As Ramsgate neared, Wylis moved from the front of the entourage to the back and let the carriages enter the growing town. The gates in the wall had already been installed, and a team of guards manned them.
Wylis remained behind, however. He picked three men to stay behind with him and Dacey and let everyone else go. He'd already ordered Benjen on what to do. And the women in the castle already knew where they needed to hide for a time.
Once everyone was gone, Wylis slowed his horse, still outside Ramsgate's city walls. He got off the horse on the side of the dirt road by the trees. Everyone followed him and did the same. From there, he ordered the three soldiers to stand guard while he took Darcy through the tree lines a distance away so none could hear them.
"Dacey, before I bring you within my walls, there are things you must know. An oath you must swear." Wylis firmly said, stopping by a large tree and turning to face her. "There are secrets here I would guard with my life."
"And I will guard them with you."
"But you know they are only words," Wylis said. "The women within that castle, aye, some share my bed, and I keep them hidden. My own wife among them. For if the realm learns of them, there will be war. And I shall win it, whatever the cost, no matter how many must fall for it, friend or foe."
Those were enough hints, Wylis believed. There were only a few women in the realm who could cause a war. And Dacey was smart enough to make a few guesses.
"Are any of them… wicked?"
"No, each of them was a bird trapped in a cruel world not of their choosing. Cast into roles they did not choose for themselves. They would have died wretched deaths had I not taken them in and given them my care. Now, I love them, and I will do unspeakable things to anyone who hurts them. So you must swear an oath, not only as my squire, but as keeper of my secrets. Whatever you see, hear, or learn within these walls must follow you to the grave."
Dacey stared at him for a while.
Wylis was sure she was going to take it. But he was curious about what she was thinking.
Thud!
Dacey took to one knee, staring at him. "Do I also count as a caged bird, my lord?"
"Not now. But I've a good feeling about you. Stay close through battle and blood, and I can see you earning a place in here." Wylis tapped on his chest.
"I swear by the Old Gods and the New. I, Dacey Mormont, will be your faithful shield, care for your steel, obey your voice above all others, and hold your secrets with my life. This, I swear."
Wylis held her by the shoulders and pulled her up. "Then let's introduce you to my wife and the others. My children will adore you."
He walked out of the treeline and got on his horse again. He rode fast into the growing city, and the guards above opened the gates themselves. He surveyed the surroundings as he rode, eyeing all the construction.
The foundation of the future city hall was being worked on. A few temporary wooden shacks had also been built for the workers to live in. At the same time, he could see on the far north side a large construction zone. A lot of homes were being built there, permanent structures.
"Lord Kaiser!"
As he rode slowly, the people of Ramsgate gathered at the side of the roads to greet him. All of them waved, smiling, albeit covered in dirt. But he paid them well, and they got to eat real meals. He was keeping his word.
"My lord! My lord!"
But just then, Wylis saw a boy running along the roadside, matching his pace. Unlike others who waved and cheered, smiling, the boy was only frowning.
"My lord! Force is mass times acceleration! How do I find mass?"
Huh? What?
Wylis pulled in the reins and halted Caliburn to get a better look at the boy. Never in his life had he imagined being asked such a question randomly in his pre-industrial, sort-of slum-like fief. By a kid of all people.
"Where did you learn about Force?" Wylis asked.
"I… My lord, I came to Ramsgate a week ago from King's Landing. They told me I got a good head for study, and I learned it from them books you wrote, my lord. How do you work out mass? The book says weight divided by gravity. What's that, my lord? What's gravity?"
Wylis scratched his head, a deep frown on his face. The books he remembered writing were in a strict order, so nobody got confused. And that was when it struck him.
"Boy, you've been sneaking through books far above your station, haven't you? You never learned the gravity part." Wylis called him out, and by the boy's reaction, he was right. "What's your name?"
The boy dared not look up at him. "I… I'm Bolga, my lord."
The fact that the boy called him 'my lord' and not 'm'lord' told him enough. "What did you do in King's Landing?"
"I-I worked in my father's tavern in Flea Bottom and… and wrote letters for sailors at the docks. I… forgive me, m—"
"What's the height of a right-angled triangle where the base is three centimeters, and the hypotenuse is five centimeters?" Wylis asked off the top of his head.
"Four! Four, my lord!"
"..."
Jackpot!
That was enough for Wylis. For someone to do that much mental calculation in that sort of world after a life in Flea Bottom proved their immense learning speed.
"Gravity is the force that keeps us on the land. I calculated it using my clock and a pendulum," Wylis replied and looked at a soldier behind him. "Take Bolga to the garrison. See that he is fed and tended well. And send for Qyburn to test his wits."
"Aye, my lord."
Wylis continued his journey to the castle while answering Dacey's questions about what had just happened. As expected, she couldn't understand what Force was, what Mass was, or gravity. He just patted her leg on the horse and shook his head.
"Keep to the swords, my squire. And steel yourself for Chett. He's far better with a blade than you. Best not let him knock you flat before supper."
"I'm grateful for this gift of tension, my lord."
Wylis laughed and nudged Caliburn to ride faster.
A short ride later, he finally entered the castle. He walked through the main gate with Dacey at his side.
"My lord."
"Chett." Wylis hugged his squire. "This is Dacey, my second squire. Teach her well."
He didn't bother watching the fierce staring contest between the two behind him as he continued into the castle. He soon heard voices from the larger living hall with seats for guests.
As he entered, he saw everyone seated, and only Anna was standing nearby. Once again, she was introduced as his wife because Lyanna couldn't be introduced to them all. In her arms was Magnus, sleeping soundly. At that point, Wylis reckoned the boy could be sleeping on hard stone and still look comfortable.
"It's a magnificent castle, Wylis," said Jarak, his grandfather.
"It only seems so, I fear. She was built as a fortress, with walls thick enough to shame a castle keep, and so there are fewer chambers within. I would gladly keep you all here forever, yet apart from Lady Lyarra and Old Nan, the rest must stay in the mansion I've prepared just beyond, in the inner ring. In time, it will be the heart of Ramsgate, the city's chief district, where Ramsgate's finest halls and most important folk will dwell."
Wylis knew he was rambling, but he hoped to get the point across. He didn't want to take more risks than he was already taking. For now, he only wanted Old Nan and Lady Lyarra to know the truth. His mother and father could wait.
"Long as I get to meet me grandson, I'll live in a damn stable if I need to." Garteh, Wylis' father declared.
Wylis chuckled. "Come now, Father. I said make it feel like home, not turn it into Winterfell. No stable dwelling anymore, however charming Caliburn may be."
They laughed, and Wylis sat down with them, pulling Anna beside. The poor woman was so nervous that he could see it on her face. So he put an arm around her shoulder and kept her snug at his side.
Soon enough, supper was served in the smaller dining hall. After that, he led all but Old Nan and Lady Lyarra out.
It was just outside the moat's gate, into the future administration district. Just beside the moat's gate was a large, lavish house, which was mostly finished but still needed work on the upper floor's roof. It was a square-shaped classical Roman-style house with a courtyard in the middle of it. It had enough rooms for all his family to live, and even host guests. And it was the closest to his castle.
"There are eight servants to keep the mansion in order and attend to your comforts. Three maids serve in the kitchens. Please, treat them gently. They are Ramsgate folk, and I see them as my own kin, as my brothers and sisters, sons and daughters," Wylis warmly warned them. A sudden taste of wealth could turn decent people cruel if left unchecked. He wanted no part of that.
"Then they're our sons and daughters too," his grandfather declared, nodding at the lineup of servants.
Wylis showed each of them their rooms after that. They were decorated with curtains on windows, carpets, large canopy beds, mirrors, art pieces, and came with toilets connected to working sewers, which was a new concept. There was no in-house plumbing, however. But Wylis had left space to install them in the future.
His grandaunts weren't that old, still in their late thirties, so he told them to maybe seek a husband since now they had free time. As for his uncles, he had plans for them. They were great hunters and experienced in managing men.
After bidding them a good night, he finally walked back to the castle. He was truly tired already and wanted a bath in the spring. But first, he knew there was one monumental task remaining.
Ting!
Right as he walked on the moat's bridge, a chime rang in his head. The blue screen appeared.
[Side Quest Completed - Shame Of The Tyrant
Description - A Tyrant does not leave family behind, for they can be a source of strength. Yet you never gave them the chance.
Goal - Right what was wrong. Make the House Kaiser whole.
Reward - Family Finder: No matter where, know the general direction of those who share your name and blood.]
Oh? That's fucking sweet! Sweeter than sweet.
While it wasn't the exact location, even knowing the general direction felt like a great boon. If anything, it would allow him to know all his family was safe in Ramsgate during his travels.
His mood fresh now, he walked back inside the living hall. Old Nan, Lady Lyarra, and Anna sat there. Chett and Darcey were standing at the side, and Benjen was seated elsewhere.
"Bring her," he ordered Chett.
"Old Nan, my lady. There is a truth I must lay bare." Wylis began, pressing a kiss to Anna's brow. "I love Anna. Yet she is not the Lady of Ramsgate. I spoke false, for the fewer souls who know, the safer she remains. Should the realm learn my wife's true name and face, I fear it may stir another war, another rebellion."
Footsteps came from the door right then. Brandon appeared in the view, grinning. "Mother! You've grown fat. Don't walk as I told you to, do you?"
This man. None can hold his tongue.
"Haul your arse over here, Wylis. Show your wife yourself, I'm done playing bloody nursemaid. She near drove me mad, beat me at chess ten damn times. Gods, I'm thick as a sack of rocks."
Wylis laughed and moved, letting Brandon step aside. He was still blocking the view of the hall and looked at his gorgeous wife first. She was dressed in a blue, royal gown with a pale gray, almost white fur-collared cloak. Her hair was braided, and her face was…
He just pecked her lips, took her hand in his, and turned.
He pulled her into the hall to stand beside him. However, he noticed Lyanna staring at Dacey first instead of her mother.
Ah, sniffed out the competition right away? Must be the wolf nose.
Wylis moved closer to the settee where Old Nan and Lady Lyarra sat, gobsmacked. In moments, Anna handed sleeping Magnus over to Lyanna, and Wylis put an arm around her waist, presenting themselves as the family they were.
"L-Lyanna?!" Lady Lyarra exclaimed, her breath restless, her old knees somehow filled with vigour as she rushed to her feet. "I-Is that you?"
Lyanna was all tears, bobbing her head nonstop.
"It's me… It's Lyanna, mother."
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Advance chapters on [PATREON] are in long-form format. I have 12 long chapters of this story on P@treon. That's equal to 45-50 Webnovel chapters.
Check out Wylis X Elia & Wylis X Cersei NSFW art, and advance chapters at [email protected]/MrPlotThickens Or Subscribestar.adult/mrplotthickens
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