"Aegon... Aegonnn..."
"Ah... ah, my head... it's hurting like hell."
I woke up to a severe, throbbing pain in my head. As I forced my eyes open, my vision swam before slowly sharpening. A shrill voice was drilling into my ear, and as the world came into focus, I recognized the source: my bitch of an aunt, leaning over me with a look of pure contempt.
"You good for nothing boy," she shrilled. "It's past time you woke up and did your duties. All I ever see is a lazy layabout. You need to pull yourself together."
"Yeah, yeah," I mumbled, turning my face into the rough pillow. "Can you please shut your mouth?"
Her face twisted in outrage. "WHAT DID YOU SAY? How dare you speak to your aunt like that? No breakfast for you! I clearly need to teach you some manners!"
I pushed myself up, the room spinning slightly as I glared at her. "You are my step-aunt," I snarled, my voice low and dangerous. "Don't you dare try to act like my mother. And I am a fucking lord. The inheritance of my uncle will go to me in three months when I turn eighteen. So technically, you are living under my roof, lady. Mind your tongue."
She bent her knees slightly, bringing her face closer to mine. Her sharp fingers dug into my chin, forcing me to meet her intense, staring eyes. "You will not talk to me like this, or I will have you punished, boy. Understand this: you are still a boy, and you will obey me without protest."
She released my chin with a shove and straightened up, a smug look on her face. "Now, if you'll excuse me, I am going to meet the viscount on some business. I will be gone for a week. Don't you try any funny business while I'm gone."
"You're meeting that greasy viscount? Ser... what was his name again? I can't seem to recall it," I said, letting the insolence hang in the air.
Her lips curled into a cruel smile. "Are you forgetting that you are a baron and he is your liege lord? If I tell him you've been speaking ill of him behind his back, he will hang you for it. And he will believe me. Hahahahah! So do yourself a favor and remember your lord's name: Cedric Valemont."
"Like I care," I muttered, turning away.
"Guards!" she called out, her voice echoing down the stone hallway. "Escort me to my wagon and prepare for my journey!"
She swept out of the room, her guards falling into step behind her. The heavy oak door slammed shut, and silence finally descended.
Great. What a way to start the day.
Still, at least I won't have to see that bitch's face for a week. A small mercy, I guess. After killing my uncle, she's probably going to hop right into Viscount Valemont's bed.
I'm Aegon, the lord of Thornvill village. Technically, I'm just a baron within the Seven Kingdoms. My father and mother both died when I was only a year old. From then, I was raised by my uncle and aunt. But last year, my aunt died mysteriously. The maester said it was poison. Then, just three months later, my uncle married this bitch. I'm certain she's the reason for my aunt's murder. I don't know the truth about my mother, but my aunt... she was a mother to me. A kind woman with a heart as gentle as a flower. And my uncle, well, he was strict, but he allowed me my freedoms. My father had been elevated from a knight to a baron for his bravery in battle, but it cost him his life. So, my uncle inherited the title and this estate until I came of a proper age.
I needed to vent. I found Arthur, one of the household guards, polishing his spear by the main door.
"Where is my breakfast? I am hungry"
"Young Lord, I am sorry but Miss Frey has given me strict orders not to"
"Well, Arthur," I said, my voice low and sharp. "That bitch Frey is gone for a week. You can keep following her orders like a loyal dog, but you'd better remember—you might not see the full week."
Arthur flinched, his hand tightening on the shaft of his spear. Before he could stammer a reply, a new voice cut through the air, smooth and laced with condescending power.
"Don't fear, Arthur. I am here, and he will not do any such thing as long as I am."
I turned. It was my stepsister. The only child of that bitch and her late husband. My uncle was a fool to ever marry a widow.
"What the fuck are you doing here?" I snarled. "Aren't you supposed to be studying magic at that university?"
A smirk played on her lips. "Well, I was, you idiot. But Mother couldn't trust you to run this village without burning it down, so she asked me to come back and... supervise."
"Oh, well, I don't really care who she invited," I shot back. "And I certainly don't care whose dick she rides—"
FWOOSH!
A sphere of crackling fire, the size of a fist, materialized in the air an inch from my face. The heat was intense, singeing my eyebrows and making my eyes water.
Flare stood there, her hand outstretched, a cruel smile on her face. "You should be careful with your words, young lord," she purred, her voice dripping with false sweetness. "If not, we might see some fire. Hahahaha!"
My stepsister. A prodigy in fire magic. This is a magical world, true, but magic isn't common. Only those of baronial blood or higher are supposed to be able to wield it. How the hell this witch became a prodigy is beyond me.
Flare. A young woman with hair the color of a raging flame and eyes to match. They say powerful magic can change a user's appearance, twisting their hair and eye color to reflect their element. But the most... distracting thing about her is her body. Her huge, juggling tits and her thick, juicy ass. I'm certain when she left for the academy a year ago, she was built like a boy. Now she's blossomed into a womanly shape that's nothing short of obscene. I guess getting fucked by all those high lords at the academy will do that to you. And now, with her here, I can't do any funny business. She's a magical leash.
"Fuck," I muttered, stepping back from the dissipating heat. "I'm hungry, and I can't even eat in my own damn house. Fuck that bitch and her daughter. I wish I'd been fucking born with some magical power."
I turned on my heel and headed for the door. "Whatever. I'm going for a stroll."