(Edmund Mudd, Firmridge)
The Crown Prince shivered as he felt a disturbance in the force.
It felt like a noose was slowly tying itself to his neck.
Hmm, better to focus on current matters than worry about the unknown. He was sure his father would deal with it if it was too dangerous.
Staring suspiciously at his giggling sister, Edmund slowly backed away, feeling it might be appropriate to make his escape from this location.
Myrcella, for her part, stared weirdly at him, as if he were the odd one.
"Your clueless facade does not fool me, Cella. I know you better than anyone else!" He declared proudly. Getting into the thick of it, since he might as well go all the way with whatever this was.
"Stop being ridiculous, brother. Now help me find Jasper, that ignorant chick dared to say blasphemous things to me, he shall rue the day he crossed this venerable lioness!"
"..."
Edmund was sure Jasper was older than her and wiser, too. He thought about pointing that out, but he also didn't want his bed to be transfigured while he was asleep.
A certain gruncle dared to say that Cella's unique statue was uglier than the Ice Walkers he'd fought beyond the wall. Understandably, Cella had transfigured his bed into a harmless bear while his gruncle had been asleep.
Aunt Dalia had been in on it, too. How his sister had convinced her to go along with it, Edmund would never know.
Sigh, what a scary sister he had.
She was very much a fan of escalation and vengeance. Truly, he feared for the person who'd catch her interest once she was older. The poor sod will likely pass away under mysterious circumstances if they unknowingly push the wrong buttons.
Well, that sounds like a problem for future him.
Deciding to apparate away from his irate sister, Edmund appeared on the spire of Firmridge's tallest tower. The wind playfully ruffled his hair as he stood atop the highest point of the capital.
To his mild surprise, he spotted none other than the 'ignorant chick' flying casually in his animgaus form. Completely ignoring the land beneath him, as if he hadn't just infuriated their sister and was now in the process of being hunted down.
If this went any longer, the irate girl might just put a bounty on his head. Since he wasn't a snitch, Edmund concluded that he had become partially blind and thus incapable of seeing his well-hidden sibling.
It definitely wasn't because he didn't want to be dragged into the latest spat between the two… Which never went well for anyone who decided to take a side. Both Cella and Jasper could be very vindictive people.
Maybe it would be better to seek shelter under his father, while the two solve their differences?
As if on cue, Edmund felt a massive beacon of power appearing in the Great Hall, his father likely returning from whatever misadventure he'd been having lately, or maybe he was in Aunt Malora's laboratory.
Knowing his father, it might be a mix of both; one could never know.
The Crown Prince wasn't a fool. It was painfully clear that his old man was planning something, if his recent actions in court were anything to go by.
More and more duties had been piled on his and Rhaenys' shoulders, duties that were generally carried out by the King, or was it High King? He'd noticed that the title was being floated around far too casually these days.
Many of the aristocracy felt that the title of King was beneath a man of his father's stature and power. That it failed to properly display the Realm's true authority. So they were throwing around various alternatives that they felt would better fit their liege.
High King was merely the latest one, harkening back to an era when Westeros was dominated by the First Men.
After all, if a shattered and delusional Yi Ti could still call its nominal ruler a God Emperor, then surely the Realm, which was not only united but also unprecedentedly powerful, deserved a grand title.
Only the legendary Empire of the Dawn could match it, many would claim.
It didn't help that both father and Aunt Visenya had quietly been nurturing the realization that the King was a god. Something had gained immense traction after the Battle for the Fate of the World.
Quite the mouthful, yet a fitting name for such a monumental event.
Edmund agreed with the need to change the title of King, but was leery of adding God to it. While it was indeed true that his father was one, that didn't mean his successors would be.
It would pile far too much expectation on a Dynasty that was only truly beginning to flourish. Thankfully, or maybe not, his old man also agreed and had even left the decision in his hands.
Now, Edmund had to contend with the fact that he would soon be making a decision that would have far-reaching consequences for the Mudds, a decision he was quickly coming to realize was not as easy as first assumed.
There was also the fact that he'd have to consider the religious implications of the yet-to-be-decided title, as his father had merged much of the duties and powers of the High Septon with his own.
Though his old men kept muttering about a cursed unholy German confederacy.
Was he referring to the same German nation he often mentioned, alongside some frogs and British colonizers? One could never tell when it came to the tales his father often told.
It would be better if he talked with Rhaenys about this, considering she would be his partner in the future.
She had always been more excited about the ceremonial aspects of their role. Not that he could blame her, considering how tedious the bureaucratic side of ruling tended to be.
Now then, he could sense both his sister and brother converging on his location. He must make a hasty retreat lest he get dragged into their shenanigans.
Just in time to hear his sister's victorious roar. "FOUND YOU!"
…
(Daenerys Targaryen)
The former breaker of chains had a problem. One that was quickly growing into a significant headache and becoming beyond irritating.
Even inciting Myrcella to go on a rampage against one of her brothers was no longer enough to satisfy her. Oh sure, it was nothing harmful, just a spat really, but it was usually entertaining.
Unfortunately for the mother of dragons, she just wasn't feeling it. It no longer had that spark that had amused her previously.
Frankly, she was getting bored with playing with these kids.
She knew that Erlend had his qualms about doing the deed with her, refusing to move their relationship to anything beyond platonic. Content in leaving it in limbo till she was 'legal' and sound of mind, as he liked to say.
This, despite her being mentally older than most of the women in his life, wasn't sufficient. How troublesome.
She suspected that he was well aware of her memories. After all, something like that should not have escaped his gaze. Yet, he kept silent about it, respecting her privacy.
Still, there was some progress to be had.
He'd made her promise not to try and drug him to get into his breeches. Something about it being more of an annoyance than anything else. Then again, it was poorly planned on her end. Why she expected normal aphrodisiacs would affect a deity, she still wasn't clear on.
As far as she was aware, all they did was give him a headache as his body naturally purged them from his body.
How annoying!
Now, what could she potentially do to pass the time?
Looking for Missandei and Grey Worm seemed to be a good idea. Maybe she could convince the King to take her on his planned expeditions or explorations. Something they can bond over, away from all the hussies in the capital.
Interrupting her rambling was the gleeful cry of a certain kitten. It appeared that the young princess had found her target.
Giving Jasper a moment of silence out of respect for his fate, Daenerys decided to look for the sand snakes. They and their mother were far more intelligent when compared to their counterparts in her memories.
They also happened to have decent enough ideas on how to tie Erlend to her carriage.
Her mother wasn't any help on that front, preferring that she let things naturally take their course. Rotten advice if she ever heard any.
Margaery was content to let things take their course, and where did that get her? The little flower didn't even get much scre…
Cough. Register in Erlend's eyes.
No! The key to her beloved's heart was being proactive. Unfortunately, drugs didn't work, so only time and seduction would do.
The Mother of Dragons was confident she'd get her man. Mark her words.
…
(Erlend Mudd)
Gently kissing his wife's brow, Erlend rose.
Apparating within the gardens and choosing to heed the call of someone he was quite familiar with.
The sight that greeted him was an old man who was smiling at a 'sight' that lay behind the immortal king.
Turning back to see what he was looking at, Erlend was taken aback by the… creative sight. One that had been the work of a certain cub of his, her artistic talent showing itself in the statue, which could only be called unique.
Chuckling to himself, "Your daughter is quite the artist, isn't she?" The old man started jokingly.
Giving the statue a complicated look, he decided that silence would serve him better at the moment.
Erlend wasn't sure how he felt about it.
It was undoubtedly his daughter's attempt to get back at him for the 'marriage' suggestion between her and her cousin. Not that he intended to go through with it if she didn't want to.
Sure, there would be political consequences for breaking an unofficial betrothal, but Erlend was confident that Genna and Kevan wouldn't push it too far. It certainly helped that his 'nephew' showed about as much interest in his cousin as he did in swords.
To be blunt, the boy had the sexual proclivities of a shonen protagonist. That boy had the marital interest of a training dummy. As in, he would have no choice in being put at the training yard, but he certainly wasn't going to give a reaction.
It was quite odd. The lad's dwarven father had been the lustful type. How his son could be so different was both intriguing and troubling. Hell, old Kevan was tearing his hair out trying to get his grand-nephew to show interest in the opposite sex.
Anyways, he was getting distracted. Deciding to ignore his daughter's gift, Erlend looked inquiringly at his patron. The old man hadn't said anything, preferring to remain quiet and letting the young deity do the talking.
Unsure, the young King finally asked, "Now that the Night King and the traveller are both dealt with, is there anything else expected of me?"
It was impudent of him to ask such a thing, but his patron felt like someone who preferred blunt honesty over lickspittles.
"..."
Gazing towards him with an unreadable look, "That depends wholly on you, lad. Considering you'll get full control over the brat's abilities sooner or later…" The old man finally responded.
Was the old man hinting at what he thought he was?
Erlend didn't bother to hide the surprise on his face. "You aren't going to limit me?"
"There's no need for that, it's unlikely for you to go too far with your powers, and you aren't the type to do something stupid, such as messing with this multiverse's laws for your amusement and some stupid feeling of entitlement." The old man shrugged carelessly, referring to the traveller's creative liberties with this world.
"Fair enough."
It was jarring that a reincarnator or transmigrator would make things harder for themselves voluntarily, especially when the ROB doing the power-gifting was hostile.
No wonder the system he'd been given had been so weak.
"Regarding the ROB who changed this world, should I start worrying about setting up defenses in case he decides to show up?"
"There's no need for that. He's been assigned to border duty. It'll be eons before he can even think about starting any trouble. By then, it's doubtful if he'd even remember this world. The borderlands have never been kind to their inhabitants."
"Borderlands?" Erlend looked taken aback by that tidbit.
Nodding his head. "It's pretty much what you think it is. There are far too many powers that are within this infinite omniverse, none of which are keen on another conflict breaking out anytime soon. One does not easily rock the status quo and get away with it."
There are ROBs that act like border patrol, and the Omniverse has its version of the Cold War. That was nice to know, Erlend supposed. Also, what a way to realize one's inconsequential existence when compared to the greater cosmos.
"That sounds like too much for me at the moment." He had no shame in admitting that it was way above his pay grade.
He wasn't ready to tangle with that shitshow just yet. His local eldritch horrors were sufficient enough, thank you very much.
"Spend a few centuries consolidating your power. It will do you no good to rush multiversal travel. There are quite a few lesser beings who won't take kindly to you traversing their territories." His patron advised.
"No worries, old man. I haven't grown too arrogant just yet. I know my limits." Erlend only received a dry stare from his patron.
Deciding not to dignify that response with an answer, the old man waved him off before disappearing. Leaving Erlend alone within his gardens, contemplating his next moves.
It would be best if he sped up his gear creation, leaving his children with even more guarantees that they would never hurt anyone. There was also the pesky drowned god somewhere within this world.
Leaving such an ancient threat in this world seemed far too risky in his opinion.
Hmm, perhaps he should explore the world now that his main worries are dealt with. Which should make his hunt for barnacle beard more exciting. There was also the Lion of the Night and the Maiden-Made-of-Light, who were yet to be accounted for.
Ah, can't forget the origin of the blackstone, and the deep ones!
He trusted Edmund's judgment and thoughts on the future of the burgeoning empire he'd built. The boy was nothing less than exceptional after all.
Oh well, speaking of exploration, Erlend figured that he should probably start preparing to name Edmund regent, which should give the lad time to shore up his own power base and inner circle for when he eventually took over.
The same for Jasper and the Vale, those two were as thick as thieves, working together would get them used to the obvious King and hand dynamic they were gearing up for.
Myrcella would be the wildcard among his children, though her interest lay mainly in 'art' rather than rulership.
Sigh, so much work still left to do. Why was being responsible so annoying?
If he'd known this was the price of rewarding himself for a job well done, he'd have thought of something else.
As for where he would end up after all this was done and dusted with. Erlend wasn't sure.
He was quite interested in the world that his magic originated from, but he also wasn't sure how Death would react to his presence there. Especially if he happened to step into a world where the legendary hallows were real.
That wasn't something he was ready to tango with just yet. Hmm, as a wise man once said. 'That's a problem for future me.'
======
[Closing Notes:]
So that's a wrap, I guess. Not the best ending as I wasn't sure about having multiple perspectives, but it leaves plenty of room for future exploration, so we roll!
Honestly speaking, the last bit about Dany was nothing more than laying the seeds for her future role. When I do expand on Erlend's adventures, she's slated to be right there with him. As for the whole dilemma about Edmund and his future title, it felt appropriate, I mean, the name Caesar and its variations have always been significant in our world. This is that very same dilemma, but on steroids, considering the hints I left on the world's trajectory. A sign of Erlend handing over the reins to his son and letting him pave his path.
Anyway, what are my plans after this? Welp, I'm kinda too busy irl to start another project anytime soon, so it'll be a while before you see anything substantial from me. Though I can leave this promise, the next project will have 10 - 15 Chapters ready before I even start posting it, and it will come from the ideas I mentioned before. As for then, you'll just have to do with my one-shots.
On a more serious note, I do appreciate the support and look forward to returning in the future, though this time with better writing, world-building, and more in-depth research on the setting. So enjoy your summer, lads, and Cheers!