Chapter 075 – Advisor

[295 AC]

Walking through the streets of Volantis, his true appearance hidden by magic, Phenex stopped in his steps, as he turned halfway, his gaze directed at distant lands.

With a calm smile on his face, he listened in as Melisandre was given a post as an advisor on the small council.

A deeper look revealed that Jon Arryn had eventually been convinced by Varys, Littlefinger, and the youngest Baratheon to accept the offer, while the Grandmaester was against it and the Lord Commander Ser Barristan didn't voice out his opinion on the matter.

Eventually, the Hand of the King had visited Robert to discuss the issue with the disinterested ruler of the Seven Kingdoms.

Having his trust, it was relatively easy for Jon Arryn to have the King agree to the offer, which lead to Brynden 'Blackfish' Tully being made master of ships and the Red Temple gaining the chance to send one of their own to become an advisor.

Phenex couldn't help but applaud the crafty old Hand for this move, as the Lord of the Eyrie had shown how great his insight really was on matters of politics and authority, with how he had handled this rather delicate situation.

An advisor on the small council had no real authority or power, it was vastly different than being the master of coin, law, or ships.

Jon Arryn had also not made the mistake of giving Renly the position of master of ships, as he knew how dangerous it was to give a close relative of the King too much power. Contrary to the youngest Baratheon, Stannis had simply been more trustworthy and dutiful, so he had been the obvious choice for the post of master of ships before.

By choosing Blackfish, Jon had also filled the position with a veteran warrior that had served as Knight of the Gate in the Vale under him for years. And by being a Tully, this act simultaneously strengthened the ruling House of the Riverlands indirectly and drew them closer to the throne.

Eddard Stark and Jon Arryn had married the Tully sisters, Catelyn and Lysa, during Robert's Rebellion in order to gain the support of House Tully and many other Lords of the Riverlands for their cause.

It was only natural that he would choose someone from that side and that the King wouldn't disagree, as, despite his faults, he held those that fought with him against the Targaryens in high regard.

At the same time, it also kept the Lannisters from trying to gain more power in the Realm by denying them a seat on the small council once again. And while this decision did ruffle some feathers amongst the Maesters in the Citadel and members of the Faiths, with Melisandre being 'merely' an advisor, the actual authority and power imparted to her by this position were negligible.

Truly, the Hand of the King had managed to gain benefits for the Crown on several fronts by accepting the favour in such a way and avoiding greater conflict and unrest, which was something that definitely earned him Phenex' respect, if nothing else.

Still, as Phenex had instructed Melisandre, she didn't hesitate to accept the post and he did not doubt that the beautiful and dangerous priestess would not disappoint him in her service, even in a position without real power and authority.

The Red Priestess didn't really need those anyway as she had power of her own and as a High Priestess, she also had great authority in the Red Temple, not to mention that her guard was a Feather.

If need be, she could call on the temple's support and power. She could even summon Phenex himself if necessary.

The Hand of the King didn't know it yet, but inviting Melisandre to be an advisor on the small council wasn't as good a move as he thought it was, though Phenex could hardly fault the man for that, given that Jon Arryn had no idea about the real power of the Red Temple, and its priests and priestesses.

Turning back forward, Phenex put aside all thoughts of politics and power struggles, as he continued his trek through the First Daughter, immersing himself in the lively atmosphere around him and experiencing the changes he had brought to the city through his rule.

Phenex did this so that he wouldn't lose his sense of purpose and accomplishment, as he tried to avoid being one of those rulers whose head was in the clouds. It was of importance to him to see, with his own eyes, the people he ruled and protected.

The people he ruled over weren't just a number of expendable pawns he could use to accomplish his goals, no matter how noble they seemed. Every time the soldiers left the cities to protect the border regions on his orders, some of them never returned.

The blood they shed, and the lives that were lost, were his burden to carry and it was his responsibility to remember them as people and humans with families and loved ones.

Phenex knew that he was decisive and ruthless when it came to war and conquest, as he believed that this was the only way to ensure an uncontested victory, but these things didn't come without sacrifices or a price.

He was willing to accept these sacrifices and pay the necessary price, but he refused to do so without truly understanding what it was that had to be sacrificed and what exactly the price for those victories was.

Phenex didn't want to be ignorant of these things. And so he continued his walk through the city, observing and immersing himself in the life of those that believed in him.

…

[295 AC]

It was a few days later that Phenex found himself relaxing in a hammock in the temple gardens, Missandei in his embrace, her fingers softly brushing over the spot on his chest, where she knew her name was branded unto.

Inhaling his scent and feeling his warmth, Missandei's heart was at peace, while the strands of sunlight that made it through the leaves above danced over her smooth caramel skin.

Phenex' arm was wrapped around her waist, keeping her close, while his hand rested on her hips, his thumb drawing soft circles on the white fabric that hugged her beautiful curves.

Phenex' other hand gently brushed over her cheek and through her brown locks, as he left behind soft kisses on her lips, cheeks, nose, and the rest of her gorgeous face. It was a moment of quiet intimacy, that had Missandei's golden eyes nearly brimming with tears.

It was only sometime later when her gaze was drawn to the lines, that were written directly above Phenex' heart, which she could see through the opened top of the black tunic he wore, that she spoke up.

"Your home … Do you miss it sometimes?", Missandei whispered quietly.

Phenex had told her of his heritage some time ago after she had gotten to know parts of it from Arianne and Kinvara.

Leaning back a little, his fingers brushing softly over her cheek, Phenex answered, as he looked at her with his deep violet eyes: "I miss the days where my mother embraced me and told me stories of past heroes from House Dayne, while the rain hit against the coloured windows."

"I miss the days when she would train me with the sword, while her eyes were shining with pride and love."

"These things are gone though, and without them, Starfall is not my home.", he said, his voice gentle and deep with a slight rasp to it, "Do you miss your home, my love?"

Lightly shaking her head, Missandei replied softly: "I hardly remember Naath after so many years. The only things I remember are fire and screaming, even the faces of my family are blurry."

Phenex could see the sorrow in Missandei's eyes. The fact that she couldn't even remember what she had lost, made it all the more painful for her.

Pressing his forehead against hers, his lips met Missandei's in a gentle, feather-light kiss that conveyed his affection and comforted her.

"I could give them back to you, your parents I mean.", Phenex whispered, "And I will if you want me to."

Phenex didn't make this offer lightly, as he hardly ever considered using his powers to bring back the dead, but he loved Missandei and he wanted her to be free of anguish and sorrow.

He knew however that her past as a slave had scarred her irreversibly and he couldn't just erase that part of her past, or she wouldn't be his Missandei anymore. Phenex could however try and resolve the pain she felt as a result of losing her family.

Nearly losing herself in the violet seas of his eyes, Missandei felt the love shining in them in an almost material way, as if it had wrapped itself around her, protecting her and sharing his warmth with her.

"I- … No, I don't want … I-", she finally answered in a stammer, her voice nearly inaudible and laced with sorrow, "I- … I want them to live, I do, but … I am not the child that had been taken from them anymore, nor can they be the family I lost that day."

A small pause set in, as Missandei just moved deeper into Phenex' embrace, burying her face in the crook of his neck, before once again quiet whispers left her lips: "I-I would be happy just knowing they are alive and well, living on the island they grew up on and loved so much."

Leaning back a tad, Missandei's golden eyes shined with unshed tears, her vulnerability visible for all to see, as she asked, a slight tremble to her voice: "C-can you do that, Phenex?"

The moment his name left her lips, a single tear escaped her bright sad eyes. Though it didn't get far, as Phenex kissed it away tenderly.

"I can, my love.", he whispered, before his lips fell onto hers, kissing her deeply. Not passionately, but lovingly.