Robert wanted to prolong the war as much as possible, but Rhaegar did not like such ideas. So, the Targaryen Army attacked numerous times during the night with a smaller number of soldiers, catching the Baratheon army by surprise. Although the casualties were not great, the stress of staying awake all night was simply terrifying.
In the first attacks, the soldiers still got up and got into position, but after two times, they didn't even get up. By the fourth, they just wanted to sleep, but the Targaryen army obviously couldn't let that happen.
To avoid tiring his own soldiers, Rhaegar rotated shifts, alternating soldiers every hour, making the entire night a long battle. He had to admit, it was a rather cruel strategy.
From what Rhaegar could see, even the torches in the watchtowers were weaker. The scouts no longer had the strength or even the spirit to raise the torches and check the surroundings.
Rhaegar admitted wanting to attack at that moment, but with such a powerful witch on the enemy side, he didn't want to lose so many soldiers in such a risky move. Even if Cadmus could fight the woman, it could injure the Court Mage.
The king did not want to lose his greatest asset in this war for an impulsive move, so, even with the enemy army exhausted, he did not attack and looked coldly.
While Rhaegar was focused on the war, Cadmus had silently arrived at a cave not far from the battlefield. It was a rather large cave, with a large oval ceiling with some sharp stalactites pointing downwards.
"ARGHHHH!!!"
A scream of pain caught Cadmus's attention. His green eyes stared at the woman with long red hair giving birth to an abomination with a curious look. It was the first time he had seen such a cruel process, not only for the host but also for the fetus, or rather, the shadowy life in the woman's womb.
Cadmus looked at the scene and spoke, without concealing his presence. "I thank fate for making me a man; feeling this pain gives me chills."
With a sweaty and pained face, Melisandre replied with a calm tone. "The gods gave so much pleasure in sex so that the human race would not go extinct; after all, without this pleasure, few women want to give birth."
Suddenly, she let out another scream, but this time it was sharper and more painful. Then, under Cadmus's eyes, a shadow emerged from her legs, transforming into a being of pure darkness almost two meters tall and featureless.
"How many have there been with this one?" Cadmus asked with a calm tone. In his eyes, what Melisandre had just given birth to was not a life, but an entity cursed from birth, destined to be nothing more than a shadow without purpose or feelings.
"Six." Melisandre covered her body with the red cloak and stood up with difficulty; her sweat evaporated as her body heat increased.
"Tsk." Cadmus couldn't help but click his tongue in admiration. He spared no praise for such an extraordinary woman. "I truly admire you. How many people can sacrifice so much for their own ideals?"
"Thank you, but Lady Kinvara didn't think the same." Drinking some water, Melisandre replied with a calm tone. She looked at Cadmus with a softer gaze.
"Well, that woman is more orthodox than anything; anything that goes beyond what's allowed is not something she likes." Knowing that Kinvara was a woman of strict precepts, Cadmus was not surprised by Melisandre's expulsion from the Red Faith.
"What foolishness, our Lord never differentiated our abilities, regardless of their origin." Melisandre always believed that Kinvara was wrong to only focus on fire, life, and death magic.
"Did you come to fight me, Lord Peverell?" Melisandre asked with a calm tone; her ruby-red eyes glowed in the darkness of the cave like a wolf looking at its prey.
"Not exactly; it depends on your next answers to my questions." Cadmus commented casually. He snapped his fingers and flames rose in several places in the cave, completely illuminating the environment.
"Do you intend to attack my king personally?" Cadmus asked with a smile. Melisandre attacking was completely different from Shadow Babies attacking. The former was extremely more dangerous than mere Shadow Babies.
"No." Melisandre replied without any hesitation and with a calm tone. "Personally killing your king is not to my liking."
Cadmus frowned. Honestly, this answer was quite mysterious; he had no idea what this four-hundred-year-old woman wanted to do.
"Then why are you helping Robert? He's an idiot, he's a man who lives for wars, he can't make any contribution to the world." Cadmus asked with a confused tone. He really wanted to know the answer at that moment.
Melisandre looked at Cadmus and countered the question. "My question is why don't you let Rhaegar die? If he dies, your noble wife can become queen with your help."
"Really tempting, but Rhaegar is my good brother." Cadmus said with a calm tone. "To tell the truth, I feel a little ashamed of not helping enough in this war. He gave me a beautiful wife, the largest castle on the continent, and all of Riverlands."
"Besides, I don't have a habit of betraying my family." Cadmus added with a smile. He was Rhaegar's brother by marriage to Daenerys, so they were truly brothers. Betraying his own family was never his habit.
"You are a good man, Lord Peverell." Melisandre said with a soft, elegant, and graceful tone. "I have seen many men kill for less, especially when it comes to a throne. Who doesn't want to be king? Who doesn't want to control the destiny of millions with a simple order? Who doesn't want to be revered as a god?"
"Killing has always been the easiest way to achieve something, and that's how most men have done it since this world has been known as a world."
"Aemon Targaryen must understand me, being king seems so tiring, so boring, so futile." Cadmus said with a smile. "I prefer a life of comfort, relaxation, and lots of sex. Researching my magic without interruptions or even creating a new potion."
"It's a good dream." Melisandre spoke with a touch of envy. She also wanted a life like that, but four hundred years later, she was the same child whose entire city was burned by a mage. The same child who rose from the flames because of R'hllor.
A child who desired eternal peace.
"Well, I'm a simple man." Cadmus chuckled. He didn't want much, just a beautiful wife, many children, and a big house.
Cadmus looked at the woman before him and spoke with a solemn tone. "Melisandre, I really don't want to fight you, but if you appear on the battlefield, I will kill you."
"That's not so easy, my dear Lord Peverell." Melisandre, recovered from childbirth, spoke with a deep and calm tone. "However, I also don't wish to enter the battlefield."
Cadmus frowned; once again he didn't understand what Melisandre was thinking. If the woman didn't want to help Robert, didn't want to kill Rhaegar, didn't want to participate in the battlefield, what the hell was she doing on this continent?
Reading Cadmus's thoughts without even needing mind-reading magic, Melisandre couldn't help but curve her lips into an amused smile. "Lord Peverell, I have learned something very important in these four hundred years of my existence."
Cadmus raised an eyebrow, but didn't comment, patiently waiting for her next words.
"I have seen hope die countless times, so I discovered that putting all your eggs in one basket is foolish. Always keep some eggs separate so that no accident breaks them all for some reason." Melisandre said with a smile.
Cadmus looked deeply at the woman. He understood what Melisandre was talking about. That is, Daenerys is the Champion of Light, but it is not certain that she can bring salvation to the world. So, Melisandre was protecting the second most likely option.
Whether it was Aegon or Robert, or any other man, even Jon Snow, Cadmus didn't know, but he also knew that this woman wouldn't answer that question. Of course, he could easily find out, or so he thought.
"What if I kill Aegon, Robert, Jon Snow?" Cadmus said with a gentle voice, but his green eyes were fixed on the woman.
However, Cadmus underestimated the emotional control of a four-hundred-year-old woman. Faced with the veiled threat from the Court Mage, Melisandre merely gestured with her hand and pointed to the Baratheon camp, to the North, or rather, to Moat Cailin.
"Please, do." Her voice was calm and deep; there was a smile on her lips.
Cadmus looked at the woman and sighed. He rubbed his forehead and looked at Melisandre with a touch of helplessness on his face.
"It's definitely not Robert; he's too stupid, besides being an arrogant warmonger. Don't deny it, if it were Robert, you'd be helping him more forcefully."
Melisandre nodded; it wasn't really Robert, it was more than obvious to anyone. If it were him, she herself would be on the battlefield, fighting Cadmus at this very moment.
"Stannis, Aegon, or Jon Snow." Cadmus sighed once more. There were three options, but he also didn't bother to think more about the matter.
"I gave you an ultimatum: don't dare step onto the battlefield or you die." Cadmus looked at Melisandre and spoke with a cold tone, before apparating away.
Melisandre continued smiling. She looked at her shadow, where six pairs of eyes opened, and smiled gently.
"What a cute little boy." Melisandre whispered with a smile.
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