42 Chapter 42: Rodent Wrangling

(Year 294 AC)

3 months after the Citadel Incident

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(General POV)

In the early hours of the morning along the shores of Sunspear, Will could be seen walking beside Elia. She had asked him to go for a walk to discuss something, but what it was, he didn't know.

Normally whenever she left the palace, a contingent of guards and Oberyn would follow after her, but everyone knew that if Will was with her, she would be safe. Of that it was certain.

"Did you sleep well, mother?" Will asked her, genuinely curious, but also just to start a conversation. He could have just kept his mouth shut and walked along in silence for hours on end, but he knew she had brought him out here to discuss something, so it was best to get the conversation rolling.

"I did. I always sleep well when I'm home and all of my family is near me." She said, smiling warmly at her own words. She truly enjoyed having him so close by, and with Rhaenys pregnant, she would soon be able to dote on her first grandchild.

"How have you and Rhaenys been sleeping?" Elia asked, knowing it hadn't been easy for either of them in the beginning. Still, time seemed to do wonders for them, because after a certain point Rhaenys had been able to get a proper night's sleep, thus Will was able to get a proper night's sleep. Not that he slept all that much to begin with.

Ever since they got back to Dorne he had been training with his magic at every chance he got. It had taken him only a few days of experimenting to learn how to ride on a ball of wind, and a few extra hours to figure out how to do it while standing up.

He had even learned how to release somewhat compressed air blasts that were devastating to the surroundings, and they were louder than they had any right to be.

When he shot a bolt of lightning for the first time, let's just say the people of Dorne got very religious for a night. Doran had actually told him that shooting lightning in the city was a big no, and that he would have to go to the mountains or out to sea to do that, otherwise... well he couldn't actually do anything to Will, but he could bitch and complain to him.

"Really good, surprisingly. She's actually been sleeping a bit longer than usual and gets tired faster than she did before. I can't even blame her though, because she really is starting to show." Will answered, thinking back to the last few days.

Rhaenys had taken the first stage of pregnancy rather well. Aside from the severe morning sickness, which was to be expected for any pregnant woman, she had weird random cravings. One minute she wanted pizza, the next she wanted carrots, then eggs.

Despite her cravings being all over the place, Will happily obliged. She was carrying his child, so he did feel like he had to do something to help her out.

Will didn't know it, but mood swings were a thing too, only Rhaenys... Well, her mood swings were different. Will kept thinking a hysterical woman would act like they did in his old world, but women didn't do that in a medieval society. That was very frowned upon and wasn't tolerated.

Still, Rhaenys didn't behave like the docile women here, nor the hysterical ones from his old world. No, she was all over the place. Generally, she was calm and happy, but the moments where she got all sad for no reason whatsoever, she warged into Tweety, and when she returned to her body she was back to normal.

Same went for when she got angry, though Will rarely if ever saw her get mad. There was one or two times where she snapped at him for about half a second but would always make it up to him that night by getting on her knees giving him a blowjob.

After the second time, he was actually hoping she would snap at him more, but he wouldn't go and piss her off just to get what he wanted. Though he had been tempted on more than one occasion to do it.

"Have you noticed her acting odd lately?" Elia asked, making Will pause to think about that. Rhaenys had changed greatly since she was a child, and compared to 10 years ago, she was like a completely different person.

When trying to think of any recent changes where she might be acting differently than usual, Will could only hum in thought.

"She's been a little quieter at times, but I think she might just be tired." Will finally said, sounding a little unsure of himself.

Obviously if Elia was asking him about it, she clearly noticed something he hadn't, which was a little unnerving because he had tried being very vigilant when it came to Rhaenys.

"Oh, my sweet boy..." Elia muttered under her breath, though Will still heard it. Rather than beating around the bush, Elia stopped walking and turned to stare at Will, then waited for him to do the same.

"I know you don't want to hear this, but I'm going to tell you anyway. You can't have your child be brought into the world as a bastard." Elia stated, looking pointedly into his eyes.

Taken aback by her words, Will frowned at her. Before he could retort however, Elia continued, "I know you don't need a ceremony to prove your love for her, because I know you love her... but your child..." Trailing off, Elia looked to be thinking how best to say what she wanted.

"There is a certain stigma that comes from being born as a bastard. They are said to be born from lust, lies, and weakness, and as such, they are said to be wanton and treacherous by nature. Just look at Jon! Even now, he can't get over how he felt growing up a bastard... You can love your child with all your heart, and even give him your name, but people might still treat them like a bastard." She said, hoping he could see what she was trying to convey.

It didn't matter if you were a bastard in Dorne, but that was only in Dorne. The Dornish are not greatly concerned about whether or not a child is trueborn or bastard-born, especially not if the child is born to a paramour. Oberyn was the perfect example for this.

However, the rest of the Seven Kingdoms did not share Oberyn's and Dorne's view on children. Elia had been in King's Landing for years before having met Will, being married to Rhaegar and such. The crown was heavily intertwined with the Faith of the Seven, and she herself had to learn a great many things.

The faith itself wasn't all that popular in Dorne, so lots of it had been new to her. Despite not believing in a lot of its teachings, Elia could see how the masses who did follow the faith would look at a bastard child.

Will was in the spotlight of the entire world, and it stood to reason that his child would be as well. It didn't matter that he claimed Rhaenys as his wife, without witnesses or documentation, people could always question to the validity of the child's birth.

Elia wanted what was best for her children, there was no doubt about that. So, it was understandable when she thought about her children and potential grandchildren, she wanted them to have the best lives they could possibly have.

After everything she had learned from Jon about growing up in the North with Catelyn Tully watching over him, Elia had made the decision to talk with Will about it. She had also gained a strong hatred for Catelyn.

It was for this reason that she had brought up the subject of marriage with Rhaenys, but the mother-to-be hadn't shown much desire to try and get married, or at the very least she knew Will's own view on the matter.

Elia probably would have dropped the subject altogether, but the days following her talk with Rhaenys, she noticed her a lot quieter than usual, and how she would stare at Will when she thought no one was looking.

Clearly, she had been thinking about her words, but hadn't wanted to discuss them with Will, which was why she was doing it instead.

After listening to Elia speak, Will had been silent for a few minutes as he processed her words. Marriage was basically pledging your love in the eyes of gods and men, but Will didn't see how him being with Rhaenys concerned the Gods or anyone else for that matter. Still, there had to be benefits to a marriage.

Thinking about it, Will realized that no one actually married for love in this world. The smallfolk maybe, but the nobility did not. It was all arranged marriages with them, and he guessed most marriages were miserable. Even the ceremonies were done to join the houses, and nothing else.

Sure, a feast usually followed most weddings, then there was the bedding ceremony, but that was pretty much it. Just look at Cersei and Robert. Both of them married to unite two great houses, but they hated each other. They had nothing in common except they were both idiots who wanted to rule.

Trying to think of weddings in his old life, Will remembered a time when his mother and sister were helping a friend plan out a wedding and how excited they were for it.

He had only listened in for all of 10 minutes before he went to dig up some worms to put under his sister's pillow. That was way more fun. At least until she gave him a black-eye and he got grounded. Some people just couldn't take a joke.

Anyway, weddings were more for the woman in his old life. Sure, his father had been happily married to his mother, but he bet the man would have been just as happy without the wedding.

Still, it gave them an excuse to celebrate their anniversary once a year, and they got presents and other stuff.

'Maybe do a little bit from both worlds.' Will thought.

He wasn't opposed to having a wedding for Rhaenys or his future children, but he'd be doing it solely for her rather than political machinations or because people expected him to.

Looking at his mother, Will let out a long-drawn-out sigh before saying, "I do love her, and I want what is best for her and any children we have in the future. For them, I'll get married, but I want to do it my way. You have to let me ask Rhaenys."

For her part, Elia hugged him tightly as she agreed that he could do whatever he wanted. Will was more different than anyone else in the world, this she knew better than anyone. He didn't treat women like other people, and he was always kind and respectful when he was speaking to strangers or friends.

He never looked down on anyone of a lower station, and he preferred having fun with small group of friends than he did lording over people to make himself feel special. However, he was going to do the wedding, Elia knew it would be something to remember.

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It wasn't until 2 days later when everyone was gathered around the table eating dinner that Will put his plan into order. With a subtle glance at Elia, Will caught her attention, then gave a discreet nod.

He had told her beforehand that he was going to do it tonight, but that was all he told her. She didn't know what he was going to say or do, she just knew that he was going to tell them all about the wedding.

Standing abruptly, Will slid his chair away from the table so there was room enough between him and Rhaenys. This action did not go unnoticed by everyone else at the table, as they all stopped their conversations and eating to see what he was going to do.

Currently in the room, there was Doran, two of his children, Arianne and Trystane, Oberyn, Ellaria, Drox, Elia, Aegon, Rhaenys, Daenerys, and Jon. Oberyn's daughters were all present as well, and for once in their lives, they were all silent.

Aside from them, there were 4 guards standing at the doors, but they were Doran's and Oberyn's most trusted guards, and they knew full well who Elia and her children were. Two of them had known her in the past, so it was understandable.

The other two were cousins of the Martells, and would sooner die than betray their family. They had only just gotten their princess back, and they weren't about to let her be taken from them again.

They, like Drox, were at most every meal with the Martells, though unlike them, Drox personally ate with the royal family. He was pretty much one of them, he just wasn't bound to them through marriage or blood. Whatever thing he had going on with Oberyn didn't count.

Anyway, with everyone's attention on him, Will took Rhaenys by the hand and got down on one knee.

"Rhaenys... for most of my life I've been so consumed with hatred I never thought I'd be able to find love in this world. I always thought I would live my life alone, but then... you entered my life. Without ever realizing it, you became a part of me. You aren't just carrying my future; you are my future. I couldn't picture myself with anyone else, and I want to spend the rest of my life with you by my side. Will you marry me?"

When Will finished speaking, a small open box appeared in his free hand as he brought it up to her. There were two exquisite rings in it, but Rhaenys wasn't even looking at the box. She was in tears as she stared at Will, and barely 3 seconds after he held the rings up to her did, she practically leap off her chair and onto him.

"YES! *KISSING* YES! *MORE KISSING* YES!" She answered, completely overjoyed at his words.

For days she had been thinking about this, and now that she was getting what she wanted, of course she was overjoyed, and that wasn't even mentioning the words he had said to her.

"That was so beautiful!" Elia cried out, Ellaria agreeing with her only a second after.

"What's with the rings?" Aegon asked after Will and Rhaenys shared their moment together.

With the question voiced, everyone looked to Will for an answer, including Rhaenys.

Taking the smaller of the rings from the box, Will grabbed Rhaenys' left hand and slowly slid the ring onto the finger beside the pinky.

"Where I'm from, when a man and woman get engaged, they exchange rings to represent the unbreakable bond and lifelong love they will share with one another. They also show the rest of the world that they are married to one another." Will stated as he handed the box to Rhaenys and gave her his left hand.

Staring at the ring on her finger, everyone couldn't help but marvel at the exquisite design on it. The ring itself had been one of the Valyrian steel bands from the jewelry box they had found in Valyria, but it seemed Will had added to its splendor.

Before, the ring was a simple Valyrian steel band with diamond on it. Now though, the diamond was turned upside down so the pointed side was sticking up, but instead of ending there, Will had somehow shaped it to look like flames from a burning fire.

The ring would have been beautiful enough at that, but Will had decided to go further. On one side of the diamond there was a ruby phoenix fused to the Valyrian steel band with what looked to be strings of gold. On the other side, an amethyst dragon was fused to the diamond with silver.

It looked like both beasts were joined together in fire, which was actually what Will had been going for when he made it.

With more than a little excitement, Rhaenys looked away from her ring to the bigger of the two rings that was still in the box. For his own ring, Will didn't want some fancy gems on it, thinking it didn't suit him.

Instead, he had got one of the largest Valyrian steel bands, then intricately woven silver and gold around it, creating the shape of the North star on the top of it. It was cool, yes, but it wasn't nearly as fancy as the one he had made for Rhaenys.

As for why he picked the North star for the design on it, well, it was the same design his father had made for his mother in his previous life. In doing this, he felt he was keeping a part of them near him, and that was reason enough for him.

Taking the ring from the box, Rhaenys moved to slide the ring over Will's index finger, but before she could, he held her hand and guided it, so she was putting it on the same finger she had her ring on.

"The ring goes on this finger because it is the only finger someone has with a blood vein that goes directly to their heart. It is believed that the blood guides our bond to one another from the ring." Will spoke, surprising everyone with that bit of information.

"What an odd custom." Drox said, finding the whole thing a bit weird. Still, it sounded a lot cooler than what the Faith of the Seven did.

"When is the wedding?!" Daenerys asked, completely thrilled for her... sister? niece? Hell, she didn't know anymore, nor did she care. As far as she was concerned, her and Rhaenys were sisters.

"The wedding will be in- '' Will was saying but stopped abruptly as a plan came to mind.

After everything Drox had learned, Will had very much intended to clean house at the Citadel. Still, he couldn't just kill them all, he'd set himself up to be the villain that the Maesters would use to gather support.

He also just couldn't assassinate them the day or even the week after the Citadel incident happened, otherwise everyone would have to be stupid to not see that it was him who had done it. However, if there was a very big public event that involved him, and the Maesters somehow died at the same time, no one in their right mind would think it was him.

Quickly calculating how long it would take him to get to Oldtown and back, Will spoke, "We'll have the wedding in 5 days."

He figured it would only take him a few hours to travel to Oldtown from Dorne, if it was just him and he was going at his top speed using wind magic. He would give himself 2-3 days to get everything finished up there, then make his way back to Dorne, leaving himself a whole day to get everything in order.

That may not seem like much, but when you could shape the world to how you envisioned it in your mind, well, Will was the greatest workforce in the world.

"So soon?! That doesn't leave any time to invite guests!" Elia said, already envisioning a massive wedding where the great Lords of Westeros showed up to watch. That was how her wedding had been to Prince Rhaegar.

"This wedding will mostly just involve the people Rhaenys and I care about. It will be here in Dorne where her friends and family can come to celebrate with us. The Dornish lords and ladies in Sunspear can attend, and there will be common folk there as well, but I don't intend to invite everyone and their horses to come." Will told them all, not the least bit interested in a big wedding.

Hell, he didn't want a wedding to begin with, so of course he didn't want to invite every person in the Seven Kingdoms.

They all discussed the wedding somewhat, but at the end of it, Will and Rhaenys had final say, and both of them were content with a small wedding, or at least a smaller wedding than what Elia wanted. It would still be massive by modern day earth standards.

"What about the Lords of the North?" Jon asked curiously. He could remember whenever one of the lords in the North did any form of celebration, everyone was invited to it. To not be invited to something was considered rude, though only if it was actually an event worth attending, and it was for someone who actually mattered.

No one cared about not being invited to two random smallfolk getting married, or even minor nobles for that matter.

"I've thought about that, actually. I figured we could just have a big tournament in Asteria planned for maybe a month or two after our child is due to be born. That way Rhaenys can actually enjoy it, and everyone will have ample time to show up." Will explained, truly having thought about it.

The GreatJon had come to mind when he was thinking of anyone he actually wanted to invite to a wedding, but then figured that most weddings were too boring for the man. It was only after really thinking about it that Will realized most weddings were kind of boring.

Other than a feast, there really wasn't much to them here. Even the wedding he was planning was very similar, which is why he decided to do the whole tournament thing. Those were something everyone could enjoy.

"That is a wonderful idea. It will give us time to send out invitations to those who might want to come, but who would also take a few months to get there. After all, it will take some time for the Tyrells to get there all of the way from Highgarden." Elia informed them, making most everyone stop to look at her.

They hadn't forgotten what Mace had done, and so they weren't sure it was the right decision to invite them to something as important as this.

"Are you sure you want to invite them? They-" Aegon tried to explain why inviting them was bad, but Rhaenys cut him off.

"We cannot hold an entire family at fault for the sins of one of them. They are not their father, and we are not our grandfather." Rhaenys stated, finding it too easy to compare their situations.

They had been in hiding since they were children because of her father, and she wasn't about to let Olenna's grandchildren be put in predicament just because of their father.

"Plus, Olenna will not stand for Mace acting out a second time." She added, having learned quite a bit about the noble house from Will.

Everyone was taken off guard at her statement, realizing that they were doing exactly what the rest of the world had done to House Targaryen. They were trying to prove they were different, and better than people believed, and yet they had almost acted out like a witless buffoon.

"You're right. I shouldn't have said that." Aegon apologized, realizing he couldn't think that way. He was better than that, and he would do his best to not jump to conclusions before thinking things through.

Daenerys looked to be thinking the hardest about those words, but if she wanted to say something, she didn't.

For his part, Jon just waited to hear what was going to happen next. He knew how people saw House Targaryen, but despite being one of them, he still didn't think it was his place to say anything on the matter. It still seemed unreal to him at times and wasn't quite comfortable putting himself in their shoes just yet.

There was a bit more discussion, but eventually they figured things out enough that they were all thrilled for the coming days.

Will had told them he would be gone for about 4 days so he could prepare something for the future but was cryptic as to what it was. He had an odd look in his eyes, and by his wording it was clear it wasn't for the wedding. Still, no one complained.

The following morning, in the earlier hours before the sun lit the sky, Will kissed Rhaenys goodbye before he jumped out of the window of his room. Even using magic sense to make sure there was no one within sight of the Watergardens, Will was still acting on the cautious side.

Using the cover of darkness, he bolted into the sky without making a sound, then he blitzed across the sky towards Oldtown.

Flying had been one of the things he had been practicing in the past few months, and even when they were in Asteria he practiced the ability. It wasn't nearly as easy as the air-scooter, and it actually wasn't comfortable at all, but it was many times faster than riding the ball of air.

As he sailed through the air, Will thought back to 3 months ago to the morning they had set sail for Dorne when Drox had come to speak with him.

(Flashback)

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(General POV)

"Depending on how many enemies you want to make, this could be really easy or really hard." Drox had told him, making Will wonder just what he had learned.

The night before when they were all going to go out and explore the city, Will had pulled Drox aside to ask him to spy on the Conclave to get information, and did he ever get results.

Recounting his actions after leaving Will, Drox made his way towards the Citadel, moving along the sides of buildings to keep from being seen.

Even under the cover of darkness he believed there was no point in taking risks, something he had actually picked up from Shade. The giant shadowcat was currently trailing along behind Drox, mimicking her pet as she watched his back for any threat he might have missed.

Along the way, Drox kept an eye out for an important tool he would need for his mission, and when he finally found it, he couldn't help but lick his lips, not realizing that he was copying the actions of the shadowcat behind him.

As silent as the night, Drox crept over to his target, and when he was in striking distance, he pounced. The writhing and squeaking of the rat in his hands made him chuckle darkly, and despite the odd thoughts he was having, he didn't let them deter him from his goal.

With his tool acquired, Drox moved about until he was at one of the buildings closest to the Citadel. Looking at the gates to the place, Drox could see how there were more guards than there should have been, most likely from Will's visit earlier.

Being close enough for the next part, Drox quickly scaled the building, finding footholds where even the best climbers wouldn't think to look.

He had realized this weeks ago, but the more he warged with Shade, the more his instincts changed to be better aligned with her. It wasn't just a one-way street either, as Shade did not behave like your regular shadowcat, which was large in part due to him.

It was like the two were training each other's shortcomings, only it hadn't actually been intentional. Drox had only noticed it a few months ago when he instinctively avoided walking in certain areas, and when he began to move more like Shade did.

It was quite fascinating for him, and rather than be worried about losing himself to the animal, he wondered how much further he could go with his powers, and as he had learned later, it was quite a bit.

Anyway, once he was on the roof of the building, Drox swept his free hand over Shade's back, causing the shadowcat to look up into his eyes.

Leaning his head down to her's, Drox whispered, "Keep me safe."

Knowing the big cat understood him, Drox didn't need to say anything else before he brought the squirming rodent over to the side of the building, then held it in place on the edge.

Instantly, Drox's eyes went white, and his hands fell from the rat he had been holding. Normally the rat would have already scurried away when it was given the chance, but unfortunately for it, it was far from being free.

It took less than a minute to gain complete control of the rat, at which point Drox had to take another 2 minutes getting used to his new body. It didn't take that long because this wasn't the first rat, he had taken control over, but it was still a new body, and that took time to adjust.

Once he was ready, Drox climbed down the side of the building, then made his way towards the Citadel. It was far too easy slipping past the guards at the gate, but then again, they weren't trying to keep out the vermin, just the people.

Moving along the sides of the building, Drox eventually arrived at the Scribe's Hearth. He half expected to still see some acolytes or maesters out here still selling books, but even they had to sleep sometime.

He was about to continue on his way when he felt the fur on his neck bristle, and he felt as though something was wrong. Looking around him, Drox tried to find anything amiss, but couldn't see anything.

After a minute and he still couldn't find anything, he was about to move again when he finally noticed what had him so worried. Up on one of the tables the scribes sat at, a big orange cat was staring down at him, looking at him as though he was going to be its next meal.

'As if!' He thought, taking a quick glance around to find something to defend himself.

The only thing he could find close by was a broken quill, but it would work well enough in a pinch. Slowly inching his way towards the quill, Drox made sure to not move so fast that the thing would be alerted to him knowing it was there, but he also didn't take his eyes off of it.

When he was about 2 feet from the quill, he saw the cat drop to the ground, which he knew meant there was no point in going slow. Scurrying quickly to the quill, Drox grabbed it up before he spun as fast as he could, barely turning in time to stab the quill in the cat's right eye just as it was about to chomp down on him.

When the cat reared back in pain and surprise, Drox didn't wait for it to get its bearings. No, instead he charged forth with his quill-sword in hand, maneuvering out of the cat's strikes and into its personal space.

With a great thrust, the quill-sword punctured the cat's foot, eliciting a pained hiss from the thing as it tried to get away from him. Not about to let it get away, Drox managed to grab the fur on its side, then swung himself up onto its back.

Making sure to get a good lock of fur in his tiny grasp, Drox stabbed his makeshift sword in the cat's ass, causing it to start jumping all over the place to try and get him off.

Whenever the cat tried to turn its head to snap its jaws at him, Drox would poke it as hard as he could, starting another bout of jumping and thrashing.

Just when he thought he had it beat, the damn thing ran under a stool, and unlike the cat that was able to get low enough to miss the stool, he wasn't.

Not landing that hard, Drox quickly got to his feet... paws, you get the idea! Anyway, he grabbed up his quill-sword and prepared for another round against the terrible beast, when to his surprise, it remained a short distance away from him, choosing to simply hiss at him instead of attack.

"What kind of cat are you?!" He squeaked, appalled that this ferocious creature had given up so quickly. Not understanding or simply not caring, the cat turned and walked away from him.

"Your mother was a dog!!" He squeaked again, chastising the retreating feline. With the battle now won, Drox put his quill-sword in his mouth before he continued on his way.

Thankfully there were no more obstacles in his path, and after a great deal of exploring, he managed to come across a pair of old geezers who were bickering as they walked down a corridor.

Drox followed them until they came across another old geezer, only this one was going down a different path. Seeing as how the two he was following dipped their heads in subservience towards the lone geezer, and how this guy was wearing a mask and had a fancy stick in his hand, Drox decided to switch targets.

It took almost 20 minutes of following the guy, but eventually they arrived at a room where there were a number of big fancy chairs placed around the room, most of which were occupied by other old guys.

He already knew that the Archmaesters were his targets and seeing as how everyone in the room wore weird masks and held their own fancy sticks, he concluded that he was in the right room.

There were no windows, and the only door to the room was the one he came through, so the lighting was pretty shitty. Aside from a number of candles placed around the room and hanging from the ceiling, there was nothing else, which was actually good for him.

With such terrible lighting, and most of the people in the room being half blind, Drox felt he was pretty safe to move about along the edges of the room. Finding a nice spot to view everything, Drox got into a comfy position and waited.

It wasn't until almost an hour later when 2 more old guys walked into the room that things looked like they were finally going to start. Drox counted 20 of them, but given how there were still a few empty chairs, he wasn't sure if there were more yet to come or if they were just for future Archmaesters.

"Archmaester Vaellyn, it was you who called for the Conclave to meet, so why don't you begin the proceedings." One of the old guys said. The man's mask looked to be made of lead, but Drox couldn't confirm it from where he was.

"Of course, Archmaester Theobald." The man now known as Vaellyn said as he stood from his chair and walked to the middle of the room.

"As you all know by now, the Citadel has been attacked by the Mummer Magician!" Vaellyn spoke loudly.

"He is no mummer, you old fool!" A man sitting off in one of the corners of the room shouted, interrupting Vaellyn.

No one in the room was surprised at the man's outburst, as unlike most every Maester or Archmaester in the Citadel who believed magic didn't exist, this man was a firm believer in the art.

Archmaester Marwyn, commonly known as Marwyn the Mage, was the only Archmaester who had achieved his title through the study of magic. His mask, rod, and ring were all made of Valyrian steel, signifying that he specialized in the mystic arts and the study of what science couldn't explain.

No one in the room doubted the intellect of Archmaester Marwyn, but he was a little... uncouth at times. He spent eight years in the east, mapping distant lands, searching for lost books, and studying with warlocks and shadow-binders.

He was nicknamed "Marwyn the Mage" by Archmaester Vaellyn after his return. The name was soon all over Oldtown, much to Vaellyn's vast annoyance.

There were more than a few of the Archmaesters who mocked Marwyn for his beliefs, and many of them didn't like him because of those beliefs.

"Of course, YOU would believe he is no mummer! Tell me Marwyn, have you managed to light your obsidian candle again?!" Vaellyn asked mockingly, sparking bits of laughter from a few of their colleagues.

"You all look down on the mystic arts because you can't explain the unexplainable, and that hurts your pride! Science is a wonderful thing, but it cannot explain everything!" Marywn stated, then sat back in his chair, clearly done with speaking with these old farts.

Before Archmaester Vaellyn could continue his speech, Archmaester Ebrose stood from his chair and walked a few feet forward, gaining the attention of everyone present.

"I can't say that William Castian can do everything the rumors say, but I have witnessed with my own eyes, magic the like which has never been seen before. His hands glowed a bright blue, and a severe stab wound was healed in seconds. It is for this reason, I would say that he is no charlatan." Ebrose said, then went back to his seat, leaving the room silent.

Where Marwyn was mocked and ridiculed, Ebrose was respected, and none could say they knew more than the man. He was not one to believe in anything without proof, and like most in the Citadel, he doubted everything until it was proven.

The fact that he was claiming William Castian to have done true magic, it made more than a few of the Archmaesters stop and think.

"I can attest to the fact that Castian used healing magic!" Archmaester Edgerren stated, confirming Ebrose's words, then sat back down. Archmaester Mollos confirmed it as well, leaving most Archmaesters to frown in thought, while Marwyn had a big shit eating grin.

Taken a little off guard at being interrupted so many times, Vaellyn remained silent for a few minutes as he tried to think of words to say to shift the conversation to where he wanted.

Before he could have claimed Marwyn for the fool everyone believed him to be, but Ebrose and Edgerren were completely different. He himself had learned a great deal under Ebrose, and the man was respected more than any man present, save for maybe Archmaester Theobald.

Regaining his composure, Vaellyn cleared his throat before speaking, "Here at the Citadel, we trust in logic and reason. Not some... sorcery!" He spoke the word with such disgust, one would think he had eaten a moldy piece of shit.

"We've already had to deal with one conqueror, and we don't want to deal with another!" Someone called out, eliciting a chorus shout of agreement from more than a few of them.

"I propose we send people to keep an eye on this man, and if the opportunity presents itself to be rid of him and his future spawn, we take it!" Vaellyn suggested, getting agreement from 6 Archmaesters who had readily agreed with his negative points thus far.

"He is not Aegon the Conqueror! He has made no attempt to claim the throne! You want to kill this man and his future children for the sole reason that he can use magic!!" Archmaester Marwyn exclaimed angrily, calling out the Archmaesters for what they were really doing.

"He attacked the Citadel! Not even the Conqueror attacked this Holy place of learning!" Archmaester Pereston stated haughty.

"For him to ignore the rules of the Citadel, and so brazenly attack it afterwards, it is clear for all of us to see that he has no control over his own actions. Is it not our duty to stop mindless beasts?" Archmaester Ryam asked, hoping to lead everyone to the correct decision.

"And his unborn child? What has it done to warrant death?" Edgerren asked calmly, pointing out that a child was completely innocent.

It was understandable that he would be thinking about the child. He had after all done a complete study on infants, and had even written a book about them. To quote a line from his book, "A child is so blessed by the Mother that it is born without a shred of sin."

A number of Archmaesters seemed to agree with the fact that the unborn child had done nothing wrong, and to just leave it be. However, there were a few who pointed out that it could have the same magic as its father, and that it was best to get rid of it now before it got too powerful.

For hours they bickered back and forth, until finally it was time to put it to a vote. Of the 20 Archmaesters in the room, 9 of them raised their hands into the air when asked if they should get rid of William Castian and his unborn child, while only 6 of them were against it. The remaining 5 had chosen to not vote for either side, choosing instead to remain neutral on the matter.

With the meeting now at an end, all of the old farts began to leave the room, only to stop when a cry of pain rang out. Everyone turned to the origin of the cry, only to see Archmaester Vaellyn laying on his belly kicking and shouting out in pain.

When they stepped closer to investigate, they all could see the pointed end of a broken quil lodged into his ass. The conclusion was that he had sat on it and hadn't noticed it until now, not the least bit suspecting that it had been plunged there only seconds earlier by the rat watching from beside the wall.

'Your days are numbered!' Drox thought, his eyes roving between a few of the Archmaesters.

He had done his best to get the names of everyone who had been in attendance, and made extra sure to get the names of those who voted for Will's death.

He got the names of the ones who voted favorably for him, and even the neutral ones. Still, he would need to write them down as soon as he was back in his own body, otherwise he might forget the list of names and which order they went in.

(Flashback END)

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Having arrived in Oldtown, Will hid himself under a cloak as he made his way towards an Inn in the lower district of the city. He wanted to make sure no one would know he had anything to do with what he was going to be doing.

Drox had been correct when he said it would be hard or easy depending on the number of enemies he wanted to create for himself, but he hadn't considered something. If no one knew it was him, he wouldn't be getting any enemies.

There would no doubt be people who claimed it was going to be him who had done it, but without proof it would just be speculation.

Staring out of the Inn's window, Will looked towards the Citadel as he thought of what he was going to do to them.

When he finally glimpsed away from the number of buildings, he looked at a slip of parchment in his hands that had three rows of names.

One row had the letter N above it, signifying the names beneath it had been neutral in their vote. Another row had an F above it, signifying they had voted favorably for him. The last row however, had nothing written above it.

'No point in writing something when the names beneath it are just going to be erased.' Drox had told him, which he could only agree with.

Staring at the row of names, Will only knew one thing was certain about them.

He was going to kill them all.