Wizard Lord of Westeros

Chapter 465 465: Davos Seaworth – The Onion Knight

WILOW-Ch.465: Davos Seaworth – The Onion Knight

Red Keep, King's Landing

POV of Domeric Pendragon

Domeric opened the prison cell and went inside.

Ser Davos slowly looked up at him with bleary eyes. "Ser Davos Seaworth." He said, "It is good to see you."

The Onion Knight groaned and got up from his old flea-ridden bed. "I'm afraid I don't recognize you… Ser?"

"Ser? I'm someone who has my own castle and the lands I rule, actually," he corrected.

Domeric intended to get some answers from Onian Knight, and for that, he needed someone whose position he couldn't refuse to answer.

Like a lord.

But he wouldn't tell him that the person opposite him was Emperor Domeric Pendragon. At least not yet. Otherwise, he couldn't be sure the answer he received was sincere.

"Forgive me, my lord. You look too young to be a lord. So, I thought…"

"No. It's perfectly alright." He said as he took a chair and sat in front of Ser Davos, who also sat down on his bed.

The room smelled of piss and shit, but so did the rest of King's Landing, and after living for a decade in this medieval world, he had become somewhat numb to that smell.

"My father died when I was just a boy, so I had to take up the lordship at a young age." He said.

"You have my condolences." Ser Davos replied.

"For what?" he shook his head. "My father was not a good man. He was not a good lord. I did not mourn his passing. I was not overjoyed by it, but I was not very saddened either. So, you don't need to feel sympathy for me, Ser Davos."

Ser Davos simply nodded. "I… don't know why a Lord would come to meet me now. Am I being sent to the Wall?" he asked, looking tired and defeated. "Or is it the chopping block?"

He chuckled, "No, Ser Davos. It's neither."

"Then what is it?" the Onion Knight asked, "And forgive me, my lord. But I still don't know your name."

"That is alright. You're never seen me before in person, and I'm not wearing my house's sigil." He said.

It was perfectly normal for Davos Seaworth not to recognize him.

Even though Domeric had published his photos in his newspaper, none of them showed his face up close.

The photos he took with his wyverns to confirm the rumors or on a throne after conquering Casterly Rock when declaring his Emperorship were all taken from a distance.

Domeric wasn't foolish enough to give his full face to his enemies during wartime. This would be the perfect material for them to send assassins after him.

He also knew that those who saw his full face would find him very young, just as Ser Davos did. This could lead people to see him as too inexperienced and doubt his claim to the Emperor title.

Therefore, it was perfectly normal that those who hadn't met him face-to-face before wouldn't recognize him. However, he planned to change this after peace was fully established and the foundations of his Empire were solidified.

Then he would be sure that everyone in Westeros knew his face. And that face wouldn't be the one he was currently using; it would be the face with his new Valyrian appearance.

"But before you find out who I am, there's something we need to talk about." He said.

"What is it, my lord?" Ser Davos said.

"Tell me Ser Davos. Are you close to Princess Shireen?" Domeric asked.

Ser Davos looked hesitant for a long moment before he resolved himself and looked at him with false bravado. "I am. Do you plan to send her my head?"

"No." He shook his head, "The war has already ended. Princess Shireen and her mother have decided to surrender to the Iron Throne."

Ser Davos looked shocked for a moment before that shock turned into relief. "Thank the gods for small mercies."

"You seem to care for Shireen Baratheon?"

"I do." Ser Davos replied quickly, "She… she's almost like a daughter to me."

"Good. Because your fate depends on the decision you are about to make." He said. "Shireen Baratheon is about to arrive at King's Landing soon enough with her mother. I need you to talk with her and make sure she properly surrenders to the Iron Throne and doesn't do anything foolish. Can you do that?"

Ser Davos paused briefly, then nodded decisively. And that was exactly what Domeric had wished.

With a superficial sense of Legilimency, he could see that the Onion Knight was determined to protect Shireen and would give his life for it if necessary.

Clearly, Domeric wished that Ser Davos would join his ranks if he had known it was possible. Even though his swordsmanship abilities weren't enough for the Dark Knight unit, Domeric thought he could still do a good job at the Round Table.

But he knew perfectly well that Ser Davos would absolutely not break his oath of allegiance and join his side, even though Stannis Baretheon, to whom he had sworn allegiance, was dead.

"Good. This decision has given you your freedom back. Now, another matter. I am considering taking Shireen Baratheon as my ward and bringing her to my own lands."

"What? My lord, in that case, Storm's End..."

"Yeah, yeah, I know. But Shireen won't be my ward permanently. She doesn't currently possess the knowledge to rule Storm's End and Stormlands. Therefore, I want her to be trained and learn to govern in my lands." Domeric said.

Domeric also aimed to heal the scar on her face.

Frankly, one of the things Domeric hated most in this world's original destiny line was the death of Shireen Baratheon.

And that's why Domeric couldn't tolerate Stannis Baratheon. Normally, a strategist like him had been useful to them during the Long Night, and Domeric could have ensured his survival even if Stannis were defeated at the end of the siege.

But someone who used his own daughter as a sacrifice had no place on Domeric's side or plans.

"And what will happen to Storm's End until Shireen returns, my lord?"

"I haven't fully decided yet. Actually, I'd like to hear your opinion on this. Do you think it would be better to leave the governing of Storm's End to Selyse Baratheon, or to appoint a completely new regent?" Domeric asked.

Ser Davos looked at him strangely in response to his question.

"What?" said Domeric.

"My lord... is this something you can decide?" Ser Davos asked cautiously.

"Oh... You don't need to worry about that. This is entirely within my authority." He said.

"My lord... who exactly are you?" Ser Davos asked.

Having received the answer he wanted, Domeric no longer felt the need to hide it and said, "My name is Domeric Pendragon. But I recently changed my family name. You probably still know me as Domeric Bolton, Ser Davos."

He could see the exact moment when the gears in Ser Davos' brain stopped working, and all the blood drained away from his face.

He almost chuckled at that.

"You... you... but you said that..." Ser Davos began to speak, not knowing what to say.

"I said that I have a castle and I rule over lands, Ser Davos. And that's not a lie. It's just that my title isn't Lord. It's Emperor."

Ser Davos froze for a moment and then said, "Forgive me, Your Grace. I didn't know..."

"There's nothing to forgive, Ser Davos. I was the one who concealed your identity. But so that you know, we use 'Your Majesty' for the Emperor. 'Your Grace' is for kings," Domeric said.

"Oh... Your Majesty," Ser Davos said.

"Hmm. Now answer the question I asked. Should Selyse Baratheon or a completely different regent be appointed to govern Storm's End and the Stormlands?"

The Onion Knight bowed his head and thought for a moment. Then, raising his head, he spoke. "A new regent would be better, Your Majesty."

"Oh. Tell me why you think so," he ordered.

"Lady Selyse... she doesn't like Shireen. If Shireen leaves Storm's Land for training and Lady Selyse takes control, she might secretly send assassins to prevent Shireen's return. And even if Shireen does return, she will face many difficulties in Storm's End," Ser Davos said.

"I see. Then a completely new regent would be good. But I can't both take Shireen as my ward and remove Lady Selyse from the ruling of Storm's End. People would see it as me trying to take over Storm's End and the Stormlands."

Domeric pinched his jaw with his index and thumb fingers and thought for a moment. Meanwhile, Ser Davos was watching him carefully.

Domeric thought that Ser Davos had probably found him to be someone different from what he expected.

He looked at Ser Davos again and said, "I will send a new regent, but Lady Selyse will serve as advisor in Storm's End. However, I will ensure she doesn't seize control of Storm's End. This seems like the best solution."

"Thank you, Your Majesty," said Ser Davos.

"What will you do after your mission to persuade Shireen, Ser Davos?" Domeric asked.

"What do you mean, Your Majesty?" Ser Davos asked, as if he didn't quite understand the question.

"As I said, you are now a free man. After completing your mission here, would you like to return to Storm's End to serve or come to the Imperial Lands with Shireen?" Domeric asked.

And he could see Ser Davos's eyes widen in surprise at his question. It seemed the Onion Knight hadn't anticipated such an opportunity.

Domeric might not be able to win the Onion Knight over to his side, but that didn't mean he couldn't use him for his own purposes.

So, before Ser Davos could answer, Domeric added, "Lady Shireen will have everything in the Imperial Lands. That includes guards, of course. But I think she'll find it more comfortable to have someone she knows and trusts by her side, protecting her. What do you say, Ser Davos?"

"I... I accept, Your Majesty. You can be assured that I will protect Lady Shireen under all circumstances," said Ser Davos, kneeling on his one knee on the ground.

"Good. You may rise." He said, standing up from his chair, "You're free to leave the cell."

"Your Majesty…" Ser Davos said as he was about to leave, and he turned and smiled at the man.

"Don't worry, Ser Davos. The servants will give you a proper bath, a shave, and some clothes. Then they will take you to your room. From this moment on, you are a knight of the Emperor, and you will act accordingly. If you encounter any problems, speak to one of my Dark Knights." He said.

With that, he left the cell.

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Next Chapters' Name:

Ch.466: The Calm Before the Storm

Ch.467: The Moment Everything Will Be Determined

Ch.468: An Undeniable Truth