(300 power stones for an extra chapter)
The first chapter of "Marvel: Omniman" is now available on my profile.
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[Casterly Rock]
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The sea wind blew fiercely that morning, carrying the scent of salt and sea foam all the way to the walls of Casterly Rock. The waves crashed violently against the cliffs, sending columns of white spray soaring before the blackened rock.
Below, in the harbor of Lannisport, activity had not ceased since the conquest.
Numerous ships still lay moored at the docks, unloading men, weapons, and supplies without pause. Every few days new sails appeared on the horizon, and wagons loaded to the brim climbed the roads toward the fortress, bringing provisions for the army occupying the Westerlands.
The city still bore the scars of the conquest. Some streets still held blackened buildings while craftsmen raised new rooftops and repaired walls cracked by fire. The doors of many houses remained shut, and not a few windows were covered with dark cloth.
High above the rooftops and the harbor towers rose the fortress of Casterly Rock. In the great throne hall, the ancient seat of House Lannister had disappeared. In its place stood two thrones of carved stone, simple in appearance yet broad and sturdy, set side by side upon the dais and covered with dark velvet cushions.
Upon them sat Vlad and Daenerys, of Houses Drakul and Targaryen.
Before the dais stretched a long line of men and women waiting their turn to present petitions or grievances. Peasants and merchants stepped forward one by one, bowed their heads, and explained their problems with varying degrees of eloquence.
Vlad listened in silence.
Since the audience had begun, he had barely moved. He simply remained seated with his back straight and his arms resting upon the stone armrests, watching each speaker with a calm expression.
Daenerys answered most of the petitions.
She was the one asking the questions and making the decisions while the scribes, seated along one side of the hall, committed them to writing. Lands, trade, damage caused during the battle... small matters, yet inevitable after an entire region changed hands.
While voices continued to rise before the throne, Vlad listened to each petitioner, though time and again his thoughts returned to the reports Edward had sent after his expedition beyond the Wall.
He had believed he understood that world, its history, and the conflicts that would eventually unfold, but now he was no longer so certain. Since his arrival, too many things had changed, and with them many of the events he had once believed inevitable had changed as well.
The White Walkers were one of them.
If Edward was correct, they were not merely animated corpses but beings that acted of their own accord and attacked every living creature they encountered. Vlad tapped his fingers once against the armrest before becoming still again. It was obvious that he needed more information.
At least Valyrian steel remained one of the few weapons capable of destroying them, and dragonglass would probably produce the same effect. There was only one way to verify it: find more White Walkers and study them carefully, something that was far from simple when they seemed difficult to locate even beyond the Wall.
In the meantime, most of his days were spent listening to disputes between peasants.
Before the dais, a man explained how his neighbor's cow had knocked down a fence during the night and ruined part of his field. Vlad simply listened without interrupting him. Such petitions arrived every day, matters that inevitably found their way before the Lord of Casterly Rock because, according to the law, it was his duty to dispense justice.
Vlad already had an extensive judicial reform in mind, but implementing it would take time. Until then, he would have to keep listening to one dispute after another.
Beside him, Daenerys remained far more focused on the proceedings. Vlad understood perfectly why she was so motivated.
Since the fall of her family, Daenerys had reclaimed part of what the Targaryens had lost, and now she wanted to prove, above all to herself, that she was capable of being a good ruler. That was why she devoted herself completely to every audience.
Vlad did not believe it would last forever. He knew her far too well to think that a throne could keep her there indefinitely. Daenerys was passionate and restless, and sooner or later spending hours settling disputes would become just as tedious for her as it already was for him.
When the last petitioner made an awkward bow and left the hall, Kevan Lannister stepped away from his place among the nobles of the Westerlands, walked to the center of the chamber, and inclined his head slightly toward the dais.
He had long since accepted his situation. Vlad had spared his life after the conquest because he was still useful. The nobles of the Westerlands respected him, and he was also a capable administrator.
Myrcella Baratheon was a different matter. The young woman had made a genuine effort to integrate herself and, fortunately for her, had formed a bond with Daenerys. That ensured her a prominent place within the court while at the same time making her a bridge between the nobles of the Westerlands and their new rulers.
Her interest in Daenerys's abilities was obvious. Vlad did not overlook that ambition, but neither did it concern him. As long as she remained close to Daenerys, they would be able to influence her when the time came.
Myrcella herself had also attracted his interest.
She played the role of a young noblewoman naturally, but there was something more. Aside from Tommen, Vlad had not found the slightest trace of genuine empathy in her toward anyone. In his former world, someone like Myrcella would have been described as a high-functioning sociopath. There, it was a troubling profile, but in Westeros it could become an advantage.
He had only ever met one other person like that: Lars of the Vale, one of his earliest progeny and now the High Sparrow in King's Landing.
Lars did not play roles because they were useful to him, but because he enjoyed deceiving others. Watching surprise, disbelief, or despair replace trust when people discovered the truth was, to him, almost sexually gratifying. That was why Vlad had infiltrated him into the Faith of the Seven years earlier, where he had long been sowing chaos from within.
He had even ended up sleeping with Cersei Lannister. Vlad had yet to decide whether that had been an accomplishment or a sacrifice.
Only time would tell.
—If Your Highness permits it —said Kevan, still somewhat uncomfortable using that form of address.— Perhaps now would be a good time to proceed with the appointments, as you instructed.
At last, Vlad shifted his gaze away from the hall and toward him.
Kevan stepped forward before continuing.
—The squires are assembled in the lower courtyard. As you ordered, those who have earned sufficient merit have been identified —he added solemnly.
This was part of the commitments Vlad had undertaken after the surrender. Those who laid down their arms and accepted the new order would retain their positions and, if they deserved it, would be allowed to rise.
The hall filled with murmurs.
Besides Vlad and Daenerys, several nobles of the Westerlands occupied the benches along the sides of the hall and watched the scene unfold. Among them was Myrcella Baratheon, seated near the dais under the discreet watch of several guards.
The squires entered one by one as every eye turned toward them.
There were a dozen young men, some barely grown and others hardened by years of service. They wore clean but simple clothes, without armor or cloaks to conceal who they were. They walked down the long central aisle between the rows of nobles.
Many kept their eyes lowered.
All of them had either witnessed, or at least heard firsthand, how Vlad Drakul had opened the gates of Casterly Rock by melting the iron that protected them. The story had already spread throughout the Westerlands until it had become almost a legend.
To many of those young men, the man seated upon the throne was not only their new lord, but also the one who had defeated the house they had served for years. Even so, alongside the fear there was also anticipation. That day they would cease to be squires and become knights, members of the nobility, a step that most people in Westeros never attained.
Some were sons of minor nobles or lesser knights; others, however, had been nothing more than commoners. They had begun as stable boys, apprentices, or servants in the service of great houses, and the war had brought them into that hall.
When they had all gathered before the dais, Daenerys rose to her feet and the hall fell silent.
—You defended this fortress —she said in a clear voice as her gaze swept across the group.— And you fought for those who lived within it.
Some of the young men raised their heads, while others looked at her only with fear and respect.
—You may have followed the wrong lord —she continued, fixing her gaze on the squires.— But that does not change what you did when the time came. You defended those who could not defend themselves, and that takes courage.
Applause began spreading through the hall. Some of the nobles started hesitantly, exchanging glances before joining in, but little by little the gesture became widespread, though not everyone did so with the same enthusiasm.
—For that courage, today you shall be rewarded —Daenerys concluded before taking her seat once more.
Then Vlad rose calmly. The simple movement was enough to make several of the young men straighten their backs almost by reflex.
—The first —he ordered, making a brief gesture toward the line of squires.
One of the young men was gently pushed forward by his companions. He was tall and lean, with dark hair plastered against his forehead by sweat. He walked to the foot of the dais and stopped, uncertain where to fix his gaze.
Vlad allowed the silence to linger for a moment as he looked him up and down.
—What is your name and your station? —he finally asked, without taking his eyes off the young man.
The young man swallowed before answering, doing everything in his power to keep his voice from trembling.
—Tom, Your Grace. I served in the stables —he answered, lowering his gaze as soon as he had finished speaking.
Vlad nodded.
—Were you born a servant? —he asked, folding his arms.
The young man hesitated for barely a second, taking a deep breath before answering. He could feel his legs trembling. Standing before the Lord Impaler would have been overwhelming for anyone, but he knew this was the only opportunity he would ever have to become something more than a servant.
—I was born a servant, Your Grace —he answered without raising his eyes.
Vlad took a step forward and then pointed to the ground before the dais.
—Then kneel —he ordered in a firm, resolute voice.
When the young man knelt, Vlad slowly drew his sword. The blade of Scarlet Witch emerged from its scabbard with a clean sound beneath the torchlight while several nobles exchanged discreet glances.
They all knew what was coming: the knight's oath. In Westeros, that oath was always sworn in the name of the Seven.
He knew it as well.
But that was not how this ceremony would proceed. The Faith of the Seven and the Citadel would eventually cross his path sooner or later, and he had no intention of strengthening their authority or making them part of the bond between himself and the men who swore loyalty to him, because his men would not swear by the gods.
Vlad rested the tip of his sword upon the young man's shoulder.
—Show no fear when you stand before your enemy. Be brave and upright, that fate may favor you. Speak the truth always, even if it leads you to your death. Protect the defenseless and be just. That is your oath —he concluded as he withdrew the sword and sheathed it.
Then Vlad raised his hand and struck the young man across the face with a sharp slap. The young man's head snapped to one side, and a thin trickle of blood appeared at the corner of his mouth.
—And that is so you do not forget it —he said sternly.
The young man blinked a couple of times in disbelief, both because of the blow and because of the new oath.
—Rise —Vlad ordered, gesturing for him to stand.
The young man hesitated for a moment. He could still feel the sting of the slap, but he awkwardly got to his feet while Vlad waited for him to stand fully upright.
—Rise as a knight —he declared, raising his voice so that everyone could hear.
For several seconds, no one spoke. Then the first applause began to rise from the back of the hall and, little by little, the rest of those present joined in. The ceremony continued in the same manner. One after another, the squires stepped to the foot of the dais, knelt before Vlad, recited the oath, and rose again as knights.
When the last one stood, the entire hall was applauding.
Vlad remained still for a few moments, watching the nobles while listening to the murmurs spreading through the hall and the voices of the newly made knights. This was the kind of ceremony he could tolerate the least. Protocols, speeches, and rituals that consumed hours of his time.
As the applause gradually died away, he turned toward Daenerys, gave her a slight nod, and stepped down from the dais. Then he left the hall and made his way through the corridors of the fortress until he reached the stairway descending into the depths of the Rock, where far more interesting matters awaited him.
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Thank you all for being here once again.
As you've probably noticed, this chapter brings us back to Vlad's point of view. For the next few chapters, the story will focus much more on everything he's building: the new magical systems he plans to implement, whether they're actually possible, the lore behind them, how they fit into the world, and the various projects he has in mind.
In general, we're moving into more of a kingdom-building phase. Conquering territory is only one part of ruling, and I think it would get pretty boring if the story only focused on battles.
I hope you enjoy this change of pace.
I've also set the extra chapter goal back to 300 Power Stones. It isn't a particularly high target, but I realized the real problem was that I wasn't publishing on Mondays. That only gave you a couple of days to reach the goal before the counter reset.
So this Monday I'll most likely release an extra chapter just to get the publishing schedule back in sync. Keep an eye out for it.
I also mentioned it in the chapter itself, but the first chapter of Marvel: Omniman is now available. It's mostly an introductory chapter, but also a small showcase of how much I feel I've improved as a writer.
If you'd like to read it and leave a comment, I'd really appreciate it. Just don't expect regular updates for that story. As I've said before, my priority is finishing this Game of Thrones fanfic before I seriously commit to any other project.
As always, thank you so much for reading.
See you on Monday.