Chapter 46 - Maniac
Daenerys had woken up a couple of hours earlier and she was flabbergasted by the changes. She was completely amazed and utterly shocked. She was standing with her mouth wide open as she took in the staggering changes that had been made to the keep. It was something she had never experienced or even dreamed possible in her entire life.
Just yesterday, this place had been nothing more than a crumbling, forgotten and ruined keep, open to the elements of nature and decaying into the earth. Today, right before her very eyes, it was transforming into a respectable, sturdy and grand stronghold.
Even more baffling to her was the sheer nature of the magic being used to achieve this feat. Daenerys had never seen or heard of anything like it in all the stories of the old world. To her, the entire process was an absolute wonder, filling her mind with endless amazement and a deep sense of awe.
As she cautiously walked over to the main area where I was busy working, I paused and looked up at her. I smiled, wanting to make her feel welcome and suggested that she head outside to join the girls. I told her that they were currently working on repairing, landscaping, and decorating the entire area surrounding the keep and that they could really use her input on how to shape the grounds.
When she heard this, doubt and deep hesitation crossed her face. She looked down, clearly unsure of herself and openly questioned whether she even had the right to voice her own views or make suggestions about such things. Sensing her insecurity, I stepped closer and spoke to her gently but firmly.
"Don't worry about that at all, Dany," I said, looking her in the eyes. "This place is going to be your home now. You are going to be staying here with us for a very long time. Because of that, you should share your views without any hesitation. Speak up boldly and tell them exactly what you think."
A bright flash of happiness washed over her face at my words, though I could tell a tiny lingering bit of doubt still remained hidden in her eyes. Nevertheless, she nodded, turned around, and went outside to find the other girls.
Meanwhile, I turned my attention back to the task at hand and threw myself into the labour. I worked completely alone on the ground floor, channelling my magic and energy into resetting the ancient stones and reinforcing the structure. By the time I had finished completing all of the heavy repair work on the entire lower level, the morning had slipped away, and it was well past the usual time for breakfast. My stomach gave a loud rumble, signalling that it was time to take a break.
I called out to everyone, gathering the whole group together near the main hall so we could sit down and eat. By this time, Viserys had finally managed to drag himself out of unconsciousness and wake up. However, the moment he looked out of the room, he was completely surprised. He was deeply shocked and thoroughly disoriented by his surroundings.
He had spent his entire life in the warmer regions of the world and had never once set foot in the frozen, snow-covered lands of the North. This level of biting, bitter cold was entirely foreign to him.
The second we informed him that we were currently located in the far North of Westeros, his face went completely pale and he instantly fell into a state of blind panic. His reaction was far worse and much more extreme than Daenerys's had been.
Within seconds, he turned almost half-maniacal, his eyes darting around wildly as he began to pace back and forth. He quickly half-convinced himself that there must be a massive Usurper's army waiting just outside the gates, standard-bearers and knights lined up in the snow, waiting to capture him and drag him back to King's Landing.
I had to reassure him several times that no one is out there coming to get him. After finally getting this fact into his mind, he had another episode.
He thought that there must be people, lords and armies out here in Westeros waiting for him to come and will fight for the throne that belonged to him.
Seeing his ridiculous hysteria escalating, I stepped in front of him. I had to issue a coldly clinical and incredibly stern warning to snap him out of his spiralling delusion.
"Stop this maniacal behaviour right now," I commanded, my voice cutting through the room like ice. "There is no throne waiting for you out there, and there is absolutely no army coming to get you right now. You need to face reality."
He stared at me, trembling, as I pressed on with my rebuke.
"If you ever want to be a true lord, the very first thing you need to do is enrich your mind with a proper education and real work. Then, you need to build up your physical body so you can actually learn how to fight and present yourself with some dignity."
"As it stands right now, you couldn't even be considered a commoner. Even a commoner has to work hard from the time they are a child just to fill their stomach and keep their family fed. Yet here you are, the self-proclaimed 'Lord Viserys,' the future King of Westeros, unable to lift a single finger to do a shred of honest labour, all while demanding to be treated like royalty."
I shook my head in disgust.
"A real leader needs to be highly educated. They must be a skilled warrior, an efficient administrator and someone who actually knows how to deal with people and handle complex situations. They must know the politics and how the game of thrones is played."
"Here, you bring absolutely nothing to the table. You can do nothing except whine, lash out at others and throw these embarrassing, maniacal tantrums."
Even after receiving such a harsh and heavy rebuke from me, his arrogance didn't break. He bristled, his jaw tightening as he clearly prepared to argue his case and shout back at me.
Seeing this, I narrowed my eyes and took a step forward. "Do you really want to be knocked out cold again?" I asked him flatly. "Because I promise you, this time, I will make sure you stay asleep for a whole lot longer."
Right on cue, Emma stood up beside me. She glared at Viserys, looking forward to the opportunity to knock him loose from his senses. She was clearly very deeply disturbed and utterly exhausted by his toxic behaviour and she firmly believed that the entire camp would be much better off if he was simply left unconscious on the floor.
Fortunately, Viserys finally got the message. He swallowed his words, clamped his mouth shut and remained completely quiet. He slumped down at the table and reluctantly began to eat the food I had brought out for breakfast, which consisted entirely of fresh fruits and basic bread.
After chewing in silence for a minute, he looked at his plate and scoffed. "I want meat," he demanded, his voice dripping with entitlement. "Any kind of meat will do."
I didn't even look up from my food. "If you want meat so badly, go outside, hunt for it yourself, and bring it back," I told him calmly.
"There are no servants here to cater to your whims or fetch things for you. You need to learn to be grateful for whatever food is placed in front of you, especially since you didn't do a single second of labour to earn it. Do you understand me? Don't you dare sit there and start demanding what you want or what you think you need. From now on, you will be given exactly what you need to survive. Nothing more, and nothing less."
He went quiet again, glaring at his bread as he chewed viciously. But his compliance didn't last long. After finishing his meal, he looked up around the hall, his eyes scanning the stone walls.
"I want the biggest room in this keep," he announced grandly. "I am the King, and my personal quarters need to match my royal stature and importance."
At that point, I was literally reaching my absolute limit with him. I was getting incredibly tired of his constant complaining, his arrogance and his endless entitlement. The only reason I kept my mouth shut and didn't throw him out into the snow right then and there was because of Dany.
I didn't want to break her heart. Even Daenerys herself could see what was happening. She looked completely mortified, watching her brother act like a massive, uncooperative nuisance in front of the people who had just saved them.
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End of Chapter 46 - Maniac