Old Town,
"It's from Wylis?" Lyanna exclaimed as she received the raven from Qyburn.
Ashara shifted closer to Lyanna's side to peek at it. "Finally. I was growing anxious."
Right away, Lyanna unrolled the paper and read it. Her lips curved into a beautiful, big smile by the very first few words.
[As Lord Wylis Kaiser of Ramsgate, I invite my beautiful ladies to pay a guarded escort some fat coins and begin the journey. I shall be waiting with my halls decorated to welcome—With love, Wylis.]
"He did it!" Lyanna cried, her hands trembling. "He is a lord now, Ashara. Truly, he did it!"
Lyanna felt pride swell in her chest, having seen Wylis go from nothing to having so much. Having seen him grunt and frown while working in the stables. Training swords with her secretly. Their first kiss. Their first night. Him becoming a knight. Being the one who had loved him from the time when he had nothing, the feeling was ethereal. It felt like she herself became a lord.
Even Ashara smiled ear to ear, feeling proud and excited. She, too, had fallen for the seven-foot warrior in the tourney. He was just a stableboy at that time. And now, she felt no regrets. "But why Ramsgate?"
While Ashara didn't know about Wylis' secret powers, Lyanna did. And having lived with her big, beloved brute for years, she understood him best.
"It's tucked away, and there's a port. You know Wylis, Ashara. Trade will be on his mind as much as anything else. We both know he's as much a man of brains as brawns," Lyanna explained. "Come, let's get ready. Oldtown is a marvel, but I'm growing sick of the Starry Sept's bells."
"As am I," Qyburn added, sighing. "I have much to learn from Lord Wylis."
####
Crownlands,
Alone, Wylis left the city. Sacks tied to his horse, carrying scraps of Valyrian steel, pouches filled with gold, and one golden dragon egg. He still hadn't taken all the gold treasure he'd found; it was too much to carry on a single horse.
But he didn't rush to the North, and instead traveled at a slow pace, waiting for the sky to go dark.
Once he was sure that nobody was following him, he took the road towards Rosby. That let him travel east, adjacent to King's Landing. But there was Blackwater Bay to deal with. Thankfully, the waves were gentle that night.
Near midnight, he went to the shore and paddled a stolen boat into Blackwater Bay. It wasn't safe to row around like that at night, especially when the destination was the Red Keep. The castle's base was surrounded by large rocks, and the only safe spot was the cave's entrance.
It wasn't a full moon either, so it was pretty dark.
Still, he knew the general direction. Following the Red Keep's many torches as guidance, he knew where that cave was.
In truth, Wylis had pondered over his actions many times now. He questioned why he was doing so much to save Elia? Why was he inviting so much headache when he already had Lyanna and soon Rhaella to deal with? Elia was an unknown card that he didn't know how it would play. Heck, at least he had an emotional connection with Rhaella and understood her. He had no clue about Elia's mindset. What if she decided to fight for the throne again?
But then he reminded himself. He was doing it for the little ones. Maybe it would have been better if Elia had died. Heck, maybe he should've let her die. Sadly, Amory Lorch would have done far worse to her before killing, which was too much.
I gotta get strong enough to not give a shit.
At last, he reached the cave opening.
Splash!
He jumped into the water and pulled the boat over the shore before walking into the cave. He grabbed a torch and lit it on fire after ensuring there was nobody nearby.
It didn't take long to find the wall of the secret chamber he had created.
Knock! Knock!
"Elia, it Wylis." He warned her, no longer bothering to call her Grace this or that. "Get away from the wall. I'll break it."
He waited a few seconds before using Earthbending to shatter the wall. He made it look like it crumbled, instead of just opening up.
Right away, his torch's light shone over their faces. They had changed into the clothes he'd given them before. Little Aegon was now bald, Elia had cut her hair short like a man's, and Rhaenys was left as is. All jewelry was removed.
I guess she made up her mind.
"So, what will it be? Me or Dorne?" He plainly asked. He really hoped it wouldn't be Dorne. Escorting her there would be a massive pain in the ass.
"I only wish to live, to see them grow," Elia said softly, tears gathering. "I'll go with you, Wylis."
Wylis said nothing and just nodded.
He stepped aside, giving them room to walk out of the secret chamber. He made them walk ahead of himself and destroyed any traces of the secret chamber using Earthbending.
He let them get into the boat first and then pushed it back into the water.
From there, he rowed the same way he had come. Back to the little shore camp he had set where Caliburn was also hitched.
At the shore, he jumped into the water and dragged the boat. He moved fast, lifted Rhaenys out of the boat, and then helped Elia as she also held the little babe.
"We won't stop here. King's Landing is busy, but the rest isn't," Wylis said, leading them to Caliburn. Beside him stood another horse, smaller and gentler. "Lady Elia, you shall ride this one. Rhaenys will sit with me. By dawn, we'll reach Duskendale, and from there take a ship to White Harbor."
The caramel-skinned Dornish woman nodded and obeyed his directions. No longer wearing a royal gown, but rather trousers and a robe above, proper for a Northern expedition, she climbed the horse with ease. Then she made a harness to hold baby Aegon to her chest.
Finally, Wylis got on his mighty steed, as giant as he was. He made the excited little girl sit in front of himself and tied a strip of cloth around them both to ensure she wouldn't fall even if she were to fall asleep.
"Let's move."
In the dark of the night, he resumed his journey.
Sure, there was risk. But by now, the entire realm had received ravens detailing Elia Martell's death, blamed on King Aerys. The plot to burn King's Landing was also made public, detailing how much wildfire was placed under the city. Wylis was proclaimed the hero by Robert for stopping the Mad King. At the same time, the incident gave more legitimacy and cause to Robert's rebellion.
Now, even if someone were to recognise him and ask who the woman and children were, he could simply sigh and confess to siring bastards. Little Aegon was believable, but Rhaenys was too old to make it make sense. Still, Wylis wouldn't let them ask more questions. They'd just have to believe him.
It was a boring ride. There weren't even bandits to spice things up a little. Just gentle-paced trotting until they reached Duskendale right before sunrise.
The town was significant, large, spread out around its harbor, and was guarded by strong walls. The seat of House Rykker was the Dun Fort castle, a large castle that overlooked the town and its harbor.
Thankfully, the entry to the castle and town were separate. While the town's gates were guarded, Wylis was far too recognizable to be stopped. A few words from him, the size of his horse, and the length of his sword did enough. He tossed them a silver coin each and crossed. They didn't even bother looking at Elia's hooded face, too focused on bootlicking Wylis.
While he could have stayed at the Seven Swords Inn there and waited for sunrise, he chose to board the ship right away.
Not as grand and important as King's Landing, but Duskendale's port was still busy. Finding a ship headed to White Harbor wasn't hard, as it was the largest city in the North.
The captain of the ship, a resident of White Harbor itself, even refused to take coin from Wylis. Ever since Wylis had won the tourney, beaten the Prince, he'd become famous. And whatever happened afterwards, winning every single battle in rebellion, killing Rhaegar, and killing King Aerys—all elevated Wylis' name to a legend in the North. He was the source of pride to the smallfolk of the North. A living example of a lowborn rising to the epitome of society.
Wylis still gave two silver stags to the man and occupied a small cabin on the ship.
Since it was predominantly a cargo ship, the cabins weren't designed for luxury or space. Sure, they were often used to transport people, but lodging was never the focus. Heck, getting a bed was already a luxury, all thanks to his fame and lordly status.
And since Wylis was selling the whole 'they're my bastard's' tale, asking for another cabin was a bad idea.
But he was no sexual fiend or schemer. He respected Elia's boundaries and barely ever rested in the cabin. Being such a large man, there was no way they could all sleep together without pressing into one another.
He spent the entire daytime on the deck, talking with the captain, sailors, or other travelers. He was the only noble on the ship. Other times he practiced with his sword, each time earning plenty of audience. Watching him swing that massive blade that even dwarfed men was entertaining.
But at night, he had to enter the cabin to rest.
While Rhaenys was always excited, Elia wasn't. He would lie down and fall asleep. But Elia would only sit with her back against the wall the whole time, only sleeping during the day when he wouldn't be there.
Wylis didn't mind the distrust and the walls she'd built around herself. He was the man who ended the Targaryen dynasty and placed the new King on the throne. He imagined her mind was filled with doubts, questions about her decision to even trust him. The very man she should hate.
But it was alright.
He was doing it for himself. To feel better about himself. To not start his lordly career with aiding infanticide.
______________________
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