Lucy's office at Infinite World Publishing HQ was a reflection of her taste—organized yet vibrant. The spacious room featured large windows and modern furnishings. The walls were lined with bookshelves, and at the center of the room stood a large desk, which I believed was the most expensive item in the office—a sleek piece of art in itself, made of dark wood with a weird, modern artsy design.
I was sprawled on a comfortable leather couch positioned against one side of the room, lazily browsing through my phone. From here, I could glance over at Lucy, who was engrossed in the manuscript of 'A Song of Ice and Fire'. Every so often, her eyebrows would arch in surprise, or she'd shake her head slightly, her expressions shifting from disbelief to shock, and occasionally, a smile would break through, showing she was enjoying the book.
I had given her the manuscript a few days ago and was now here to get her reaction to the last parts of the book. She had been texting me about how much she liked the main character, Ned Stark, so when she told me she was nearing the end, I came over. The clock on the wall showed it was just past noon. I had arrived early in the morning, and now, several hours later, the initial energy with which I had started the day was waning.
As I scrolled through my phone, I heard a sharp intake of breath from Lucy. Looking up, I saw her staring at me with wide eyes, her expression a mix of shock and accusation.
"What?" I asked, an amused smirk already guessing the part of the manuscript she had reached.
"What did you do?" Lucy exclaimed, her voice rising slightly in disbelief.
"What did I do?" I echoed, feigning innocence as I sat up straight on the couch.
"You just killed the main character!" Lucy accused, her finger tapping vehemently on the manuscript.
"I did?" I replied, my smirk widening. "And you're sure about that?"
"You know what you did," Lucy retorted, her eyes narrowing as she flipped back through the pages as if to confirm the travesty.
"His fucking head was cut off," she continued.
"And where exactly are you going with this?" she asked, genuinely puzzled and a bit concerned about the sudden twist in the story.
I stood up, stretching my arms above my head. "Read the rest," I suggested.
Lucy sighed, her curiosity piqued despite her frustration, turning her attention back to the manuscript.
"I'll be back in the afternoon to discuss it," I said as I grabbed my jacket. "Save your judgment until then!" I called over my shoulder, already heading towards the door.
"Fine," Lucy called out, diving back into the pages.
After leaving the office, my phone buzzed with a message. I looked and saw it was from Haley.
"Hey, Luke's birthday is next week. Mom and dad are planning something epic. You coming, right?" her message read.
I sighed, typing back quickly. "Can't make it next week. We'll be with Nathan's family for Thanksgiving," I sent.
Almost immediately, her reply came through, a mix of emojis that clearly expressed her disappointment. "That's not fair. It's going to be so dull without you."
I chuckled softly, imagining her pouting face. "Come on, it's your brother's birthday. Try to have some fun, yeah? It'll be great," I typed, hoping to cheer her up.
"But it won't be the same," she responded.
Seeing her still sullen, I decided to play my ace. "How about this? When I get back, I'll take you on the best date ever. Promise," I sent, smiling at the thought.
There was a pause before she replied, "Okay, deal. But you better make it up to me. See you at school then," ending the conversation.
.
.
.
When I returned to the office, I found Lucy in a position usually reserved for me: sprawled out on the couch, looking pensive. I approached, curious about her reaction to the manuscript. "So, how was the story?" I asked, trying to gauge her mood.
She looked up, a complex expression on her face. "It's really good, Daniel," she started, but I sensed the hesitation in her voice. "But...," she added, motioning for me to sit down beside her.
I took a seat, leaning forward. "What's up?" I probed gently.
Lucy took a deep breath before diving in. "It's different, Daniel. This book... it's a departure from your previous works. There's more... adult content, sex, violence," she said, sighing.
"It's so real," she explained, her tone a mix of concern and admiration.
I nodded, understanding her point. "I know it's a big change from kids violently killing monsters," I said a bit sarcastically.
"You know what I mean," she replied, narrowing her eyes.
She continued, "It's just that it's very different from what your audience expects. The leap from 'Toy Story' and 'Percy Jackson' to this—it's significant. I'm worried it might be too much of a change for your brand."
I leaned back on the couch, realizing she was right. "Lucy, I've thought a lot about this. My fans are growing up with me."
"And this book is far from finished. I still have to write more sex scenes," I said with a smile.
"More?" she asked, surprised.
"Well, yeah. Do you really think I am not going to write that scene with Daenerys and Drogo?" I said.
Lucy gasped. "I think it's best if you leave that off like you did in the manuscript, leave it to the reader's imagination," she said.
"Yeah, no. Like I said, I want the readers to be uncomfortable with some stuff," I explained.
"Look, I will finish up Percy Jackson next year, and the year after that we release this," I said dramatically, pointing to the manuscript.
"Yes, it's different, but I believe many will appreciate the maturity in the narrative. And yes, we might lose some fans, but I also think we'll gain many more who are ready for deeper, more adult themes," I added.
"I hope you're right, Daniel. Just be prepared for mixed reactions," she advised, always the voice of reason.
"I am," I assured her with a smile. "So, what did you think of it? The plot, the characters?" I asked, eager to delve deeper into her thoughts.
"The world-building, Danny, it's exceptional," she enthused. I felt a quiet satisfaction at her words. In developing this world, I had aimed to correct many of the issues I felt were present in George R.R. Martin's work—like loose ends and undefined world elements that sometimes left readers wanting more, for example in the first book there were a lot of world-building issues, especially with the Starks and the North, something Martin fixed with the other kingdoms in the books after it.
Lucy continued gushing about the characters and plots, but at the end, her tone shifted slightly. "But that twist—the death of Ned—was that necessary? It's quite shocking," she remarked, her brows knitting together.
"And who is the main character? There are multiple ones. At first, I thought it would be Ned," she added.
I chuckled, not surprised by her reaction. "It's part of what makes the plot dynamic. And yes, there are several main characters, not just one. It keeps everyone guessing and engaged," I explained.
Lucy seemed pensive. "Are you planning to kill off more characters?" she asked, a hint of concern in her voice.
My response was a light-hearted laugh. "Lucy, in the kind of tale I'm weaving, no one is safe," I said, my tone teasing but with a serious undertone.
Lucy's expression shifted to one of shock, then resignation. "I suppose that's one way to keep your readers on their toes," she conceded.
"Yes, it's about unexpected turns and real stakes. That's what will set this story apart," I assured her.
"You know, a story like this could make a good movie," she suggested, tapping the manuscript.
I shook my head. "It will be too vast for a movie, Lucy. But, it might have a chance as a TV series," I countered.
She laughed, the sound echoing slightly in the office. "Do you know how expensive that would be? To shoot a series like this? It would either look terrible or cost as much as making multiple movies at once."
"Let's forget about that for now," I suggested. "I have some ideas for that in the future, but let's focus on getting the book out first."
We talked more business after that. Lucy was still unsure about the adult themes in the book, but I was able to convince her after a while. As the sun set, I called it a day and went home. We decided to talk more about this after 'The Titan's Curse' was released, and Lucy was busy with a few other books as well. As I left the office to go home, I thought about how I would have to complete the series myself since Martin had not done so.
A part of me wanted to leave it where Martin left off to troll the future fans of the books.