Casterly Rock, The Westerlands...279 AC...
Casterly Rock, already deeply unsettled by the disappearance of Cersei Lannister...not out of concern for her but worry at who might use her against them was now upset yet again when a new Lady of Casterly Rock arrived. A young woman who had wed their lord and was now responsible for running this castle.
Genna and Gerion both were with Tyrion when they arrived at the gate to greet them, all wondering just what to expect when the lady arrived. Tyrion had the lowest expectations, even at his young age he knew that this person would only hurt him as nearly everyone did except for Gerion and Genna and Jaime when he was here Tyrion thought bitterly and just hoped Jaime would return home soon not that he would begrudge him the chance to see the world.
His older brother, the only person that really cared about him Tyrion thought, sad that he wasn't here but without Cersei around it was certainly more peaceful for him he thought with relief although now he was thinking someone else had come to torment him. His life experience had taught him to expect that much.
Genna and Gerion meanwhile were both concerned for different reasons, Joanna was dearly missed and had been a warming influence in the lives of those she touched not least of which was Tywin who she alone could reach. He had been so against marrying again and now there was this new girl who they knew nothing about.
Who knew what trouble she might bring? They wondered to themselves.
Tywin's party eventually arrived and rode through the castle gates, Kevan and Tygett were both at his side as they should be but the girl came as something of a shock when she did come into view.
She rode like a man, not side saddle or anything like that nor was she dressed like a lady. She wore leathers and had a sword at her side. Her hair was cut to her shoulders and dark brown, chestnut in its shade. Both Genna and Gerion shared a look of confused worry as they were not sure of this girl as she was already like nothing that they had expected.
She dismounted and now she was standing before them, they noted that she was tall for her age which was good with long legs and slim face. She was pretty if not beautiful and she walked over with Tywin, she did not seem scared nor excited to be here which confused the three of them present as why would she not be excited to have such a great castle as her own and not being scared given what Tywin was like was again a great mystery.
"This is Maylee, show her around the castle." Tywin said with cold calm before walking off without a backwards glance to attend to his work. They all looked after him but Maylee did not look put off by this surprisingly and instead turned to them with a somewhat strained smile.
"It is a pleasure to meet you." Maylee said with a small curtsy and told them. "I am eager to learn the place I will likely be calling home for the rest of my life. I hope we can get to know each other better." She said with a hopeful look in her eyes.
Genna, Tyrion and Gerion all looked at her with suspicion that made the girl sigh in dismay, clearly there was a long way to go.
- x -
The Red Keep, Kings Landing...
Varys walked around the Red Keep, his eyes alert for any sign of plotting or secrets that could advance his position or be a threat to the king. He was fully aware of how unstable Aerys was but hoped that in a land without slavery that had blighted so many lives including his own that he might find some good here.
It was he was finding a futile quest but there were still good things here, he only regretted not being able to meet Prince Haeron before his unofficial banishment as the Prince sounded like a just and stable man, far improved to his father and his actions showed the signs of a good and just ruler or that he would likely be one at the very least.
He meanwhile was thinking about the songs his birds had sung to him from Dragonstone, one that made sense of the queen's sudden flight there with her children. That had caused a stir in the Red Keep but Aerys had hardly noticed and continued cavorting with whores and looking for another dragon egg as he was sure that other one had been ruined by someone else.
Varys now though knew the real reason for the Queen's flight from the Red Keep, especially after giving birth so soon...she had somehow managed to hatch the dragon egg herself and had rushed to Dragonstone to hide it along with her children.
This news would be incredibly useful in establishing himself deeper with Aerys but he had not reported it yet, that he knew might be his own destruction as his predecessor had been killed for not learning of Haeron's own escape plan but the idea of someone as unstable as the king getting hold of an actual dragon was frightening even to him.
But if he made sure that the Mad King did not learn about it...then that would be something that he could use to ingratiate himself with Prince Haeron when he eventually returned, according to everyone the Prince had been very close with his mother so helping her would be something that would earn him some favour there.
So Varys thought to himself with resolution he would make sure that no one learned of the dragon until the Prince returned or for at least as long as possible.
It was for the betterment of the people after all.
Yin, Yi Ti, Jade Sea, Essos...
The Queen Visenya sailed towards the city that was capital of Golden Empire of Yi Ti, it was a sight that few from Westeros ever saw as most traders did not come this far east. Knowledge of this remote area was known to only to maesters and the few traders that came out this way.
The city was strange, they all thought that as they looked out at easily the largest city that any of them had ever seen. Easily bigger than Kings Landing and Volantis combined with arched and tiled grey roofs that sometimes went up several levels, the uniformity of construction was unusual as often as cities expanded outward new buildings were made with other materials or in different styles as construction methods or tastes changes not to mention potential cultural merging by invasions or other such things. However in Yi Ti it seemed they stuck to a traditional style regardless of time, all of the buildings looked to be made of the same materials and in the same basic way regardless of purpose.
The docks at least were familiar enough and they were able to come in to the large harbour, they tied up and disembarked to meet the port officials. The robed men arrived with great quickness and began to enquire about their reason for being here.
"We are here to trade and to return the Pearl Crown of the Pearl Emperor to the God Emperor." Haeron said in High Valyrian, thankfully a man at the side of the official questioning them spoke High Valyrian since it was a common language in Essos. While Haeron did speak some Yitish he wasn't fully fluent so he would hopefully be able to manage with what he did have while they were here.
The mention of the crown certainly got their attention he noticed as the men talked among themselves, he managed to hear their surprise and excitement before they named the cost of docking and their berth. Haeron paid for it and for the message to be sent to the God Emperor's palace about the crown to ask for an audience. It would take a day or two for the palace to respond so he led his party out into the city to explore.
They walked the streets as men and women bustled around them, like any other city in the world commerce was in full flow and their elaborate robes even their strange hats were an odd sight to the visitor's eyes. Haeron led Evelyn, Jamie, Harmony, Vaena, Davos and Alicys through the city streets and to one of the walls were they were able to see more of the city and the sight stole their breath away.
"Yi Ti is one of if not the oldest known civilisation in the world, only a small number can even claim to rival them." Haeron said with awe at their achievements. "Dynasties have come and gone named after different materials; opal, jade, pearl and so on and before the Golden Empire of Yi Ti as it is today known there was the Great Empire of the Dawn. They guard their secrets with great intensity." Haeron said with a smile, Harmony being the most academic of them was thinking that Yi Ti reminded her of China back on Earth.
"What gods do they worship here?" Alicys asked, wondering what that might say about them but it was Vaena who answered as her family had actually been to Yi Ti before, so she had a little knowledge of it.
"There are many different gods here, but the main ones are the Lion of Night and the Maiden-Made-Of-Light." Vaena said with a warm smile before adding. "Apparently their son was the first God-Emperor of Yi Ti."
"Lion of Night? Interesting name." Davos said with confusion as he normally avoided religious matters but these gods sounded so strange to him that he didn't quite get what they were. Haeron smiled before saying.
"Then let's go to their temples and see more of them, look for ourselves. I am sure this will be an interesting experience." Haeron told them and Evelyn smiled before nodding in agreement.
"Let's do it."
- x -
A Few Hours Later...
"I can't say I understand their beliefs." Jaime said as they exited the temple of the Lion of Night but Alicys who clung to his arm while they walked out of the temple smiled as she told him.
"Its fascinating, their son becoming emperor and all of that." She said, wanting to find out more about the long history of Yi Ti. Jaime smiled, not sharing her excitement but was happy that she was happy.
The others felt the same as they found the beliefs of the Yitish confusing but then again it was not so different to their own or more strange.
It was just different.
Davos returned to the ship to be ready when they managed to get the ship reprovisioned, the rest of them meanwhile wandered the city and visited all of its different sights while meeting with different merchants and traders that might be interested in joining in their merchant guild. There were many things produced in Yi Ti that would sell well in the rest of Essos and Westeros and could make a great deal of money for them all if the Guild was selling them.
It was just a matter of convincing the locals to join in.
Haeron however found them unwilling to meet with him personally which he found incredibly annoying, he could guess a number of reasons why this might be but as they returned to the ship to think of a new approach when a message arrived. Delivered by an official in rich and decorative silk robes.
Haeron Targaryen,
You are both invited and required to attend the court of his grand majesty God-Emperor Tao Qi in order to return the Pearl Crown to its rightful place in the palace. This message will serve as your invitation and pass to the guards.
On behalf of his majesty, Minister Friu Loi.
Haeron blinked in surprise as he had not expected a reply to his attempt at currying favour coming so soon but here it was, he frowned as he did not have much time to prepare for this meeting so he showed the message to Harmony, Evelyn and Vaena who all raised an eyebrow as they each read it but knew refusing would not be the smartest thing to do to say the least.
- x -
Elsewhere on the ship Kelis looked out at the incredible city while Septon Jonos gave his service, as he came to the end he saw Kelis staring and walked over to her.
"Are you alright Kelis?" Jonos asked her and she turned around slowly before saying.
"I...I just thought I would be home by now. I mean I love seeing new places but." She started to say with a mournful yearning in her voice and Jonos smiled gently as he understood her feelings.
"But you miss home and your family." He completed the sentence further and with a sad and reluctant nod she confirmed what he was saying.
"I miss Naath. My friends, my family." Kelis said but Jonos put a hand on her shoulder and told her with a reassuring smile.
"And you will see them again. The journey might be longer than you hoped but some paths are more about what you see and learn along the way rather than the destination." Jonos told her wisely, knowing she was learning something about herself and what she wanted on this journey, not to mention seeing more of the world to expand her horizons.
"I hope so." Kelis said managing a small smile for Jonos who squeezed her shoulder gently to reassure her.
"I know so." Jonos told her, wishing she could believe that things would work out. He knew this world was harsh and cold, many injustices seemed to go unpunished but if good people acted when they should and they did what they could do to make the situation better then the gods would see to the rest.
Kelis smiled more widely, feeling better with his reassurance.
- x -
They wandered the markets as they continued to explore the city, Alicys was with Jaime as they looked around and saw so many interesting new things and goods they were amazed at how different Yi Ti to anything that they had seen before.
Alicys had already found a lovely dress/robe of sorts called a Hanfu which she had purchased a few of to fill out her limited wardrobe and she had gotten Jaime some robes which he looked great in she thought with a blush on her cheeks. Jaime himself had looked at a number of things and picked himself up a local sword named a jian which was similar to a long sword in length with smaller crossguard and very light.
But he blushed slightly as he came up to Alicys and presented her with something he had found for her.
"Hmm...Alicys I found this." Jaime said with a nervous look in his eyes. He produced a book with a picture painted carefully on the cover of a mountain. "Its a history of Yi Ti written in High Valyrian so..." He said dearly hoping that she would like it and he got his answer when she leapt forward and kissed him right on the lips!
It was a brief kiss but easily the most intense and meaningful of Jaime or Alicys' lives so far, the spontaneity of it caught them both by surprise but in the moment it was just seemed to be the right thing to do.
They broke apart and both were immediately red with embarrassment at the public spectacle that they had made of themselves but thankfully no-one seemed to have even noticed but they both stayed quiet and went back to the ship in silence but they stood closer to each other than they had before.
The God-Emperor's Palace, Yi Ti...The Following Day...
Haeron, Harmony and Vaena all approached the enormous palace of the ruler here, it was incredible to imagine but this palace dwarfed anything they had ever seen before. It was not just a castle but an entire city, easily as big as Kings Landing itself hidden behind high walls and guarded by an army of men dressed in fearsome looking armour.
They were allowed past the walls and allowed to ride in horses that were provided them and looked at the city sized palace with many smaller buildings but it was the palace itself that drew their attention. It looked nothing like any palace, manse or castle that they had ever seen before. Stretching out at least a mile or more across with gardens and even a manufactured river flowing around it with tall orange coloured walls and the same tiled roofs as the rest of Yin's buildings.
Inside the tall corridors were lined with banners and other showings of wealth and past glories that you would see in other places like the Red Keep which was oddly reassuring as it meant that they were not so different to their current hosts.
They were led by servants through many winding corridors until at last they arrived in the throne room. It was easily twice the size of the throne room in the Red Keep but the throne itself was far more simple, elevated far above the rest of the courtiers where an older man in long golden robes sat with a crown not unlike the one they where holding sat on his head with gemstones coloured in a shade of blue, Turquoise in light with the current dynasty of God-Emperor.
Having spent as much time as possible researching the local customs, the three of them bowed deeply to the emperor and waited for him to speak. The old man had grey hair which seemed to be gradually turning white with age and a long beard but managed to look extremely dignified as he sat on his throne. He looked down at them and spoke in High Valyrian.
"Greetings Prince Haeron Targaryen, welcome to Yi Ti. Word of your travels and adventures has reached here some time ago, it is rare for any of your family to come this far from Westeros. But I understand that you have recovered the missing Pearl Crown." He said, an expectant air as he brought up the reason he had allowed them here.
Haeron nodded before carefully pulling the crown out of the bag and showing to to the God-Emperor who looked at it carefully before gesturing to one of his aids to inspect it. The man came forward and gently took it out of Haeron's hands, Haeron allowed this and the aide carefully took note of every single detail of the crown before taking up to the God-Emperor and presenting it to him. The God-Emperor carefully took hold of it and smiled briefly before giving it back to his aide and telling Haeron.
"You have done a great service to the Golden Empire of Yi Ti. While I will of course reward you for this service there is another matter that you may be able to assist me with. A task which would gain not only great rewards but also my endorsement. I know of your efforts to build a large trading and merchant guild across Essos, my word would bring many to your side here."
Haeron was immediately concerned just what kind of task the God-Emperor had in mind for him as were Harmony and Vaena but at the same time the idea that he would endorse their trade network was something that could really help them over come their current problems here.
"What is this task that you would ask of us?" Haeron asked, Harmony and Vaena staying quiet however much it annoyed them as women had even less voice in Yi Ti than they did in Westeros. They were only permitted to speak if the God-Emperor spoke to them personally.
"A collection of men have been terrorising my people for some time, bandits that are inciting hysteria in my people and stirring up revolt the longer this goes on." The God-Emperor said calmly and some of the courtiers around them all shivered in fear.
Haeron thought like Harmony and Vaena were confused, while this would certainly be a problem why he would need their help for this.
"Your Majesty, I understand the need for intervention but surely you must have many of your own people who would take up this task." Haeron said, wanting to know why they were being sent instead of a local. The God-Emperor tensed slightly before explaining.
"The men that have been plaguing my land are using our own superstitions against us. They are disguising themselves as Yaomo, demons from our culture's ancient past. My own people are too afraid to confront them as they have played the part so well it has convinced many. They are frauds but I am not able to convince others of that. You being an outsider are not afraid of these pretenders and one who is a great warrior is another advantage." The God-Emperor said with confidence.
Haeron turned to Harmony and Vaena, both of whom were deeply conflicted as this was a big task to undertake but the advantage of having favour with such a powerful figure as the God-Emperor would be exceptionally useful to them. Not to mention the reward he was promising but this was a large task they were being asked to do.
They both silently nodded realising that this was too big of an opportunity, too big to pass up.
Haeron turned back to the God-Emperor and bowed to him before saying.
"I will do this task your majesty, although I will need horses and a guide." Haeron said and the God-Emperor looked slightly relieved at his agreement and told him.
"You shall have them and supplies for your journey."
"Thank you your majesty." Haeron said with a forced smile as he wondered just what they had gotten into now.
Queen Visenya...That Night...
Haeron convened with his people in his cabin to discuss what they needed to do for the God-Emperor.
"Travel over Yi Ti to deal with his enemies?" Jaime said with an eager smile at the idea of fighting but also of seeing more of Yi Ti, Alicys herself was as excited as he was by this 'quest'.
Septon Jonos and Kelis both looked disappointed at the idea of having to stay for longer than necessary and Davos was fairly unaffected by it but Evelyn was somewhat annoyed.
"And just how long is this likely to take? We don't want to be stuck here for too long." She insisted and Vaena nodded, wondering that herself. Harmony sighed before saying.
"A month or so. The crew will have coin to spend in compensation and the good thing is if we head south from here we can circle back to Naath." She said, they could sail further south and pass by Great Morag and then swing west. It wasn't as quick but it would allow them to spread the network further and still return home while dropping Kelis off at Naath on the way.
"A month to spend on shore. The crew will be glad of that." Davos said with a tired voice, knowing they were enjoying themselves here and it would be good to rest before heading off again.
"We'll be quick." Haeron reassured him, intending to use whatever means he had too for this to go quickly. "It will also give the dragons a chance to grown more before the return to Westeros." He said with a thoughtful look in his eyes.
"It would be nice to see more of the country." Vaena said with a smile, getting more interested in the idea of seeing more of this unique and historic land.
Western Hills, Yi Ti...A Week Later...
The white stallions of the Yi Ti were impressive, fast and strong they carried Haeron, Harmony, Vaena, Jaime, Alicys and their guides across the Western Hills with great speed.
The impressive sight of the hills was incredible, they stretched for miles and miles and it took several days to ride over them to come to their first destination. The hills finally turn into mountains and finally a large valley came into view.
It was very wide and stretched far into the distance, so much that it could easily have fitted the whole of Kings Landing inside it and still had room to spare. Many of the slopes were covered in heavy trees and as they entered the valley it was a beautiful sight.
"It is the most beautiful valley in all of Yi Ti." Their lead guide Hao Ki said with a proud smile before becoming fearful suddenly. "The first of the demons is here, striking out at nearby cities and stirring unrest. The Basilisks also plague this area." The man said with terror. The mention of Basilisks immediately made Haeron and Harmony look up in shock.
"The what now?" They said together as they both knew that word from Earth and having to face multiple enormous snakes was terrifying. They had both nearly died or been petrified by those things the last time they had encountered them.
"Fearsome creatures." Hao Ki told them with a shiver. "The size of a large hound with scales covering their four limbed bodies. They crawl among the jungle trees and fight with other animals for food."
That made Haeron and Harmony blink in surprise and somewhat relief too, these creatures while surely dangerous were nothing compared to the Basilisks on Earth. They knew not to underestimate them all the same as they were still dangerous and likely poisonous too but it was time to stop messing around and so with some foreboding they headed into the valley.
Soon they were deep under the cover of the trees which reached high into the sky and left only patches of sunlight managed to light their way. The sounds of birds and animals seemed to be all around them but they kept on moving, doing their best to put it out of their minds.
Then one of their guides shouted in fear as he was set upon by a snarling vicious beast, a lizard almost thee metres long. Its tail slapped around as it bit into the chest of the man and left a number of large holes which oozed green coloured before leaping at Alicys who was the next closest to them. It tackled her and snapped its jaws in her face but Jaime kicked it hard and the creature snarled as it got back its feet and Jaime while shaking slightly but managed to strike it with his sword, wounding the creature which howled in pain but it was enough for him to stab and kill it.
Harmony and Vaena checked Alicys over who was shaking like a leaf but fortunately she was fine just scared, Jaime was shaking a little too but Haeron put a hand on his shoulder and gave him a proud nod which made him smile.
He and Harmony looked at the creature, realising from the description they had been given that this was the Basilisk of this world and honestly it was nothing like the creature that they had known on their own world. Much like dragons which were far from being as varied in this world as they had in the other one.
How similar and yet different they both were they thought with a bittersweet remembrance of their old world.
"Best get moving, in case more of those...things show up." Vaena said with caution, not wanting to see more of them. They all nodded and made their way deeper and deeper in the forest.
Every sound seemed like another creature ready to attack them but they were fortunate enough to not run into any more until finally they discovered just what they were looking for.
A camp, small and with tents not that different than any you would find anywhere in the world but with only a couple of people present including the one they had come to see. A tall figure of a man with coloured ragged robes and a horrific mask that was red and had a snarling mouth that seemed to be oozing red liquid that was supposedly blood. There was smoke emerging from sides of the mouth but with careful observation they could see that the smoke was coming from gaps in the mask.
"There it is! The demon." One of the guides said in terror and started backing up but Haeron with a frown stood up and drew Crimson Heart and was followed by Jaime who had Brightroar in his hands and charged.
Harmony and Vaena frowned at the blatant attack but drew crossbows and pointed them at the guards on the edge of camp, taking both down with ease while Jaime handled the other one. Haeron meanwhile was facing the 'demon'.
The man screeched out some unintelligible words in Yitish which he sure was meant to intimidate him but Haeron wasn't fooled by the act instead he swung his sword which seemed to shock the man pretending to be a demon and he barely managed to raise the two smaller swords he had to block it. Haeron however was not one to simply let him rally and pressed the attack with ruthlessness, not letting him recover and the mask he was wearing clearly made it difficult to see so it was easy for Haeron to gain the upper hand and bisected the man at the neck.
The masked head fell and rolled onto the ground, the mask falling open and showing the shocked human face inside. Seeing the human head inside the mask that was more of a helmet seemed to shock their guides who now really started to get that they were fake. The Yitish were a superstitious people but also one that were taught to not dismiss the truth when it was right in front of their eyes.
Haeron meanwhile picked up the swords the fraud had been using and examined them, having seen some weapons in renderings that had been in books he'd read or examined since coming here Haeron identified them as Dao swords. A slightly shorter blade with a slight curve towards the end of the blade and with an edge on only one side. As he experimented with them later he found them worked well in close quarters and were light and easy to handle. So he took a piece of paper from his pack and began to sketch his own slightly shorter version which would be useful for his future plans.
- x -
After checking through the camp for anything useful they left it alone and continued on through the valley and finally emerged at the other end of the valley. Sending the 'demon' back to Yin with some men they made camp and while in their tent that evening they apparated back to the ship with Vaena to see the dragons.
The sight of them shocked Evelyn who was feeding them but she smiled as she asked them.
"Good trip so far?" She asked and they nodded while petting the dragons, Kara in particular was very excited and Haeron fed her while petted his dragon.
"Interesting." Harmony admitted with a shrug and Vaena added with a smile.
"Seeing the countryside is incredible, nothing like what we had in Volantis." She said and Haeron while he was tending to his dragon asked.
"Everything going well here?" Haeron asked her and she nodded.
"The crew are enjoying the rest and the local...facilities." She said with a suggestive smirk which Haeron chuckled at, knowing full well what they were doing. He gave a suggestive smirk to Harmony and Evelyn who smirked back. Vaena just rolled her eyes, she let them be and took the dragons away while Haeron took both of his wives somewhere private and enjoyed themselves on their own.
Three Days Later...
The party continued their journey across the lands of Yi Ti, moving through the now thankfully thinning forest until they arrived at another spectacular location. Massive stone formations reached into the sky like pillars with some clumps of plants all along their vertical length, they were almost tempted to climb them but that was not what they were here for and instead they just enjoyed the sights as they rode through towards their next destination.
Another of the so-called demons was holding a temple hostage, they began to move around the twisting paths until they finally arrived. The temple was a large building made of grey stone and with the same roof made of tiles in an arched fashion just like in other Yitish buildings.
But this one was very ancient, a place where monks would study and practice their religion and unique practices as they had for centuries. This temple would teach meditation and medicine to those that wanted to learn, Vaena was excited as she approached. Being a healer was one of her greatest passions and it would be an incredible thing to learn from those that dedicated their lives to something like that.
But unfortunately the monks dared not leave due to the demon who was now demanding 'tribute' for those that entered and it was only due to the few that visited would bring in food that the monks had not starved.
Haeron and the rest of their party had to abandon their horses and leave them with two of the guides before making their way up the long winding path, inches from the edge as they climbed higher. The view was incredible as they made their way up the mountain path and seemed to last for hours before they finally arrived at the temple steps. Their legs were aching after so much walking and the air being thinner up here meant they were shorter of breath than normal but they were glad to finally arrive at their destination.
The temple grounds were simple stone but well maintained and orderly, they walked into the grounds and up towards the temple when they finally came across the supposed 'demon' who approached them with his men. He had a similar mask to the other one but this one created blue smoke from his and Haeron went for his sword but Jaime who was eager to test himself asked.
"Can I face him?"
Haeron looked at him with concerned eyes, wondering if he was ready but smiled as he knew deep down that he was. Haeron nodded and stepped back while drawing his sword to handle the other people with Vaena, Harmony and Alicys who had armed themselves with crossbows. Alicys looked worried for Jaime but gave him an encouraging smile when he looked at her.
So Jaime faced the 'demon' Brightroar in his hands and smirked at his opponent who growled and yelled but Jaime knew he was nothing but a fraud so instead he raised his sword and charged.
The demon seemed shocked and raised a polearm which was the worst weapon to use in this situation although it was surrounded in flames, that did surprise Jaime a little but he just swung his sword and the demon parried as fast as he could but Jaime already had the momentum and began to press his advantage.
Haeron and the ladies meanwhile were easily cleaning up, his men who seemed to be little more than thuggish bandits, used to fear winning their fights for them. But all of them were not in any way afraid and knew what they were doing, allowing them to make quick work of the thugs.
Jaime meanwhile was smirking as he ducked and weaved his way around the slow moving opponent, slashing at the joints of his legs and then as he fell to his knees and stabbed him through the back!
The man stilled as the sword punched cleanly through his armour and then through his torso and stabbed out the other side, he looked down at the blade and seemed too shocked before falling to the ground dead as Jaime pulled his sword free.
The men were all dead on the ground and the monks who had been unknown to them peaking out from the doors of the temple came over and looked at the thugs, shocked that someone had actually defeated the demon, more so as they cracked the mask open and saw it was nothing but a fraud. The monks actually didn't seem angry or upset at being fooled though and came in to congratulate and thank them for their liberation. They shook their hands and spoke excitedly to them, smiling broadly as they did so which despite struggling to understand them the outsiders all returned, understanding the intention if not the words.
- x -
The monks were glad to help clean up the bodies and give them a decent burial despite all that had been done by them and allowed Haeron's party inside the temple. Vaena was impressed at their map of the human body and eagerly studied their concepts of the mind and its health, that trauma can warp the mind but that it can be healed and that they can learn to cope with it.
But that was not all of the things they had, Vaena thought with excitement. They had an exercise that someone could do easily to maintain physical fitness and well-being while releasing tension in the body to make yourself feel better. Not to mention exercises that people could do after a hard injury to recover better along with some remedies that might be really useful, they had even given her some herb seeds that Harmony could preserve for her. They would be useful in making remedies and even herbal tea which was good for the health.
Plains in the East, Yi Ti...A Couple of Weeks Later...
The other two false demons were on the other side of Yi Ti so they were forced to ride to the other side of the country, the God-Emperor was they were told extremely happy about their progress so far but there was still work to be done.
They were crossing the farming areas of Yi Ti now and the entire landscape was used for growing crops or rearing animals, even the more damp and boggy areas had been put to use as square fields were cut from them and filled with a type of crop that the group had never seen before.
"What is this?" Haeron asked one of the farmers as they passed and the farmer was only too happy to tell him, thankfully Haeron's Yitish had improved since he was spending so much time here and he was able to converse with the man.
"This is Rice." The farmer said with a broad smile hoping up the small white grain. "A hardy food stuff that can be grown in wetlands like this. It can be stored for a very long time and is very easily to cook." The farmer told him with pride in the crop that to his mind was the best around.
Haeron blinked as he had thought it looked like rice from his world but he had wanted to make sure, the fact it was here and sounded just like the rice on his world was incredible and he knew full well that this would be an absolute life saver in Westeros, it was storable for very long periods and easy to cook as the man had said. For the winter times it would change the rate of survival especially in the North where it was hard to grow anything at all. The Riverlands and southern areas of the North too would be excellent for growing it and it would lessen the hold that the Reach had on food production in Westeros evening the field so to speak. Haeron knew immediately that he would need to take advantage of this and asked the farmer.
"How much would it cost for you to supply me with some seeds for growing rice and the best method of farming it?" He asked him and the farmer looked confused before broadly smiling, seeing a very big opportunity and named a figure that was high but easily within Haeron's reach. He nodded and the money was exchanged, he took the rice seed bags and shrunk them once he was out of sight of anyone except Harmony and Vaena who both raised an eyebrow in surprise but he would explain to them later.
Yang Lui River, Yi Ti...Days Later...
The wetlands and farmlands soon gave way the largest and widest river that any of them had ever seen. It was busy with boats coming and going from small docks along both banks. It was easy for them to find a boat as the next 'demon' was easiest to reach by water from here so they began to sail up the river.
The river traffic was surprisingly busy and took some time to pass but soon enough they were now in the more remote area of the region as the forests took over again, the sail the boat had meant they didn't have to row and let them look around the sights around them. The forest was thick but the water was full of fish that darted all around them which seemed to glow different colours in the water as they swam together in a group much to their amazement. Then larger creatures appeared around them, darting around and then leapt out of the water all around them with pink skin and making happy noises.
"River dolphins." Alicys said with awe as they resembled the creatures that they had seen sometimes in the ocean as they travelled but these creatures were different not just in colour but slightly in the same of the snout as well. But they chattered happily just like the other dolphins that they had seen though and all of them smiled, enjoying the sight.
They carried on for most of the day before turning into a river that fed the larger one, now the current was against them so they tied up the boat and went up along the river bank to their destination.
The sight of it made the walk worth while.
The cliffs rose about a hundred feet or so in the air with a large rushing noise as water came cascading over the edge and falling into a large pool below it, vapour rose into the air. The water was crystal clear as it came down and into the pool, teaming with flowers all over the place.
Waterfalls were rare in Westeros, only in the Vale might you find any and since none of them had ever been there they had never really seen one before. So they were all finding it breathtaking to witness especially one so large and impressive. Harry and Hermione had once been to America and seen Niagara Falls once but it had been far too much of a tourist trap back then and the visit too brief to really enjoy it...so they were now taking the time to see such a spectacular sight untainted by people.
Almost anyway, the 'demon' here was using the river and indeed the waterfall to hide their hidden boat that they were using to raid other river boats. It was the only place around for miles that would be able to hide something like that so they carefully made their way to the water, carefully looking through as far as they were able until they found what they were looking for and with a breath to steady themselves walked through the waterfall. The cold water was a shock to the system and uncomfortable on their heads but they endured it.
The cave that greeted them when they were able to clearly see it had clearly been widened to accommodate the boat as they waded through, trying to make the least about of noise as possible until they arrived in a cavern that appeared to be natural and had a group of river pirates moving around a boat with scorpions on it. Cargo that they had presumably stolen was piled around and counting those that they could see there were ten or so people. But this time they had caught the demon with his mask off, the man had it dangling from his waist as they checked their spoils. By now the guides had lost any notion that they were dealing with actual demons and readied their weapons before moving around the cavern, the noise of the water outside was so loud it covered their movements until they were in position.
They started with a barrage of crossbow or arrow fire, striking a handful of the pirates without them even having a clue they were under attack until it happened, so secure had they been in their secret hideaway. The remaining ones including the demon all saw them and rallied, charging at them with their weapons drawn.
Haeron's group did the same and the small battle erupted.
Meeting in the middle things did not go well at first, the scouts were not the best fighters and the pirates were vicious in a way they just weren't, three of them were killed in the opening moments in the fight. But fortunately Harmony, Vaena and Alicys managed to even the odds with their quick arrow fire, meaning Jaime and Hao Ki to engage two of the other fighters in a sword duel.
Jaime had to admit reluctantly to himself that these guys were better than the previous ones that they had faced, a sword blade swinging perilously close to his head but he evaded it with a side step and managed to land a kick to the knee and then as the man staggered a hard blow to the head.
Haeron meanwhile was facing the leader who was this time unencumbered by a mask and wielded a heavy looking saber like sword. Haeron was using Crimson Heart and parried his blows. He had to admit that he was much better with his weapon than the other ones had been, moving with speed, precision and power beyond those that they had faced so far.
But despite this or in fact because of this...Haeron was delighted. He had not had a real opponent in some time, someone that actually pressured him somewhat in a fight so he was going to enjoy this to the full.
He launched into a blistering series of strikes, slashes and feints to keep his opponent on his toes and to his credit he managed to keep up with each and every one. Haeron smiled slightly but it was just because of having a fight that was for awhile at least worthy of his time. They traded blows with each other and the quality of the steel the Yitish sword was made of was impressive as it held up for longer than a normal Westerosi blade but it was for nothing as Haeron finally managed to pivot on the spot and as the man over committed himself to an attack, Haeron took his chance and buried his own sword in the man's side.
The man yelled out in pain, especially when Haeron pulled his sword free and blood splattered the ground.
Haeron looked around and saw that thankfully his group had proven victorious but at the cost of this was great as most of their guides had been killed, it was regrettable but they had known the risks he thought with dismay at losing so many, trying to reassure himself although it grated on him. Harmony put a hand on his back, knowing him better than anyone and how he hated losing people. Haeron gratefully smiled at her and just wanted this business over with.
- x -
The Great Sand Sea, Yi Ti...One Week Later...
In the north of Yi Ti the lush and verdant landscape that was present in most of the country disappeared completely to be replaced by a massive sand covered area that stretched wide across with a rocky canyon too. In the distance the Bone Mountains could just be seen but it was here that they were to find the last so called demon. The desert ahead was dangerous and even the locals could not safely cross it, dangers lurked in every form and often you would not know they were there until they got you. So the demon was preying on the Steel Road that ran along it to the mountains in the north, since it was the only real route there from Yi Ti.
They used the desert itself to hide from their enemies, according to the few that had managed to survive the demon and his men had seemed to appear from nowhere, like from the sand itself. They could be laying in wait with a disguise but in this heat and with all of the various animals like snakes and scorpions that was hard to believe. So Harmony had looked at all of the different encounters and noticed something.
"All of the attacks happen in this area." Harmony told them with a smile as she pointed to a specific area on the map. "I spoke to some of the locals, they say there are large sand dunes around there but dunes that never move however strong the wind blows."
Haeron and the others all looked at the map and realised just what she was saying, smiling as they did. Donning their head scarves they took to their horses and rode them in the midday sun, the heat was deeply unpleasant for all of them but after what seemed like an eternity they arrived in the area and saw the dunes in question, more than that a slight wind was blowing and only a tiny bit of sand was moving off of them.
Smelling a rat they dismounted and left the horses with the guides allowing Haeron and his party to carefully move around the dunes, looking for any sign of something odd. The moment they stepped on the dunes the reality dawned on them.
"They're rocks, the same colour as the sand and in the shape of a dune." Alicys said in amazement and Jaime tested it with a careful kick and nearly hurt his foot but it was enough for them to know they were right.
"Check for a cave, if there are any then we have likely found their camp." Vaena said with a smirk as she and Harmony began looking for the secret cave entrance. Alicys and Jaime broke off to look themselves while Haeron went by himself, he had to admit reluctantly that the bandits had chosen their base carefully it was perfectly camouflaged which spoke of their intelligence but that was also something to worry about as it made them more dangerous.
It took more than a few minutes of careful searching before Alicys and Jaime found a narrow crack in the rock, easily missed unless you were pretty much right in front of it. Just wide enough for a man to slip through, so carefully one by one they entered the cave and saw just what was inside.
The temperature inside was surprisingly pleasant as they crept around inside, looking they saw bodies everywhere that were clearly bandits but the signs of a fight were evident. Discarded weapons and wounds, blood pooling around the bodies.
"What happened?" Vaena asked in disgust at the massacre around them and the bodies gave Harmony the answer.
"Infighting, probably over the goods they stole." She told them and they moved on, not bothering to wait around among the dead.
It took quite some time before finding the one that they were looking for, perhaps rather fittingly he was the only one left alive. Still wearing his demon mask and sitting on a rock, slumped against the wall of the cave with bandaged wounds. He looked up at them and growled but Haeron was just keen to get this over with and simply with a single swing of his sword cut his head off.
Yin, A Week Later...
There was a crowd waiting to greet them as they rode into the city and to the Palace of the God-Emperor, having heard that these were the heroes that had slain the 'demons' they were eager to see for themselves.
Riding through the streets to the cheering crowds was something that Harmony, Jaime, Vaena and Alicys were not used too nor where there remaining guides. It was a major shock to them and they just awkwardly waved as they rode through on their horses. Haeron however remained stoic, calm and collected as he had experienced this before.
They were led to the palace and greeted by no other than the God-Emperor himself, bowing to him in respect the old man smiled broadly and announced to the court and people that had gathered.
"These daring and brave outsiders and our equally incredible guides have hunted and cast down the false demons. Let us celebrate the success together and enjoy ourselves." The God Emperor said with a air of humility and quiet joy which was a sign of his refinement and grace, certainly the sign of the wise and great ruler that he was.
Evelyn, Davos and the others all joined the feast that was held for them at the palace, carefully looking at the different and exotic foods and drinks before daring to try them while Haeron, Harmony, Jaime and Alicys being more daring tucked in with relish albeit politely and Jaime had to be reminded to be careful as he ate by Alicys who smiled and wiped the side of his mouth with a napkin when it was stained with soup.
Haeron and Harmony sat with Evelyn, all of whom were used to other cultures and dishes and enjoyed themselves immensely. Vaena and Septon Jonos helped Kelis eat the unusual dishes and found they did enjoy some of them a great deal.
The God-Emperor was as good as his word, he and the others were given a fortune in gold, jade and pearls along with some Yitish texts. Not only that but all of the merchants that they had approached were now eager to join his merchant guild not to mention some others he had not even tried to recruit; Haeron smiled as this was a major step forward. Yi Ti was a source of saffron, rare spices, silk, jade, porcelain, pearls, sugar, decorative furniture, paintings, other artwork, fabric prints, carpets and more. They would be highly valuable in the west of Essos to say nothing of Westeros as well.
As they signed the charter the God Emperor spoke to him about another matter.
"I am hesitant to ask another task of you but if you are sailing in the direction of Leng, Marahai or Great Morag I am in need of sending new ambassadors to those places, would you allow them to sail with you? I have heard your ship is not only safe but fast." The God-Emperor asked him and Haeron thought for a moment before nodding in approval.
"We are intending to sail to each of those places on our return journey to Westeros. So yes we could take your ambassadors there although it might not be as direct or quick a journey." Haeron said and the God-Emperor nodded in acceptance.
"Understandable and as long as they reach their destination I am quite happy with that." The older man said calmly. "Payment will of course be made. Pleasant journey." The God-Emperor nodded and shook Haeron's hand.
Haeron was smiling as the next day the ship set sail, now intent on its next destination and more than that the journey home...eventually.
The Red Keep, Kings Landing...
Aerys was brooding to himself, sitting on the Iron Throne he was doing his best not to give in to his fear and cower, he had learned that Haeron was now in Yi Ti and gaining the favour of the one who dared call himself a 'God-Emperor'. The notion made Aerys almost scoff at what fool would call himself a god...no man could equal a dragon he thought to himself.
But all the same, he could feel that chill in his bones again, knowing that Haeron was gaining more and more allies, more coin to raise an army to take his throne! The dragon must be large by now he thought with fear and at the head of an army it would be unstoppable, not just that but a fleet of enormous size which had meant he had commanded for all of his subjects to build an enormous fleet of his own, one that would command the waves and put the one his son was gathering to shame.
Unknown to him though his vassals were not really going ahead with his plan as it would be ruinously expensive and almost pointless against Haeron's dragon, they were doing the barest minimum that they needed to do before Aerys was distracted by another passing fancy.
- x -
Elsewhere in a room nearby, Cersei was putting the final part of her plan into motion.
She adjusted her dress and wished her teats were bigger as her mother had been an bit bigger than she was at this age and so she had adjusted as best she could even if she would usually have a maid to do this for her. At least she could apply her own make up she thought to herself with pride as she carefully applied some to her face.
It had taken her far longer than she had thought to make it to Kings Landing, at least without alerting the men that her accursed father had sent to look for her. It had taken her a lot of coin to get here but thankfully she had made it and a guard had managed to sneak her inside so she could attend court. She smirked as she saw her reflection in the mirror, her figure was womanly and her hair like spun gold, her eyes glinting like emeralds.
Her beauty was unrivalled she thought with complete certainty.
Cersei's face did however frown as her thoughts briefly drifted to the matter of her new stepmother! Her features once so beautiful now twisted into an ugly expression of rage at the idea that her father would dare insert another woman in the place that her mother had once been. That Cersei herself deserved to be...the Lady of Casterly Rock!
Her anger was raging like a lion that had been starved to the point of madness, how dare her father put some girl barely older than her in her mother's bed! How dare he take the title of Lady of Casterly Rock away from me! Cersei thought with disgust, vowing to make him pay for this insult which is when she managed to squash her rage down and force her face into a seductive mask. Smoothing her dress over she made one last check of her appearance before leaving her room and walking towards the Throne Room.
Walking into the throne room she smirked as she wandered around, glad her fool of her father was not here. Everyone reacted to her presence with surprise and the men immediately had lust in their eyes which pleased her slightly, knowing the power this gave her over them but the one she really sought was at the other side of the hall so she made her way to a place that he could see her.
Aerys was immediately smitten the moment he could see her, she gave him a seductive smile and made sure he sure he saw it, the interest in her eyes. Of course the idea of sleeping with that revolting old man just sickened her inside but it was the only way to achieve her current ambitions she thought with revulsion, she would have much preferred his two eldest sons but she would make do for now she thought with a wink in his direction.
For Aerys it was like a dream, a wish that he had never been granted was finally within his reach. The most beautiful woman that he had ever seen had produced a daughter in her image, a body that was supple and ripe he thought with the thought that finally he would get to see just what sleeping with Lady Joanna would have been like, he knew as well it would show Tywin his place at the same time which only made the opportunity more sweet. He got up from his throne and with the Kingsguard looking disturbed at this walked over to her, she was humble and curtsied, making sure to let him see her cleavage.
He was instantly smitten and led her out of the room to his chambers while the rest of the court looked on in disgust.
- x -
An Hour Later...
Aerys slept, having exhausted himself in bed with his new mistress. Cersei lay next to him naked and had to use her own 'measures' to achieve satisfaction as it was clear that the king was not up to much. It was a wonder to her that the Queen had managed to produce so many children with such a pathetic husband which were clearly his.
But the fact she had now achieved her goals were enough to make her smile viciously in triumph as she took her revenge on her father for his treatment of her, by having Aerys dismiss him as Hand of the King.
She knew how much her father loved his power and influence and this would cut him off at the knees she thought with amusement, if he wanted his position back he would need to come crawling back to her on his knees she thought with smug satisfaction, eagerly awaiting the day that she would put him in his place.
She would enjoy her time here she thought with chilling joy at all of the ideas she had.
City of Leng Ma, Leng, Jade Sea...A Few Days Later...
The Island of Leng was a fascinating place, given the island had once been ruled by Yi Ti there had been many influences left behind, some of the buildings were built in a similar style although there was another style present too, resembling Japanese somewhat. As did the armour style their warriors wore, pleated armour much like the Ancient Samurai with swords similar to the katana. But another thing about them was that they were very tall with some dwarfing even Haeron even though they were still slender in build.
They had large golden coloured eyes and skin like of a light brown, they did not smile much but they welcomed the ambassador they were bringing well enough, the islanders were not welcoming in the slightest. They allowed them to reprovision and even to see the gorillas and tigers that made the island their home, eventually prying from the locals that they considered the gorillas and tigers sacred and were unwilling to hurt them.
Merchants likewise were unwilling to join the merchant guild initially but a few were finally open to trading some of their spices and joined up as long as it was only as much as they were willing to trade and benefited them.
From there they went to the paradise island of Marahai and enjoyed some time on that island that resembled Hawaii but soon they sailed for Isle of Elephants their next destination.
Dragonstone, Westeros...
Rhaella sat on the throne of the island and read the latest report from her people in Kings Landing, she grimaced with disgust at the news. Aerys had made a girl that was not even sixteen yet his mistress! It was disgusting to make someone so young your bed-warmer but of all of the people he could have chosen he had picked Cersei Lannister! Rhaella thought with disgust, she might have felt sympathy for the girl if she had not been such a spiteful little creature.
Joanna would be so disappointed in her daughter she thought mournfully at the thought of her old friend, she could see none of the woman that she had been in Cersei...nothing at all Rhaella thought with dismay. Physically she was just like her mother but on the inside, her nature was the complete opposite, already Cersei was throwing her weight around at the Red Keep and acting as if she were the queen! Servants who had served for years beaten, flogged and dismissed for the most minor of insults, a man who apparently dared to look at her the wrong way had his eyes removed with a red hot poker.
And Rhaella had the horrible feeling Cersei was just getting started!
Then...just when she had thought things couldn't get any worse at the girl's advice Aerys had dismissed the one man that was certain to keep things holding together...Tywin was no longer the Hand of the King. He was a ruthless and dangerous man but he was still the man that had brought economic stability in the kingdoms and held Aerys in reasonable check.
Without him or Haeron around...Rhaella shuddered at how bad things might get now.
Her only real consolation was that she had her children and the dragon here on Dragonstone and so far not only had there been no reaction from Aerys which was odd she thought with confusion but thankfully no-one had discovered the existence of her dragon. She was making sure that she had ship ready to flee to Braavos if needed but she dearly hoped it would not be needed.
Casterly Rock, The Westerlands...
Tywin had been locked in his solar with the other senior members of House Lannister discussing the situation in Kings Landing so Tyrion had been left mostly to his own devices which suited him fine. His Uncle Gerion treated him well enough and Aunt Genna was reasonably nice but without Jaime it was very lonely he thought sadly. His older brother had always done his best to cheer him up but he was off travelling the world and having adventures which honestly thrilled Tyrion and made him wish that he could be there with him! The letters that came from Jaime made it sound so exciting out there and someday Tyrion hoped him might have the opportunity to travel.
But at least for now Casterly Rock was a pleasant enough place to be he thought with a small smile, without Cersei here to torment him it was peaceful and he could do largely as he pleased. He liked reading it was his only real escape from his own limited life he thought with anger at the body he had been given even if he knew there was nothing to be done about it. He was especially interested in dragons and the news that they had returned only made him want to see them for himself!
Tyrion though was distracted from his book by a sound, he listened and realised that someone was humming a tune, quite soft and inviting so he carefully walked forward to find the source.
It did not take him long as he came to one of the balconies that over looked the sea below, he saw the tall and slim figure of his new 'mother' the girl Maylee as she hummed while carefully applying paint to a canvas. He was surprised to see a lady painting, it was something that only men did as far as he knew but she was carefully crafting a scene of the ocean and a sunset beyond. It was really quite beautiful he thought unwillingly impressed at her skill and the way she not only sounded so enchanting but delicately applied the paint to create the image before her.
"Come in, you don't have to hide." Maylee said suddenly which made Tyrion start and he went to leave but she turned and looked at him with a warm and inviting smile, her eyes were a pale blue like the morning sky when it was clear and seemed to almost draw you in but Tyrion even at his young age knew better than to be taken in by that. He had seen many ladies try to be nice to him only so that they could gain something from his accursed father only for that kindness to be replaced with scorn the moment that they realised that it would not work. But those ladies had always been immaculately turned out and would not allow a speck of dirt to touch them, this lady however had traces of the paint on her hands and face! Tyrion honestly did not know what to make of her especially with what she said next.
"You must be Tyrion, I had wondered when I might meet you." She said warmly before putting her brush and paints to the side to properly speak with him. "What do you think? I hope it will be done soon." She added, asking about the painting.
"I know little of art." Tyrion said quickly and a little harshly, not wanting to engage too much with her but she did not seem put off by that. Instead her smile just became slightly smaller and she told him.
"It has always been my escape. My way of coping with the world, that and music." She told him cheerfully, but it was laced with sadness. "I like you know what it is to be a shame to my father."
Tyrion honestly was completely shocked that she had even mentioned it, most people would never dare mention his father's treatment of him, it was far too dangerous. No one would dare anger his father but this girl seemed to not be afraid which intrigued him.
"How would you shame your father?" Tyrion asked carefully before she told him sadly.
"I killed my mother by merely being born."
Tyrion was stunned, just like him he thought to himself in astonishment. Maylee continued to speak though so he would understand.
"I was a child born much later than should have been possible for a woman but my mother was determined to have me. My father wanted her not another child as they had three boys already but he could not sway her. The day came when I was born and just as he had feared the birthing killed her. If not for my brothers my father would have killed me that day...all my life he hated me for killing my mother and my brothers like your brother were my only happiness. They taught me, even showed me to wield a sword." She said pulling back her cloak to show him her sword at her waist.
"They took care of me, then all of them died in a landslide. I miss them so much, especially now as there was only me and my father left." Maylee told him with a sigh, her eyes showing so much pain but only for a moment before she pulled herself together before his eyes. "Then he wed me off to your father and I lost the only home I knew but my brothers always told me that you should not rage against what you cannot change. I cannot bring my mother or my brothers back, I could not object to marrying your father or leaving my home...but I can either grieve and rage or make the most of it. I will not allow it to break me, I will make the best of my circumstances." Maylee told Tyrion with some fierce determination entering her eyes to drive away the pain. "To make a life of my own here."
Tyrion was unwillingly impressed at her strength, such a life if she had truly lived it should have made her bitter and resentful but instead she was pushing her pain aside to make the most of her situation. She was easily old enough to be his sister and yet so strong and had a wise kind grace about her.
She was kind and strong, determined to not let life grind her down and break her, he admired that. Rather than say this though, he just gave her a small smile and said.
"Your painting is beautiful."
Maylee smiled back and told him.
"Why don't you show me what sort of books you like to read? I would like to know you better."
- x -
Unknown to anyone a small boat had made its way along the coast and towards the cliffs directly below Casterly Rock. Scouring the rocky face until they found an opening they tied their boat up before slipping inside the extremely narrow passage, barely wider than a man it was so hard to move they became stuck several times as they made their way through narrow and twisting caves, looking for the way into the castle itself and the gold within that they hoped to steal.
- x -
Hours had passed as Maylee and Tyrion spoke to each other in the library, looking through books and speaking on different subjects as much of the day passed before they left to make their way to the hall for dinner.
"My ancestor, he went over to Essos and fought as a sellsword for the Dragonlords. He fought in several of their campaigns and even saved the life of a Dragonrider when he was caught away from his dragon by assassins. Striking them down and he was given this sword as a reward for his devotion and loyalty." Maylee said showing Tyrion the sword at her waist. Tyrion smiled as he looked at the sword, eagerly hoping that he could touch it some time.
That was when the men from the boat managed to find an exit into the castle, pushing over a cabinet in the library and the cabinet fell over, making a loud crash. Maylee and Tyrion turned to look and saw the men pulling themselves out of the gap in the stone. Maylee drew her sword and put herself between Tyrion and the men without thinking and the men as they got to their feet, breathing hard from effort looked up and scoffed at her as she held Wraith in her hands.
Whatever words they might have said were pointless though as she rushed forward and cut one down without any hesitation. It was not the first time she had killed and she was like a snake, quick and precise striking at the most vulnerable spot.
The men stopped scoffing then, but she did not let up and kept attacking while Tyrion emboldened and not wanting any of them hurt Maylee so he grabbed the heaviest book he could and slammed it hard into the leg of one of the men, smashing his knee to pieces before as he fell to the floor slamming it into his head.
The sound of the falling bookcase had alerted the guards who came in to see the scene in front of them. Astonished as Maylee and Tyrion took out the would be thieves and they had to do little beyond cleaning up the bodies and removing the few still living. Tyrion was slightly shaking, the impact of it all finally hitting him but Maylee put a hand on his shoulder and pulled him into a hug.
Tyrion had never really had a hug from a woman before, Genna had never bothered and Jaime being his brother was different but Maylee was so warm and nurturing he could not help but enjoy her comfort and reassurance.
Perhaps it would not be so bad having a stepmother.
Queen Visenya, The Jade Sea...
Harmony sat in the cabin which she shared with Haeron and Evelyn, nervous as she had a secret to tell...one that changed their situation and their future plans.
She was carrying Haeron's child inside her, she thought as she put her hand to her stomach and held it.