That night, nothing significant happened. Wright slept soundly at Renly's house.
In King's Landing, even the courtyards of grand mansions were quite small. Renly had managed to build a small, single-story room in his courtyard. The room had tiny windows that were always shut and no door, only a thick cotton curtain serving as an entrance.
Inside, the floor was covered with dry straw. Renly's young dragon lived there, coming and going through the curtain as it pleased. The room's most distinctive feature was a stove built under a window on one of the outer walls. Every night, a fire would be lit to warm the space. Dragons thrived near volcanoes, and the closest one was on Dragonstone. Since King's Landing lacked such an environment, an artificial one had to be created to ensure the dragon's health and growth.
The fire wasn't just for heating the room. In one corner, Brienne of Tarth, Ser Parmen Crane, and Ser Robar Royce were seated around a firepit, roasting skewers of meat.
All three had removed their armor and sat on stools in noble robes, their weapons cast aside, and a pile of empty wine bottles at their feet.
Brienne served as Renly's sworn shield, primarily tasked with protecting Margaery Tyrell. The two male knights were assigned to guard the young dragon. Initially, they had looked down on the idea of a woman serving as a Lord's sworn shield, even if she was a knight. But after losing to her one-on-one, two-on-one, and even two-on-one repeatedly, they had gradually come to accept their female comrade.
Wright arrived to find that Renly had given the three knights a few days off.
"Brienne, if someone tries to steal the dragon, should I draw my sword or call for help?" Robar Royce asked, idly twirling a skewer of meat in his hand. He was from the Vale, where his family kept large herds of goats, making him the best at roasting lamb among the three.
Parmen Crane, the last to join the group, poured wine into their cups. His younger sister was now a magic apprentice under Renly, making him somewhat of an insider. "I'll wager a gold dragon that even if we left the main gate wide open, not even a rat would get in tonight."
"With the two greatest mages in the Seven Kingdoms living here, anyone trying to enter would have to come from the sky," Brienne said, glancing at the intricate magical runes carved into the walls.
"The sky wouldn't work either. Maybe they could dig a tunnel." Robar Royce handed skewers to the other two.
With no one watching, the three knights didn't bother with manners, soon eating with grease dripping down their chins.
"Do you think Renly and Loras are together?" Parmen Crane asked.
"Lord Renly is just and compassionate, a man of great charm. Whoever he chooses to be with is his private matter and none of our concern," Brienne replied firmly. Her dream of being Renly's lady had long since shattered, but she still staunchly defended him.
Robar Royce chuckled. "People will find out eventually. Since you're Lord Renly's sworn shield, it's your duty to keep his secrets."
Parmen Crane nodded. "I understand. It's just a bit hard to wrap my head around."
"You'll get used to it. Cheers!" Robar Royce lifted his cup, setting the tone. Having been with Renly the longest, he saw it as his duty to guide the newcomers.
"Cheers!"
They downed their drinks in one gulp before refilling their cups.
"Brienne, you accompany Margaery to all these noblewomen's gatherings. What's the latest gossip in King's Landing?" Parmen Crane asked.
Robar Royce also perked up. Since they spent most of their time standing guard outside while following Renly, Brienne had heard far more rumors than they had.
Brienne took a sip of wine. "Lately, the ladies have been talking about two things. First, Robb Stark has apparently fallen for a girl, and his family is preparing a marriage alliance. A lot of young ladies in King's Landing have locked themselves indoors, weeping their hearts out. The noblewomen are cursing Robb as a heartless scoundrel."
"If only I were ten years younger—ah!" Robar Royce sighed, stroking his beard. In truth, he was only a year older than Wright and Renly, but his face bore the wear of years.
Parmen Crane scoffed. "Women love gossiping about these things. What's the second rumor?"
Brienne smirked. "There's been a lot of talk about a treasure map circulating in the Riverlands. Many young knights from the Crownlands and Riverlands have already set out in search of it."
"People still believe in treasure maps? When I was a boy, I once saw a dog take a shit and bury it. I drew a treasure map and left it on the streets of Runestone. Two days later, some little brats reported me, and my father gave me the beating of my life." Robar Royce sneered, clearly unimpressed.
Brienne leaned in. "This one seems more credible. Have you heard of Alys Rivers?"
Robar Royce furrowed his brow. "Not really."
Parmen Crane glanced back toward the mansion before lowering his voice. "A bastard daughter of… King Robert's?"
Robert Baratheon had acknowledged several bastards, so it was the first thing that came to mind.
Brienne shook her head. "No, Alys Rivers was the mistress of Prince Aemond Targaryen—about one hundred and seventy years ago."
Parmen Crane frowned. "And how does she connect to a treasure?"
Brienne said, "Everyone knows that Aemond Targaryen and his dragon were killed by his own uncle with Dark Sister and his dragon at the Gods Eye. But before that, he had taken Harrenhal from House Strong, and after his death, his mistress, Alys Rivers, continued to hold it. It's said she was a witch, earning her the title Witch-Queen, and she claimed she was pregnant."
The two knights held their cups still, eagerly awaiting Brienne's story about the treasure map.
Brienne rolled up her sleeves and grabbed another skewer of meat, eating it before continuing. "Alys Rivers held Harrenhal for over a decade before she left on her own, and no one knew where she went. Now, we have Dark Sister, a great dragon battle—so there must be treasure! The wealth of Harrenhal is that treasure!"
"But this story has holes!"
"There are many details that don't hold up. For example, she held Harrenhal for over a decade, and during that time, there were numerous military attempts to take it back. The wealth could have long been spent."
Both men felt the treasure map story wasn't very believable.
Brienne shrugged. "Isn't that what the songs say? A young knight goes on adventures to prove his worth to the maiden he loves. He seeks magical swords, golden treasures, and crowns stolen from dragon lairs. So, finding treasure is just an excuse; what these young knights truly want is to win the love of the maiden."
"With Robb Stark, the rival in the Blackwater, soon to be engaged, and with no threat left from him, the young knights of King's Landing have found new energy! Ah, I'm getting old!" Ser Robar Royce sighed.
"Eat meat! Eat meat! I just want to see if they end up like you said, following the treasure map only to find a pile of dog shit!" Ser Parmen Crane laughed, handing them both more skewers.
---
The next morning, the Small Council at the Red Keep met successfully, and surprisingly, Robert Baratheon arrived on time.
Renly found this unusual—normally, even for important matters, Robert would delay until the afternoon, rushing in and out in a hurry. Wright suspected Robert had something he wanted from him.
With the council in attendance, Wright first handed the kingdom's tax records to Master of Coin Mace Tyrell, then submitted policies regarding religious oversight and the entry of foreign magic users.
Under Robert's urging, the votes were swiftly cast, and the policies were passed, marking them as specific to the Stepstones. The Seven Kingdoms would not implement them yet, with the Stepstones becoming a bulwark against foreign infiltration.
Next, Wright produced a map of the lands beyond the Wall, pointing to the far north. "Here, the Others are gathering. If they march south, it will be time to call upon the armies of the Seven Kingdoms once more."
Grand Maester Pycelle looked shocked. "The Others? That's just a legend."
"I've heard the story of the Others since I was a child. My grandson is nearly born, and I've yet to see one," Mace Tyrell scoffed. "Wright, though you are the Archmage, you can't be spreading such alarmist tales."
Renly was confused, having read Wright's books on various non-human intelligent species, but he had always taken them as stories. He never expected Wright to claim the Others were real and coming south.
Robert, Stannis, and Varys all turned to Wright.
Wright met their gaze. "You all know me—I never speak recklessly about important matters. The Children of the Forest are often in the city, and summoning magic has brought all manner of creatures. Of course, the Others are real."
The story of the Others was well-known to everyone in the Seven Kingdoms. In recent years, the presence of the Children of the Forest and summoned magic had made people more accepting of the supernatural.
Robert clasped his hands on the table. "Wright, are the Others really coming?"
"Not yet," Wright replied. "I made an agreement with the Three Eyed Raven—when he sends a crow to the magical schools to open the line of succession, it means the Others are about to march south. But no message has arrived yet. I'm worried something might change, so I wanted to give you all a heads-up and prepare in advance."
Wright, too, was puzzled by the Three Eyed Raven's silence. The Stark's direwolves had appeared, and fearing something might be amiss in the north, Wright decided to inform them early.
Varys asked, "The Three Eyed Raven? The one who can see both history and the future?"
This was the first time the council had heard of Wright's connection to the Three Eyed Raven.
Wright explained, "The Three Eyed Raven, you can think of him as a powerful mage like myself. My magic is used for combat, while the Three Eyed Raven's magic is used entirely for prophecy."
Robert raised an eyebrow. "Is there really such a thing as a Three Eyed Raven? How come you've never mentioned him before?"
Wright responded, "In the Kingdoms' mage registry, there are Shapeshifters and Children of the Forest. It's been many years, but the Three Eyed Raven is the most powerful and unique of the Shapeshifters."
Robert leaned forward, excited. "Can the Three Eyed Raven help me predict the future of the Seven Kingdoms?"
Wright replied, "I never told you about him because there can only be one Three Eyed Raven at a time. When one dies, the title is passed on to the next. Their power to glimpse the past and future comes with a curse—each Three Eyed Raven's legs are destined to be crippled, and they lose their humanity. They become more like observers of history, intervening only when humanity's extinction is at stake."
Varys raised an eyebrow. "Lose their humanity? But anyone who is human has a drive for life and desires."
Wright looked at Varys: "I advise you not to have any harmful thoughts about him. Once you think ill of him, he will immediately know how many times you've pissed yourself in your lifetime."
This statement left Varys speechless.
Wright continued, addressing everyone: "Don't think that prophecies will help you! The Three Eyed Raven has no interest in money, power, or desire. I can tell you, he is currently physically connected to a Weirwood tree. Do you think a tree has any desires?"
"Human connected to a Weirwood tree?" Everyone was shocked.
"Yes, what desires can a tree have?" Varys sighed as well, unsure if he had truly let go of his scheming against the Three Eyed Raven. Either way, Wright had spoken his mind.
The Three Eyed Raven would never oppose Wright, as their power and influence were balanced, and they had reached an agreement of non-interference, only cooperating in the most significant matters. But if an ordinary person tried to take action against him, the Three Eyed Raven had many ways of dealing with it. If someone brought about their own demise, they had no one else to blame.
Wright: "Master Pycelle."
"Ah? What is it?" Master Pycelle was still processing the information.
"If you want to understand history, there is someone who can help you. Summon Master Aemon from the Castle Black beyond the Wall to King's Landing. He's 100 years old, a living history book. Have the Citadel send a young maester to take over the Castle Black's affairs."
After Wright finished speaking, Robert added, "Master Pycelle, although I don't meddle in the Citadel's matters, I think this is a good suggestion!"
Master Pycelle: "Understood. I didn't even know such a maester existed in the North. I'll write to the Citadel after the meeting and suggest it."
Stannis, with a serious face: "Wright, are the Others really as powerful as the stories say?"
Everyone looked at Wright expectantly.
"Very powerful! They don't need to eat, are impervious to cold, don't need to breathe, can walk freely underwater. Every Other is highly skilled in combat, and they also have ice magic and necromancy. And unlike human magicians who can only control one summoned entity, an Other can control thousands of reanimated corpses."
"That's..."
"Lord Wright, please don't scare us! This isn't a funny joke," Varys said with a strained smile.
Wright summoned an ice spear and an ice sword, placing them on the conference table.
"These are their weapons. If magic is infused into them during use, their strength far surpasses that of ordinary steel weapons."
Renly realized, "You've killed Others?"
"I killed seven when I went to the North before!"
The group was again shocked, but they felt a bit more at ease. Since Wright had already killed seven before, and he was now stronger and had dragons, the threat of the Others seemed much smaller. Worst-case scenario, they could escape to Tyrosh.
Wright: "Ordinary Others are no less skilled than Lord Baristan."
Baristan sat expressionlessly, serving as a standard for comparison.
Wright: "With ordinary swords, even if you cut them down to just a head, they'll still be alive. But the Others are not invincible. Valyrian steel swords, Dragonglass weapons, and fire can kill them. It's similar in difficulty to killing a heavily armored knight."
"Well, if they're not invincible, that's good."
"They have weaknesses, and not just one. That's manageable."
Stannis, still with a blank expression: "I just remembered, Wright, when you passed Dragonstone Island, Lord Monford Velaryon gave me a map of the mines. Is that Dragonglass?"
Wright: "Yes, obsidian is another term for Dragonglass."
Robert, reassured: "So you had prepared early. But is there any way to completely eliminate the Others?"
Wright thought for a moment: "If the Others come south beyond the Wall, we can organize an army to eliminate them. Their reanimated corpses are comparable to this thing."
Wright summoned a purple skeleton, which stood in front of the conference table. No one was surprised anymore, as Renly and Qyburn often summoned elements or skeletons at feasts for entertainment.
Wright: "These creatures can be troublesome for ordinary soldiers. Even if their bodies are half-destroyed, they still have fighting strength. However, using fire, Dragonglass, or smashing them to pieces neutralizes the threat. You also need to watch out for the Others passing through graveyards and reanimating the long-dead."
Renly: "Making the Northmen exhume their ancestors and cremate them is as serious as taking their lives. It would be hard to implement."
Wright: "These reanimated corpses are called wights. If there are no bodies, there won't be wights. As for the Others, I haven't figured out a way to completely eliminate them because once they flee to the far North, there's no food, and humans can't survive there. Even I, as a wizard, would have to burn magicka to stay warm."
"The Wall!" Stannis suddenly thought. "If we mine Dragonglass from Dragonstone and use it to make weapons for the Wall, we can increase its defenses. There's a chance we can resist them!"
Wright: "That depends on the number of Others. If all the wildlings in the North die and turn into wights, that will be a big problem. Instead of defending, it would be better to find a way to deal with the wildlings first."
Robert: "Kill them all? Won't they just turn into corpses? And we can't even find their settlements."
Wright: "Don't kill them! We need people on the Stepstone Islands!"