The Eminence in GOT-Chapter 24: The Rise of the Twilight Dome. Part 1. The Unknown

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***

278 A.D.

One of the many rooms in the house of Atrakes Belroy, Black Walls, Volantis

«So, I'll do it all over again, and if I'm wrong, you'll correct me. - I said these words without taking my eyes off the baby lying in my arms. Golden hair, chubby cheeks, and the most amazing thing - red eyes, like the most expensive rubies. According to Atrakes, such eyes were obtained by mixing pure Valyrian blood with any other blood. It was mentioned in the Citadel Library, so I saw no reason not to believe him. This child is mine-as indicated by the small birthmark beneath his shoulder blade, which his father, Aerys, and I also had, and the timing. He was conceived almost a year ago, when I'd been in Volantis for a month and frequented the pillow house.

«Good. - Replied the girl, along with her father, knocking the ground out from under my feet.

«Did Atraxes ask you to pretend to be a courtesan and sleep with me? - I asked slowly, watching every facial expression of the one I appeared to know nothing about.

«Right. - Eilis said as a matter of course, gracefully fixing a lock of hair that had fallen out of her hair with her hand. How beautiful she was at that moment... Her eyes, shining and mesmerizing, like the purest alexandrites, matched so perfectly with her white, almost quartic milky skin, and her silver hair flowing silently down her shoulders. Not a single mole, not a single wrinkle, not a single mark from her recent childbirth-she was still the airy and ethereal creature with whom I happened to share nights.

"Okay, enough of this nonsense." - I thought, mentally slapping myself and getting my thoughts back on track. - "You're a grown and experienced man, and this pretty girl has you wrapped around her finger."

«I guess I wasn't the first person you were told to share a bed with. - I said as neutrally as possible, trying to look anywhere but at the girl. I needed to piss her off to find out as much of the truth as possible. She'd spent the previous half hour answering me with one-word, pre-prepared phrases that smelled like lies a mile away and made it hard to understand her true feelings.

«No. You were my first. - And I succeeded," a small wrinkle appeared on her perfect forehead, and a spark of anger flashed in her eyes for a moment.

«And you learned all your skills in bed by watching from the sidelines. - I continued sarcastically, watching Eilis bite her lip and clench her hands into fists. No woman would like it if the father of her child insinuated that she was a whore.

Taking a deep breath and calming her breathing, Eilis sat down on the opposite couch and stared at me with her piercing purple gaze. - Why are you doing this?

«Why do what? - Making an incomprehensible look, I asked.

«Trying to piss me off. - My further excuses were interrupted by a raised palm. - Felix, don't be an idiot. I've already studied you well enough to know that you wouldn't just stoop to such vulgar innuendos. What do you want me to say?

«The truth. - I answered instantly, putting the sleeping baby in the crib nearby. - I want the truth about why you did all this, not the prepared answers you and your father fed me today and yesterday.

«Okay. - Said the girl, who was fed up with my questions, and I guess she'd decided to come clean. - I'll answer all your questions. And in return, you'll listen to a few of my demands.

«Deal. - The key word in her phrase was "listen," so for me there was a silver lining. - The first question you've heard is, did your father ask you to pretend to be a courtesan and sleep with me?

«Yes. And the same instant answer.

«Why? You're his daughter. Couldn't you refuse him? - When I saw her mocking look, I realized what a stupid thing I'd done. Nineteen years I've been living in this world, and sometimes my old upbringing comes out. I keep forgetting that women have very few rights here, even in aristocratic families. And my father's word was law to Eilis.

«There are actually several reasons. - She finally answered. - In case you have not forgotten, I am the daughter of a concubine, and I have few prospects. Either to become a concubine like my mother, or to lie under one of my older brothers, or to do my father's bidding and lie under you. The last option seemed to me the best.

At the end of the revelation, I sat there with eyes the size of saucers, and slowly freaked out. I couldn't even think of such reasons.

«No, don't think that's the only reason. - Having interpreted my silence in her own way, in a slight panic Eilis ranted, a little embarrassed. - Initially I liked you in appearance... and in bed you were gentle, unlike most men, as most of the maids told me... and then I learned that you are a very intelligent and well-read conversationalist. - The girl said, her head lowered to the floor. - I really enjoyed corresponding with you. And when he appeared - she pointed her finger at the baby - I realized that in a way... I... I... loved... you.....

At that moment she became the color of a boiled crawfish, with cheeks so flaming you could light a cigarette from her. I couldn't help myself and, tearing across the book table between the sofas, grabbed this beauty in my arms.

Yes, maybe she was an actress of Stanislavsky's level, who played a pre-rehearsed scene in front of me, maybe she didn't say much, because even at first sight there were some holes in her story, yes she was forced on me in a very cunning way, but ...

"Eh... who am I kidding." - I thought, making myself comfortable next to the girl lying down. - "I'm in love. Firmly and irrevocably. As they used to say - love is evil, you will love a goat. Although it's more like a fox, a snow fox. And my first wife was chosen for me by my parents, not chosen by me. The result - almost thirty-five years of happy marriage, three pretty children and eight favorite grandchildren. Nothing, and with this cheater will get along. Just get her out of here before Atraxes gives her any more orders."

«So what are your demands?

***

278 A.D.

Near the Grey Fortress, Dornish Sea

It went much better than I expected.

After "reconciling" with my now fiancée, there was one last conversation with Belroy.

Flashback.

«So, father-in-law, let's have an adult conversation now. - I said, sitting down in one of the chairs in Atraxes' office. After that day I had lost all crumbs of respect for him, because of which I instantly switched to a more "personal" address, incredibly pissed off my future "relative". I even started speaking in Andalos, knowing full well that, although Atraxes had learned it, it was still unaccustomed and unpleasant for him to speak it.

«All right, son-in-law. - That the conversation would be serious was evident from the triarch's natural demeanor, who had shed the husk of a drunkard and a do-gooder, and from the office, which was closed with all locks and windows. From the looks of it, it was built on purpose so that the probability that someone would overhear us would be zero.

«The first question will be about compensation.

«Compensation? - The Volantian made a puzzled face.

«Compensation. Such antics, you see, are a great blow to professional and personal pride. - I answered, keeping my gaze fixed on my interlocutor. - Do you have any idea what will happen to me in Westeros when the local lords find out who I married and under what circumstances?!

But at my words Belroy only laughed, a laugh so lively and boisterous that it was clear there was something I did not know.

«My dear Felax, tell me, how many people know that you slept with my daughter? - He asked me a question when he had laughed enough.

At this question I involuntarily froze. Come to think of it, my nights with Eilis were always spent in one of the most remote and private rooms in the entire establishment. Not even the ever-running kids, the children of the prostitutes working in the establishment, were in those places. I was accompanied by the same woman, with one very interesting peculiarity....

«You, me, the servants of this house, Eilis herself, and the slave with the cut tongue...

«Your royal master over whisperers, Varis, seems to have long since become famous among the highest aristocrats of the Free Cities. - Belroy smiled contentedly. It was obvious that he liked that feeling of dominance, when you are a few steps ahead of your opponent and he doesn't even realize it. And now I'm in his role. - I'd be a complete idiot if I didn't take action. So you can assume that only you, me, and Eilis know about this secret - that maid has long since been silenced for eternity, and those servants who are courting your bride will soon share her fate.

"Yes... It's times like this that you realize what kind of monsters the spider jars called Free Cities can spawn." - I thought, listening as, in fact, several dozen innocent people were given a death sentence. - "Gods forbid I become one of them."

«Even if no one finds out HOW I got married. - I moved on to the next nuance that arose from this situation. - There's a problem of provenance.

«Provenance?

«Eilis, if you translate the situation into the laws of the Seven Kingdoms, is a bastard. - Seeing the slight misunderstanding in my father-in-law's eyes, I had to clarify that point. - An illegitimate child who has no claim to inheritance. And if I'm more or less understood in Dorne, the other lords will brand the Temper family as black and dirty for the rest of my days.

Atraxes gave me a puzzled look, then laughed a second time.

"Am I a buffoon to him or something?" - Irritated, I thought, stony-faced as I continued to stare at the laughing Volantian.

«Felax, dear. - Finally laughing and wiping away tears, Belroy asked, looking at me with a flicker of laughter in his eyes. - Tell me, who am I?

The question was rhetorical, so he answered it himself.

«I am Atraxes Belroy! Head of the Belroy family, one of the five strongest and richest aristocratic clans of Volantis, blood from the blood of Ancient Valyria! The current triarch and head of the elephant party! There are only two men in this city as powerful as me. Do you think that if I call Eilis my first official daughter, anyone will say a word to me?

I was taken aback, but I quickly regained my composure.

«But it is not determined by your words. Others will still know that she is the eighth daughter of a concubine.

«And here, my dear Felax, your ignorance of the traditions of the Volantian aristocracy is showing. - Atraxes said with a smile, sipping some of the diluted wine to wet his throat. - Unlike you people of the Sunset Kingdoms, we Volantians keep the birth order of our daughters a secret.

«Why?

«It is convenient. - The Triarch said as a matter of course, shrugging his shoulders. - Imagine, you have your first daughter - a simple girl, with whom not only to sleep - it is boring to watch. The same with the second. But the third was a success. Beauty, charm, grace and intelligence. And when someone wants to be related to you, they'll want the third. Although for status, it's better to go with the first. And thanks to the fact that no one knows what they are in order of birth, you can call the third first and quietly marry. And the husband is satisfied - got both status and beauty, and you are satisfied - less dowry to pay. We even have a saying in Volantis - the older the daughter, the more beautiful she is.

I was really shocked by such a revelation, but I didn't miss the phrase that followed it.

«So Eilis will be my official third daughter, given away to Lord Felax Temper of the Sunset Kingdoms! - Belroy laughed at the end of the sentence, drinking another goblet of wine, and I involuntarily thought - if Eilis is the "third daughter", then it turns out that there were prettier girls in this family than her. Looking more closely at the piece of lard sitting on the opposite chair, from whose chin flowed orange paths of spilled wine, it became clear that they probably went to the mothers.

«Okay... We've solved the main troubles. Now let's talk about the dowry. - My words instantly sobered up my father-in-law, making him look organized and workmanlike.

«As a dowry for my beloved and beautiful daughter I am ready to give you a fortune - ten thousand gold Valar. - I almost choked on my wine at that impudence. Five thousand gold dragons for the daughter of the triarch, who drank so much blood from me, was a form of robbery.

«You're a good joker, father-in-law. - I said, putting the goblet on the table and preparing for a serious battle. - I have more money for a wedding dress than you offer for a dowry. One hundred and fifty thousand.

Now it was Atraxes' turn to spit wine.

«You're going to let me go! I've already given you everything you need. I've given you an heir. Eleven.

«But that doesn't make up for all the moral damage you've done to me. 149,500 valar.

«You're going to drive me into the world! Am I supposed to go naked to a meeting of the Triarchs?! Twelve thousand.

«You said yourself you were six times richer than I am. But I'll give you another five hundred.

«You ungrateful puppy! I'll give you--

«Oh, who am I hearing this from? I'm a twirler.

The end flashback.

***

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In the end it was decided that the dowry for the Volantian beauty would be almost forty thousand gold dragons. At the end of the discussion Atraxes and I nearly fought when we started arguing about silver and copper purely out of professional pride. Plus Belroy, as promised, financed the relocation of nearly three thousand workers to my lands, with their families and belongings. Even promised a six-month supply of food to feed the lot.

The wedding was planned for the end of next year, when the donjon of my castle would be completed and the wedding license from Doran Martell, who, as a suzerain, had to approve all weddings of his vassals. Until then, Eilis and the baby, who was eventually to be named Lyon, would live at Atraxes Manor, where they would be looked after. Remembering how that fat bug wanted to shake me down for keeping 'such a beautiful and young girl who needs to be watched very closely', a sarcastic smirk appears on my face all by itself.

"No." - I thought, standing on the prow of the brig and watching the spires of the Red Mountains, among which my fiefdom spreads, already appearing on the horizon. - "Atraxes will surely die his death. He is too cunning and shrewd to be nailed for nothing. It is more likely that death will come for him because of his way of life, not the intrigues and schemes of his enemies."

There is a well-established saying in Volantis, "Bad is the triarch who couldn't even die himself." In this vile place called the Free City, where poison and dagger are never covered with dust, it was considered honorable to die in bed, among relatives who hated you but could do nothing about it.

The main thing was for Atraxes not to get carried away in his old age and repeat the fate of Horonno. A legendary man. He was elected triarch annually for forty years, after which he proclaimed himself triarch for life. The Volantian nobility, realizing that they had been blocked from legitimate ascendancy, rebelled against the usurper and executed him, tying him to four elephants that tore him to pieces. A very cautionary tale of what happens to those who climb too high without a solid foundation.

In the meantime, I had nothing to worry about - with a Volantian Triarch in my father-in-law, I could do a lot of things.

***

278 A.D. (five months later)

Valley of the Solar Flame

Construction was well underway - the first workers promised by Alcaro had arrived, and the ships sent to the Basilisk Islands for artisans had returned. Hoar returned with a truly rich "catch" - 842 of the 1093 craftsmen he had bought had decided to stay in my lands and work with me in gratitude for their release from the rotten pirate cages and their freedom.

The rest, who had family and friends left behind in Aelyria and Lhazor, were loaded onto the Black Panther and sent home to their hometowns. But even from this I was able to get my benefit - I now had nearly two hundred informants, with very high loyalty, who would keep me informed of the situation in Lhazar and the Slaver's Bay.

Now, as I looked at the castle foundation being gradually poured with concrete, and looked around, I realized how much needed to be done.

Yes, the foundations had already been laid and the sewers had been laid for the castle town that would be located near the docks. Yes, the foundations had already been laid for the first manufactories, smelters and craft shops, which were just waiting for the ships with the necessary equipment to arrive and the first mine on the southern ridge to start working. But there was a lot of work to do. It was necessary to control all the arriving workers, to give each of them a task, to provide housing, food and a normal place to take a dump (thank Gods, when the first branch of sewerage was laid, there was no need in this).

Trouble happened, too. Most of the newcomers of different ethnic composition did not understand each other at all, and if they did, they understood each other at the level of "yours is here, mine is there". Not without fights on the basis of religion - in Essos there are a lot of different beliefs, ranging from the popular Arglorianism to local idolatry, such as the Creator of Patterns or the Stone Cow. So there was almost no conflict among them on that basis. But... between the Essos and the Andals, disputes and fights were only so-so. It turned out that among those several hundred settlers who came from the Stormlands and Dorne, there were several septons who found it impossible to live next to the "heathens from across the Narrow Sea". A few fights broke out, broken up by my loyal northerners and the mercenaries hired for the job. I ordered the septons and all instigators to be flogged for sabotaging the work, and said that I forbid all disputes and fights over religion in my lands.

To the Septon accusations that I didn't honor the Seven and should go to Bakehole, I only ordered Edward to unload a special cargo from a newly arrived ship, which shut the local churchmen up at once. The relatively young, but already tall and wide, char trees had been purchased by the Beast King sent to Skagos, along with a load of wood and obsidian needed to make normal concrete, and planted in a designated area. Thus I officially became a follower of the belief in the Old Gods - in my opinion, the most adequate and demanding nothing religion in all of Planethos.

"Why?" - I thought, watching as the workers planted the last chartreuse in the ground. - "I'm half Norse, I'm by descent supposed to believe in the Old Gods. And the absence of official priests plays its role - no one will come to me demanding money to build a new sept or organize a blood sacrifice in the name of (insert name) god. Beautiful."

«Felix! - Robin, my old friend who had been studying and traveling with me since the Citadel, called out to me. - A letter for you!

Unfortunately, until the castle is completed, I cannot invite the official maester who will oversee the ravens and be the liaison to the main university of the Seven Kingdoms. So for now, Robin is the only one who has spent enough time under Archmaester Valgrave to even come close to smelting an iron link.

«Thank you. - I thanked him and took the letter in my hands and looked at the wax seal. I didn't like it at once. What would someone from House Targaryen want with me?! Quickly breaking the seal and not bothering to find a special knife, I opened the letter with a hunting knife hidden in my shin, and began to read the letter carefully. Its sender was clear from the first lines - only Aerys Targaryen had such a jumping and scrawling handwriting and could so brazenly demand something from a vassal of another house.

If I minimize all the verbiage, the point is clear as daylight - I was demanded to come to the capital as soon as I received the letter, fearing all earthly punishments. And there's no point in resisting. I know this monarch will not die, but he is still king, and his word weighs more than any word Tywin Lannister has ever spoken. I'll have to obey. I just have to figure out what he wants from me.

«Robin! - I shouted, folding the letter neatly into one of my many pockets.

«Yes?! - He responded quickly, before I could get too far away.

«Get Sigrid and start preparing my brig. - I said, quickly making notes and memos on a scroll that I would give to Joen later. I don't know how long I will be gone, but the work must go on. This is too important a stage now, and every day of delay is too much of a loss for me. And my accounts aren't so tight. - You get ready, too. You're coming with me.

«I will. - He answered quickly, judging by the look of him calculating how many supplies to load on the ship. - Where are you in such a hurry?

«King's Landing. The king summoned me.

***

The end of the year 278 A.D.

Not far from Twilight Dome.

«Are you sure Sigrid? - I asked again, looking nervously over the horizon toward the royal capital.

«Yes." replied the girl, whose eyes were back to normal, showing the interrupted connection with the bird. - There is a storm raging over King's Landing. It's very dangerous to sail there. It could come at us.

«Good. - I nodded and, after a little thought, shouted a new order to the sailor standing at the helm. - Turn northwest! Head for Twilight Hollow!

«Aye, my lord!" the helmsman replied over the sound of the waves as he slowly turned the wheel to change the ship's course.

«Good. Sigrid, let's go to the cabin. You'll catch cold because of the damp. - I said, covering the girl with a fur cloak and leading her towards the captain's quarters.

Every use of your gift hits a warg, especially if it is small and still growing, not only mentally, but physically. It awakens the strongest appetite, raises the temperature (especially for bird tamers) and makes them drowsy. Some have more of these signs, others less. For example, Volkan, after a long time in his eagle, can eat a triple portion of meat for several grown men. Sigrid's fever was rising, and she was at risk of getting sick. So after each "session of unity with the bird", she went to my cabin, where I gave her special decoctions and tinctures, bought on the Isthmus and somehow help her to recover.

The five-hour journey to Twilight Dome was a familiar one - an hour of sword and axe practice, an examination of one of the sailors who had foolishly pinched a mast rope and snapped it, leaving him with a giant scar on his back, a small lunch, and reading a few Rojnar construction treatises translated into Valyrian and bought in Norvos.

So I almost missed the moment when Twilight Dol appeared on the horizon. Located on the shores of the Narrow Sea, a few days' journey north of King's Harbor, it was once the center of a small kingdom of Darklins. This kingdom of the First Men, if the ancient folios are to be believed, existed back in the Age of Heroes, before the Great Migration of the Andals, but later fell to the onslaught of larger neighbors. However, the Darklins, who continue to rule to this day in one of the largest ports on the eastern coast, have not lost much in their power.

Twilight's Dol itself was built around a giant natural harbor whose limestone cliffs and rocky ledges protected the ships within it from the storms and gales that often swept in from the Narrow Sea. Even from here, a dozen kilometers from land, the towering castle of Twilight Fort was visible, its gray square citadel and large round towers peaking into the overcast sky, blurring against its background.

But as my brig traveled another couple of miles, it became clear that all was not well in the Kingdom of Denmark. The entrance to the harbor was securely blocked by dozens of war galleys with Targaryen and Vellarion pennants flying in the wind, and a large army was camped outside the walls of the city itself, with two standards flying in equal measure: a golden lion on a scarlet field and a seven-headed silver dragon on a black field.

«Something serious is going on, if the Hand of the King and the Silver Prince are here. - I watched as one of the blockade ships separated from the others and headed towards us.

«Who are you? Why have you come to Twilight Dell? - The first thing the knight with the seahorse on his leather armor asked me, raising his hand. It was obvious that if he gave the sign, my ship would turn into a scorpion bolt pillow.

I stepped forward and took out the very letter that had made me rush here, and introduced myself:

«My name is Felix Temper. I am a vassal of House Martell. Two weeks ago I received a letter from the king himself demanding that I come to the capital. - Seeing that my words were not being taken at face value, I stepped closer and, over the side, handed the letter to the very same knight.

«I apologize, lord. Why didn't you go straight to King's Landing? - He asked, reading the letter and handing it back to me. His tone changed, immediately becoming more compliant and polite. Still, the status of Lord Vassal in the Seven Kingdoms is quite high.

«A storm is raging over the capital. - I answered, hoping he wouldn't ask for details. People are different, after all, with their own quirks. - I decided it would be quicker to go through Twilight's Dell. Sire, can you tell me what's going on here?

The Velarion Knight thought deeply about something for nearly five minutes before he answered:

«Twilight Dol is under siege. Denys Darklynn, that all the demons of Pecla may devour his soul, captured our King Aerys two and a half weeks ago. The Lord Hand and the Crown Prince have been negotiating with him for five days, but so far, nothing. - The warrior dropped shocking information on me that almost made my jaw hit the top deck. - By Lord Tywin's decree, all ships coming into Shadowdark must dock at the shore and undergo a full search before they can be released. Lord Temper, no offense, but you'll have to follow me.

«Of course, of course. - I replied quickly, signaling the helmsman to follow the battle galleys while I was in my own thoughts. - "What was Darklin thinking when he did this? This is idiocy of the purest kind. His clan will be completely wiped out after the assassination attempt on the king, if not worse, knowing the ruling dynasty's love of fire. Too little information... Hopefully I'll know the answers to all my questions soon. But in any case, this is a turning point in the history of the Seven Kingdoms. People's faith in the integrity of the Targaryens is now completely shattered. And this is the beginning of their end. Sooner or later the remaining Grandlords will rise up to regain their former independence, and knowing the odds it will be either the North or the Vale, which are in fact natural fortresses, or the West, whose guardian Aerys has so specifically pissed off. All that remains is to wait and prepare... Yes, wait and prepare.

***

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