[Edric's POV]
"A talk in private after all that you've been doing today?" Renly chuckled, having some wine. "Didn't the journey tire you in the slightest?"
"I can't afford to sleep my days away." I shook my head, standing next to him.
"Well, it seems that you have something urgent to share."
"Indeed… and there's no easy way to say it." I sighed. "For many of my early years, you helped raise me. That is a time that I will never forget. I am who I am today in great part because of you…"
"And yet?"
"You tend to forget that I am King and cross lines that you should not. Often, I can overlook it… but it keeps happening. And you very nearly ignored my decrees, which would've been…"
"In all fairness, your plan seemed… sudden, random even. What do you think the duty of a regent is?"
"To rule for me," I replied, looking into his eyes. "Not against."
"And, in the end, all of your decrees fell through, no? I put my trust in you, even if my mind thought your choices were absurd."
"If Arthur wasn't in that room, would you be saying the same?" I questioned.
"... Mayhaps not."
"See, you should sincerely thank him. The punishment that comes with disobeying a royal decree is not light, I'd imagine."
"Did the Northern cold freeze your heart as well?" Renly looked back at me.
"I still love you, uncle." I shook my head. "But… I'm not just your nephew anymore. I have a greater duty to fulfill, and if I falter, so does everything else. If I can't trust you to carry out my vision when I'm not around, then you are not the right man to be Regent… is that so wrong to think?"
"So… what will you do now?" Renly frowned. "Replace me?"
"You know I'd rather not. Mayhaps that is why you are so bold."
"What have I done that is so egregious?"
"I pointed out one example already. Another, rather consistent one, is your obsession with pushing the Tyrells forward."
"You've done all that on your own." Renly shrugged. "I had nothing to do with you choosing your company, getting drunk and taking Margaery's maidenhead. Nor choosing to keep the children… I've only been going along with the waves that you set for yourself, trying to make the most of your impulsive decisions."
"..."
I raised an eyebrow.
"Just because you have great power, doesn't mean you can do whatever you like without any consequences. One night you spend inside of Margaery, the next you're dedicated to your betrothed. You do realise how much of a blow that was for House Tyrell, no? It's not something that can be undone."
"... And they got their prize; my firstborn children. Are you telling me they expect more?"
"What do you think?" Renly raised an eyebrow. "What are two bastards worth when you have trueborn heirs?"
For some reason, that really hit a nerve.
"If those upjumped stewards have a problem with me, we can sort it out in a moon." I looked at him with a serious expression. "Let me know, uncle. I can start riding today."
"... Hm." Renly sighed. "You truly are your father's son. You think your might alone can solve every issue-"
"Are you saying it can't?" I blinked, looking surprised before frowning.
"Even if you can, would it hurt so much to be diplomatic?" Renly replied.
"Diplomatic, how laughable. What you said earlier was entirely wrong, by the way. She came to my bed while I was drunk - how is that my fault? Better yet, she got exactly what she wanted, and somehow it's a blow for House Tyrell? Not to mention, they expect MORE from ME? Hahahaha, hahahahaha…"
"They should count themselves fortunate that I don't expect anything more from them!"
I slammed my fist on the table, making Renly jump. I felt my body burning with fury. The audacity these Tyrells possess…
I took a deep breath and stepped away, calming myself down.
"Mayhaps it's you that hasn't realised it yet, but the Tyrells are in no position to do anything but suck up to everything I ask of them. There's really nothing to fear… unless you're trying to appease your lover."
"Ridiculous…" Renly shook his head, standing up. "I put my family before anything else."
I raised an eyebrow. Family? Renly had always put himself first before anything.
"What family? The brother you squabble with at every turn?"
"You, Edric," Renly replied. "Ever since you made me Regent, I've dedicated everything to you. Even when it comes to Margaery, I believed that she suited you better… and not because she was a Tyrell. Alas, it seems that I was wrong."
Did I affect him to such a degree, or was he sweet-talking me?
"... It's… fine." I shook my head. "If I want to pursue such a thing, I'll do it myself. I don't need you pulling strings."
"Of course." Renly nodded.
"Now, I'll ask again, are they going to be a problem? I'd rather deal with it now."
"The last thing they'd want is your warhammer crashing onto Highgarden. As such… I doubt it's anything for you to concern yourself with."
"Is that right? You were saying otherwise before."
"Your overbearing confidence tells me you've gotten even stronger." Renly chuckled, shaking his head.
"Mayhaps I should take initiative." I stroked my chin.
"Why distract yourself with an unnecessary siege when you have a princess to protect?" Renly shrugged. "Not to mention the instability it would cause, where I could handle it with only a few words."
"... Do let them know in a veiled manner that I'm not afraid to put them in their place if it comes to it. I'll gladly do it."
"Duly noted." Renly nodded. "Anything else?"
I paused for a moment. There
"Forgive me for my earlier outburst; it was rather… unsightly."
"No, I believe I went too far. You were right about a lot of what you said. I thought too much of the bigger picture and the consequences… hardly considering how you felt about the matter."
"It's fine, I'm long over it." I chuckled. "I have bigger things to worry about than an affair that happened nearly a year ago. If they're not over it, though…"
"No, no… it'll all be alright."
"Good." I smiled, clasping my hands. "It seems that this evening has been quite productive. I'm going to retire for the night."
"Sleep well."
"I will."
~
Plane of Euthymia.
"Father is really scary when he's mad, isn't he?" Alysanne stated rather casually. "Poor great uncle didn't deserve that."
"It sounds like we were unintended mistakes, after all." Garth took a more depressing note.
"You nosy brats." I rolled my eyes. "What did your mother tell you growing up?"
"... That it was mutual in the moment," Garth replied.
"Mayhaps it was. Alas… I was not in the right mind to make decisions like that. I was… lost, in a sense. I sought comfort in something, and she was right there. I'm not the dauntless person you might think I am."
Although I had convinced myself of my greater purpose, deep down, I still felt cold and alone.
"And you… are not mistakes. Don't ever say or even think that again." I shook my head, looking at both of them. "You two are brilliant children that any father would be proud to own to. If I had a choice to go back and go through things differently, I wouldn't. I'd make the same choice over and over again…"
"You're my firstborn and nothing will ever change that."
"I…" Garth looked shaken.
"Awww, are you crying?" Alysanne sniffled.
"Says you." Garth turned away, embarrassed.
"..."
Before I knew it, she had her arms wrapped around me and was rubbing her head against my back. It was a pretty tight hold for a lady.
"I'm going to miss you so much, father. Sometimes I wish you could come home with us, or mayhaps swap you with the other Edric Storm… but-"
"That's not how it works, you silly girl." I chuckled, freeing myself and turning to face her. "Don't give up hope yet. I don't care how cold, selfish or monstrous that Other me is, I believe your words could reach him just as well. We might be different, but… he's still me. Somewhere, deep down, lies the person I am now."
"And… if not, you can go ahead and kick his ass." I smiled.
"I think you're a little too optimistic there." Garth shook his head. "We wouldn't best him if there were a hundred of us."
"You'll learn. Once you master your abilities, you two will be unstoppable. Speaking of… it's sparring time! Chop, chop, get ready."
"..." Garth sighed, smiling slightly. "You are too volatile for me."
"I'll show you volatile in a moment."
This time, Garth was swinging faster and less predictably. Still, too slow to touch me. As for Alysanne, she actively disrupted my movements with a mix of Dendro and Hydro. I almost slipped from the water on the ground. Branches of wood impeded my movements. With my lightning, I broke through rather easily, however.
Still… the pressure they exuded on me was far more significant than it was weeks ago. I even tried to swiftly counter Garth with a chain of lightning but he used his sword to block - creating a shield around himself. I released more elemental energy, breaking through it and sending him flying to the side.
As I swiftly approached Allysanne, she blasted my face with pressurised Hydro - strong enough to cut and more than enough to temporarily blind me. As I used my own control of Hydro to recover swiftly, she had charged up a stronger blast of Hydro and struck my most vulnerable spot… any man's most vulnerable spot.
It was like getting shot in the dick except the bullet was the size of a bucket.
As you could imagine, the pain was overwhelming.
She… really is my daughter!
I was as furious as I was proud.
I grit my teeth through it and forced myself to recover from the daze, forming a wall of Anemo around me that absorbed all of her following attacks. Afterwards, I compressed the swirl reaction and sent it right back to her. She tried to slip past by sliding through the water on the ground but my wind was simply faster.
Though, before I could make the finishing blow, a volley of spear-esque projectiles descended from the skies.
I created a second wave of wind and brushed it all to the side. Meanwhile, I noticed something behind me. Using hyper-focus, I finished my attack on Alysanne while simultaneously dodging Garth's swing on my back.
Afterwards, I stretched out my hand and grasped his neck, raising him from the ground. Within an instant, his body was scorched from a multitude of waves of lightning.
I put him down, waiting for both of them to recover.
"I actually have to try now…" I noted. "You're both growing exceptionally fast. I fear your homecoming is sooner than you might think."
"Dooon't say that." Alysanne pouted. "I don't want to go yet. Besides, how would you know?"
"Just… a feeling." I shrugged. "I could be wrong, of course."
We kept sparring over and over again. When morning was on the horizon, Alysanne took me away for a talk in private. I was curious, to say the least. At first sight, I thought she was quite naive but it seems to be a somewhat deceptive disguise. She now gave me the impression of someone who knew far more than anyone would think they did.
"Father, do you ever wonder how life would be if you chose to be with mother? In your heart, is there any part that cares about her?"
"... I can't say." I shook my head. Not because I had a secret to keep, no - I simply didn't know. It was complicated.
We… definitely had our moments, moments that I enjoyed. I was sure that, even though my drunken self tends to do whatever, there was something there that led me to do what I did.
"Why do you ask?"
"Well, I… wonder the same thing sometimes. It seems to me that your heart is so set on Lady Raiden that you don't see anyone else. Mayhaps that is why you chose to keep your betrothal to Arya Stark, made excuses to delay marriage and then freed yourself of every other responsibility that tied you down once you became an Other."
"Mayhaps…"
"I could understand, of course. She is more beautiful than any mortal woman could dream to be, powerful beyond measure, and she treasures you deeply. No less, you spend near every moment in each other's company." Allysanne smiled, shaking her head. "You are practically soulbound to each other… all odds are stacked against anyone else, really."
"Would you prefer otherwise, Alys?"
"In my perfect world, Garth and I are never bastards, you and mother are King and Queen, and well… happy. But nothing about the world is ever perfect, is it?"
"Far from it," I nodded.
"I'm not certain if you know but, mother, even after all of this time, didn't marry anyone because she held out on the idea that some day you'd change your mind." She looked rather sad. "If you truly don't know, then mayhaps you should try to see if there is anything there. Spend some time together, communicate more. You could change mother's fate with a single whim if you wanted to… and we'd all be better for it, I'm certain."
She made that prospect sound appealing and even reasonable. I was impressed, if anything. If she had my System, I'd wager her charm would be enough to conquer the world.
"You have a good heart, Alys. In truth, nothing that happens in my timeline will affect yours, and you should know that, yet…"
"I… simply don't want you to end the same, father."
"... Heh." I chuckled, patting her head. "I'll end up just fine, don't you worry."
She did not look convinced.
"You can confide in us as we've confided in you. But, if you choose not to, there's not much we can do to aid you, is there?"
"You're a bit too clever for your own good, you know?" I sighed, shaking my head. "Worry about your fate and I'll worry about mine."
"I'll always be there for you if you ever change your mind."
"There's not much you can do, unfortunately. My battle is against myself…"
And a god far beyond my means.
…
"We're sailing already?" Arthur questioned. "That's quick, even for you. All the banners you called for aren't even here yet."
"We're giving them time, then." I smiled, shrugging slightly. "A slight side quest, if you will."
"Something tells me this 'side quest' is not something small."
"We can't miss the element of surprise."
~
Pentos.
It was the closest of the Free Cities to King's Landing, taking the usual ship only four days to a little under a week to sail there. Due to their losses to Braavos in the past, slavery was forcefully 'abolished' within the city. Their navy was also limited to twenty warships, and they were forbidden from hiring sellswords, making contracts with free companies or even maintaining their own army. Despite being crippled in terms of military, Pentos thrived on its trade and 'servants' who were slaves in all but name.
Illyrio Mopatis, one of the ruling magisters of Pentos and among the wealthiest men in the known world, was doing his usual thing. After securing a profitable trade deal, he bathed in the comfort of his numerous slave girls on a bed large enough to serve as a duelling ground. Once he was tired of that, he went out for a breath of fresh air, drinking only the finest wine.
The skies, which were so bright and clear, darkened in but an instant, invaded by foreboding grey clouds. Illyrio did not think much of it.
Then the rain came…
Small, infrequent drops turned into a shower over Pentos.
Illyrio returned inside and resumed work. There was a sense of unease that came with the weather, but he couldn't quite pinpoint why.
Then the thunder came.
Lightning struck the earth like a celestial hammer beating against the ground, causing Illyrio to suddenly jump. It was an unavoidable, deafening sound, as if the gods sought to unleash their wrath upon the mortal world. The storm continued for hours, with no end in sight. The streets were being flooded by extensive rain to the point that it flowed like a shallow river across every part of the city.
The longer it went, the more anxious Illyrio became.
In time, a deep fog covered Pentos.
Each strike of thunder made his fears become clearer.
Black hair, deep blue eyes, a towering physique, the warhammer… the black stag.
A black raven gazed through a window, looking directly at him. Its eyes were a luminous green, yet carried malicious intent—a hunger for blood. Death.
BOOM.
Then came the loudest strike of thunder Illyrio had heard in his life. The earth shook, the wind grew violent, and the rain poured even heavier.
A servant burst through the door, breathing heavily. Illyrio instantly turned.
"M-magister… King Edric… demands your head."
Illyrio's body sank.
His fears had come true.
The Storm had come for him.