Celestial Hymn 29 (Patreon)

Celestial Hymn
Chapter 29

-VB-

It was a disaster.

What else could it be?

The day a powerful army had been pledged to the king, the commander of that army nearly becomes assassinated?

There was a goddamn limit to the intrigues of the court, and this was taking it a step too far.

Never mind the fact that Lord Marris was his personal pick, the man raised to the station of a lord, but he was also the betrothed of his niece! He was one of the closest lords to the royal family. His family! An attack on him was an attack on the royal family - and thus, by extension, Renly himself.

If word of the attack got out, then it would signal to all of Westeros and beyond that the king and his allies couldn’t even keep valuable assets and allies safe. He needed to find the culprit fast, if only to sate Robert’s wrath when someone broke the news that Alan had nearly been assassinated.

“I do not believe that it was any of my demesne’s neighbors.”

Renly met Alan’s firm stare.

“What makes you say that?” he asked. “They have been the most belligerent towards you. Outside of your own smallfolk.”

Alan smiled condescendingly. “Aggressive as they might be, they have wasted their time fighting me instead of being my friend. They are also not wealthy enough to hire a Faceless Man.”

Renly almost cringed outwardly, but he had enough training and experience under his belt to not show such weakness so overtly.

It was a miracle - or was it merely a contest of magical arms? - that Alan survived the Faceless Man and turned the table on the member of the famed assassin order. It was going to be a sensation. No, it was going to be a rallying point for the Baratheons. How many could claim to have survived a Faceless Man’s assassination attempt and also call that survivor their family?

No one but the Baratheons, that’s what.

“... Can you use your magic to find the culprit?” he asked his loyal subordinate and soon-to-be extended family.

“I can,” he spoke slowly. “But I am not sure if that is a good idea, Renly.”

“Why not?” he asked curtly.

“Because if the Master of the Law gave me, and by extension, my Crystalline Guard - a legal precedent to use untrusted and untested magic - as far as the rest of the world is concerned - to find a direct political opponent. “I believe it will give our political opponents a case for an alliance against us.”

“And who would you consider our enemies?” he asked.

“Reach, Dorne, and Iron Islands.”

“Dismiss the Iron Islands. They are negligible,” Renly scoffed. “So then, Dorne and Reach, huh?”

“Assuming that no one else is involved, yes,” Alan sighed. “If, let’s say, a Stormlander lord is implicated using our magic…?”

Renly frowned. “No one from the Stormlands would accept it.”

Alan nodded. “We would need more evidence than finger-pointing because that’s what my magic will essentially be considered until such a time comes where its presence and usage is not only common but widely accepted.”

Renly sighed. “Okay, so magic will hinder us. Do you have any suspect?”

“I … do.”

“... Who?” Renly asked. He didn’t like how Alan was hesitating. The man never hesitated. Oh, he patiently bided for time and deliberated, but he didn’t hesitate in Renly’s presence and letters.

“The Master of Whispers.”

“Varys?”

Alan nodded gravely. “I know that he is a man who suffered at the hands of a self-proclaimed magician in Essos.”

Renly blinked. He hadn’t known about that.

“Wait, is that why he is a eunuch?”

“Yes.”

“By the Seven, that’s … that’s a good reason for him to want you dead.”

Alan nodded gravely.

“How did you come to find out about this information?”

“By magic, of course,” his troublesome vassal replied with a grin. “I … also know more than I should about many others.”

And suddenly, Renly realized that magic had other uses than the overt.

No, he should have expected it!

“Exactly what kind of magic do you have in your possession, Alan?” he asked as he leaned forward.

There was a pause, and Alan’s eyes looked dazed and far away, but it disappeared quickly. Did something happen?

“Only I can use the magic,” he replied with a sigh. “None of my acolytes are advanced enough.”

“... Then why not use that magic to find the culprit?”

“It was how I discovered the Master of Whispers’ past.”

“I see. Nothing else?”

“It … isn’t completely up to me for what information I receive.”

So it was a little bit of unreliable magic.

… what was the cost?

Then he had an idea.

The thing that Lord Arryn was looking into before his death. It would be hitting two birds with one stone: understand the cost of Alan’s magic and get an answer

“Then can you use your magic to answer some questions for me?” he leaned in. “and what would be the cost?”

Alan looked hesitant.

That was twice in one meeting. How curious.

Perhaps he was pushing too hard and too much at once.

“Perhaps next time,” he said as he waved. “But if you do find a solid evidence on who called that assassin on you, be sure to let me know.”

“Of course, Lord Paramount.”

Renly smiled. “Good, good.”

“... I do have a request, though.”

“Tell me. If it is reasonable, then I don’t see why i can’t help move your request.”

Alan smiled devilishly. It was the same smile he had when he gifted Robert and his children with their individualized gifts, the capes and swords.

“Considering that I almost lost my life, I would like to have my residence within the Red Keep.”

Renly blinked.

He’d been expecting something ridiculous.

But then again, Alan had always been a reasonable man if with somewhat extreme reactions.

“I don’t see why not.”

“With my own Crystalline Guards along the corridors that I will be residing in and allowing them to do nightly patrols. Magic can find magic, you understand?”

Ah, there was that extreme reaction he was just thinking about.

“You realize that you are asking for things outside of my purview? I make and enforce laws, advise my royal brother, and carry out the King’s Justice, not micromanage the Red Keep.”

“But you can?”

Renly grumbled. “... I’ll look into it.”

Alan beamed at him.

Renly wondered if Alan was like him. He wasn’t bad looking and the man did have a charming honesty about him.

Perhaps he’ll have someone else ask discreetly.

“Speaking of which, I haven’t gifted you something significant for you like I did for Robert,” Alan hummed as he reached into his cape and pulled out a long box that fit into two palms.

Renly took it cautiously and undid the latch keep the two wooden lids together. His eyes widened as he saw what was within it.

He gingerly lifted a narrow dagger with the ripple pattern characteristic of Marrisian blade.

“A gift from a vassal to his liege.”

Renly chuckled. “I will cherish this, my friend.”

“Oh, and another one,” Alan added as he pulled out another box. Then he whispered. “Though I do not do so, this is for your lover.”

It took Renly a moment to realize what Alan was getting but he did.

Oh, well, that’s too bad then.

It was another dagger.

“Put them side by side,” Alan told him with an excited gleam in his eyes and corners of his lips jerking up.

Renly’s eyes widened as he put the two daggers together to seamlessly form a shortsword.

His jaws dropped at the magic he just beheld.

He looked back up and saw Alan’s grinning smile.

“Only best for the family, you know?”

“Only best for the family indeed,” he muttered in agreement.

-VB-

Okay, there was another miss by the Celestial Forge but I’m okay with that. I already had a lot on my plate right now.

As I left Renly’s office, one of my Crystalline Guards walked up beside me.

“Your orders?”

“I will be living in the Red Keep now, but the manor that I bought will still be in our care. I want the Third Arm stationed there at all times while First and Second Arms will ready themselves for a possible stationing in the Red Keep.”

“Yes, milord.”

“Good. The manor will be my new probably temporary workshop, so it needs to be secure, you understand? Secrets can get people killed. Or in our case, weapons we don’t want released to the public will be devastating.”

“I understand, milord. Any unauthorized personnel will be kept out at all cost.”

“If they are not great nobles, then execute them on the spot.”

The guard paused while I continued to walk forward, and he hurriedly caught up to me after only a moment.

“Yes, milord.” He sounded troubled.

“Albert.”

The guard perked up when I called him by his name.

“Remember that tens, if not a hundred, of your comrades may die if someone ever gets into the workshop and steals a valuable material. Worse, it may give our enemy a chance to understand my magic, which protects us all.”

“That will not happen.”

“Good. I trust you.”

I kept the smirk to myself as I saw from the corner of my eyes him straightening his back.

“Dismissed.”

He bowed and quickly disappeared.

I allowed myself to smile as I hummed.

It was intoxicating, this authority. To have others following me and begging for scraps.

Oh, I wasn’t like this before, but ever since I put down the riot, I have become used to others bowing to my authority. It felt right and safe.

Or maybe I was always a manipulative bastard and it wasn’t until recently that I got the chance to really flex it.

It was time to get back to the manor. I could probably make some wonderful things before the tourney started in the coming days. Who knows what I’ll make? Even with just the Azerothian skills, magic, and database available to me, I could make some mish mash of hybrids that even I would not be predict.

Ah, the joys of creations.

Half of it came from surprising my friends and - more importantly - my enemies.