The Night's King
Aye, let this be a fond and affectionate recounting of a favorite Ghost Story of mine from George R. R. Martin's sprawling 'A Song Of Ice And Fire' series. I speak of "The Legend Of THE NIGHT'S KING". It seems that as of the Fifth Episode of the Sixth Season, this tale from the Age Of Heroes may have been altogether discarded. In my sadness and understanding of the trials of screen adaptation- I saw fit to remember the haunting tale of that poor mysterious soul who ventured where he most certainly should not have. Alas, I say, at least he did it for LOVE! And his folly is mine inspiration {or a grand excuse to indulge mine inks, churning them towards the werks of the Middle Ages!} It is with many dips of my trusty Pen and with a tip of the old top hat to the arcane passions of the illustrious and storytelling styles of Medieval Artwork that we embark on a journey into the Fevers of The Night's King...
His is a story told to young Bran Stark whom we all remember was fond of his Nan's ghost stories. The story of The Night's King begins auspiciously enough- in the 'Age of Heroes'. It is an inspiring time which effectively births the Seven Great Houses. And as inferred by the Age's title is a time for Notables like Bran 'The Builder' who erected the great 'Winterfell' and The Mighty North Wall. It is in this legendary time that a celebrated warrior, devoid of any fear, is named Thirteenthth Lord Commander of the Night's Watch {Jon Snow numbers the Nine Hundred and Ninety-Eighth Lord Commander so ye may have a sense of what a bygone era this actually be}. Not much else is known of this decorated man...
One night, upon his nightly patrols beyond the Wall, he encountered a Woman "with skin as white as the moon and eyes like blue stars" one must surmise by this ghostly description that this mystery Lady was in fact a White Walker. Apparently to see her was to begin a feverish hunger for her and it is told that to give his seed to this mysterious snowy woman was to give his very soul. Our Hapless Lord Commander became bewitched by her. He brought her back to the NightFort and declared her Queen Of the North, anointing Himself by her side as her Dreadful King- "THE NIGHT'S KING". A reign of horror fell upon The North for Thirteen Dark Years.
Aye, it were Thirteen years that this most unholiest of Unions ruled the North with a reign of apocryphal worship, human sacrifice and strange- nay- unspeakable occult goings-on. The madness continued mercilessly until this Uncouth Pair were overthrown by the allied uprisings between the Armies of Winterfell from the South and the Wildlings to The North but the damage was done. The Night's King was come. And after the dust from the battles had settled, he was no where to be found.
Zounds, so terrible were the acts committed by The Night's King that all previous records of the Thirteenth Lord Commander were erased from the Westeros' History books. Who he was before he swore the sacred oaths of the Black, where he came from- all unknown. It is widely believed in Ice and Fire Lore that after his defeat, The Night's King escaped Northwards, pushing deep within the bleak and howling icy winds, beyond the grasp of the Wildlings, taking his place among the early White Walkers as their Lord and Leader and that he steadily bides his time through the centuries, raising the dead, creating an army of wights to rival all the forces of the world.
I say, His watch may have ended long ago but His march defies time...
The Lesson one may take here is what Bran is told: {in glorious Paraphrase:} The Thirteenth Lord Commander had no fear. Not even of Death {in this case The Female White Walker} And that coupled with his boundless desire and pride was his downfall. An individual aught to know and respect her/ his fears as deeply as his/ her desires lest one should take hold in the absence of the other.
The Thirteenth Lord Commander perhaps was destined to become the Champion of the Uncouth Risen BECAUSE he had not a sensible refrain and therefore he became easily 'corruptible'. After all one could say that those with fears also cultivate morals and an avoidance of wrong doing... they have a soul.
Though this tale appears to be missing from the episodic's already rich canon- there be one last inkling in which I take comfort: As afore-mentioned, it would appear that 'Game Of Thrones' Creators have scrubbed away all traces of this particular bit of Ghoulish backstory... Just as the Westerosi Historians once did with the Thirteenth Lord Commander's life previous-
...For fear of invoking The Night's King somehow?
Let us leave things at that...