Failure, It had defined his life, his very being. He had failed to save his family from ruin, failed to marry and to carry on his line in his father's name, leaving his sister and his father in disgrace.

He had failed to defend the woman he loved, allowed her to be slaughtered like a dog before his eyes as he lay bleeding in the murky water of the swamp, too wounded to defend her as he swore he would all those years ago when they were but children.

He had failed even to get the revenge that defined him after being beaten for the first time in his life, in one of the only battles that really mattered to him.

The rage he felt, looking upon his beloved's broken form, marred by the fetid swamp that had defined them for so long, that they had tried to save from the burning corruption running rampant throughout.

He only looked away from her when he regained the strength to stand, to avenge what had been taken, what had been stolen.

Wounded and in despair he tore away from the swamp, slaughtering all in his wake with hammer and blade, shield and plated fist.

The lost and the damned of the swamp, broken by the disappearance of his love, begged him to stay. Clawing at him to suffer with them in the depths of the earth, forgotten by the world that discarded them. He killed them for halting his advance,

Demons sought to end his pursuit, only to be introduced to steel and fury.

The undead chased him in great hordes, hungering for his powerful soul.

Monsters nipped at his heels, slavering in great hunger, ancient and unbound.

All were tossed aside in his advance, his constant chase of the one being who had ever been able to challenge. They attacked again and again, only to be ripped apart in the furious rage of the failed knight.

For years he pursued the demon hunter, the man who stole his maiden, his saint and his charge. Through castles and forests, through mines and endless fog he charged, never resting, never stopping.

He was stronger, he was faster than he was, but it was not enough.

When his pursuit finally ended, when he finally found the murderer and beast who had stolen it all, he was met with laughter.

He was strong, but the hunter was stronger.

He was fast, but the hunter was faster.

He was a knight of power and skill beyond all his country had ever produced, but the hunter was legend.

He had fought the hunter for hours, endlessly swinging his greathammer into a monster with the form of a man. When his hammer proved too slow he cast it aside and drew his families sword, attacking with skill and the savage strength he had become known for.

It was met with a tide of skill and speed, the hunters blade always just too fast, just too strong for him to overcome, eventually being forced from his grip.

When his sword proved useless he struck with gauntleted fist, caring not for the score of wounds he took in his attempt. Finally, his blows met the hunter, sending dents into the plate he wore, granting him some small hope of victory.

It was only when the demon hunter struck him in return that he realized this was not a battle to be won. The murderer laughed as he impaled the failure with his blade, tossing him from the tower they had fought upon. As the knight fell he whispered in anguish.

"I failed you, Astraea."

When he struck the ground the life he lived in failure in a cursed land ended, and his life in a treacherous new world began.

POV Change (Genna Lannister)

Life had been a disappointment for Genna ever since her father gave her hand to a Frey. Emmon was the opposite of everything she had been told to expect from a husband.

Where a husband to a Lannister daughter should have been strong, Emmon was weak.

Where a husband should be handsome, Emmon was unattractive at best.

Where a husband should have a semblance of will, Emmon was a sop even more willing to bend than her father was.

She still remembered the horror as that grinning, ugly old man presented his shaking son to her. She still remembered her father announcing her marriage to his smelly, ugly son in front of half his bannermen. She still remembered the hushed laughter and the dark giggles of the maids and noblewomen alike.

The only one who even thought to defend her was Tywin, the only brother who stood up for her of them all. For that at least, he had her love.

She watched as her father gave away the gold of her house to merchants and passing knights alike, handing out huge sums that would surely never be seen again, all so her father could think he was well liked by those who met him.

For years she watched the Lannister name grow weaker, the bannermen ignore the orders of their liege lord. It was only made worse as she watched the man she would soon marry only grow less attractive, less willing to stand as a husband.

She was ready to throw herself from the highest tower of Casterly Rock when Tywin returned from the war of the ninepenny kings, stronger and ready to return her family name to its former place as one to respect, or one to fear.

He declared all debts the bannermen had accrued to be paid immediately, that they send hostages if they couldn't pay. When the Reynes, and the Tarbecks rose up in rebellion, he gathered his banners and ordered her to return from her place at the house of a minor lord, one whose daughter she once played with.

She left immediately, for why disobey the brother who might save the family? Why not honor Tywin with her immediate approval?

She was a fool to act so quickly.

She made to travel to The Rock with thirty household guards, well trained and sworn to defend her. They need not worry about rebellious vassals so soon to the declaration, and she wanted to be in her home when the war started in full.

It was only when the arrows fell and the men came from the hills that she remembered the bandits that had scoured the countryside for so long. They came upon her small guard in hopes of gold and plunder. They halted when she claimed she had no treasure, before laughing at her.

"A ransom is treasure enough, and your body will entertain well enough in the meantime. Right boys?" She paled as the men surrounding laughed in agreement.

She was proud of her body, the way the knights looked at her in lust was flattering, the way the ladies and noblewomen would glare in jealousy at her voluptuous form was even better.

Now she wished she was as ugly as her soon to be husband. These men would violate her, every last one of them would, the joy of laying with a noble was too much for these brigands to resist, she could see it in the way they looked at her.

When the loyal men fought she had hopes they would last, but the way they fell to the bandits bore little hope.

Ser Jorvos, the knight who had protected her for years, led her away from the fighting and into the woods, telling her to run as fast as she could, before drawing his blade and halting those men who sought to pursue.

"Leave this place, my lady, I can hold these men for a time, you can escape to your brother!"

With tears in her eyes, she ran, thinking of when Jorvos would give her flowers he plucked from the meadows, of when he told Emmon to be a man worthy of his wife to be.

Through shaded forest she ran, tearing her dress in her hurry to escape. As the night came upon her and she heard her pursuers grow ever closer she could only pray to the seven above that someone would save her from the fate that awaited her.

She would be known as the Lannister married to a Frey, as the slut who was ravaged by dozens of bandits. They might even put a bastard inside of her.

It was the thought of such a fate that pushed her onward, giving her the strength to run even as her breath left her, even as her legs wore at the strain.

The thought of escaping unscathed poisoned her mind, before a man tackled her from behind, quickly calling out to his friends.

"I found the bitch! I get the first go!" He grabbed at her breasts, his intent clear. "I always heard Ladies where the most beautiful women of the lands, but I never believed one could have a body like this!"

She fought with all she could, biting and clawing at the men, only stalling his attempts to tear at her already ruined dress, only giving the rest of the bandits time to arrive and join him in his attempts.

She had already given into despair, closing her eyes and wishing for anything to stop this, to take her back to her brother.

She opened her eyes when she heard the sound of branches breaking, of a meaty splat, accompanied by the sound of a great metal thunk.

She looked over to see the form of a man in plate, laying over the dead body of one of the bandits. The hole in the foliage above hinting at what happened.

A knight had fallen from the sky.