[Edric's POV]
I started taking measures against the Pale Mare. Since most diseases emerge from a lack of sanitation, I made that a focus as I 'purified' the water sources and even enhanced them by turning good ol' sea water drinkable by evaporating the salt. I was glad I paid at least some attention during science classes. Although, I eventually learnt to simply filter out the salt through my Hydro control, which proved a simpler process than using heat.
I made a strict policy around isolation; no one could go anywhere without valid reasoning, at least until this disease died down. It was then that I started testing Alysanne's first cures. She observed each patient, learning more as she went along.
The cure improved, day by day.
She… was simply remarkable.
As for Daenerys, my 'process' did lead to the Pale Mare's swift demise in her system. She was good and well within a couple of days.
"I… didn't even ask you to combat the Pale Mare."
"But you would've anyway... so I went a bit ahead," I replied, shaking my head. The longer it stays around, the more likely it is to affect more people I care about. "I'm going to eradicate it. Or, well… Alysanne's cure will. I'd really only be taking all the credit. I'm rather envious I can't accomplish such a thing myself, but… I'm even more proud."
"You have every right to be. She is gifted beyond what words could describe. If we ever had a daughter, I'd want her to be similar."
"I'd prefer more of a… warrior in the family. Garth has a talent for war, but he lacks the drive that Robert passed down to me. The kind of fury that is insurmountable. In a world where magic is becoming more prevalent, I'd need my heir to possess power, will and might not so different from my own."
"And also because they'd be more like you?"
"It would be... ideal if I had a son like that. Fewer things to fret about."
"What if these 'ideal' traits were found in a daughter instead?" Daenerys questioned. Being a woman of power herself, this wasn't all that surprising.
"... That would most certainly complicate things. The Seven Kingdoms much prefer a crowned prince. It's always been that way."
"Just because it's been that way for however many years doesn't mean it's right."
"We'll see, won't we? In the end, I reserve the right to choose my heir, and no one can override that," I chuckled. "All this talk of inheritance does make me feel old when I could very easily reign for over fifty more years."
"I sometimes forget how young you are."
"Don't worry, so do I."
The status page is great at reminding me.
…
On that same day, Arthur returned with the fleet, which was loaded with goods. Despite being smaller cities, slavery was definitely one hell of a policy to get rich. I almost can't blame them. Arthur looked like he had seen better days, however. His white cloak was drenched in red, and his armour wasn't quite so shiny. Most importantly, he carried a conflicted expression.
"I take it you were successful?"
"I did accomplish what you asked, yes."
"Sooo… why the long face?"
"Can we talk about it?"
"Most definitely."
I took him to my chamber, which at this point was half a bedroom and half a meeting room. It has a nice balcony with a brilliant view of the city and sea. Not quite as good as Daenerys' chamber (since she had the best one, obviously), but close enough.
"So, what's wrong?"
"It's just… I didn't know what to do. In Tolos, when the slaves were freed and the masters subdued, they turned on them and did so in great vengeance. Killing, robbing, raping… what do you do when the very people you saved were no more than chained animals?"
"We're all animals, Arthur," I smiled, shaking my head. "We love to pretend that we're not. Considering how clever and advanced we are compared to the rest, it's only fair… but, deep down, we have those same traits and instincts that you could find in most beasts. They had a lot of built-up resentment from generations upon generations of slavery, could you blame them?"
"Still… I couldn't sit by and watch injustice unfold. I wanted to bring order to the chaos."
"Well, did you?"
"Only with force… which led to even more bloodshed."
Arthur admitted, sighing.
"I had more blood on my hands than anyone else… and I still can't think of how I could've done better. Should I have just allowed their vengeance to unfold? Is that just?"
"You fought the very people you freed?"
"... Yes, in the end. They didn't take kindly to my seeking an end to their madness. When it came to Elyria and Mantarys, it went better… to an extent. Still, both sides despised me in the end."
"Ungrateful bastards. I have half a mind to put them all back in chains myself."
"... There's no need-"
"Or... burn them all," I did feel a surge of fury burning in my body. "A lesson to be grateful for what you're given, don't you think?"
"..." Arthur paused for a moment, shaking his head. "No... that won't be necessary. I just... feel like I've lost my way and I don't know how to make it right. What did I do wrong?"
"Right and wrong, it all depends on perspective and your beliefs. Some might think taking a life is evil, no matter who you kill... others accept it as long as it is under the guise of some 'valid' reason, such as self-defence or the person you killed was someone terrible. In situations like these, there is no 'right' and perfect choice."
"It is all... messy. Do you know what Daenerys did when something similar happened in each of the Slavers' Bay cities?"
"... Nothing?"
"Quite right. In the end, it's my fault for putting you in a situation like that. The greatest burden always weighs on the commander who makes those decisions."
"... I've realised that," Arthur sighed, shaking his head. "It's so simple to point the finger and believe there was a better way until you stand in that very position."
"Do you now believe yourself to be a lesser, unworthy knight because of what you did?"
"... I can't shake that feeling, no matter how hard I try," Arthur nodded slowly. "It's consuming me, the thought that I..."
"The world isn't so black and white, Arthur... and you've always sought to be the white, pure and virtuous hero that could only truly exist in a fairy tale. I have a question - if there is an evil that can't be defeated by justice alone, would you taint your hands with evil to overcome it? Or would you remain virtuous and just, even if it means faltering to this evil?"
I probably murdered that Lelouch quote... It's been a long time.
"The answer is simple for you, isn't it?" Arthur questioned, looking at me.
"The world puts us in situations where the only way to win and do what is truly 'right' and 'just' is to sink into the black... or bleed to death in white. I'm willing to go to any length to ensure our victory. Even if it means becoming an evil that matches, or even surpasses, the Night King... I will gladly do it to protect everything that I care about."
"... I understand that now," Arthur sighed. "But... I'm not certain if I can be like you in that regard."
"You don't have to be, nor would I desire that," I shook my head, smiling slightly. "I'm here to carry that burden for everyone else. So... they can all point their fingers at me when anything happens, good or evil. That is my duty as King."
"And you, Arthur... you should be the radiant white light you've always been."
"The light to the darkness," Arthur remarked.
"Precisely. As for that incident, don't ever blame yourself for what happened. You tried your best to do what you believed was right. I would've done the same," I patted his shoulder. "I'd only have been more effective because I would have filled them with terror much quicker. I play that part quite well."
"Yeah... a little too well," Arthur smiled slightly. "It seems the best answer to bloodshed is even greater strength, the kind that oppresses everything around it."
"More often than not."
"So... when will we advance on Yunkai?"
"Give it a week or so, I don't want to leave Meereen in a mess."
"Understandable."
~
Because of the way the Plane of Euthymia worked, Alysanne was able to mass-produce cures for as long as she felt like it. While I benefited mostly from being able to practice my magic to kill better, she and Garth were able to create almost endlessly. I also had real-world obligations... but they remained there with all the free time in the world, sort of like unemployed people right out of school. Complete freedom (with a few differences, obviously).
Meanwhile, Garth was building on his latest project and advancing it further. It went from gauntlets to a full suit... a suit taller than myself, thick and heavy. Towering. They kind of gave me a Space Marine vibe. Let me find out my son is the next Tony Stark, except with magic.
"Oh, father... since you asked for it, I designed the gauntlet. Try it on."
I grabbed it and fitted the black plated gauntlet on my right hand. It fitted perfectly, looking hardly any different from the one I'd usually wear, except a bit bulkier down below. Still, lighter than I thought it would be.
I flicked my wrist and out came the blade.
"This is bloody amazing," I said, chuckling. It was always a little dream of mine to have a hidden blade when I was younger.
"Magical engineering is rather fascinating, it opens sooo many doors," Garth said with a very thrilled tone. "I made it so that this piece of armour is alive - in a sense."
"Alive?" I blinked, raising an eyebrow. Now he had my full attention.
"By alive, I mean it reacts to your magic, your will - interpreting it rather accurately. Try it with the crossbow."
I retracted the blade and let a spark of electro flow through it. Almost instantly, the miniature crossbow within expanded.
"Heh... how brilliant," I raised my right hand, observing it closely. I then tried shooting out the hidden blade, doubling it as a knife. It shot out, and I grasped it in time, spinning it between my fingers. "How do you even create something like this?"
"Well, it's a bit complicated... and hard to understand unless you get into it yourself. I've found a way to effectively synchronise my Geo mastery and engineering into, well, magical engineering. The engineering builds the foundations of it all. At the same time, the magic enhances it and fills all the holes in those foundations, perfecting it."
"As for this next project... it isn't just a suit of stone armour. It's a soldier."
"... Oh," I looked at it, stroking my chin. "Is this how you intend to overcome your foes?"
"Help overcome them, yes, but that's not all... they can serve as guardians, protectors of the peace. I plan to create armours that suit individuals as well, empowering them to do good. The Reach will have an army that surpasses every other."
"... Well, it sort of already does, no?"
"Not with the boom of magic... there are walking calamities who can lay waste to thousands of men with ease, not so different from you. The Iron Islands possess one such person, so do the sands of Dorne and the Crownlands. In Essos, there is the true 'Stallion Who Mounts the World' who has laid waste to nearly every city and has ambitions for the west as well. Beneath them, there's well over a hundred wielders of magic, most of whom abuse it for their own ends..."
"None of that sounds good," I remarked, nodding. He has a lot of battles ahead of him.
"It is the age of Chaos for a reason..." Garth sighed.
"And you will bring order to it, Garth. I know you will."
"What you said to Daenerys... I do wish I could be more like you. If I thrived in battle, I'd be much stronger, wouldn't I? If I had that fury..."
"You have a truly brilliant gift that I'll never have," I smiled, shaking my head. "That 'fury' is primitive, nothing more than instinct. You have a creative mind that can change the world, advancing it into something I could hardly comprehend at this very moment. Use that gift... and take the future into your hands."
"Yes, father... I..." His hand was fading into white particles. "Is this..."
"... The end," I gave a bitter smile. "I hoped it wouldn't be so soon... but it looks like you're going back home now."
"I... this is too sudden."
"At least we can say farewell," I took a deep breath.
Garth embraced me, and I stroked the back of his head. Black hair... my son. It was almost like he was dying in front of me, in a way. I'd never see him again. I wouldn't know what became of him. His triumphs...
"Thank you, dad... for everything."
"You can thank me by kicking everyone's ass," I chuckled, shaking my head. "Take care of your mother as well... and your sister. Be there for eachother, always. Also, become a better King than me."
"That's not exactly hard to do-..."
"Okay, you bastard..." I laughed. "When I die, I want to hear of all your great deeds..."
"I'll leave you with plenty to hear about..."
"Just know that..."
By then, he was nothing more than a wave of dust, fading away.
"I'm proud of you."
I took a deep breath. The only evidence of his existence was his creations, blueprints, sketches and notes. Even after a long moment... it didn't quite sink in.
What about...
I looked for Alysanne, who seemed to be fine, until I saw her.
"Why are you rushing all the way here?" She raised an eyebrow. "Something happen-"
She began to fade as well.
"You're going home... with Garth."
Alysanne also embraced me, just as she did from the very beginning.
"You've made me so proud, Alys. Everything you do, everything you touch... You bring so much light and good to it," I took a deep breath. "You've grown your wings. It's time for you to fly from the nest."
"I wish... things could have been different," Alysanne sighed. "I wish... I had been your daughter instead."
"You are..."
"You know what I mean... truthfully, I can't help but feel jealous of the other me. She'll grow up having all that I didn't."
"Don't linger on the past that you were denied - seek out the greater future that you can build." I smiled, holding her tightly for the last time. "The whole world is your seedbed."
"Make it... beautiful."
"I will... father."
When she faded, the silence struck me like an icy chill. Slow... yet I could feel it coursing through my body. It was inevitable, I knew it would happen, yet that didn't make it any less impactful. I sat down beside Raiden... a feeling of loneliness washing over me.
"It's just me, myself and I..." My alter ego took form, appearing just as I had imagined him before. "Don't worry, I'm never leaving you."
"Of course..."
"Your real kids are in the outside world, you know. Not these posers, these visitors. They're eating medieval crayons right now or whatever it is that toddlers do. Little Garth's probably sucking on mommy's breast milk."
"I need a moment of peace..."
There was no reply.
There were no stars in the Plane of Euthymia. It was the same ominous, black-red sky. It was an unforgiving land, and yet Alysanne had somehow made it beautiful and alive. Inevitably, her influence would soon fade, and everything would return to what it was before... dead and empty.
Nothing mortal lasts...
Death is undefeated.
"Mortal life is ever so fleeting… and love is no more than a distraction which only ends in heartbreak." My alter ego spoke Raiden's words. "Above all else, don't forget your goal. You sure as hell suck at following solid advice, huh?"
"I don't feel anything for Daenerys. All I do is just a courtesy."
"And how long before that courtesy becomes something else? Any time you do something with her, you are cheating the person that you believe is your soulmate... some food for thought, hm? Would you be happy if the roles were reversed and you Raiden was getting fu-"
"..."
I stared at him.
"Oooh," My alter ego shivered. "I hate that thought, too. You wonder why she was so quick to erase OG Alysanne. Thing is... you'd do the exact same thing if the roles were reversed and you were the ghost sitting watching her chase someone else. You're a possessive, destructive, creature... and that's okay. It's why we're perfect for each other."
"I've made my mind already," I replied, shaking my head.
"Are the extra children that you'll get from your silver-haired broodmare all that worthwhile? What if some of them become monsters like us, or worse... could you control them? You got very lucky with Garth and Alysanne, but that only means the odds are shifting against you. Not only that, but you'll be mixing those odds with Targaryen blood. Even if the magical bloodline you create is one-of-a-kind... it can be just as terrible as it would be great. It's a huge gamble."
"One I'm willing to take."
"Hey, don't come crying to me when your half-Targaryen heir decides tonight's the night and stabs you to death... or he nukes a city just cuz he felt like it," My alter ego shrugged. "I'll be right here, telling you I told you so."
"Stay there, then. I'm going to get shit done."
After settling things in Meereen, Yunkai would await... New Ghis after that.
Then the question was whether to go further east to Qarth or return west.
Every mile east meant another one added to the number I'd need to go west.
The real question was how far was 'east to west'? Was Slaver's Bay east enough, Qarth, YiTi... or did I need to have my name spread to as far as Asshai - even further than that? All around Planetos? And how 'known' did I really have to be? It was all so ambiguous. Destroying the Night King might be easier depending on the truth of the matter.
But, since I've stretched out this far east already... I shouldn't waste the chance to try to meet that requirement.
Poor Arthur's going on the journey of his life.