Chapitre 23: Revenge Is a Dish Best Served Cold
It has been several moons since the singers came to Winterfell to pledge their loyalty and renew their oath. The local folk were not shocked too much as they were aware that there were other beings thanks to the giants. However, the reaction of the merchants coming from the South and the Essos was different as even the giants were foreign creatures to them.
I would have been thankful if the singers didn't announce themselves at an open place but there wasn't anything I could do after the deed was done. The merchants were sure to raise questions in the South. I planned to have my spies exaggerate those rumours to spread disbelief amongst the populace. Even if one person didn't believe it was enough for me as I was planning to keep everything a secret until the fourth century.
I offered a place for the singers in the Godswood but they wanted a place where they can plant their own weirwoods with lots of other trees. Thus, I gave them some land to the southeast of Wolfswood.
They could increase the tree population in the area and their existence would be a boon for the Starks as they were, literally, the manifestation of godly creatures and many Northerners would see them as creatures who had connections to the Old Gods. Thus, as long as I keep them close, there is little possibility of my decisions being questioned in religious matters.
However, there was something that surprised me; Brandon. He was quick to be friends with several singers. He even sneaked out of Winterfell to visit them several times. Of course, I reprimanded him for this but later, I ordered several wolfsguards to escort him whenever he wanted to visit them.
I spoke with Leaf about their practices as I wanted Brandon to learn from them instead of Styr. They were quick to agree as they saw Brandon as someone who had the potential to be a greenseer. Styr, of course, objected to my decision but my words were final and his experience was inferior to the singers so, in the end, he had to relent albeit unwillingly.
That was exactly what I needed as this freed me from Styr. It took me several weeks to make the necessary preparations. Styr was loved amongst the folks and the lords knew him as a holy man so I couldn't sentence him to death in an open court. I needed to handle this discreetly. That was why I was sitting in my solar behind my desk and waiting for Styr.
It did not take long for my door to be knocked. "Enter," I said while skimming through some documents.
Styr came in and closed the door behind him. "You called for me, my lord?" he asked.
"Aye, come sit, Styr," I said without raising my head. After all, he was blind and I didn't need to look at him to talk.
Styr sat on one of the chairs, "May I ask, what did you call for me, my lord?"
I put down the documents and looked at him. He looked serene as always, like the weirwood itself. "Since coming to the North, you have helped me a lot, Styr. From the sacrifices to my position as the lord, your advice benefited me greatly."
A smile graced Styr's face, "You are the Chosen One, my lord. The Old Gods will regain their place thanks to you."
I gave a small laugh, "Aye, Chosen One. A weird title that is and weird powers it gives. Old Gods be good, if not for the signs and the truths they show, I would be ignorant as the others."
Styr raised an eyebrow and his smile faltered, "Signs? I don't remember you talking about them, my lord?"
I nodded my head thoughtfully and said, "Hmm, sometimes they are hard to decipher but sometimes they are rather easy to understand. Especially the ones about the recent events that are rather clear to my mind. Maybe you would like to hear it?"
"Aye, maybe I can be a help to decipher it, my lord…" he said.
"You remember the day Catelyn gave birth?" He nodded his head heavily as I continued, "That day I went hunting as I was nervous. As you know, it was the same day we found the direwolves. The state we found them in was a sign from the Old Gods."
I eyed the nervous look of Styr as I continued to tell that day, "One of the direwolves, the mother, was crushed under a tree and the father was standing over it. Seven puppies were suckling the dead direwolf's titties. However, one of them was dead."
"It must be the will of the Gods, my lord," Styr said with an even voice but his face gave away his nervousness.
"Aye, will of the Gods, I thought the same thing but then Catelyn and our children came to my mind. You see, if not for little Osric dying during the birth I wouldn't have realized this; there were seven puppies and I had seven children. One of the puppies was found dead and Osric died during birth." I gritted my teeth as the words left my mouth, "The direwolves are the sigil of my house. It is obvious their death signified the death of my family. However, the reason for their death was the fallen tree. I don't think I need to elaborate anymore as you would know more about this person than me."
A silence took over the room as I looked at Styr with burning eyes. He did not speak, he did not beg and he did not react.
"Tell me Styr, what was the reason? Was it greed, zealotry or something else? Was it because she was a believer of the Seven?" Finally, a reaction came from Styr as he scowled but quickly schooled his face.
"So it was because of her religion…" I sighed and took out a key from my pocket and opened a drawer with it and took out a small vial. I put the vial on the table and looked at Styr, "It wasn't your place to do so Styr. You gave me your words of loyalty but all I see is treason."
"There is a small vial to your left on the table. It will be quick and silent. Don't force my hand because I would not hesitate even if all the North goes against me for it." I said with a calm face but my heart was burning for revenge.
"I did it for the Old Gods, it was their will…" Styr tried to reason with me but his words were without any merit.
"Old Gods, you say! Then why did the Old Gods show me your treason?" I smashed my fist to the table and spoke with a pent up rage. "You speak of the Gods but every word that comes out of your mouth is nothing but sin. I had enough of your bantering, drink it now or I will make you drink."
Styr looked unwilling so I yelled for William, one of the wolfsguards. He came in with quick steps and waited for my orders. I looked at Styr one last time and said, "Do it."
William quickly came forward and grabbed Styr from his head and held his nose tightly. I unplugged the vial and poured its content into Styr's mouth as he choked for breath and some drops went down his throat.
A drop of it would have made him sick and slowly killed but the vial was enough to kill him instantly and, indeed, he choked for a few seconds but his breaths stilled after that. His eyes remained open and his hands fell to his sides.
"Go call for Maester Luwin, something happened to Styr," I yelled to William and he quickly left the room.
[Congrutalations! You have completed a hidden quest (Revenge Is a Dish Best Served Cold). You have gained 5 attribute points, 7 trait points and "Cruel" trait]
A sick smile spread to my face as I watched his dead body. Revenge is, indeed, a dish best served cold and I greatly enjoyed this dish.
Several minutes later, Luwin rushed in with a bag in his hand. However, a quick examination showed that Styr was already dead. I put on a sad expression and proceeded to prepare a funeral for him. After all, he was loved by the smallfolk and there would be surely many that would request to attend.
Maester Luwin wanted to examine him thoroughly but I told him that it was not needed as he was clutching his heart when he died. In the end, he relented and went back to his work.
The funeral was a quick but big affair. More than half of the city was present and there were even people who were crying. I guess Styr was kinda like High Sparrow of the canon as he was loved by people but his heart was painted black by his zealotry.
If I had been someone else I would have been satisfied with his death but his death was painless and quick and that wasn't enough. So on the night of his funeral, I left the castle silently and went to his private cemetery which was in Godswood as per my orders.
Winter, my direwolf, dug up his grave in the silent breezes of the Godswood. It did not take long for his body to be presented to me. His body was cleaned with the water of the black pool of Winterfell's heart tree. But the soil of the Godswood was already smeared to his face and body.
"Even you could not escape from death but don't worry, even in death you shall not rest easy," I said as I turned and went to the heart tree and sat on his roots. I knew what I needed so I bought the "warg" trait from the system without hesitation.
[Warg - This person has the ability to enter the mind of an animal and control its actions.]
It cost five trait points but I bought it immediately. I looked at Winter and warged into him. Suddenly, my senses grew sharp and I felt everything around me moving at a slower pace.
I turned around and eyed myself. My eyes were milky white and a blank look was on my face. I turned back to the corpse of the traitor and growled naturally. Looks like even Winter hated this guy. After all, it was him who caused the death of his mate.
I pounced on the corpse and tasted its flesh and blood. I began with its legs. The taste of soil greeted my tongue but it was quickly replaced with the taste of flesh. The more I ate, the more my rage was sated. At last, only his skull remained. I licked my paws which were dirtied with his blood.
I pushed his remaining bones back to his grave and pissed on it. Then, I filled his grave with the soil Winter dug and covered the bloodstain on the ground. Finally, I returned back to my body and realized the sun was dawning slowly.
I felt a taste of blood on my tongue. I didn't know the reason but the taste of it was very enticing...
État de l’alimentation hebdomadaire
-- Classement
Power Stone 
-- Power
stone