Tournament of Crowns: Gods Among Titans

One

There are those who say that kingdoms at war fight like dogs. Dogs who are bloodthirsty and ready for war. Dogs who have been anticipating this moment for the longest time. Dogs who will most certainly not back down until they have no choice but to do so. They don't care if a ship's load of blood is spilled onto their land, as long as they are the ones who are declared victors in a hard-fought, bloody battle.

But even before the war starts, fingers are constantly pointed at everyone but themselves, seeing if anyone else would accept the fault at which they had nothing to do with. They want the blame to not rest on their own shoulders, so they could feel good about themselves and put that disgraceful shame to infinite rest. I, unfortunately, have been forced to witness such an event take place on multiple occasions. Most of these, however, saw many men die in the most gruesome yet heroic way, which didn't cross over into my mind all that well. Westeros is known for its deadly wars and catastrophic consequences, which is a realization I think about to this day.

Unfortunately, I've also had to witness these dogs—these hungry-for-war dogs—not even caring about their enemies' names. Instead, they focus on vanquishing them once they get the chance.

My name, however, means nothing without its full title:

Anaysha Mullendore Sparr, Grand Princess of the Iron Islands.

What did I tell you? It means nothing unless the full title is announced. Only the higher-ups in Westeros would recognize my name based on the title, but only a select few would question who my parents were, only because they haven't caught on to who I was yet. And who were my parents? To put it bluntly, they were polar opposites.

My father, King Brandeth Sparr, rules over the Iron Islands with a cold, iron fist, firmly establishing his power all across Westeros. He instills fear into the hearts of those who are too weak to fight back against it. In order to gain more power, he threatens other kingdoms with war and conquest if they don't give him what he wants. And when they don't, my inconsiderate father doesn't follow through all the time. Only when the other kingdom fires back with either too much attitude or my father considers them a danger to his empire does Brandeth follow through on his threats. Even occasions when I defy him and give him plenty of pushback are considered life-threatening to not only other kingdoms that I could be residing in, but also...myself. A power-hungry tyrant like my father is not someone to mess with, and only the bravest of souls are able to stand up to him and fight back.

Queen Giyana Mullendore, my mother, is much unlike my father. She tries to do everything in her power to rule with grace, kindness, and mercy. As one of the most gracious, motherly rulers in all of Westeros, my mother was the type of queen mother who fought hard to give her children the life they deserved. She didn't want her children to constantly live in fear, which is something my father didn't care too much about. Ever since she was young, my dear mother always wanted children to look after. Children to care for because she was the most gracious person imaginable. But once she witnessed my father's turn toward a more antagonistic approach, she developed a new fear that her life—and the lives of her children—were all in danger. She is constantly forced to live in a marriage of fear, and to my dismay, I've had to witness what she meant by that.

It should be noted that our family has quite the history. Firm rulers, feared conquerors...as far as I know, my family line is pure and distinguished among many. Then again, I only trace my lineage up to my great-grandparents, so who knows if my family is not as pure as I might think? I do know, however, the story behind my family's rise to power and their conquest and rule in the Iron Islands, for my mother would tell this story to me and my siblings quite often:

A long time ago, there was a period of great conquest and new interest in foreign lands. Every able-bodied man served their king by joining their army and conquering the land they wanted, in exchange for great rewards, mainly gold and riches. One man, however, stood out because of his wit and exceptional fighting skills. His name was Camern Targaryen, He was your great-great grandfather.