The Faceless Men truly lived up to their fearsome reputation.
Even after learning exactly how many of them remained hidden inside Gohor, Viserys still spent nearly a month bringing them all under control.
He employed every method imaginable.
Deception.
Ambushes.
Relentless pursuit.
In the end, the operation concluded with two Faceless Men dead and two captured alive.
.....
Standing outside an iron cage, Viserys finally came face to face with the Kindly Man.
Without his disguises, he appeared to be an ordinary man in his forties.
His features were utterly unremarkable.
The sort of face that could disappear into a crowd and never be noticed again.
Whether he was truly Jaqen or not hardly mattered.
"I want you to declare that the House of Black and White will remain neutral in this war."
Viserys looked calmly through the bars.
"You've seen what's happening. If I win this war, slavery will disappear from history.
One day I'll march against Slaver's Bay as well."
The Faceless Men placed no value upon their own lives.
That left Viserys with no leverage through fear or reward.
Since they had abandoned worldly desires... There was only one thing left to discuss.
Ideals.
"Your Grace," the Kindly Man replied quietly, "I believe you've misunderstood us."
"Our purpose has never been to abolish slavery. We seek only one thing... The destruction of dragons."
"Why?"
Now it was Viserys's turn to be puzzled.
The memories he had taken from Lord had revealed the secret the House of Black and White had preserved for centuries.
Had they not been struggling against the endless torment born from Valyrian resurrection?
"Your Grace."
The Kindly Man smiled faintly.
"You are a remarkable king.
So young. So learned.
I suspect even maesters three times your age cannot rival your knowledge. I also believe that, under your rule, a great empire will arise.
Whether that empire is governed alongside noble lords... or slave masters... I do not care.
I care only that every person possesses the right to die."
He paused before continuing.
"You know what the Valyrians did to their slaves.
Take your printing press as an example. If the scribes copying books never died...
Never fell ill...
Never grew tired...
Would you ever have invented it?"
Viserys understood immediately.
Before coming to this world, he had been a language teacher and homeroom instructor.
Teachers often joked that they were like donkeys powered by nuclear reactors.
But compared to the slaves of Valyria... That comparison was laughable.
Those slaves required no wages.
Their needs were almost nonexistent.
If the existing method of production could satisfy every demand... What incentive would rulers ever have to innovate?
"In my eyes," the Kindly Man continued, "magic that resurrects people only to condemn them to endless labor will never remain limited to slaves."
"It will eventually become punishment for criminals.
And then...
The definition of a criminal will continue to expand. Until the world resembles Valyria once again."
He leaned back against the iron bars.
"The solution is simple. If you want the Faceless Men to leave this war... Abandon your dragons."
Then he smiled.
"Tell me honestly, Your Grace. Would you?"
The question carried unmistakable mockery.
He lounged against the cage as comfortably as though reclining in his own bed.
Viserys looked at him for a long moment.
Then he answered.
"I would."
The Kindly Man froze.
He had no doubt Viserys had answered sincerely.
A moment later, he snorted.
"Don't joke with me."
"What is the Dragon King without dragons?"
Viserys smiled.
"Even without dragons... I would still be the true Dragon King."
To the Kindly Man, it sounded like nothing more than empty boasting.
He straightened up.
He genuinely wanted to hear how Viserys intended to justify such absurd confidence.
Instead, Viserys asked a question of his own.
"What if every person in the world possessed the power to slay a dragon? Would dragons still matter so much?"
The Kindly Man frowned.
"What do you mean? Everyone could kill dragons?"
His expression became one of complete bewilderment.
For all his wisdom, there were subjects far beyond his understanding.
Viserys had spent so much time speaking with him for one reason.
If the House of Black and White failed to assassinate him, they might abandon all restraint and resort to terrorism within Gohor itself.
The great war was still one or two months away.
If the Kindly Man failed to understand before then... Viserys would simply execute him.
The point he wanted to make was simple.
Power itself was neither good nor evil. What mattered was how it was used.
And how it was restrained.
...
The Sea Lord's Palace in Braavos had just hosted a magnificent wedding.
Red carpets stretched through the halls.
Flower petals of every color covered the ground. Elegant arches had been decorated for the ceremony.
The air still carried the scent of wine and lavish food.
Not yet ten years old, Joffrey was fulfilling his duties as a husband.
The woman beneath him had crimson hair and red eyes.
She appeared to be around twenty years old.
In order to give Joffrey the ability to consummate the marriage, she and Braavos's physicians had gone to extraordinary lengths.
Finally...
After Joffrey fulfilled his husband's duty for the tenth time...
He lost consciousness.
The red-haired woman quietly left the room.
Waiting outside was Jult, High Priest of the Lord of Light in Braavos.
"Is it done?" he asked.
"It is."
She nodded.
Under Freygo's arrangements, the woman immediately departed by carriage toward Gohor.
Ordinarily, the journey from Braavos to Gohor required barely a week.
Yet over the course of that single week... Her stomach swelled larger with every passing day.
By the time they neared their destination, she looked ready to give birth at any moment.
Seated across from her in the carriage, Jult grew increasingly excited.
A Shadow Assassin born from king's blood... It was a far more efficient weapon than any Faceless Man.
"Once Viserys is dead... Aegon will be next."
"Yes, my lord."
The woman nodded obediently.
She showed no concern whatsoever that she herself was merely a tool.
Before long, they reached a safe house outside the walls of Gohor.
The woman was drenched in sweat. Her lips had lost all color. Her face was as pale as paper.
She looked moments away from giving birth.
Watching her, Jult could scarcely contain his excitement.
"O Lord of Light..."
"The blasphemer is about to receive his punishment."
The woman spread her pale legs.
Jult never spared her body a glance.
His attention remained fixed upon what was about to emerge.
"Ahhh!"
She cried out in pain.
Moments later...
A cloud of black smoke poured from beneath her.
Instead of dispersing, it began to gather together.
"Pay for your blasphemy, Viserys!"
Jult stared without blinking as the smoke condensed.
Gradually... It took the shape of a human figure roughly five feet tall. The outline became clearer.
Facial features emerged.
The face... Was identical to Joffrey's.
"Go! Shadow Assassin!"
"Bring the Lord of Light the life of Viserys!"
Then...
Jult's triumphant smile vanished.
The Shadow Assassin suddenly let out a shrill scream.
Its body rapidly shriveled.
Growing smaller... And smaller... Until it became little more than a misshapen dwarf.
The next instant, it crumbled into ash and scattered upon the wind.
"No..."
Jult stared in disbelief.
"Why?"
___________
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