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***
Darken Rahl.
Magic and Willpower! What do they have in common?
I have sometimes heard it said among my former subjects in the Old World, that Magic lends itself to one who possesses the iron Willpower, the will of a true Dharian. Only they were forgetting at that moment that not only Dharians could be magicians.
There had been discussions about these two concepts among mages long before I was born. Probably even at the time of the Rals' establishment as a ruling dynasty these discussions were going on.
What did my ancestors think? They believed they were two separate but interrelated forces. At least in the case of the Rahl, they did. The Power of Will is an extra power for a wizard that can save him, even if magical powers are at a minimum. Any person has a small share of magic that flows in him. Let it be quite tiny, but it is there. Magic is an integral part of the world order.
And the Power of Will is the produced power, which is obtained from the results of the formation of a person's personality. It can be increased, and it can be weakened. Those mages who have been broken by Mord-Sith will never be able to use magic with such skill as before, even if he kills his mistress and thus gets rid of her power over him. His will was broken, which meant he was no longer the same person he was before. And vice versa, the stronger a magician's Will, the stronger his magic.
But it is not only pain that can break a person's Will. It can be done with words, potions, and there is a rarer case with the help of the Willpower of another stronger wizard or spirit.And ironically - I, the one who can communicate with spirits both in dreams and in reality was attacked by them.
Two days ago, I finally arrived with my aunt in Norvos. I was welcomed as an honoured guest, showered with flattering words, exquisite gifts and honour. For a few moments I even began to wonder if they were talking about me. After all, no one had ever praised and presented me so beautifully and sycophantically.
I smiled, accepted congratulations, and spoke to the nobility. And after participating in the next reception on the second day I was approached by a trio of "Bearded Priests", who, as far as I knew, were the real masters of this city. They formed the magistrate and they ruled over all the believers. And this city was full of believers.
With a smile and pseudo good intentions, they offered me a look at the Temple of their great city. I agreed. I realised even then that they had prepared some kind of trap for me. But I didn't know exactly what it was. I expected them to poison me or brainwash me with speeches.
But what they did was more... stupid.
They didn't know that I'm very knowledgeable in the things of summoning the dead. And this dozen priests summoned those moulds of consciousness that had fused together in a nasty and nasty way and then started to imagine themselves to be gods. In fact, they were the ancestors of these very inhabitants of Norvos, who had lost their former identity and gained the rudiments of a new one, which took a long time to form. Moreover, such randomness was the very real powder keg that would explode a little later.
"Bearded priests" were also partly infected by this "collective mind" and partly controlled these "gods" and partly these "deities" controlled these "priests". The strange and tricky symbiosis that had existed for centuries was both their advantage, but also their weakness in front of someone who knows about such things.
They wanted to infect me with a part of the "gods" and then control me. I don't know whose not-so-clever mind came up with that idea, but I was glad of it.
As soon as a few of these deities' probes touched me, I simply placed a dome around me that contained small spirits under my control, like the ones I use for spying.
"The gods tried to suck all the energy from the dome and they succeeded in a way. Except I was counting on it. They, along with my magic, sucked in these spirits, who as soon as they merged with them began to weave themselves into their spiritual structure and change their self-awareness. To be more precise, it is still far from changing their self-awareness. But they were able to stop their actions and put tabs on certain actions.
With that, the "priests" collapsed to the ground and fell asleep. They also succumbed to the influence of my trick, remotely through their unusual connection.
While my spirits were working with the "gods", I decided to help them speed up the process. So I began to penetrate the mind of each priest individually and instil some small ideas, erase some memories or modify them. Seemingly insignificant actions, but only such insignificant actions can turn a hero into a traitor and a traitor into a hero.
After a couple of hours my spirits finished with the gods and the energy that was more pure and malleable for my manipulations it flowed frantically into the priests.
A few more moments and they woke up from their sleep. They didn't remember the previous desire to "enslave" me or the "order of the gods", only that they respected me greatly and wanted to "introduce" me to their deities.
We had a nice little chat, and then I was placed in temporary residence with my unforgettable Aunt Mellaria. She was to be my guide and assistant for the duration of my stay in the Free City, as a paragon of the greatness of the noble lords of Norvos. And here I was going to be for about a month. If they wanted to subjugate me, what was to stop me from subjugating Norvos in return? Besides, my priests were already almost as broken mages after Mord-Sith, and the merchants would be glad to be part of the empire.
It's true that it was out of my plan. But it's not a big deal. I'll just have to spend a little more on building new roads and mining in Sarnor and the Dothraki Sea. According to Okris, there are quite a few abandoned mines and deposits of iron, silver and gold there. There has been no one to mine them for the last couple of hundred years, and I have the opportunity.
Plus it wouldn't hurt to send Drogo on a campaign to Omber to subdue that little state. Let Okris be a part of it, too. It would be good for him to gain military experience.
As soon as I had finished writing and sending the message for Ocris, Mellaria came to my room.
She was beautifully dressed in a white and black dressing gown and sandals, with a jug of wine in one hand and two glasses.
- I hope I'm not disturbing you too much, Your Grace? - she smiled.
- Why, Lady Mellaria, I am always glad of such pleasant company. - I got up from the table and tried to help her with the wine, but she didn't accept my help.With a beautiful graceful gait she walked past me and placed the glasses on the table and poured the ruby liquid.
- I hope you like Dornish wine.
- Every wine is good in its own way. I don't drink it much, I'm busy with important things. I don't have time to relax.
She gently ran the back of her hand over my cheek and smiled at me in a sudden gentle way.
- Poor boy, Your Majesty, you have so much on your shoulders. I have three children, you know. They live with their father Doran Martell.
- But you didn't want them with him, I take it?
- That's right. In my opinion, children should be with their mother, to be loved and nurtured by her with all the love she can muster. Would you like to have a mother or at least a father? Or don't you care anymore?
- We all have them. - I smiled, enjoying the conversation and the wine at the same time. - And yes, I do care, as to your question. Both my father and mother are alive. But my mother doesn't know I'm alive, and my father hasn't even bothered to find out I exist.
- Your mother abandoned you? - How nosy.
- No. In a way, she had no choice. So I was left alone in Tolosa to fend for myself. But what I experienced there made me change one day.
- And how was that? - Mellaria began to stroke my neck.
- Sometimes death is the best teacher or lesson. I saw something I shouldn't have seen and it changed me.
At that moment she kissed me on the forehead.
- I apologise for that liberty. It just seemed like you needed it.
Hmm. Is that why you Lady Mellario bent over so that the view of your bodice was perfect for contemplating your breasts? It seems to me, though no, it doesn't, I'm pretty sure you're trying to push my age and "inexperience" and "abandoned child" feelings on me. Sneaky and clever. But it's not gonna work on me. However, if I play along with you, I can get the information I need out of you in return. I doubt you're doing it out of lust, compassion or boredom. Such a woman has strong nerves and ambition.
- I mean no offence, Lady Mellaria. - I smiled back at her," I said, "It was kind of nice.
She smiled even wider and put her glass on the table.
- I will not disturb your rest, Your Grace. I hope to be able to talk to you again like this. I get so lonely sometimes without someone to talk to here.
- Well, I'm not leaving here for another month. So I think you and I have time.
***
Tolos. Viceroys' villa.
In the private chambers of Ocris and Larina, besides the two of them, there were Generals Blackheart, Darstein, Miriam, who had just arrived from the north, and Rhys sitting in a wicker chair sipping ale.
- You'd at least bother to order the servants to bring you wine. - You're an army general, a dragon rider, and the Emperor's lackey. You shouldn't be drinking this bevotina.
- I don't care what anyone's supposed to drink. I like ale, so that's what I'll drink. - snorted the red-haired man.
Blackheart and Darstein raised their beer mugs in approval.
- Okris, I think we have all earned the right to drink, eat, and do our personal business as we please. - Miriam said, sitting down on the window sill, "After all, that's what the privileges of any position are for, to improve one's life.
- Miriam is right about that. - smiled at Blackheart.
The old soldier glinted at his bald head and rubbed his belly contentedly, remembering how he'd been eating gourmet meals just an hour ago, and how he wouldn't have been able to afford to look at them when he was in one of the poorest mercenary companies. Now he was a respected general and a rich man. He wasn't that old, he had just turned thirty-five a few days ago, but life had taken its toll on him, so he looked a little older than his age.
- Do you agree with her because of the truth of her words or because of the size and firmness of her tits? - Larina asked with a smile.
Miriam opened her eyes and stared at the speaker. There was really no threat or offence in her words. Miriam was even-tempered to almost any threat or insult. Her restraint was a surprise to many. Especially Rhys, Ocris, and Darken Rahl.
- If only I could test their resilience. Eh! But I'm afraid I'd lose not only my hands and eyes, but my balls as well. Ha-ha-ha-ha.
Miriam smiled weakly at that.
- Have you all talked to this Kinvara yet? - Quentin Darstein asked.
- I suspect she's managed to drop a few words and predictions to all of Darken's cronies. - Rhys put down his ale and joined the conversation in a more serious tone, but still with his traditional smile. - She wants something from him. But she's either not sure of her diplomatic skills, or she just wanted to increase her influence over him through the "new converts" of the God of Light cult. She may have more than one goal in mind, and they may or may not converge at the same point.
- You are a great strategist, Rhys," Ocris grinned.- I just watch Darken very carefully," he shrugged, "he's very clever and cunning. Every action, word, and deed he does has its pitfalls or hidden meanings. At first it was just curiosity and a desire to know what he was thinking. But then I realised that wanting to know what Darken Rahl was thinking was a dead end and a thankless task. So I just started to learn to recognise the manipulation and intrigue that he was weaving. So I think that's why he wants to send me back to Lang, to deal with the local aristocratic intriguers.
- Hmm. And he's sending Drogo and me to Omber to conquer it. - Ocris thought. - It's rather odd that we have such a task.
- I don't think it's strange. - Miriam spoke up, -He wants Rhys to be more experienced in intrigue and diplomacy, and you in military affairs. He realises that you, Ocris, are more suited to diplomacy and counting money, because you are a more peaceful man. But Rhys is like a fire that cannot be quenched by his thirst for adventure and fresh experiences. He has the future of a good warlord, but he has little understanding of politics, unlike you. Though he is savvy and has learnt from Darken, his own experience is just as important.
- Quentin and I have no orders. Though I would not mind wielding the blades His Grace forged for us. - and stroked his sword of Valyrian steel. - Isn't that right, Quentin?
- It is what it is. But I wouldn't mind a little rest. Besides, knowing Darken's restless nature, he won't stop at the Summer Sea. Soon I think there'll be another war. I don't know where our legions will go. To Asshai or the Free Cities?
- It's too early to think about that. - said Rhys. "Darken will decide for himself.
- He's only fourteen. He's already built his empire from scratch. Sometimes I think he's chosen by the gods. Or he's a rebirth of Aegon Targaryen himself. - Larina said thoughtfully.
- Who knows. - The red-haired man shrugged his shoulders. - Perhaps it's because he nearly died from a severe blow to the head a few years ago. I took him out then, and he changed after that. Maybe that's what caused it. As far as I'm concerned, though, each of us is worth a good bang on the head to make us work harder....
- Death is the line that has always changed people. - Darstein nodded in favour of that theory, "That's why he's changed. That's the most likely reason. But it's not a good idea to speculate about that now. We're not likely to know the truth. And I don't really want to ask Darken.
At that moment, a servant entered the chambers and brought a tray of reports and letters for Ocris Vaysserion.
- Hmm," the white-haired man frowned after reading the papers, "It seems you two have work to do. You have been ordered by Darken to travel with Admiral Mathis to scout the Narrow Sea and the Steps in particular. Find out the balance of power, rumours and pirate bases in those waters. And to make a tentative plan to take the islands. And you, Miriam, he has instructed you to go to the Hyrkun Homeland and visit all the cities of that nation. I think our emperor is right and it will be easier for you to make contact with the local warriors. You are also a warrior with a name that is well known throughout Essos.
- Is there something for me? Besides Lang?
- Just orders to take a dozen Mord-Sith just in case. I'm sure if there are any orders, he'll write to you when you're on Lang.
- So much for our holiday. Ha-ha-ha. - laughed Blackheart.
Continuation follows...