Chapter 214 - PS: The Lightbringer, the Prophecy, and Brynden's Origins

1. LightbringerDarkness shrouded the world, and a hero—Azor Ahai—was chosen to fight the night. To challenge the darkness, Azor needed to forge a hero's sword. He labored without rest for thirty days and thirty nights. But when he plunged the sword into water to cool it, it shattered.He started over.This time, he worked for fifty days and fifty nights. The sword was better than the first, the final product even more refined.Azor Ahai captured a lion and tried to temper the blade by plunging it into the beast's heart. Yet the sword broke again.On the third attempt, knowing what had to be done, he forged the sword over a hundred days and nights with a heavy heart. Once completed, he called upon his wife, Nissa Nissa. He asked her to bare her chest, and he drove the still-smoking blade into her beating heart. Her blood, soul, strength, and courage flowed into the sword. Thus, Lightbringer was born.2. The Asshai ProphecyA prophecy recorded five thousand years ago in the ancient books of Asshai states:When the stars bleed and the cold darkness falls across the world, a warrior shall draw a burning sword from the fire. That sword is Lightbringer, and the one who draws it is Azor Ahai.3. The Three-Eyed Raven: BryndenBrynden Rivers was the legitimized bastard of King Aegon IV and Lady Melissa Blackwood.He came from noble blood.The feeble king gave the two ancestral Valyrian steel swords of House Targaryen to his two bastards. Daemon Blackfyre, son of Daena Targaryen, received "Blackfyre," while Brynden received "Dark Sister."However, Brynden preferred archery. He wielded a weirwood longbow and was a master archer.His relationship with his half-brother Aegor Rivers—known as "Bittersteel," founder of the Golden Company—was strained, in part due to the rivalry between their maternal families. Matters worsened when they both fell for their half-sister, the alluring and strong-willed Shiera Seastar.Shiera was a rare beauty with a rare temperament. Though she chose Brynden as her lover, she refused to marry him and surrounded herself with many admirers—Brynden was merely the "main lover." She wasn't about to give up a forest for a single tree.Bittersteel didn't even get to be a backup.Because of this, Brynden staunchly supported his older legitimate brother, Prince Daeron, during the Blackfyre Rebellion.Daemon Blackfyre and Bittersteel were close allies, while Brynden and they never saw eye to eye.During the First Blackfyre Rebellion, 21-year-old Brynden led the Raven's Teeth and captured the Weeping Ridge. From 300 yards away, he shot and killed Daemon Blackfyre and his twin sons.From then on, people called Brynden "kinslayer."The Raven's Teeth were perhaps the most elite archers in all of A Song of Ice and Fire. Numbering only 300, their exploits were legendary and their loyalty unwavering. They followed Brynden through countless battles and later gave up honor to take the black with him.After Blackfyre's death, Bittersteel led a fierce counterattack against the royal army. Brynden dueled him directly, losing an eye in the fight, while Bittersteel was forced into exile across the Narrow Sea.After King Daeron II died, his son Aerys I took the throne, and Brynden became Hand of the King.During Brynden's tenure, the Seven Kingdoms were plagued by disasters—external threats from Bittersteel and Blackfyre claimants, internal turmoil from a devastating spring plague and years of drought, and widespread banditry. Dagon Greyjoy of the Iron Islands also took the opportunity to raid the western coast of Westeros.But none of this fazed Brynden. His skills as a greenseer gave him unparalleled intelligence capabilities, allowing him to suppress rebellions swiftly.Though the people of the Seven Kingdoms were unaware of his powers, many suspected he practiced dark sorcery.Rumors spread that "Lord Bloodraven" was an evil sorcerer who ruled the realm through magic and spies. They said King Aerys was only a puppet, with Bloodraven as the true ruler.A riddle about Brynden went:"How many eyes does Lord Bloodraven have?""A thousand—plus one." (Referring to his many spies and his one remaining eye.)This inspired the ballad A Thousand and One Eyes.In the year 212 AC, Lord Bloodraven uncovered a conspiracy among several nobles to support Daemon Blackfyre II. Without shedding a drop of blood, he arrested Daemon and quashed the Second Blackfyre Rebellion. He spared Daemon's life, preventing Bittersteel from crowning Daemon's brother Haegon.Seven years later, in 219 AC, Haegon Blackfyre declared himself king and joined Bittersteel to launch the Third Blackfyre Rebellion.Unfortunately for them, Brynden was unstoppable. The rebellion was swiftly crushed. Haegon surrendered but was executed nonetheless. Bittersteel was captured and brought before the king.Brynden, Prince Maekar, and Prince Aerion all urged for his execution. But King Aerys I allowed Bittersteel to take the black and head north. However, Bittersteel was rescued by his followers en route and fled across the Narrow Sea once again.A few years later, in 221 AC, Aerys I died, and his younger brother Maekar I took the throne. Brynden remained Hand of the King—a veteran of three reigns.In 233 AC, Maekar died during a rebellion (involving remnants of the Blackfyres). As Hand, Bloodraven sought to avoid civil war and called a Great Council to choose Maekar's successor.Brynden had no intention of taking the throne himself—Maekar's eldest son, Aerion, was a madman who had once drunk wildfire and died.Though Aerion had a son, the council feared the "mad blood" would be passed on.At that point, Maester Aemon—Maekar's third son—entered the picture.Technically, the throne should have gone to the second son, but he too had his issues. Aemon, being a maester, served his brother Daeron. Sadly, Daeron died of syphilis, contracted from frequenting brothels.Thus, Aemon inherited a claim he never wanted. As a maester, he could neither hold lands nor wear a crown.That's why Bloodraven called for the Great Council.Meanwhile, Aenys Blackfyre, fifth son of Daemon Blackfyre, wrote to the Iron Throne requesting to assert his claim during the council.Bloodraven allowed him safe passage. But the moment Aenys set foot in King's Landing, he was arrested by the Goldcloaks. Bloodraven ordered his execution to serve as a warning to those who still sympathized with House Blackfyre.Eventually, Egg—Aemon's beloved younger brother, the fourth son—was elected king.Though known affectionately as "Egg," Aegon V was sharp and ruthless.He immediately arrested Bloodraven for breaking his promise to Aenys Blackfyre.Bloodraven did not deny the accusation, stating he sacrificed his honor for the kingdom's peace.Aegon V responded, "To avoid bringing dishonor to the Iron Throne, I must sentence you to death. But you have served our family faithfully for decades—four kings, unwavering loyalty. I won't kill you. Take the black and guard the Wall."Maester Aemon also took the black. The council had nearly chosen him as king, but he declined and gave the throne to his brother.Thus, Aegon V earned the nickname "The Unlikely King."Who could have accepted that?Aemon, both loving and pragmatic, immediately volunteered to go to the Wall.So, the two greatest threats to the throne—Aemon and Bloodraven—journeyed north together and joined the Night's Watch.At that time, only about a hundred of the original 300 Raven's Teeth remained. They had followed Brynden through decades of battle and did not hesitate to don the black with him.In 233 AC, Bloodraven took the black. In 239, he became Lord Commander of the Night's Watch. By 252, with most of the Raven's Teeth gone, he had no more ties. He vanished during a ranging mission beyond the Wall.Nearly fifty years passed. Aegon V died. His grandson, the Mad King Aerys, lost the throne. Robert Baratheon claimed it.In 297 AC, Brynden—now the Three-Eyed Raven—began guiding Bran Stark.In 299 AC, the Three-Eyed Raven set his sights on Daenerys.(End of Chapter)