The Fated Day (3)

I saw King Aerys and Ser Barristan walking toward Serala's charred corpse beside the pike stand. Even though I knew Dontos' fate in advance, I only felt safe after I heard the king's pardon. Indeed, the wrath of a king was terrible, much more a crazy king like King Aerys II Targaryen.

I thought my gut was strong enough to tolerate those gruesome things that were about to happen but when I actually saw the king's men beheading the two Houses, I sensed a squirming knot forming in my stomach, churning so hard that I almost wanted to puke. Yes, I killed people because of my previous work but this was my first time seeing a mass execution like this. And seeing a headless child was not helping me at all. Thank God for Merryl's influence, somehow that unpleasant and heavy feeling slowly disappeared, and I became calm.

The armed men dragged the dead bodies at the center, piling them atop each other until it formed a hill. When they made sure that everyone was dead except me, they splashed some liquid on the corpses and burned them with a torch. The blazing fire kept getting bigger as they chanted 'Fire and Blood!'

I stood still, never shifting my eyes away from the horrible sight. I saw some of the king's men looking at my reaction, others smirking while others indifferent, maybe thinking that I was not moving because I was in shock or scared like a mouse. Unbeknownst to them, I was analyzing the knowledge and skills I got from Merryl, Jared, and Dontos. I had a feeling I would need them any time, maybe sooner than I expected.

Merryl's poison knowledge was vast but still needed verification to determine its efficacy in this world. Curses, on the other hand, were more complex and needed a catalyst to inflict the debuff on the targets. Like how a blood witch uses the blood.

Jared's bardic knowledge was mysterious, involving chants not present in this world. Theoretically, I could use it to make the target stronger or weaker, but as to what extent I did not know.

By following Ser Barristan back to King's Landing, I knew I would find a safe place for me to practice. So, just keep safe, use wit to survive, and show that you have some use.

And kill Petyr Baelish if the situation allows it.

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I thought this was the last time I would see the future Mad King face to face but I was wrong. Here I was, standing beside Ser Barristan as the king gave me a condescending stare.

"What a strange way to ask for a boon, Ser Barristan, clemency for a son of a hopeless blood," Aerys remarked, not caring for my reaction whatsoever, and took a sip from his goblet. "But you've always been honorable, so I'm not that surprised. Strange yet expected."

"It's the least I can do for a fallen House, Your Grace," Ser Barristan replied as he gave me a concerned look.

Aerys set the goblet on the table and picked up the dates laid at the center tray. "Very well." He started eating while he cupped his chin with his free hand. Nobody made a sound as he kept on eating, then he stopped and tilted his face slightly as he gave me a glance. "What's your name, young one?"

"Dontos Hollard, your Grace," I replied.

Aerys nodded. "How old are you, anyway?"

"Four and ten, your Grace."

"Not too young nor too old, just right." Aerys drank another cup and gave a satisfied moan, "Nothing beats the taste of summerwine." Out of the blue, he blurted out, "What do you think of the two Houses' extermination?"

His eyes were like daggers piercing my body, tapping his finger on the table as he waited for my reply. Honestly, I was taken aback when I heard his sudden inquiry, forcing the gears in my brain to turn crazily. I need to tread this unsafe confrontation as carefully as I could. After all, the only thing I was sure of was the aftermath of the Defiance in Duskendale but the minor things that actually transpired in the story were all blanks to me. These things were never stated in the books nor in the show.

Without a choice, I collected my thoughts and requested, "Can I ask you a question before I answer, your Grace?"

"Go ahead."

"Did Lord Denys hurt you or betray your trust?"

"Yes, they hurt me and betrayed me as well."

"Do you want an honest answer or a safe answer, your Grace?"

The king's expression did not change but his eyes had a hint of amusement when he heard me talked. He paused for a few seconds before saying, "I want to hear both answers. What's the safe one?"

"There's nothing wrong with your judgment, your Grace. They deserved it for they committed treason against the king. After all, the king's dignity must be upheld at all times."

Aerys rubbed his chin as he stared at me silently. Even Ser Barristan narrowed his eyes as he looked at me intently. I did not need to wait long when the king asked me again, "What about the honest answer?"

I gave him a bow as I spoke, "My answer's still the same, your Grace. They harmed the king, so they deserved to die."

"Don't you feel any hatred at all? Remember, I ordered your cousins, family, and even friends to be beheaded like pigs."

"Yes, I had hatred in my heart but it's not against your Grace. What I hate is their stupidity, knowing that the king's dignity must be upheld but they still betrayed your trust, even tried harming your Grace. If I have to describe what I feel right now, it's grief and gratitude. I'm grieving because of what happened to my cousins, friends, and relatives, knowing that House Hollard has fallen. But I'm thankful because you allowed me to live despite the circumstances, your Grace, giving me a chance to prove House Hollard's loyalty in the future, even though I'm the remaining one."

"What if I hurt you or betray you. As your king, will you hate me?"

"No. I trust your judgment and if your Grace hurt me or betray me, then it simply meant I did something wrong against your Grace."

"Honeyed words. Still young but you know how to butter things up, huh," Aerys blatantly remarked but a smile slowly formed on his lips. He waved his right hand, "You may go."

"As you wish, your Grace." I bowed toward the king and turned around, relieved that the hard part was over. Ser Barristan smiled when our eyes met and I gave him a slight bow as my gesture of gratitude. Slowly, I walked toward the exit and left the area.

I knew they were still looking at my back when I was walking away from them but I was not bothered at all. Instead, I opted to stay at a corner not far away from King Aerys and Ser Barristan, intending to eavesdrop on their conversation. Who knows I might hear something useful? Fortunately, there was a skill I could try using to enhance my sense of hearing - Jared's Song of Balance. It increased the physical senses of the target by a certain factor. As for the actual increment value, I had to experiment to find out.

"Galor Hera Xena..." I sang it the way it was described in Jared's memory, targeting myself as the recipient of the blessing as I repeated the song five times. Then, a strange sensation enveloped my body, starting from my head down to my feet. I did not know what the chant did exactly but I was sure that it was working. Excited, I focused my hearing toward the king's direction and listened intently. Much to my surprise, I heard their voices.

"...will you take him?"

"Yes, your Grace."

"Will you let him become your squire?"

"I'll ask a good friend to help me."

"Okay. Make sure to inform me when he becomes one."

"Yes, Your Grace."

There was a brief pause before a familiar voice spoke once again, "I've heard of rumors. They say I'm just a puppet - a hollow figure - and the one who's actually in command was Tywin..."

"There's a reason why rumors are simply rumors, your Grace. He's the Hand of the King. He won't betray you, your Grace."

"But every rumor has its origin. There's no smoke if there's no fire..."

"But it's much better to - "

Then, I heard no more. I tried reciting the Song of balance once again but it failed. Helpless, I sighed and left the area. At the very least, I was still thankful for the success of my first bardic attempt, even though it only lasted for a minute or two.

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