Capítulo 23: Arthur (12) Rhaena (4) Corlys (7) revelations of the house of Valhalla
AN: here we go….. dragons meet and things are revealed that shake Arthur and his beliefs to the core. Rhaena tries to comfort him, while corlys gets the answers he was looking for. And some he may not be ready for.
Windsor castle, Sparta, 130 AC
CORLYS
As Rhaena, my guards, and lord Valhalla make our way through the admittedly broken down village i sigh. The first dragon lords relegated to this. It's truly a sad sight.
What I'm not expecting however is to make two more turns. I notice we're steadily getting closer to the mountain. My mind races, is a door going to appear in the side of the mountain? What magic could be happening? It seems my eagerness was noticed by the black dragon.
(I do not know why you feel so eager lord Corlys. While I myself am overjoyed at the progress my people and I have made since my arrival not even a year ago, it certainly isn't up to standard yet.
This is one of the reasons I haven't invited you to my island myself. Which seemed to force you to come by your own volition. While I'm amiable to the idea of treating with more velaryons, know that lord reeds warning of your arrival saved you and everyone with youse life.
I just killed the king of the seven kingdoms. Please forgive any paranoia.)
While I understand the need to be careful for him, it doesn't make it nice to hear someone threaten you. Even if they do it nicely. Before I can say some thing that will likely escalate the situation my granddaughter shows tact in pulling lord Arthur's attention towards her.
If the young man's eyes were anything to go by when they first met, she's already got him. I know that look. For I've seen it on myself in a looking glass when my wife enters the room. I may have made mistakes, but that doesn't mean I don't love her. 'I will be better' I swear to myself.
By the time my musing ends I'm pulled out of my thoughts by rhaenas beautiful laugh echoing around the air again. The people who follow lord Arthur seem taken aback by my Rhaena. As am I. I've never seen her so at peace. It's as if she's broken a chain. A truly wonderful thing to see.
I look ahead and while there are many places with the Valhalla black dragon, my attention is focused on the massive opening In the mountain. My jaw drops at such a smooth shape seemingly cut out of a rock who knows how old.
I turn to lord Arthur to speak, but I soon hear great rumbling. Like a mini earthquake. Looking around for danger I almost fall to the muddy ground when I find the culprit of the rumbling.
2 massive creatures In the shapes of men. But the only skin visible on their barely clothed forms is their faces. Which while have the same parts as we do; eyes ears nose mouth, it's all so much bigger than our own.
I'm almost swaying on my feet when the two 12-15 feet tall beings drop to a knee as lord Arthur approaches. For the first time during my ears listening intently and not focused on my inner thoughts, I hear amusement in lord Valhalla's voice as he speaks to the giants in the same gutteral language he used earlier. Again shocking me with how seamlessly he flowed between the beautifully intricate Valyrian language and the coarse rough old tongue of the north.
""Mag tun, woo tun it's good to see you. I'm sorry for not visiting sooner. As you can see I've been making arrangements for my guests arrival. I trust leaf informed you of our meeting tonight at the hour of the wolf?""
To my immense shock the bigger of the two spoke back to lord Valhalla. His voice sounding like thunder each time a sound left his lips.
""That is quite alright magnar. We ourselves have been busy getting things ready to build our village. The man you brought from the sea is incredible. Although he speaks funny.""
Lord Arthur laughs. A melodic sound. Before giving both giants a pat on their huge shoulders as we passed by them. I moved a little closer to Rhaena as these were not human beings. They could crush us in a single blow. Yet they bow to lord Arthur like he's a king.
It seems the black dragon noticed my reluctance and spoke again in a familiar tongue, (do not fret over mag and woo. They are as sweet as can be as long as you are sweet to them. And don't stare. They hate that.) he finished the last part, kicking me out of my staring contest with the creature who was still taller than me on his knee.
Rhaena spoke in an awed tone, (how did you get them to follow you? They're truly incredible. And to think they can speak! You must teach me that language so I can converse with them.) for the second time in as many minutes lord Arthur laughs that melodious sound and speaks back to Rhaena.
(I can certainly teach you how to speak the old tongue. But I must caution trying to speak with the giants too often. They're vocal chords, which we used to speak, are not the same as ours. They're more like a beasts than a man's. Making it harder for them to speak. Usually they speak in 1 or two word sentences. Mag however is different, he's been speaking since a youngling. Which is why he and I can converse so freely.
As for how I got them to follow me? It was easy, who would want to live in the freezing mountains of the lands of always winter when I have more mountains than I know what to do with. Besides, how many would be invaders would it take to stand up to a giant? In truth not even I know. But I know this, they can take far more than you think. That along with the armour and weapons I will give them will make them mobile beasts of burden. Perfect guards for my island and it's inhabitants.)
He finished speaking and again I'm reminded of what I read in the journal. It makes me eager to get to his keep.
(And there it is. Windsor castle. Or at least the start of it) lord Arthur says with clear pride. Looking upon the unfinished castle even I can tell it will be glorious when finished. Sitting atop a waterfall that leads into a river surrounded on both sides with weirwood trees. Their white bark and red leaves creating a beautiful scene.
Not to mention the smell here is unlike any I've encountered before. It's incredible. Lord Arthur seems to read my mind and speaks, (it's the ambient magic in the air. One of the many reasons I chose this as my home.)
Looking upon the castle a frown makes its way onto my face. As I see no way to get up.
Before I can speak my thoughts lord Arthur's dragon followed by morning arrive a little in front of us, barely outside the shadow of the hilltop the castle sits upon.
(From here only those with Valyrian blood can continue. I would say bring your guards but bringing my own people who needed to be atop the plateau to work the keep almost got them eaten.) lord Valhallas words left no room for argument.
I looked at Rhaena who smiled and walked up to morning to ask her permission for my safe travel up the waterfall.
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RHAENA POV
I've been in utter awe since I arrived in Sparta
The people are so different than what I'm used to. And the language they speak in is fascinating. If that wasn't all, lord Arthur somehow got giants to follow him. To kneel to him. That alone gives me an idea of how cunning he can be. A good thing for any lord to have.
As I gazed upon Windsor for the first time my jaw dropped to the muddy ground beneath us. It looked like a Valyrian version of casterly rock. That and the gorgeous red river that followed the waterfalls descent down a winding path of white rushing water.
The ambiance, the smell, the look, everything about this place was perfect. As I walk up morning to allow my grandfather to ride to the top of the waterfall, I find myself looking at lord Arthur. Hoping for everything I'm worth that hood flies off during our flight.
With my grandfather situated behind me I bud him to grab the horn of the saddle an hang on.
With a swift jump morning and morgoth are atop the waterfall. Seeing the castle for true up close I'm even more amazed. Along the bottom of the walls are an intricate set of designs slightly pulsing with a barely visible light.
As I'm about to ask Arthur what the strange designs are, my grandfather interrupts me. Thoroughly annoyed I decide to at least hear what he's saying.
(Lord Valhalla, I've brought a gift with me. To show at least a little bit of goodwill.) I hear Arthur let out a slight sigh of relief before responding.
(As I've had gifts made for the two of you. Please. Let us go to my current solar. The view is breathtaking. Even if it's only 2 floors up right now) he speaks.
I've noticed this about Arthur. Sometimes, a smile or laugh breaks through that cold exterior. Every glimpse of the man behind that dark, cold mask of indifference affirmed my want to be the one to rip it from his face. To see what others aren't allowed to see, what his grandfather took from him.
Reaching the solar lord Arthur pulls out my gift first. A beautiful outfit in the same style as him. Red, black and white. Girly but looks like I can move in it too. I speak my truest feeling with my most genuine smile, (thank you lord Arthur)however as I'm about to continue he stops me.
(Image)
(Please. Princess Rhaena. Just Arthur.) and with those words he finally pulls off that damn hood I've been holding myself back from ordering morning to ignite.
What I saw under the hood was breathtaking…..
—————
ARTHUR POV
As I see Rhaenas face turn a scarlet shade of red I decide it's best to give Corlys one of the gifts I have for him.
First is a cloak in my style as well. Only this one is the light blue and silver of his house.
(Image)
Next I pull out the sword. As soon as it leaves the sheath lord Corlys eyes widen so far I fear they'll pop out. Wait till he sees the compass. Ha!
Finally I give him the pièce de résistance. The compass.
It takes him a moment to gather hits wits. Seeing the compass I can see the dissatisfaction in his eyes. I aim to change that, (this little device will always point north. No matter where In the world you are)
And it's at this time lord Corlys couldn't handle anymore. He passed out and fell into his chair.
————————
After getting our nurse to make sure he was in bed and okay Rhaena and I decided to go flying together. If I'm truthful with myself, the girl is gorgeous. Unlike all other Valyrian girls I've seen, she has dark mocha colored skin and the silver hair signaling her descendent of verlaryon blood.
A truly lovely women. And her dragon is just as pretty. Like the soft pink of the morning sky. Her dragon is perfectly named.
we make our way back down to the ground and dismount our dragons who take off into the sky to dance about.
Holding my right arm out for Rhaena she grips it tightly as we walk down the red river. I show her the weirwood trees, though not who planted them. Not yet.
As we reach the giants encampment at a pool spot of the river before narrowing back out again into moving water to continue to the delta/swamp at the bottom of the river. Where the children reside.
I don't take her to the childrens home, but the giants are accommodating enough. They all seemed to generally like rhaena.
""magnar. Is this women of children?""
Woo asks in his usual way. Being so much younger than his father means he has to start speaking just like mag did.
I feel my cheeks heat up. This is part of the reason I keep my hood on. So people can't read my face and find out things I don't want them to know.
I sigh and reply. ""I do not know my friend. Today is the first time we've met. Do you like her though? Would you and the rest of the clan be willing to follow her when I'm not around?"" I ask curiously. The giants like to stay quiet unless important. So woo asking this question means he and the rest of them are curious about her.
He doesn't respond verbally. Just nods his head. I return it and lead Rhaena out of the encampment towards Windsor. Darkness has fallen and I don't want Corlys accusing me of anything.
———————-
Arriving back at the keep we find dinner served in my solar with Corlys nursing a glass of the whiskey. It seems we saw him take his first drink because the coughs some of it out while hitting his chest.
(Fourteen hells! What is this lord Valhalla?)
I sigh, (please just Arthur, Corlys. I grow tired of formality and ceremony. That is my families famous whiskey. At least it was.)
That seems to get Corlys' attention. With a quick movement he gives me a book i recognize. One my grandfather never allowed out of his eye sight. As far as I was concerned he looked more fondly upon that journal than me.
I try to hold in my resentment. Try to not let it burn Corlys and Rhaena, but seeing that book again brings it all back to the surface.
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CORLYS POV
Seeing Arthur's face told me everything I needed to know. He recognized this book. He looked at it as if it would burn if he gazed hard enough. The look he leveled at me chilled my blood. The words he spoke caused me to answer before i knew what was happening. 'So this is what it looks like to speak to the emperor of dragons'
(Image of Arthur's face)
(Where. Did. You. Get. This?) he asked through gritted teeth. I answer quickly.
(A man by the name of Davon gave it to me. I do not know where he found it.)
(Where is this man now?) he asks with a coldness that shows me he is a stark as well as a dragon.
(I know he gave it to me at driftmark. Maybe he's there?) i supply. Lord Arthur doesn't look like he's in the mood for half answers. But it's all I can give him.
I decided to take this chance. To get him to look at it. (Please lord Valhalla. You need to read this.)
At first he looks disgusted by the idea. Then I see a flame begin to grow. One I've seen on my own face before. The need for answers.
AN: there it is. Lmk how you feel about it. Tried to do the romance and intro in the right way. 🤷🏼 check out the pictures I have coming.
Appreciate the love and support❤️
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