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Her Eternal Excellency (Raiden Ei reborn as Argella Durrandon)
- Thread starter Samael61
- Start date
Chapter 40 - Maidenpool
New
Samael61
Know what you're doing yet?
- Joined
- Apr 6, 2025
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- 7,659
Hello there,
If you enjoy my stories you can read advanced chapters in my patreon page
Her Eternal Excellency, a Genshin Impact and ASOIAF crossover, Raiden Ei Reborn as Argella Durrandon, is 13 chapters ahead
DCU:Blacklist, a Raymond Reddington inspired OC SI using his knowledge for his own advantage, as well as the rest of the world, is 13 chapters ahead
Geek's Guide to Thriving in a Low End Fantasy World, a Robert Baratheon OC SI in an AU, is 13 chapters ahead.
and Commander Shepard, The Greatest to Ever Live, a Mass Effect story where Shepard is greater than ever, is 12 chapters ahead.
By supporting me, you can read advanced and special chapters, as well as vote on how you want the fanfiction to proceed.
Note: Apple store payments will be refunded, because of the company's 75 day hold policy.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Riverlands
Seagard
7 BAC
Emrick Mallister waited at the top of his mighty keep to see what had brought Edmyn Tully all the way to Seagard.
"Ahoy there. What brings you to Seagard, Edmyn?" Last he heard, the Lord of Riverrun had gone to bend the knee to Argella Durrandon, and Seagard wasn't exactly close to Harrenhal.
The man he grew up with had a weary tone to his voice. "Best we speak in private, Emrick. It is important."
"Come then, we'll bring you bread and salt." Whatever Edmyn had to say must be important enough.
—----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
They retreated to Emrick's solar to speak without any prying ears and eyes.
"Is this about the war?" If Argella Durrandon needed men, she would have to wait, because the Ironborn were harassing Seagard, and he could not leave.
Edmyn laughed, but it was hollow, as if something had greatly shaken him. "There is no war, only a one-sided massacre."
"The Ironborn lost then?" If so, then his foster brother had brought good news. With the distance between Harrenhal and the Iron Islands, Harren's loss would take more ships away from the Ironman's Bay and ease the pressure on Seagard.
"Aye. I came to inform you that Queen Argella intends to send her creation to dig a canal in your lands, connecting Blue Fork to the Sunset Sea, and sail to confront the Ironborn." Even as he spoke, Edmyn realized his words were nonsense to the Lord of Seagard.
Emrick's face scrunched up in confusion, as the words uttered by the man before him did not make any sense when they came together. "What? What creation? You're not making any sense."
"I can explain it to you, Emrick, but you would not believe it, not unless you saw what had happened with your eyes. Harrenhal" Edmyn stopped, searching for the correct word, but had none that would describe what he had seen. "...is gone."
"Gone?" How could that monstrous castle be gone?
"One strike of her sword, and there was nothing left but a great wound in the land, one deep enough we could not see the end of it."
The Lord of Seagard frowned. "Edmyn, are you mocking me?"
Edmyn shook his head. "We are friends, Emrick; we grew up together, so I am asking you, bend the knee to the queen, or it won't end well for you."
Narrowing his eyes, Emrick rose from his seat, looking down at his friend, a man he called brother. "Is that a threat?"
"It is a plea." His answer confused Emrick even more.
A knight barged inside, forgetting all propriety due to the severity of what was happening. "My lord, there is a creature out there; it's doing something to the Blue Fork."
Looking at Edmyn, who nodded, confirming his earlier claims.
—--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
The distance between Seagard and the end of the Bluefork was short, so the creature could be easily seen.
"What is that?" Emrick said, closing his gaping mouth.
"Her Excellency's Thunder Dragon—she means to use it to dig the canal in a short time." Edmyn explained. Whatever it was doing, the water churned and turned muddy, and dust clouds could easily be seen.
Ignoring the creature that was tearing through the river, Emrick turned to his foster brother. "Where is she right now?"
"Marching to Maidenpool. She intends to clear the Ironborn and use the town to prepare the host. She intends to sail to the Iron Islands." Maidenpool needed to be cleaned of the Ironborn, and while Edmyn wanted to march with the queen, he was given the task of going to Seagard and informing its lord of what exactly was happening outside.
"Then I know where to ride."
Emrick did not keep Seagard safe by being a fool, and there was ample proof that Argella Durrandon was more than a sorcerer.
This changed everything.
—-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Dragonstone
Visenya entered the solar without a word and sat down. She did not even bother to freshen up and change out of her armor.
Snatching the bottle of wine from the table, she drank close to half of it in one breath.
"Visenya, what happened?" Something must have shaken his sister for the usually stern Visenya to drink so unrestrainedly.
"We cannot conquer Westeros, at least not the lands Argella Durrandon rules." Visenya explained, and his siblings, as well as Orys, rose in protest.
"Explain." Aegon demanded, stopping his sister-wife and champion in their tracks.
"The merchant was both right and wrong. Argella isn't a mere sorcerer; she is a monster, a god."
"What did you see exactly?" They had made plans and forged connections, and Orys did not wish for it to be for nothing.
Visenya began to describe what had happened to Harrenhal with a haunted gaze, of how she summoned a creature that was almost as long as Balerion was from head to tail out of nowhere and pulled a sword out of her chest and destroyed the greatest man-made castle in all of Westeros.
"Are you sure of what you saw?" Aegon asked, just to be sure. Perhaps Visenya was ill and had seen things?
Rolling her eyes, Visenya rose to go and rest. "Go see for yourself, Aegon."
"I believe I shall."
—--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Riverlands
Maidenpool
"Your king is dead; surrender, and your lives will be spared." Ei offered the customary surrender terms, and the Ironborn, which was becoming increasingly common, refused.
"You lie."
"Oh yes, I would definitely do something foolish such as leaving Harren on my back while coming here." Ei drawled, tired with the attitude of the Ironborn in general.
The reaver in charge snarled. "We will never surrender."
"Very well." If they wished to die, so be it.
By Ei's count, there were two hundred and sixty-three Ironborn in Maidenpool, keeping the town in check by keeping Lord Marlon's keep under control.
Two hundred and sixty-three lightning bolts struck the town at the same time, giving the residents a memory they would never forget, and incinerated the enemy in one decisive attack.
It didn't take long for the gates to be opened, and Lord Osmund Mooton fell on his knees.
"Sasayuri, secure the docks." There were further Ironborn, protecting their ships and keeping the dock under control.
"At once."
—-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Ships that were summoned from all over the kingdom began to arrive, though the numbers weren't enough to carry the entire host, as predicted.
Tarth, Estermont, Weeping Town, Duskendale, and Maidenpool, which included the Ironborn ships seized at the docks, came only to three hundred ships, barely enough to sail ten thousand men.
Of course, with the canal connecting Blue Fork to the Sunset Sea, the rest of the host would embark from Seagard.
But first, there was trouble among the bannermen she had to solve.
House Blackwood and House Bracken were bitter rivals for thousands of years. Both sides claimed to be the kings of the Riverlands once upon a time, only for the other to betray them.
There were also religious issues, as the Blackwoods chose to stay loyal to the Old Gods, while the Brackens had converted to the Seven.
Out of her immediate sight, the two houses were at each other's throats, and Ei decided to put an end to it.
"Here is how the peace between your houses will be following this day." She looked at both Rycherd Bracken and Hoster Blackwood, who had stopped glaring at each other, only because Ei was there.
"The contested borderlands will be divided in half, and border markers will be set. Ones that I will personally oversee. Should those markers be shifted, or one house raid the lands of the other, I will confiscate the entirety of the disputed lands." Ei declared. If they couldn't solve these issues in eight thousand years, with plenty of marriages between both houses, then Ei would solve it permanently.
"That is outrageous!" Lord Rycherd Bracken blistered, raising his voice, but it turned out to be a mistake.
The room was flooded with a pressure that sent both Lord Bracken and Lord Blackwood to their knees.
"You will either take the peace and uphold it, or suffer the consequences. Your rivalry may exist in a good-humored shape, not as enemies." Done with her piece, Ei ceased releasing her divine might, letting the lords stand on shaky feet.
"Yes, Your Excellency."
—-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Sasayuri was charged with organizing the makeshift navy to sail with maximum efficiency and had taken her orders to heart, as always.
Jeren, one of her archers, stopped and saluted before reporting. "General, twenty more ships from Weeping Town; they are Ironborn vessels."
"The ones seized by the Queen. All longships?" Twenty had already arrived, and with the rest here, it didn't leave many warships out in the kingdom.
Something to fix for the future.
"Yes."
Ironborn raiding parties included between fifty and a hundred men, with the latter being the full capacity of the ships.
Supplies would not be an issue as Seagard was relatively close, that is, once the canal was finished and they could afford to ship more men at once.
"Seventy-five men to each; use the rest of the space for supplies. The beachhead will need to be sturdy to discourage any Ironborn attack." If they had the courage to attack in the first place.
Then again, the Ironborn were either intelligently underdeveloped due to who knows what or chose to be plain stupid and might just throw themselves to Ei's blade.
It's best to be ready.
"Understood."
"Dismissed." Jeren saluted again and left to carry out his orders.
"General Sasayuri." The voice of Ei's father—which was a brand-new sentence for Sasayuri—was loud, perhaps to get her attention.
"Prince Argilac." She simply greeted the man back. Listening to how Ei had found herself reborn as his daughter was an entirely new experience for her, and the Tengu General was grateful that her friend did not remember the birth itself.
"We did not have the chance to converse." Marching, managing the host, and keeping the friction between lords from turning to fights was challenging work.
Sasayuri nodded, eyes still glued on the logistic reports. It was a mess, and she would have to create a unified reporting system. "War keeps us busy, does it not?"
Argilac snorted. "Not as much as it would have without her." Just taking Harrenhal would have been a nightmare, but with one swing of a divine sword, the monstrous castle was gone.
A smile crept to Tengu's face. It has been a long time since she and Ei were on the battlefield at the same time, even before her death. "Indeed. Anything I can assist you with?"
"I wanted to know the relation between you and Argella, or Ei, whatever you prefer." With this crow woman here, things were bound to get more interesting, and Argilac wanted to avoid any more world-shattering surprises.
"You call her Argella; I'll call her what I will. As for the relationship between us, we are dear friends, and I am, or rather was, her general, the leader and organizer of the Inazuma Shogunate's army." Her duties were more detailed, of course, but for now, the simple explanation would do.
Argilac finally breached the matter that plagued him the most. "She said you were supposed to be dead."
Sasayuri was silent for a minute before she nodded slowly. "I did fall in battle, but when the Heavenly Principles, the ruler of Teyvat, was slain, it threw the world into disarray, and here I am."
"That must have been something." A god from another world as a daughter, and now a dead person alive once more?
Argilac feared to know what awaited him and the kingdom next.
"You cannot lead armies if fear of death controls you."
When Sasayuri had chosen to follow Ei, she did so with the knowledge that death may come knocking one day.
—------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
The next issue was the ransom taken from Harrenhal. The lords expected it to be dispersed as the loot had been last time, but Ei had different ideas.
"The Riverlands have been sucked dry by the leech that was the Ironborn. This ransom will be used for the reconstruction of the land. To that end, the entire sum will be stored in Maidenpool until the war is over due to the issues with transport."
The Stormlords weren't pleased, but the Riverlords were the opposite, delighted that at least some of the wealth pillaged from them would return.
Even with her many improvements to the economy and industry, the flow of coin was tight across the Storm Kingdom, as they had to use the production capabilities for the war effort rather than commercial ones.
Once the Iron Islands were taken and its people neutralized, Ei would have to work even harder to set the kingdom right, which had more than doubled in size.
At least, with Sasayuri here, things did not look so bleak.
—-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
The Wound
Balerion the Black Dread, the largest dragon alive, a beast massive enough to strike fear into the hearts of every mortal out there, refused to approach where Harrenhal used to be.
Visenya was right.
There was nothing but a rift on the ground, where the enormous castle was built on, and it was glowing purple.
No matter what he did, Balerion would turn back, and after a while, he saw no choice but to land so he could approach the calamity—for it could be nothing else—on foot.
It was a mistake.
As he neared the rift, a purple lightning bolt struck the ground at the very edge, right in Aegon's path. One more step and he would be dead.
Understanding why Balerion was disturbed, the Lord of Dragonstone decided not to push his luck and turned around.
—-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Dorne
"Well, she certainly isn't keeping a low profile." The figure, still hidden by the hood, whistled.
A storm was cutting the Storm Kingdom off from Dorne and the Reach, and the sight of it was one of welcome familiarity.
"At least we will be safe from the storm. Let's set camp for today; we still have quite the distance to cover." The Narukami's lightning would only strike foes, not friends.
"Do you think we'll ever return to Teyvat?" The second woman, who had just put down the supplies, asked. She didn't even know if she wanted to return, not when Ei was here.
"Seeing as our current status means we have trampled on the rules of the world? Maybe." Both females had experienced a freak event that brought them to the land of the living once more, so it wasn't certain.
"Way to be optimistic." The shorter female said as she pulled out the tent.
"Don't you have a camp to set?"
"Yes, yes, you dainty princess."
"Talking back to me, peasant?"
The other figure huffed and proceeded to set up camp and cook.
—----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Kingdom of the Reach
"My brothers and sisters before the Seven-Who-Are-One, the time is upon us. The Sorcerer Queen of the Storm Kingdom, Argella Durrandon, must be brought low lest she spread her vile powers across the Seven Kingdoms. By the will of the Seven, we will bring the cursed sorceress and her followers to judgement." High Septon Lucenor called out to the Warrior's Sons and the Poor Fellows, the military orders of the Faith Militant.
"May the Father guide our judgement."
"May the Mother show mercy to the ones fooled by the sorceress."
"May the Warrior bestow on us the might to cut down our enemies."
"May the Smith bless us so we may make the world right once more."
"May the Maiden guard the innocent."
"May the Crone give us wisdom to follow the correct path."
"And may the Stranger take them to its cold embrace and out of our world." Lucenor finished the prayer, and the Faith Militant cheered for the opportunity to carry out their sacred duty.
,
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
In the next chapter:
Two hosts, one outnumbering the other significantly, faced each other, waiting to see what the other would do.
From the Reach host, three riders, carrying the white flag of truce, approached the Dornish host, waiting in the middle of the clearing.
Nymor Martell, heir to Meria Martell, rode with two of his lords to meet King Mern Gardner.
"Prince Nymor, it appears we both had the same idea." Mern greeted the heir to Dorne, and in all honesty, he should have expected the Dornish to strike the Storm Kingdom.
Nymor Martell chuckled at the younger ruler. He would not entertain this parley any other time, but the Reach had brought near ninety thousand men, including the Faith Militant. "Indeed. What shall we do about it?" Hopefully, resorting to war will be avoided now.
Curious about the next chapter? Please consider supporting me in Patreon.
If you enjoy my stories you can read advanced chapters in my patreon page
Her Eternal Excellency, a Genshin Impact and ASOIAF crossover, Raiden Ei Reborn as Argella Durrandon, is 13 chapters ahead
DCU:Blacklist, a Raymond Reddington inspired OC SI using his knowledge for his own advantage, as well as the rest of the world, is 13 chapters ahead
Geek's Guide to Thriving in a Low End Fantasy World, a Robert Baratheon OC SI in an AU, is 13 chapters ahead.
and Commander Shepard, The Greatest to Ever Live, a Mass Effect story where Shepard is greater than ever, is 12 chapters ahead.
By supporting me, you can read advanced and special chapters, as well as vote on how you want the fanfiction to proceed.
Note: Apple store payments will be refunded, because of the company's 75 day hold policy.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Riverlands
Seagard
7 BAC
Emrick Mallister waited at the top of his mighty keep to see what had brought Edmyn Tully all the way to Seagard.
"Ahoy there. What brings you to Seagard, Edmyn?" Last he heard, the Lord of Riverrun had gone to bend the knee to Argella Durrandon, and Seagard wasn't exactly close to Harrenhal.
The man he grew up with had a weary tone to his voice. "Best we speak in private, Emrick. It is important."
"Come then, we'll bring you bread and salt." Whatever Edmyn had to say must be important enough.
—----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
They retreated to Emrick's solar to speak without any prying ears and eyes.
"Is this about the war?" If Argella Durrandon needed men, she would have to wait, because the Ironborn were harassing Seagard, and he could not leave.
Edmyn laughed, but it was hollow, as if something had greatly shaken him. "There is no war, only a one-sided massacre."
"The Ironborn lost then?" If so, then his foster brother had brought good news. With the distance between Harrenhal and the Iron Islands, Harren's loss would take more ships away from the Ironman's Bay and ease the pressure on Seagard.
"Aye. I came to inform you that Queen Argella intends to send her creation to dig a canal in your lands, connecting Blue Fork to the Sunset Sea, and sail to confront the Ironborn." Even as he spoke, Edmyn realized his words were nonsense to the Lord of Seagard.
Emrick's face scrunched up in confusion, as the words uttered by the man before him did not make any sense when they came together. "What? What creation? You're not making any sense."
"I can explain it to you, Emrick, but you would not believe it, not unless you saw what had happened with your eyes. Harrenhal" Edmyn stopped, searching for the correct word, but had none that would describe what he had seen. "...is gone."
"Gone?" How could that monstrous castle be gone?
"One strike of her sword, and there was nothing left but a great wound in the land, one deep enough we could not see the end of it."
The Lord of Seagard frowned. "Edmyn, are you mocking me?"
Edmyn shook his head. "We are friends, Emrick; we grew up together, so I am asking you, bend the knee to the queen, or it won't end well for you."
Narrowing his eyes, Emrick rose from his seat, looking down at his friend, a man he called brother. "Is that a threat?"
"It is a plea." His answer confused Emrick even more.
A knight barged inside, forgetting all propriety due to the severity of what was happening. "My lord, there is a creature out there; it's doing something to the Blue Fork."
Looking at Edmyn, who nodded, confirming his earlier claims.
—--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
The distance between Seagard and the end of the Bluefork was short, so the creature could be easily seen.
"What is that?" Emrick said, closing his gaping mouth.
"Her Excellency's Thunder Dragon—she means to use it to dig the canal in a short time." Edmyn explained. Whatever it was doing, the water churned and turned muddy, and dust clouds could easily be seen.
Ignoring the creature that was tearing through the river, Emrick turned to his foster brother. "Where is she right now?"
"Marching to Maidenpool. She intends to clear the Ironborn and use the town to prepare the host. She intends to sail to the Iron Islands." Maidenpool needed to be cleaned of the Ironborn, and while Edmyn wanted to march with the queen, he was given the task of going to Seagard and informing its lord of what exactly was happening outside.
"Then I know where to ride."
Emrick did not keep Seagard safe by being a fool, and there was ample proof that Argella Durrandon was more than a sorcerer.
This changed everything.
—-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Dragonstone
Visenya entered the solar without a word and sat down. She did not even bother to freshen up and change out of her armor.
Snatching the bottle of wine from the table, she drank close to half of it in one breath.
"Visenya, what happened?" Something must have shaken his sister for the usually stern Visenya to drink so unrestrainedly.
"We cannot conquer Westeros, at least not the lands Argella Durrandon rules." Visenya explained, and his siblings, as well as Orys, rose in protest.
"Explain." Aegon demanded, stopping his sister-wife and champion in their tracks.
"The merchant was both right and wrong. Argella isn't a mere sorcerer; she is a monster, a god."
"What did you see exactly?" They had made plans and forged connections, and Orys did not wish for it to be for nothing.
Visenya began to describe what had happened to Harrenhal with a haunted gaze, of how she summoned a creature that was almost as long as Balerion was from head to tail out of nowhere and pulled a sword out of her chest and destroyed the greatest man-made castle in all of Westeros.
"Are you sure of what you saw?" Aegon asked, just to be sure. Perhaps Visenya was ill and had seen things?
Rolling her eyes, Visenya rose to go and rest. "Go see for yourself, Aegon."
"I believe I shall."
—--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Riverlands
Maidenpool
"Your king is dead; surrender, and your lives will be spared." Ei offered the customary surrender terms, and the Ironborn, which was becoming increasingly common, refused.
"You lie."
"Oh yes, I would definitely do something foolish such as leaving Harren on my back while coming here." Ei drawled, tired with the attitude of the Ironborn in general.
The reaver in charge snarled. "We will never surrender."
"Very well." If they wished to die, so be it.
By Ei's count, there were two hundred and sixty-three Ironborn in Maidenpool, keeping the town in check by keeping Lord Marlon's keep under control.
Two hundred and sixty-three lightning bolts struck the town at the same time, giving the residents a memory they would never forget, and incinerated the enemy in one decisive attack.
It didn't take long for the gates to be opened, and Lord Osmund Mooton fell on his knees.
"Sasayuri, secure the docks." There were further Ironborn, protecting their ships and keeping the dock under control.
"At once."
—-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Ships that were summoned from all over the kingdom began to arrive, though the numbers weren't enough to carry the entire host, as predicted.
Tarth, Estermont, Weeping Town, Duskendale, and Maidenpool, which included the Ironborn ships seized at the docks, came only to three hundred ships, barely enough to sail ten thousand men.
Of course, with the canal connecting Blue Fork to the Sunset Sea, the rest of the host would embark from Seagard.
But first, there was trouble among the bannermen she had to solve.
House Blackwood and House Bracken were bitter rivals for thousands of years. Both sides claimed to be the kings of the Riverlands once upon a time, only for the other to betray them.
There were also religious issues, as the Blackwoods chose to stay loyal to the Old Gods, while the Brackens had converted to the Seven.
Out of her immediate sight, the two houses were at each other's throats, and Ei decided to put an end to it.
"Here is how the peace between your houses will be following this day." She looked at both Rycherd Bracken and Hoster Blackwood, who had stopped glaring at each other, only because Ei was there.
"The contested borderlands will be divided in half, and border markers will be set. Ones that I will personally oversee. Should those markers be shifted, or one house raid the lands of the other, I will confiscate the entirety of the disputed lands." Ei declared. If they couldn't solve these issues in eight thousand years, with plenty of marriages between both houses, then Ei would solve it permanently.
"That is outrageous!" Lord Rycherd Bracken blistered, raising his voice, but it turned out to be a mistake.
The room was flooded with a pressure that sent both Lord Bracken and Lord Blackwood to their knees.
"You will either take the peace and uphold it, or suffer the consequences. Your rivalry may exist in a good-humored shape, not as enemies." Done with her piece, Ei ceased releasing her divine might, letting the lords stand on shaky feet.
"Yes, Your Excellency."
—-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Sasayuri was charged with organizing the makeshift navy to sail with maximum efficiency and had taken her orders to heart, as always.
Jeren, one of her archers, stopped and saluted before reporting. "General, twenty more ships from Weeping Town; they are Ironborn vessels."
"The ones seized by the Queen. All longships?" Twenty had already arrived, and with the rest here, it didn't leave many warships out in the kingdom.
Something to fix for the future.
"Yes."
Ironborn raiding parties included between fifty and a hundred men, with the latter being the full capacity of the ships.
Supplies would not be an issue as Seagard was relatively close, that is, once the canal was finished and they could afford to ship more men at once.
"Seventy-five men to each; use the rest of the space for supplies. The beachhead will need to be sturdy to discourage any Ironborn attack." If they had the courage to attack in the first place.
Then again, the Ironborn were either intelligently underdeveloped due to who knows what or chose to be plain stupid and might just throw themselves to Ei's blade.
It's best to be ready.
"Understood."
"Dismissed." Jeren saluted again and left to carry out his orders.
"General Sasayuri." The voice of Ei's father—which was a brand-new sentence for Sasayuri—was loud, perhaps to get her attention.
"Prince Argilac." She simply greeted the man back. Listening to how Ei had found herself reborn as his daughter was an entirely new experience for her, and the Tengu General was grateful that her friend did not remember the birth itself.
"We did not have the chance to converse." Marching, managing the host, and keeping the friction between lords from turning to fights was challenging work.
Sasayuri nodded, eyes still glued on the logistic reports. It was a mess, and she would have to create a unified reporting system. "War keeps us busy, does it not?"
Argilac snorted. "Not as much as it would have without her." Just taking Harrenhal would have been a nightmare, but with one swing of a divine sword, the monstrous castle was gone.
A smile crept to Tengu's face. It has been a long time since she and Ei were on the battlefield at the same time, even before her death. "Indeed. Anything I can assist you with?"
"I wanted to know the relation between you and Argella, or Ei, whatever you prefer." With this crow woman here, things were bound to get more interesting, and Argilac wanted to avoid any more world-shattering surprises.
"You call her Argella; I'll call her what I will. As for the relationship between us, we are dear friends, and I am, or rather was, her general, the leader and organizer of the Inazuma Shogunate's army." Her duties were more detailed, of course, but for now, the simple explanation would do.
Argilac finally breached the matter that plagued him the most. "She said you were supposed to be dead."
Sasayuri was silent for a minute before she nodded slowly. "I did fall in battle, but when the Heavenly Principles, the ruler of Teyvat, was slain, it threw the world into disarray, and here I am."
"That must have been something." A god from another world as a daughter, and now a dead person alive once more?
Argilac feared to know what awaited him and the kingdom next.
"You cannot lead armies if fear of death controls you."
When Sasayuri had chosen to follow Ei, she did so with the knowledge that death may come knocking one day.
—------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
The next issue was the ransom taken from Harrenhal. The lords expected it to be dispersed as the loot had been last time, but Ei had different ideas.
"The Riverlands have been sucked dry by the leech that was the Ironborn. This ransom will be used for the reconstruction of the land. To that end, the entire sum will be stored in Maidenpool until the war is over due to the issues with transport."
The Stormlords weren't pleased, but the Riverlords were the opposite, delighted that at least some of the wealth pillaged from them would return.
Even with her many improvements to the economy and industry, the flow of coin was tight across the Storm Kingdom, as they had to use the production capabilities for the war effort rather than commercial ones.
Once the Iron Islands were taken and its people neutralized, Ei would have to work even harder to set the kingdom right, which had more than doubled in size.
At least, with Sasayuri here, things did not look so bleak.
—-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
The Wound
Balerion the Black Dread, the largest dragon alive, a beast massive enough to strike fear into the hearts of every mortal out there, refused to approach where Harrenhal used to be.
Visenya was right.
There was nothing but a rift on the ground, where the enormous castle was built on, and it was glowing purple.
No matter what he did, Balerion would turn back, and after a while, he saw no choice but to land so he could approach the calamity—for it could be nothing else—on foot.
It was a mistake.
As he neared the rift, a purple lightning bolt struck the ground at the very edge, right in Aegon's path. One more step and he would be dead.
Understanding why Balerion was disturbed, the Lord of Dragonstone decided not to push his luck and turned around.
—-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Dorne
"Well, she certainly isn't keeping a low profile." The figure, still hidden by the hood, whistled.
A storm was cutting the Storm Kingdom off from Dorne and the Reach, and the sight of it was one of welcome familiarity.
"At least we will be safe from the storm. Let's set camp for today; we still have quite the distance to cover." The Narukami's lightning would only strike foes, not friends.
"Do you think we'll ever return to Teyvat?" The second woman, who had just put down the supplies, asked. She didn't even know if she wanted to return, not when Ei was here.
"Seeing as our current status means we have trampled on the rules of the world? Maybe." Both females had experienced a freak event that brought them to the land of the living once more, so it wasn't certain.
"Way to be optimistic." The shorter female said as she pulled out the tent.
"Don't you have a camp to set?"
"Yes, yes, you dainty princess."
"Talking back to me, peasant?"
The other figure huffed and proceeded to set up camp and cook.
—----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Kingdom of the Reach
"My brothers and sisters before the Seven-Who-Are-One, the time is upon us. The Sorcerer Queen of the Storm Kingdom, Argella Durrandon, must be brought low lest she spread her vile powers across the Seven Kingdoms. By the will of the Seven, we will bring the cursed sorceress and her followers to judgement." High Septon Lucenor called out to the Warrior's Sons and the Poor Fellows, the military orders of the Faith Militant.
"May the Father guide our judgement."
"May the Mother show mercy to the ones fooled by the sorceress."
"May the Warrior bestow on us the might to cut down our enemies."
"May the Smith bless us so we may make the world right once more."
"May the Maiden guard the innocent."
"May the Crone give us wisdom to follow the correct path."
"And may the Stranger take them to its cold embrace and out of our world." Lucenor finished the prayer, and the Faith Militant cheered for the opportunity to carry out their sacred duty.
,
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
In the next chapter:
Two hosts, one outnumbering the other significantly, faced each other, waiting to see what the other would do.
From the Reach host, three riders, carrying the white flag of truce, approached the Dornish host, waiting in the middle of the clearing.
Nymor Martell, heir to Meria Martell, rode with two of his lords to meet King Mern Gardner.
"Prince Nymor, it appears we both had the same idea." Mern greeted the heir to Dorne, and in all honesty, he should have expected the Dornish to strike the Storm Kingdom.
Nymor Martell chuckled at the younger ruler. He would not entertain this parley any other time, but the Reach had brought near ninety thousand men, including the Faith Militant. "Indeed. What shall we do about it?" Hopefully, resorting to war will be avoided now.
Curious about the next chapter? Please consider supporting me in Patreon.
Chapter 41 - Unlikely Alliances
New
Samael61
Know what you're doing yet?
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Hello there,
If you enjoy my stories you can read advanced chapters in my patreon page
Her Eternal Excellency, a Genshin Impact and ASOIAF crossover, Raiden Ei Reborn as Argella Durrandon, is 13 chapters ahead
DCU:Blacklist, a Raymond Reddington inspired OC SI using his knowledge for his own advantage, as well as the rest of the world, is 13 chapters ahead
Geek's Guide to Thriving in a Low End Fantasy World, a Robert Baratheon OC SI in an AU, is 13 chapters ahead.
and Commander Shepard, The Greatest to Ever Live, a Mass Effect story where Shepard is greater than ever, is 13 chapters ahead.
By supporting me, you can read advanced and special chapters, as well as vote on how you want the fanfiction to proceed.
Note: Apple store payments will be refunded, because of the company's 75 day hold policy.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Maidenpool
Ten thousand men had boarded the ships and were ready to sail to Seagard and then to the Iron Islands. The rest of the host were marching to Seagard with Argilac at the head and would board the ships once they returned after the first wave made landfall.
Slowly, the oarsman of the lead ship began to row, and the second step of the Ironborn campaign had started.
—------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Seagard
It had always been imagined what having the Blue Fork connected to the Sunset Sea would be like. Ships from the western ports of Westeros, mainly Lannisport, could sail to the eastern coast of the Seven Kingdoms much faster, allowing trade to flourish.
Unfortunately, no one on the continent had the manpower or coin to see such an arduous task completed.
Until now.
Emrick watched as, with one final grinding of its cogs, the Thunder Dragon connected the Blue Fork to the Sunset Sea.
Just in time too, as the fleet was slowly approaching the town.
—------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Emrick was waiting for Queen Argella's ship to dock. He had readied his men, the ships Seagard had, and supplies.
The galley, carrying the banners of House Tarth, had docked first, and down the gangplank, the queen came.
Donning purple and gold armor, she cut an imposing figure, and Emrick involuntarily averted his eyes.
"Your Excellency." Edmyn got on his knee, and the Lord of Seagard followed his friend's lead. After giving his oath, they boarded the ready vessels and set a course to the Iron Islands, since there was still daylight to burn.
With the extinction of House Hoare and the destruction of the second Ironborn fleet, the Iron Islands were experiencing a succession issue. Several claimants, whether by blood or desire, had already declared themselves the new King of the Iron Islands, so they were not in a place to fight together.
—------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
"This Aether sounds like a fine friend; I would have liked meeting him." Ei, having nothing to do while the fleet sailed, was sitting below the deck in a private area with Sasayuri.
Ei smiled at her friend. "I am sure you would have."
"Any plans on returning to Teyvat?" Sasayuri had been waiting to ask this for a while but had not found the opportune time.
The God of Eternity wavered for a second. "I don't even know if it is possible. The circumstances that sent us here were unique, and I can't think of any way to replicate them." Cutting open a hole between worlds, perhaps even dimensions, was not something she had ever considered.
"So we're stuck here, just the two of us." At least for the foreseeable future.
"Better than being alone." Even gods succumbed to it after all.
Months spent beyond the Wall and then in the Riverlands were all the harsher because Sasayuri did not have her friends. "Couldn't agree more. I had something else to ask. How was Yae doing after everything?"
"Better than me for sure. That little kitsune that could be swayed by some fried tofu became one of the most cunning and shrewd people on Teyvat."
Just remembering how Miko had teased Aether and Gorou
Sasayuri laughed. Kitsune Saiguu was merciless in her teasing; if Miko had become anything like her, then Sasayuri pitied her victims. "She sounds like a nightmare for the people she teases."
Fortunately, Miko was too busy with the shrine and her publishing house. "Not just that, she also had an excellent publishing house selling novels and other entertainment-related books all over Teyvat."
"If only Saiguu could have seen her."
"Could you imagine those two in cohorts? Inazuma wouldn't survive their schemes."
—------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Kingdom of the Rock
Lannisport
As the Storm Kingdom's fleet sailed to the Iron Islands, news of the war in the Riverlands, and more, had reached Lannisport.
King Loren, still wary of a possible attack, was waiting in Lannisport with a sizable host. The King of the Rock was not sure if he had heard his cousin right.
"They did what?" Loren asked again to be sure.
Edwar, still in disbelief, repeated his earlier words. "A creature, one that looks like a flying serpent, dug a canal, connecting the Blue Fork to Sunset Sea. The Storm Queen already sailed to Seagard to invade the Iron Islands."
What in the name of the seven was happening in the Storm Kingdom, and more importantly, with Argella Durrandon? "What of Harrenhal?" If they were sailing to the Iron Islands, then the keep of Harren Hoare must have fallen.
His cousin fell silent again, and Loren began to notice that whenever Edwar ceased talking, his next words wouldn't be good. "Speak."
Edwar's throat bobbed, and he looked even more nervous. "My King, I swear on my family that I am telling the truth. Harrenhal is gone."
"How could a castle, one as monstrous as Harrenhal, be gone?!" Loren raised his voice, convinced that his cousin had lost his mind.
Everyone knew that Harren had built it to be seen as one of the great kings, since the Ironborn did not have a grand keep such as the Casterly Rock or the Highgarden.
What Edwar meant by it being gone did not make sense to Loren.
"People say that it was Queen Argella who struck the keep with a sword, leaving nothing but a gaping hole in the land."
His brow furrowed, Loren looked at the Lord of Ashemark as if the man had grown a second head. "And you believed this?"
Edwar shook his head. "We did not, Your Grace; that is why we went to ascertain what truly became of the castle."
"What did they find?" Loren felt that the answer was not something he would like.
"What the rumors said, my king. The land itself has been cursed, and we could not approach the hole." Edwar had personally gone to where Harrenhal used to be, and just the thought of Argella Durrandon's blade turning on the Kingdom of the Rock gave him nightmares.
Silence stretched on as Loren Lannister tried, and failed, to understand. "How is this possible?" What maddness had griped the world for such a thing to be possible?
"Witnesses say that Argella Durrandon is a god and destroyed Harrenhal as a warning."
—--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Vale of Arryn
Eyrie
Queen Regent Sharra Arryn was not amused by the news brought to her.
"Are you mocking me, Ser Theros?" Shara Arryn, the Flower of the Mountain and the Queen Regent of her son, Ronnel Arryn, glared at the landed knight standing before her.
She had listened to his account of what had happened at Riverlands following the quick victories the Sorcerer Queen Argella had won, but it sounded like a fantastic tale more than anything else, more fit to be fairy tales read to children.
Theros bowed his head even further, shivering. Sharra Arryn was not one to hesitate in throwing traitors and those that mock her down the Moon Door. "I would not dare, Your Grace."
"You are telling me that the people of Riverlands and the Storm Kingdom are saying that Argella Durrandon is a god and that she destroyed Harrenhal as a warning, expecting me to believe it?" Either Theros had feasted on the poisonous mushrooms growing around the Vale, or he had a fever dream, because she refused to believe any of this foolishness.
"It is the truth, Your Grace; anyone who journeys to the Riverlands can see it." Theros had seen it and thanked the gods that the Vale and the Storm Kingdom did not have any disputes.
"That girl was never what one would expect of a princess, but this is too much. I shall send knights of House Arryn to see the truth." She would go herself, but Northern barbarians were acting up again.
—--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Storm Kingdom
Nightsong
"Finally, I thought it would take forever to cross these mountains." The figure holding a map groaned. Though they were safe from the divine thunder, climbing and crossing those mountains was a nightmare with all the rain, mud, and wind.
The load carrier's eye twitched in irritation. "I am the one carrying all our load; what do you have to complain about?" Keeping all their supplies dry and clean was more challenging than climbing the mountain.
"Hey, figuring out how to use this power to its fullest is not easy." The first figure closed her hand, and a butterfly, short-lived as it may be, flew out of her hand, turning to dust a couple seconds later.
"As if you weren't a pain in the neck before, now you can create life out of thin air. Wonderful." The second figure's remark had no bite behind it, as the two were too close to let power disparity come between them.
The second figure's sly smirk was evident beneath her hood. "Is that jealousy I am hearing, my dear? It doesn't suit you. And the only reason you were even saved from being a feral monster for the rest of eternity is because of the time loop you found yourself in. We should be grateful for our fortune." Returning to her original form after some remnants of her memories consumed an unknown life force was too jarring an experience, and she had spent weeks trailing aimlessly, eventually ending up in a cave system where she had found her old friend.
Only then did she get herself together and try to help. It was a disturbing sight, watching as her friend went from being herself to a feral monster with one hand and a horn missing, and then into a disgusting monster, over and over again, with each loop taking mere minutes.
Saving her at the right time without getting caught in the loop had taken most of her strength.
"Never said I wasn't. Now, how long do we have until Storm's End?" Apparently that castle was Ei's current residence, or as she was called, Argella Durrandon.
How exactly did the God of Eternity come to be the daughter of a petty king eluded both friends.
The first figure checked the map, making calculations in her head. "It's almost on the other side of the land, so around three weeks."
"Then we will have to wait for her." They had considered joining the war, but by the time they were close enough to assist, the Ironborn would be defeated.
"It is Ei we're talking about; this war will be over quickly." She had already brought Musou no Hitotachi down once, which meant the Ironborn presence on the mainland must have come to an end.
Her musings were cut when her friend put down the luggage, pointing back to the mountain range. "Look."
Riders were surveying the mountain range on the Storm Kingdom side, and while one of the riders had a Dornish look, the other was carrying banners with a green hand on white.
"I don't think they are citizens of this kingdom."
"If not, how did they cross the storm?" Since the continent's main religion forbade sorcery and magic, then these scouts must have had a different way of crossing the mountain with the storm raging over it.
"Good question."
—---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Storm Kingdom—Principality of Dorne—Kingdom of the Reach Border
Nightsong—Blackmont—Starpike
Two hosts, one outnumbering the other significantly, faced each other, waiting to see what the other would do.
From the Reach host, three riders, carrying the white flag of truce, approached the Dornish host, waiting in the middle of the clearing.
Nymor Martell, heir to Meria Martell, rode with two of his lords to meet King Mern Gardner.
"Prince Nymor, it appears we both had the same idea." Mern greeted the heir to Dorne, and in all honesty, he should have expected the Dornish to strike the Storm Kingdom.
Nymor Martell chuckled at the younger ruler. He would not entertain this parley any other time, but the Reach had brought near ninety thousand men, including the Faith Militant. "Indeed. What shall we do about it?" Hopefully, resorting to war will be avoided now.
"We might be enemies, but you must see that Argella Durrandon is the greater threat due to her sorcery." Mern had never been able to understand how that storm came to batter the forces of Reach before the Battle of Summerfield, but with Argella Durrandon's revelation, it all made sense now.
"Better to strike first before she does." Dorne and the Storm Kingdom were old enemies, and given time, Argella Durrandon would no doubt turn her considerable might against his home.
That could not be allowed.
"You read my mind. I suggest that, rather than coming to blows, we unite to strike the common enemy. Once the Storm Kingdom has fallen, we might continue our old feuds if your mother wishes." The Dornish were an afterthought to Mern now, and the only reason he even offered an alliance was because House Martell would not let them conquer the Storm Kingdom and surround Dorne on two sides.
It's better to be allies now and fight later than to start a war now.
"Should I agree, what will become of the conquered lands?" If a suitable agreement could be forged here, then Nymor saw no reason to refuse the offer to join forces.
"You take the southern half, we take the northern half."
It was an unfair offer for the Reach, as Mern's army would no doubt do more than Nymor's host could with their numbers.
Which made him suspicious. "An even split?"
"I want Storm's End and the honor of making Argilac pay. I can afford to give up some land for it." If he could secure the northern lands of the Storm Kingdom, the Riverlands would be next, and Mern still carried the flames of revenge in his heart.
Nymor grinned. "Vengeance? That I can understand."
—----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
"A secret passage? That could have been so useful." All that mud could have been avoided with this secret passage, and she wouldn't have to hear complaints about their supplies.
The other figure rolled her eyes. "We have bigger problems now. Since Ei took the army to war, these lands are basically defenseless. If we don't do something, these Dornish and Reachmen will slaughter their way across the Storm Kingdom until Ei hears what is happening."
Since Ei decided to summon a storm to cut both Reach and Dorne off, it meant she had taken a sizable portion of the army, most likely all of it, to war, unaware of the secret passage.
"They must have come in force; you won't be able to kill them all, and I haven't recuperated enough to do something large-scale." She could barely create a butterfly and had no chance to properly rest. Her friend wasn't faring any better, and even if she did, the numbers she felt on the other side of the mountain range were too much.
"You don't have to. We just need to seal that passage. Once Ei learns what happened here, she can handle it." The army would take too long to march to the border, but Ei could be here in seconds and end this war before it even started.
A foxy grin spread on the first figure's face. "There is no leyline for me to tap into, but while I can't make creatures strong enough to collapse the passage, I bet I can make you strong enough to do it by hand." Modifying an already existing organism was far easier than creating one from scratch.
"I am not sure about that." The Oni refused. She didn't want to experience whatever the Kitsune had in mind.
Her words fell on deaf ears, and hands glowing a gentle golden color reached for her face. "Don't be a chicken now, Chiyo; I know what I am doing."
Chiyo scrambled away, her voice clearly warning her friend to stay back. "Saiguu, keep those hands away from me."
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
In the next chapter:
Off the Coast of the Iron Islands
1st Year of Ascendance
"Too bad there is no sake to drink here." Sasayuri lamented. She missed the earthy aroma of sake but would have to do with wine for now.
Ei, who was sharing alcohol with someone for the first time in centuries, chuckled. "Any idea how to make it? It has been a long time since I last indulged in alcohol."
"I might remember a thing or two, but it'll have to wait until this war is over." Sasayuri knew the techniques used in brewing sake, but she had never attempted it herself.
"We will have plenty of time to…" Ei stopped, feeling something on the edge of her senses.
Something dangerous.
Leaving the quarters, Ei stood on the deck, watching the sea for any sign of an attack.
"Turn the ships back." She ordered the captain.
Confused by the sudden order, the sailor asked to be sure. "Your Excellency?"
"Turn the fleet back, now."
"Turn the fleet!" The captain screamed to the flag bearer, who began to wave the white flag, ordering all the ships to turn back.
Curious about the next chapter? Please consider supporting me in Patreon.
If you enjoy my stories you can read advanced chapters in my patreon page
Her Eternal Excellency, a Genshin Impact and ASOIAF crossover, Raiden Ei Reborn as Argella Durrandon, is 13 chapters ahead
DCU:Blacklist, a Raymond Reddington inspired OC SI using his knowledge for his own advantage, as well as the rest of the world, is 13 chapters ahead
Geek's Guide to Thriving in a Low End Fantasy World, a Robert Baratheon OC SI in an AU, is 13 chapters ahead.
and Commander Shepard, The Greatest to Ever Live, a Mass Effect story where Shepard is greater than ever, is 13 chapters ahead.
By supporting me, you can read advanced and special chapters, as well as vote on how you want the fanfiction to proceed.
Note: Apple store payments will be refunded, because of the company's 75 day hold policy.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Maidenpool
Ten thousand men had boarded the ships and were ready to sail to Seagard and then to the Iron Islands. The rest of the host were marching to Seagard with Argilac at the head and would board the ships once they returned after the first wave made landfall.
Slowly, the oarsman of the lead ship began to row, and the second step of the Ironborn campaign had started.
—------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Seagard
It had always been imagined what having the Blue Fork connected to the Sunset Sea would be like. Ships from the western ports of Westeros, mainly Lannisport, could sail to the eastern coast of the Seven Kingdoms much faster, allowing trade to flourish.
Unfortunately, no one on the continent had the manpower or coin to see such an arduous task completed.
Until now.
Emrick watched as, with one final grinding of its cogs, the Thunder Dragon connected the Blue Fork to the Sunset Sea.
Just in time too, as the fleet was slowly approaching the town.
—------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Emrick was waiting for Queen Argella's ship to dock. He had readied his men, the ships Seagard had, and supplies.
The galley, carrying the banners of House Tarth, had docked first, and down the gangplank, the queen came.
Donning purple and gold armor, she cut an imposing figure, and Emrick involuntarily averted his eyes.
"Your Excellency." Edmyn got on his knee, and the Lord of Seagard followed his friend's lead. After giving his oath, they boarded the ready vessels and set a course to the Iron Islands, since there was still daylight to burn.
With the extinction of House Hoare and the destruction of the second Ironborn fleet, the Iron Islands were experiencing a succession issue. Several claimants, whether by blood or desire, had already declared themselves the new King of the Iron Islands, so they were not in a place to fight together.
—------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
"This Aether sounds like a fine friend; I would have liked meeting him." Ei, having nothing to do while the fleet sailed, was sitting below the deck in a private area with Sasayuri.
Ei smiled at her friend. "I am sure you would have."
"Any plans on returning to Teyvat?" Sasayuri had been waiting to ask this for a while but had not found the opportune time.
The God of Eternity wavered for a second. "I don't even know if it is possible. The circumstances that sent us here were unique, and I can't think of any way to replicate them." Cutting open a hole between worlds, perhaps even dimensions, was not something she had ever considered.
"So we're stuck here, just the two of us." At least for the foreseeable future.
"Better than being alone." Even gods succumbed to it after all.
Months spent beyond the Wall and then in the Riverlands were all the harsher because Sasayuri did not have her friends. "Couldn't agree more. I had something else to ask. How was Yae doing after everything?"
"Better than me for sure. That little kitsune that could be swayed by some fried tofu became one of the most cunning and shrewd people on Teyvat."
Just remembering how Miko had teased Aether and Gorou
Sasayuri laughed. Kitsune Saiguu was merciless in her teasing; if Miko had become anything like her, then Sasayuri pitied her victims. "She sounds like a nightmare for the people she teases."
Fortunately, Miko was too busy with the shrine and her publishing house. "Not just that, she also had an excellent publishing house selling novels and other entertainment-related books all over Teyvat."
"If only Saiguu could have seen her."
"Could you imagine those two in cohorts? Inazuma wouldn't survive their schemes."
—------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Kingdom of the Rock
Lannisport
As the Storm Kingdom's fleet sailed to the Iron Islands, news of the war in the Riverlands, and more, had reached Lannisport.
King Loren, still wary of a possible attack, was waiting in Lannisport with a sizable host. The King of the Rock was not sure if he had heard his cousin right.
"They did what?" Loren asked again to be sure.
Edwar, still in disbelief, repeated his earlier words. "A creature, one that looks like a flying serpent, dug a canal, connecting the Blue Fork to Sunset Sea. The Storm Queen already sailed to Seagard to invade the Iron Islands."
What in the name of the seven was happening in the Storm Kingdom, and more importantly, with Argella Durrandon? "What of Harrenhal?" If they were sailing to the Iron Islands, then the keep of Harren Hoare must have fallen.
His cousin fell silent again, and Loren began to notice that whenever Edwar ceased talking, his next words wouldn't be good. "Speak."
Edwar's throat bobbed, and he looked even more nervous. "My King, I swear on my family that I am telling the truth. Harrenhal is gone."
"How could a castle, one as monstrous as Harrenhal, be gone?!" Loren raised his voice, convinced that his cousin had lost his mind.
Everyone knew that Harren had built it to be seen as one of the great kings, since the Ironborn did not have a grand keep such as the Casterly Rock or the Highgarden.
What Edwar meant by it being gone did not make sense to Loren.
"People say that it was Queen Argella who struck the keep with a sword, leaving nothing but a gaping hole in the land."
His brow furrowed, Loren looked at the Lord of Ashemark as if the man had grown a second head. "And you believed this?"
Edwar shook his head. "We did not, Your Grace; that is why we went to ascertain what truly became of the castle."
"What did they find?" Loren felt that the answer was not something he would like.
"What the rumors said, my king. The land itself has been cursed, and we could not approach the hole." Edwar had personally gone to where Harrenhal used to be, and just the thought of Argella Durrandon's blade turning on the Kingdom of the Rock gave him nightmares.
Silence stretched on as Loren Lannister tried, and failed, to understand. "How is this possible?" What maddness had griped the world for such a thing to be possible?
"Witnesses say that Argella Durrandon is a god and destroyed Harrenhal as a warning."
—--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Vale of Arryn
Eyrie
Queen Regent Sharra Arryn was not amused by the news brought to her.
"Are you mocking me, Ser Theros?" Shara Arryn, the Flower of the Mountain and the Queen Regent of her son, Ronnel Arryn, glared at the landed knight standing before her.
She had listened to his account of what had happened at Riverlands following the quick victories the Sorcerer Queen Argella had won, but it sounded like a fantastic tale more than anything else, more fit to be fairy tales read to children.
Theros bowed his head even further, shivering. Sharra Arryn was not one to hesitate in throwing traitors and those that mock her down the Moon Door. "I would not dare, Your Grace."
"You are telling me that the people of Riverlands and the Storm Kingdom are saying that Argella Durrandon is a god and that she destroyed Harrenhal as a warning, expecting me to believe it?" Either Theros had feasted on the poisonous mushrooms growing around the Vale, or he had a fever dream, because she refused to believe any of this foolishness.
"It is the truth, Your Grace; anyone who journeys to the Riverlands can see it." Theros had seen it and thanked the gods that the Vale and the Storm Kingdom did not have any disputes.
"That girl was never what one would expect of a princess, but this is too much. I shall send knights of House Arryn to see the truth." She would go herself, but Northern barbarians were acting up again.
—--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Storm Kingdom
Nightsong
"Finally, I thought it would take forever to cross these mountains." The figure holding a map groaned. Though they were safe from the divine thunder, climbing and crossing those mountains was a nightmare with all the rain, mud, and wind.
The load carrier's eye twitched in irritation. "I am the one carrying all our load; what do you have to complain about?" Keeping all their supplies dry and clean was more challenging than climbing the mountain.
"Hey, figuring out how to use this power to its fullest is not easy." The first figure closed her hand, and a butterfly, short-lived as it may be, flew out of her hand, turning to dust a couple seconds later.
"As if you weren't a pain in the neck before, now you can create life out of thin air. Wonderful." The second figure's remark had no bite behind it, as the two were too close to let power disparity come between them.
The second figure's sly smirk was evident beneath her hood. "Is that jealousy I am hearing, my dear? It doesn't suit you. And the only reason you were even saved from being a feral monster for the rest of eternity is because of the time loop you found yourself in. We should be grateful for our fortune." Returning to her original form after some remnants of her memories consumed an unknown life force was too jarring an experience, and she had spent weeks trailing aimlessly, eventually ending up in a cave system where she had found her old friend.
Only then did she get herself together and try to help. It was a disturbing sight, watching as her friend went from being herself to a feral monster with one hand and a horn missing, and then into a disgusting monster, over and over again, with each loop taking mere minutes.
Saving her at the right time without getting caught in the loop had taken most of her strength.
"Never said I wasn't. Now, how long do we have until Storm's End?" Apparently that castle was Ei's current residence, or as she was called, Argella Durrandon.
How exactly did the God of Eternity come to be the daughter of a petty king eluded both friends.
The first figure checked the map, making calculations in her head. "It's almost on the other side of the land, so around three weeks."
"Then we will have to wait for her." They had considered joining the war, but by the time they were close enough to assist, the Ironborn would be defeated.
"It is Ei we're talking about; this war will be over quickly." She had already brought Musou no Hitotachi down once, which meant the Ironborn presence on the mainland must have come to an end.
Her musings were cut when her friend put down the luggage, pointing back to the mountain range. "Look."
Riders were surveying the mountain range on the Storm Kingdom side, and while one of the riders had a Dornish look, the other was carrying banners with a green hand on white.
"I don't think they are citizens of this kingdom."
"If not, how did they cross the storm?" Since the continent's main religion forbade sorcery and magic, then these scouts must have had a different way of crossing the mountain with the storm raging over it.
"Good question."
—---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Storm Kingdom—Principality of Dorne—Kingdom of the Reach Border
Nightsong—Blackmont—Starpike
Two hosts, one outnumbering the other significantly, faced each other, waiting to see what the other would do.
From the Reach host, three riders, carrying the white flag of truce, approached the Dornish host, waiting in the middle of the clearing.
Nymor Martell, heir to Meria Martell, rode with two of his lords to meet King Mern Gardner.
"Prince Nymor, it appears we both had the same idea." Mern greeted the heir to Dorne, and in all honesty, he should have expected the Dornish to strike the Storm Kingdom.
Nymor Martell chuckled at the younger ruler. He would not entertain this parley any other time, but the Reach had brought near ninety thousand men, including the Faith Militant. "Indeed. What shall we do about it?" Hopefully, resorting to war will be avoided now.
"We might be enemies, but you must see that Argella Durrandon is the greater threat due to her sorcery." Mern had never been able to understand how that storm came to batter the forces of Reach before the Battle of Summerfield, but with Argella Durrandon's revelation, it all made sense now.
"Better to strike first before she does." Dorne and the Storm Kingdom were old enemies, and given time, Argella Durrandon would no doubt turn her considerable might against his home.
That could not be allowed.
"You read my mind. I suggest that, rather than coming to blows, we unite to strike the common enemy. Once the Storm Kingdom has fallen, we might continue our old feuds if your mother wishes." The Dornish were an afterthought to Mern now, and the only reason he even offered an alliance was because House Martell would not let them conquer the Storm Kingdom and surround Dorne on two sides.
It's better to be allies now and fight later than to start a war now.
"Should I agree, what will become of the conquered lands?" If a suitable agreement could be forged here, then Nymor saw no reason to refuse the offer to join forces.
"You take the southern half, we take the northern half."
It was an unfair offer for the Reach, as Mern's army would no doubt do more than Nymor's host could with their numbers.
Which made him suspicious. "An even split?"
"I want Storm's End and the honor of making Argilac pay. I can afford to give up some land for it." If he could secure the northern lands of the Storm Kingdom, the Riverlands would be next, and Mern still carried the flames of revenge in his heart.
Nymor grinned. "Vengeance? That I can understand."
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"A secret passage? That could have been so useful." All that mud could have been avoided with this secret passage, and she wouldn't have to hear complaints about their supplies.
The other figure rolled her eyes. "We have bigger problems now. Since Ei took the army to war, these lands are basically defenseless. If we don't do something, these Dornish and Reachmen will slaughter their way across the Storm Kingdom until Ei hears what is happening."
Since Ei decided to summon a storm to cut both Reach and Dorne off, it meant she had taken a sizable portion of the army, most likely all of it, to war, unaware of the secret passage.
"They must have come in force; you won't be able to kill them all, and I haven't recuperated enough to do something large-scale." She could barely create a butterfly and had no chance to properly rest. Her friend wasn't faring any better, and even if she did, the numbers she felt on the other side of the mountain range were too much.
"You don't have to. We just need to seal that passage. Once Ei learns what happened here, she can handle it." The army would take too long to march to the border, but Ei could be here in seconds and end this war before it even started.
A foxy grin spread on the first figure's face. "There is no leyline for me to tap into, but while I can't make creatures strong enough to collapse the passage, I bet I can make you strong enough to do it by hand." Modifying an already existing organism was far easier than creating one from scratch.
"I am not sure about that." The Oni refused. She didn't want to experience whatever the Kitsune had in mind.
Her words fell on deaf ears, and hands glowing a gentle golden color reached for her face. "Don't be a chicken now, Chiyo; I know what I am doing."
Chiyo scrambled away, her voice clearly warning her friend to stay back. "Saiguu, keep those hands away from me."
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In the next chapter:
Off the Coast of the Iron Islands
1st Year of Ascendance
"Too bad there is no sake to drink here." Sasayuri lamented. She missed the earthy aroma of sake but would have to do with wine for now.
Ei, who was sharing alcohol with someone for the first time in centuries, chuckled. "Any idea how to make it? It has been a long time since I last indulged in alcohol."
"I might remember a thing or two, but it'll have to wait until this war is over." Sasayuri knew the techniques used in brewing sake, but she had never attempted it herself.
"We will have plenty of time to…" Ei stopped, feeling something on the edge of her senses.
Something dangerous.
Leaving the quarters, Ei stood on the deck, watching the sea for any sign of an attack.
"Turn the ships back." She ordered the captain.
Confused by the sudden order, the sailor asked to be sure. "Your Excellency?"
"Turn the fleet back, now."
"Turn the fleet!" The captain screamed to the flag bearer, who began to wave the white flag, ordering all the ships to turn back.
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