What Is Dead May Never Die

[Many Years Ago... ]

A young boy struggled as his father's men dragged him from his cot and up the decks of the ship, it was close to dawn from the reddish-orange hue in the sky above. around him was all the members of the Silence, his father sitting on a barrel with a frown on his face and the Red Priest by his side that they acquired some few weeks back.

"Papa! What are you doing?! Why?!" The boy cried out and his father simply nodded to the first mate and a bag was put over his head and then a sharp pain hit the back of his head, then nothing for a long time.

That same boy soon woke up and tore the bag from his head, to see around him a beach and open ocean. Tears began to leave his eyes as he pounded his fists in the sand, shouting curses and obscenities to the one who put him on whatever land he had been dropped on. Next to him was a single ax along with food and water that won't last the day, but he would make it last.

He will survive on whatever land he was put on and find his father, and when he finds the Crows Eye he will drive that same ax through his head. He gripped it and tensed and turned to the forest behind him, he first needs to know where he is and find some wood to make a fire. All the while he remembers the words of his people.

"What is dead may never die, and I won't die."

[Present, Nagga's Hill]

The wind blew hard as each faction going to vie for the Iron Islands came to put in their votes to become the next King of the Isles. Iron Born Kings aren't like Greenlanders, it doesn't matter who was your daddy growing up, if you have the support and the favor then the Seastone Chair is yours, or your ship as the Hoares called their seats of power as the seas are the domain and he would bring back that concept. He and Zolar Qoxa watched his family and some other men who would die from a shit then lead a fleet anywhere.

"We speak in the presence of the Drowned God, in his name we gather to choose a new King to lead us; Who makes a claim?" The Drowned God worshipper began and Asha stepped forward with Theon following her like some lapdog.

"I am Asha Greyjoy; Daughter of Balon Greyjoy, the King of the Iron Islands. I claim the Salt Throne." She was met with immediate opposition by one of the men in the gathering, she was told that they have never had a Queen, not once and she retorted with, "There are many things we never did, we never made our mark on the world. The Great Lords of Westeros pay us no mind until our little raids cause a nuisance then they swat us down, conquer us and humiliate us. After that, they go right back to forgetting we were a problem." Some of the others agreed to what she was speaking of, even he had to admit that its an admirable speech.

"And how will you lead us? Tell us what you can offer?" One of his father's men asked in a mocking tone, yet Asha took the question in stride.

"Peace. Land. Victory. I'll give you Sea Dragon Point and the Stony Shore, black earth, and tall trees and stones enough for every younger son to build a hall. We'll have north too ... as friends, to stand with us against the Iron Throne. Your choice is simple. Crown me, for peace and victory. Or crown my uncles or cousin, for more war and more defeat. What will you have, ironmen." her argument was plausible, if crowned he will wage war, bringing back the ways of iron with a new style.

"You are done. No woman will lead us, not when my brother's own son has returned." His cousins rise in support dampened but were still strong, the lapdog stayed silent and looked to shiver by all the eye contact. "But he shouldn't lead either, he was raised with the Starks, people who killed my two nephews during the last rebellion." The Priest turned his eyes on Victarion and asked what he would offer to them, his offerings weren't great in the slightest. "When Balon was wed, it was me he sent to Harlaw to bring him back his bride. I led his longships into many a battle and never lost but one. The first time Balon took a crown, it was me sailed into Lannisport to singe the lions tail. The second time, it was me he sent to skin the Young Wolf should he come howling home. All you'll get from me is more of what you got from Balon." it was a dull promise and a weak pull to grab the support of the Lords.

"clapping Arousing brother! Very inspiring," Euron walked forward and gave a grave smirk at him and it caused his fighting hand to twitch. "Your gifts are as worthless as Asha's and I can definitely do better." His father's character hasn't changed a bit, besides that smirk which grew more savage, Asha stepped forward with anger on her face.

"How so, when I become King I am executing you for murder, the brother who killed his own." She spoke loudly so everyone would hear it, yet his father didn't feel fazed by the accusation. He killed Balon, that isn't a lie from his father's expression and Asha should have known Euron was going to do it sooner or later.

"I did it, so? Balon was putting the Iron Born in great risk with his pitiful war in the north with leading us into two wars we couldn't win, I am glad he is with that Drowned God he spoke so highly of." He didn't have an expression for what was being said, he knows the ruthlessness of Euron better than anyone and the same for Victarion. "Now, what do I offer? Well, let us see," A few men set up a table of the known world, one by one his father drove a dagger into each of the kingdoms, including his own on the Stepstones. "North, West, East, and South. I will build a mighty fleet and take it all, and I know who can help me do it. Across into Essos, there is a woman who hates the Great Lords of Westeros, just as much as I do with several thousand men, three dragons... and no husband." His father's men laughed with their leader while he only scowled.

"You're going to seduce the Dragon Queen- " Asha tried to speak and was cut off by Euron.

"I am not, the Iron Fleet I will build will. Along with my cock!" The men chuckled and laughed while he, Victarion, Asha and Theon scowled. "I wasn't born to be King, I paid the Iron Price, and here I stand." The men chanted his father's name or the ones that came with the other Lords of the Isles, next was his turn to shut the man up.

"Ha! A mighty fleet? Don't be ridiculous. The Iron Islands have no forest for you to use, just a half-mad brother of a king of nothing." He wouldn't stay silent any longer and got close to his father that hasn't been since he was a child. "I offer the same, but I have the might to prove it, my father has what; 8 to 10 ships in his fleet, I have ten times that. At the Stepstones where I am a King in my own right and an army that is more trained and battle-hardened than you lot, but that can change." He began his own drive for the support of the Iron Islands and he would have it.

"I was left on Sothoryos, the continent riddled with monstrous creatures and hard men and wilderness, I survived; clawed my way out and got off that land. I soon found my own ship and trained several hundred new Iron Born from my own crew, conquered the Stepstones and forged a kingdom of my own. Name my father king, see how far he takes you before you all die in a third pitiful war for a single kingdom of Westeros, a single land of others. Or name my cousin or uncle and lose again, swatted down by the Greenlander Kings, or... Name me your king, and I won't just offer you lands but the Narrow Sea, Shivering Sea, Jade Sea, Sunset Sea, and every other sea known and unknown. No kingdom will sail freely in the waters without our knowing that are just as much our domain as these islands, make me your king and I will give you the world."

A large half of the kingsmoot sided with him and chanted his name, but the other half chose his father's side; a stalemate has been made and he and his father glared at each other. "Looks like we are at a divide, what do we do... Father," He said to the older man who didn't think twice before unsheathing his weapon along with everyone who sided with him, the lords and men present with him did the same and he pulled his dirk and ax out, "This weapon you gave me will find your head!" The priest tried to intervene but it was too late.

Both opposing sides charged and collided in a bloody battle, spears and swords and axes clashed about. He was dueling his father and had him backed to a ledge, he went left to avoid the slash of his sword then tried to take the bastard's arm but a fist made contact with his face and sent him back, the moment he recovered and got ahold of his bearings he turned and saw three eunuchs were defending the father, a sadistic smirk came across the youngers lips as he gripped his axe and dirk, "Come on then, fight me!"

He parried the first ones blow and drove the dirk through the eye, grabbing the sword from him and dug it into the next one and spun to drive the ax across the last one's shoulder, kicking the knelt body to get it free. He grew angrier when he saw his father had made an escape with a good amount of people, it wouldn't be long to see that the Silence had left with several other ships, where he is going he can take one guess and will search, now that he is the new King of the Iron Islands and the Stepstones.

"You- You broke all tradition! Attempted the act of kinslaying and had gone back on supporting me!" Victarion shouted at him and he sighed and turned to his uncle and cousins.

"Shut up, I'm still going to kill him. Get the Iron Fleet ready." He ordered and Asha spoke up next, shaking her head.

"And where will we go? He can be anywhere now." He smirked and looked east, his father gave him a good bet at where he is heading.

"We are sailing to Slavers Bay, to pay a visit to the Dragon Queen."