94
----
114 AC
Oldtown
Daeron Nymeros Martell
----
"Dark... but surprisingly clean." Walking through the decently sized underground room I nod while looking up at the stone ceiling. "Glow in the dark... huh?" Tiny star-like patterns cover the stone and shine in the torch-lit room, I can't help but wonder what material they are using.
"Right this way." My 'in guy' nods toward one of the tunnels and I take a second to prepare for anything before following after him.
I have yet to see anything concerning... honestly so far it kind of just feels like a hang-out spot that some 'fanatics' have dug out. I have seen some rooms with beds with people sleeping and I have seen some seemingly well-dressed individuals just talking in the 'hallways'.
Unless you knew this place was here you would never expect for such an expansive tunnel system to be under the lower streets of Oldtown. It kind of reminds me of the basement tunnels under the Hightower but these are obviously man-made. That in enough itself kind of makes me wonder how long people have been working on these tunnels, it has to have been hundreds of years... or just really motivated individuals.
"What do you think?" My guide stops and gestures to a wall with more of the glowing stones being lit by a brazier.
"What I think is I want some of that stone to make a cool pattern on the ceiling of my son's room." I think Aegon would like to look at a 'starry sky' while lying in his room at night... given that he has problems actually staying asleep already it might not be the best idea.
But it won't matter anyway for a while, we are on the move and he won't see his bedroom back in Sunspear for a long while.
"I was talking about the pattern." I purse my lips as I tilt my head trying to see some kind of 'pattern'.
"I don't really see anything-" I freeze when I recognize something among all of the twinkling rocks and I feel a chill down my back.
I wanted confirmation... I have it.
In the center, there is a dark spot but branching off from it like spiraling arms is eight curved lines. A 'Sigil' I have seen in the few books I managed to acquire from Northern Houses a while back, these books all were about the 'Long Night' and also the 'Night King'. But the Night King in these books is not the ice blue man I remember from the show but instead, a Brother of the Night's Watch who found a female 'Other'. He found her beyond the wall and if the story is to be believed he rutted her in the snow and became a crazy person.
"I see." I brush off the chill and narrow my eyes at the starry symbol on the wall.
"You do?" He smiles a bit too much for my liking and I suddenly stop feeling as comfortable as I was moments ago.
Which is saying something since I was half convinced I was walking into a potential Lovecraft leak and my nerves have been on high alert... but now they are raging at me to get the hell out of here.
"Yea... I do." I discreetly prepare myself to fight as I step back once but my guide suddenly seems full of life as he nods eagerly and gestures to the wall.
"I am glad, you should stay and hear the sermon." I most certainly will not be doing that, in all honesty, I mainly feel like flooding this place and letting all the rats drown inside.
I thought about it when I first entered this place, its entrance that I came through is low and by the docks. I could easily flood this place out and the more I think about what probably goes on in here the more I feel like doing so.
"Maybe some other time." I smile even as I get a frown in return, taking another step back I notice the man before me seems lost in his own words.
"...but you..." I turn on my heel and don't even bother to pay the man the coin I promised as I am certain I will have nightmares about many such places as this existing around the world now.
Maybe it was better to live in ignorance...
I am certain the symbol on the wall is the same one from the books I saw... and it might have even been on the wall in the cave on Dragonstone. I was mainly focused on the dragons in the artwork which spoke of the potential of things going differently from what I 'know'. Which is a given in hindsight just because of my birth here, but either way I know I need to go back and check the cave out once more.
As of now though... I most likely should drown out these tunnels and hope I don't power some Eldritch ritual with all the deaths that I will cause.
----
114 AC
Oldtown
Rhaenyra Targaryen
----
"There you are." I turn to the door as it opens and spot my Husband who is hours later than I thought he would be. "I thought you would be either waiting on us to return or that you would arrive shortly after us." I puff my lips as he approaches me and leans down to press his lips on mine.
"I had something to do." He replies as he breaks the kiss and locks eyes with me.
"The 'cult'?" He seemed worried about this church earlier and from what I can see thus far he seems on edge now.
Not a good sign if I had to give my opinion.
"I need some time to think about what I learned, but the threat from beyond the wall is likely tied to the Church of Starry Wisdom." He licks his lips as he narrows his eyes, obviously lost in his thoughts as he 'looks through me'. "In fact, the threat from beyond the wall may just be a side effect of the church... as in the Church is the real threat." He sighs and brushes past me to head for one of the babes who just started crying while my head spins.
"What do you mean by that?" I turn on my heels and hurriedly follow after him, my heart pounding in my chest.
We concluded that the threat Aegon saw in his dream was a second Long Night. If this Church is tied to it and maybe even more of a threat then they have been around for thousands of years... living in the shadows.
"I meant what I said, I can't know for sure but I am pretty confident that the real threat is... Godly." Taking a deep breath I slide beside Daeron and the cradle which Nymeria still sleeps in while Daeron holds Rhaenys.
"Godly?" I ask knowing full well that Daeron believes in none of the Gods.
"I won't scare you with my baseless assumptions, let me think on it some more and look further into the Church before we speak of this again. We know for sure there is a threat beyond the wall and for now, that is enough... in the future we can worry about threats below the wall and further East." He smiles before pressing a kiss on the head of Rhaenys who went silent while pressing her face against her father's neck.
"Alright." I nod but I already feel it eating at me, I will bring it up again after some time has passed.
Maybe when some distance has been put between us and whatever he saw at the 'Church' that seems to have rattled him.
"My Father needs healing." I shake my head and bring up another topic I need to properly discuss with him.
"Does he?" He raises a brow and I nod which he nods back while adjusting himself to set Rhaenys back in the cradle. "I was thinking about bringing up the idea of a quick trip to the Red Keep just for a few weeks after we finished up in the Reach. I know he likely wants to meet the twins and I also wanted to bring up some stuff in person with him about what is going on in Essos." He wraps an arm around my hip while looking down at the twins. "Will that work or does he need me sooner than that?" I hum not knowing an answer for certain but I will have a raven sent ahead that will also let my Father know where to send a response raven to.
"For now it will work." He nods and I wrap my own arm around him and tug him toward the bed.
I want to forget the earlier 'scare' he gave me and with all of the 'little dragons' sleeping I have a good opportunity to do so.
----
114 AC
Kingslanding
Alicent Hightower
----
"You need to make sure that Aenar is well-behaved... we want them to approve of him playing with their own children." My Father stands beside me as I sit on the ground with Aenar as he plays with his toys.
"I know Father." I won't even begin to explain to him the assurances that Daeron has given me.
My Father believes that if Aenar looks at Rhaenyra or her children wrong that he will be sent off to foster or worse.
"Good." He nods while looking at Aenar with what could almost be called amusement before his face turns stony. "His egg has still yet to hatch?" I sigh while turning my attention to the egg on the grate in the fire.
"It has not." My Father sighs but I ignore it as I look back at my Son as he joyfully makes noises.
If only we could all be as joyful as babes.
"The sooner he hatches his egg the better." I look up at my Father once more while raising a brow. "Aenar would make a suitable Husband to one of the twins that Rhaenyra has birthed, his chances at getting that match are better with a dragon." I hum and nod even while my thoughts go back to Daeron's assurances and I put my Father's words out of my mind.
Maybe Father is right.
Maybe I should just listen to what Daeron said and things will be fine.
But with so much going on and so much unknown to me... I can't help but feel-
"Don't put that in your mouth." I catch Aenar before he can stick a toy into his mouth and he looks startled and even turns red-faced as he cries. "I am sorry." I scoop him up and pull him against my chest while noticing my Father leaving the room without a word.
so much is unknown...