[Arya's POV]
As much as she wanted to loathe him, she couldn't in her heart. The moment she had seen him so weak and sickly, she had felt mournful. The moment he threatened to stab himself, she had been fearful… and the moment he did so, she felt crestfallen. These were undeniable truths.
Mayhaps worst of all was that part of her still wanted to love him… and be loved in turn. It was all too irrational.
Still, there were more pressing matters at this moment.
Nearly everyone had been skeptical of Robb, which led to her having to explain that he was free of the Night King's control.
"He's our brother still, except… an Other," Arya told Jon.
Jon Snow eyed him cautiously for a moment.
"I never wanted it to be this way. That monster did the same for our entire family in Winterfell… and I'll never forgive him for that. I'll not rest until he and his forces are gone from this world."
"..."
Jon Snow took a deep breath.
It was not a light blow. For him, for Robb or her. At the very least… they endured it together. There was some solace in that.
"Take some Edricarian Steel, brother. We'll drive them out as swiftly as they came."
"Well said, Lord Commander," Robb nodded.
Castle Black was the most prepared hold to face against the Others in the entire Realm, and this showed. The men had all the equipment they would ever need. They were well-trained, too, and most were dutiful and brave.
Ser Jaime had led the charge, and looked entirely unstoppable. Despite beginning to creep up in age, he seemed faster than before. With each wight and Other slain, he seemed to gain an additional wind of energy. Paired with his skill and a mighty charge by the men of the Night's Watch along with the intervention of Edric's dragon… the darkness had been vanquished with relative swiftness.
By then, however, both Edric and the Night King had been long gone.
[The First Dance Between Emperor Edric Stormfyre, the wielder of the freshly born Golden Sword of Heroes, and the Night King]
"Let's not do this here."
Edric said, acknowledging that a true fight between them would destroy most if not all of Castle Black… along with everyone in its vicinity.
"We think the same," The Night King remarked.
Hundreds of bones emerged from the ground as the Night King called upon his mount, breaking through several buildings in the process. The bones emerged together, constructing a dragon of only bone. A shell of ice grew, fortifying the frame and completing the undead ice dragon.
"So this is how you blindsided me."
Edric said, his eyes still as ice.
"If you were not so worthy a foe, we would not have reached this point."
"I am well aware of that. The more I grow, the more you grow… the so-called balance of this world. It's time I broke it."
"It is not something to be broken. Only altered."
"So you say.*
The Night King mounted his dragon, flying south. Edric called upon Viserion, joining him before long. For all it's size, the undead dragon was considerably slower which made the headstart inconsequential.
Before Viserion reached the same undead dragon, it suddenly turned and breathed ice upon it. Viserion shifted to the side with great agility as Edric controlled him. Viserion went around and even soared above before Edric dismounted mid-air.
The Night King's eyes widened as Edric dived for his heart as a vengeful comet of purple and gold. He managed to rise to his feet, moving as fast as he could. The blade had pierced through his chest with little resistance, melting armour and ice. Before Edric could drive Lightbringer to his core, the Night King unleashed a monstrous wave of ice which pushed him off.
Edric responded with fire, lightning and wind. The ice exploded and shattered with one wave of his sword. Like a relentless demon, he charged forth.
The Night King jumped off the undead dragon, clutching the wound where fire still burned. Edric looked down on the descending Other before turning to the dragon. He walked up to its head and, instead of slaying it, took control of its mind through his Greenseer and Other magic. With its master in a desperate retreat, it was rather simple.
The Other crashed against the ground while a dozen massive arrows coated in lightning and fire soared down from the sky. They were precise, lightning striking first… followed by fire, time and time again.
The Night King completed his descent to the ground in a huge crater, still brimming with burning fire and sparks of lightning. Before he could rise to his feet, Edric was already soaring down like a bolt of lightning. The Night King stepped away, watching Lightbringer smash into the ground where he was less than half a second ago.
Lightbringer was drawn from the ground, unleashing a mighty wave of golden fire which even the Night King could not defend from. His momentary shield of ice was melted through just as quickly as it was formed. He had managed to step to the side, however, losing only an arm in the process.
Meanwhile, a massive slash had formed across the field where Lightbringer's power had been unleashed. The snow even a hundred meters away from it had gradually melted from its residual energy.
"Yours is a relentless soul," The Night King spoke to Edric's mind directly.
It was like a drop of water in an ocean of fire, evaporating before it could even reach it. In reply, he was struck by a wave of words all echoing at once.
"Fear. Mortality. Existence. Eternal. Nothing."
His purple and blue eyes hadn't lost track of the Night King even once, narrowing on him as if nothing else in the world mattered.
The Night King raised his greatsword from the ground, while Edric dashed towards him coated in purple lightning, faster than a human eye could perceive. The Night King had deflected the first blow, but the next one came at his back in an instant. The Night King moved as fast as he could to defend that strike… only to realize that it was a feint. Edric dashed right back to where he struck initially, his slash splitting into two in the same instant.
For a moment, the Night King saw Raiden's shadow…
"Lightning strikes twice."
Edric spoke for the first time, with cold indifference.
The Night King's other arm fell to the ground, along with the blade it held. Before Edric could advance, the Night King raised himself with a rapidly emerging steep mountain of ice, swallowing Edric at its foot. He would not be there long.
Swords, axes, spears, arrows… all forms of weapons you could imagine rained from the sky, most bouncing off the Night King's deep defences but each exploded on impact, continuously reducing his defences. They were all Edricarian Steel, and the most unstable yet devastating kind. Raw, destructive magic loosely contained by it's steel…
Once the rain of steel ended, Edric emerged from a single bolt of lightning that struck the top of the mountain… as if a God descending to personally deliver divine retribution.
Edric kicked him down to the ground, his foot crushing the ground beneath the Night King along with his chest - scattering ice shards. As the Other looked up to the victor, all he saw was a pair of cold eyes looking down at him… and the fiery golden sword aimed at his core.
The Night King lowered his head to the sky before his tone changed.
"Do you realize that our battle only benefits R'hllor? We are Others, you slaying me does not change that."
Edric was not moved. All of a sudden, he sought to be allies? If he had the heart for it, he would break into laughter.
"What is the death of one more God?"
"You've not come anywhere near destroying me, Azor Ahai. I hope the next time we meet you will understand the meaning in my words."
Edric's eyes widened as the Night King's body dispersed completely into ice crystals, scattering into the air. He raised his sword and burned them all into nothing. This… was not the end of it, he knew. The Night King and the Great Other would return.
But, for now, he had defeated both and largely prevented Castle Black and the rest of the Night's Watch from being overrun. For what it was worth, it was a victory for mankind and a great step forward towards the end of Winter.
"All at the small price of one Edric Stormfyre…"
Edric said, with a tone half crestfallen and half mocking.
Soon… he observed a change in the sky.
And, for the first time since he pierced his heart with Lightbringer, felt… something. Something that moved him. Something that made the void in his heart seem alive.
The sky seemed to tear open, a purple outline with pure black within it. Luminous purple petals of pure light floated down around Edric. The mountain he had climbed from the very beginning… he could hardly believe that he would ever see this day. After a decade and a half of blood, sweat, and tears.
A challenge that had changed him a dozen times over, had finally been completed.
He dropped Lightbringer, storing it away.
Slowly, he raised his hand to the dream that had seemed so unreachable before. Ice emerged beneath his eyes, melting into water. Nothing else seemed to matter. With his soul ebbing away with every moment, this may well be the last thing he could cherish.
She descended with grace, yet as Edric stretched out his arms, she didn't hesitate to fall into them.
"What have you done to yourself?"
Raiden's purple eyes observed his being, glittering with a tone of sorrow. She raised her hand to his heart which had been covered up with thick scaled ice. His skin throughout his body had been deathly pale, akin to the Others. The dragon-like right eye, the half white hair, the crown of ice and great draconic antlers which would shame most stags… Edric was the furthest thing from a human.
One of the only things he maintained was his physical frame, which itself was as tall as a half-giant that was muscled like a bull. Even his 'human' eye could see better than a falcon.
"Whatever I needed to."
Raiden closed her eyes, leaning against his chest and hearing nothing. Not a beat - only stillness.
"How little of Edric is there? If this is the price, I would have rather you lived than…"
"This wasn't all for you. I did this for everyone I treasured. This was the ultimate price of victory. I wouldn't be alive to bask in that triumph, but everything else would be better off for it."
"And of the future?"
"The future belongs to my lineage… and I trust you to protect it if I am unable to."
Raiden left his embrace, standing on her own.
"I don't know what to make of that."
"You can start with a thank you, mayhaps?" Edric stepped closer, raising her head by the chin.
"How can I find joy in my rebirth when it is shortly followed by your death?"
"I know, it is not ideal… it never is for us, is it? But, rather than lamenting that, the most important thing is making the most of what we do have. I don't know what fate has in store for me tomorrow, the moon after or even a year from now. What I do know is that, at this very moment, I am largely myself… and I want to spend that time with you."
Edric's momentary smile melted her hard expression as he embraced her.
"You'd bring me into this world just to leave me here…"
"I could try leaving you with some company," Edric jested before looking more serious as he noticed something odd. "Are you… crying?"
"I am not," She denied, taking a deep breath. "You've reached the pinnacle in your charm skill, haven't you?"
"I've reached the pinnacle in nearly everything I could."
"It would surprise me if you hadn't," Raiden smiled, stepping back and wiping her eyes "Now, what did you mean precisely by leaving me with company?"
"It's not very likely given the state of my body, but we could give it a go…"
"... You… are bold," Raiden smiled, laughing lightly. "Why, some things never change."
"You were jumping on it last I remember, I was only reluctant because of my body… but now… well, that's not an issue anymore."
"Can you even get it up?" Raiden raised an eyebrow. "Being so far from human…"
"For you? Of course." Edric said with confidence. "I'd figure something out."
"... And is that truly what you want to do?"
"In truth, I only want to feel alive. Whether it's holding you in my arms, kissing you, lying with you or rolling in the snow…I don't truly mind."
"You've grown tall, to a troublesome degree," Raiden remarked, tiptoeing and still being unable to reach his mouth. "Must I jump to reach you?"
"The armour adds a fair bit of inches… but, on the bright side, you wouldn't have to kneel," Edric grinned slightly. "And I can still pick you up."
Edric demonstrated this, raising her with no effort whatsoever. She wrapped her legs around him and pulled his head inwards, pressing her lips against his.
"I suppose… this does work," Raiden remarked after departing.
"I didn't expect all of that…"
"There's not much time to be shy, is there?"
"You're right… we should live this night to the fullest without shame."
Edric reciprocated her kiss with one of his own, a far longer and more passionate one. His greater experience showed as he took lead, wrapping his tongue against hers.
"Mnn… where did you learn to do all of that from?"
"My wife," Edric said. "We've had plenty of years of practice…"
Before he knew it, she suddenly threw him onto the ground and sat on top of him as he collapsed into the ice… cracking into it. It was quite the fall.
"Ow…"
Her purple eyes did look rather menacing for a moment, glowing a darker tone.
"How many years, exactly?"
"About six…"
"Daenerys, I take it?"
"Yes…"
"I understand, of course… you are a King. You needed to sire heirs - something I could never give you,"
Raiden looked more sorrowful than angry. Six years against a day when she was the one by his side from the very beginning - through everything… this kind of heart wrenching reality would break most mortals. It was beyond unjust.
Would he have married Daenerys if she was in the world before?
She wished there was a world where they had lived all these years together. Whether they possessed great power, riches or anything material didn't matter… she just wanted him. A lifetime together, as soulmates. No chains, no complications, no great struggles.
Just them… together.
There was nothing she wanted more.
And yet… it seemed to be the hardest thing of all to grasp.
After a long moment of silence, Edric sighed.
"… Mentioning another in this case was in terrible taste. I should not have been so loose with my words."
"No… it was a reality that I would have had to come to terms with regardless," Raiden replied. "This moment was unavoidable for you."
"In a perfect world-"
"You were right. There is no use in lamenting what could have been in the past or future… All we have is the present."
Before Edric could blink, she had stripped him of his armour. He found that… overly exciting. For once, he was matched with an equal to his strength, if not greater, rather than overwhelmingly lesser in bed… or ice, in this case.
"Tonight, I'll have you all to myself, Edric…"
It would not be long before the man all knew as Edric Stormfyre would be no more.
All the smiles, chuckles, laughs, flashes of confidence, arrogance and pride, unyielding demonic rage, stubbornness, jests, vulgar remarks, grins, raised eyebrows… the heart that had known hatred and love plenty enough for one man, committing good and evil plenty enough for one world… the brilliant, the average and the terrible… all of it would die.
But for now…
He simply grinned - as the last remnants of his heart made one last push for the woman he had loved.