"What plans do you have for the future?"
That night, after Daenerys finished her conversation with Bran, she was doing her usual training when Tyrion quietly came to see her.
"What plans?" Daenerys wore a loose beige training outfit, her silver hair cascading behind her. Compared to the daytime, she seemed less imposing and carried a trace more charm.
But the dwarf paid no attention to the change in his cheap little sister's demeanor and anxiously said, "The Three-Eyed Raven has bad intentions!
"Now everyone knows he possesses omniscience and can observe timelines, even manipulate the fate of Westeros. They're all both jealous and terrified."
"You know how humans are. Under fear, they can do anything."
"So?" Daenerys replied calmly.
"You were right. The Three-Eyed Raven shouldn't exist in this world," Tyrion said cautiously.
"You've got some nerve."
"Just because people don't say certain things doesn't mean they aren't thinking them." Tyrion carefully glanced around before loudly declaring, "Since I'm saying it openly, it proves my conscience is clear. I have no malicious intentions. I'm discussing this solely for the sake of finding a better future for the Seven Kingdoms."
"Relax. Here with me, as long as you're not insulting the Seven Gods, no one can spy on you." Daenerys sneered.
"Oh, that's good. You nearly scared me to death!" The dwarf let out a long breath of relief before continuing, "Look at this! People don't even dare speak freely anymore!
"As long as the Three-Eyed Raven continues to exist, the people of the Seven Kingdoms will live in fear forever. The whole world will become bleak!"
"The Three-Eyed Raven has a necessary existence. It has no selfish desires. It has always protected this world through methods certain 'wise mortals' dislike, manipulating fate," Daenerys said evenly.
"That's not what you used to say. You yourself were one of those 'wise mortals'!" Tyrion's eyes widened. "Don't tell me your will has been twisted again?"
Daenerys shot him a sidelong glance loaded with contempt.
"I'm still wise, but I stopped being mortal long ago. A Three-Eyed Raven beyond my control naturally shouldn't exist, but times have changed. Don't you understand something that simple?"
Tyrion stared at the Dragon Queen in horror and gritted his teeth. "The dragon slayer of old has finally become the dragon!"
"I am the Mother of Dragons," Daenerys replied indifferently.
"You're overthinking things. A mortal like you isn't even qualified to attract the attention of the Three-Eyed Raven." Suddenly, a familiar voice that nearly made the dwarf wet himself came from above the fireplace.
"Bran?! Seven hells!" Tyrion looked up in terror and saw a giant black raven with crimson eyes perched against the obsidian wall.
Only embers remained in the fireplace, and the room's sole lantern had been brought by Tyrion, making the chamber especially dim. The carved stone wall was the same color as the raven's feathers.
When the great raven kept its eyes closed, it nearly blended into the surroundings completely. Tyrion had already looked around cautiously, yet he had still overlooked it.
The dwarf clutched his crotch and shouted with a twisted expression, "Didn't you say no one besides the Seven Gods could notice us?"
"She wasn't lying. As long as she wishes it, no one can eavesdrop on her conversations. But I wasn't eavesdropping. I was standing here openly the entire time," the great black raven said.
"You heard everything?" Tyrion asked weakly.
"There was no need to listen. One look from you tells me what you're thinking. If I wished, I could clearly see on the timeline what you were about to do and say. At that moment, even you wouldn't yet know you were going to say or do those things," Bran said calmly.
"Damn it!" Furious and humiliated, Tyrion simply gave up hiding his feelings and shouted, "That's exactly why we cannot tolerate your existence!"
"I know," Bran said softly.
"You know, but you don't care." Tyrion calmed down.
"Do you know? The Three-Eyed Raven has existed for millions of years." Bran sighed, his tone ancient and weary. "Human history spans barely ten thousand years, less than one percent of the Three-Eyed Raven's existence.
"Before humanity came, every living thing in Westeros, the Children of the Forest, giants, ancient spirits, all knew of the Three-Eyed Raven's existence. They worshipped it and revered it as a god.
"All living beings in the world understood the meaning of the Three-Eyed Raven's existence. They sincerely praised it and even wished to merge their will to protect Westeros into the mark of the greenseer.
"That is why the Three-Eyed Raven became the sky of Westeros.
"The Three-Eyed Raven did not proclaim itself the guardian god of Westeros. Westeros and its living beings chose us.
"In truth, the moment you heard the title 'Greenseer,' you should have understood the status greenseers held among all races.
"But everything changed once humans entered Westeros.
"The Children of the Forest were known as the 'Singers of the Earth.' Their love for the world surpassed their love for themselves. That is why beings like the Three-Eyed Raven could exist.
"But humans love themselves above all else.
"Nowadays, none of you even know what a greenseer or a Three-Eyed Raven truly is. Yet twelve thousand years ago, our existence was no secret to any race, including the newly arrived humans.
"Humanity's reverence for greenseers came from fear, and such a relationship was destined not to last.
"That is why after the Andal invasion, the distant and intangible Seven Gods quickly replaced the Old Gods who stood close at hand."
"Humans have reason to fear greenseers," Tyrion said slowly.
"The Three-Eyed Raven does not care how humans view it, but it is willing to sacrifice everything for Westeros.
"Because the essence of the Three-Eyed Raven is the collection of all greenseers' wills to protect the world.
"The fundamental purpose of its existence is to safeguard Westeros.
"When reality proved that the world would become better without the Three-Eyed Raven, it chose self-annihilation without hesitation," Bran said bitterly.
"Self-annihilation?" Tyrion was startled.
"There will never be another Three-Eyed Raven. I am the last one," Bran said sorrowfully.
Tyrion glanced at the Dragon Queen and muttered, "Why go so far? At most, I only thought the Three-Eyed Raven should publicly confess its crimes, if it has any, stand trial, and restrain its behavior in the future."
"You still don't understand? The Three-Eyed Raven is a will. It has neither emotion nor fear. It only makes choices beneficial to the world within the limits of its abilities.
"You can put it on trial if you want. It won't care. It will continue doing exactly what it believes should be done.
"It doesn't even care about its own existence or destruction, much less human likes and dislikes.
"So when another will as powerful as it appears, one of them is destined to disappear.
"Now that will has appeared. She is the Child of the World, and her significance to the world far surpasses that of the Three-Eyed Raven, which can only rigidly follow old patterns.
"The Three-Eyed Raven also wished to improve and advance, but its abilities had limits."
"In the end, the Three-Eyed Raven chose to give the world something better. Westeros has changed its sky!" Bran emphasized heavily.
"You?" Tyrion asked hoarsely as he looked at the Dragon Queen.
Daenerys nodded lightly. "As a Targaryen, don't you feel proud?"
"No. I'm terrified!" The dwarf clutched his head, looking even more despairing than before. "I'd rather the Three-Eyed Raven remained the sky of Westeros. At least it has no emotions and wouldn't deliberately target anyone. But you do. You would."
"You fool. You're family. I'll treat you well," Daenerys said gently with a smile.
Tyrion shuddered. "If I leave Westeros, I can avoid the Three-Eyed Raven, right? Perhaps after the Long Night ends, I should return to my own territory, Gen Island."
"I love Slaver's Bay. The scenery there is wonderful, and there are Red Priestesses and free maidens there. I love freedom!" he declared as if making an oath.
Bran shook his head. "If she could only remain confined to Westeros, she would not qualify as the Child of the World, nor could she ever cause the Three-Eyed Raven to willingly step down."
A dreadful suspicion formed in Tyrion's heart. Trembling, he asked, "Don't tell me she can control the entire world?"
"As long as she can stop the world from falling, she is the sky of the entire world. And if she can lead the world upward, then she is equivalent to the world itself," Bran said.
Tyrion suddenly felt dizzy and hopeless about the future. Hallucinations seemed to appear before his eyes: five colossal dragons of different colors circling the entire world. Before those demonic dragons, the world looked no bigger than a soybean. The Dragon Queen stood atop the black dragon's head while violent winds howled around her, lightning flashed, thunder roared, and dark clouds blanketed the sky. Her savage laughter echoed throughout the entire world.
"That kind of future is too dark, too suffocating," he said in horror.
"If the world advances and eternal summer arrives, humanity will never again fear the dark and freezing Long Night. Such a future should be bright and desirable," Bran said.
"Do you even believe that yourself?" Tyrion mocked.
The great raven shook its head. "In the eyes of the Three-Eyed Raven, that is indeed the most beautiful world possible. Personally, I do find it somewhat oppressive.
"But there's no helping it. We live within the world. The world does not exist for us."
The great raven's crimson eyes turned toward the Dragon Queen.
"The world exists for her."
Daenerys sneered. "Instead of wasting energy worrying about the future, you should focus on the present. There's not even a shadow of the Long Night ending yet!"
Tyrion slapped his forehead, suddenly remembering why he had come.
"The nobles are extremely wary of the Three-Eyed Raven. Now that Bran has become your White Knight, their fear of him will transfer onto you. What are your plans for the future?"
"Kill the Others while continuing to cultivate diligently, obviously," Daenerys replied as if it were the most natural thing in the world.
Tyrion thought for a moment and changed his approach.
"Do you know? Today, many nobles appeared calm on the surface, but deep down they all had the same urge. They wanted to question the Three-Eyed Raven about how much he interfered with their fates over the years.
"They even suspect that many events in the Seven Kingdoms may have been connected to the Three-Eyed Raven.
"But every one of them pretended to be foolish and ignorant, bottling it all inside because they dared not ask."
"Mortals putting a god on trial?" Bran mocked. "Without the Dragon Queen, the Three-Eyed Raven wouldn't have given them even a fart, just as humans don't care about the will of ants."
"And you're not mortal?"
Bran sighed. "I am mortal, but the Three-Eyed Raven is not. Today everyone condemned Stannis for using blood magic to murder his kin, yet no one considered putting R'hllor on trial for granting him that evil divine power."
Tyrion shook his head. "The nobles have enough self-awareness to know what they cannot accomplish. What's the point of bringing it up?
"Believe it or not, if you tied up R'hllor and placed him in the hall, they'd all act more righteous than anyone else."
"After today, the fear and suspicion in their hearts will destroy the sincere admiration and worship they once had for you, even if you truly end the Long Night.
"I came to warn you because I thought this might be Bran's scheme to shift hatred onto you. But now I realize I guessed wrong."
After a pause, he stared directly into the Dragon Queen's eyes.
"But even so, you don't want to bleed and suffer for the Seven Kingdoms while being feared and hated by its people, do you?"
(End of Chapter)
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