Cadmus arrived at the dungeons again, but this time, he did not head toward the bars where the cells were, but rather toward a dark, damp stone chamber. Behind him, Rhaella, who remained silent, looked at the surroundings with a touch of curiosity.
Upon reaching the location, the smell of blood was so strong that it made the mage and the queen frown, but both soon relaxed again. Given the importance of what was about to happen, what was a mere foul odor?
Entering the stone chamber, Cadmus saw wooden basins a meter in diameter scattered throughout the place. However, even with dozens of these basins filled to the brim with animal blood, the place was still relatively empty.
Cadmus wasted no time; he quickly took the potions from his pouch and began to prepare the blood. With the addition of the potions, the foul smell the blood exuded completely disappeared, leaving only a faint sweet scent lingering in the air.
Seeing that the blood was ready, the mage began to draw a huge blood pentagram while placing red candles at each point of the pentagram. Runes were written in blood along the edges of the pentagram.
Rhaella watched everything in silence; she couldn't help but think that if Cadmus had appeared decades ago, her sons and daughters would have been saved, but fate was cruel and only allowed her to meet her savior decades later.
However, Rhaella did not complain about fate, not when she also discovered that her daughter and sons had also been poisoned with the same venom that had claimed her children. Without Cadmus, she did not know how many miscarriages, babies, and children would suffer from the poison running in the veins of the women and men of House Targaryen.
When Cadmus finished painting the entire pentagram and the runes on the floor, he checked the work three times, trying to find any flaw, and after seeing that everything was perfect, he looked at Rhaella and spoke in a solemn tone. "I will use the blood to purify the poison within the queen; it will be a little painful, but try to remain as still as possible."
Rhaella was indifferent to the pain mentioned by Cadmus; she preferred physical pain a thousand times over the pain her soul was feeling at that moment.
"What do I need to do?" She asked calmly as she stood in the middle of the pentagram.
"Take off your clothes and stand naked; then I will bathe you in blood, and we will begin the ritual." Cadmus said while waving his wand; a large amount of blood rose from the basins and floated above Rhaella.
Rhaella nodded and simply removed the dress she was wearing, including her underwear, standing completely naked before Cadmus. The queen might have been over fifty years old, but her body still exuded beauty and sensuality.
Cadmus nodded and showed an indifferent look, as if the beautiful naked body before him was nothing more than a piece of wood.
Without any hesitation, Cadmus injected magic into the pentagram drawn on the floor; the runes at the edges began to glow with a devilish red hue. The blood above Rhaella seemed to be guided by an invisible hand, and a drop of blood touched the pale forehead of the widowed queen.
The red candles lit up all at once; flames shot up to the ceiling as terrible heat spread through the surroundings.
Soon after, another drop and then another; in a short time, Rhaella's entire naked body was completely drenched in blood. The blood outlined the curves of her body, which added a touch of wicked charm to her.
Cadmus did not have time to appreciate the beautiful sight before him; the delicate process of magic manipulation required the mage to concentrate fully. The magic coursed through the queen's body like extremely fine threads; where these threads passed, a slightly transparent liquid running with the queen's blood was gradually eliminated. It was a slow and complex process; any failure or distraction could lead to a disastrous end for the entire ritual.
For Rhaella, the process was even more exhausting and invasive. It felt like something was running beneath her skin; besides being extremely uncomfortable, it was painful and agonizing. However, even suffering such intense pain, her expression had not changed at all.
Ten minutes... an hour... two hours... three hours...
Feeling that there was no longer any trace of poison in Rhaella's body, Cadmus opened his eyes and stopped the spell. There was a deep exhaustion in his gaze. Staying three hours in a state of extreme concentration was extremely draining.
Cadmus felt a deep admiration for the doctors who spent twelve hours in surgery; although it was not the same, he still felt admiration.
Looking at Rhaella, naked and covered in blood, Cadmus approached her and used his cloak to cover her nudity.
"It's over, my queen." He said in a gentle tone while looking at Rhaella with admiration and respect. The woman had not let out a single whimper of pain; her expression remained the same from beginning to end. This kind of determination was simply astonishing.
Rhaella reacted and looked at Cadmus; just like the mage, there was a deep exhaustion in her gaze, but her eyes were firmer and more determined than ever.
"They will feel the pain I felt; I will make them regret being born into this world. I will kill everyone, women and children; everyone will burn with fire and blood." Rhaella said in a chilling and terribly cold tone.
The pain had only clarified her thoughts; she would make everyone who dared to poison her and her family suffer ten times worse.
"Burning Oldtown is a good choice; I can imagine the Hightower House Tower burning like a gigantic torch." Cadmus said with a smile, showing an equally cold grin. Before, it was just a natural antipathy against the Faith of the Seven, but now he truly wanted to destroy this filth from the face of the planet.
As for the gods, Cadmus was very interested in dissecting the body of a god.
"Aren't you going to try to stop me or advise me?" Rhaella was surprised by the answer and asked in a curious tone. Even Rhaegar would not support her in burning Oldtown because the citizens were innocent.
"No." Cadmus said with a smile. "I'll watch you burn that city with a bucket of popcorn."
"I truly want you as my Good Son." Rhaella said with a laugh, her first laugh in those four days.
Cadmus blinked and asked with a chuckle. "Are you offering your daughter's hand? If so, I might consider being your Good Son."
"It seems Daenerys has charmed you, my dear Lord Peverell." Rhaella said with a gentle smile. She was not surprised; all the women of House Targaryen were beautiful; few could be considered normal, and Daenerys was not normal; on the contrary, she was simply a beautiful and perfect woman.
Cadmus shrugged and didn't mind being discovered; after all, everyone likes beautiful women, and he was no different. As for passion, Cadmus always thought that companionship and love were what truly made a marriage last.
"However, I also think you are a good suitor for my daughter." Rhaella adjusted the cloak that covered her nudity and spoke in a soft tone. "You have the power to protect her; for me, that's what matters most."
Cadmus looked at Rhaella in surprise but understood the queen's thoughts. If something were to happen in the future, Rhaella hoped he would flee with Daenerys far away.
The mage wanted to laugh. Him, flee? Although he didn't think he was more powerful than a god, Cadmus feared no one in this world. Even Sung Jin Woo's low-budget version (King of the Night), only represented a slight danger due to the mystery and unknown abilities.
But Cadmus could understand Rhaella's concerns; the future was destined to be chaotic, so chaotic that even a dynasty could crumble like a sandcastle.
"I am honored to have the queen's trust." Cadmus looked directly into Rhaella's eyes and spoke in a calm yet extremely confident tone. "But I am strong. So strong that I could simply wipe a city off the map."
Rhaella looked into Cadmus's unwavering eyes and sighed. However, she chose to believe Cadmus, especially after seeing the look in his eyes. It was such a confident look that, for a moment, it seemed he could do anything.
"I hope so, my dear lord." Rhaella said with a smile.
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Read my other books:
Game Of Thrones: The God-Emperor of Planetos (500,000 words written).
Percy Jackson: Godwyn the Golden.
Game Of Thrones: The King's Court Wizard