POV Qyburn

Torrhen’s Square

Five seconds after Leobald's announcement...

Maester Qyburn stared at the goal of his long journey to the North, the one he had been handsomely paid for...

A child barely four years old, pale skin typical of the Norsemen, well-groomed steel-white hair, peculiar light green eyes that changed to silver streaks, a normal height of just over three feet, and a gait in stride worthy of a nobleman. This was the first information Qyburn was able to glean in these brief moments.

"Torrhen's Square welcomes you, Honorable Maester Qyburn. I thank you for coming all the way out here to the far North just to satisfy the whims of a curious child. I hope to have the opportunity to show you the hospitality befitting Torrhen’s Square and well-deserving of a scholar of your repute." Said the child, in a polite and formal tone (as much as a child's voice could), taking a small bow.

Leobald Tallhart seemed proud of the outstanding etiquette performance displayed by his nephew.

Qyburn noted that the man waited for a moment for a nod of approval from the child before proceeding to take his leave.

"Well, gentlemen, we will leave you to your discussions which are too tedious and complex for our humble minds," said Leobald playfully, motioning to Paul and the guards to follow him.

"No trouble at all, young lord, it is always a pleasure to satisfy the curiosity of capable young minds. I thank you for your hospitality and the undeserved accolades you bestow upon me. I am but a humble man of knowledge in the service of the citadel." Said Qyburn belatedly on account of both Leobald and the shocking display of a child barely four years old.

"If you don't mind taking a few steps maester, there is a room on the attic of the castle ready for us. If you will follow me." Said Duncan showing the stairs.

"No worries whatsoever, young lord. The citadel is carved by thousands of steps and I personally find it a pleasant exercise to keep my body healthy and my mind clear." Qyburn replied kindly, giving a small amused grin.

"Well said, maester Qyburn. ‘Healthy mind, in a healthy body.’ Haha." The child replied, smiling.

A few minutes later...

"I hope the view is pleasant, maester."

"Splendid, my lord, the building is not as tall as the Great Tower of Oldtown, but the naturalistic scenery is unparalleled," Qyburn replied sincerely.

"I found your book ‘History of the Diseases of Man. From Valyria to Today.’ amazingly forward-thinking and detailed. You have a unique style and mind, maester. It is especially your ‘why's’ that are so frequent in the text. A unique trait that spurs the reader to think and stimulates curiosity. You could be nicknamed ‘The Maester of a Thousand Whys'." Praised Duncan with sincerity.

"I am amazed and honored that you were able to read, and more importantly, understand my book so thoroughly, young lord." Replied the visibly surprised and pleased maester.

"I had a chance to greet maester Golbarth before your meeting. He did nothing but gleefully praise your great accomplishments in your studies. I note with pleasure that the rumors of your fame are true and well deserved." Continued the Maester, wishing to return the kindness shown by the little genius.

"Yes, maester Golbarth... I wonder how long you have been passing information about my House at the Citadel..." the child replied quietly.

Qyburn froze for a brief moment but recovered quickly.

"... My lord, I do not know what you..." he was interrupted.

"Please, maester. I believe I have already sufficiently demonstrated my abilities to you. I ask, if it is all right with you, that we both speak frankly and sincerely, so as to save time in unnecessary puns. After all, time is our most precious resource." Although the tension was sky high Duncan's tone remained calm and reassuring.

Qyburn stared hesitantly into the child's piercing eyes in silence for nearly a minute.

"I suppose that is the case, young lord." Qyburn said slightly resigned.

"Please maester, just call me Duncan if that's okay with you. I don't hold any titles yet, officially."

"As you wish Duncan, you too can dispense with the title 'Maester' to address me.

If you don't mind me asking Duncan... Am I really here to 'replace' the current maester Golbarth?" Qyburn asked, in a manner more curious than frightened.

"Only if you wish, maester. Golbarth will repay what is owed to my family in due time...

The real reason why I have arranged for this meeting to happen is to present a ‘vision’ to you. My vision of the world to be precise."

But first… a little demonstration, for your eyes only." The child quickly moved his hand, barely whispering verses. All three candles on the candelabra on the table lit. The man sitting across from them drew his head closer in shock and curiosity.

"A little trick, nothing more, but yes, it is magic maester Qyburn. An art known and developed in ancient times and now sadly lost or forgotten." Explained the child showing an annoyed frown.

"You and I know 'who', in the Seven Kingdoms and to an extent even in Essos, is making sure that such an art remains lost and sealed forever...

If it were out of simple fear of the unknown I might still accept it but that is not the case. Am I right, maester?"

Qyburn, activating every brain cell in his possession, nodded his head in agreement.

"The citadel, Starry Sept, even Hightower House, which supports and protects it, are in my opinion the true invisible evil of this world."

"The Archmaesters declare to the world that all maesters are the ‘Knights of the Mind’ but in reality, they are nothing more than a bunch of "hypocritical marauders". Human waste who want a slice of power and a privileged place in this world, who instead of developing, enhancing, and spreading the knowledge gained by the entire world, block progress and civilization in the lands known to this day." Duncan stood up, heading for the penthouse balcony, Qyburn following him.

The boy climbed up on a special platform attached to the lacework of the walls and stared at the view in silence for a while.

"What do you really want from me, Duncan Tallhart? You don't need me to confirm your theories from what I can see." Qyburn had abandoned the jovial, simplistic tone. He now addressed the boy as his equal.

"Before I answer you, I'm going to tell you something that very few people know...

I possess abilities, Qyburn, abilities granted by gods, if we can call them that. I see possible futures and have learned knowledge lost or unknown to this world...

I have also seen you, Qyburn, your studies, your experiments and a possible future that I will not tell you about today.

You are what many would consider being evil, but in my eyes, you are a much-needed evil to heal this world.

A valuable and capable traveling companion on a dark path full of danger.

Could you please look to the horizon and tell me what you see?" The child prodigy asked with a friendly smile.

Qyburn stared at Duncan with a deep, meditative expression, then complied with his request.

"A majestic blue lake, mountain ranges, forests, plains and valleys." Exposed Qyburn with a critical eye, studying the horizon.

"I, on the other hand, see endless possibilities. Where you see a lake, I see a great trading port with fleets of ships to trade and protect the shores. Where you see mountain ranges, I see unexplored mines of precious and new minerals. Where you see plains and valleys, I see cities, great cities full of people, fed, well educated, cheerful and hardworking. Instruments that can light the streets at night, clean and safe streets, tall and mighty buildings, an average mother safely walking her daughter to a school... A better future Qyburn, a future where people who seek conflict will only find it with others with the same intent, without involving innocent people, who only seek peace and harmony." Explained the child in a melodious and hopeful voice.

"... I don't mean to offend you, but what you see is a utopia in my eyes. Even if you had the means to achieve it, you would still have to go to war with the entire world to make it a reality." replied Qyburn coldly and objectively.

"You're right. I would have to face quite a few enemies. But the possibility of achieving this 'utopia' is out there, Qyburn, I have seen it. Any child, who sees a majestic building for the first time, will think that beings more powerful and magical than ordinary people built it having no idea how to build it. Yet, it was man who created it, one stone after another. Look at the great empires of the past and what they forged." Qyburn remained silent. He wanted the visionary child in front of him to conclude his reasons first before counter-arguing.

"What I really want from you, Qyburn, is for you to swear allegiance to me. Absolute and unconditional loyalty to me...

You are a monster, maester Qyburn. And I want you to become ‘My Monster’...

The monster that this ‘unattainable’ vision needs to have a chance of being achieved.

Help me fight the real evils of this world and make it better.

I can't promise you that we will succeed, but I can promise you that history will never forget our actions.

History will remember the men who fought to the end, using every means and resource possible and dying in an effort to make the world better." Qyburn remained silent, staring intently into the face of the visionary in front of him.

His experience and knowledge of human anatomy and nature told him that this child was not lying...

Then the boy continued.

"Take the time you need to decide. Even if you decide to decline, know that you will have a safe ride to the Citadel, I swear it on my dream and ideal, but be aware that the moment you step foot in the safety of your home, I will consider you my enemy." Concluded Duncan, in a calm and relaxed manner.

Qyburn looked at the child and nodded with a slight smile and an understanding look.

-------------------

Three days later….

Qyburn was standing on a plain, watching a small village near Torrhen's Square in the distance. He had spent the first day after the meeting in pleasant and fruitful discussions with young Duncan.

He had explained to him his theory about the different ‘antigens’ in the blood and the micro-beings called ‘bacteria’ and ‘germs’. He found the topic bold and brilliant, well worth investing years of study in their research.

Qyburn spent the last two days on a small meditative outing.

He had an attendant boy with him for his needs and four guards for security.

He thought back to a story he didn't want to remember.

The story of a boy who lived in a small village like this one.

One day, the boy fell ill and was fortunately helped by a passing maester. With several treatments, ointments and herbs, he managed to cure his symptoms and heal him. The maester still did not know what kind of disease it was.

A month later an epidemic struck the village and the region of the little Lord who protected it. The epidemic started with the boy himself.

No one except him, who was now immune to the disease, managed to survive. Not even his family...

The village and its surroundings were set on fire to prevent the disease from spreading.

Years later the boy went to the citadel to follow his dream of becoming a healer just like the maester who saved him.

He dedicated himself to learning as much as he could and achieved excellent success. He forged several rings in a very short time.

Many apprentice healers practiced on hopeless cases in order to toughen their minds in failure and lower their level of empathy with patients. For the boy, empathy never waned. Although he had seen dozens of patients die, he approached cases with the utmost care by doing everything he could. He wanted with all his might to acquire the knowledge and expertise necessary to prevent an event similar to the fate of his village from happening to others.

However, that moment also came for him years later...

He discovered while filing various documents, an order written by the High Council of Maesters, reporting the order of a certain maester to stop his attempts to cure a disease afflicting a village. The High Council wanted this new disease to spread in a circumscribed manner, in order to study its nature. When the boy confirmed that, not only was it his village, but also that all research done was sealed, to prevent its spread and turn it into a secret weapon for the Citadel, it was at that moment that his empathy collapsed. It wasn't his empathy for the patients no... but for the world itself.

The village boy died that day.

‘Why can' I stop second-guessing myself and keep staring at this village?’ Thought the maester. Shortly thereafter, a small secretion unfamiliar to him oozed from his right eye. He picked up a drop composed of a clear liquid, scrutinized it and analyzed it at length.

He had perfect control over his emotions and knew that by now ‘that boy’ was dead and buried. However, he analyzed his mood and perceived emotions such as mild anger, confusion, fear, excitement and something that could be called ‘courage’.

‘The time has come to give an answer.’

Qyburn returned to the castle that same evening.

End POV

POV: Author

Godswood, Torrhen Square.

That same evening...

"So Qyburn, have you made a decision?" asked Duncan staring at the maester.

"Death... betrayal, indiscriminate violence, corruption, innocents suffering, loss of loved ones, hatred, stupidity, barbarism, flames and destruction. The chaos resulting from a war inevitably leads to these and other terrible fates... and you will face the greatest of them all." Qyburn's gaze and tone were icy.

"Do you really think you will be able to shoulder this tremendous burden in the future, Duncan of House Tallhart?"

Duncan smiled at the maester's question.

"No, maester... the question is ‘will we be able to shoulder this tremendous burden?’"

Qyburn looked at the boy again, not finding the slightest hint of doubt or hesitation in his eyes, voice or body language... A thin smile formed between the maester's lips.

The man approached the boy and bent one knee to the ground.

He took, with both hands, a heavy, jingling object from around his neck. A symbol of pride and prestige for every maester in Westeros and placed it at the child's feet.

"I, Qyburn, son of Barren and Celia, born and raised in the village of Rose Peak, swear to you, Duncan of House Tallhart, here, now, and forever, my undying loyalty. I will fight by your side in this war until the end, for better or for worse. I swear it by everything I believe in."

Duncan slowly picked up Qyburn's chain. He detached a small sprig of dam tree and chanted a short incantation.

The twig wrapped itself around forming a wooden outline on a ring of Valyria steel. He gently placed the chain around the man's neck and said:

"Arise Ser Qyburn, the First True Knight of the Mind of Westeros."