Chapter 23-Fool and Foolish!

Chapter 23

The temperature in the room was sweltering hot as Daemon stared at the demonic inhuman form of the Red High Priest Benerro.

"Yet, you are too late," and Daemon stilled at those words.

"And how would you know that?" he questioned and saw the godly human hybrid's lips turn up.

"Ahh, but you forget, it was were my powers which cursed her. Mine, I know everything," he said with a smile.

"I refuse to believe so. I will not give up on her. You speak of how blood has power for her, I will spill rivers of blood if I have to, but I will not give up on her," he spoke resolutely.

"Ohh, yet it could all be so simple. One bow all it will take is one bow. And I shall grant you enough power to save her. You shall become my vessel, the Azhor Ahai, the Lightbringer itself," the diety offered.

"I gave you my answer to that years ago. I will not enslave myself to you!" Daemon answered and felt the air burn besides her.

"Even for her, to save her," he asked and his fist balled up as he gulped down.

"If it is your power that kills her, that takes her away from me. I will not forget that. I will make it my life's purpose to eradicate your worship from this world. I vow that by the time I breathe my last, one would find it easier to sift for a pearl in a desert than a believer of the Red God," he said resolutely.

"You dare threaten a GOD! You CRETIN! DO YOU HAVE ANY IDEA WHAT WOULD BECOME OF THE WORLD IF YOU DESTROY ME? I AM THE ONLY ONE KEEPING THE DARKNESS OF THIS WORLD AT BAY! YOU DARE THREATEN ME!" the diety's voice raged all around the temple, reverberating from the walls, the power in it so wild and untamed that he saw the stone crack and metal begin to melt.

"I care little for the world. I work to save it, and I wish to carve a future for us, for me and her. And if I cannot even have that, then I would care little if it burns, sinks, or falls to the cold that encroaches from the North," he said, and the temperature in the room was sweltering. Daemon could feel his own mask heat up, and begin to soften on his face as he stared straight into those fiery eyes of the Red God.

"HAHAHAHAAHAAH!" and then the heat lessened, the suffocating heat turning into a gentle warm breeze as the god began to laugh, and the priest's body began to crumble away.

"You truly are worthy of the blood that runs through your veins. Go, then, Dragonborn, and you shall find yourself tested with a great choice in the face of your love. Triumph and I shall spare her from my curse," he saw the priests whole body crumble as a charred husk.

"Fail, and I devour both your souls."

0000

ELIA MARTELL

Elia Martell raced through the Halls towards the Council room, where Daemon was. The Kingsguard stood there, guarding the door.

"Is he inside?" she questioned, and the men nodded as they opened the doors for her, and she ran inside.

A whole crew of acolytes and the grand Maester sat there, nursing someone who was covered in blood, and her heart immediately gave out after looking at the bloodied form of the person lying there.

"Daemon," she gasped out, fearing the worst when suddenly she felt a gentle tap on her shoulder. She turned around and found herself staring at the masked form of Daemon.

"You!" she gasped. Turning towards the injured person again, she finally noticed the white armor, cloak, and golden hair.

"Ser Jamie," she recognized him immediately, the young knight was pale and clammy, his face covered in blood, as the master tried to stop the bleeding from his arm.

"I was at the balcony with Lady Cersei," Daemon began, and she frowned and looked to the side and found the apoplectic form of the Jewel of the West, sitting there in a dishevelled form as she cried profusely while looking at her brother.

"We were attacked by three assassins; Ser Jamie was forced to intervene and stop one of them from harming his sister and lost his hand in the effort. I was able to slay them afterward but not before the damage was done," he added.

"What will become of him?" she asked, having always felt a sense of pity for the young Knight who was forced to stand guard for the Mad King at such a young age and watch his atrocities as a young man.

"He has lost his hand, but the Maesters believe that he will live and shall have no other ailment other than that," daemon added as she walked up to the knight who was being held down by the acolytes as the Grand Maester tended to his wounds.

"Elia," Daemon beckoned her once more.

"Why don't you take Lady Lannister to her quarters and stay with her? She has suffered much and could use your company for the night," and she nodded as she walked up to Cersei Lannister, forgetting the animosity and bad blood shared by them, as she gently wrapped her arms around her.

"Come my lady, let me take you to my quarters," Elia said and watched as the Lannister woman hesitated as she looked up towards Daemon for some reason before she bit her lip and stood up.

Her clothes were dishevelled quite a bit and were drenched in quite some blood.

"And Lady Cersei," suddenly Daemon called out as they were about to leave the room.

"I hope you have not forgotten what we discussed," he began, and his tone was ice cold and she felt the Lannister girl get startled at that as she looked at Daemon with a very peculiar gaze, a gaze she had only ever seen in the eyes of Queen Rhaella.

"I think it would be best if you did not share what happened in the night," he began, and she frowned, knowing that there was much more going on here than she was realizing.

"And why would you want that? The King was just attacked. Doesn't the realm deserve to know who was responsible for this attack?" she asked and saw Daemon's eyes turn towards her.

"Oh, and why should the world learn of what truly happened?" Daemon whispered as he stepped forward, his gaze turning towards Lady Cersei.

"After all, the truth can often be very destructive. Am I right, my Lady?" he asked sharply.

And she felt her shudder slightly in her arms.

"Of course, your grace. I will do as you say," Daemon nodded and again turned towards her.

"Please, take her away. And do make sure that she spends a few days with you, what do we know maybe the assassins weren't truly after me," he said as he turned away from her and shouted.

"Ser Gerold, with me. We have much to discuss," he said, walking out of the room as the Lord Commander of the Kingsguard, the White Bull, followed behind.

"As you say, your grace."

0000

DAEMON TARGARYEN

Daemon sat alone in the Council room, watching the fire crackle infront of him. He sat alone, thinking of what had happened just a few hours earlier. He had been on an occasional stroll, a habit of his ever since his burns. He had found it difficult to sleep, and would often be forced to take the milk of poppy to slumber away for an hour or two.

Yet this was not such a night, and in his stroll, he would come upon two people sneaking away into the night at one of the castle's most secretive training spots, the green glint of their eyes and the golden shimmer of their hair immediately telling him of their identities and so he had made to follow them, to catch them in the act.

And catch them he would, after the act, yet he had not expected what had happened next. He had expected them to act rashly, but when Cersei Lannister had lunged at him with Ser Jamie's sword, he had been surprised a bit, yet not enough to dodge her attack, and she would attack again and again, despite Ser Jamie's many attempts at trying to stop.

And yet, as he toyed with the Lannister, the brother would step infront of him, trying to stop her, and would lose a hand to his sister's attack.

Ser Gerold was there as well. He had ordered the man to stay back and act as a witness.

And now, after much screaming and shouting and dragging, they had all ended up here, in this solar with Ser Jamie lying handless infront of him, while Cersei Lannister remained his hostage, knowing that her life, her reputation alongside the one of her entire House was now in his hands.

And he watched as the Golden haired knight shifted in the makeshift bed, as he rubbed his eyes before groggily opening his eyes.

And he watched the events of the night register as he jumped forward from the bed.

"Stay put, Ser Jamie. The Grandmaester spent quite a bit of time bandaging that arm of yours," he said and saw his head snap towards him, before he looked around the room with wide and searching gaze.

"This is not a dream. You are alive," he japed as he leaned back in his chair and saw the man finally turn towards her and stop his search.

"Cersei?" he asked, and Daemon chuckled a bit as he shook his head.

"She tried to kill the King," he began and saw his lips thin as his face paled a bit.

"...and takes your hand, yet the first thing you ask of after waking up her. I must say I am impressed by your devotion," he said off-handedly.

"If not for the disgusting nature of it, you two do care quite a bit about each other," he said, remembering the blonde's whimpers and beginnings as she asked him to save Jamie's life.

And yet, the young lion did not evade his eyes as he continued to look at him with a questioning gaze.

Daemon rolled his eyes.

"Your sister is alive and well, if not for a few bruises. She is with Princess Elia, and if both of you behave, she and you both would remain as such, but that is if you behave because I hope you do understand the situation both of you are in Ser Jamie," he said as he leaned forward.

"The only reason you both are alive is because of me," he added. He saw the man bite his lip, and sweat gathered on his forehead.

"What do you want?" Ser Jamie asked, and Daemon leaned forward.

He had considered killing them both or declaring their illicit affair to the court, yet it would have done him little good. He did not have enough power to bring the entire of Western lands to heel alone and would have to spend a year or two in another war.

So, he had asked Ser Gerold to keep quiet and not utter a word of what he had witnessed to anyone, as he had one of his other men bring three prisoners from the dungeons and prepare an appropriate scene.

"Not much, honestly. You will be going back to the West, to Casterly Rock, after being relieved of your vows as a Kingsguard. There, you will become the heir and explain to your father what transpired here," he said. He saw him still as his eyes widened, and he opened his mouth as he whimpered.

"He will kill her. Pleas..."

"I am afraid you are mistaken. Your sister will not be going with you," he added and saw him stop.

"Your sister will be staying here, in the capital. And she will do so as long as I desire it so. After all, she was found strolling the castle late into the night with the King," he added and saw his words register as his eyes widened.

"You will destroy her hono.."

"What would you prefer, Ser Jamie? What kind of rumor would you want circulating in the courts that Lady Cersei Lannister was found entangled with her brother..." he spoke sharply.

"...or with the King?" he asked, and the future heir to the West was quiet as he grit his teeth.

"Be grateful that I am sparing her life. I have every right to cut her head off. A part of me still thinks I should because..."

"NO!" he gasped out as he shook his head.

"Please, I beg you. Spare her. I will do whatever you say," he assured me.

"And will she?" he asked, and he nodded enthusiastically.

"She will, I promise," he said, and he nodded.

"Good, and do make sure that she understands that. Because one step out of line, one whiff of treason or insubordination, and I will destroy both you and your house," he threatened, and he nodded.

Ser Jamie nodded, his face ashen and his eyes dark. He was young and seemed so hopeless at that time that it was pitiful, but Daemon had little time to care for such a thing. After all, the Game of Thrones was quite a cruel game.

"As for your actions afterward, we shall discuss it tomorrow. You must rest, a ceremony for your officially resignation from the Kingsgaurd will take place in a day or two," he said as he stood up and walked past the man.

He reached the door and stopped, remembering a rather important point.

"And with your return to the Rock, I would much prefer it if your other brother would replace you here in the capital," he said and saw his head snap towards him.

"Tyrion, he had nothing to...."

"Do I really need to remind you of the position you are in, Ser Jamie?" he began, and he shut up immediately.

"And do not be so glum. Play your part perfectly, and maybe I shall have her sent back to the Rock in one piece, and you two can do whatever you wish."

0000

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