Chapter 154 The Phoenix and the Light

Disclaimer:

Harry Potter and all of its characters belong to J.K. Rowling.

ASOIAF and all of its characters belong to GRRM

I own nothing but the original characters I make.

"Dialogue"

'Thoughts'

-Author notes-

Chapter 154: The Phoenix and the Light

"Well-" Before Joffrey could finish what he was about to say, the door burst open.

And on the other side stood Daenerys Targaryen, the Queen of Meereen, and she did not look very happy.

"There you are!" She huffed the moment she saw him, completely ignoring the other guests. Her silver hair was in disarray, her cheeks flushed, and there was a leaf…a single, stubborn leaf caught in the folds of her gown.

"Here I am," Joffrey said, unsure about the reason for her distress. "You look upset. Did something hap-"

"Yes, something happened," Daenerys interrupted him. "You left me in your laboratory and disappeared!"

"Yes, well, I was eager to see my sister, you see." Joffrey pointed at Myrcella and the others. " And these people who have come from far away to speak with me about something important."

"That's not it." Daenerys insisted. "Thirty minutes..."

"Pardon?" Joffrey raised an eyebrow.

"It took me thirty minutes to find the exit to that room!" Daenerys exclaimed. "I thought I was going to stay there, trapped in that damn garden forever."

"Why did you not use the door?" Joffrey asked.

"The door was gone!" Daenerys shouted. "I had to push a tree to get out. I cannot even believe it occurred to me, or I would still be there."

"Oh..." Now Joffrey finally understood her plight. When he had transformed the room and expanded the dimensional space, he must have accidentally transformed the door as well, making it resemble something else entirely. A tree, perhaps. Or a bush. Something that did not look like an exit.

"That was my bad. I apologize."

"Should we..." Myrcella's eyes shifted around nervously. "Leave?"

"Ah..." Daenerys seemed to regain some of her composure after that outburst. She patted the leaves off her dress and cleared her throat. "No, there is no need for that. I just wanted to say this to Joffrey. I think I should return to my chambers now. You-"

"Actually, you may want to stay for this," Joffrey suggested. "What we are discussing could affect the future of Westeros."

"Hmm?" Now Daenerys sounded confused. Her eyes went to the shiny orb of light floating above Joffrey's hand, which she had somehow missed during her fit. "Is that...?"

<><>

The explanation took some time.

Daenerys listened as Jon spoke of the Wall, of the Others, of the great shadow creature that had attacked. 

She listened as Bran spoke of the Children of the Forest, of the Shadow King, of the ancient evil that slept beneath the ice. She listened as Myrcella spoke of their mother's plots, of Euron Greyjoy, of the weapons being built to kill her dragons.

And through it all, she watched Joffrey. Watched his golden eyes, his calm expression, the way he seemed to radiate a peace that she had never seen in him before.

When they were finished, she turned to him.

"You once told me that the Game of Thrones was merely a distraction," she said, her voice quiet. "You told me there was a greater threat far beyond this. But you never elaborated. You knew about this the whole time."

Joffrey nodded. "I learned about it in Stygai, when I met the Other One."

"I wish you had told me earlier how real this threat was."

"You had enough burdens as you were. And there is nothing you can do about this." Joffrey looked at the others. "There is nothing any of you can do, to be honest. You can fight the Others and their wights. You can fight the wildlings and their giants. But you cannot fight against... That."

He sighed.

"And to be fair, even I cannot stop it."

"But the Light-" Bran started.

"Yes." Joffrey interrupted him. "This tiny orb should contain enough power to contest that of the one you call the Shadow King. But no one will be able to use it."

"You said you had a way," Jon pointed out.

"I said that I may have a way." Joffrey corrected him. He raised the orb in the air. "Fawkes."

For a moment, nothing happened.

Then the air in the center of the room shimmered, and a burst of golden flame erupted from nothing. The flames swirled, taking shape, forming wings and feathers and a sharp, intelligent eye. When the fire faded, a bird perched on Joffrey's outstretched arm.

But it was no ordinary bird.

It was larger than any hawk or falcon, its plumage a brilliant crimson and gold. Its tail feathers were long and elegant, trailing behind it like a banner of fire. Its eyes were golden, like Joffrey's, and they gleamed with an intelligence that was almost human.

Bran's breath caught in his throat. Jon took a step back, his hand instinctively reaching for Longclaw's pommel. Myrcella stared, her mouth open, her green eyes wide with wonder.

"What... what is that?" Jon asked, his voice barely above a whisper.

Daenerys, who had seen Fawkes many times before, did not flinch. But even she felt a flicker of awe at the sight of the phoenix. It had been some time since she had seen him up close, and the bird looked even more magnificent now somehow.

"This is Fawkes," Joffrey said, his voice carrying a note of pride. "He is a phoenix. A very special magical creature, and the last direct descendant of the one who created the Primordial Light."

Bran's eyes widened. He leaned forward in his chair, his ancient gaze fixed on the bird. "A descendant... of the Fire Being you told us about?"

"In a manner of speaking," Joffrey said. "Fawkes was born from an egg that the Fire Being gave me in Stygai. He is its child, its legacy, its... heir."

The phoenix let out a soft trill, its head tilting as if it were listening. It looked at each of the strangers in turn, its golden eyes unblinking, before returning its gaze to Joffrey.

"If that is true..." Bran said slowly, his mind working through the implications. "If this bird is a descendant of the Primordial Being... then perhaps there is a way."

He looked at Joffrey, his ancient eyes filled with hope.

"The Light. You could give it to Fawkes. The phoenix could absorb the orb's power, transform into something greater... a protector, a weapon against the Shadow King."

Joffrey nodded slowly. "The logic is sound. Fawkes is of the Fire Being's bloodline. The Light is the Fire Being's essence. In theory, he could contain it. He could become something more than he already is."

He paused, his golden eyes softening.

"Unfortunately, Fawkes is just a baby right now. He was born less than a year ago. He is still growing, still learning, still becoming what he is meant to be. The power contained in this orb would overwhelm him. It would destroy him before he could ever use it."

Bran's hope faded. "Then... what?"

"Perhaps, once he matures, in a few centuries, he would be able to contain the Light. But we do not have centuries. We have two years at most."

Joffrey lifted the orb, letting its radiance wash over the room one final time. Then, with a thought, he placed it back in its black stone box. The lid slid closed, sealing the light within.

He turned to Fawkes and held out the box.

"Take this to your safe place," he said. "Keep it hidden. Keep it protected. Do not let anyone find it."

Fawkes let out another trill, a sound of understanding. He gripped the box with his talons, his wings spreading wide. Then, with a burst of golden flame, he was gone.

The room felt darker without him. The warmth that had filled it seemed to drain away, leaving behind a cold emptiness.

Bran stared at the spot where the phoenix had been. Then he looked at Joffrey.

"If the phoenix is not the answer, then what is?"

Joffrey did not answer immediately.

Daenerys felt a chill run down her spine. She had been silent throughout the exchange, watching, listening, processing. But now, something clicked into place. A realization that made her blood run cold.

She looked at Joffrey. At his golden eyes. At the calm, peaceful expression on his face.

"No... you," she whispered.

Everyone turned to look at her.

Joffrey met her gaze, and his eyes told her everything she needed to know.

"You plan to use the Light on yourself," Daenerys said, her voice trembling. "You used a small fraction of it before. It transformed you into what you are now. You think you can use the rest."

Joffrey nodded slowly. "I do."

"But..." Daenerys took a step forward, her hands clenched into fists. "Even I can see how dangerous that is. The power inside that orb, you said it yourself. It is enough to decimate the entire world. A fraction of it changed you so much already. The whole of it..."

She trailed off, unable to finish the sentence.

"It would kill me," Joffrey said, his voice calm. "Most likely. The human body, even one as enhanced as mine, cannot contain that much power. I would be torn apart from the inside, consumed by the Light itself. But perhaps I could use this power for long enough to deal with the Shadow King. I cannot give any guarantees, though."

The room fell silent.

Myrcella was the first to speak. "There must be another way."

She looked at Bran, at Jon, at Daenerys, searching for support.

"Surely there is something else we can do. Some other way to stop this... this Shadow King. You cannot just... you cannot just sacrifice yourself. You are my brother. You are..."

She trailed off, tears streaming down her cheeks.

Joffrey smiled. It was a gentle smile, a warm smile, a smile that made Daenerys's heart ache.

"You are kind to worry about me," he said. "But do not fret. We still have two years. Two years to prepare. Two years to find another way."

He stood, his golden eyes sweeping over the room.

"And if no other way presents itself... when the time comes, I will do what I must."

The silence that followed was heavy.

No one spoke. No one moved. They could only watch as Joffrey walked to the window and looked out over the city of Meereen, his golden eyes reflecting the light of the setting sun.

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