The King's Chambers
After the festivities, Rhaegar received a summons from his father by way of a page. When the newly anointed knight entered his father's chambers he saw the king sitting with a proud expression on his face. He remained seated and motioned for Rhaegar to take his own seat, "You did well on the field Rhaegar, today you became a man." He smiled at his son, remembering when he had knighted Aemon and Viserys. Aemon had earned his spurs after he had defeated a pirate force bearing down on Massey's Hook. Viserys had been knighted when he helped put down a large Vulture raid. Both of them had been young, but Rhaegar was the youngest of the Princes to become a knight and Jon knew he would remember this day to his dying day.
Once the prince was settled, Jon leaned in, clasping his hands in front of his chin, "You've proven yourself a true dragon prince. You'll make our house proud, I know it. Each of you will shepherd our house in a different way, according to your gifts. Aemon will have a crown, for he was born to lead. But you will have a sword, for you were born to fight. After today, I know you deserve this."
He reached under the desk, stood and produced Dark Sister in it's scabbard. He handed the blade reverently to Rhaegar, "Lightbringer chose me to wield it. Blackfyre is Aemon's by birthright. But you earned Dark Sister. She was wielded by some of the greatest warriors in the Targaryen dynasty. Queen Visenya, the Rogue Prince, the Dragonknight, Bloodraven. And now you my son. Whatever may come in the future, now you will always have my love."
The Monsters from the Deep
The Roses held the doors to the Red Keep, their improvised line stopping the wave of beasts cold. The disciplined knights and soldiers mustered their courage and fought off the beasts of the abyss, spilling their blood all over the ground. They were numerous and terrifying to behold in an unlimited variety of strange appearances, but they fought like a mad mob and not an army. The Tyrell defensive line held out long enough for reinforcements. The Winged Knights caught the formation in the rear, cutting through them like butter. They were joined by a large contingent of Storm Knights, Trident Knights, and Ironborn. Gendry and Edric led the Stormlander charge, bashing their way through the squishers with their hammers. The young lord Dondarrion was quick as lightning, cutting his way through the fishmen with his longsword and dagger.
Brienne of Tarth and her children fought as a unit, the Lady of Tarth felling the beasts with Just Maid. Lord Edmure led the Rivermen, Oathkeeper whistling as Blackwood and Bracken men fought side by side behind their lord and the Devil of Harrenhal cackled madly as he chopped off heads and disemboweled foes with his bastard sword. The Lady Reaver roared with Nightfall in her hands, Reavers armed with axe, dagger, and longsword following in her wake, fighting the beasts with their famed ferocity. A tall, broad lad in kraken armor wielded two great-axes and chopped the fish men down like trees. Theon Greyjoy fought by his sister's side, strumming his bow and loosing shafts while his Rangers ran into action. They may have been sword to take no part in politics, but that vow did not include monsters. The young Ranger from the melee smiled all the while as he carved through the enemy ranks with his dual swords like cutting a cake. Taria saw Theon take a wound, a squisher cutting Theon with a dagger before the Lord Commander shoved an arrow into it's eye and kicked it away. A creature covered in seaweed jumped at Theon, pinning him to the floor and trying to bite his face while the Lord Commander fended him off, hand reaching for a dagger.
Lord Dickon fought his way to Ellion, chopping one beast in half before cutting a squisher right down the middle and coming to Ellion's side, "We need to hold them back for a few more minutes. The army is cutting off their reinforcements!" A beast that looked like a cross between a shark and a man stomped towards Ellion. The shark man was at least as big as the Mountain had been with teeth as long as daggers. He was bare and covered in scars. A Tarly man-at-arms stood to face the shark but he grabbed him in one clawed hand sunk his teeth into his neck, the man screaming out as his collarbone broke with a sickening crunch. The beast saw the similarly under-dressed Ellion and made for him, reaching out an arm. Meanwhile a half-dozen squishers jump at Miri, lashing out at her with little daggers of bone and tooth. A beast with crab armor turns towards Artys and Mychel, zeroing in on the young Arryn and charging at him, intent on breaking the boys spin between his claws. The knights and soldiers had surrounded the fish men, but the creatures of the deep fought savagely, intent on killing as many of the men as possible.
On the walls, the garrison received their own relief. The ululating of Dothraki throats heralded a horde of arrows flying down onto the beach, skewering the advancing monsters. The volley had been delivered by a column of Night Riders on horseback, and several centuries of Legionnaires pressed inward, helping the wall guards fight off the monsters and keeping them from climbing the walls while the Night Riders rained arrows on them. More gold cloaks pressed forward to hold the line and the flood of beasts slowed to a trickle as the royal army stemmed the tide. They still tried to climb the walls, but most only found themselves impaled by swords, hit by rocks, boiled by oil, or pierced with arrows.
Passion was too small to be even noticed but the falcon helped disrupt the wyverns, giving the dragons time to regroup and press their attack. Drogon caught two in his massive maw, crushing the beasts and their readers between his teeth. The men on the walls started firing ballistas as the wyverns in the distance and the dragons now contended with the survivors, a much reduced flock. A man tried to stab Lyrax with a spear but the bird of prey gouged his eyes, making him scream as he fell out of the saddle. In the distance the defenders could see ships bear down on the Keep, vessels bearing standards from all the kingdoms as the vessels hurried to the castle's defense. The men on the ships began firing arrows and ballistas at the wyverns. Steffon would turn to see a tentacled creature lash out at him, grabbing him with its limbs and drawing him towards it's beaked mouth.
Despite this, there were still several hundred of the beasts attacking the line in front of the throne room and more marauders kept pouring from the breach. Many of them had dull plate armor and the whole force seemed like a cross section of malcontents from all across the known world. Many had the look of Basilisk Islanders or Ghiscari while others had dyed Tyroshi beards or were hairy and squat Ibbenese. Some were Westerosi. There were even a few brindled men from the south. All were likely cutthroats and sellswords hired for the job. The gold cloaks were buckling as the marauders clashed with them, the lords and ladies who couldn't fight fleeing for the Holdfast. But Jon charged into the breach, the Kingsguard save for Ser Wex and the Dragon's Teeth led by Black Visenya at his side, with Viserys and Robb accompanying him as well, the retinue roaring, "The White Wolf!" as they ran at them. Jon's flaming sword cleaved lesser blades in half and sheared right through armor and bone. They were still outnumbered by the marauders but that changed very quickly.
Driftmark and Claw Isle men led the Crownlanders to the king's aid. Aurane, saber in hand, was side by side with Monterys. Coming at the raiders from both sides were the men of the North and the West. Jaime Lannister himself led the charge of the Gold Knights, he punched beasts with his golden hand while his blade moved gracefully and quickly with his nephew Tom Lannister and the Hound himself right behind them, ripping men in two with his greatsword. The Starks led the Northerners, their direwolves howling before leaping into the fray to bite off limbs and rip out throats. Jeor Mormont hacked through the pirates and sellswords with Longclaw while Giantjon Umber crushed them with his flail and Meera Reed stabbed them with her spear. Children of the Forest rode on the back of their own direwolves, jumping into the pirate ranks and lashing out with steel weapons given to them by the Starks. The Dornishmen attacked them in the rear, Aegon Targaryen, the Sand Snakes, and Ned Dayne leading the Dornish Spears in an assault. Everything Dawn touched, it killed.
Maegor's Holdfast
Malrik, one of the Queen's Sworn Swords now, watched the door with Rhaegar, Ser Wex, Petyr, and Cat by his side. Most of the fighting men and women had already gone to do so leaving the five of them and a squad of Targaryen men-at-arms and other sworn swords in other retinues to watch over the other nobles and the royal family. Queen Daenerys was cloistered with Daenyra and Nymeria with their children along with Jahaerys, Baella, and Rhaenys. Tyrion, Willas, Brandon, Robin, and those in their families who couldn't fight were there as well. Rhaenys and Baella both had a dagger and Jahaerys wore a sword as well, but he wasn't the warrior Rhaegar was. Rhaegar's nephew Corlys had a tight grip on his on blade. The sounds of the fighting drifted into the chamber and many of the occupants were ill at ease, though Tyrion calmly drank wine while Sam told stories to the small children.
Daenerys turned to Sansa, "Where is Julianna? Where is Aemon?"
Sansa frowned, "Perhaps Aemon is fighting with the king."
"But he wouldn't have left without seeing Julianna safe."
"The Holdfast is the safest place in the castle, the drawbridge is up, nobody can get in."
"Perhaps."
The Queen turned to her son, "Rhaegar, go find Julianna and Aemon in their room, make sure they're safe. Hurry."
Meanwhile in the Prince's Chamber, the lead thug charged at Aemon with sword raised. Aemon skillfully dodged his blow and sliced him from navel to collarbone, setting his stance as the man died and waiting for his friends to follow. The remaining four men paused and were caught unaware when Jenn and Mable charged from the secret passage. Aemon stepped forward and sliced a man across his neck as the other three tangled with the Frey women.
When the last one fell to the floor, with his dying breath, he reached into his coat and pulled out a small white pearl. He gripped the pearl hard in his bloody palm before his eyes went blank and his grip slackened. The pearl rolled to the center of the room and began glowing red. Aemon, alarmed stepped back to shelter Julianna when the air seemed to split in two, a blood red rent in the room. In the rent stood a man with blue lips and pale skin and a woman with the same features. They stepped out of the rent to face Aemon while six men stepped in front of the Freys.
The male warlock smiled, "Hello my prince. Drop the sword and cooperate, or this will turn unpleasant."
"For you."
Arya had stepped seemingly from nowhere skewering the warlock with her valyrian dagger. The man roared in pain, an inhuman shriek his formed turned gaseous, oozing across the floor to the wall where he reappeared clutching his heart. Arya had stabbed him right through the chest, but the man was not dead. Instead of red blood, blue bile dripped from the wound as it seemed to sizzle. Arya leaped at him and they battled, trading blows too fast to see as Aemon roared, charging at the remaining witch and the thugs attacked the Freys.
Chev
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