added a swift prayer to the Seven that this would not remain their last meeting.
As he glanced at his archers, Bryen moved his horse to Damon. Putting a hand onto his son's shoulder, he smiled confidently. “And try to leave some for Grenn's men”, he said, to which the Dark Blade just shrugged. “I can't make any promises”, he replied. “I will strike down every Targaryen and their followers I can get my hands on. Perhaps the Last Dragon himself, if he is foolish enough to face me!”
Bryen chuckled, though his fingers dug into his sons shoulder. “Just make sure not to get yourself killed. What is the greatest victory, if its sweetness is spoiled by my firstborn's foolishness?”, he told him, as he smiled at Damon, as proud of him as Grenn was of his Amerei.
Just then, the Lord of Maidenpool heard Jon's surprised gasp. He turned around to see what happened, looking down at his army, when he spotted the Targaryen host in the distance. They were approaching slowly and from what he was able to tell, they were significantly less than the combined host of Maidenpool and Duskendale.
But that was not what caused Jon's surprise. No, it was the... thing in the distance. Black as the night and winged, Balerion did not look as large as he had heard. Barely taller than the goose Lord Darklyn had shot just minutes ago... and it was then that Grenn realized how far it was away.
“By the gods...”, he said, as he realized its sheer size. Maidenpool was not a small city, yet there was no square in it that would allow this beast to land without crushing buildings. Worse than that... such was the span of his wings, the Black Dread would cast a shadow upon the entirety of most cities Grenn had ever been to. Duskendale for sure, maybe even all of Maidenpool... He desperately tried to avoid imagining the gaping pit that was the dragon's jaw. They said a dozen men could ride down its throat at once and he had never believed them. By the Seven, how foolish had he been for not believing them?
“Now we know why he takes us head on...”, Jon mumbled, as he looked to his brother for advice. Even the confident Damon Darklyn was hesitating notably. That being said, he pulled himself together faster than Grenn. “This is it!”, he exclaimed. “My father needs our support if he wishes to bring this beast down. With me, mylords!”
With these words, he rode down the hill the three men had taken position on. Grenn sighed. As he closed his eyes, he could see Amerei, how she begged him not to go. The tears in her eyes, he had ignored them, as he had left her in the camp. He had brought her here, put her into this danger and the least he could do was to slay this beast for her.
“Onwards!”, he growled, as he and Jon rode to their troops. Damon was already there. “Attack them!”, the young man yelled, though Jon was quick to intervene. “Form ranks!”, he ordered and Grenn was glad to have his brother by his side. For all his skill with a blade, tactical understanding was not the young Darklyn's speciality. “Let them come. We meet them here!”
The captains of both houses were glad to follow the order, for all knew of Jon's talents. Both men joined the cavalry, four hundred men on horseback, most of them wearing the colours of House Mooton. The sight filled Grenn with at least a bit of confidence, despite the shattering effect the mere sight of the dragon had. Such a beast... such a beast shouldn't even exist!
Looking around, he knew he was not the only one afraid. Silently, three thousand men were praying to the Seven. And yet, dragons were not invincible. The heroes of old had slaughtered them and Grenn had read books that offered even less ambiguous tales of dragonslayers. The Rhoynar had killed dozens of them during their wars with the Valyrians. And this was only one. Only one...
Balerion let out a roar, spine-chillingly deep, deafening and enough to make hardened men scream in fear. In the distance, the Targaryen commander shouted his orders, as Aegon and his dragon flew overhead. It was only one, a single dragon...
And then he breathed fire. Out of his massive throat, a black lance of flame came down upon the soldiers. Narrow at first, it grew wider the further down it travelled. Wisely, the host of the two lords was spread thin, yet nonetheless, a hundred men were dead in an instant, as the black fire engulfed them. Even though he stood a hundred feet away from the centre, Grenn felt the heat, as the gargantuan beast, this monster of legends old, flew over the field. Its wings indeed blacked out the sun, causing a gloomy twilight and scalding heat beneath it. And yet, the Targaryen's were advancing without being bothered by it. Coming closer, Grenn spotted the banners. Stokeworth, Rosby, Bar Emmon and Massey, all beneath the three-headed dragon.
From the hill, Bryen Darklyn blew his horn and Grenn took a deep breath as he saw five hundred arrows hitting the dragon. Most of them bounced of its scales, raining down onto the field between the archers and the main host. Some however hit their target, digging into Balerion's flesh but now, seeing how large he was, Grenn knew they would have needed much bigger weapons to cause serious harm.
Balerion growled harshly, as he once again took a deep breath. Then, his black flame descended onto the archers, onto Bryen Darklyn and five hundred of his best. And unlike the main host, which had been spread thin on Jon's orders, the archers were standing in a tighter formation. And what was a viable tactic towards most enemies failed them when facing this terrible, new opponent, a creature of a power Westeros hadn't seen in thousands of years. Maybe never.
“Gods...”, Grenn gasped, as the surviving archers quickly turned around, to shoot the dragon flying over them into the back. He could not see if Bryen survived the initial attack, he could barely see anything on that hill, where smoke rose up into the sky, from hundreds of burned corpses. The wind was quick to send the smell downhill.
Though the archers were quick shots, they were not quick enough for Balerion. Faster than a beast of his size should be, he spun around, now descending onto the archers. Only few shot, as the formation broke and men tried to flee. Even fewer managed to do that, as his flame burned them alive and his massive jaws drove through them, devouring any man in his path whole before he rose up again. By now, his mouth was stained with red blood, the liquid dripping down, together with pieces of flesh.
The main host, just recovering from the dragon's first attack, had seen this. Gone was the optimistic feeling they had allowed themselves to feel just half an hour ago. Bryen Darklyn was dead, there was no doubt about it. And Damon, the new Lord of Duskendale, he let out a roar of anger. “FATHER!”, he screamed at the top of his lungs, pointing his blade at the slowly advancing Targaryen army. “Charge! Kill them!”
Now in a frenzy, he charged first and the most blood-thirsty of his men followed, while Jon let out a muffled curse. “That foolish boy means to give up our position!”, he barked, as he blew into his horn. “Flank the Targaryen's! We have to ride now!”
And so it began. Grenn Mooton rode alongside his brother in a wide arch around the two armies, as Damon and his men, still outnumbering Targaryen's footsoldiers, advanced onto them. In return, the invaders stopped their march, instead focussing on building a formation to survive this attack. Their commander was quick to yell his orders and men with spears were sent first, a formation that would be hard to break for an army that charged as blindly as the one led by the Dark Blade of Duskendale.
The cavalry was their only hope, though naturally, the Targaryen commander had seen them coming. A group of spearmen was sent to the flank the riders were about to crash in. Behind them, archers. And as close as he was already, Grenn heard a terrible order. “FIRE!”, the commander yelled, as two hundred arrows were shot into the riders.
The man next to Grenn died, an arrow hitting his neck and throwing him off his horse. Another one lost his horse and as it fell, it took down the animal behind it as well. It was there that Jon blew into his horn as well and just a few dozen feet before the enemy soldiers, the cavalry split again, two smaller groups of barely a hundred and fifty men. At least for a moment, this move had caught the Targaryen's by surprise.
Grenn, now separated from his brother, cast a glance at the massive dragon, now reaping those unfortunate archers that had tried to kill it. Not only with fire, but with claws and teeth. Few of Darklyn's best would survive this day and Bryen would not be among them. If the gods were cruel, neither would Damon but at least in this case, the line would continue through his brother Robin. What would become of Maidenpool if he and Jon were to fall today? Just Amerei and Jon's newborn sons, against the might of Aegon, this Dragonlord, this Conqueror.
Flanking the spearmen, the Mooton cavalry nonetheless won a small, momentary victory in spite of the massive losses the dragon had caused them, as they ploughed through their enemies, crushing soldiers, knocking them aside with their heavy horses, scattering them and breaking their formation in the blink of an eye. On the other side, Jon's men crashed into the archers, preventing them from shooting again.
It was there that he saw the Targaryen commander for the first time. A fearsome man, tall and broad-shouldered, clad in an armour of black and a cloak of red. His helmet was leaving his face open, revealing him to be younger than Grenn had thought, with dark eyes and a thick, black beard.
The commander was locking blades with Damon Darklyn, pressing his own sword against Damon's blade of blackened steel. The best knight of the Riverlands was mad with fury, having cut a bloody path to get to the commander, whom he was showering with strikes and slashes. Those that were not parried by his opponent's blade were deflected by the heavy armour.
Yet in his attempt to get to him, Damon had ignored his men and Grenn could see that as much as the cavalry was helping, driving away the pikemen and archers, the Targaryen's had the superior position where the bulk of the fighting took place. Having expected the Darklyn men to charge, they were meeting them with pikes and a formidable shield wall.
As Grenn slowed down to gather his riders, knowing better than to charge after the fleeing pikemen, he saw Damon smashing the crossguard of his sword against the Targaryen commander's face. The man staggered backwards, but recovered quick enough to parry a strike that would have split his neck open otherwise. Closing in on Damon once more, he brought his sword down upon him, slicing through the thin, weak armour that protected the back of his legs.
Groaning in pain, Damon Darklyn went to his knees, though he remained fighting. His teeth clenched, having lost his helmet in the onslaught he himself had ordered, he parried a high strike that was meant to split his skull, though the Targaryen commander, himself bleeding from where Damon had hit his cheek, was quick to repay the favour by bringing the pommel of his sword into the young knight's head, knocking him onto his back. Before he could get back up again, the blade was pointed at his throat.
Between this, he spotted Jon. His younger brother had lost his horse and was now standing on top of a man he had felled with his spear. “Form ranks!”, the Targaryen commander boomed, though his order was almost drowned by Balerion's next roar, a fearsome one, as the dragon pushed himself up into the air again, having brought death and despair of Duskendale and House Darklyn today.
“Now!”, Grenn shouted and faithfully, Jon blew his horn once more. Coming together, the cavalry charged into the Targaryen army from behind, after they had only built half a formation. Still, half a formation was more than they had to face before and Grenn knew, this time there would be terrible losses even despite their archers fleeing.
Their archers... it was just in this moment that Grenn saw them. Those fleeing back to the forest were supported by newcomers, Rosby's men, who had hidden between the trees. They aimed at the cavalry and with only a tiny, manageable risk of hitting their own men, they shot. And what should have been a glorious charge to break the Targaryen host and ensure victory at least on the field of battle became a desperate charge for survival.
Somehow, Grenn was among those that managed to remain in his saddle, as he led the remaining dozens of riders into the Targaryen soldiers, who had barely finished forming their rank. Knowing that now, he would be safe from the archers, he allowed himself to fully focus onto the enemy footsoldiers, even ignoring the terrifying dragon for a second.
He brought his sword down onto a Targaryen soldier, slicing through the man's throat, while mowing down another with his destrier as the men around him forced the Targaryen soldiers to retreat slightly, until they stood back to back with the rest of their army, still fighting the Darklyn troops.
Their losses on the field had been roughly equal by now, if Grenn was not mistaken. But the dragon, he had made at least half a thousand widows this day and showed no sign of slowing down. For the moment, he was circling above the battlefield, a black shadow, the only thing preventing him from causing more damage being the fact that his own people were now in close combat with the Darklyn-Mooton alliance.
He slowed his horse down, as he spotted Jon again. His younger brother was now in a fight with the Targaryen commander. The dark-haired man had gained an advantage by closing in on Jon, where his spear was more hindrance than help. Forced to merely parry, Jon slowly staggered back. Somewhere behind the commander, Damon was lying on the ground, unconscious, but the steady raising of his chest showed that he was at least still alive.
Grenn knew, Jon would not survive. The enemy commander, he might not be a Targaryen, but a dragon he was nonetheless, a force of nature in combat. He had taken down Damon of the Dark Blade with ease and Grenn had seen the young Darklyn in combat before. Jon was good, but not like that.
Fastening his horse, he charged at the commander, knowing that he was too focussed with his opponent to notice the horse. Perhaps he could turn a certain defeat into a victory if he'd at least take out this man.
And indeed, to his own surprise, he managed to hit him, with the full weight of the horse, yet with less speed then he had hoped for. The commander was knocked a few feet away, heavily landing on his back, his sword being knocked away. At the same moment, the horse gave in beneath Grenn, as a stray arrow hit the animal in the head.
The Lord of Maidenpool was thrown out of the saddle and onto the ground, a mixture of blood and mud at this point. It softened his fall, but did not take away all of the pain. With a groan, he moved his hands, pushing himself upwards, as Jon was next to him, pulling him up. Thankfully, he had landed next to the horse and not beneath it. He was bruised, but nothing was hurt more than his pride, for now.
“I told you this was a bad idea!”, his brother yelled against the deafening sound of the battle and the dragon and Grenn sighed, giving him a sheepish nod. “You have been right”, he said. “You have always been right” He noticed the tears streaming down his face, as he glanced at the Black Dread above him. More a vengeful god than a normal creature right now, the dragon roared his anger out into the world and the earth was shaking from the echo.
So many Mooton men died today, due to his foolishness. Bryen Darklyn was dead, burned alive or torn to shreds by the very dragon he so foolishly tried to slay. Damon Darklyn was unconscious and would probably end in a Targaryen cell. Robin, little Darkrobin was left to lead the Darklyn's, as their best lay dead on this field. What chance did they have, but to surrender? And then there was Amerei...
“We have to sound the retreat”, he decided and Jon gave him a nod. “I lost my horn”, he revealed and Grenn sighed, noticing that it was, in fact, the same with him. “What now?”, he asked and Jon gulped. He glanced to the Targaryen commander and Jon realized that the man had gotten back to his feet. Pressing a hand onto his side, he was bleeding now, standing weakly, but unbroken.
“Ser, this fight is not over!”, he roared and Jon grabbed his spear more tightly. Grenn's eyes widened, as he grabbed his brother by the shoulder. “What are you doing?”, he asked. “You cannot win against this man!”
“What is your name, Ser?”, the Targaryen commander shouted, as he pointed his sword at Jon. In return, Grenn's brother sighed. “Ser Jon Mooton”, he replied and the man gave him a nod. “My name is Orys Baratheon”, he introduced himself. “And I challenge you to a duel, by my honour as a knight”
Jon sighed. “I accept!”, he replied sharply and Grenn gave him an alarmed look. “What are you doing?”, he asked and Jon pressed his lips together. “I cannot refuse him”, he replied. “Lest I bring disgrace upon us. I will fight him and cover your retreat”
Grenn felt a lump forming in his throat. “I'm the one that disgraced us”, he said. “For... for this. My shame. Come with me! I need you by my side when we make it back” Jon shook his head again and this time, Grenn clenched his fists. “And if I order you? As your lord and your brother?”
This time, a sad smile formed on Jon's face. “We both know you won't do this”, he answered. “Tell Amy, I'm going to miss her. Make sure she has it good. Find her a gentle husband, a Riverlander. Tell my sons...” He paused, tears forming in his eyes. “When they are old enough to understand it, tell them how I died. And when the dragon comes, do not repeat your mistake. Kneel”
Still not willing to give him up, Grenn grabbed him by the shoulder. He glanced at Baratheon, who just waited for them to finish. “He is wounded”, he hissed. “No way he can follow us. We can escape together, cut a path through their host and then...”
“And then what?”, Jon barked. His spear pointed at the sky now. “And then, we are burned alive by this monster. I will die by this man's blade, or not at all. And you, you have better chances if you flee on your own. Just you, across this field. The dragon might ignore you if you're alone. Flee back to Maidenpool”
Finally giving in, Grenn clenched his brother's shoulder. In return, Jon silently put a hand onto his upper arm. “Farewell, brother”, he said, before he turned around. Behind him, his brother got ready for his duel with the Targaryen commander. The man was wounded, yes, but what chance did Jon have?
But Grenn, he still had this chance. And he had to live. He owed it to his city, to his people, to Amerei and especially to Jon. And so, the Lord of Maidenpool joined the rest of his men, who tried to break through the Targaryen line. By now, almost none of his cavalry were actually still on horseback. Few of them lived at all, but those that did were fighting with the fury of men in despair, fighting for their live and they actually managed to wear the Targaryen host thin in the centre, with help from Darklyn's troops from the other side.
“Mylord!”, one of the soldiers said as he noticed him approaching. Grenn gave him a nod. “We break through”, he proclaimed. “And then... then we leave this battlefield” The man raised an eybrow. “We retreat?”, he asked. “We can win! The field will be ours!”
Grenn shook his head. “And then what?”, he asked. “It's either arrows or dragonfire. Retreat is the only option. Do you want to live for another day, soldier?” The man only had to think about this for a moment. “I will follow your orders, mylord”, he proclaimed. “Then gather your men”, Grenn ordered. “We charge. Maybe we break through”
The soldier only needed a moment. After a sharp whistle, a dozen soldiers gathered around him, weary men, far from Maidenpool's pride. But they had to suffice. “With me!”, he yelled, in an attempt to rouse them. “Do not fight for me. Do not fight for Maidenpool, or a king you never even met. Now, fight for your families. Fight to see them again! Fight with me!”
His brief speech had at least some sort of an effect on them, as a number of them began to murmur in a manner he deemed to be approving. Refusing the urge to glance over his shoulder to see how Jon was faring against the Targaryen commander, he instead pointed at the enemy host. “Then fight!”, he yelled, as he was the first to charge. The rest followed.
Grenn's first opponent was a pikeman. The soldier, tired from the long fight, tried to impale him, but the Lord of Maidenpool knocked the spear aside, closing in, to split the man's unprotected head with the next strike. The soldier next to him, the same he had spoken to, the man who had gathered his unit, was less fortunate, as a pike pierced through his stomach, causing him to groan in pain, as he collapsed on the weapon.
Grenn did not look any further. He only concentrated onto his next opponent. Cleaving at a soldier, he caught the man off guard. He was young, perhaps barely as old as Amerei, yet for her sake, Grenn killed him regardless, striking the boy's unprotected neck and ripping it open, before pushing the corpse into another man who tried to flank him.
Now surrounded by men, some his own, some enemies, Grenn gasped for air. The stench of burning flesh engulfed the entire field, smoke and flames rising from where Balerion had brought havoc onto his enemies. His roars managed to be louder than the entire battle combined and not for the first time, Grenn feared for his hearing if he'd continue this. He had to get away from this. He had to survive.
With this in mind, he hacked and cleaved and carved, killing men left and right and in front of him. Jon, Amy, Maidenpool. His three duties. The brother he failed. The daughter he loved. The city that needed him. Grenn Mooton had his flaws, but right now, facing what might be his last day, he silently vowed to the Seven, he would be worthy of them, if they'd deem him worthy of surviving this all.
Silently at first, he began to whisper their names, then scream them. “FATHER!”, he yelled. “WARRIOR!” He pushed his sword through a man's chest. “SMITH!”, he continued to roar and in his desperate attempt at staying alive, he even included the one he never prayed to before “STRANGER!”
And just then, he raised his sword, only to realize that the man he nearly attacked was one of his own. “Lord Mooton!”, the man, an older, one-eyed veteran gasped. “We thought you dead!” Grenn gave him a nod. “We retreat!”, he barked, as he pushed past him. “Gather your men, we retreat!”
He didn't have to repeat this order. Though lacking a horn to notify every fighting man, he hoped the rest would follow. He could not wait for them, for it would seal his own fate. And so, two dozen were all that came with him as he began to fall back. Two dozen of three thousand.
The shadow above roared, as it became darker. The man screamed in fear and as Grenn looked up, he could only share their terror. Balerion was about to land, right in their way, cutting of their retreat. And sure enough, the ground was shaking as the beast hit it, its massive claws digging into the dirt. Its head raised, it was radiating a heat Grenn had never felt in the forty years of his life.
And on top of it, he saw the rider. The invader. The conqueror. The king. So small compared to his mount, so distant, yet regal. Aegon Targaryen shouted something, but the sound of the battle made it impossible to understand him. He repeated his words, as Grenn gave his own orders.
Perhaps it was bravery motivating him for this step. Perhaps it was despair. But he pointed his sword at the dragon. “Attack!”, he yelled and in their state of half-crazed fear and the same despair he felt, his men followed, glad they had some sort of a target, even if it was tall as a castle and wilder than the storms that tormented the Bay of Crabs during the autumn.
And so they followed his fateful order. The dragon was not paying attention to them in particular, as it sent its black flame into the sky, causing Grenn's men to scream in terror, as they dug their weapons into its scales. The lord did the same, striking with all his might.
He could have hit solid rock for the same effect. His sword was nearly knocked from his hand and so close, the heat radiating from the monster was almost unbearable. Breathing became harder than ever, especially beneath his thick armour, but he tried another strike.
This time, Balerion hit back. His massive tail whipped through the air, knocking away half a dozen man, sending them flying through the air and to their deaths, while another one was crushed by the massive appendage as it slammed onto the ground again. His jaws, larger than the gates of Grenn's city, closed around two unfortunate soldiers, swallowing them whole.
It was there that Grenn noticed what might be a weakness on the dragon. His sword dug forward and into the small space between its scales. And indeed, he briefly felt triumph, as he pierced the flesh below. Short-lived, as so much on this fateful day, his joy turned into terror as he noticed that even the skin was hard as boiled leather, barely allowing him to pierce it beyond what was a flesh wound.
And now, the dragon had noticed him. Nearly jumping back from the unexpected, if minor pain, Balerion turned to him. A head the size of a decent house turned to him, as Grenn Mooton stared into the face of his own death. Black scales, a slightly opened mouth, three rows of teeth, each as long as a spear and the eyes, a burning orange. They saw him.
By now, the lord had lost control over himself, as he started to scream in fear. Balerion roared and so close, Grenn felt a sharp pain in his ears, pressing his hands onto them. Even worse was the gush of hot air that came out of the dragon's throat. It was not fire, it was merely his breath, heated up to the point where it cooked the Lord of Maidenpool in his own armour. Heating the steel, the pain was unbearable. Grenn's skin began to blister, as he sank onto his knees. By now, he heard nothing, not the dragon's ongoing roar, not the battle around him, not his own screams of pain.
Even keeping his eyes open was pain at this point and the constant heat from the dragon made it no better. Scalding tears flew down his blistering cheeks, as he realized what would happen. He had failed them all. Grenn Mooton, the man that tried to kill a dragon and lost everything. Jon, Maidenpool, his little Amy...
The dragon's jaw closed around him, as the teeth bit through the armor as if it was nothing. Grenn felt the pain, as the monster lifted him up, but as it shook him, as he felt his bones cracking in its grip and as he tasted his own blood in his mouth, any feeling left him quickly, any but regret. The last thing he saw before his life left him was their banners, Mooton and Darklyn, one trampled into the mud, the other slowly burning down, united in defeat.
That's certainly one heck of a way to start of the next book!! Poor Mooton and Darklyn, so naive to such a strong force. If only Balerion was just a goose, then Aegon would just be the King of Geese. Too bad he is not the King of Geese, but the King of Dragons! Orys will smash your cavalry and defeat all of your champions! Long hail King Aegon! The Targaryens will wrap their claws across all the Seven Kingdoms!
As Grenn slowed down to gather his riders, knowing better than to charge after the fleeing pikemen, he saw Damon smashing the crossguard of … morehis sword against the Targaryen commander's face. The man staggered backwards, but recovered quick enough to parry a strike that would have split his neck open otherwise. Closing in on Damon once more, he brought his sword down upon him, slicing through the thin, weak armour that protected the back of his legs.
Groaning in pain, Damon Darklyn went to his knees, though he remained fighting. His teeth clenched, having lost his helmet in the onslaught he himself had ordered, he parried a high strike that was meant to split his skull, though the Targaryen commander, himself bleeding from where Damon had hit his cheek, was quick to repay the favour by bringing the pommel of his sword into the young knight's head, knocking him onto his back. Before he could get back up again, the blade was pointed at his thr… [view original content]
This was an AWESOME prologue Liquid! I really enjoy finally read inside this story of a pitched battle!
I enjoy the fact that you show the fight from the invaded since it show the true nature of Aegon invasion,a slaughter of people ordered by a power hungry conqueror
I really like the PoV of the Lord of House Mooton,too sad that he didn't last long (like the previous prologue PoV)
Well,House Mooton today lost his lord (and probably even the brother of him) and the same I can say almost 100% for House Darklyn (while the new Lord is now probably a prisoner)!
I suspect that in a way or in another you will show us the members of the two families that you mentioned inside the prologue
In the end I must admit that I'm really curious to discover who,of the many PoV's inside the story, will have the honor to start the first chapter of the second book (no spoiler please)
As Grenn slowed down to gather his riders, knowing better than to charge after the fleeing pikemen, he saw Damon smashing the crossguard of … morehis sword against the Targaryen commander's face. The man staggered backwards, but recovered quick enough to parry a strike that would have split his neck open otherwise. Closing in on Damon once more, he brought his sword down upon him, slicing through the thin, weak armour that protected the back of his legs.
Groaning in pain, Damon Darklyn went to his knees, though he remained fighting. His teeth clenched, having lost his helmet in the onslaught he himself had ordered, he parried a high strike that was meant to split his skull, though the Targaryen commander, himself bleeding from where Damon had hit his cheek, was quick to repay the favour by bringing the pommel of his sword into the young knight's head, knocking him onto his back. Before he could get back up again, the blade was pointed at his thr… [view original content]
As Grenn slowed down to gather his riders, knowing better than to charge after the fleeing pikemen, he saw Damon smashing the crossguard of … morehis sword against the Targaryen commander's face. The man staggered backwards, but recovered quick enough to parry a strike that would have split his neck open otherwise. Closing in on Damon once more, he brought his sword down upon him, slicing through the thin, weak armour that protected the back of his legs.
Groaning in pain, Damon Darklyn went to his knees, though he remained fighting. His teeth clenched, having lost his helmet in the onslaught he himself had ordered, he parried a high strike that was meant to split his skull, though the Targaryen commander, himself bleeding from where Damon had hit his cheek, was quick to repay the favour by bringing the pommel of his sword into the young knight's head, knocking him onto his back. Before he could get back up again, the blade was pointed at his thr… [view original content]
Now that's what I call an epic opening for a book! It was so great to see Balerion in action, and overall I feel like this was one of the best battle sequences you have written in this story so far. And even if we had the typical doomed-from-the-beginning prologue PoV, you wrote Grenn so well that I did feel sorry for him at the end. Not so much for the Darklyn jerks, but I suspect I wasn't really supposed to feel sorry for them Jon Mooton was clearly the smartest of the bunch, too bad he had to die as well
Anyway, now it truly feels like the War of Conquest has begun, and I can't wait to read more of it!
As Grenn slowed down to gather his riders, knowing better than to charge after the fleeing pikemen, he saw Damon smashing the crossguard of … morehis sword against the Targaryen commander's face. The man staggered backwards, but recovered quick enough to parry a strike that would have split his neck open otherwise. Closing in on Damon once more, he brought his sword down upon him, slicing through the thin, weak armour that protected the back of his legs.
Groaning in pain, Damon Darklyn went to his knees, though he remained fighting. His teeth clenched, having lost his helmet in the onslaught he himself had ordered, he parried a high strike that was meant to split his skull, though the Targaryen commander, himself bleeding from where Damon had hit his cheek, was quick to repay the favour by bringing the pommel of his sword into the young knight's head, knocking him onto his back. Before he could get back up again, the blade was pointed at his thr… [view original content]
Surprisingly, Loren Lannister takes the win. There is just something so captivating in his personality that immediately draws in my complete attention through out the whole part. A close second is Harren, seeing another side of him really surprised me.
Ay, this is surprising, but I am very glad to hear it! It seemed so far that most liked Loren the least, but it is certainly great to know he won at least some sympathy from you. I'm always happy when not everyone shares the same opinion about certain characters and Loren is among these.
Maybe it is just me, but I didn't like the fact that evert part had the same predicted ending. And that was every ruler reading about Aegon's invasion. Don't get me wrong, the interlude did a lot of great stuff and made a good introduction to all of the rulers and the bannermen and the state of their kingdoms, but I feel you put too much emphasis on Aegon's invasion here. It was a little more bearable seeing different rulers react like there are some who take it seriously, some who don't even care and some are cautious but in the end it all led to the same thing and it was disappointing how all of the parts had this one common thing.
Well, that was sort of the whole shtick of the Interlude. The framing device, of sorts. It was about the Seven Letters, who bound these kings together and showing them in the moment they read these letters has always been the primary intention. After all, Aegon's invasion is very much the overarching main event in Book 2 and 3. Sure, there will be unrelated struggles as well, which I tried to introduce and they will be big storylines in their own right in Book 2 and 3. But Roffe Umber's little problem, the Royce/Shett conflict in the Vale, Loren's war with the Ironborn, Dorne's Sandstorm problem and even the Vyrwel-Mullendore-Oakheart conspiracy against House Gardener are secondary to the man that leads three fully grown dragons against a continent with zero experience in fighting them and every ruler in Westeros, save for maybe Harren and Torrhen are fully aware of this. As such, I actually felt I have put too little emphasis on the invasion, given that it actually wasn't all that major in some parts, such as Mern's, Loren's or Harren's, whereas these three in particular will be affected by the coming war.
The Reach, The Rock and The North. They continue to be great in their own way with their respective stories and I'm sure it will be more awesome now that Aegon is here. Burn them all!
And well, these three kingdoms will continue to play big roles in the things to come, that much I promise. The Reach probably more than the other two, but they will all be featured in Book 2. That being said, being so far away from Aegon's current position, the north will likely be the least immediately affected. Same goes for Dorne, but Meria is smart enough to make preparations the far younger and therefore less experienced Torrhen would never even think about. So, at least in the North parts of Book 2, you likely won't feel much about the war that will plague the rest of the continent.
Who has been your favourite ruler in the Interlude? Surprisingly, Loren Lannister takes the win. There is just something so captivating in h… moreis personality that immediately draws in my complete attention through out the whole part. A close second is Harren, seeing another side of him really surprised me.
Who has been your least favourite ruler in the Interlude? Honestly, Sharra Arryn does not interest me as much as the other rulers. Maybe I don't like her personality because its just weak to me, but her motivation is uninspiring and I find it boring. Admittedly, I never liked the Vale to begin with. Even from the show or the books, they are pretty useless in every way.
Who has been your favourite non-ruler character in the Interlude? I can't really name any characters on top of my head because the interludes were a first impression but I really liked a lot of them so its hard to name a favourite
Who has been your least favourite non-r… [view original content]
Poor Mooton and Darklyn, so naive to such a strong force. If only Balerion was just a goose, then Aegon would just be the King of Geese. Too bad he is not the King of Geese, but the King of Dragons!
It was indeed not the brightest idea. Then again, they can be excused on account of having literally not the slightest idea of how powerful the dragon would be. If Darklyn's plans would have worked, Aegon would have been soundly defeated. No matter what, Orys might be a good commander but he cannot win against a capable force twice the size of his. But yeah, the King of Dragons made the difference here. And he still held back on account of having to deal with the archers first and not wanting to harm his own people afterwards. Imagine that beast not holding back the slightest. Lord Darklyn and his five hundred archers stood no chance. And though Balerion is the largest, wildest and most terrifying of the three, Vaghar and Meraxes could have done the same, if with slightly less ease.
The Targaryens will wrap their claws across all the Seven Kingdoms!
All the Seven Kingdoms, you say? Well, they are definitely going to try. We probably all know how that one is going to end, so I will just say that they are definitely bound to leave their marks on all Westeros. I surely cannot wait to show Aegon's next moves.
That's certainly one heck of a way to start of the next book!! Poor Mooton and Darklyn, so naive to such a strong force. If only Balerion wa… mores just a goose, then Aegon would just be the King of Geese. Too bad he is not the King of Geese, but the King of Dragons! Orys will smash your cavalry and defeat all of your champions! Long hail King Aegon! The Targaryens will wrap their claws across all the Seven Kingdoms!
Long may it reign! Like, literally, it will take me a long time to get through with it XD
This was an AWESOME prologue Liquid! I really enjoy finally read inside this story of a pitched battle!
And it was only the first, a relatively small one at that. Lord Mooton and Darklyn have been powerful lords, but next, Aegon will put his attention towards kings. The ones closest to him, Harren Hoare and Argilac Durrandon, are the most powerful kings in Westeros, so you can expect more intense battles of a larger scale coming soon. Book 1 featured mere skirmishes, but this Prologue should give you a good idea where things are going to head to next.
I enjoy the fact that you show the fight from the invaded since it show the true nature of Aegon invasion,a slaughter of people ordered by a power hungry conqueror
Well, I wouldn't go quite there. Aegon is a very complex person and his reasons for the Conquest are equally complex. Surely, being a power hungry conqueror is part of him, it cannot be denied. He brings fire and blood to those that defy him and the only right he has comes from his strength. At the same time, there is a lot more to him. He is ambitious, cunning and confident, yet in a way an idealistic dreamer even, just enough of a realist at the same time to know that massive change cannot happen without force. And though power hungry, he has quite a lot of different sides as well. Somewhere in the books, it is described best, in one of Dany's parts, I think. It is said there: "Aegon the Conqueror brought fire and blood to Westeros, but afterward he gave them peace, prosperity, and justice." And well, obviously, we are just at the beginning of the fire and blood phase.
I really like the PoV of the Lord of House Mooton,too sad that he didn't last long (like the previous prologue PoV)
Ah, glad you liked Grenn despite his brief stay in the story. I will probably keep it that way, that Prologue PoV's are going to die much like they do in the books, whereas Epilogue PoV's might survive for longer. That feels just right, to continue the tradition set by Eaton and Regis in Book 1.
Well,House Mooton today lost his lord (and probably even the brother of him) and the same I can say almost 100% for House Darklyn (while the new Lord is now probably a prisoner)!
Oh yes, both houses suffered heavy losses. Grenn is confirmed to have died and I can reveal that Bryen Darklyn was among the first to die, during Balerion's initial attack on the Darklyn archers. Damon meanwhile is still alive and now a prisoner, yet also the rightful Lord Darklyn after his father's death. It remains to be seen if he gets a chance at assuming his position.
I suspect that in a way or in another you will show us the members of the two families that you mentioned inside the prologue
I surely will! Amerei Mooton is a submitted character (and like most of the characters mentioned in the parts, you can find her in the waiting list), so she is guaranteed to appear. Damon Darklyn's younger brother Robin meanwhile is actually a very minor character from the Ice and Fire canon, so yes, he will appear as well. Actually, both will be in Chapter 1.
In the end I must admit that I'm really curious to discover who,of the many PoV's inside the story, will have the honor to start the first chapter of the second book (no spoiler please)
Hehe, even if I'd want to spoil this, I must admit I am not sure about it myself. There are four to five PoV's I am considering to give this honour at the moment and I will decide today, when I will start writing the next part. Among them is even one new PoV, but that is all I am going to say. I guess we all have to wait and see what I decide upon, when the next part will be out, hopefully tomorrow
And the Book 2 is finally started!
RT:
* This was an AWESOME prologue Liquid! I really enjoy finally read inside this story of a pit… moreched battle!
* I enjoy the fact that you show the fight from the invaded since it show the true nature of Aegon invasion,a slaughter of people ordered by a power hungry conqueror
* I really like the PoV of the Lord of House Mooton,too sad that he didn't last long (like the previous prologue PoV)
* Well,House Mooton today lost his lord (and probably even the brother of him) and the same I can say almost 100% for House Darklyn (while the new Lord is now probably a prisoner)!
* I suspect that in a way or in another you will show us the members of the two families that you mentioned inside the prologue
* In the end I must admit that I'm really curious to discover who,of the many PoV's inside the story, will have the honor to start the first chapter of the second book (no spoiler please)
Trust me, against that thing, not even the Dovahkiin can do anything. Those weak Skyrim dragons are nothing compared to Aegon's absolute monsters. Alduin eats worlds, but Balerion would eat Alduin, probably swallow him whole even. The Dovahkiin, well, he'd be out of his league against Aegon and his dragons. Unless he uses god mode of course. Or maybe mods to nerf the dragons, or to replace them with Thomas the Tank Engine. Oh man, I just realized, the Dovahkiin could be even more terrifying than Balerion
Now that's what I call an epic opening for a book! It was so great to see Balerion in action, and overall I feel like this was one of the best battle sequences you have written in this story so far.
One of the best! Ah, I was hoping for this, but given that I wrote most of the actual battle in the early morning hours before heading to bed, I was not sure if I'd truly succeed. And this was very much only Aegon's first test. Bigger battles will follow, spanning over the course of several parts, sometimes even a whole chapter. I hope to live up to this sequence, or even surpass it in time
And even if we had the typical doomed-from-the-beginning prologue PoV, you wrote Grenn so well that I did feel sorry for him at the end. Not so much for the Darklyn jerks, but I suspect I wasn't really supposed to feel sorry for them Jon Mooton was clearly the smartest of the bunch, too bad he had to die as well
Ah, I am glad to hear you found some sympathy for poor Grenn. The guy had absolutely no idea what he went into and certainly wasn't a bad man in any way. Neither were the Darklyn's, they were just arrogant, overconfident and probably a bit jerkish. Death by dragonfire is way too awful a fate for Bryen. Jon meanwhile, he was the only one who would have chosen the correct course of action here, kneeling to the dragons instead of fighting them. He tried to talk Grenn out of this and even worse than his brother, he went through with the fight solely out of loyalty. I really wanted to show right in the beginning that the men Aegon fights against might include people as horrible as Harmund Hoare, but the majority of them is actually not bad at all.
Anyway, now it truly feels like the War of Conquest has begun, and I can't wait to read more of it!
It has begun! My own hype level is off the charts, because I know just what exactly is coming. Hopefully, it will live up to your excitement and my own, but I am unusually confident about my plans there
Now that's what I call an epic opening for a book! It was so great to see Balerion in action, and overall I feel like this was one of the b… moreest battle sequences you have written in this story so far. And even if we had the typical doomed-from-the-beginning prologue PoV, you wrote Grenn so well that I did feel sorry for him at the end. Not so much for the Darklyn jerks, but I suspect I wasn't really supposed to feel sorry for them Jon Mooton was clearly the smartest of the bunch, too bad he had to die as well
Anyway, now it truly feels like the War of Conquest has begun, and I can't wait to read more of it!
So the Conquest has finally begun, and this is only a taste of what dragons are capable of.
An adult dragon is like a giant, fire-breathing tank, it has few weaknesses that very few can take advantage of. And they completely underestimated this weaknesses.
Wonder if House Darklyn should be in the Riverlands section or in the Dragonstone section at TV Tropes.
As Grenn slowed down to gather his riders, knowing better than to charge after the fleeing pikemen, he saw Damon smashing the crossguard of … morehis sword against the Targaryen commander's face. The man staggered backwards, but recovered quick enough to parry a strike that would have split his neck open otherwise. Closing in on Damon once more, he brought his sword down upon him, slicing through the thin, weak armour that protected the back of his legs.
Groaning in pain, Damon Darklyn went to his knees, though he remained fighting. His teeth clenched, having lost his helmet in the onslaught he himself had ordered, he parried a high strike that was meant to split his skull, though the Targaryen commander, himself bleeding from where Damon had hit his cheek, was quick to repay the favour by bringing the pommel of his sword into the young knight's head, knocking him onto his back. Before he could get back up again, the blade was pointed at his thr… [view original content]
Man... I can't lie. I absolutely despise the Targaryens! I know a lot of readers here are so #Team Targaryen but I hate them so much. Rhaegar might be the only Targaryen I consider to be a decent human being. (okay that's a bit harsh but you get my point) Actually reading about Aegon's conquest makes me so angry! How he wages war on all these people so he can rule them all.
Anyway this was a really good part and I'm looking forward to book 2!
As Grenn slowed down to gather his riders, knowing better than to charge after the fleeing pikemen, he saw Damon smashing the crossguard of … morehis sword against the Targaryen commander's face. The man staggered backwards, but recovered quick enough to parry a strike that would have split his neck open otherwise. Closing in on Damon once more, he brought his sword down upon him, slicing through the thin, weak armour that protected the back of his legs.
Groaning in pain, Damon Darklyn went to his knees, though he remained fighting. His teeth clenched, having lost his helmet in the onslaught he himself had ordered, he parried a high strike that was meant to split his skull, though the Targaryen commander, himself bleeding from where Damon had hit his cheek, was quick to repay the favour by bringing the pommel of his sword into the young knight's head, knocking him onto his back. Before he could get back up again, the blade was pointed at his thr… [view original content]
I imagine at least one major character will end up like ol' Grenn here.
Isn't it interesting that the relationship between the Targaryens and Darklyns began and ended with the Lord of Duskendale dying?
Did the Rhoynar really kill hundreds of dragons? I am really curious how they did that.
Man I now know how I want Mullendore, Vyrwel, and Oakheart to die. Hopefully none of our "favorite" characters get a fate like this.
Which characters here were submitted, of any? I am curious if you made all of them (which makes sense) or if any were from the masses.
Also a random thought I just had. I imagined Harren the Black as Donald Trump with Harrenhal as his wall "to keep out those dragons and incestees". Lord Selwyn would be jealous at how I chuckle now. That guy has a lot of houses to dislike (damn Tarly, so good at military stuff, damn Hightowers, with those tall buildings, damn Osgreys, uh, haven't appeared and probably won't appear, uh damn them too).
As Grenn slowed down to gather his riders, knowing better than to charge after the fleeing pikemen, he saw Damon smashing the crossguard of … morehis sword against the Targaryen commander's face. The man staggered backwards, but recovered quick enough to parry a strike that would have split his neck open otherwise. Closing in on Damon once more, he brought his sword down upon him, slicing through the thin, weak armour that protected the back of his legs.
Groaning in pain, Damon Darklyn went to his knees, though he remained fighting. His teeth clenched, having lost his helmet in the onslaught he himself had ordered, he parried a high strike that was meant to split his skull, though the Targaryen commander, himself bleeding from where Damon had hit his cheek, was quick to repay the favour by bringing the pommel of his sword into the young knight's head, knocking him onto his back. Before he could get back up again, the blade was pointed at his thr… [view original content]
So the Conquest has finally begun, and this is only a taste of what dragons are capable of.
Aye, a first taste indeed. Aegon did hold back here instead of unleashing Balerion onto the entire army, though we'll definitely get to see moments in which this won't be the case.
An adult dragon is like a giant, fire-breathing tank, it has few weaknesses that very few can take advantage of. And they completely underestimated this weaknesses.
Oh yes, this is true. Dragons are truly monstrous in their power and to make matters worse (or even better for the Targaryen's), they have incredibly few actual weaknesses. With magic mostly gone, one of the most effective counter measures has been taken away and at this point, Balerion is certainly the most powerful being in the known world. Even if some in Westeros take Aegon seriously, even they still underestimate the destruction that can be caused by three adult dragons.
Wonder if House Darklyn should be in the Riverlands section or in the Dragonstone section at TV Tropes.
I'd actually rather put them into the Dragonstone section. I plan for that one to contain not only the island of Dragonstone, but also the area that will become the Crownlands (and is, for simplicity's sake, already called that way in the character list). House Darklyn, being located in the crownlands, should find their place there, whereas House Mooton belongs to the Riverlands section.
So the Conquest has finally begun, and this is only a taste of what dragons are capable of.
An adult dragon is like a giant, fire-breathi… moreng tank, it has few weaknesses that very few can take advantage of. And they completely underestimated this weaknesses.
Wonder if House Darklyn should be in the Riverlands section or in the Dragonstone section at TV Tropes.
Hehe, I think it might be more evenly split when it comes to the support Team Targaryen receives among the readership. I can surely understand your position and am a bit on the fence about them as well, even if I don't despise them. I mean, they are invaders, conquerors and they unleash massively overpowered living nukes onto people who never had any experience fighting them. In these regards, I am glad to see that there are some who dislike them just as much as others like them.
At the same time, it might indeed be a bit harsh to call Rhaegar the only decent one. This is another thing that is way more evenly split among the Targaryen's. Rhaegar surely was a good one, then there is Aegon's grandson Jahaerys, the single best king Westeros ever had, probably one of the best rulers that ever lived in general. Viserys the first and the second were good, just kings, Daeron the Good did not get his name from nothing and Aegon the Unlikely was also quite a good ruler by all accounts. Baelor Targaryen was also a very decent person, to a fault actually, even if he made for a bad king. And that doesn't even begin to cover the non-ruler Targaryen's, who also had their fair share of actually decent people. Take Maester Aemon for example, everybody loves Maester Aemon. That being said, they also had their fair share of terrible scumbags. Maegor the Cruel, Aegon the Unworthy and of course, the Mad King are the most negative examples, but you know what I mean. Things are very evenly split with the Targaryen's. Aegon himself portrays both sides of this, even if he is by far not as bad as many of his descendants. He burns his enemies, but shows mercy to those that follow him and is actually a good ruler. And though the Conquest is certainly brutal, Aegon gives Westeros more than death and misery. The unification of Westeros brings something the kingdoms have never known before: Decades worth of actual stability and peace under a capable ruler. I'm not saying give Aegon a chance, for you have a viable point as well, though he definitely is a morally grey character and will show qualities you will likely consider decent as well.
Man... I can't lie. I absolutely despise the Targaryens! I know a lot of readers here are so #Team Targaryen but I hate them so much. Rhaega… morer might be the only Targaryen I consider to be a decent human being. (okay that's a bit harsh but you get my point) Actually reading about Aegon's conquest makes me so angry! How he wages war on all these people so he can rule them all.
Anyway this was a really good part and I'm looking forward to book 2!
I imagine at least one major character will end up like ol' Grenn here.
Oh, quite likely. So far, most of the major characters belong to factions that are opposed to the Targaryen's and it would be unlikely to assume that every single one of them gets a chance to switch sides. There will be some massive battles fought, with losses on both sides, so maybe before the end, we'll see major character deaths thanks to the dragons.
Isn't it interesting that the relationship between the Targaryens and Darklyns began and ended with the Lord of Duskendale dying?
And in both cases, the Lord of Duskendale in question kind of had it coming. I mean, not that Bryen was a bad guy, but he certainly was foolish in his thoughts on how to take down a dragon. The same foolishness was later shown by his descendants. It seems they have a habit of not making smart decisions.
Did the Rhoynar really kill hundreds of dragons? I am really curious how they did that.
Maybe the accounts were a bit too high, but the Valyrians waged war against the Rhoynar for many times, until finally driving them into exile to Dorne about four hundred years before the story. And back in the day, the Rhoynar used magic to take them down. They had powerful water wizards, who commanded the waters of the river Rhoyne and used it against their enemies. During the last war between the two nations, the Second Spice War, they killed at least two dragons by drowning them and given that they managed to survive many wars against the Freehold, I'd say they killed many more in their history. Now, with magic mostly gone, that won't be possible anymore though, of course.
Man I now know how I want Mullendore, Vyrwel, and Oakheart to die. Hopefully none of our "favorite" characters get a fate like this.
Hehe, this surely would be a fate that can be seen as cathartic when it comes to these three. And you never know, they technically are opposed to Aegon at this point. Those that do not bend the knee will share the fate of poor Grenn, be they well-liked characters or not.
Which characters here were submitted, of any? I am curious if you made all of them (which makes sense) or if any were from the masses.
Damon Darklyn is a submitted character, as are the mentioned characters Amerei Mooton and Dana Darke, whereas Jon Mooton and the mentioned Robin Darklyn are canon characters. Bryen and Grenn are sort of created by me, though it is mentioned that during Aegon's Conquest, he killed an unnamed Lord Darklyn and an unnamed Lord Mooton during his first battle. So, I took these unnamed lords and fleshed them out a bit.
Also a random thought I just had. I imagined Harren the Black as Donald Trump with Harrenhal as his wall "to keep out those dragons and incestees". Lord Selwyn would be jealous at how I chuckle now. That guy has a lot of houses to dislike (damn Tarly, so good at military stuff, damn Hightowers, with those tall buildings, damn Osgreys, uh, haven't appeared and probably won't appear, uh damn them too).
Hehe, I believe a wall to keep out dragons is even less effective than a wall to keep out people, as Harren is surely going to notice. Selwyn might not like that indeed and come to think of it, there are indeed a number of houses he'd dislike. The Osgrey's in particular, they are terrible.
Ouch kiddo. That has got to hurt.
I imagine at least one major character will end up like ol' Grenn here.
Isn't it interesting that th… moree relationship between the Targaryens and Darklyns began and ended with the Lord of Duskendale dying?
Did the Rhoynar really kill hundreds of dragons? I am really curious how they did that.
Man I now know how I want Mullendore, Vyrwel, and Oakheart to die. Hopefully none of our "favorite" characters get a fate like this.
Which characters here were submitted, of any? I am curious if you made all of them (which makes sense) or if any were from the masses.
Also a random thought I just had. I imagined Harren the Black as Donald Trump with Harrenhal as his wall "to keep out those dragons and incestees". Lord Selwyn would be jealous at how I chuckle now. That guy has a lot of houses to dislike (damn Tarly, so good at military stuff, damn Hightowers, with those tall buildings, damn Osgreys, uh, haven't appeared and probably won't appear, uh damn them too).
Hehe, I believe a wall to keep out dragons is even less effective than a wall to keep out people, as Harren is surely going to notice. Selwyn might not like that indeed and come to think of it, there are indeed a number of houses he'd dislike. The Osgrey's in particular, they are terrible.
Those damn Marshalls of the Northmarch, think they are so good. They're stealing our jobs! Taking our land! But they will never take our freedom!
On a different note, do you ever wish people submitted characters from certain canon houses/places or canon characters who are described but not given much detail (like Lord Oakheart) to include in the story? For example, would you want someone to submit the Bastard of Blackhaven (who probably will appear in this story, or already is in the list but we don't know) or an important house like House Osgrey? I only ask this because after I did that massive list of characters, I started thinking about how many, if any, were canon characters that the submitters elaborate on.
I imagine at least one major character will end up like ol' Grenn here.
Oh, quite likely. So far, most of the major characters belon… moreg to factions that are opposed to the Targaryen's and it would be unlikely to assume that every single one of them gets a chance to switch sides. There will be some massive battles fought, with losses on both sides, so maybe before the end, we'll see major character deaths thanks to the dragons.
Isn't it interesting that the relationship between the Targaryens and Darklyns began and ended with the Lord of Duskendale dying?
And in both cases, the Lord of Duskendale in question kind of had it coming. I mean, not that Bryen was a bad guy, but he certainly was foolish in his thoughts on how to take down a dragon. The same foolishness was later shown by his descendants. It seems they have a habit of not making smart decisions.
Did the Rhoynar really kill hundreds of dragons? I am really cur… [view original content]
On a different note, do you ever wish people submitted characters from certain canon houses/places or canon characters who are described but not given much detail (like Lord Oakheart) to include in the story? For example, would you want someone to submit the Bastard of Blackhaven (who probably will appear in this story, or already is in the list but we don't know) or an important house like House Osgrey? I only ask this because after I did that massive list of characters, I started thinking about how many, if any, were canon characters that the submitters elaborate on.
Actually, the Bastard of Blackhaven is semi-submitted. He was recently mentioned in the submission of another character, though only by name and I actually introduced him already. He is Beric Storm, one of Argilac's royal guards from the Durrandon Interlude, bastard son of the current Lord Dondarrion. Then there is, of course, canon characters such as Lord Oakheart, the son of Lord Darklyn and Harren Hoare's sons, the former two of which are submitted, the latter four I came up with myself. Generally though, I have so many characters that I rarely find myself wishing that someone would submit characters from a particular house. I work with what I am offered and if I truly encounter a part where I am in need for a certain character, I come up with something myself. The problem is, in some cases I actually already have, so in rare cases, readers trying to fill in blanks which I already have can cause problems, from very minor ones to actually big ones. Of course though, I always try to make everything work, so there usually is nothing I want to discourage you from
Hehe, I believe a wall to keep out dragons is even less effective than a wall to keep out people, as Harren is surely going to notice. Selwy… moren might not like that indeed and come to think of it, there are indeed a number of houses he'd dislike. The Osgrey's in particular, they are terrible.
Those damn Marshalls of the Northmarch, think they are so good. They're stealing our jobs! Taking our land! But they will never take our freedom!
On a different note, do you ever wish people submitted characters from certain canon houses/places or canon characters who are described but not given much detail (like Lord Oakheart) to include in the story? For example, would you want someone to submit the Bastard of Blackhaven (who probably will appear in this story, or already is in the list but we don't know) or an important house like House Osgrey? I only ask this because after I did that massive list of characters, I started thinking about how many, if any, were canon characters that the submitters elaborate on.
Interestingly enough this is actually the first time I'm counting them... and the result is 17, if I didn't mess up the counting Hm, didn't even realize the number was that high, there were a few I didn't even remember I had submitted before I went over the "to be introduced" list again. Four of these have been introduced in the story so far, but I think my most interesting characters are yet to be introduced
Have you created any family/house/group of characters?
I have created House Manwoody, whom we got our first glimpse of in the Dorne interlude, in form of Sarina Manwoody. I like Sarina, but my favorite Manwoody is yet to be introduced Few other ones of my submissions are also tied to each other, in one way or another, but Manwoody's are the only family I've submitted.
If you had to kill one character, who would it be?
I'm assuming this isn't limited to my own characters. Hmm, I guess I'd go with Wolfius. Whoever will eventually kill that son of a bitch is a goddamn hero If the question was intended to be limited to my own characters, I'd probably choose one of the unintroduced ones. I hate none of them, but some of them are arguably a bit boring when compared to others
Which obscure location do you want to see in the story?
Obscure, huh? Hmm, it would be great to finally see Asshai in a GoT story, but there would of course need to be a good reason for it to happen - it's pretty much on the opposite side of the world from the main focus of the story after all. I could see it happening though, who knows.
What is Liquid's favorite color?
Purple? idk
Who is your favorite villain?
Right now, Mullendore. I love to hate that bastard.
Which character would you want to serve/be friends with/whatever positive?
Well, there are plenty of characters in this story who seem like decent people, but I'd probably want to be friends with Arthur, he seems like a chill guy.
I have some random questions for my fellow readers.
How many characters have you submitted?
Have you created any family/house/group of… more characters?
If you had to kill one character, who would it be?
Which obscure location do you want to see in the story?
What is Liquid's favorite color?
Who is your favorite villain?
Which character would you want to serve/be friends with/whatever positive?
Well, there are plenty of characters in this story who seem like decent people, but I'd probably want to be friends with Arthur, he seems like a chill guy.
If you knew about Arthur's obscene obsession with oranges you'd probably change your mind. At the City Guard HQ Arthur just leaves these orange peels all over the place. Like, it is so obnoxious that no one is willing to work with him on a case.
How many characters have you submitted?
Interestingly enough this is actually the first time I'm counting them... and the result is 17, i… moref I didn't mess up the counting Hm, didn't even realize the number was that high, there were a few I didn't even remember I had submitted before I went over the "to be introduced" list again. Four of these have been introduced in the story so far, but I think my most interesting characters are yet to be introduced
Have you created any family/house/group of characters?
I have created House Manwoody, whom we got our first glimpse of in the Dorne interlude, in form of Sarina Manwoody. I like Sarina, but my favorite Manwoody is yet to be introduced Few other ones of my submissions are also tied to each other, in one way or another, but Manwoody's are the only family I've submitted.
If you had to kill one character, who would it be?
I'm assuming this isn't limited to my own characters. Hmm, I gu… [view original content]
How many characters have you submitted?
Incredibly, I have submitted nearly 60 characters.
Have you created any family/house/group of characters?
Many of the members of House Stark's household and Torrhen's family were created by me. I also created most of Sharra's council and quite a few members of the Riverlands, Westerlands, Reach and Stormlands nobility.
If you had to kill one character, who would it be?
I would prefers to kill Gyles Gomblinger, he's so smug and arrogant and the way he treats the prostitutes under him is horrible even by the series standards.
Which obscure location do you want to see in the story?
Maybe I would like to see the Summer Islands and Sothoryos, as unlikely as it would be, since those locations are completely different in both culture and weather to Westeros and Essos.
What is Liquid's favorite color?
Who is your favorite villain?
I think is Harren Hoare, he's a cruel, ruthless man who has bled his kingdom dry building Harrenhal, yet knows why he must be feared and hated and has true fondness for some people.
Which character would you want to serve/be friends with/whatever positive?
Not sure, but it doesn't seem bad to serve under the Yellow Toad (Meria Martell), she kinda reminds me of my late grandfather.
I have some random questions for my fellow readers.
How many characters have you submitted?
Have you created any family/house/group of… more characters?
If you had to kill one character, who would it be?
Which obscure location do you want to see in the story?
What is Liquid's favorite color?
Who is your favorite villain?
Which character would you want to serve/be friends with/whatever positive?
I have some random questions for my fellow readers.
How many characters have you submitted?
Have you created any family/house/group of… more characters?
If you had to kill one character, who would it be?
Which obscure location do you want to see in the story?
What is Liquid's favorite color?
Who is your favorite villain?
Which character would you want to serve/be friends with/whatever positive?
I have some random questions for my fellow readers.
How many characters have you submitted?
Have you created any family/house/group of… more characters?
If you had to kill one character, who would it be?
Which obscure location do you want to see in the story?
What is Liquid's favorite color?
Who is your favorite villain?
Which character would you want to serve/be friends with/whatever positive?
How many characters have you submitted?
24, I think, I may have miscounted.
Have you created any family/house/group of characters?
I created Houses Frostborn, Grimthorn, Wolfraven, Bloodboar, Mogfield and Catsby, and The Alley Cats and their Northern and Essos counterparts.
If you had to kill one character, who would it be?
Leonard Constantine... nah just kidding, probably Kersea.
Which obscure location do you want to see in the story?
Not sure.
What is Liquid's favorite color?
Who is your favorite villain?
Mullendore or The Tom.
Which character would you want to serve/be friends with/whatever positive?
I'd be pals with Dairon.
I have some random questions for my fellow readers.
How many characters have you submitted?
Have you created any family/house/group of… more characters?
If you had to kill one character, who would it be?
Which obscure location do you want to see in the story?
What is Liquid's favorite color?
Who is your favorite villain?
Which character would you want to serve/be friends with/whatever positive?
It was the early noon, as Ellena Terys followed the red priestess across a lonely road. Their journey had been a long, but quiet one. Noelle was not one to speak unless necessary and Ellena found herself with no desire to change this. At this point, she followed her because there was nowhere else to go. Meeting this king she spoke so highly about, it was as good as any other goal Ellena could set for herself.
Throughout all this, her anger had faded, though she was by no means calm. Her hatred for this woman had persisted, but it was waiting, biding its time. Noelle was the one that murdered Terroma and she had not forgotten, nor forgiven. Ellena had never found the man that murdered her father and at this point, she had little hope in ever doing so. But with Noelle, it was different. The priestess had travelled by her side for nearly two months. She knew where she was and more than once, she found her gaze wandering to the knife at her belt. Maybe one day she would act on these thoughts.
And the priestess was still an enigma to her, in many ways. She spoke of her faith, but not in the same way other red priests did. Whatever happened to her, it had caused her conviction to grow weaker, yet behind her words, Ellena saw a curiosity, a desire to know how the faith she devoted herself to actually worked. Undoubtedly, Noelle had changed and in a way, so had Ellena.
Usually, their days would be mostly quiet. They'd speak the bare necessities in the morning, where Ellena would prepare a meagre meal for both, while Noelle would prepare their belongings for the continuation of their journey. Sometimes, she would explain a detail of their surroundings and sometimes, Ellena was interested enough to reply, a handful of short conversations each day, separated by long periods of silence in which she had nothing to do but brood.
Throughout this, one question had entered her mind. How was Noelle able to live with herself? Her current actions, they were motivated by guilt. She did not try to justify her actions any longer and, in fact, barely spoke about them at all, as if she tried to ignore them, desperately so. And she had grown weaker. Gone was the otherworldly woman Ellena had come to fear during the week with her and Marak. In her place stepped a person filled with doubts, woefully inexperienced of dealing with them. Ellena's thirteenth name day had been last month, whereas the priestess was so much older and yet, the young girl felt more mature in these regards than Noelle ever could.
“A great battle has been fought here”, Noelle spoke, all of a sudden, pointing at the distance. Ellena narrowed her eyes, noting the fading pillars of smoke rising up from beyond the forest at the other side of the river. “The king has won”
“Good for him”, Ellena mumbled and Noelle raised an eyebrow. “We are going to meet him today”, she spoke and now, Ellena shrugged. “I cannot wait”, she replied, as unenthusiastically as possible, even though she did feel some excitement at the thought. She had never met a king before and the tales she heard spoke highly about Targaryen. A gallant Dragonlord, equal parts terrifying and inspiring, a man that commanded the last three dragons in the known world.
Now, Noelle sighed. “If we wish to succeed, I need your help”, she explained and Ellena gave her a curious look. “What do you need my help for?”, she asked. “You were to give me a new life at this king's court, while you go off to fight his enemies”
“And fighting them I will”, Noelle explained. “But I cannot do it without you. I have seen you in the flames and believe, before the end, you and I will both have a part to play in this” This was a first for Ellena. Not once during their travels did the priestess even imply this. At the same time, never had she asked either. “And what role will that be?”, she growled.
To this, the priestess shrugged, a slight smile on her face, though it faded as Ellena shot a glare at her. “I do not know. The flames are not this precise”, she admitted. “Not for me at least. Not anymore. It's all a blur, but I see your face” Her mouth tightened. “But I will not allow the enemy to harm you”
Ellena rolled her eyes. “Touching”, she spat, though immediately afterwards, curiosity got the better of her again. “This enemy you mention... who is he?” Once again, Noelle seemed uncertain, as she glanced at the smoke in the distance. “He has many names”, she spoke. “And can take on many forms. He is a creature so evil, his whole being has been corrupted by the Great Other”
“Evil...”, Ellena mumbled. “Is it really this easy for you? The entire world can be divided into good and evil?” Noelle thought about this for a moment, before she shook her head. “Not anymore”, she admitted. “But when it comes to R'hllor and the Great Other, it really is. R'hllor stands for all that is good, for warmth, for life. The Great other is cold, darkness, death”
“I'm sure he is”, Ellena replied, already regretting to stir the topic into a more religious direction. Such a discussion was quickly tiring. That being said, her curiosity was not yet satisfied. “But that does not explain much about this enemy. He serves a god you don't like, okay, but is there anything you can tell me about him? Anything useful, I mean”
With a sigh, Noelle shook her head. “Even before my visions became a blur, he evaded my gaze. He is a being of immense power, this I know. Older than either of us, yet he knows how to conceal his age, so we might face someone who looks a lot younger” She hesitated for a second. “And I'm not even sure the enemy truly is a man”
As she heard this, Ellena crossed her arms. “A true enigma then”, she sighed. “Great” She glanced at Noelle, but the priestess remained silent, apparently lost in thoughts as well. The light shined at her face, still beautiful, yet the marks of Raenna's rage were still visible, as her bruises had healed badly. Her stance, the look on her face, it made it apparent that their talk was over.
It was not long, until the banners came into Ellena's field of view. After the winning battle, Targaryen had made camp not too far away from it, next to the forest. A multitude of banners was there and Ellena even recognized some of them, from her father's business. Darklyn was there, their seat being the most important Narrow Sea harbour in Westeros and Mooton. And his men, probably a bit more than three thousand.
“There we are”, Noelle sighed, as she gave Ellena a tired smile, receiving only an angry frown in return. The camp below was not small, she wouldn't go that far, yet she had seen enough people to know that the Dragon King's host was tiny compared to those the master of these lands could muster. His banners were waved high, black and red and his men seemed eager, at least from afar, yet this wasn't enough. This could never be enough, not for what he was attempting to do.
Just then, she heard the roar in the distance. Followed by another one. Then a third. And Ellena Terys saw their shadows on the horizon. Her eyes widened the moment she saw them and involuntarily, she started to tremble. Noelle stopped as well, her mouth slightly opened in pure astonishment. They were any bit as majestic as the stories painted them to be. Dragons… Ellena had not believed it. She could not believe them to be this tall. And suddenly, she knew why Targaryen had a fighting chance in this war.
She remembered her father’s words, how he told her of the dragons. Balerion was the largest one. The Black Dread, they called him and she could see why. His scales were black as the night and his fangs, even from afar they caused a primal fear to rise in her. She clenched her fists, as she realized that he was larger than the Titan that guarded the Bay of Braavos. Then there was the silver one. Slim, compared to Balerion, Meraxes was elegant, gliding almost gracefully through the skies, yet it did not make her any less terrifying. And finally, Vhagar. The smallest one, yet still larger than the largest warship Ellena had ever seen. Scales as red as blood, it let out a ferocious roar, as all three of them descended onto the camp. Even from afar, the ground was shaking, when Balerion and Vhagar landed at once. Meraxes remained flying a little bit longer, before setting to the ground. The three were staring into the centre of the camp, where Ellena saw a gathering of soldiers.
Of course, there were guards, but they were not bothered with stopping a woman and a child. Ellena noticed, they were not the only civilians in the camp. There were sutlers of all kinds, beggars, travellers who rested her for a while and, of course, whores. She was not sure which of these Noelle was mistaken for, though she attracted barely any attention.
As they came closer, Ellena saw the dragons more clearly. Meraxes' bright golden eyes, Balerion's orange orbs and the piercing green glare of Vhagar. Beings of such a size, it was hard for her to even look at them without getting an uneasy feeling in her stomach. The thought they were serving a single man was almost impossible to believe.
Though the centre of the camp was crowded, Noelle had a way of making a path for the two of them. Walking without even stopping, all she had to do was to put a hand onto the back of the soldier in front of her for him to turn aside. She repeated this process and Ellena was quick to keep up with her, through the crowd, until she was able to get a clear view onto the centre.
By now, she had stopped next to a young woman, probably only a few years older than her. She was clad in black, her brown hair tied into two braids not unlike Ellena's. A streak of her hair was dyed red and reddened were her cheeks from the tears that poured out of her green eyes. Surrounded by soldiers from House Mooton, she stared at the scenery in the very centre of the camp.
A man was kneeling there. He was balding despite not seeming too old, safe for his thick, brown beard. Tall and lanky, he was still towered by the man standing in front of him. Ellena gulped as she laid eyes on the Dragon King. Aegon was handsome, in a way few men she had seen ever seemed, with his silvery-golden hair and thick beard. Clad in a shirt of black scales and with a red cloak draped around his shoulders, a thick, iron circlet adorned by rubies was resting on his head.
Behind him, Ellena saw a tall woman, clad in chainmail. With the same colour of hair, her features were sharp, yet had a cold beauty to them, as she was standing only slightly behind her king, equal parts his queen and his guard. And yet behind her, together with others, resting on a couch underneath a pavilion was...
For a second, Ellena had to suppress a gasp, as she thought to recognize Raenna. But it wasn't her. This woman was even more a beauty, playing with her long hair as she watched the scenery, a smirk on her face and triumph in her lilac eyes.
“I, Jon Mooton, admit defeat”, the kneeling man spoke, his voice hushed and quiet. “I surrender Maidenpool and pledge allegiance to Aegon Targaryen, First of his Name, King of All Westeros and Shield of His People”
Aegon gave him a nod. “Before you knelt, you were my enemy”, he said. “But you rise as my bannerman. Jon Mooton, Lord of Maidenpool” The kneeling man looked up, while the young woman next to Ellena bit down onto her lower lip. Several of the soldiers began to rumour, while Mooton indeed rose, his eyes widened in surprise.
It was a knight who spoke. Dark of hair and pale, he was young and though wounded, there was a fierce look in his blue eyes. “This is not right!”, he was quick to voice his anger. The warrior woman next to Aegon raised an eyebrow, as he stepped forward. “This man is not the rightful Lord Mooton!”, he growled. “It's true that Lord Grenn died without a son, but he did not die without children!” As he spoke, he pointed at the young woman next to Ellena, who just had a new wave of tears streaming down her face at his words.
“You speak up against your king, Lord Darklyn?”, the warrior woman spoke and the knight gave her a nod. “I speak up against injustice”, he clarified. “No matter if it comes from a king or not” A look of surprise formed on the woman's face. “This morning, you woke up a prisoner. You were granted your life after you knelt to King Aegon, and now...”, she explained, though before she was able to continue, the king cut her off.
“Visenya...”, he growled and she looked at him, quietly and cautiously. “It is true that Lord Darklyn knelt after the battle. As such, he is my bannerman now and I don't intend to treat him differently than any other that follows me, be they allies of old or allies of new. This involves the right to speak” He gave Darklyn a nod, though turned to the young woman. “That being said, I believe we should hear Lady Amerei's thoughts on the matter. Mylady?”
Alarmed, the young woman's eyes widened, though after a moment of hesitation, she stepped forwards. Still unsure what to say, it was Jon Mooton who came to her aid. “Amy...”, he said softly and she looked at him, a mixture of relief, sorrow and anger on her face. “I do not mean to take Maidenpool from you. Just say the word and I will step down”
Now, Amerei gulped. “Do I have to kneel?”, she asked and Aegon gave her a nod. “If you wish to keep Maidenpool”, he explained. The anger in her voice grew stronger now. “Then keep the city you took”, she hissed. “I will not kneel to the man that murdered my father!” Her words cut across the camp, silencing the murmur of the soldiers and causing her uncle to gasp. Lord Darklyn grew visibly alarmed, though Aegon was calm throughout this.
“Your father died in battle”, Aegon told her. “He fought bravely and I hold no ill against him” She narrowed her eyes. “You unleashed your beast upon him!”, she spat. “All of them! Burned them alive. My father died in battle, but it was not one of honour. He'd have called it a cowardly battle” She shot her uncle a glare. “So would you, before you bent the knee”
“Amerei...”, Mooton mumbled, his voice shivering with concern. “Your grace, my niece does not mean to...” Aegon cut him off by raising a hand. “She did”, he clarified. “And I cannot blame her for it” He sighed, the first time Ellena saw an emotion on his stoic face. “I know it must seem cruel to you, mylady. I know of your pain and I know of your birthright” He looked at her calmly and she slowly stopped sobbing. “But I cannot have a Lady of Maidenpool who refuses to bend the knee”
The girl shook her head. “I will not”, she replied. “Not to you” In return, Aegon gave her a nod. “Neither will I demand it”, he promised. “Your uncle bent the knee. I need the support of House Mooton in the war to come, so I intend to install him as your father's successor. Will you at least follow his will? Will you stand by Maidenpool and House Mooton?”
To this, she nodded, without hesitating. “Always”, she replied. A smile of relief formed on Jon's face and briefly, Ellena thought she saw relief in Aegon's eyes. “So be it”, he said. “I do not expect your forgiveness, mylady, but hope for your cooperation in time. I will ask nothing but accepting your uncle as your lord”
Amerei bit down onto her lower lip, as she put a hand onto her uncle's shoulder. “I do”, she agreed and briefly, Jon pulled her into a hug. “It is settled then”, Aegon spoke and glanced at the young Lord Darklyn. “You heard the words of Lady Amerei. Is this acceptable to you, mylord?” Quietly, Darklyn saluted. “It is, your grace”, he growled. “If Amerei wants it, Jon is Lord of Maidenpool”
“Lord Mooton, then I have your first order”, Aegon spoke and Mooton stood straight. “Lead your men back to Maidenpool. Make preparations for the coming war. Inform your bannermen of what happened here. You have suffered great losses, but I am afraid I have to ask for more before this is all over”
Jon bowed down. “We will return to Maidenpool at once, your grace”, he confirmed, as he and Amerei turned around. He seemed glad and in an odd way, so did his young niece. Perhaps neither had expected to survive this day.
Aegon looked after them. “This is settled then. House Darklyn and House Mooton follow House Targaryen from this day onwards!”, he proclaimed. “Let it be known that any man indulging in acts of plunder against my newest bannermen will suffer harsh punishments. We all face the next enemy together, when we march to Harrenhal!”
This caused cheers from the surrounding soldiers, be they Mooton, Darklyn, or other. “Targaryen!”, they roared. “Targaryen!” Aegon seemed content, while the woman on the couch smiled sweetly. Looking at her, the briefest of smiles found its way onto the face of the king. “Now, is there...”
“Seven hells...”, a hoarsy voice growled. Noelle instantly tensed up, but Ellena only recognized the voice as she saw the man it belonged to. Stepping out of the crowd of highborn followers beneath the pavilion, still as lanky and ghastly pale as he had been when she last saw him, stepped Wulvren, the Archmaester of Magic.
He looked from Aegon to Noelle, who clenched her fists. “Your grace...”, he hissed. “This woman over there!” He pointed at her. “Make sure she cannot escape. Your grace, this woman has much to answer for. She nearly murdered me and who knows how many more lives she has claimed!”
As Noelle stepped forwards, Ellena followed her instinctively. At the same time, the beautiful queen beneath the pavilion rose from her couch. “A red priestess”, she said, fascinated by the sight. “I saw them in Tyrosh once, but they are rare in Westeros”
“Queen Rhaenys, this woman is mad and dangerous!”, Wulvren spat. There was hatred in his voice and Ellena could only share it. Noelle had a lot to answer for. Rhaenys smiled gently. “Aw, it's sweet of you to be concerned, Maester”, she chirped, as she put a hand onto his chest. “But I believe I can look after myself”
“I don't think you understand, my queen. This woman has powers, yes, but they are lost on a mind as cold and dark as hers”, Wulvren tried again, as he glared at Noelle. “What are you doing here? Last time I saw you, you left me for the wolves! Dragged some poor lass halfway through the Reach, trying to find that other one, the one you wanted to burn!”
Noelle gulped, but before she was able to say anything, Wulvren continued. “Look at this camp and tell me, have you managed to prevent your war? Has it been worth it?” At these words, Aegon gave him an alarmed look. “Burning a child to prevent a war?”, he asked. “That has to be the most ridiculous thing I heard in my life” He narrowed his eyes at Noelle. “Those are stark accusations my Maester is making. What do you have to say, lady...?”
“Noelle of Braavos”, Noelle introduced herself. “I... I have come from beyond the Narrow Sea, to...” She had not expected Wulvren's presence, as Ellena noticed. Not knowing this, it filled her with doubt, with fear. It was there that Wulvren spotted her. “You!”, he said. “Girl, what are you still doing with her?”
He glared at Noelle. “What have you done to her, witch?”, he growled. “And where's your brute? Somewhere around here, or have you gotten him killed as well?” Noelle's eyes widened, as Wulvren looked back at Ellena. “Do you have anything to say, girl?”, he asked.
Ellena sighed. Oh yes, she had a lot to say, a lot Noelle would not like to hear. Yet her words were still fresh in her mind. An ancient enemy, a god of death and a role she and the priestess both had to play. It would be easy, taking vengeance now, but she would not do it. But was she able to defend her? Could she do that for the woman that murdered Terroma?
[Speak up in defence of Noelle][Be quiet and let her speak for herself]
Seems like Jon is the new Lord Mooton, and is perfectly understandable that Amerei would reject rulership.
[Speak up in defence of Noelle] While I don't think Noelle is incapable of defending herself, the Targaryens would be more willing to listen if someone vouched for her.
Act I: The Calm Before
Chapter I: Fires Far
Ellena
It was the early noon, as Ellena Terys followed the red priestess across a lonel… morey road. Their journey had been a long, but quiet one. Noelle was not one to speak unless necessary and Ellena found herself with no desire to change this. At this point, she followed her because there was nowhere else to go. Meeting this king she spoke so highly about, it was as good as any other goal Ellena could set for herself.
Throughout all this, her anger had faded, though she was by no means calm. Her hatred for this woman had persisted, but it was waiting, biding its time. Noelle was the one that murdered Terroma and she had not forgotten, nor forgiven. Ellena had never found the man that murdered her father and at this point, she had little hope in ever doing so. But with Noelle, it was different. The priestess had travelled by her side for nearly two months. She knew where she was and more th… [view original content]
Act I: The Calm Before
Chapter I: Fires Far
Ellena
It was the early noon, as Ellena Terys followed the red priestess across a lonel… morey road. Their journey had been a long, but quiet one. Noelle was not one to speak unless necessary and Ellena found herself with no desire to change this. At this point, she followed her because there was nowhere else to go. Meeting this king she spoke so highly about, it was as good as any other goal Ellena could set for herself.
Throughout all this, her anger had faded, though she was by no means calm. Her hatred for this woman had persisted, but it was waiting, biding its time. Noelle was the one that murdered Terroma and she had not forgotten, nor forgiven. Ellena had never found the man that murdered her father and at this point, she had little hope in ever doing so. But with Noelle, it was different. The priestess had travelled by her side for nearly two months. She knew where she was and more th… [view original content]
I hate defending Noelle, and I would love to see her try to nervously explain herself to Aegon and fail miserably. However, I feel like this ancient enemy is a threat that should be taken seriously, so there is no room for any pettiness.
Anyway, this was a nice start for the first chapter of Book 2! And Jon Mooton actually survived the battle, yay! Oh man, I have a feeling Noelle and Wulvren will be the Mel and Davos of this story
Act I: The Calm Before
Chapter I: Fires Far
Ellena
It was the early noon, as Ellena Terys followed the red priestess across a lonel… morey road. Their journey had been a long, but quiet one. Noelle was not one to speak unless necessary and Ellena found herself with no desire to change this. At this point, she followed her because there was nowhere else to go. Meeting this king she spoke so highly about, it was as good as any other goal Ellena could set for herself.
Throughout all this, her anger had faded, though she was by no means calm. Her hatred for this woman had persisted, but it was waiting, biding its time. Noelle was the one that murdered Terroma and she had not forgotten, nor forgiven. Ellena had never found the man that murdered her father and at this point, she had little hope in ever doing so. But with Noelle, it was different. The priestess had travelled by her side for nearly two months. She knew where she was and more th… [view original content]
I have some random questions for my fellow readers.
How many characters have you submitted?
Have you created any family/house/group of… more characters?
If you had to kill one character, who would it be?
Which obscure location do you want to see in the story?
What is Liquid's favorite color?
Who is your favorite villain?
Which character would you want to serve/be friends with/whatever positive?
Congratulation to Ellena for the status of first PoV that return inside the story!
About the choice
[Be quiet and let her speak for herself]
I don't see why Ellena should help Noelle if she hate her so much (outside lose any possible help from Wulvren)
RT:
I'm glad to see that Ellena and Noelle are now such a good friends and if after two months their relationship is not changed I'm very curious when Ellena will finally express all her "love" to the red priestess
Yes yes of course Rollmop is the good God! Make his followers burn innocents is a clear sign of it!
Aegon should be careful and watch his back because obtain allies in that way doesn't mean obtain trustworthy and mindless followers
Congratulations Jon (and the Darklyn guy) to have survive the prologue and welcome to the story "not anymore heir" of House Mooton! Your hate for the Targaryen is quite understandable if I must be honest
Speaking of hate welcome back Wulvren! I see you in good shape eh? Have you become maester of House Targaryen?XD
In the end finally the other two dragons appear inside the story!They can't make Balerion do all the work!
Act I: The Calm Before
Chapter I: Fires Far
Ellena
It was the early noon, as Ellena Terys followed the red priestess across a lonel… morey road. Their journey had been a long, but quiet one. Noelle was not one to speak unless necessary and Ellena found herself with no desire to change this. At this point, she followed her because there was nowhere else to go. Meeting this king she spoke so highly about, it was as good as any other goal Ellena could set for herself.
Throughout all this, her anger had faded, though she was by no means calm. Her hatred for this woman had persisted, but it was waiting, biding its time. Noelle was the one that murdered Terroma and she had not forgotten, nor forgiven. Ellena had never found the man that murdered her father and at this point, she had little hope in ever doing so. But with Noelle, it was different. The priestess had travelled by her side for nearly two months. She knew where she was and more th… [view original content]
[Be quiet and let her speak for herself] After all Noelle put her through, I find it hard to believe that in two months Ellena would've gotten so fond of Noelle to the point of speaking in her defense.
Act I: The Calm Before
Chapter I: Fires Far
Ellena
It was the early noon, as Ellena Terys followed the red priestess across a lonel… morey road. Their journey had been a long, but quiet one. Noelle was not one to speak unless necessary and Ellena found herself with no desire to change this. At this point, she followed her because there was nowhere else to go. Meeting this king she spoke so highly about, it was as good as any other goal Ellena could set for herself.
Throughout all this, her anger had faded, though she was by no means calm. Her hatred for this woman had persisted, but it was waiting, biding its time. Noelle was the one that murdered Terroma and she had not forgotten, nor forgiven. Ellena had never found the man that murdered her father and at this point, she had little hope in ever doing so. But with Noelle, it was different. The priestess had travelled by her side for nearly two months. She knew where she was and more th… [view original content]
Act I: The Calm Before
Chapter I: Fires Far
Ellena
It was the early noon, as Ellena Terys followed the red priestess across a lonel… morey road. Their journey had been a long, but quiet one. Noelle was not one to speak unless necessary and Ellena found herself with no desire to change this. At this point, she followed her because there was nowhere else to go. Meeting this king she spoke so highly about, it was as good as any other goal Ellena could set for herself.
Throughout all this, her anger had faded, though she was by no means calm. Her hatred for this woman had persisted, but it was waiting, biding its time. Noelle was the one that murdered Terroma and she had not forgotten, nor forgiven. Ellena had never found the man that murdered her father and at this point, she had little hope in ever doing so. But with Noelle, it was different. The priestess had travelled by her side for nearly two months. She knew where she was and more th… [view original content]
I'm a bit late to the party, but I'm definitely going to give this a read.
Are you still taking character submissions? Looks like you have a long list of those to be introduced and I don't want to add any extra work if you already have your hands full.
And so it has begun, the first chapter of Book 2!!!
[Be quiet and let her speak for herself]
I think this is the more in-character choice for Ellena, I think she would find it hard to defend the person that killed Terroma. I definitely wouldn't mind the other choice winning though, I quite like Noelle, in fact more so than I like Ellena.
Oh, and by the way, you misspelled Targaryen as Targaryeb here.
She had never met a king before and the tales she heard spoke highly about Targaryeb.
Act I: The Calm Before
Chapter I: Fires Far
Ellena
It was the early noon, as Ellena Terys followed the red priestess across a lonel… morey road. Their journey had been a long, but quiet one. Noelle was not one to speak unless necessary and Ellena found herself with no desire to change this. At this point, she followed her because there was nowhere else to go. Meeting this king she spoke so highly about, it was as good as any other goal Ellena could set for herself.
Throughout all this, her anger had faded, though she was by no means calm. Her hatred for this woman had persisted, but it was waiting, biding its time. Noelle was the one that murdered Terroma and she had not forgotten, nor forgiven. Ellena had never found the man that murdered her father and at this point, she had little hope in ever doing so. But with Noelle, it was different. The priestess had travelled by her side for nearly two months. She knew where she was and more th… [view original content]
Act I: The Calm Before
Chapter I: Fires Far
Ellena
It was the early noon, as Ellena Terys followed the red priestess across a lonel… morey road. Their journey had been a long, but quiet one. Noelle was not one to speak unless necessary and Ellena found herself with no desire to change this. At this point, she followed her because there was nowhere else to go. Meeting this king she spoke so highly about, it was as good as any other goal Ellena could set for herself.
Throughout all this, her anger had faded, though she was by no means calm. Her hatred for this woman had persisted, but it was waiting, biding its time. Noelle was the one that murdered Terroma and she had not forgotten, nor forgiven. Ellena had never found the man that murdered her father and at this point, she had little hope in ever doing so. But with Noelle, it was different. The priestess had travelled by her side for nearly two months. She knew where she was and more th… [view original content]
Comments
Forum of Thrones – Book 2
Prologue: The Black Dread
Grenn
Atop his horse, the Lord of Maidenpool watched his army taking position. One thousand and two hundred soldiers were his, one thousand and eight hundred followed the orders of Bryen Darklyn, the Lord of Duskendale. Together, they were overlooking their host, the proud colours of Mooton and Darklyn ever present. The army of three thousand had gathered in a small valley, a day's ride away from Duskendale. The lands belonged to Rosby a gentle plain on which they had taken position, the archers camping on a hill. In the distance, the Targaryen host had to travel through a dense forest to reach them. And reaching them, they had to, because the lords Mooton and Darklyn were determined not to let them pass any further into their lands.
“It will be a glorious victory”, Bryen proclaimed and he glanced at him, smirking. Dark-haired, as most of his line, with confident blue eyes and sharp features. Grenn Mooton was a different breed and he knew it. Less an intimidating warrior, he nonetheless felt confident in his heavy armour, moving a hand over his bald head, as he took a deep breath, allowing himself to feel the same confidence Bryen showed so clearly.
His brother however was looking grim, as always. Tall, lanky and losing his hair at an early age, safe for his thick, brown beard, Jon Mooton was still more of a warrior than his brother, a surprisingly fearsome opponent if armed with a spear. “Are you sure about that?”, Jon asked and Grenn sighed, mostly to defuse his own doubts. “Do we have to talk about this again?”, he interjected. “Yes, brother, we are sure about it. The Dragonlord has barely half our numbers in his host”
“He has a dragon”, Jon replied nonchalantly, to which Bryen chuckled. “One dragon”, he agreed, as he moved his hand to his archers, standing atop a nearby hill. Five hundred of Duskendale's best. “How hard can it be to kill one dragon?”, Bryen asked, as he looked at his son. Damon of the Dark Blade, his heir and the best knight in Duskendale, perhaps in all of the Riverlands, at least according to his own accords. Looking a lot like his father, tall, dark and pale, with haughty, blue eyes and high cheekbones, the young knight approached them, handing his father his bow and a single arrow.
“We all know the stories”, the lord said. “They breathe fire, yes, and if he'd have a hundred of them, I would have bent the knee. But one dragon? It doesn't take much to kill one dragon” He raised his bow and faster than Grenn could see, he had shot the arrow into the sky, being the perfect archer he was. In the distance, he heard a screeching sound, as a goose, part of a larger flock flying into their direction, fell from the sky. “Just one dreadful shot for Balerion the Black”
“We've been hunting geese earlier this year”, Damon explained. “Not too hard to hit them and Balerion is so much larger. We brought five hundred archers to make sure” Grenn gave him a nod, though he noticed that Jon's dour expression remained. “A dragon is not a goose. And Aegon Dragonlord is no fool”, he explained. “He knows you can kill him easily. Why would he risk this?” He gave his brother an urgent look. “This man has planned something. What if he attacks the camp?”
This time, Grenn felt a sting of worry. “He wouldn't dare”, he said. “What man would rather slaughter women and children than to meet their opponent head on?” Jon gave him a nod. “What man indeed”, he spoke. “They say Aegon Targaryen is a man of honour, but I have never met him. Think about it, can you risk it? What about Amerei?”
The thought of his daughter caused Grenn's confidence to falter. She was his only child, his heiress until he found a new wife that would bear him sons. After the early death of his wife, she was the closest family he had left and no matter what, she would always be his firstborn. A wonderful daughter, the best a father could hope for. Gentle of heart and soft of voice, slender of frame and with delicate features, she was his pride, the Maid of Maidenpool and it was only natural for him to keep her close, wasn't it?
It had been foolish to take her with him, he had to agree on this. He did so in a fit of bravery, out of the desire to celebrate with her once they had killed the dragon. Admittedly, he also hoped to find a suitable husband for her. Damon Darklyn was her friend already, perhaps once their houses would fight side by side, Bryen would agree to such a proposal. A powerful alliance in this region. It seemed a good idea, but now? The closer the battle came, the less sure he was about all this.
“What would you have me doing?”, he asked and Jon sighed. “Get back to the camp”, he urged him. “I lead our men and you are not needed for that. If things go sour, make sure Lord Mooton returns to Maidenpool. Your city needs their lord and your daughter needs her father”
“When it comes to Amy, she's not alone. Robin is with her, as well as Dana”, Damon explained and Jon shook his head. “Darkrobin is fifteen and half the warrior you are”, he said. “And the Darke Lady... well, she's a woman, not a fighter. Not quite whom I'd like to see as my only niece's bodyguards” To this, Damon rolled his eyes. “Amy doesn't need bodyguards. We're barely in danger, so she sure as hells isn't either!”, he said. “You're worrying too much, Mooton”
“Agreed”, Bryen said. “Enough with this! We have a battle to win, my friends!” He pointed at the host. “This right there is all we need to kill the dragon. Just think of it! His skull in the Dun Fort and the Dragonlord's head in Harrenhal. The king will reward us handsomely. You all read his letter. Stokeworth and Rosby will be ours, maybe even Dragonstone!”
A curious look appeared in Damon's blue eyes, the ambition that had driven the Darklyn kings for centuries. “Or maybe more”, he said. “Father, Grenn, you will be the first men to kill a dragon in centuries! Imagine how the other lords will see you. You could be the men they follow! You don't have to kneel to Harren Hoare any longer! Down with that black tyrant, I say! The kings of Duskendale and Maidenpool of old, or maybe... kings of the Trident”
“You think big”, Grenn remarked, as a mere smile flashed over Bryen's face. “That is my son”, the Lord of Duskendale replied. “Always ambitious” Grenn sighed. “Then which one of us should be the King of the Trident once we're done with this?”, he asked. It was unlikely it would come to this, he knew it. A nice thought, but if pushed, could he truly rebel against his king? The downfall of the Bullister's was still too fresh in his mind.
“Whomever kills the dragon!”, Damon offered. “Your cavalry, or my father's archers” Grenn was okay with this. Of course, it was hardly fair, given that Darklyn's archers had an advantage, but to be honest, he didn't want to be King of the Trident. Maidenpool, his beautiful city by the sea was all he wanted. Keeping it safe from the dragon's wrath, it was the only reason he had agreed to march with Bryen Darklyn, despite Jon's vehement advice against it. Of course, the thought of a new wife was also what motivated Grenn here. With the king's blessing, he could court any maiden in the kingdom, so that he might further his line with healthy son. Tully, Piper, Vance, Blackwood, they were standing above him, always had been, yet could they deny him if he'd slay the beast? A powerful alliance could be crafted here, if he'd play his cards right.
It was in this moment that horns sounded from the distance. Grenn tensed up. He had been to a number of battles in his lifetime, but being the Lord of Maidenpool was mostly a peaceful position. Quiet people, a calm land. Aegon Targaryen sought to change this. He was a threat and Grenn Mooton would never allow him to harm his people.
“They are advancing”, Bryen proclaimed, as he gave Grenn a nod. “My friend, may the Seven be with you today. Fight bravely!” To this, the Lord of Maidenpool replied in sound. “And with you, mylord”, he answered. Silently, he added a swift prayer to the Seven that this would not remain their last meeting.
As he glanced at his archers, Bryen moved his horse to Damon. Putting a hand onto his son's shoulder, he smiled confidently. “And try to leave some for Grenn's men”, he said, to which the Dark Blade just shrugged. “I can't make any promises”, he replied. “I will strike down every Targaryen and their followers I can get my hands on. Perhaps the Last Dragon himself, if he is foolish enough to face me!”
Bryen chuckled, though his fingers dug into his sons shoulder. “Just make sure not to get yourself killed. What is the greatest victory, if its sweetness is spoiled by my firstborn's foolishness?”, he told him, as he smiled at Damon, as proud of him as Grenn was of his Amerei.
Just then, the Lord of Maidenpool heard Jon's surprised gasp. He turned around to see what happened, looking down at his army, when he spotted the Targaryen host in the distance. They were approaching slowly and from what he was able to tell, they were significantly less than the combined host of Maidenpool and Duskendale.
But that was not what caused Jon's surprise. No, it was the... thing in the distance. Black as the night and winged, Balerion did not look as large as he had heard. Barely taller than the goose Lord Darklyn had shot just minutes ago... and it was then that Grenn realized how far it was away.
“By the gods...”, he said, as he realized its sheer size. Maidenpool was not a small city, yet there was no square in it that would allow this beast to land without crushing buildings. Worse than that... such was the span of his wings, the Black Dread would cast a shadow upon the entirety of most cities Grenn had ever been to. Duskendale for sure, maybe even all of Maidenpool... He desperately tried to avoid imagining the gaping pit that was the dragon's jaw. They said a dozen men could ride down its throat at once and he had never believed them. By the Seven, how foolish had he been for not believing them?
“Now we know why he takes us head on...”, Jon mumbled, as he looked to his brother for advice. Even the confident Damon Darklyn was hesitating notably. That being said, he pulled himself together faster than Grenn. “This is it!”, he exclaimed. “My father needs our support if he wishes to bring this beast down. With me, mylords!”
With these words, he rode down the hill the three men had taken position on. Grenn sighed. As he closed his eyes, he could see Amerei, how she begged him not to go. The tears in her eyes, he had ignored them, as he had left her in the camp. He had brought her here, put her into this danger and the least he could do was to slay this beast for her.
“Onwards!”, he growled, as he and Jon rode to their troops. Damon was already there. “Attack them!”, the young man yelled, though Jon was quick to intervene. “Form ranks!”, he ordered and Grenn was glad to have his brother by his side. For all his skill with a blade, tactical understanding was not the young Darklyn's speciality. “Let them come. We meet them here!”
The captains of both houses were glad to follow the order, for all knew of Jon's talents. Both men joined the cavalry, four hundred men on horseback, most of them wearing the colours of House Mooton. The sight filled Grenn with at least a bit of confidence, despite the shattering effect the mere sight of the dragon had. Such a beast... such a beast shouldn't even exist!
Looking around, he knew he was not the only one afraid. Silently, three thousand men were praying to the Seven. And yet, dragons were not invincible. The heroes of old had slaughtered them and Grenn had read books that offered even less ambiguous tales of dragonslayers. The Rhoynar had killed dozens of them during their wars with the Valyrians. And this was only one. Only one...
Balerion let out a roar, spine-chillingly deep, deafening and enough to make hardened men scream in fear. In the distance, the Targaryen commander shouted his orders, as Aegon and his dragon flew overhead. It was only one, a single dragon...
And then he breathed fire. Out of his massive throat, a black lance of flame came down upon the soldiers. Narrow at first, it grew wider the further down it travelled. Wisely, the host of the two lords was spread thin, yet nonetheless, a hundred men were dead in an instant, as the black fire engulfed them. Even though he stood a hundred feet away from the centre, Grenn felt the heat, as the gargantuan beast, this monster of legends old, flew over the field. Its wings indeed blacked out the sun, causing a gloomy twilight and scalding heat beneath it. And yet, the Targaryen's were advancing without being bothered by it. Coming closer, Grenn spotted the banners. Stokeworth, Rosby, Bar Emmon and Massey, all beneath the three-headed dragon.
From the hill, Bryen Darklyn blew his horn and Grenn took a deep breath as he saw five hundred arrows hitting the dragon. Most of them bounced of its scales, raining down onto the field between the archers and the main host. Some however hit their target, digging into Balerion's flesh but now, seeing how large he was, Grenn knew they would have needed much bigger weapons to cause serious harm.
Balerion growled harshly, as he once again took a deep breath. Then, his black flame descended onto the archers, onto Bryen Darklyn and five hundred of his best. And unlike the main host, which had been spread thin on Jon's orders, the archers were standing in a tighter formation. And what was a viable tactic towards most enemies failed them when facing this terrible, new opponent, a creature of a power Westeros hadn't seen in thousands of years. Maybe never.
“Gods...”, Grenn gasped, as the surviving archers quickly turned around, to shoot the dragon flying over them into the back. He could not see if Bryen survived the initial attack, he could barely see anything on that hill, where smoke rose up into the sky, from hundreds of burned corpses. The wind was quick to send the smell downhill.
Though the archers were quick shots, they were not quick enough for Balerion. Faster than a beast of his size should be, he spun around, now descending onto the archers. Only few shot, as the formation broke and men tried to flee. Even fewer managed to do that, as his flame burned them alive and his massive jaws drove through them, devouring any man in his path whole before he rose up again. By now, his mouth was stained with red blood, the liquid dripping down, together with pieces of flesh.
The main host, just recovering from the dragon's first attack, had seen this. Gone was the optimistic feeling they had allowed themselves to feel just half an hour ago. Bryen Darklyn was dead, there was no doubt about it. And Damon, the new Lord of Duskendale, he let out a roar of anger. “FATHER!”, he screamed at the top of his lungs, pointing his blade at the slowly advancing Targaryen army. “Charge! Kill them!”
Now in a frenzy, he charged first and the most blood-thirsty of his men followed, while Jon let out a muffled curse. “That foolish boy means to give up our position!”, he barked, as he blew into his horn. “Flank the Targaryen's! We have to ride now!”
And so it began. Grenn Mooton rode alongside his brother in a wide arch around the two armies, as Damon and his men, still outnumbering Targaryen's footsoldiers, advanced onto them. In return, the invaders stopped their march, instead focussing on building a formation to survive this attack. Their commander was quick to yell his orders and men with spears were sent first, a formation that would be hard to break for an army that charged as blindly as the one led by the Dark Blade of Duskendale.
The cavalry was their only hope, though naturally, the Targaryen commander had seen them coming. A group of spearmen was sent to the flank the riders were about to crash in. Behind them, archers. And as close as he was already, Grenn heard a terrible order. “FIRE!”, the commander yelled, as two hundred arrows were shot into the riders.
The man next to Grenn died, an arrow hitting his neck and throwing him off his horse. Another one lost his horse and as it fell, it took down the animal behind it as well. It was there that Jon blew into his horn as well and just a few dozen feet before the enemy soldiers, the cavalry split again, two smaller groups of barely a hundred and fifty men. At least for a moment, this move had caught the Targaryen's by surprise.
Grenn, now separated from his brother, cast a glance at the massive dragon, now reaping those unfortunate archers that had tried to kill it. Not only with fire, but with claws and teeth. Few of Darklyn's best would survive this day and Bryen would not be among them. If the gods were cruel, neither would Damon but at least in this case, the line would continue through his brother Robin. What would become of Maidenpool if he and Jon were to fall today? Just Amerei and Jon's newborn sons, against the might of Aegon, this Dragonlord, this Conqueror.
Flanking the spearmen, the Mooton cavalry nonetheless won a small, momentary victory in spite of the massive losses the dragon had caused them, as they ploughed through their enemies, crushing soldiers, knocking them aside with their heavy horses, scattering them and breaking their formation in the blink of an eye. On the other side, Jon's men crashed into the archers, preventing them from shooting again.
It was there that he saw the Targaryen commander for the first time. A fearsome man, tall and broad-shouldered, clad in an armour of black and a cloak of red. His helmet was leaving his face open, revealing him to be younger than Grenn had thought, with dark eyes and a thick, black beard.
The commander was locking blades with Damon Darklyn, pressing his own sword against Damon's blade of blackened steel. The best knight of the Riverlands was mad with fury, having cut a bloody path to get to the commander, whom he was showering with strikes and slashes. Those that were not parried by his opponent's blade were deflected by the heavy armour.
Yet in his attempt to get to him, Damon had ignored his men and Grenn could see that as much as the cavalry was helping, driving away the pikemen and archers, the Targaryen's had the superior position where the bulk of the fighting took place. Having expected the Darklyn men to charge, they were meeting them with pikes and a formidable shield wall.
As Grenn slowed down to gather his riders, knowing better than to charge after the fleeing pikemen, he saw Damon smashing the crossguard of his sword against the Targaryen commander's face. The man staggered backwards, but recovered quick enough to parry a strike that would have split his neck open otherwise. Closing in on Damon once more, he brought his sword down upon him, slicing through the thin, weak armour that protected the back of his legs.
Groaning in pain, Damon Darklyn went to his knees, though he remained fighting. His teeth clenched, having lost his helmet in the onslaught he himself had ordered, he parried a high strike that was meant to split his skull, though the Targaryen commander, himself bleeding from where Damon had hit his cheek, was quick to repay the favour by bringing the pommel of his sword into the young knight's head, knocking him onto his back. Before he could get back up again, the blade was pointed at his throat.
Between this, he spotted Jon. His younger brother had lost his horse and was now standing on top of a man he had felled with his spear. “Form ranks!”, the Targaryen commander boomed, though his order was almost drowned by Balerion's next roar, a fearsome one, as the dragon pushed himself up into the air again, having brought death and despair of Duskendale and House Darklyn today.
“Now!”, Grenn shouted and faithfully, Jon blew his horn once more. Coming together, the cavalry charged into the Targaryen army from behind, after they had only built half a formation. Still, half a formation was more than they had to face before and Grenn knew, this time there would be terrible losses even despite their archers fleeing.
Their archers... it was just in this moment that Grenn saw them. Those fleeing back to the forest were supported by newcomers, Rosby's men, who had hidden between the trees. They aimed at the cavalry and with only a tiny, manageable risk of hitting their own men, they shot. And what should have been a glorious charge to break the Targaryen host and ensure victory at least on the field of battle became a desperate charge for survival.
Somehow, Grenn was among those that managed to remain in his saddle, as he led the remaining dozens of riders into the Targaryen soldiers, who had barely finished forming their rank. Knowing that now, he would be safe from the archers, he allowed himself to fully focus onto the enemy footsoldiers, even ignoring the terrifying dragon for a second.
He brought his sword down onto a Targaryen soldier, slicing through the man's throat, while mowing down another with his destrier as the men around him forced the Targaryen soldiers to retreat slightly, until they stood back to back with the rest of their army, still fighting the Darklyn troops.
Their losses on the field had been roughly equal by now, if Grenn was not mistaken. But the dragon, he had made at least half a thousand widows this day and showed no sign of slowing down. For the moment, he was circling above the battlefield, a black shadow, the only thing preventing him from causing more damage being the fact that his own people were now in close combat with the Darklyn-Mooton alliance.
He slowed his horse down, as he spotted Jon again. His younger brother was now in a fight with the Targaryen commander. The dark-haired man had gained an advantage by closing in on Jon, where his spear was more hindrance than help. Forced to merely parry, Jon slowly staggered back. Somewhere behind the commander, Damon was lying on the ground, unconscious, but the steady raising of his chest showed that he was at least still alive.
Grenn knew, Jon would not survive. The enemy commander, he might not be a Targaryen, but a dragon he was nonetheless, a force of nature in combat. He had taken down Damon of the Dark Blade with ease and Grenn had seen the young Darklyn in combat before. Jon was good, but not like that.
Fastening his horse, he charged at the commander, knowing that he was too focussed with his opponent to notice the horse. Perhaps he could turn a certain defeat into a victory if he'd at least take out this man.
And indeed, to his own surprise, he managed to hit him, with the full weight of the horse, yet with less speed then he had hoped for. The commander was knocked a few feet away, heavily landing on his back, his sword being knocked away. At the same moment, the horse gave in beneath Grenn, as a stray arrow hit the animal in the head.
The Lord of Maidenpool was thrown out of the saddle and onto the ground, a mixture of blood and mud at this point. It softened his fall, but did not take away all of the pain. With a groan, he moved his hands, pushing himself upwards, as Jon was next to him, pulling him up. Thankfully, he had landed next to the horse and not beneath it. He was bruised, but nothing was hurt more than his pride, for now.
“I told you this was a bad idea!”, his brother yelled against the deafening sound of the battle and the dragon and Grenn sighed, giving him a sheepish nod. “You have been right”, he said. “You have always been right” He noticed the tears streaming down his face, as he glanced at the Black Dread above him. More a vengeful god than a normal creature right now, the dragon roared his anger out into the world and the earth was shaking from the echo.
So many Mooton men died today, due to his foolishness. Bryen Darklyn was dead, burned alive or torn to shreds by the very dragon he so foolishly tried to slay. Damon Darklyn was unconscious and would probably end in a Targaryen cell. Robin, little Darkrobin was left to lead the Darklyn's, as their best lay dead on this field. What chance did they have, but to surrender? And then there was Amerei...
“We have to sound the retreat”, he decided and Jon gave him a nod. “I lost my horn”, he revealed and Grenn sighed, noticing that it was, in fact, the same with him. “What now?”, he asked and Jon gulped. He glanced to the Targaryen commander and Jon realized that the man had gotten back to his feet. Pressing a hand onto his side, he was bleeding now, standing weakly, but unbroken.
“Ser, this fight is not over!”, he roared and Jon grabbed his spear more tightly. Grenn's eyes widened, as he grabbed his brother by the shoulder. “What are you doing?”, he asked. “You cannot win against this man!”
“What is your name, Ser?”, the Targaryen commander shouted, as he pointed his sword at Jon. In return, Grenn's brother sighed. “Ser Jon Mooton”, he replied and the man gave him a nod. “My name is Orys Baratheon”, he introduced himself. “And I challenge you to a duel, by my honour as a knight”
Jon sighed. “I accept!”, he replied sharply and Grenn gave him an alarmed look. “What are you doing?”, he asked and Jon pressed his lips together. “I cannot refuse him”, he replied. “Lest I bring disgrace upon us. I will fight him and cover your retreat”
Grenn felt a lump forming in his throat. “I'm the one that disgraced us”, he said. “For... for this. My shame. Come with me! I need you by my side when we make it back” Jon shook his head again and this time, Grenn clenched his fists. “And if I order you? As your lord and your brother?”
This time, a sad smile formed on Jon's face. “We both know you won't do this”, he answered. “Tell Amy, I'm going to miss her. Make sure she has it good. Find her a gentle husband, a Riverlander. Tell my sons...” He paused, tears forming in his eyes. “When they are old enough to understand it, tell them how I died. And when the dragon comes, do not repeat your mistake. Kneel”
Still not willing to give him up, Grenn grabbed him by the shoulder. He glanced at Baratheon, who just waited for them to finish. “He is wounded”, he hissed. “No way he can follow us. We can escape together, cut a path through their host and then...”
“And then what?”, Jon barked. His spear pointed at the sky now. “And then, we are burned alive by this monster. I will die by this man's blade, or not at all. And you, you have better chances if you flee on your own. Just you, across this field. The dragon might ignore you if you're alone. Flee back to Maidenpool”
Finally giving in, Grenn clenched his brother's shoulder. In return, Jon silently put a hand onto his upper arm. “Farewell, brother”, he said, before he turned around. Behind him, his brother got ready for his duel with the Targaryen commander. The man was wounded, yes, but what chance did Jon have?
But Grenn, he still had this chance. And he had to live. He owed it to his city, to his people, to Amerei and especially to Jon. And so, the Lord of Maidenpool joined the rest of his men, who tried to break through the Targaryen line. By now, almost none of his cavalry were actually still on horseback. Few of them lived at all, but those that did were fighting with the fury of men in despair, fighting for their live and they actually managed to wear the Targaryen host thin in the centre, with help from Darklyn's troops from the other side.
“Mylord!”, one of the soldiers said as he noticed him approaching. Grenn gave him a nod. “We break through”, he proclaimed. “And then... then we leave this battlefield” The man raised an eybrow. “We retreat?”, he asked. “We can win! The field will be ours!”
Grenn shook his head. “And then what?”, he asked. “It's either arrows or dragonfire. Retreat is the only option. Do you want to live for another day, soldier?” The man only had to think about this for a moment. “I will follow your orders, mylord”, he proclaimed. “Then gather your men”, Grenn ordered. “We charge. Maybe we break through”
The soldier only needed a moment. After a sharp whistle, a dozen soldiers gathered around him, weary men, far from Maidenpool's pride. But they had to suffice. “With me!”, he yelled, in an attempt to rouse them. “Do not fight for me. Do not fight for Maidenpool, or a king you never even met. Now, fight for your families. Fight to see them again! Fight with me!”
His brief speech had at least some sort of an effect on them, as a number of them began to murmur in a manner he deemed to be approving. Refusing the urge to glance over his shoulder to see how Jon was faring against the Targaryen commander, he instead pointed at the enemy host. “Then fight!”, he yelled, as he was the first to charge. The rest followed.
Grenn's first opponent was a pikeman. The soldier, tired from the long fight, tried to impale him, but the Lord of Maidenpool knocked the spear aside, closing in, to split the man's unprotected head with the next strike. The soldier next to him, the same he had spoken to, the man who had gathered his unit, was less fortunate, as a pike pierced through his stomach, causing him to groan in pain, as he collapsed on the weapon.
Grenn did not look any further. He only concentrated onto his next opponent. Cleaving at a soldier, he caught the man off guard. He was young, perhaps barely as old as Amerei, yet for her sake, Grenn killed him regardless, striking the boy's unprotected neck and ripping it open, before pushing the corpse into another man who tried to flank him.
Now surrounded by men, some his own, some enemies, Grenn gasped for air. The stench of burning flesh engulfed the entire field, smoke and flames rising from where Balerion had brought havoc onto his enemies. His roars managed to be louder than the entire battle combined and not for the first time, Grenn feared for his hearing if he'd continue this. He had to get away from this. He had to survive.
With this in mind, he hacked and cleaved and carved, killing men left and right and in front of him. Jon, Amy, Maidenpool. His three duties. The brother he failed. The daughter he loved. The city that needed him. Grenn Mooton had his flaws, but right now, facing what might be his last day, he silently vowed to the Seven, he would be worthy of them, if they'd deem him worthy of surviving this all.
Silently at first, he began to whisper their names, then scream them. “FATHER!”, he yelled. “WARRIOR!” He pushed his sword through a man's chest. “SMITH!”, he continued to roar and in his desperate attempt at staying alive, he even included the one he never prayed to before “STRANGER!”
And just then, he raised his sword, only to realize that the man he nearly attacked was one of his own. “Lord Mooton!”, the man, an older, one-eyed veteran gasped. “We thought you dead!” Grenn gave him a nod. “We retreat!”, he barked, as he pushed past him. “Gather your men, we retreat!”
He didn't have to repeat this order. Though lacking a horn to notify every fighting man, he hoped the rest would follow. He could not wait for them, for it would seal his own fate. And so, two dozen were all that came with him as he began to fall back. Two dozen of three thousand.
The shadow above roared, as it became darker. The man screamed in fear and as Grenn looked up, he could only share their terror. Balerion was about to land, right in their way, cutting of their retreat. And sure enough, the ground was shaking as the beast hit it, its massive claws digging into the dirt. Its head raised, it was radiating a heat Grenn had never felt in the forty years of his life.
And on top of it, he saw the rider. The invader. The conqueror. The king. So small compared to his mount, so distant, yet regal. Aegon Targaryen shouted something, but the sound of the battle made it impossible to understand him. He repeated his words, as Grenn gave his own orders.
Perhaps it was bravery motivating him for this step. Perhaps it was despair. But he pointed his sword at the dragon. “Attack!”, he yelled and in their state of half-crazed fear and the same despair he felt, his men followed, glad they had some sort of a target, even if it was tall as a castle and wilder than the storms that tormented the Bay of Crabs during the autumn.
And so they followed his fateful order. The dragon was not paying attention to them in particular, as it sent its black flame into the sky, causing Grenn's men to scream in terror, as they dug their weapons into its scales. The lord did the same, striking with all his might.
He could have hit solid rock for the same effect. His sword was nearly knocked from his hand and so close, the heat radiating from the monster was almost unbearable. Breathing became harder than ever, especially beneath his thick armour, but he tried another strike.
This time, Balerion hit back. His massive tail whipped through the air, knocking away half a dozen man, sending them flying through the air and to their deaths, while another one was crushed by the massive appendage as it slammed onto the ground again. His jaws, larger than the gates of Grenn's city, closed around two unfortunate soldiers, swallowing them whole.
It was there that Grenn noticed what might be a weakness on the dragon. His sword dug forward and into the small space between its scales. And indeed, he briefly felt triumph, as he pierced the flesh below. Short-lived, as so much on this fateful day, his joy turned into terror as he noticed that even the skin was hard as boiled leather, barely allowing him to pierce it beyond what was a flesh wound.
And now, the dragon had noticed him. Nearly jumping back from the unexpected, if minor pain, Balerion turned to him. A head the size of a decent house turned to him, as Grenn Mooton stared into the face of his own death. Black scales, a slightly opened mouth, three rows of teeth, each as long as a spear and the eyes, a burning orange. They saw him.
By now, the lord had lost control over himself, as he started to scream in fear. Balerion roared and so close, Grenn felt a sharp pain in his ears, pressing his hands onto them. Even worse was the gush of hot air that came out of the dragon's throat. It was not fire, it was merely his breath, heated up to the point where it cooked the Lord of Maidenpool in his own armour. Heating the steel, the pain was unbearable. Grenn's skin began to blister, as he sank onto his knees. By now, he heard nothing, not the dragon's ongoing roar, not the battle around him, not his own screams of pain.
Even keeping his eyes open was pain at this point and the constant heat from the dragon made it no better. Scalding tears flew down his blistering cheeks, as he realized what would happen. He had failed them all. Grenn Mooton, the man that tried to kill a dragon and lost everything. Jon, Maidenpool, his little Amy...
The dragon's jaw closed around him, as the teeth bit through the armor as if it was nothing. Grenn felt the pain, as the monster lifted him up, but as it shook him, as he felt his bones cracking in its grip and as he tasted his own blood in his mouth, any feeling left him quickly, any but regret. The last thing he saw before his life left him was their banners, Mooton and Darklyn, one trampled into the mud, the other slowly burning down, united in defeat.
End of Prologue: The Black Dread
That's certainly one heck of a way to start of the next book!! Poor Mooton and Darklyn, so naive to such a strong force. If only Balerion was just a goose, then Aegon would just be the King of Geese. Too bad he is not the King of Geese, but the King of Dragons! Orys will smash your cavalry and defeat all of your champions! Long hail King Aegon! The Targaryens will wrap their claws across all the Seven Kingdoms!
Ai what?I was away for too long shit
Poor Grenn and Bryen.Credit goes to the Targaryens. puhh
And the Book 2 is finally started!
RT:
If only Dovahkiin was there.
Now that's what I call an epic opening for a book!
It was so great to see Balerion in action, and overall I feel like this was one of the best battle sequences you have written in this story so far. And even if we had the typical doomed-from-the-beginning prologue PoV, you wrote Grenn so well that I did feel sorry for him at the end. Not so much for the Darklyn jerks, but I suspect I wasn't really supposed to feel sorry for them 
Jon Mooton was clearly the smartest of the bunch, too bad he had to die as well 
Anyway, now it truly feels like the War of Conquest has begun, and I can't wait to read more of it!
Ay, this is surprising, but I am very glad to hear it! It seemed so far that most liked Loren the least, but it is certainly great to know he won at least some sympathy from you. I'm always happy when not everyone shares the same opinion about certain characters and Loren is among these.
Well, that was sort of the whole shtick of the Interlude. The framing device, of sorts. It was about the Seven Letters, who bound these kings together and showing them in the moment they read these letters has always been the primary intention. After all, Aegon's invasion is very much the overarching main event in Book 2 and 3. Sure, there will be unrelated struggles as well, which I tried to introduce and they will be big storylines in their own right in Book 2 and 3. But Roffe Umber's little problem, the Royce/Shett conflict in the Vale, Loren's war with the Ironborn, Dorne's Sandstorm problem and even the Vyrwel-Mullendore-Oakheart conspiracy against House Gardener are secondary to the man that leads three fully grown dragons against a continent with zero experience in fighting them and every ruler in Westeros, save for maybe Harren and Torrhen are fully aware of this. As such, I actually felt I have put too little emphasis on the invasion, given that it actually wasn't all that major in some parts, such as Mern's, Loren's or Harren's, whereas these three in particular will be affected by the coming war.
And well, these three kingdoms will continue to play big roles in the things to come, that much I promise. The Reach probably more than the other two, but they will all be featured in Book 2. That being said, being so far away from Aegon's current position, the north will likely be the least immediately affected. Same goes for Dorne, but Meria is smart enough to make preparations the far younger and therefore less experienced Torrhen would never even think about. So, at least in the North parts of Book 2, you likely won't feel much about the war that will plague the rest of the continent.
It was indeed not the brightest idea. Then again, they can be excused on account of having literally not the slightest idea of how powerful the dragon would be. If Darklyn's plans would have worked, Aegon would have been soundly defeated. No matter what, Orys might be a good commander but he cannot win against a capable force twice the size of his. But yeah, the King of Dragons made the difference here. And he still held back on account of having to deal with the archers first and not wanting to harm his own people afterwards. Imagine that beast not holding back the slightest. Lord Darklyn and his five hundred archers stood no chance. And though Balerion is the largest, wildest and most terrifying of the three, Vaghar and Meraxes could have done the same, if with slightly less ease.
All the Seven Kingdoms, you say? Well, they are definitely going to try. We probably all know how that one is going to end, so I will just say that they are definitely bound to leave their marks on all Westeros. I surely cannot wait to show Aegon's next moves.
Long may it reign! Like, literally, it will take me a long time to get through with it XD
And it was only the first, a relatively small one at that. Lord Mooton and Darklyn have been powerful lords, but next, Aegon will put his attention towards kings. The ones closest to him, Harren Hoare and Argilac Durrandon, are the most powerful kings in Westeros, so you can expect more intense battles of a larger scale coming soon. Book 1 featured mere skirmishes, but this Prologue should give you a good idea where things are going to head to next.
Well, I wouldn't go quite there. Aegon is a very complex person and his reasons for the Conquest are equally complex. Surely, being a power hungry conqueror is part of him, it cannot be denied. He brings fire and blood to those that defy him and the only right he has comes from his strength. At the same time, there is a lot more to him. He is ambitious, cunning and confident, yet in a way an idealistic dreamer even, just enough of a realist at the same time to know that massive change cannot happen without force. And though power hungry, he has quite a lot of different sides as well. Somewhere in the books, it is described best, in one of Dany's parts, I think. It is said there: "Aegon the Conqueror brought fire and blood to Westeros, but afterward he gave them peace, prosperity, and justice." And well, obviously, we are just at the beginning of the fire and blood phase.
Ah, glad you liked Grenn despite his brief stay in the story. I will probably keep it that way, that Prologue PoV's are going to die much like they do in the books, whereas Epilogue PoV's might survive for longer. That feels just right, to continue the tradition set by Eaton and Regis in Book 1.
Oh yes, both houses suffered heavy losses. Grenn is confirmed to have died and I can reveal that Bryen Darklyn was among the first to die, during Balerion's initial attack on the Darklyn archers. Damon meanwhile is still alive and now a prisoner, yet also the rightful Lord Darklyn after his father's death. It remains to be seen if he gets a chance at assuming his position.
I surely will! Amerei Mooton is a submitted character (and like most of the characters mentioned in the parts, you can find her in the waiting list), so she is guaranteed to appear. Damon Darklyn's younger brother Robin meanwhile is actually a very minor character from the Ice and Fire canon, so yes, he will appear as well. Actually, both will be in Chapter 1.
Hehe, even if I'd want to spoil this, I must admit I am not sure about it myself. There are four to five PoV's I am considering to give this honour at the moment and I will decide today, when I will start writing the next part. Among them is even one new PoV, but that is all I am going to say. I guess we all have to wait and see what I decide upon, when the next part will be out, hopefully tomorrow
Trust me, against that thing, not even the Dovahkiin can do anything. Those weak Skyrim dragons are nothing compared to Aegon's absolute monsters. Alduin eats worlds, but Balerion would eat Alduin, probably swallow him whole even. The Dovahkiin, well, he'd be out of his league against Aegon and his dragons. Unless he uses god mode of course. Or maybe mods to nerf the dragons, or to replace them with Thomas the Tank Engine. Oh man, I just realized, the Dovahkiin could be even more terrifying than Balerion
One of the best! Ah, I was hoping for this, but given that I wrote most of the actual battle in the early morning hours before heading to bed, I was not sure if I'd truly succeed. And this was very much only Aegon's first test. Bigger battles will follow, spanning over the course of several parts, sometimes even a whole chapter. I hope to live up to this sequence, or even surpass it in time
Ah, I am glad to hear you found some sympathy for poor Grenn. The guy had absolutely no idea what he went into and certainly wasn't a bad man in any way. Neither were the Darklyn's, they were just arrogant, overconfident and probably a bit jerkish. Death by dragonfire is way too awful a fate for Bryen. Jon meanwhile, he was the only one who would have chosen the correct course of action here, kneeling to the dragons instead of fighting them. He tried to talk Grenn out of this and even worse than his brother, he went through with the fight solely out of loyalty. I really wanted to show right in the beginning that the men Aegon fights against might include people as horrible as Harmund Hoare, but the majority of them is actually not bad at all.
It has begun! My own hype level is off the charts, because I know just what exactly is coming. Hopefully, it will live up to your excitement and my own, but I am unusually confident about my plans there
So the Conquest has finally begun, and this is only a taste of what dragons are capable of.
An adult dragon is like a giant, fire-breathing tank, it has few weaknesses that very few can take advantage of. And they completely underestimated this weaknesses.
Wonder if House Darklyn should be in the Riverlands section or in the Dragonstone section at TV Tropes.
Man... I can't lie. I absolutely despise the Targaryens! I know a lot of readers here are so #Team Targaryen but I hate them so much. Rhaegar might be the only Targaryen I consider to be a decent human being. (okay that's a bit harsh but you get my point) Actually reading about Aegon's conquest makes me so angry! How he wages war on all these people so he can rule them all.
Anyway this was a really good part and I'm looking forward to book 2!
Ouch kiddo. That has got to hurt.
I imagine at least one major character will end up like ol' Grenn here.
Isn't it interesting that the relationship between the Targaryens and Darklyns began and ended with the Lord of Duskendale dying?
Did the Rhoynar really kill hundreds of dragons? I am really curious how they did that.
Man I now know how I want Mullendore, Vyrwel, and Oakheart to die. Hopefully none of our "favorite" characters get a fate like this.
Which characters here were submitted, of any? I am curious if you made all of them (which makes sense) or if any were from the masses.
Also a random thought I just had. I imagined Harren the Black as Donald Trump with Harrenhal as his wall "to keep out those dragons and incestees". Lord Selwyn would be jealous at how I chuckle now. That guy has a lot of houses to dislike (damn Tarly, so good at military stuff, damn Hightowers, with those tall buildings, damn Osgreys, uh, haven't appeared and probably won't appear, uh damn them too).
Aye, a first taste indeed. Aegon did hold back here instead of unleashing Balerion onto the entire army, though we'll definitely get to see moments in which this won't be the case.
Oh yes, this is true. Dragons are truly monstrous in their power and to make matters worse (or even better for the Targaryen's), they have incredibly few actual weaknesses. With magic mostly gone, one of the most effective counter measures has been taken away and at this point, Balerion is certainly the most powerful being in the known world. Even if some in Westeros take Aegon seriously, even they still underestimate the destruction that can be caused by three adult dragons.
I'd actually rather put them into the Dragonstone section. I plan for that one to contain not only the island of Dragonstone, but also the area that will become the Crownlands (and is, for simplicity's sake, already called that way in the character list). House Darklyn, being located in the crownlands, should find their place there, whereas House Mooton belongs to the Riverlands section.
Hehe, I think it might be more evenly split when it comes to the support Team Targaryen receives among the readership. I can surely understand your position and am a bit on the fence about them as well, even if I don't despise them. I mean, they are invaders, conquerors and they unleash massively overpowered living nukes onto people who never had any experience fighting them. In these regards, I am glad to see that there are some who dislike them just as much as others like them.
At the same time, it might indeed be a bit harsh to call Rhaegar the only decent one. This is another thing that is way more evenly split among the Targaryen's. Rhaegar surely was a good one, then there is Aegon's grandson Jahaerys, the single best king Westeros ever had, probably one of the best rulers that ever lived in general. Viserys the first and the second were good, just kings, Daeron the Good did not get his name from nothing and Aegon the Unlikely was also quite a good ruler by all accounts. Baelor Targaryen was also a very decent person, to a fault actually, even if he made for a bad king. And that doesn't even begin to cover the non-ruler Targaryen's, who also had their fair share of actually decent people. Take Maester Aemon for example, everybody loves Maester Aemon. That being said, they also had their fair share of terrible scumbags. Maegor the Cruel, Aegon the Unworthy and of course, the Mad King are the most negative examples, but you know what I mean. Things are very evenly split with the Targaryen's. Aegon himself portrays both sides of this, even if he is by far not as bad as many of his descendants. He burns his enemies, but shows mercy to those that follow him and is actually a good ruler. And though the Conquest is certainly brutal, Aegon gives Westeros more than death and misery. The unification of Westeros brings something the kingdoms have never known before: Decades worth of actual stability and peace under a capable ruler. I'm not saying give Aegon a chance, for you have a viable point as well, though he definitely is a morally grey character and will show qualities you will likely consider decent as well.
Oh, quite likely. So far, most of the major characters belong to factions that are opposed to the Targaryen's and it would be unlikely to assume that every single one of them gets a chance to switch sides. There will be some massive battles fought, with losses on both sides, so maybe before the end, we'll see major character deaths thanks to the dragons.
And in both cases, the Lord of Duskendale in question kind of had it coming. I mean, not that Bryen was a bad guy, but he certainly was foolish in his thoughts on how to take down a dragon. The same foolishness was later shown by his descendants. It seems they have a habit of not making smart decisions.
Maybe the accounts were a bit too high, but the Valyrians waged war against the Rhoynar for many times, until finally driving them into exile to Dorne about four hundred years before the story. And back in the day, the Rhoynar used magic to take them down. They had powerful water wizards, who commanded the waters of the river Rhoyne and used it against their enemies. During the last war between the two nations, the Second Spice War, they killed at least two dragons by drowning them and given that they managed to survive many wars against the Freehold, I'd say they killed many more in their history. Now, with magic mostly gone, that won't be possible anymore though, of course.
Hehe, this surely would be a fate that can be seen as cathartic when it comes to these three. And you never know, they technically are opposed to Aegon at this point. Those that do not bend the knee will share the fate of poor Grenn, be they well-liked characters or not.
Damon Darklyn is a submitted character, as are the mentioned characters Amerei Mooton and Dana Darke, whereas Jon Mooton and the mentioned Robin Darklyn are canon characters. Bryen and Grenn are sort of created by me, though it is mentioned that during Aegon's Conquest, he killed an unnamed Lord Darklyn and an unnamed Lord Mooton during his first battle. So, I took these unnamed lords and fleshed them out a bit.
Hehe, I believe a wall to keep out dragons is even less effective than a wall to keep out people, as Harren is surely going to notice. Selwyn might not like that indeed and come to think of it, there are indeed a number of houses he'd dislike. The Osgrey's in particular, they are terrible.
Those damn Marshalls of the Northmarch, think they are so good. They're stealing our jobs! Taking our land! But they will never take our freedom!
On a different note, do you ever wish people submitted characters from certain canon houses/places or canon characters who are described but not given much detail (like Lord Oakheart) to include in the story? For example, would you want someone to submit the Bastard of Blackhaven (who probably will appear in this story, or already is in the list but we don't know) or an important house like House Osgrey? I only ask this because after I did that massive list of characters, I started thinking about how many, if any, were canon characters that the submitters elaborate on.
Actually, the Bastard of Blackhaven is semi-submitted. He was recently mentioned in the submission of another character, though only by name and I actually introduced him already. He is Beric Storm, one of Argilac's royal guards from the Durrandon Interlude, bastard son of the current Lord Dondarrion. Then there is, of course, canon characters such as Lord Oakheart, the son of Lord Darklyn and Harren Hoare's sons, the former two of which are submitted, the latter four I came up with myself. Generally though, I have so many characters that I rarely find myself wishing that someone would submit characters from a particular house. I work with what I am offered and if I truly encounter a part where I am in need for a certain character, I come up with something myself. The problem is, in some cases I actually already have, so in rare cases, readers trying to fill in blanks which I already have can cause problems, from very minor ones to actually big ones. Of course though, I always try to make everything work, so there usually is nothing I want to discourage you from
I have some random questions for my fellow readers.
How many characters have you submitted?
Have you created any family/house/group of characters?
If you had to kill one character, who would it be?
Which obscure location do you want to see in the story?
What is Liquid's favorite color?
Who is your favorite villain?
Which character would you want to serve/be friends with/whatever positive?
How many characters have you submitted?
Interestingly enough this is actually the first time I'm counting them... and the result is 17, if I didn't mess up the counting
Hm, didn't even realize the number was that high, there were a few I didn't even remember I had submitted before I went over the "to be introduced" list again. Four of these have been introduced in the story so far, but I think my most interesting characters are yet to be introduced 
Have you created any family/house/group of characters?
I have created House Manwoody, whom we got our first glimpse of in the Dorne interlude, in form of Sarina Manwoody. I like Sarina, but my favorite Manwoody is yet to be introduced
Few other ones of my submissions are also tied to each other, in one way or another, but Manwoody's are the only family I've submitted.
If you had to kill one character, who would it be?
I'm assuming this isn't limited to my own characters. Hmm, I guess I'd go with Wolfius. Whoever will eventually kill that son of a bitch is a goddamn hero
If the question was intended to be limited to my own characters, I'd probably choose one of the unintroduced ones. I hate none of them, but some of them are arguably a bit boring when compared to others 
Which obscure location do you want to see in the story?
Obscure, huh? Hmm, it would be great to finally see Asshai in a GoT story, but there would of course need to be a good reason for it to happen - it's pretty much on the opposite side of the world from the main focus of the story after all. I could see it happening though, who knows.
What is Liquid's favorite color?
Purple? idk
Who is your favorite villain?
Right now, Mullendore. I love to hate that bastard.
Which character would you want to serve/be friends with/whatever positive?
Well, there are plenty of characters in this story who seem like decent people, but I'd probably want to be friends with Arthur, he seems like a chill guy.
If you knew about Arthur's obscene obsession with oranges you'd probably change your mind. At the City Guard HQ Arthur just leaves these orange peels all over the place. Like, it is so obnoxious that no one is willing to work with him on a case.
How many characters have you submitted?
Incredibly, I have submitted nearly 60 characters.
Have you created any family/house/group of characters?
Many of the members of House Stark's household and Torrhen's family were created by me. I also created most of Sharra's council and quite a few members of the Riverlands, Westerlands, Reach and Stormlands nobility.
If you had to kill one character, who would it be?
I would prefers to kill Gyles Gomblinger, he's so smug and arrogant and the way he treats the prostitutes under him is horrible even by the series standards.
Which obscure location do you want to see in the story?
Maybe I would like to see the Summer Islands and Sothoryos, as unlikely as it would be, since those locations are completely different in both culture and weather to Westeros and Essos.
What is Liquid's favorite color?
Who is your favorite villain?
I think is Harren Hoare, he's a cruel, ruthless man who has bled his kingdom dry building Harrenhal, yet knows why he must be feared and hated and has true fondness for some people.
Which character would you want to serve/be friends with/whatever positive?
Not sure, but it doesn't seem bad to serve under the Yellow Toad (Meria Martell), she kinda reminds me of my late grandfather.
How many characters have you submitted?
16, if I counted well.
Have you created any family/house/group of characters?
House Aspys and House Solus, looking forward to the introduction of the rest of the Aspyses, but especially hyped for House Solus' introduction!
If you had to kill one character, who would it be?
Wolfius or Harmund Hoare. But probably Wolfius.
Which obscure location do you want to see in the story?
Hmmm Yi Ti or Sothoryos I guess.
What is Liquid's favorite color?
I'd say purple coz of his avatar XD
Who is your favorite villain?
Maron Mullendore, though Harren Hoare and Petyr Vyrwel are not far behind.
Which character would you want to serve/be friends with/whatever positive?
Argilac Durrandon, he'd be a great buddy! XD Though I'd also love to serve under him.
How many characters have you submitted?
about 25 ish... if we count Ross Bob
Have you created any family/house/group of characters?
made a band of mercenary from Essos... or three rather, which should appear soon...i hope
If you had to kill one character, who would it be?
Bear...asshole killed Jarow...my beautiful lord of bridges
Which obscure location do you want to see in the story?
Braavos would be fun to see
What is Liquid's favorite color?
abaddon black or moot green, no wait WAAAGH flesh... possibly leadbelcher
Who is your favorite villain?
need to give cred to Wolfius
Which character would you want to serve/be friends with/whatever positive?
Sir Jar-Jar of binks
How many characters have you submitted?
24, I think, I may have miscounted.
Have you created any family/house/group of characters?
I created Houses Frostborn, Grimthorn, Wolfraven, Bloodboar, Mogfield and Catsby, and The Alley Cats and their Northern and Essos counterparts.
If you had to kill one character, who would it be?
Leonard Constantine... nah just kidding, probably Kersea.
Which obscure location do you want to see in the story?
Not sure.
What is Liquid's favorite color?
Who is your favorite villain?
Mullendore or The Tom.
Which character would you want to serve/be friends with/whatever positive?
I'd be pals with Dairon.
Act I: The Calm Before
Chapter I: Fires Far
Ellena
It was the early noon, as Ellena Terys followed the red priestess across a lonely road. Their journey had been a long, but quiet one. Noelle was not one to speak unless necessary and Ellena found herself with no desire to change this. At this point, she followed her because there was nowhere else to go. Meeting this king she spoke so highly about, it was as good as any other goal Ellena could set for herself.
Throughout all this, her anger had faded, though she was by no means calm. Her hatred for this woman had persisted, but it was waiting, biding its time. Noelle was the one that murdered Terroma and she had not forgotten, nor forgiven. Ellena had never found the man that murdered her father and at this point, she had little hope in ever doing so. But with Noelle, it was different. The priestess had travelled by her side for nearly two months. She knew where she was and more than once, she found her gaze wandering to the knife at her belt. Maybe one day she would act on these thoughts.
And the priestess was still an enigma to her, in many ways. She spoke of her faith, but not in the same way other red priests did. Whatever happened to her, it had caused her conviction to grow weaker, yet behind her words, Ellena saw a curiosity, a desire to know how the faith she devoted herself to actually worked. Undoubtedly, Noelle had changed and in a way, so had Ellena.
Usually, their days would be mostly quiet. They'd speak the bare necessities in the morning, where Ellena would prepare a meagre meal for both, while Noelle would prepare their belongings for the continuation of their journey. Sometimes, she would explain a detail of their surroundings and sometimes, Ellena was interested enough to reply, a handful of short conversations each day, separated by long periods of silence in which she had nothing to do but brood.
Throughout this, one question had entered her mind. How was Noelle able to live with herself? Her current actions, they were motivated by guilt. She did not try to justify her actions any longer and, in fact, barely spoke about them at all, as if she tried to ignore them, desperately so. And she had grown weaker. Gone was the otherworldly woman Ellena had come to fear during the week with her and Marak. In her place stepped a person filled with doubts, woefully inexperienced of dealing with them. Ellena's thirteenth name day had been last month, whereas the priestess was so much older and yet, the young girl felt more mature in these regards than Noelle ever could.
“A great battle has been fought here”, Noelle spoke, all of a sudden, pointing at the distance. Ellena narrowed her eyes, noting the fading pillars of smoke rising up from beyond the forest at the other side of the river. “The king has won”
“Good for him”, Ellena mumbled and Noelle raised an eyebrow. “We are going to meet him today”, she spoke and now, Ellena shrugged. “I cannot wait”, she replied, as unenthusiastically as possible, even though she did feel some excitement at the thought. She had never met a king before and the tales she heard spoke highly about Targaryen. A gallant Dragonlord, equal parts terrifying and inspiring, a man that commanded the last three dragons in the known world.
Now, Noelle sighed. “If we wish to succeed, I need your help”, she explained and Ellena gave her a curious look. “What do you need my help for?”, she asked. “You were to give me a new life at this king's court, while you go off to fight his enemies”
“And fighting them I will”, Noelle explained. “But I cannot do it without you. I have seen you in the flames and believe, before the end, you and I will both have a part to play in this” This was a first for Ellena. Not once during their travels did the priestess even imply this. At the same time, never had she asked either. “And what role will that be?”, she growled.
To this, the priestess shrugged, a slight smile on her face, though it faded as Ellena shot a glare at her. “I do not know. The flames are not this precise”, she admitted. “Not for me at least. Not anymore. It's all a blur, but I see your face” Her mouth tightened. “But I will not allow the enemy to harm you”
Ellena rolled her eyes. “Touching”, she spat, though immediately afterwards, curiosity got the better of her again. “This enemy you mention... who is he?” Once again, Noelle seemed uncertain, as she glanced at the smoke in the distance. “He has many names”, she spoke. “And can take on many forms. He is a creature so evil, his whole being has been corrupted by the Great Other”
“Evil...”, Ellena mumbled. “Is it really this easy for you? The entire world can be divided into good and evil?” Noelle thought about this for a moment, before she shook her head. “Not anymore”, she admitted. “But when it comes to R'hllor and the Great Other, it really is. R'hllor stands for all that is good, for warmth, for life. The Great other is cold, darkness, death”
“I'm sure he is”, Ellena replied, already regretting to stir the topic into a more religious direction. Such a discussion was quickly tiring. That being said, her curiosity was not yet satisfied. “But that does not explain much about this enemy. He serves a god you don't like, okay, but is there anything you can tell me about him? Anything useful, I mean”
With a sigh, Noelle shook her head. “Even before my visions became a blur, he evaded my gaze. He is a being of immense power, this I know. Older than either of us, yet he knows how to conceal his age, so we might face someone who looks a lot younger” She hesitated for a second. “And I'm not even sure the enemy truly is a man”
As she heard this, Ellena crossed her arms. “A true enigma then”, she sighed. “Great” She glanced at Noelle, but the priestess remained silent, apparently lost in thoughts as well. The light shined at her face, still beautiful, yet the marks of Raenna's rage were still visible, as her bruises had healed badly. Her stance, the look on her face, it made it apparent that their talk was over.
It was not long, until the banners came into Ellena's field of view. After the winning battle, Targaryen had made camp not too far away from it, next to the forest. A multitude of banners was there and Ellena even recognized some of them, from her father's business. Darklyn was there, their seat being the most important Narrow Sea harbour in Westeros and Mooton. And his men, probably a bit more than three thousand.
“There we are”, Noelle sighed, as she gave Ellena a tired smile, receiving only an angry frown in return. The camp below was not small, she wouldn't go that far, yet she had seen enough people to know that the Dragon King's host was tiny compared to those the master of these lands could muster. His banners were waved high, black and red and his men seemed eager, at least from afar, yet this wasn't enough. This could never be enough, not for what he was attempting to do.
Just then, she heard the roar in the distance. Followed by another one. Then a third. And Ellena Terys saw their shadows on the horizon. Her eyes widened the moment she saw them and involuntarily, she started to tremble. Noelle stopped as well, her mouth slightly opened in pure astonishment. They were any bit as majestic as the stories painted them to be. Dragons… Ellena had not believed it. She could not believe them to be this tall. And suddenly, she knew why Targaryen had a fighting chance in this war.
She remembered her father’s words, how he told her of the dragons. Balerion was the largest one. The Black Dread, they called him and she could see why. His scales were black as the night and his fangs, even from afar they caused a primal fear to rise in her. She clenched her fists, as she realized that he was larger than the Titan that guarded the Bay of Braavos. Then there was the silver one. Slim, compared to Balerion, Meraxes was elegant, gliding almost gracefully through the skies, yet it did not make her any less terrifying. And finally, Vhagar. The smallest one, yet still larger than the largest warship Ellena had ever seen. Scales as red as blood, it let out a ferocious roar, as all three of them descended onto the camp. Even from afar, the ground was shaking, when Balerion and Vhagar landed at once. Meraxes remained flying a little bit longer, before setting to the ground. The three were staring into the centre of the camp, where Ellena saw a gathering of soldiers.
Of course, there were guards, but they were not bothered with stopping a woman and a child. Ellena noticed, they were not the only civilians in the camp. There were sutlers of all kinds, beggars, travellers who rested her for a while and, of course, whores. She was not sure which of these Noelle was mistaken for, though she attracted barely any attention.
As they came closer, Ellena saw the dragons more clearly. Meraxes' bright golden eyes, Balerion's orange orbs and the piercing green glare of Vhagar. Beings of such a size, it was hard for her to even look at them without getting an uneasy feeling in her stomach. The thought they were serving a single man was almost impossible to believe.
Though the centre of the camp was crowded, Noelle had a way of making a path for the two of them. Walking without even stopping, all she had to do was to put a hand onto the back of the soldier in front of her for him to turn aside. She repeated this process and Ellena was quick to keep up with her, through the crowd, until she was able to get a clear view onto the centre.
By now, she had stopped next to a young woman, probably only a few years older than her. She was clad in black, her brown hair tied into two braids not unlike Ellena's. A streak of her hair was dyed red and reddened were her cheeks from the tears that poured out of her green eyes. Surrounded by soldiers from House Mooton, she stared at the scenery in the very centre of the camp.
A man was kneeling there. He was balding despite not seeming too old, safe for his thick, brown beard. Tall and lanky, he was still towered by the man standing in front of him. Ellena gulped as she laid eyes on the Dragon King. Aegon was handsome, in a way few men she had seen ever seemed, with his silvery-golden hair and thick beard. Clad in a shirt of black scales and with a red cloak draped around his shoulders, a thick, iron circlet adorned by rubies was resting on his head.
Behind him, Ellena saw a tall woman, clad in chainmail. With the same colour of hair, her features were sharp, yet had a cold beauty to them, as she was standing only slightly behind her king, equal parts his queen and his guard. And yet behind her, together with others, resting on a couch underneath a pavilion was...
For a second, Ellena had to suppress a gasp, as she thought to recognize Raenna. But it wasn't her. This woman was even more a beauty, playing with her long hair as she watched the scenery, a smirk on her face and triumph in her lilac eyes.
“I, Jon Mooton, admit defeat”, the kneeling man spoke, his voice hushed and quiet. “I surrender Maidenpool and pledge allegiance to Aegon Targaryen, First of his Name, King of All Westeros and Shield of His People”
Aegon gave him a nod. “Before you knelt, you were my enemy”, he said. “But you rise as my bannerman. Jon Mooton, Lord of Maidenpool” The kneeling man looked up, while the young woman next to Ellena bit down onto her lower lip. Several of the soldiers began to rumour, while Mooton indeed rose, his eyes widened in surprise.
It was a knight who spoke. Dark of hair and pale, he was young and though wounded, there was a fierce look in his blue eyes. “This is not right!”, he was quick to voice his anger. The warrior woman next to Aegon raised an eyebrow, as he stepped forward. “This man is not the rightful Lord Mooton!”, he growled. “It's true that Lord Grenn died without a son, but he did not die without children!” As he spoke, he pointed at the young woman next to Ellena, who just had a new wave of tears streaming down her face at his words.
“You speak up against your king, Lord Darklyn?”, the warrior woman spoke and the knight gave her a nod. “I speak up against injustice”, he clarified. “No matter if it comes from a king or not” A look of surprise formed on the woman's face. “This morning, you woke up a prisoner. You were granted your life after you knelt to King Aegon, and now...”, she explained, though before she was able to continue, the king cut her off.
“Visenya...”, he growled and she looked at him, quietly and cautiously. “It is true that Lord Darklyn knelt after the battle. As such, he is my bannerman now and I don't intend to treat him differently than any other that follows me, be they allies of old or allies of new. This involves the right to speak” He gave Darklyn a nod, though turned to the young woman. “That being said, I believe we should hear Lady Amerei's thoughts on the matter. Mylady?”
Alarmed, the young woman's eyes widened, though after a moment of hesitation, she stepped forwards. Still unsure what to say, it was Jon Mooton who came to her aid. “Amy...”, he said softly and she looked at him, a mixture of relief, sorrow and anger on her face. “I do not mean to take Maidenpool from you. Just say the word and I will step down”
Now, Amerei gulped. “Do I have to kneel?”, she asked and Aegon gave her a nod. “If you wish to keep Maidenpool”, he explained. The anger in her voice grew stronger now. “Then keep the city you took”, she hissed. “I will not kneel to the man that murdered my father!” Her words cut across the camp, silencing the murmur of the soldiers and causing her uncle to gasp. Lord Darklyn grew visibly alarmed, though Aegon was calm throughout this.
“Your father died in battle”, Aegon told her. “He fought bravely and I hold no ill against him” She narrowed her eyes. “You unleashed your beast upon him!”, she spat. “All of them! Burned them alive. My father died in battle, but it was not one of honour. He'd have called it a cowardly battle” She shot her uncle a glare. “So would you, before you bent the knee”
“Amerei...”, Mooton mumbled, his voice shivering with concern. “Your grace, my niece does not mean to...” Aegon cut him off by raising a hand. “She did”, he clarified. “And I cannot blame her for it” He sighed, the first time Ellena saw an emotion on his stoic face. “I know it must seem cruel to you, mylady. I know of your pain and I know of your birthright” He looked at her calmly and she slowly stopped sobbing. “But I cannot have a Lady of Maidenpool who refuses to bend the knee”
The girl shook her head. “I will not”, she replied. “Not to you” In return, Aegon gave her a nod. “Neither will I demand it”, he promised. “Your uncle bent the knee. I need the support of House Mooton in the war to come, so I intend to install him as your father's successor. Will you at least follow his will? Will you stand by Maidenpool and House Mooton?”
To this, she nodded, without hesitating. “Always”, she replied. A smile of relief formed on Jon's face and briefly, Ellena thought she saw relief in Aegon's eyes. “So be it”, he said. “I do not expect your forgiveness, mylady, but hope for your cooperation in time. I will ask nothing but accepting your uncle as your lord”
Amerei bit down onto her lower lip, as she put a hand onto her uncle's shoulder. “I do”, she agreed and briefly, Jon pulled her into a hug. “It is settled then”, Aegon spoke and glanced at the young Lord Darklyn. “You heard the words of Lady Amerei. Is this acceptable to you, mylord?” Quietly, Darklyn saluted. “It is, your grace”, he growled. “If Amerei wants it, Jon is Lord of Maidenpool”
“Lord Mooton, then I have your first order”, Aegon spoke and Mooton stood straight. “Lead your men back to Maidenpool. Make preparations for the coming war. Inform your bannermen of what happened here. You have suffered great losses, but I am afraid I have to ask for more before this is all over”
Jon bowed down. “We will return to Maidenpool at once, your grace”, he confirmed, as he and Amerei turned around. He seemed glad and in an odd way, so did his young niece. Perhaps neither had expected to survive this day.
Aegon looked after them. “This is settled then. House Darklyn and House Mooton follow House Targaryen from this day onwards!”, he proclaimed. “Let it be known that any man indulging in acts of plunder against my newest bannermen will suffer harsh punishments. We all face the next enemy together, when we march to Harrenhal!”
This caused cheers from the surrounding soldiers, be they Mooton, Darklyn, or other. “Targaryen!”, they roared. “Targaryen!” Aegon seemed content, while the woman on the couch smiled sweetly. Looking at her, the briefest of smiles found its way onto the face of the king. “Now, is there...”
“Seven hells...”, a hoarsy voice growled. Noelle instantly tensed up, but Ellena only recognized the voice as she saw the man it belonged to. Stepping out of the crowd of highborn followers beneath the pavilion, still as lanky and ghastly pale as he had been when she last saw him, stepped Wulvren, the Archmaester of Magic.
He looked from Aegon to Noelle, who clenched her fists. “Your grace...”, he hissed. “This woman over there!” He pointed at her. “Make sure she cannot escape. Your grace, this woman has much to answer for. She nearly murdered me and who knows how many more lives she has claimed!”
As Noelle stepped forwards, Ellena followed her instinctively. At the same time, the beautiful queen beneath the pavilion rose from her couch. “A red priestess”, she said, fascinated by the sight. “I saw them in Tyrosh once, but they are rare in Westeros”
“Queen Rhaenys, this woman is mad and dangerous!”, Wulvren spat. There was hatred in his voice and Ellena could only share it. Noelle had a lot to answer for. Rhaenys smiled gently. “Aw, it's sweet of you to be concerned, Maester”, she chirped, as she put a hand onto his chest. “But I believe I can look after myself”
“I don't think you understand, my queen. This woman has powers, yes, but they are lost on a mind as cold and dark as hers”, Wulvren tried again, as he glared at Noelle. “What are you doing here? Last time I saw you, you left me for the wolves! Dragged some poor lass halfway through the Reach, trying to find that other one, the one you wanted to burn!”
Noelle gulped, but before she was able to say anything, Wulvren continued. “Look at this camp and tell me, have you managed to prevent your war? Has it been worth it?” At these words, Aegon gave him an alarmed look. “Burning a child to prevent a war?”, he asked. “That has to be the most ridiculous thing I heard in my life” He narrowed his eyes at Noelle. “Those are stark accusations my Maester is making. What do you have to say, lady...?”
“Noelle of Braavos”, Noelle introduced herself. “I... I have come from beyond the Narrow Sea, to...” She had not expected Wulvren's presence, as Ellena noticed. Not knowing this, it filled her with doubt, with fear. It was there that Wulvren spotted her. “You!”, he said. “Girl, what are you still doing with her?”
He glared at Noelle. “What have you done to her, witch?”, he growled. “And where's your brute? Somewhere around here, or have you gotten him killed as well?” Noelle's eyes widened, as Wulvren looked back at Ellena. “Do you have anything to say, girl?”, he asked.
Ellena sighed. Oh yes, she had a lot to say, a lot Noelle would not like to hear. Yet her words were still fresh in her mind. An ancient enemy, a god of death and a role she and the priestess both had to play. It would be easy, taking vengeance now, but she would not do it. But was she able to defend her? Could she do that for the woman that murdered Terroma?
[Speak up in defence of Noelle] [Be quiet and let her speak for herself]
Seems like Jon is the new Lord Mooton, and is perfectly understandable that Amerei would reject rulership.
[Speak up in defence of Noelle] While I don't think Noelle is incapable of defending herself, the Targaryens would be more willing to listen if someone vouched for her.
[Speak up in defence of Noelle]
[Speak up in defence of Noelle]
I hate defending Noelle, and I would love to see her try to nervously explain herself to Aegon and fail miserably. However, I feel like this ancient enemy is a threat that should be taken seriously, so there is no room for any pettiness.
Anyway, this was a nice start for the first chapter of Book 2! And Jon Mooton actually survived the battle, yay!
Oh man, I have a feeling Noelle and Wulvren will be the Mel and Davos of this story 
How many characters have you submitted?
A little too much...maybe
Have you created any family/house/group of characters?
Yes I do
If you had to kill one character, who would it be?
Do you mean of my characters or in general?If you mean my characters eh eh spoiler
;if you mean in general obviously Wolfius or Vaasrand
Which obscure location do you want to see in the story?
Well,since Liquid already say that many ASOIAF obscure location will be in the story I'm curious to see if we will really see Vaes Khadokh
What is Liquid's favorite color?
It's obviously Air Superior Blue,duh
Who is your favorite villain?
Harren,Petyr and Anturion for their personality and Durren for his look
Which character would you want to serve/be friends with/whatever positive?
Probably I will like to be friend with the Ironbros,speaking instead of characters to serve...ah ah No King Above Me!
Congratulation to Ellena for the status of first PoV that return inside the story!
About the choice
[Be quiet and let her speak for herself]
I don't see why Ellena should help Noelle if she hate her so much (outside lose any possible help from Wulvren)
RT:
[Be quiet and let her speak for herself] After all Noelle put her through, I find it hard to believe that in two months Ellena would've gotten so fond of Noelle to the point of speaking in her defense.
[Be quiet and let her speak for herself]
It will be amusing to see how Noelle defend herself.I know she will fail and It will be fun to see that
I'm a bit late to the party, but I'm definitely going to give this a read.
Are you still taking character submissions? Looks like you have a long list of those to be introduced and I don't want to add any extra work if you already have your hands full.
And so it has begun, the first chapter of Book 2!!!
[Be quiet and let her speak for herself]
I think this is the more in-character choice for Ellena, I think she would find it hard to defend the person that killed Terroma. I definitely wouldn't mind the other choice winning though, I quite like Noelle, in fact more so than I like Ellena.
Oh, and by the way, you misspelled Targaryen as Targaryeb here.
[Be quiet and let her speak for herself]
[Speak up in defence of Noelle]