This is where the story starts to drift into more mature material. Not that it didn't have already maturity (like Radagon literally raping Marika). But this is where the GRR Martin weird happens.
"Then Beya [the lunar sea] rises up over Garicus and encloses him in her womb, so that nothing of him is to be seen. And she embraced Gabricus with so much love that she utterly consumed him in her own nature and dissolved him into atoms..." (Fabricious, 81)
Godwyn awoke with a start. He looked around his room as he tried to control his panicked breathing and rapid heartbeat. He sat up with his hands on his head and reminded himself it was all a dream. He then looked down at Ranni.
She was curled up and still resting peacefully next to him. With a shaking hand, Godwyn touched her long red hair if only to reassure himself that she was real. She was and Godwyn planted a kiss on her warm cheek. He then swung his legs over the side of the bed and rested his face in his hands.
After he spent all yesterday comforting an understandably terrified Malenia, Godwyn was relieved to return to his chambers and find Ranni waiting for him. She eased his troubled mind even as she was still upset over what happened at the council. Of that, Ranni only said she wished not to speak of it and instead wished to spend a little time in Luirnia with her mother, Blaidd, and Iji.
So, they spent the entire night talking about nothing. What a blissful conversation it was! Books, amusing stories from their childhoods, and even a small debate on whether pickling or salting meat was the best way to preserve it (however they got on that topic).
Nothing else happened between them. Blaidd was over in the next room with the door opened to ensure things remained proper even when Ranni broke the rules.
Godwyn walked over to the bookshelf and with his hand still shaking, picked up a little trinket. It had several names: Mimic Veil and Marika's Mischief. How his mother used it - and why it was called the latter - Godwyn wasn't privy to, and he was certain he didn't want to know.
He knew how he used it.
Godwyn never forced anyone, but it was an unofficial right by grace of being the son of Queen Marika that he would get whatever it was he desired. And the Golden Order was adept at keeping secrets, even the worst of them. That didn't change how furious Marika was each time she found out. And Godwyn enjoyed seeing his mother angry.
This was her fault, after all. She was the reason he had to.
When he was younger, Godwyn never thought anything of it to find his parents in an embrace with Godfrey caressing the queen and pressing his lips against her neck. He might have considered himself lucky as the love between Godfrey and Marika was as real as it was legendary.
"The dew collects on the canopies, my Lord. A time for new life," whispered Marika.
Godfrey smirked and ordered young Godwyn, rather harshly as that was his way, out while he and Marika went together to the bed chamber.
She circled Godfrey, as she slipped his clothes off and let them fall to the ground. Under Godfrey's regal surface was a barely concealed untamed instinct that Sherosh struggled to hold back in the sight of Marika's beauty. He strained at the temptation as Marika undressed and laid out on the bed, bare-breasted in the moonlight to seduce her Lord. Even at the threat of unleashing Godfrey's savage nature, Marika teased her husband and said, "Doth my lord need to shrug off Sherosh and run with beasts for a bit? Or will he let his queen tire him out?"
"Stop," muttered Godwyn as he rubbed his hands over his face.
Godwyn had to remind himself that he was just a boy at the time. One of the other lads, about his age, was the first among them to have sex and described the deed to the fullest detail. It sparked a curiosity in Godwyn. To satisfy that curiosity, Godwyn stowed away in his parent's bed chamber thus committing a sin that would curse him for the remainder of his life.
Things grew distant between Godfrey and Godwyn after that. Godfrey tried everything to connect with his son, but it was of no use. They weren't on speaking terms at the time Godfrey left and Godwyn regretted the thought that his father left believing he had done something wrong.
He was happy, at least at first, to see his father banished. Now, he could have his mother to himself. He didn't even realize that this was nothing more than a fantasy even as his mother barely seemed to notice his feeble advances. Reality came hard when Marika remarried and Godwyn had to face that he could never have his mother in that way.
One's own mother was far too great a taboo even among demigods. Now, he had an agonizing secret forever. A lust never fully went away, no matter how many women he bedded or how he tried to love Ranni.
There wasn't a day he didn't wish his father back if only to say sorry for coveting Godfrey's wife.
That is why Radahn's words of being more worthy of Godfrey's legacy hurt so much: because it was true. He wasn't worthy of the title of Lord and certainly not worthy of an Emyprean wife.
It felt like every day after that Godwyn felt it was only a matter of time before that other shoe may drop. Whether it was Rykard and his many eyes and ears discovering one of the offspring Godwyn may have sired (though he wasn't sure), Ranni uncovering a clue or Godwyn finding his desire too much and slipping up again.
Godwyn walked to his window and pulled back the curtains. He jumped back when he saw a large yellow eye glaring right at him. In a moment of sheer panic, he almost threw out a red lightning spear, but then stopped himself.
"Fortissax, you cad. You have a human form!" said Godwyn.
Fortissax gave a snicker.
"Godwyn, what's going on?" said Ranni, still half asleep.
"Fortissax," replied Godwyn.
"Oh, him," yawned Ranni as she turned over. "Tell him to not trample on anything this time. Miquella was very upset when some of his flowers were ruined."
Godwyn pulled the doors open to step out on the balcony to converse with his friend.
An unlikely friend was more the sort. They battled endlessly with lightning, fang, and claw where neither could overtake the other. Fortissax tried to devour him, and Godwyn caused him to vomit. When he tried to escape, Godwyn jumped on his back.
Over and around, tumbling and swirling Fortissax tried to shake the demigod from him, and yet Godwyn held on. From sunlight to sunset and then from sunrise again. They flew so high to touch the sun and then plunged into the deepest trenches of the ocean.
And when the sun rose again on the sixth day, Fortissax fell to the ground in exhaustion. Godwyn too, could barely stand. Yet stood they did, ready again. Until Fortissax said to Godwyn, "Son of Marika. Son of Godfrey. I cannot best thee and thou cannot best me. We shall both parish should we continue. Shall not part ways with a riddle instead?"
Godwyn was astonished but accepted.
There are two sisters;
one gives birth to the other,
who in turn gives birth to the first.
Who are they?
When Godwyn guessed the answer correctly, the dragon laid down, and Godwyn too. As they sprawled out in the rays of a new day, they both laughed.
"Aren't you and your sister supposed to be in Caelid converting people to your cult?" Godwyn asked.
Fortissax wasn't amused by Godwyn's comment. The cult was the last remnant of the Ancient Dragons. By a rare show of restraint from Queen Marika, who so often obliterated those who may oppose her, it survived in a few areas of the Lands-Between. And it was Fortissax and Godwyn's unlikely friendship that allowed that.
"I'm sorry," said Godwyn. "I'm not sure what's gotten into me."
"I heard thy sister was in a bad place," said Fortissax. "Though I am not fond of being pet like a dog, thy tiny siblings do amuse me."
"They will be thrilled to see you."
"Is it true she has been betrothed?"
"Empyrean for an Empyrean. Yet another way my mother decided to pacify the Carian Royal family. You know what Radahn told me? He said I wasn't worthy of my father's legacy," said Godwyn.
He looked over the balcony where Radahn was leading Leonard for some exercise with Miquella walking beside him.
"Thy father was a great man. Feared as much as he was respected," replied Fortissax.
"He didn't know my father. He prances around pretending he does though. But the only thing he knows is the watered-down version of events curated by the Golden Order. He doesn't know him. How selfish he could be," said Godwyn. Fortissax raised an eyebrow as Godwyn continued. "He and his brother are only here at the behest of their father and as a courtesy from my mother. If she wanted to, she could have forced the Carians into an alliance."
"From what I understood, she had done so out of respect for her champion, Radagon," said Godwyn.
"She doesn't need him. I'm not sure why she married him at all. I understand the Greater Will banished my father, but to marry him of all people? The only good thing that came from him was Ranni," said Godwyn.
"It not safe to say that thy mother may have her own needs and reasons?"
"She had me!"
As soon as he said it, Godwyn realized what he just admitted. His dear friend was the only one aware of this vice that Godwyn carried. And while they never spoke of it again, with his outburst, Godwyn revealed that he still had the same lust that Fortissax had always suspected.
"Does Ranni know?"
"She doesn't need to know."
"I do not always understand the courtship between gods, demigods, and mortals, but from what I understand, the position of wives and mothers-in-law is a precarious one. I do not believe it is fair to either thy lover or thy mother that thou places them as rivals to each other," said Fortissax.
"Perhaps it's her brothers who need to learn respect. If not for them, Ranni and I would be married already. I've shown them that courtesy. I could have taken her already if I wanted to, but I've respected her. Maybe I should so those two learn their place."
"I fail to see how bedding her will help."
"I'm well over those feelings about my mother," said Godwyn. "Just boyhood fantasies. And I'm well over having anyone else in my life."
"But hast thoug come clean about that?"
"Shhh..." said Godwyn.
From the corner of his eye, Godwyn spotted the shadow of a figure up on the roof just above them. He took hold of the marble pillars and shimmied up until he could slip up behind the figure.
The Intruder paced back and forth, a bit confused about where Godwyn went, but not willing to jump down when Fortissax was there.
"Good day," said Godwyn.
When the Intruder turned, its face was obscured by the shadow of its cloak. It was also the same height as his mother, which showed itself to be a Numan. It took a stance with its dagger, as it stared down Godwyn.
"We have a front gate for guests," said Godwyn.
The Intruder took a leap and a yellow holy spell shot towards Godwyn. He ducked to avoid it, which distracted him long enough for the figure to disappear. Godwyn dashed towards the edge of the roof and looked down where he caught sight of it running across the ramparts, and pushing down any of the guards that stood in its way.
Godwyn whistled for Fortissax who had been tracking the Intruder's movements from the air.
"Hurry," said Godwyn as he jumped on Fortissax's back.
As Fortissax flew, Godwyn had to reassure himself that his loved ones were protected. Ranni had Blaidd with her. Miquella was with Radahn and Malenia was with Marika in the Queen's Bedchamber. Anywhere Marika was, so was also Maliketh. None of these sorts was anything that a single Intruder wished to confront.
The Intruder glided over Lyndell's golden rooftops to reach the moats where it could disappear into the canal. Its footsteps were muffled, which allowed it to gain an edge in moving through the defenses without them noticing until it was too late. Footsoldiers and pages shot their crossbows, which the Intruder danced between the bolts that whizzed past it.
When Fortissax caught up to the Intruder, he spit down a bolt of lightning in its path. Godwyn jumped off, landing behind the intruder.
It lunged at Godwyn with the dagger, which Godwyn deflected with his open palms. He soon trapped the arm and kicked out the legs. With a quick twist of his hips, he snapped the arm to force the Intruder to drop the dagger.
"Godwyn!" shouted Fortissax.
The plunge into his shoulder caused Godwyn to gasp in pain. Fortissax shot down another stream of red lightning before landing and giving a screech.
The second assassin grabbed the first and placed it over the shoulders before jumping down into the canal below. The guard shouted to chase after them and shot down more arrows and bolts into the water in hopes of hitting them.
"Are thou hurt?" Fortissax asked.
"I'm fine," said Godwyn, clutching his shoulder. There was blood, but it was not enough to seriously harm a demigod, much less kill him.
He knelt over the dagger and picked it up. It was curved with a spike near the hilt, but otherwise nothing unusual about it. The Ash of War was something different, though, and Godwyn wasn't sure he recalled if and when he saw anything like that before.
"We need to tell my mother," said Godwyn.