Game of Thrones: The Accidental Empire

In this unofficial *House of the Dragon* spin-off, Tiberius Modd—nephew to a mercenary captain—wants nothing to do with the looming Dance of the Dragons. His sole ambition in Essos is to live out his days as a wealthy, retired nobleman, far from the Targaryen civil war. But fate has other plans. Following a legendary victory at the Battle of the Golden Spurs, Tiberius is thrust into reluctant fame and dragged straight into the dragonlords' brutal succession crisis. What begins as an attempt to help Prince Daemon train a few hired swords spirals into the creation of Westeros's first standing army, the "Dragonflame Legion." His modest real estate venture on Crackclaw Point accidentally mutates into a monopoly over the sugar and wine trade, and a sycophantic royal history book he writes for quick cash becomes the official Targaryen propaganda manifesto. Just as the dust settles from the Great Council of 101 AC, Tiberius sighs in relief, only to discover a barrage of shocking truths: he is prophesied as a "Dragon Speaker," his supposed bandit-hunting father is a covert sorcerer, his mother a shadowbinder from Asshai, and King Viserys I wants him as Royal Secretary. As the Dance of the Dragons finally concludes and the last great beasts fade from the skies, Tiberius runs a hand over the cruel, jagged barbs of the Iron Throne, turning to his loyal officers with a helpless sigh: "Gentlemen... to be entirely honest, I was actually trying to be a deserter from the very beginning."