Chapter 52

In the end, you simply decided that there was no Point in thinking about the matter as long as Westeros was still under the control of the Crown, and thinking back on it, you remember that you had made up your Mind to leave this kind of stuff to your Father quite some time ago. Even your little Campaign in the Vale was actually enough to make you more intrusive to the balance of the Realm than you had originally planned to be, so there really was no Reason to be had that would force you to worry about playing the game of madness in addition.

So instead of further wasting your time on that problem you decided that a Visit to Lannisport should do the trick for now, there was always something interesting that could distract you for a few Days after all, and you had more than enough contact with Nature that you were sure your Companion wouldn't mind a Visit to the City either. And so the two of you were just an Hour later wandering through the Docks of Lannisport not far from where your Ship had dropped you off, though sadly very little of actual Interest could be found with the War still raging.

The Wares on display were simply Goods shipped in from other parts of the Westerlands and as such lacked the usual allure of the exotic, which left you quite dissatisfied with the Visit for around half a Day. Yet just as you had expected there was indeed still something in Lannisport that could catch your Interest, namely your old Guild, though you honestly had no Idea since when they named themselves Goldenstars. You supposed after a moment of thought that it simply wasn't a fitting problem to focus on right now, even if the Name was chosen without your approval, so you decided to enter the three-story Guildhall.

You've sent them a few Crates of your Artifacts as you called them every Week, thus you could understand why they would put a certain Value on them even if they weren't sold at great Profit, but that they would adapt the Stars you put on them to explain their Magic into their Name and onto everything they own was still a shock as you looked around. And as you turn to your silent Companion, you could see that Marie's Face also wasn't unaffected, it lacked her normal Smile, which was replaced by a mix of confusion and annoyance directed in equal measures at you and the Hall, it seems like using the Star of the Gods to make Profit wasn't something she approved of.

It made Sense that she would be a bit confused, she knew that it was your Guild, but they were still doing everything to increase their Profits like normal Merchants would do. Which didn't add up with how your House had all the Wealth it could ever need, so she was struggling to put it all together, it was like she genuinely couldn't believe that you and your House weren't applying absolute control over them. But a nice little Punch to the Shoulder got her Mind working again, it wouldn't do if she spoiled your good Mood by thinking who knows what about you while you were waiting for her.

"I have nothing to do with the Stars, Marie."

"I didn't say anything, Azami."

"Yes, but I know when you're thinking about me."

"Good for you, so do you know why all these Stars are in your Guild, Azami, this isn't a place of Worship, I can feel it."

"You really don't know?"

"Well, to make it short for you, I used the Guild a few Years ago to distribute some special Stones I made, and those had Stars on them so that People wouldn't worry about the Source of the Magic."

"Hmm."

"Yes, hmm, indeed."

"Hey!"

"What, I gave you a decent Answer and all I get in return is, hmm, of course I would bully you with that, you know me, Marie."

"So what do you think of the matter with the Stars, should I stop it or something?"

"It's fine, I guess, but why do you care about what I think of them?"

"I declared you my Companion quite some time ago, did I not?"

"I didn't forget that, Azami."

"Good, then just think about it a bit more, I even kept a big Distance between the two of us and my Siblings for all this time because you dislike them, so why in the World should some Stars be a big Deal to me if you honestly dislike them?"

"That's why we're staying away from them?"

"Sigh, it seems like I forgot for a moment that you're Mind only begins working when you mutilate some of your innocent Plants."

"Please stop that, Azami, is what you said really true?"

"Obviously."

"I thought that you didn't like them either, why didn't you say anything sooner?"

"It's not that complicated, I didn't say anything because you thought that I was twisted if I remember your Words correctly, and seeing as the Gods want us to work together that wouldn't do because we might fail at our Mission that way."

"While the worst thing that could happen if my Bond with Jaime and Cersei freezes over a bit is that I would have to put a few Months into unfreezing that Bond again, one is just more important than the other, yes?"

"If that Knowledge bothers you then you could always just try to befriend them, Marie, they aren't that bad, a bit loud from time to time, but that shouldn't be a problem with you."

"I can't, they're way too corrupted, Azami, Sins like those can't remain unrepented."

"Yeah, that Argument or whatever that was doesn't really work if you keep those Sins to yourself."

"Just trust me in this, they're both wrong in the Head."

"Proper Trust needs more than that, and you can't ask me to take your Side if you keep pretty much all of your Reasoning a Secret, and just so you know, you're just one more Word away from losing an Eye to a Pebble, Companion or not, don't insult my Siblings like that, Marie."

"If someone else said what you just did, then they would be dead by now."