62. Interlude 6
Interlude 6
Gethin Rahn was the oldest of his generation of Conduits. He was born almost immediately after his father had been made the first King of Steel. He was stronger, faster, and often cleverer than the rest of his generation. He was raised to believe in himself more than any other.
He was a dutiful son, and he would become a wonderful King of Steel.
When his father and the other Conduits gave up their thrones together, he did not shed a tear. He understood—even more than the other Conduits in his generation—that power comes at a cost. He had watched his father age. His father had gone from being the strongest man he’d ever met to a shadow of his former strength.
He knew the weight of the Thrones.
When he claimed the Throne of Steel, he immediately went to Calyr for advice. His father had introduced him when he was still very young, before any of the other Conduits had children.
He was not afraid when he walked into Calyr’s cave and saw the golden scaled dragon, and he did not flinch when the dragon leaped from his bed of gold. Even when Calyr sniffed him, and he first smelled smoke wafting from the dragon’s open mouth, he remained calm.
Only Calyr’s words scared Gethin Rahn.
“Son of Strength,” Calyr says. “You have come for advice.”
Gethin isn’t nervous when he responds. “I have. I am the King of Steel, and I would like advice on how to be the best ruler of the House of Steel I can be.”
Calyr moves closer, his long thin neck curling up like the handle of a teacup, and he stares down at the newly crowned King of Steel. “Your reign is the last one I can see. Ruin is coming, but you could stop it altogether. You will notice the Thrones beginning to fail when the steel begins to fail. You will be the one who can stop it all, but you won’t.”
Gethin wanted nothing more than to be as good a King as his father, so when he hears that his reign is doomed, he takes note rather than disbelieve the dragon. “Why? What can I do differently?”
Calyr pauses for a moment, and his eyes turn bright gold as he stares into the future, his mind walking paths that no other can. After several moments have passed, they become that beautiful myriad of colors again, and he says, “The Conduits will refuse to leave their Thrones. Be vigilant, Son of Strength, for when the steel fails, the Conduits must return to the Thrones and allow others to claim them.”
Gethin smiles at Calyr. He knows the signs that a King has sat on the Throne for too long. He will stay vigilant. He will make sure that no one overstays their time on the Thrones, regardless of what they say. He, the King of Steel, will force the other Great Houses to adhere to the tradition that their parents and the dragons have set. He is strong enough to make sure that no one refuses to leave.
“Thank you, Calyr. I will be vigilant. I will do what it takes to protect Nyth, just as my father did. I have one other question.”
Calyr doesn’t make a sound, so Gethin continues, “My father returned to the void along with the other Conduits, but I have nightmares where I don’t. I feel as though I won’t follow in my father’s footsteps. Instead… instead, I will die elsewhere, far away from the Throne.”
Calyr’s eyes turn golden again, but only for a moment. “If ruin comes to the world, you will not survive. You will die at the hands of a man who was tempered by pain. He will wield a black sword and have dark hair, and he will rip your Throne from you.”
He will wield a black sword and have dark hair. He will have been tempered by pain.
Gethin closes his eyes and nods. He would do everything he could to prevent ruin from coming to Nyth, but if he couldn’t, at least he would know who would kill him. At least there would be no doubt who his greatest enemy was, and if he could defeat that one person, then he and his Throne would be safe.
But first, he would be vigilant. He would watch. He would be the greatest King Nyth had ever seen.