Chapter 41: Chapter 41: King's Landing
After my conversation with my great-uncle ended, I stayed in his tower for two days, waiting for him to handle things in my stead. Entering King's Landing with my face uncovered would be nearly impossible, and I was tired of using my cowl to hide my identity.
Thankfully, Brynden told me he could get me some pitch-black hair dye, so I had to wait for him to return with it. That was a little over a week ago. Once he gave me the dye, I went back to the Crossroads Inn and asked the matron to dye it for me, never removing the cloth from my face for both of our security.
Now, I was approaching Ivy's Inn, which was the last stop before I reached King's Landing. I was traveling with a merchant who wanted to use the last days of the tourney in my father's name to earn more gold, and I was happy to accompany them on the journey.
Having company was beneficial since traveling alone was mind-numbingly dull. Additionally, I could provide extra security for people who would be my subjects in the future. I was somewhat of an expert in northern problems, but I had almost no idea how life was in the rest of the kingdoms—a gap I needed to fill as I required the Seven Kingdoms united to fight against the actual threat.
Using my free time, as my insects hadn't found anything dangerous within my range, I lamented not having time to visit the Gods Eye. I remembered a dragon had died there and was curious if I could find something to enhance my power. It was a shame I was short on time, but perhaps we could make a slight detour when I returned with my father and his entourage. If we were on the run, I might have to wait until the war settled to visit all the mysterious places across Westeros.
The king had a couple of weeks to live, and I wouldn't lift a finger to help him. Robert Baratheon was a good friend of my father, but I needed the war to start to rally people behind me. Simply killing every enemy the moment I could wouldn't work; I'd be seen as a conqueror rather than what I aspired to be.
I wanted people to love me, not fear me. At least, I wanted more people to love me, though I knew I would still scare a lot of lords and have to commit some heinous acts for the realm's betterment.
I wasn't all-knowing and was sure to make many mistakes on my rise to power, but I was confident I could guide Westeros to a better future than the one in canon. Many people would die in the war, but their sacrifices would pave the way to greatness.
Finally arriving at the inn, we dismounted our horses and paid for our rooms. I splurged on a feast alone in my room since I had ample gold from all the bandits I had killed on my travels.
After my sumptuous meal, I began drafting my orders for Tyrion. I needed to be cautious as I couldn't reveal too much information without disclosing my future knowledge. However, I had to provide enough so Tyrion could earn Daenerys's trust and avoid being killed immediately.
I was walking a tightrope with this, but it was necessary. Her dragons and name would be valuable for the future, and working with her was the best option. I knew I could create something against her dragons, but I wasn't sure if it was the best idea, as they could be the MVPs in the war against the Others.
After reviewing my draft, I started crossing out anything that might reveal my knowledge. My angle was that I would help Daenerys in exchange for her hand in marriage, and I needed to word the message for Tyrion as if I had been working toward this for years.
I provided information as if I had spies in Pentos and beyond, focusing mainly on individuals who couldn't be trusted and whom Tyrion should be cautious of. Starting with Daenerys's brother, my plan for Tyrion was to extract him from King's Landing before the king's death, providing him with a heavy bag of gold. The Manderlys would then take him to Astapor to wait for Daenerys. I would support him with gold for his new life and preparation for her. I hadn't made enough waves in that part of the world, so it should proceed similarly to canon.
There, Tyrion would wait for Daenerys and start addressing every problem he could. If he was proactive, he could establish strong support before her arrival, alleviating their suffering.
I planned to provide him with enough gold to buy a good number of Unsullied or perhaps just pay some sellswords for protection—either way, that would no longer be my concern.
I trusted Tyrion to be smart and committed to a peaceful future where he could have a family, so I was confident he would do his best to succeed.
After Astapor, Daenerys would travel to Yunkai and Meereen. I was sure my help would earn me some favor with them, alongside Tyrion's fear, when he realized the extent of my information and power.
Ending my message, I went to sleep, knowing that every day passing brought the war closer.
King's Landing
I was still using the name Rowan, but with my hair dyed pitch black and styled differently, I looked different enough to pass as someone else. Thankfully, we entered the capital without issues since I was part of a caravan. I started using a mask that displayed my hair so people would think I was quirky rather than hiding something.
Bidding farewell to the merchant, I searched for a central location to start scattering my insects. Over my travels, I had accumulated over five billion insects, but that number was impossible to conceal. Therefore, I only had around two million with me.
I ordered them to search every nook and cranny for something interesting within my range and began dozing off while trying to ignore the city's stench. Thankfully, I had enough control to avoid using the sense of smell of my swarm.
The sheer number of people here made me shudder. I couldn't believe someone thought cramming several hundred thousand people into one place was a good idea.
Going over my bugs' senses, I noticed something that made my heart race. I hadn't recalled this detail in the past as it hadn't mattered much until the end, but seeing the enormous amount of wildfire beneath the city made me shudder, thinking about how lucky the people here were.
Directing some unique bugs I had created to consume dangerous biomass, I was surprised when they couldn't and died on the spot. Wildfire was so perilous that it killed my most resilient creation instantly.
Letting out a muffled chuckle, I returned to the inn for a safe place to stay, pondering how to make an insect sturdy enough to consume wildfire. Despite these complications, my reward will hopefully be worth it.
The Hand's Tourney was coming to an end, so I had a few weeks before the Lannisters usurped the throne. Tomorrow, I would search for my father to determine what was happening. But for now? I needed rest.
The Next Day
Letting out a weak chuckle, I observed my last failed attempt to consume wildfire through my insects. This particular bug I had created could probably handle liquid metal but was unable to process wildfire without dying.
Kudos to the maker, as this substance was so dangerous that it made me nervous about being in this city, a constant nagging in the back of my mind that I was on top of a ticking time bomb.
Shaking my head, I walked toward the Red Keep to ensure my father and his companions were okay. Seeing him running ragged with concern, I shook my head as he began his conversation with the queen.
Honestly, his honor was his downfall. I understood he wanted to ensure the children didn't suffer for their parent's sins, but surely there were other ways besides allowing her to prepare for her coup.
Letting one of my insects with a message tied to its leg search for Jory, I sighed, knowing that my peaceful days were ending.
Seeing that Jory received and burned my message, I started walking back, casting one last look at my father. Timing would be crucial; the best moment to break him out would be just after the meeting, where he gives the king's final wishes to the council.
I wasn't sure how things had progressed here, but just in case he "allied" with Littlefinger, I wanted him to be betrayed to teach him a lesson. For now, I needed to keep trying to consume the wildfire. I was close; I could feel it.
Weekly Power Status
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