Disclaimer: This is a work of fiction, and all rights for characters, plots and settings belong to G.R.R. Martin and FromSoftware. I have no ownership.
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"Honor is a fools prize. Glory is of no use to the dead."
Darth Revan
"Anyone can make an error, Ensign. But that error doesn't become a mistake until you refuse to correct it."
Grand Admiral Thrawn
"To say the Force works in mysterious ways is to admit one's ignorance, for any mystery can be solved through the application of knowledge and unrelenting effort."
Darth Plagueis the Wise
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There is no ignorance; there is knowledge.
There is no fear; there is power.
I am the Heart of the Force.
I am the revealing fire of Light.
I am the mystery of Darkness
In balance with Chaos and Harmony,
Immortal in the Force
Je'daii Order Code
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King's Landing, Red Keep
Year 298 AC (After Aegon Conquest)
The Winter Rose
Like the rest of their family, she didn't take her eyes off the woman sitting across from her, right next to her son. Far too close to her son.
Her Valyrian features and mismatched eyes didn't narrow the field of possibilities as to her identity. Contrary to appearances, it wasn't hard to find women with those features in Essos, especially in Lys.
Lyanna, however, had to admit that even by Valyrian standards, the woman was exceptionally beautiful, and she evoked a similar sensation, tickling her senses, that she usually only felt from her eldest son.
Though the woman had a fixed smile on her face, she was clearly a bit nervous, glancing at Raevan every now and then. This was natural, however, when all eyes in the chamber were focused on her, especially those of the five women.
Seeing the irritated glances of Daenerys and Rhaenys, Lyanna couldn't help the small smile that tugged at her lips. But he vanished as quickly as he appeared. 'Wait, as a mother, I should be the one most irritated.'
The door to the chamber opened, breaking the awkward silence, and through it stepped the last person they had been waiting for, her brother-in-law, Viserys. However, seeing the serious atmosphere inside, his characteristic smirk froze, and he sat down in one of the empty seats.
Her husband rose next, and seeing his serious expression, she began to worry. They had been together for so many years, and she had learned to recognize his moods and facial expressions. This one didn't portend anything good. Worried, she involuntarily reached a hand to her belly, where another life was growing.
"Hmgh," Rhaegar cleared his throat, then got to the point. "Thank you for gathering so quickly, as we have some crucial announcements to make. Something that directly concerns our family."
Then he looked at their son, who nodded in response and spoke, glancing around at the family members present. "You all know about the magical powers I possess, to one degree or another. It's something I couldn't hide. Yet you know only a sliver of the truth."
Lyanna frowned at his words, feeling a chill run through her. What were her husband and son hiding from her? And why? And why had they suddenly decided to reveal it now? What was the reason? And why was this unknown woman present at the meeting of only their family members, when even Arianne, Viserys's wife, was absent?
The room became noticeably tense, and many of their family members began to speak, but her son rose and raised a firm hand, cutting off the ensuing discussion.
"Before I say more, I would ask that you listen to what I have to say in silence... Without interruption," he said, then sank back down onto the cushioned bench.
When he then began to tell them about the Force, about his rebirth, and how his visions weren't visions but recurring memories, Lyanna felt as if she were drowning. Her breathing became heavy, and her mind, dizzy.
For so many years, they had kept all these secrets from her. From their own wife and mother. Hadn't she brought Raevan into the world? Didn't she deserve to hear the truth?
Everything made sense now. Her son's genius and his wonderful inventions and ideas. All these secrets, and the fact that both father and son tried to avoid discussing what was happening.
Lyanna felt hurt, and seeing the atmosphere inside the chamber, she sensed that the others felt the same way. For what else was being hidden from them?
But none of them spoke a word, perhaps simply unsure of what to say. How could one respond to fantastic tales of kingdoms stretching across thousands of worlds and journeys between the stars?
How to respond to the news that your son, brother, nephew, or grandson is actually a centuries-old interstellar wizard who led countless armies and fought horrors they could never have dreamed of? Lyanna felt so lost.
But then her son began to tell stories that chilled her blood. A conspiracy against their family, a secret order of people with powers similar to Raevan's, and of course, the likely coming war.
She looked at her son, for what she had heard still hadn't changed anything in their relationship. He was still her little boy. What hurt her most wasn't even that he hadn't told her anything, but that he was suffering and struggling with it alone.
Rhaegar supposedly knew, of course, but that wasn't the same as a mother's unconditional love and support. She easily noticed the change in her son's face. Relief radiated from him that he could finally unburden himself and confess the truth.
Without hesitation, she rose and, approaching him, embraced him, saying, "You stupid boy. Why didn't you confess this sooner instead of struggling with the truth yourself?"
A moment later, she felt more arms encircle them, then another, and another. She heard the quiet sobs of Daenerys and Rhaenys and the twins, who, however, understood little of what was truly happening.
A long moment later, when everyone had regained control of their emotions, Lyanna looked at her son and asked the question that was still on everyone's minds.
"Son, can you finally tell us who this woman is and why she's present at the meeting of our family members?"
Raevan smiled weakly, then opened his mouth to respond, but before he could say anything, the woman in question rose and spoke first, stunning them for the second time that morning.
"My dears, I am Shiera Targaryen, also known as Shiera Seastar, daughter of Aegon IV. It's a pleasure to meet you all and to see that our House is not yet lost."
Reactions to these words varied, though most, like Lyanna, were simply speechless, trying to digest the information.
What surprised Lyanna most, however, was that compared to what she had heard from her son today, the fact that a woman who, according to her own words, should be over a hundred years old looked only twenty wasn't so improbable.
The first to react to the woman's words was, surprisingly, Rhaella, who approached her, examining her closely.
"Yes, I see it now. You inherited much of your beauty from your mother, but I see in your features a resemblance to our House now. I can believe it," the Queen Mother said, though Lyanna couldn't read her tone.
Shiera smiled faintly in response, brightening the room for a moment and making Lyanna momentarily envious. How could anyone be so effortlessly beautiful? Even the ethereal beauty of her mother-in-law and sister-in-law paled in comparison.
Lyanna, at this point, could believe all the stories she'd heard about the youngest of Aegon the Unworthy's Great Bastards.
"I think you deserve an explanation," Shiera said, looking at Raevan as if seeking confirmation. "Like Prince Raevan, I can use the Force and trained for decades in Asshai. It was I who provided the information you've heard about Those Who Dwell in Shadows."
Lyanna glanced at her son, and seeing him nod slightly, she didn't need further confirmation. The same went for the rest of their family.
Even Daenerys and Rhaenys, who had initially scowled at Shiera, now surrounded her excitedly, peppering her with questions about her past, her travels over the decades, and also about the Force. For if she could use it, there was a chance they could too.
Lyanna, however, didn't think it was that simple, but what could she possibly know about magic, the Force, or other such matters?
"We still need to discuss one important matter," Aegon, who had been silent until now, interjected, looking at Raevan intently. "How do we intend to respond to this threat?"
"Isn't it obvious?" her son replied with a wry smile. "As befits a Targaryen. With Fire and Blood."
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King's Landing, Red Keep
Year 298 AC (After Aegon Conquest)
The Silent Wolf
Today, Red Keep seemed filled with a strange tension he couldn't explain. Something important enough had happened to cause a stir among the royal family, yet neither the servants nor the guards knew anything. Lyanna, who had visited them this morning with the twins, had barely settled into their chambers when she was summoned by the king.
The same went for the other members of the House of Dragon. Jory informed him of the talk among the servants and guards; the entire royal family had gathered in King Rhaegar's solar and spent over two hours there, causing the tournament day to start later as well.
The lords, wealthy merchants, visitors from Essos, and the multitudes of smallfolk who filled the vast stands were growing impatient as they waited for the Targaryen's to arrive, and he felt a growing headache from the thousands of disputing voices that sounded like one enormous din.
Of course, many lords tried to question him, but he was as in the dark as they were. He was aware of one thing, though. It had to be something serious and something they surely would likely find out about soon.
Another fifteen minutes passed before Ned heard the excited voices of the lords and smallfolk in the east stand, and then he saw the royal family, accompanied by the Kingsguard, begin to file into the royal stand and take their seats.
Seeing their serious faces, he knew something truly important had happened. Everyone was focused and tense, even the twins. But then another sight caught his attention as several of his nephew's men entered the arena, leading a short, obese man in Septon robes and carrying a body in black robes.
Behind them, Raevan entered the arena, accompanied by three septons, following him meekly like puppies. The chatter and whispers among the crowd grew louder, escalating into a deafening chaos. Many lords and Faith's men rose, clearly recognizing the prisoner who was being dragged.
Ned also realized who it was when he heard Mace Tyrell, sitting nearby, shout in disbelief, "It's the High Septon! High Septon!" Of course, he was immediately silenced by his mother, Olenna Tyrell.
His gaze, however, drifted back to what was happening below. His nephew raised his hand, trying to silence the crowd, but to no avail. The hubbub only grew louder.
"SILENCE!!!" Suddenly, a powerful shout echoed through the arena, the stands, and the entire tournament fields, all the way to King's Landing. Ned felt as if a tremendous weight were pressing down on both his body and mind. Many of those standing staggered or swayed as if they had been hit in the head.
A profound silence fell around him, as if not only the people but even the animals had completely frozen, and Ned finally realized who the voice belonged to.
"I ask for your attention, everyone, for I have news for you that will affect the fate of our entire kingdom." Raevan's voice rang out again, though not as powerful as before but still perfectly audible.
"Some of you may already know this because you're involved," he continued after a moment, speaking calmly and slowly, clearly deliberately building suspense.
"There is a conspiracy against my House... involving not only foreign forces but also traitors among the lords who have sworn loyalty to us. But even that is not the worst... For all of them are mere pawns in the service of the sorcerers of Asshai, and High Septon Archibald himself is in league with them."
Previous silence was gone as a tremendous uproar filled the entire tournament grounds. People of various classes, from lords to smallfolk, began shouting over each other, so much so that even if he tried, he couldn't understand what those closest to him were saying.
He grew gloomy, however, feeling a sense of dread filling him like icy water. A conspiracy against the Targaryen's? Traitors? Sorcerers from Asshai? Worst of all, he was convinced the prince was telling the truth, for he had nothing to gain from such a lie.
With the House of Dragon's renewed reputation, such a move would be completely pointless and detrimental to them. Moreover, he didn't believe Raevan or the king would act without a plan.
Suddenly, something else caught his attention, for in front of them all, Raevan stretched his arms upwards and lightning bolts shot from his hands, spreading like a net across the sky above them.
Lightning danced in the sky above them, creating a spectacle as terrifying as it was breathtaking.
For a moment, Eddard was truly convinced that he had either imagined it or was perhaps dreaming.
But seeing the reactions of those around him, including his own wife and children, he realized he wasn't the only one who had seen it. Silence fell again, this time even deeper, to the point where Ned could hear the heavy breathing of Catelyn and Robb sitting next to him.
"People of the Seven Kingdoms!" Raevan called, rousing them all from their trances. "By allying with the vile sorcerers of Asshai, the High Septon not only betrayed the House of Targaryen and the Seven Kingdoms but also you. For how could a man who was supposed to lead the flock ally himself with the spawn of the Seven Hells? Was it not to sell your souls?"
Silence answered him, but Ned sensed the growing tension around him. People, especially the smallfolk, glanced at each other with a mixture of anger and uncertainty.
Raevan, however, had no intention of interrupting; instead, he was clearly trying to control the crowd's mood. "People of Westeros! Tell me, who provided you with food and food to eat!? Who gave you work on the capital's expansion and many other projects!?" he shouted, and many cheers rose from the crowd.
"Targaryen's!"
"House of the Dragon!"
"Royal Family!"
The shouts were so synchronized that Eddard began to seriously wonder if his nephew's men were among the crowd.
"Who exterminated the bandits!? Who lowered taxes!? Who created the many inventions that make your daily lives easier!?" Raevan called out again, and this time he was answered by many more shouts, which began to chant slowly, second by second.
"Targaryen's!"
"Targaryen's!"
Now Eddard was certain that all of this had been planned, and among those gathered were drawing the crowd along.
Suddenly, Raevan pointed to a young Septon standing nearby, who had arrived early. "This is Deryn Rowan, a devout follower of the Seven, and the man who discovered the High Septon's treachery and informed me of it. Listen to what he has to say."
At his nephew's words, the septon he had indicated stepped forward, visibly nervous at first, but with each step he seemed to gain more confidence.
Silence fell for a moment, as everyone present, from lords to smallfolk, waited to hear what the man had to say. Anything to avoid thinking about the power Raevan had demonstrated earlier.
Finally, he spoke in a voice more confident and earnest than Ned had expected, "Brothers and sisters in the Faith, I swear by the Seven who are One that what His Highness says is absolutely true." Here he paused for a moment, clearly allowing them to absorb what he was saying.
"I was one of High Septon Archibald's associates, but I didn't know how monstrous a man he truly was… Upon learning of his sins, I informed the king and prince without hesitation…However, even they found it hard to believe that the leader of the Faith would collaborate with vile sorcerers from the shadowlands against his own flock."
He suddenly pointed her hand at the standing prince. "Our great prince Raevan, Defender of the Faith, filled with the holy power of the Seven, defeated the sorcerer, servant of the Seven Hells, whose disgusting body is here with us, striking him with divine power."
At his words, the prince's men lifted the fallen corpse, pulling back the hood covering its head. However, Ned couldn't see the sorcerer clearly from such a distance, but judging by the terrified cries and gasps of the people below, it must have been a particularly ugly sight.
"Now you see what creatures the High Septon has collaborated with to strike against our Royal Family, who are blessed by the Seven!" cried Septon Deryn and soon was answered by angry cries, not directed against him, but against the High Septon.
Ned, like many others, already saw where this was headed. His nephew and the king exploited the situation to strike back against their enemies and strengthen their position in the eyes of not only the lords but, above all, smallfolk.
However, the fact that a group of sorcerers from as far away as Asshai were interfering on such a scale in the affairs of Westeros was disturbing, to say the least.
His nephew stepped forward again and shouted, "People of Westeros, you are my witnesses. Tell me, what is the punishment for treason? What punishment is severe enough for a man who wanted to condemn your souls to the damnation of the Seven Hells?"
At that moment, the terrified man, whose fate was now being decided, desperately broke free from the guards and threw himself at the prince's feet. "Mercy, mercy, Your Highness! They forced me, I swear by the Seven! I would never betray House Targaryen! Mercy!"
Ned watched the scene with surprise, not because of the High Septon's behavior, but because he heard every word spoken perfectly, as if the man were standing right next to him. Was it some kind of magic of his nephew? Strange.
High Septon Archibald's words did not convince the crowds; on the contrary, the atmosphere became even more tense, and the crowd was ready to explode at any moment.
"Coward!"
"Traitor!"
"Liar!"
"Kill him!"
These and many other shouts began to rise from the crowd, and Ned could only shake his head in disappointment as many lords or their family members began to join in the smallfolk's chorus. It was chaos. Soon, all the shouts dissolved into a single chant, and many who hadn't wanted to join joined in, only to not be accused of sympathizing with the High Septon.
"Kill him!" "Kill him!" "Kill him!"
Raevan raised his hands in the air, and this strange, cold, breathless pressure spread through the crowd, forcing everyone to fall silent.
"People of Westeros, you have decided!" Raevan oznajmił, opening his arms wide. "And I will answer your decision. Let divine judgment fall upon this traitor." With these words, he extended his hand towards the High Septon, who was crawling at his feet, and he suddenly rose a good thirty feet into the air.
Shouts of surprise and fear echoed around them, though not as loud as when, a moment later, golden lightning bolts shot from the prince's other hand, striking the High Septon's body and reducing it to ashes in a mere few seconds.
Ned was completely lost in what had just happened and whether his previously peaceful and orderly world had been turned upside down.
A few shouts of "Sorcerer!" or "Abomination!" came from the crowd, but they were overshadowed by others, much more numerous and louder.
"Divine Judgment!"
"Protector of the Faith!"
"Champion of Seven!"
Eddard sighed inwardly with relief. He didn't know what the truth was, but Raevan had achieved his goal.
He gave people something they could more easily believe in. If given the choice between recognizing a beloved prince as a vile sorcerer or a chosen one of the gods, it was certain that the rightly guided would choose the latter. Especially since his nephew's inventions and discoveries had already earned him the title "the Blessed" in many places in Westeros.
"People of Westeros, the traitor is dead! But that's not the end... for among you lie traitors who bite the hand that feeds them!" his nephew shouted again, his attention returning to himself.
"As I stand here, I swear by the Seven Who Are One that I will hunt them down and bring them to justice!" he said, then turned slowly around, surveying the assembled crowd.
"Greedy for even greater wealth and power than they have, they seek to destroy the peace and growing prosperity we have worked so hard to build... They seek to take bread from the mouths of your children and burn your homes!" Raevan continued, his voice resonating clearly with the crowd.
Even Ned felt a certain charm in these words, as if some inner voice whispered in his mind that what his nephew was saying was absolutely true. He felt a growing dislike for these anonymous individuals, his blood beginning to boil with the desire to punish them.
Besides that, he suddenly felt as if he could wrestle the Umbers and win. Enthusiasm and courage boiled inexorably within him, and so did everyone around him.
He didn't know what magic Raevan was using, but he was certain it wasn't natural.
"And along with them, foreign forces seek to rob us of our hard-won prosperity. Vile sorcerers and many from the Free Cities of Essos! I tell you, I won't allow it! If they want war, we'll give it to them! Fire and Blood!" Raevan's cry echoed for miles.
Ned, like almost everyone else present, tens of thousands leaped to their feet as if driven by an invisible force, a burning zeal within them.
Deafening cries rose from the chests of men, women, and even children, like the sea in a storm, heralding a new era.
"War!"
"Fire and Blood!"
"WAR!!!"