Chương 32: Cregan (7) Arthur (19) Corlys (8) Rhaena (8) shock of the black wolf. words between tides. and a pink dragon inserts herself into northmens talk
AN: in this chapter we will see a continuing arc of Alyn deciding who he wants to be.
He and Corlys speak about what Arthur has offered.
Meanwhile, northmen move to speak to legends, while a pink dragon refuses to be left behind.
Here she gets to see how brutal northern justice can be.
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Sparta, below the waterfall, CREGAN POV 130 AC
As Denlen showed me and Walter to our homes I can't help but ponder on the state of the island. The people here, whole not eating enough fit for a king, eat good meals. Hearty meals of rice. Meat. And vegetable.
Lord Denlen said this is a meal everyone eats at least 2 times a day. Usually supplimented by fish they catch or whales lord Valhallas mount brings to the beach.
Starving people these were not anymore. The way they walked and Carried themselves reminds me of my northern men back home.
Denlen tells me of their training. Running around until they fall on their ass and can't move anymore. Using their body weights to lift and move.
Anyone who questions such methods need only look to the Spartans to see their effects. While still slim and lithe, the men here looked similar to the mountain clans that protect us from the iron islands.
A wild weariness. A strength I couldn't identify. Just like my northern subjects. People south of the neck may gripe and grumble, scream and cry about northern barbarism. It doesn't change the fact that we've bent them over our knees like a spoiled child I need of repremand for thousands of years.
This is never more true than if someone looks to the way northern and southern lore speak about the andal invasions.
South of the neck, those grey rats started by writing, "in an attempt to do the sevens bidding, we looked north. We should have never done so. For the barbarians we encountered were horrid. Skinners of men who wore said skin. Heads mounted along the shorelines of the north."
While the northern version goes a little something like, ""after ensuring the people were safe, the lord stark looked to the men trying yet again to invade his home. Cut down his gods temples. And take our magic for their own. Such things will never happen. Not while the old gods still have breath to breathe back into the north and it's people.""
I sigh thinking back on this. Looking at our house situated along what they Spartans call 'red river', I find it aptly named. The weirwood lining both banks give the place an ethereal feeling. It seems Walter read my mind.
""This place is glorious. By the old gods. It's like a mini river lands in here!""
I couldn't agree with him more. Now I know why Arthur wanted this island for true. It was unclaimed, far away from southern politics, close to the lands of always winter to send men out to fight the Cold ones, and last hit not least, this offered him the perfect opportunity to get the peoples fealty by putting an end to their suffering.
The more of the man I see, the more cunning he turns. Although a genuine person, he also is like every lord, trying to build his power. Though that isn't a bad thing. Especially from my own kin.
Should things go In the way Arthur insinuated, Ice dragons may be real in a few generations. Fire and ice.
I'm broken again from my musings as I hear lord Valhallas dragon, morgoth or black enemy, land not far from us.
Now that darkness has fallen, his eyes look even more pronounced under his hood. He speaks to us then turns to start walking. Not even waiting for a reply.
""Come. It's time to show you two what I've been planning.""
We all make to follow after him. Lord Valhalla In the front, lord Denlen at the back.
'Always ever watchful that one.'
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ARTHUR POV
I and my fellow northerners don't make it halfway to the giants village when I hear morning fly over the top of me.
'I wonder if Rhaena is going on a flight?' I ask myself. Only to be stunned when morning makes a beeline straight towards me and the group.
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After landing, Rhaena slides off the offered wing. As she walks towards us I can't help but admire the figure. Whose hips sway without even meaning them too. When I look back up at her eyes I see she's smiling at me.
'Annnnd I'm caught,'
———————
RHAENA
Seeing Arthurs eyes on my hips is an exercise in control for me. He's begun to show me more of that man I've wanted to see. The man under the mask. I cannot wait for the day he takes it off for true.
I speak to him before any of the men with him can give him a hard time. Smiling at my hopefully to be betrothed soon, I speak my reasons for finding him.
(Forgive me Arthur. Surely our nightly walk down the red river hasn't been invaded by your northern friends?)
My jape seems to have caught him off guard. But as he goes to speak, I see for the first time hesitancy in his gaze. 'Why is he hesitant?'
My thoughts are broken by his lovely voice. (Please forgive me Rhaena. But with our departure soon I thought it best to get my allies up to speed with the things I want to accomplish.)
My confusion must've been clear on my face. Because Arthur chuckled and spoke again, (Im truth, I didn't wish you to come. Where we're going is the grave of the former lord of this island.)
I get a little of what he's saying. But not truly. (Forgive my lack of knowledge Arthur. But what does a grave site have to do with the hesitation I see in your gaze?)
He looks shocked I can read those beautiful eyes so well. But my entire time aroind him is spent looking Into those pools of Valyrian steel and dragon flame.
Again he hesitated. I decided I was done giving him an option. I will see what he doesn't wish me to see. If only to show him I am not some spoiled little girl who has little idea about the world and how awful it can be.
I swiftly moved to the opposite side of the one frost currently occupying and tightly grip his arm in between mine own.
My next words shock him even more. Gods be good. I love seeing it. His eyes are so much more expressive than his face. It tells you everything you need to know about what he's feeling. They glow when he gets angry. They dim when he gets sad. The red expands when he's surprised.
Such intricate eyes. How could one not look at them. No. For my entire life I've longed to see them. things such as a man's grave wont change that.
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CORLYS, Windsor castle
After My kin returned from meeting the northern lords, Alyn bid me into his chamber.
The boy was walking the room wall that had a window showing the beautiful landscape below. Finally my patience wore thin and I snapped
(Speak your mind Alyn. And by all 14 flames of Valyria, sit down. You're making me anxious with all that back and fourth.)
My sons head snaps toward me. Then he lets out a sigh. The more time I spend around him the More i see myself.
With one incredible difference, my son can ride a dragon. The second of my 3rd of my own seed.
I still don't know how to feel about the offer Arthur made. To become a lord. A lord of this mini Valyria he seems to be setting up.
I'm no fool. One of his children will Marry into the starks. Another to the reeds. If his blood is as strong as he claimed it to be, all three of those children will ride fearsome mounts. This will in turn give the reeds and starks dragons of their own. A crazy notion. 3 dragonlord families In the north.
'Ha! The andals would go mad with envy' i think to myself. Only to be brought out of them by Alyn finally speaking. As I look up at him and see him wearing a slate grey and golden version of Arthur's cloak, I can't help but praise his color choice for Alyn. Though not wearing the hood Arthur usually adorns.
(Lord Valhalla told me that if I wanted to, I could take the name Seacarys. I could also live on to the largest island northwest of this one.
Said he would give me all the resources I'd need. When I asked why he told me truth. Something I can respect if nothing else.)
I'm intrigued. It seems Arthur really wants Alyn to be part of this. I will speak with him later. For now, I must see how Alyn feels about such a thing. While I want him to take my name, I also will not push it. For he deserves to enjoy the accomplishments he has had without the name Velaryon. And Seacarys? Not a bad name to be true. A noble sounding one. Strong. I like it.
(And the offer itself? How do you feel about that?) I ask. If there's any face I can read without words it's mine own.
What I see tells me all i need to know before he says anything. He's scared. Of what? We will get to the bottom of.
(Such a thing terrifies me all things considered. Two months ago I was fishing for food everyday. Now I'm being offered a keep and a name that's my own.)
I nod and decided to do what I should've done since his birth, be a supportive father.
(Alyn,) he turns to look at me I'm my eyes. One so much like mine own. (I will help you become the lord you need to be should you wish it.)
His eyes turn as large as seasmokes own. But I can see the small bit of acceptance take root in those violet orbs.
'Maybe things are not as bleak as I've thought.'
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ARTHUR POV
As we arrive at the bottom of the red river coming upon the swampy area of my island, my heart races and my breath comes out strangled. So nervous am I how the pink dragon ive began to become close to turning me away when she sees lord stanes body.
My thoughts stop as we arrive in front of the weirwood. In front of it stands the pile of bones that used to be lord sten stane.
His ribes were pulled out like wings. His skeletal face somehow still showing the agony in which he died.
I expected her to vomit. Or run. Instead she held me tighter, and leaned up to whisper in his ear.
(I know of what he'd done to deserve such fate. Not everything in the world is beautiful Arthur. I may be a princess. But even I know that.) and seemingly uncaring of our currrent audience, pecks my cheek.
Turning a side eye to Cregan, Denlen, and the admittedly not too bad lord Walter manderly.
Were I not a Valhalla I wouldn't be able to see through the darkness of lord reeds hood, and the giant toothy smile he wore under it.
Turning to Cregan who's face was red from stopping laughter I turn to Walter. He just had an eyebrow raised that told me there was a reason the starks let the manderlys handle foreign affairs like bravos. The man was smart from our brief conversations.
And he saw what the other two did. 'Great. Cant wait to field those questions later,' I grumble to myself.
Leafs voice cuts through my embarrassment, (Arthur)
Her voice sounds like it's coming from everywhere. 'Ahh a trick to make a spectacle in front of Cregan and Walter HA!'
After that she came out. Lord Manderlys breath hitched. And he spoke in a quite tone,
""By the old gods. Earthsingers.""
And I though he'd been impressed with the giants.
AN:there we are my fellow dragonlords. Next we'll see a brief meeting and then we're off to war.
Along the journey, Arthur grows closer with all the velaryons.
Before they can make it far though, a red dragon appears above them in the sky.
Hope you enjoy. Will get as many chapters as I can out today. Love you all. Love long ❤️🙏
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