EVENTS OF A MATE FOR DARKNESS 1.SUN AND SNOW
PLOT INTRODUCTION
A Mate for Darkness is set in the Seven Kingdoms of Cephri, a land reminiscent of Medieval Europe. In Cephri the seasons last for years, sometimes decades, at a time.
Far up north, beyond The Winter Waste a ranging party of Northern lords conglomerate to find out why so many wildlings are appearing in their lands. The men are being hunted by something and finally appearing from the woods, come the mythical Others. Some men run by Raymar Peake and Lord Rowan stay on to face It - however, both are killed by The Other.
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Eight months prior the Seven Kingdoms were torn up by a civil war between King Aeyron Archer and the rebelling King Ulthor Young. Following suspicious developments with Nestor Nik, Ulthor Young and several other lords Ser Samuel Royce attacked Nestor and Ulthor, keen to stop them, however it resulted in the three of them being put under house arrest. In the next following days Ulthor and Nestor mysteriously escape their captivity and flee King's Landing. Unbeknownst to King Aeyron, Ulthor has also taken the woman they both love, Joanna Forrester, with him.
Ser Edmund Moore and Ser Jon Darklyn of the Kingsguard are dispatched with armies to Sun's Champion and GoldGift. However Jon Darklyn's army are ambushed by Nestor Nik's cavalry and Jon is taken captive, assumed dead by everyone in the Kingdoms. Following Jon's failure, Aeyron takes it upon himself to leave King's Landing and lead his own army that are to gather at EastEnd, on the day on the King's departure a riot ensues with the famined residents of King's Landing. During this period, Ulthor Young (with help from the Bronzemen army) has invaded the Dawnlands and remains to take Sun's Champion. Lord Trystane Archer meets for a peace treaty with Ulthor, looking to give enough time for the Dawnish army to be ferried out of the Dawnlands and to King's Landing. Trystane Archer, his wife Hailee Archer and other lords are betrayed and murdered under Ulthor's tent, however Ser Edmund Moore escapes with Trystane's son - Daeron Archer.
The Bronzemen begin an invasion of The Waterlands and The North, Jon Darklyn is rescued by Soniya Cross and they make their way to King's Landing knowing that Nestor means to strike there next. WinterFort is attacked and set on fire, Gerold Forrester and his family escape - with Gerold and his mother going beyond the Winter Waste while his siblings are sent to Perygl. Ignis Swyft prepares King's Landing's defences as he is warned about the incoming Bronzemen fleet and Nestor's army. King's Landing is attacked by Nestor and the Bronzemen simultaneously however the King's army races to come home in time as do the Royal Fleet. Ignis Swyft holds the city just long enough for reinforcements to come, and the Bronze fleet is destroyed and Nestor Nik's army are sent reeling. Master of Coin, Clarence Wolfe is killed during the battle and replaced by Lord Kaleb Willow otherwise known as Snakecharmer.
The civil war climaxed with the Battle of the Bask when the rebel army came face to face with the loyalist army. Nestor Nik was killed by Samuel Royce and Ulthor Young is killed by Aeyron Archer, who tells him about Joanna's whereabouts before he dies. The army is sent back to King's Landing while Aeyron goes to find Joanna. He discovers her at Widow's Wail dying from childbirth with two twins in her hands. They are the children of her and Ulthor, the two loved each other. Aeyron returns to King's Landing, with the children and Joanna's body. One of the children is posed as Aeyron's bastard son called Cyrus, while the other is taken by Lord Forrester called Leia. Leia is posed as Lord Forrester's son's daughter.
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PLOT SUMMARY
IN THE SEVEN KINGDOMS
A peasant girl called Mya awaits for a mysterious lord to arrive, he promises her food and shelter. That Lord is Lord Ahriman, and he arrives and takes Mya through King's Landing into the Red Keep and far deep into the Red Keep. At the end of their trip Lord Ahriman reveals a rotting dead slumbering giant with pickled organs around him, Mya screams as he pulls out a surgical knife.
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Aeyron sits on the throne reliving his failures when Lord Willow (Snakecharmer) arrives and tells him he must marry someone. Willow proposes that Aeyron hold a massive tourney to view all the beauties of the Seven Kingdoms. At the tourney Ignis Swyft's family come to visit him and Lord Arthur Swyft is unhorsed by the Kingslayer, Ser Jamie Casterly. Aeyron meets Alice Strong and her family while neglecting Ignis Swyft and his family. Ignis tells his concerns about Aeyron to his wife Jade Arryn, she thinks he needs to rest but Ignis feels under threat by the new Master of Laws, Lord Tywon Casterly. Tywon and Aeyron discuss his marriage, while Ignis has his own plans to marry his sister Ashara to Aeyron - Aeyron doesn't want to hear anything about Ashara. Lord Tywon's youngest son, Loreon Casterly argues with his father about his own marriage, he is unmarried at the moment. Up north, Lord Cregan Forrester is certain he has seen his son's face (Gerold) in the Mythood tree, believing that he must be alive, Jon Darklyn, Soniya Cross and Lord Darion Bolton are dispatched to find Gerold.
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At the Institute of Sunworth, Maester Colon leaves for Aswen after learning more about Samuel Royce. Samuel himself steals forbidden books and escapes the Institute with Sugar. Ignis and Loreon work together to pressure the Grand Maester who is aware of Tywon's marriage plans - they find out Tywon plans to wed Aeyron to Rhaenerys Blackfyre and Jamie Casterly to Saerenna Blackfyre. Lord Willow, Ignis and Jade Arryn discover that The Ghost of Blackfyre is dying and Lord Ahriman has nearly finalised his "project". Following the vagrant and bandit situation within The Hunter's Gift, Aeyron sends out Ser Jamie Casterly with a force to rid the place of bandits. Jamie and his men bully and mock Valerie Alyrion, who had been picked by Aeyron himself to join Jamie's force. Together they eliminate the bandit group known as The Best Friends.
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Following a lack of success in finding Gerold Forrester, Bolton, Jon and Soniya are repeatedly attacked by groups of bandits. Jon and Soniya are later ambushed by a more discipline force which they find out is Bolton's own men. Bolton admits to them that he burnt WinterFort down and must not let them find Gerold if he is alive. The two fall off a cliff and luckily survive, though injured. Bolton's son insists they are dead, although Bolton himself is not quite sure - yet he follows his son's words. Grand Maester Varlyn comes to Ignis, pleading for his help against Lord Ahriman and Aeyron. Although, Snakecharmer denounces Varlyn's words and exposes his own treachery, which is followed up by Taena Skies. The Grand Maester is imprisoned for attempted treason, but when Ignis has time to rest Ser Edmund Moore says Aeyron has called a council remarking that Jon Darklyn is dead.
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Samuel Royce and Sugar arrive in Casterland and the two split off, with Samuel going to Eilleas. However, the two realise that they are better off together and leave to Eilleas together. Soniya and Jon have been walking for days and find themselves upon the town of Ninestones. Ser Jamie and his band arrive at Ashford following a report of banditry, Jamie mocks Lord Granger for starving his people, Granger informs him they worked with bandits who have been driven to Jiping Forest. Jamie discovers The Shield of Justice camped out in Jiping Forest and that they are on the same mission as him, although they are bandits Jamie lets them stay. Jon discovers from Ninestones residents that Aeyron is getting married to Alice Strong. After the council meeting about Jon's supposed death, Aeyron unveils Lord Ahriman's creation (a seven foot behemoth) to Edmund Moore - he is the newest member of the Kingsguard.
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Aeyron and Alice meet in the Royal Gardens, where Aeyron ask her to marry him. Lord Ahriman meets with Ignis and lets him know that The Ghost of Blackfyre has died, Aeyron and Ignis meet each other again but Snakecharmer interrupts their conversation bringing news that the Grand Maester was discovered dead in his cell. Jamie Casterly is captured alongside Valerie Allyrion and his men are killed by a group of bandits and The Bloody Servants. Jamie prevents Valerie from being raped by convincing Hoare Lorch(the leader) that her father owns the largest spice trade in Cephri. Jamie's sword arm is broken and a wound is opened in his arm - Hoare and his men release maggots onto his wound for pleasure. Later Jamie's wound festers and he has a fever, he lays on a Mythood tree and dreams about his failures.
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Valerie tries to getting Jamie's arm to be treated by Hoare but he laughs at sight. When they do finally take a look at his arm they are concerned and send him off to the medic, a professor called Pyg. Pyg treats his wound while Jamie's ransom arrives, but he is surprised when it is not his father or brother, but instead Lord Paxter Redwyne. Once at Redwyne's castle - Hunter's Hill, Jamie takes a bath to see Valerie is there too. Jamie reveals to Valerie that he killed his king to prevent King's Landing from being blown up by the King.
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IN THE FREEFOLK LANDS
Gerold Forrester and his men have been walking through the lands beyond the waste for what seems like an eternity, but instead they are captured by a wildling band headed by a wildling called Byorwynd, Samalah is also present in this group. A captive of theirs - Edwin Corbray joins Gerold. Some of the wildlings actually warm to Gerold and he spends time with them, which annoys the Northerners. Gerold confronts Samalah about her ignoring him, but she laughs at his claim. The two engage in a snow ball fight and then leave to sleep. Gerold's mother later confronts him about what happened, Gerold tries arguing that a wildling-Nothern marriage could bring about peace. Gerold dreams about the Green Women again, and a dragon within a cave, the following day he leads the wildlings to a system of caves he dreamt of. Edwin, Gerold and Samalah go into one cave system and Samalah discovers a tomb. She calls for Gerold to come down and he sees the tomb, finding out it is Allerax Blackfyre's tomb with her Celtigan Steel sword. But then he notices Samalah naked in a pool of water, she tells him to join her and rather reluctantly he does. She remarks that they should stay here in the cave, Gerold agrees but is worried they're moving extremely fast. Nevertheless Gerold strips down and kisses Samalah.
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The freefolk take the Northerns to Drymund's Lair for shelter from the snow storm. Stanford Cassel leads an attempt to escape the wildlings, and steal horses and escape Drymund's Lair. However the wildlings later catch on and chase the Northerners to The Fist of the First Men. They are captured once again and a wolf comes from nowhere to save Gerold. But Ravven criticises Byorwynd's treatment of The Northerners and forms a splinter group, taking power. Ravven attacks Gerold and everyone fights between themselves. His mother, Stanford Cassel and Gerold defeat Ravven when three blasts warning of The Others blare, At once the fighting ceases, and people try escaping up the Fist. Ravven reappears but reassures them he will help them escape from The Others, who have their undead army behind everyone. Gerold climbs up but Ravven kills his mother and Stanford Cassel and climbs up, Gerold kills Ravven and throws his body to the undead army.
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They finally make it to WhiteHaven, to see the wildling king. Gerold blames Samalah for his mother's death. Gerold dream of the Green Women again, and this time it's a final plea from them. He must find them, and so he makes his mind to leave everyone to see them. King Karlon and the rest of the wildlings are getting ready to leave as is Gerold. Gerold is looking for freefolk that he can recruit for his mission, so he's in a shack with a few of them when dogs start unanimously barking. They realise The Others are here and they scramble to leave or to defend the gates. The undead army break through the gates and swarm in. The Lord of the Dead and Gerold come face to face with an Other who kills The Lord and comes face to face with Gerold, he raises up his sword and is surprised to see that it didn't shatter like the Lord's did. Gerold promptly kills The Other who shatters. Gerold and his crew escape WhiteHaven looking for the Green Women.
IN EILLEAS
Rhaenerys Blackfyre and her army loot Neropos's banks in order to aid her conquest of Cephri. Meanwhile in Naraka, Gargano Pahros gives a speech about Sheer Haert and meets Syror Qostoff who wants to see Rhaenerys. Rhaenerys ventures to Sifos to obtain the Legionnaire army for her conquest, she discovers that the army are enslaved and trained from when they are little kids. Alongside her siblings they burn down the establishment and take the Legionnaire army, freeing them but they stay by her side. Gargano shows Syror an image of Rhaenerys through fire magic to quell Syror's lack of faith.
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Rhaenerys continues her journey, at Oswen she comes into contact with a revolutionary group called Fightback. They inform Rhaenerys that they need her help in toppling the slavers in the city. Alpha is appointed Chief Militant by the Legionnaire and Rhaenerys sends him to help fight with Fightback. Alpha comes back hours later victorious. Sellswords meet with Rhaenerys outside the gates of Aswen preventing entry. T'wak Kaga promises that the other sellswords in the other companies will join them, but they need the captains of the other two companies killed. T'wak will do that for her, but he needs a distraction. Ser Leonard Mercer goes out to face Aswen's champion, if he wins they are allowed entry - he wins but they are not allowed in. T'wak returns with the heads of the captains, and he leads her men through the city's sewers. Aeryxs and Saerenna Blackfyre have priority in the air with their dragons. They all return hours later, T'wak with the banner of Aswen in his hands.
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Gargano witnesses a pilgrimage occur in Uatu, which is done by fellow priests, He and Syror join the pilgrimage when they find out that it is a pilgrimage to Rhaenerys Blackfyre. Rhaenerys is ruler of Aswen now, she's deliberating where to make her first appearance but Maester Colon finally arrives to see her. Rhaenerys makes her first appearance at the fighting pits, appearing to the noble Imperium and also the common people. Rhaenerys's situation gets complicated when a plague comes from Oswen, and Oswen's governmental failure. Some agitators have gathered by a plaza outside the palaces and Rhaenerys address the crowds who claim to be former slaves, but hours later they have found out that slaver terrorists have struck against Rhaenerys again - killing people. However there was a man who stopped them by killing the terrorists, Rhaenerys had banned all murder as under the death penalty, what will she do with this hero?
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There is a trial for N'kitah the hero. However the judges reach a decision to execute N'kitah, annoying the crowd that were there who hiss at Rhaenerys, meanwhile the Imperium clap to each other. Despite the verdict, the terrorists strike again coming out of the crowd to attack people. Yet Rhaenerys summons her dragon and burns the terrorists, before flying to the top of the palace as the city's watch.
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