33 A tourney of death and conspiracy (part 1)

Sixteen days later

Casterly Rock, 289 AC

Magmatic flames eat my flesh, burst my veins, melt my skin and eyes, consume me, and reduce me little by little to ashes.

At this point, my only wish is for death to finally arrive. And this long-awaited moment is getting nearer. Yet, all this suffering is turning seconds into hours. Or is it days ? Perhaps, years…

While I hoped to freely let myself drift into the shadows, folly and madness ended up taking over each corner of my mind. But I don't have the time to entirely process what is happening to me, for it was only the beginning of this torment and pain.

Before I can realize it, my rib cage melts and destroys the organs that it protected until then. My last pulses go crazy and loudly resonate In my head, making my brain vibrate so much that it gets on the verge of explosion. My fingernails mingle with the flesh around it, which mixes with the blood, and then with the bones hidden beneath it.

As I try to scream, no sound manages to come out. My throat and vocal cords are already burned and melted, intertwined with everything that connects them. I'm as silent as a grave, yet the sounds harassing me are horrible…

And soon, my eyes, whose remains sink to the ground, lose all sense of sight. My burnt skin, as red as fire and as black as the night, loses the sense of touch. My nose, the end of which has fallen off, has lost its sense of smell. And my tongue, having formed a muddy mixture of blood with my teeth, no longer brings me any taste.

The last remnant of my perception of reality is my hearing, my ears having burned just enough to make my eardrums hiss in pain, but not enough to make me deaf either.

As this loud sound of pain is making me suffer with its last notes, all I hear is a long, shrill, dull hiss, interspersed with the intense noise of the infernal fire.

Those tyrannic flames eventually consume my whole being, as they did with my senses, slowly turning me into nothing more than a small pile of ashes. Only then am I finally free from this hellish tide of pain…

Only then does the nightmare take an end.

As I slowly open my eyes, of which dark circles have just taken shape underneath, the first thing I see is the ceiling of my chambers. This is not the afterlife, the seven hells, or some other place taking me away from my second life.

Which means that I was only sleeping… What a terrible nightmare, though.

Damn it, f*cking fire.

With my limbs numb and my eyes about to close from lack of energy when I wake up, I groan with annoyance and grit my teeth. No more sleeping for today, because fights await me.

Sensing that I'm about to yawn, I extend my arms to their fullest extent and open my mouth wide to get comfortable. Right after, I release a very satisfying and long yawn.

*YAAAAAWN*

But as I finish yawning, my right arm suddenly comes to rest on the form lying next to me. Questioning the nature of this unusual presence, I turn to it.

''Hm ?''

A woman is next to me, having taken most of the blanket to her side. She fully wrapped herself inside of it, monopolizing all the warmth and comfort of this bed. Only a few long, shiny blond hair pass outside the big cocoon.

Oh yeah, I remember. Yesterday, Lynesse and I were nearly crossing the line before the wedding. We stopped in time, but I still let her sleep next to me. It was already pretty late, so I preferred her to stay until the morning.

In addition, the night was quite cold despite the current good weather. I didn't mind it that much, though. After getting sick one or two times when I was a kid, I ended up building a good resistance to cough and other cold-related illnesses.

My betrothed, on the other hand, is chilly by nature. Even though I took her in my arms to warm her up, I guess the cold still bothered her during the night and she decided to take most of my blanket for herself.

This makes me heave a long sigh of despair mixed with a hint of amusement. Our first night together and she already stole my side of the blanket…

Deciding to let her sleep but not to leave her alone either, I jump out of bed with a boost of energy. After dropping to the ground headfirst, I put my hands on its surface just in time to avoid the impact. And thus, I start doing push-ups while waiting for my lover and soon-to-be wife to wake up.

It's not the most pleasant thing to do in the morning, but it stimulates my body and prepares me physically for the day. And it's all the more important now if I want to be fresh for today's competition. This exercise remains a must to work arms and abs. And then I continue with a series of various exercises including squats and sit-ups.

For those of my men who lacked the genetics to put a minimum of weight, they automatically receive some similar exercises to do daily. But most of the time, their spares and training are enough to build their muscles as much as need be.

The goal isn't to create a bunch of bodybuilders, after all. But they have to be strong enough to not be bothered by the weight of their equipment. While this is the minimum required as of now, a regular increase of difficulty has been scheduled according to Roland's observation of their progress.

As I'm proceeding with long series of sit-ups in front of the bed, Lynesse turns abruptly in my direction, her upper body ending bare with a lazy jerk of her arm. Seeing her still asleep while I'm continuing to exercise my body, I thus take advantage of the very pleasant view that she just gave me.

After a few minutes of intense effort, a soft voice with a hint of mirth comes to pull me out of my thoughts.

''Do you like what you are seeing ?''

Turning my head to the right, my gaze falls on Lynesse's still somewhat tired face. But as she teases me, her eyes don't seem to be locked on mine either. Instead, my well-sculpted and slightly sweating abs and pecs seem to get her full attention.

Seeing her ogling me with her cheeks gaining a rosy tone, I smile and raise an eyebrow before answering her.

''Just as much as you seem to do, my lady.''

Still barely awake, she takes on an air of shock and indignation… only to fail to do so. Her little scene looks more like something akin to a comedy than a drama.

''Hm ? I am simply honoring your shapes…''

Oh ? Honoring me, now, are we ? Fine with me. I don't mind this kind of honor.

''As am I.''

Getting up while giving her a teasing look, I then approach Lynesse before leaning just above her. With a smile on her lips, she begins by touching my abs before moving her hands up to my neck. Without warning, she then pulls me towards her face to kiss her.

And that's what I do, with as much desire as my betrothed. But my future lioness isn't the only player here. Thus, after ten seconds, I take her firmly in my arms before turning on my back.

In an instant, she finds herself on top without knowing what happened. This makes Lynesse release a small sound of surprise from her lips, before looking at me with a playful look.

Following this, we keep going, playing and teasing each other with an ever-growing passion. This lasts until we had to stop, knowing far too well where our little act was going. And we end up laying down on the bed, next to each other, with my left arm wrapped around her shoulder and her head resting on mine.

After ten minutes, our moment of tenderness and silence is interrupted by a small sigh coming from Lynesse. This soft voice or hers then comes to share her concerns.

''We might have gone a bit too far, yesterday. Don't you think so, Leo ?''

''Hm ? What do you mean ? As far as I know, I only kissed you.''

She looks at me with a raised eyebrow before rolling her eyes while the right corner of her lips moves slightly upwards. I didn't fool anyone, it seems.

''Maybe, but those were not the right areas to kiss a lady. Not that I disliked it…''

Oh… That last sentence makes me smirk and earn a teasing look. Not unpleasant, is it?

''You could just say that you loved it. There would be no sin in admitting that fact.''

Losing her seriousness briefly to gain a more romantic air, however, Lynesse is quick to reconsider her doubts and voice them.

''I absolutely loved it. I… I just want us to do things the right way, our union to be perfect. So I somewhat feel like we may have done a mistake, that it was not right to act that way. None of this was proper or conventional.''

Hm ? A need for compliance ? No, maybe more like a need for respect toward traditions and rules. Or just the stress related to the wedding and its traditions.

''You worry too much. The sheets haven't turned red, there is no valid proof of our supposed wrongdoings.''

''I suppose, yes… But what of the gods ? Men are not the only ones who judge us.''

This new question makes me heave a tired sigh. I am a believer but not quite of an ordinary type. My point of view regarding my faith has continued to take shape over time...

I don't know if this was the intended effect, but my betrothed just launched me into one of my philosophical moments.

''Yet again, you worry too much, my love. So many rules… Honestly, I believe certain of those to be solely invented by men. Think about it, how can one be certain to have heard or even understood the will of the seven ? Through an omen, a light with particular shapes, an exaggerated coincidence ? No, there is no way to be sure of it. Some are simply brandishing titles to turn their own words into fabricated divine truths. What I know for sure is that the gods would never prevent us from expressing our love. Never. This is naught but a man's rule.''

For a second, Lynesse takes the time to understand my words before turning back to me with a look that mixes seriousness and incomprehension.

''So… you believe in the seven but not in what septons and septas teach us ? How does that even work ?''

Well, she makes it more difficult than it truly is. But I don't have a common way to think for a believer, now, do I ?

''I am a man like another, Lynesse. And there is nothing less unreliable than men. When they speak of gods as if they knew them, I trust them even less. A god's voice can't come out of a man's mouth, no matter who he thinks he is. Men are liars, and sometimes, they even lie to themselves. Then, the world believes these men. But I don't… That is my belief. I pray to the gods without turning into the sheep of man-made rules. Keeping a critical mind is key.''

That should be a lion's way to think.

Well, R'hllor somewhat communicates with his believers. But spiteful demons don't count as gods. True ones don't impose a so-called destiny on people.

Thinking back to my last words, I correct myself so that it doesn't give her bad ideas or create problems.

''What I said doesn't mean that you should do just anything you want, of course. Always think about the consequences and act upon them. For example, don't obey certain rules and several institutions might end up demanding you to comply with them, or try to punish you somehow. But in my opinion, keeping a free spirit and not being intransigent in your approach to pre-established rules seems to be the correct way. Not only for religion.''

She should be reassured, now. I just released my deepest thoughts only to make her feel better. It could also change her entire way to think. And that would be for the best, for I don't want her to become a sheep.

I may be beginning to speak like my father, but he is not wrong.

No more misunderstandings are visible on her beautiful face, but she is nonetheless caught up in complex thought patterns. Having enough for today, Lynesse eventually decides to cast those thoughts aside before speaking again.

''This is… deep. You gave me much to think about, Leo.''

Yes, I guess I did. But beyond a certain point, it could feel more like a form of boredom for her. Questioning things with too much intensity can give quite a headache.

''I must have bored you to death with my philosophical talk, right?''

Lynesse is surprised by these words and abruptly moves onto her stomach, staring at me straight in the eyes with her wide-open ones before responding quickly to my question.

''What ?! NO ! I feel like it opened my mind. And I also feel much better than before. I am just not totally awake yet. But thank you, really.''

No lies… I am relieved. Though, without my lie detection, this sudden outburst full of conviction would sound like she more trying to appease me than anything else. So let's tease her about it to see what happens next.

''Wait. Are you sure that you are not the one trying to reassure me, now ?''

Reading my teasing smile like an open book, Lynesse ends up forming a smile of her own before answering me in a warm whisper.

''Maybe.''

Following that simple word, she straightens up slightly to kiss me with as much intensity as before. Lynesse then lets herself relax in the muscular and tender embrace of my arms, staying like that for a little while. Unfortunately, all good things come to an end.

She ends up breaking our embrace and jumping out of bed, putting on several clothes as fast as she can. After finishing this frantic little race that I watched as a quirky spectacle, my betrothed speaks to me one last time before leaving the room.

''I should go now. In no time, there might be people seeing me leaving your chambers.''

''As you see fit.''

While she opens the door and leaves, my eyes stay a little longer on her golden hair. As much as I love Lynesse's hair, as any other part of her, it reminds me of a discussion that took place two days ago.

In the myths, they say that some Hightowers have golden or silverish hair because of their past research connected to alchemy and necromancy. At the time, along with every other rubbish rumor of all kinds, this entered one of my ears before exiting by the other.

But now, I find myself surrounded by many doubts. What I saw in the book she gave me, her words and the rumors about her sister, and all the rest… The report I received makes me think about all of this in an entirely different way.

Reality and myth sometimes seem to be one.

(Flashback begins)

In the lower depths of Casterly Rock, I await the arrival of a certain killer of mine who has just completed a rather dangerous mission. This place is a cavern that has been abandoned due to its gold being entirely collected there.

As I am waiting for her with a torch in hand, its flames barely illuminating the place, I hear the small sound of footsteps getting nearer. Sensing no danger from this person, I simply stay where I'm standing and wait.

The light from my torch then reveals a young lady with purple eyes and blond hair. Recognizing her directly, I thus greet her with a slight not before speaking.

''Laena, it has been a while since our last meeting.''

My voice does not echo in the cavern, for I have carefully chosen the place of this meeting. Here, the sounds seem to be absorbed by the thick and old walls of rock.

''Aye. It has, my lord.''

Her voice is neutral, but also contains a touch of appreciation. Laena used to be afraid to end up in horizons as restricted as the brothels of Lannisport, preferring to deviate from the path of her older sister Thaella.

Xuandia would have treated and protected her more than well at Sea of ​​Aromas, no doubt. But comfort or not, it didn't change what she wanted, or the fact that Thaella preferred her beloved sister to flourish in any other way than by spreading her thighs.

I still remember how Thaella... greatly enjoyed me poaching Laena away from Sea of Aromas. Although I should have resisted a little more her 'way to say thank you', it remains a rather pleasant memory.

However, we are not here to reminisce about some of the good old days.

''This time around, your appointed mission was quite sensitive. Stakes were high, and so were the risks. But you took reasonable ones, I trust. Each mistake could have led, as you might have heard, to another Iron Islands tragedy or a diplomatic scandal. Did you properly avoid causing any of this ?''

A good killer was lost in the Iron Islands. She had shown her talent for infiltration during the 'house Brax case', but ended up dying to those smelly barbarians from across the Sunset Sea.

Even though new ones are currently being carefully selected and tested in the streets of Lannisport, I don't want to lose another capable person. As of now, Laena is the most talented killer. Infiltration is part of her best talents too.

Before sending her on this mission, I thus told her that surviving was part of the priorities, along with satisfactory performance and no scandal.

''My cover worked as expected, my lord. As for the risks, I had to take some to obtain the results you carved for. Measured ones, but no less dangerous. I could have been discovered or died a handful of times.''

''I see. As long as the results are there and no issue arose, I wholly understand such initiatives. So, tell me, how productive has been the last year ?''

As her thoughts wander to unpleasant memories, her lips form an apparent grimace. But she returns to her professional state immediately and answers my question without delay.

''Hum… It is to the point where I dread to say what I discovered aloud. Hightowers are here for the tourney, I heard. Some walls may be too thin for me to speak freely.''

I highly doubt that those precise walls would be too thin, but better safe than sorry. Taking precautions is for the best.

''Is that so ?… Very well. You wrote a report, thus, I suppose.''

Laena then nods her head before taking out a parchment from her belongings.

When I met her, she was illiterate like most smallfolks or those who find themselves on the streets from an early age. But knowing how to read and write is important in her profession, whether it is to write letters or read documents during an operation.

Apart from her missions, I therefore ensured that she was educated in many ways. History, a bit of geography, and codes of high society… Those were quite complete lessons offered to her, along with the other assassins.

''This parchment contains the summary of my methods and findings, all of it being written in depth.''

As I grab the paper to take a closer first look at its content, I hear Laena's voice again and raise my head to listen to her.

''This last year in Oldtown had me realize how secretive house Hightower truly is, my lord. While the rose is a well-known plotter, the tower's ploys, I fear, seem to be more than obscure… With less certainty, the same may be said about the Citadel. Darkness dwells there.''

A most ominous remark…

Well, it's time to give her another mission, I think. There is still some work to be done during the tourney.

''Know that your hard work and dedication are appreciated, Laena. Now, for your next mission, you are to follow Thoros of Myr and discover any trace of Wildfire in his belongings. Then, should you find the substance, you shall steal a barely noticeable part of it before the red priest's return to Kings Landing. In case of failure, this mission will continue at the Red Keep. Discretion and prudence, remember that.''

After seeing her nod in silence, I finally give her permission to leave.

''That is all, you are dismissed.''

Once her footsteps are no longer audible, I launch myself into a long reading session. It is time for me to learn more about the hidden truths of house Hightower and the Citadel.

Even if lord Hightower is my 'ally', that doesn't make me trust him all that much. I didn't like the fact that I learned very little about his house from Leroy and my various sources. This was a problem. Proceeding with 'Operation Oldtown' was therefore necessary.

However, wanting to minimize the risks, I limited the duration of Laena's mission to one year and restricted the objectives to information gathering. Any item, no matter how valuable, was not to be stolen or touched.

If something too important was to go missing, it would make a fuss there and they would then surely look for the culprits. It is then impossible to know with certainty whether we would be discovered or not. When too little is known, caution is mandatory. And no matter what, I wish to remain on good terms with house Hightower.

For obvious reasons, killing wasn't an option either.

Even still, in the right hands, knowledge alone can already be considered power. And from Laena's earlier behavior, I will most likely not be disappointed in what I am about to read.

Darkness dwells there, she says. Let's see what exactly Laena meant by that…

[ MISSION REPORT: OPERATION OLDTOWN

-Processus:

During the first week, I stayed in the streets of Oldtown to seek rumors of all kinds. After gaining too few pieces of information about the targets, I then settled on infiltration. I thus bought a dye from a Tyroshi merchant, turning my hair black before approaching Baelor Hightower.

It took me nine weeks to create a succession of 'hazards' that led me to receive his interest and favors. After taking me on as a mistress, three months passed before he began to invite me weekly to his secondary chambers.

Finding myself often in the Hightower, I took this opportunity to carry out the mission there. During the Greyjoy rebellion, before their departure towards the straights of Fair Isle, I faked my death and got rid of my dye. On my way back to Lannisport, I traveled with various small merchants.

-The Hightower:

After studying everything I could about the fabled structure of black stone on which the Hightower has been built, I found out that the tower's foundations would be made of a specific kind of fused black stones.

According to a great variety of descriptions and what I could see, those fused black stones aren't likely to be native to Westeros. But it oddly seems to be highly similar to the Valyrian fused black stones, or dragonstone, being rather found on the old dragon roads of Valyria, and the black stone walls of Volantis.

The problem is that, in the imperial days, there are no records of any Valyrians ever going to Oldtown, not even once. Considering house Hightower's ancient history, this leads me to think that the craft of the fused black stones at the origin of their tour could predate the Valyrians rise to power which occurred about eight thousand years ago.

Yet, I couldn't find any trace of knowledge about this craft, nor has it spread to any other place in Westeros. As far as I researched, no current records confirming my words in any way seem to exist.

-The Citadel:

In Oldtown, I found very few trustworthy rumors about the Citadel. However, after several kinds of research, one of them seems to be true. From what I heard, the worst kept secret of the Citadel is glass candles.

They are used during the maester's vows made by the acolytes. Members of the Citadel being free to quit it at any time, such as prince Oberyn Martell once did, this information is one of the easiest to come by in Oldtown. But I had to research to gain further knowledge about these candles.

After making a careless and drunk middle-ranked maester of the Citadel speak, I was able to learn a bit more about those relics of the past.

About four glass candles are said to be kept in the Citadel, those being far rarer than Valyrian steel swords themselves. It is said that these valyrian candles, made of obsidian and dragonglass, had been brought to Oldtown from Valyria a thousand years before the Doom.

The night before an acolyte says his vows, he must stand vigil in the vault. No lantern is permitted, no torch, no lamp, no taper… only a candle of obsidian. Then, said acolyte has to spend the night in total darkness unless he can light the candle.

However, it has been long since they found themselves unable to light up any glass candle. The drunk maester wasn't certain, but internal rumors of the Citadel state that the last lit candle's flames went out about a bit less than a hundred and fifty years ago.

According to rumors and myths, the sorcerers of the Valyrian Freeholds could see across mountains, seas, and deserts with one of these candles. They could enter a man's dreams and give him visions, and speak to one another half a world apart, seated before their candles.

To wield such powers, one would have to see through the candle's flames. And the simple sight of those candles would be highly addictive, but far less than the sight of its flames and visions.

Another rumor, which I came far more difficultly by, speaks of the Citadel holding a mysterious blood-soaked book related to the Targaryens and their dragons. But without any proof backing such a far-fetched tale, I found myself to barely give it any credits.

-Lord Baelor's chambers:

On the seventh month of my mission, lady Rhonda Rowan, Baelor's wife, went on a trip to Goldengrove to see her family and former house. In the meanwhile, lord Hightower's heir took it as an opportunity to let me sleep in their personal chambers. While sleeping in a lady's bed was somewhat weird, it wasn't much when compared to what I discovered one night.

Feeling a movement in the bed, in the middle of the night, I cracked my eyes open to discreetly see what was going on. Lord Baelor was there, sitting on the edge of the bed, observing a long box put in the corner of his chambers. For about ten minutes, he did not take his eyes off the object, before going back to bed.

During one of the only times I was left there alone, therefore, I decided to search into the said box. Its content being revealed to me, it turned out to be a Valyrian steel sword whose shapes correspond to house Hightower's ancestral sword named Vigilance.

At first glance, this information could be considered more or less banal. But there is an anomaly related to it in the history books.

The sword Vigilance was said to be lost during the Dance of Dragons. And although its whereabouts were unknown, house Hightower affirmed to have lost it.

Yet, here it was, stored in their own chambers. It seems that Vigilance was either never lost, to begin with, or later retrieved in total secrecy.

-Lady Malora's quarters:

As you informed me, and just like lady Lynesse told you, I heard the broken and uncomfortable voice of the Mad Maid more than once. No language could be associated with what came out of her mouth. Perhaps, if the depths of the seven hells had a language associated with it, that would sound just as horrible.

Her quarters being at the very top of the tower, its access is very restricted and well guarded. Several times, I glimpsed at lord Leyton going up there and remaining in this place for some time.

Each of his visits to lady Malora's quarters was longer than the last. If this trend continues, he might end up not getting out of this room anymore.

My only solution to get an opportunity to infiltrate it was to create a false state of alarm. While the guards of a certain floor were on one of their rare pauses, I quickly started a fire at the foot of the Mad Maid's chambers before hiding in a corner.

My bet was that whatever was there might be important enough to get her out of the top of the tower. Eventually, I got it right and that gave me a short moment to sneak upstairs.

Finding myself with about less than a measly minute to search into her quarters, I had to be quick and surely missed a thing or two. But several elements stood out from the rest.

Something directly took my attention, because I recognized it as a glass candle. It perfectly matched the magical candle's description previously given to me. Just like the maesters, the Hightowers are thus most likely trying to light it up.

About how they could obtain it, I found my own theory. There are reasons why each lord of house Hightower has 'Defender of the Citadel' among their titles.

Firstly, they are said to have once helped them build the Citadel. Secondly, for thousands of years, they fiercely protected the Citadel from invaders. And thirdly, house Hightower let the Citadel collect certain taxes in Oldtown.

Therefore, in exchange for all of this, there is a high possibility of Hightowers receiving multiple special favors from archmaesters.

The candle could thus be part of the four ones possessed by the Citadel, or mayhaps a fifth one. Lord Leyton Hightower, or one of his predecessors, might have asked it as a favor.

This information would imply a relatively close relationship between his house and the Citadel. At least close enough for an archmaester to grant them a glass candle.

Another occurrence that could be counted as a favor granted by the archmaesters, albeit a very minor one, would be the fact that ser Gunthor Hightower, Leyton's third son, studied several years in the Citadel.

Outside the glass candle, the rest of the room was covered with weird signs and outlines written in dark red ink, similar to those you told me about. Strange circles and books were lining the ground, nothing of their content being understandable to me.

My best guess would be that it is either a language predating the expansion of the Common Tongue or a series of complex codes to confuse most of its readers.

On a corner, a stone-like greyish hand with blackened and cracked fingertips lays on the ground. It seemed to be in a state of incomplete decay while being pierced with pieces of metal in various places.

At the area where the hand was cleanly cut, thick black blood clotted until it formed a disgusting-looking scab. As I approached that hand, however, no putrid stench attacked my nostrils.

When they speak of the Mad Maid and the increasingly absent lord Hightower as of late, smallfolk's rumors contain notions such as them consulting books of spells. And as ridiculous as it may be from an outside point of view, this may not be that far away from the truth.

-Conclusions:

History has nearly always shown house Hightower's principles to be that of pacifists.

When the king of the Reach, lord Gardener, asked house Hightower to integrate his realm with a two-way marriage, they accepted and lost their kingship. Hightowers thus avoided fighting the once powerful Gardener kings, the last one having fallen during Aegon's conquest.

When the Andals invaded Westeros, they opened their gates and let them build a grand Sept while also converting themselves to the Faith of the Seven. They thus avoided the same kind of wars as the Vale had to suffer.

And when Aegon the first started his conquest, Hightowers were the only ones in the Reach to directly surrender to them, thus avoiding being part of the Fields of Fire.

Their only involvement which caused chaos in Westeros was during the Dance of Dragons, with consequences that we all know about. They have been quiet ever since. This portrayed them as a pacifist house that only had an urge for power once in recent history.

Yet, they seem to secretly seek greater sources of knowledge and power. With what I learned, the myths concerning their ancestors and their tendencies toward necromancy and other magical research could even be true.

They could have kept so many secrets from the rest of Westeros to seem weaker than they truly are. At least for a time. And they may have hidden Vigilance for the same reason, as small of a detail as it may be.

While it is unknown whether this is a large-scale plan dating from gods only know when or not, it is safe to assume that the current lord Hightower is scheming something along with his first daughter Melora, and probably his heir Baelor. Other members of their house could be involved. In any case, there has to be a reason for them to amass such power and knowledge.

Their possible target could be the seat of the great house of the Reach, the Iron Throne being unlikely. Without counting their respective bannermen, house Hightower is more powerful than the Tyrells.

They could thus be trying to compensate for their far fewer bannermen by darker means. And their recent many marriages across the Reach could also help them in this same regard.

When it comes to the Citadel possessing knowledge and relics of a magical nature, this could translate into an expansion of their desire for complete control over knowledge.

After all, any house would face major drawbacks if it lacked the presence of a maester. This is how dependent the current houses of Westeros are on them. But in the end, the full extent of what they wish to accomplish with the help of magic is difficult to guess without more insights.

Further conclusions, about both house Hightower or the Citadel, would be too hasty and hazardous. ]

By the gods… I knew some of the most basic pieces of information, but…

Seven be good.

While rumors and myths about this house were already most peculiar, reality seems to be far stranger. In any sense of the term.

I used to think of the rumors about their ancestors and the Mad Maid as greatly exaggerated, people mistaking madness for witchcraft. At best, back then, it sounded like a failed form of satanism or whatnot.

In the end, I was wrong.

Wanting to search for meager compromising secrets and possibly Leyton being a second Petyr Baelish, I ended up uncovering much more than that. Magic, connections with the Citadel, probably some kind of necromancy, and a conspiracy. But is this the only conspiracy or does it hide other ones ?

Sigh, it was foolish of me to think of Petyr's ladder to be the biggest scheme of Westeros. What did the tv show contain, anyway ? About less than a fifth of the existing houses ? Mayhaps even less.

This feels like passing from simple ploys to another world altogether. This report just changed my way to view house Hightower, the Citadel, Westeros, and the known world as a whole.

Even while often informing myself on various subjects, I never expected this. Just how many things are hidden out there ? How ignorant in regards to the world am I ?

How troublesome. No, how fearsome.

…

What is certain is that I need to know more about house Hightower and the Citadel. Potential dangers and opportunities can't be ignored. First, I must gain more understanding of those matters.

If there is anyone I could speak about the Citadel to, it would be maester Creylen. Although his loyalty to me has been proven, both by my gift and his actions, I never questioned him in depth about the Citadel. I've asked him some questions over the years, of course, but there has never been a need to dig any deeper.

Now, this revelation about their interest in magic changes everything. Until now, my mind has formed a wrong and biased idea of what the Citadel was.

What if I might have even mistaken more about them... But how far are they ready to go and for which reasons ? How much do they possibly hide from the rest of Westeros ? I have to find out.

Before that, I must play my cards right with house Hightower. Lord Leyton may seem like a demon of some kind, however, I believe him to be nothing else than a man trying to grasp power by various means.

After all, he is my soon-to-be good father, as well as a good believer in the faith. Therefore, a qualitative deal ought to prevail on the unholy details of his research, however occult and dangerous they may look at first glance.

And in the case of his plans eventually bearing proper results, it would be in my greatest interest to take this as an opportunity to gain something from it.

Considering that the circumstances can change at any given time, I must make my move as quickly as possible… so during the tourney.

A discreet meeting with lord Leyton Hightower would be ideal to strike a secret and stronger alliance with him. It is a dangerous bet, not knowing his true personality, but I could receive more from this than I ever dreamed of. A lot of closed doors could be open. I just need to be smart about it and portray my potential help to his plans as highly valuable.

No pain, no gain. And this is true for risks too. In the worst-case scenario, I just have to take care of the environment to ensure my safety during a meeting. Casterly Rock and Lannisport are my playgrounds, after all.

Gods, my plans are starting to form whole damn piles. Oh well… No rest for the wicked, I guess.

All of a sudden, after calming my thoughts which were running wild, I find myself thinking about house Hightower's words.

''We light the way.''

But what kind of way are they lighting ?

(Flashback ends)

Once Lynesse is gone, I get up with difficulty and get dressed properly for the occasion. Meanwhile, I reminisce about recent events.

A week ago, the last fighting in the Iron Islands ended. Some Ironborns lords were even more proud and stubborn than those we fought, resulting in some of them dying even after the siege of Pyke.

Then, it didn't take long for the victorious allied forces to arrive at Lannisport. Even still, we allowed an additional four days of waiting for each participant scattered across Westeros to have time to arrive at the tourney.

Once the tourney started, three days ago, the archery competition took place. Unfortunately for me, I wasn't the winner. Years ago, in Kings Landing, I had won that same competition, besting the Blackfish in the process… and I thought that repeating such a feat was not a difficult matter.

Alas, I am not the only talented archer in Westeros. One of them got luckier than the others and won with a final quotation only higher than mine by one point. This was lord Gullian Swann of Stonehelm, from the Stormlands.

His second son, a certain Balon Swann, is rumored to be following his steps to become both a talented archer and swordsman. However, he is still a bit too young to be compared to his father.

Well, I lost. It happens… But today, I will make sure to win. And it shall be the same for the joust scheduled in two days.

As for Tyrion, it can't be said that his mood has been the happiest. Once we arrived back in Casterly Rock, I asked our father, like the Tully sisters and their double marriage to Eddard Stark and Jon Arryn, if my brother and I could get married at the same time.

He refused without bothering to give us a reason, deciding to have Asha and Tyrion marry quickly in the Sept after asking septon Kyrie to forcibly convert the lady.

They were not allowed a banquet or any other wedding custom. And given Asha's most problematic temper so far, I would be very surprised if anything happened on their first night. Except for a fight and some angry shouting, of course.

Both of them have more reasons to hate each other than anything else. This brings frequent troubles. Fortunately, Red Cloaks are wonderfully fulfilling their job.

And I know that Tyrion is still thinking about Tysha… He is getting increasingly depressed and annoyed with this situation he is stuck in.

Yesterday, I got pretty busy with tons of books of all kinds. After that report on 'Operation Oldtown', I worked hard to discover more concerning it.

The first thing to do was to see if any other conclusion could be made with the help of the report alone. And I thus found three additional pieces of information.

First, the description of the severed hand matches the writings and records speaking of the Greyscale sickness. While I am not too sure about the black blood, this could be an added alteration.

This also made me think back to the gray monster that Cregor Clegane had become at the end of the tv show. Chances are that their goal is to achieve a similar result. So I recalled that a banished maester was related to this matter.

Thus, I searched for any info about a maester being expulsed from his order in the last years and ended up finding the whereabouts of Qyburn. It turns out, however, that the Hightowers and Qyburn aren't collaborating. They don't even know about one another.

This could be useful to prepare a more appealing deal with lord Hightower.

Secondly, storybooks and legends speak of powers identical to those of the glass candle. In nordic beliefs, the weirwood tree would have identical effects on certain people. Out of pure curiosity, I thus went to the large weirwood tree in one of the caverns of Casterly Rock. But nothing happened...

All that dream and visions aspect also made me think about the Three-eyed raven thing from the tv show. Another potentially dangerous individual, to be sure. Maybe even one of the 'prying eyes'.

Yet, would he be able to see me ? And if the answer is yes, then for what reason would he bother himself with me ? I don't know… It may be wise to think more about that later.

Lastly, Laena said that a rumor spoke of the last flames of the glass candles would have gone out a little less than one hundred and fifty years ago. Therefore, I searched the history books and only found one event that could be related in some way. The death of the last Targaryen dragon, which was the last dragon of the known world too, in 153 AC.

It isn't certain whether the existence of dragons is thus somewhat correlated with the presence of magic itself or not. It would mean that the future birth of the three dragons of Daenerys could bring back the usefulness of magic objects that had become myths until then.

And as a result, if I follow this logic, glass candles will come in handy again. This is a strong reason to try to get one while the rest of the world thinks they're unusable.

Of course, I would first have to believe in the veracity of the glass candle and its myth. But in a world of dragons and red priests, it would be foolish to ignore such a possibility.

Although the survival of Daenerys is necessary for a time if I want to minimize the losses of my house, I can at least try to equip myself with tools that will help to make my plans easier. Trying to gain a glass candle shall be the first step. And before I receive the certification of my theory, it would be interesting to look at other supposedly magical artifacts.

Now that I know of people trying to amass power that way, like house Hightower and the Citadel, I don't see why I shouldn't try to do the same. The potential benefits would be countless, dare I say almost limitless.

What if I could gain artifacts holding unimaginable powers… So many possibilities, so much power to be obtained… It is incredible to think about it.

Truly a world of wonders.

Come to think of it, Laena's work exceeded my expectations. She was able to infiltrate places that were difficult to access and give me a lot of primordial information. She overdid herself, becoming a stranger's mistress to succeed in her mission.

Putting her emotions and feelings aside, pretending to be someone you're not... It's admirable, considering that she ended up having to do part of what she was eager to leave the brothel for. That must have been hard for her in many ways…

Laena has shown to be worthy to be by my side and receive my help in her education. And now, her talents will be even more needed. Although knowledge is power, my sister's saying is true as well.

Power is power.

Coming to the end of my thoughts, I see that I am finally dressed. Being in an adequate uniform for the competition of melee, I therefore hurry to the stables before mounting my proud stallion Hermes and leaving for Lannisport.

Hours later, on my way to the garnished grounds prepared for the grand event, I see Tyrion approaching me with a sullen look. Understanding at a simple glance what he wants to talk to me about, I stop in my tracks and wait for him.

The tourney can wait, for family comes first.

However, my brother will not get from me what he wants to hear but rather what he needs to hear.

——————

Q/A: For those who don't know anything about the books (Not that I am an expert about them), here are the answers to your possible questions related to this chapter and its content.

(The 3rd point speaks about the fanfic and its future, no spoil)

1)Are some members of house Hightower OCs ?

No, all Canon from books. Even the Mad Maid.

2)In terms of content, did this report come out of nowhere? Is it totally invented ?

No, not really. For Laena's report, I inspired myself from various small and big theories related to the books. It is backed by confirmed info, more or less argued fan-made theories (depends on which theory), and GRRM's hints.

Although I don't shy away from such theories and research on several things, I prefer to be selective and alter certain aspects for my story. I could thus continue to surprise some of you, I think ;)

3)What does that mean for the future of this fanfic ?

It means that I'll be using more elements and details from the books than I first thought about six months ago. Since then, I researched different possibilities for my fanfic and several developments. The resulting story thus continued to change again and again (for the better).

This also means that I will have to take a break after chapter 36. That is needed for me to not mess up my timeline, details, choices, info, etc (+others unrelated reasons). I have to dwell on many information sources, but it will upgrade things. The duration (not too long) and details, along with minor votes, shall be put on a temporary notice chapter (after the 36th chap)