Outside King's Landing, a field of tents stretched across the landscape. Tens of thousands were scattered in an orderly fashion throughout the outskirts. The tents were red and black, with the House Targaryen crest emblazoned on every piece of fabric in the camp.
On the wall, Rhaegar and Cadmus looked out at the House Targaryen army with satisfied expressions. The former was pleased with the result of long, sleepless nights and the sweat poured into creating such an army; the latter was satisfied to have such a powerful force against the army of the Undead.
"Your Grace has put a great deal of effort into building such a disciplined army." Cadmus did not hesitate to praise Rhaegar for his hard work. After all, it was an army of forty thousand men, fully equipped with armor and swords. If anyone thinks creating an army like this in the Middle Ages is easy, they are deeply mistaken.
Let's not even talk about the amount of steel required, the sheer number of blacksmiths needed was insane. The time to create such an army was even more exorbitant. Not even in five years, or even ten or fifteen, could they have created an army so well-equipped and trained.
"I spent nearly twenty years building this army. House Targaryen finally has a personal and powerful force, no longer dependent on vassals to gather this many men," Rhaegar said with a proud tone. He had every reason to be proud. This army alone could solidify House Targaryen's power over its vassals.
House Targaryen would not be so defenseless, even without dragons.
"Maekar tried to do something similar, but he failed not only because of the money but also due to the intervention of the noble houses," Rhaegar spoke, looking at the army before him with satisfaction.
Cadmus nodded, understanding the thoughts of those nobles. After all, a House Targaryen dependent on them was more attractive than a House Targaryen with power.
"I really wanted to ask you to end this war." Rhaegar looked at Cadmus and spoke with a tone full of helplessness.
"I am not a monster capable of killing tens of thousands of people," Cadmus replied calmly. He truly could end this war, but the price for doing so would be the lives of tens of thousands.
They weren't tens of thousands of ants, but human lives. Cadmus could be indifferent to some things, but killing tens of thousands of people, possibly hundreds of thousands, was not something he wanted to do or even expected to do.
Theoretically, if he were to do it, the infamy would be carried not only by him but by his descendants forever. Never underestimate prestige, whether positive or negative. It might be something invisible, but to humans, it was something real.
Would you trust a renowned doctor more than a doctor from a small hospital? Only a fool would trust a doctor from a small hospital. It might seem trivial or even stupid, but humans themselves were lazy beings who preferred to choose the safe path rather than risk a faster one.
At the same time, Cadmus also knew that Rhaegar could not give such an order. If the people found out he had ordered the deaths of hundreds of thousands, he would be called the Second Maegor the very next day. Being a king means being a hostage to reputation and prestige.
Once that happened, it would be hard to say if Rhaegar's orders would even leave King's Landing and be followed by the vassals. No one wants to work for a bad boss; that is universal in any universe or world.
"By the way, my mother is already preparing for your wedding. We are moving everything to Harrenhal," Rhaegar said with a smile.
Cadmus rolled his eyes; he knew Rhaegar wasn't happy about the marriage itself, but happy that he could gather many nobles in one place without showing too much force. After all, after the birth of the dragons, most of the nobles had settled down.
When dragons grow, no one wants to wake up and see a sea of fire all around. However, these nobles were arrogant, and if Rhaegar summoned them by order, many probably wouldn't even consider coming. A wedding was perfect for gathering these figures to Rhaegar without appearing submissive or cowardly in the eyes of other nobles. That was why Rhaegar was happy about the wedding taking place.
Of course, Cadmus was also happy about the marriage. Not only would he marry the most beautiful woman on the continent, but he would also make a fortune selling potions. Who wouldn't be happy with those two facts?
"My good mother is truly committed to seeing her daughter get married," Cadmus said with a laugh. Perhaps only Daenerys's wedding could reduce Rhaella's thirst for vengeance.
Which was a good thing in his eyes. He really didn't want Rhaella to become a monster who only knew revenge and death. This woman, who had suffered so much, deserved to be happy instead of drowning in a sea of vengeance and blood.
"Have many children; when I have grandchildren, we can marry them off," Rhaegar said with a gentle smile, but Cadmus looked at him sarcastically. The king's greedy intentions were all too clear.
"My King, if you want to steal my inheritance, choose a more refined method," Cadmus said with a touch of sarcasm in his voice. In his eyes, Rhaegar wanted to marry his grandchildren to Cadmus's children to usurp the legacy he would teach his offspring.
"I don't know what you're talking about, my dear court wizard," Rhaegar showed a genuine look of confusion and appeared quite sincere. However, Cadmus would be a fool to believe the words coming out of a king's mouth, especially a king like Rhaegar.
"Besides, you've already taught the basics to my son, Gaemon," Rhaegar smiled and continued. "It's only a matter of decades before he innovates and builds House Targaryen's own legacy."
Decades? Cadmus rolled his eyes and said nothing; he didn't want to extinguish the king's hope. Although Gaemon was someone who liked to study, that didn't mean he had talent. It just meant the boy had a vocation for being a scholar and nothing more.
As for creating his own legacy, spells, and other branches of magic, Cadmus only had to say that Rhaegar was being far too optimistic. In the Harry Potter universe, magic had been stagnant for hundreds or thousands of years. Innovations were few, and those who succeeded were decorated and renowned throughout the Wizarding Community.
Although Gaemon was indeed studious, he was no genius like those figures. It might seem cruel, but Muggles without magical heritage often had to abandon their studies. So, in Cadmus's eyes, Rhaegar was being overly optimistic.
After all, Cadmus had only taught the absolute basics; he wouldn't teach the core of his knowledge to anyone outside his family. It was a safe way for his sons, daughters, and their descendants to have a good life in the future.
Unaware that Cadmus looked down on his son's talent, Rhaegar was more than satisfied that Gaemon had actually learned something. He had been surprised to see his son levitating a goose feather before him, which had made him smile for days.
"We will depart at noon; everything is prepared, and the logistics will be enough to last eight months before House Tyrell sends supplies to sustain this war even longer," Rhaegar said in a more solemn tone.
"I will go North for a while and return as quickly as possible," Cadmus said, looking at the king with an equally solemn tone. He wanted to know if Geralt and the other Witchers had managed to capture a Wight. After all, people wouldn't believe in the Long Night until they saw proof.
Which was perfectly normal, given that it had been thousands of years since the last Long Night. It was natural for people to be skeptical in the face of such a strange and unreal fact.
Rhaegar looked at the Court Wizard and nodded. He didn't ask why, nor did he have any intention of doing so. Cadmus was not his slave and didn't have to report his every move.
"Safe travels," Rhaegar said calmly, looking at the vast number of tents before him. There was a small smile on his lips; he truly enjoyed seeing the fruit of his labor.
Cadmus nodded and Apparated away, leaving the king alone atop the walls.
In the bedroom, Cadmus looked at Daenerys, who was wearing a white nightgown while brushing her hair in front of a mirror.
"I'm going North for a few days. Do you want to come with me or go to Harrenhal?" Cadmus was direct and asked Daenerys.
The princess, who was brushing her hair, widened her eyes at his words. However, she didn't hesitate; she jumped from her chair and shouted loudly.
"YES!!!!"
As a princess, Daenerys's life could be summed up in one word.
Boring.
How could she refuse to see new places, especially the North, which the entire South looked down upon for its barbarity?
"Put on your winter clothes, the thickest ones and let's go to the Wall." Cadmus smiled gently, seeing her so excited, and said as he tenderly kissed her forehead.
Daenerys nodded and quickly went to prepare her clothes. She would be staying for a few days, so she needed more clothes than usual. Fortunately, her fiancé had a bag capable of holding many things!
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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