Chapter 26: Waves and Tides
I would like to thank my beta, Awdyr, for his help in this chapter.
123 AC, Dragonstone
Corlys Velaryon was wary of magic. It wasn't always this way. He had once been fascinated by it, hoping to find a magical treasure in one of his journeys, perhaps even a Valyrian Steel sword. And yet, he had learned through experience and hardship why people feared it so.
He was a scion of Old Valyria, a legacy of a Kingdom built on magic and dragons, and yet what he had seen in Asshai, what he had lost there, had forever shown him why people feared the Higher Mysteries so. He could also understand why the Faith had been so adamant to have it declared as a sin, because what he had seen, what he had experienced, had to be sinful.
Corlys shuddered at the memory of his time in Asshai and instead looked at his beautiful wife's face as they made their way to the Potters' manse.
There had been a distance between them ever since their children's deaths. Corlys often blamed himself for much of what happened. He was one of the most powerful men in the Seven Kingdoms, and yet, he was helpless as his children perished, one through childbirth and the other through murder.
He was as angry as Rhaenys about much, but he had set this anger aside to focus on the future of his house, of his legacy, and that, unfortunately, came at the cost of the support of Rhaenyra and her sons.
By the Gods, there was such an irony in Viserys insisting that Rhaenyra be Queen while having usurped Rhaenys of her throne, in the first place. Oh, how Corlys wished that Jaehaerys could watch it all from the Seven Hells, as his favoured heir, all but created a succession crisis all by himself.
He was too old, now. Corlys could feel it in his bones with every movement. He had resigned himself to supporting Rhaenyra and hoped that, at least, history would remember his name as the grandfather of the next King of the Seven Kingdoms. All this had cost him was his son and his daughter. What a waste, truly.
And yet, things were changing. Viserys was healed, through magic, Corlys could see the signs, and he had dismissed Otto Hightower as his hand and chosen Rhaenys instead.
Corlys did not know how to feel regarding this appointment. He was happy for her to finally get a taste of what was taken from her, even if it was too late. Rhaenys' authority now eclipsed his own, despite him being her husband, which made him slightly uncomfortable, especially given the fact that she planned on being neutral in the feud between Alicent and Rhaenyra, which was all but admitting that she didn't think of Rhaenyra's sons as Laenor's, which could ruin Corlys' plans.
He would need to speak to her about this issue, but of course, the issue with Rhaena came first, and her disturbing closeness to the sorcerer of Dragonstone. Her tale did not make sense. There couldn't be a hidden magical world inside the Dragonmont, with the Children of the Forest and the Others. It was a volcano; there was only molten earth and flames inside.
They had comforted her after their confrontation the night prior. Corlys would be the first to admit that he had been too harsh, at first, in his impulsive wariness of magic. He had immediately done his best to ease her into telling them what she knew, but when he spoke to his wife privately, they both quickly agreed that her attachment with a stranger, let alone a sorcerer, was concerning, to say the least.
By the Gods, what had been Daemon and Rhaenyra doing, for the girl to be so desperate to see a man who, by all accounts, had only been on Dragonstone for less than a fortnight?
From the look on his wife's face as they neared the manse, Corlys knew that she would petition Viserys to take the girl with them, perhaps even Baela.
There was also the concern of what the sorcerer had been doing to her. Magic was dangerous, but most of all, it was costly. What price did Rhaena pay, Corlys couldn't help but wonder, to be given such treasures? He had to admit that the Valyrian Steel dagger and ring, the 'Dragonsteel' blade, a metal he had never heard of before, and the Dragonglass dagger were genuine, and he knew of no sorcerer who would so easily part with them.
He looked at his wife and saw the resolute expression on her face. He noticed Meleys fly over them, screeching loudly enough to wake the Potters, should they be sleeping, and he gulped, "Rhaenys. I share your anger and your worry, but I must urge you to be cautious when we speak to the sorcerer."
"Do you think me incompetent, Corlys?"
"No, my love. But I am sadly experienced with dealing with his kind. First of all, you must not give them any of your blood. Blood magic is a terrible thing, and I have seen curses cast from halfway across the world from a simple drop of blood. Do not make any promises or oaths. They can be far more binding than you can imagine. And do not threaten them. You have an advantage in the shape of Meleys. Sorcerers often revere and fear dragons, but yours is not always nearby. We are there to bargain, not push them into a corner and believe me, they are at their most dangerous when they believe they have nothing to lose."
Their main priority was to remove Rhaena from the man's influence without it costing too much. Corlys would gladly give his life in her defence, and he knew that Rhaenys was much the same. But he could tell from the way she walked that she was tense. Decades of marriage allowed him to recognise his wife's moods easily, and he knew without a doubt that she was extremely tense about the coming confrontation and the danger that Rhaena was in.
His wife's expression morphed into a thoughtful one before nodding in agreement, "That sounds reasonable enough. But we still do not know if this Harry Potter has truly put Rhaena under a spell. It is better not to make any assumptions."
Corlys suppressed the urge to snort at her words, knowing that it was unwise to anger his Dragonrider wife when she was very unsettled by the situation in the first place. She was trying to comfort herself, to convince herself that the danger to their granddaughter was not as severe. It was better than the alternative. Rhaenys had a temper that rarely came into effect. He still remembered calming her as she almost took Meleys to confront Rhaenyra after her marriage to Daemon, mere days after Laenor's death.
He didn't voice his doubt in her claim, but in his experience, sorcerers craved power, much like a man would crave drinking water in the Dothraki Sea.
Power was the only language that they understood. They traded it and would gladly commit abominable acts for it. A Dragonlord was a very powerful prize to have, and very few sorcerers would ever restrain themselves in front of someone like Rhaena. Corlys himself had barely escaped Asshai in the first place, and he knew that sorcerers valued his blood less than that of the last family of Dragonriders in the world.
The main oddity there was the fact that Rhaena seemed convinced that this Harry Potter was responsible for Solarys' hatching. Corlys was doubtful of this, as the Sealord of Braavos had discreetly hired hundreds of sorcerers from around the world to hatch the three Dragon Eggs stolen by Elissa Farman. Of course, Braavos had denied having them, despite Jaehaerys almost going to war over them. Nevertheless, they all failed spectacularly at attempting to hatch the eggs, which was the only reason why Braavos was still standing.
If Harry was truly responsible for Solarys' hatching, it would change things and would undoubtedly make him an asset for the royal family, should this ability be known to them, and grant him even more influence over the King, something that worried Corlys greatly, but not as much as his granddaughter being near this man.
As Corlys and Rhaenys approached the manse, Meleys landed with an intimidating thud and screeched loudly enough to shake the ground slightly. They cautiously approached the manse in question, and the Sea Snake had to admit that this manse did not look like it belonged to a sorcerer. In Asshai, they seemed to relish being around the oily black stone for some reason. The origins of these stones were lost to time, and they made him uneasy to be around, but if Corlys had to guess, it enhanced the powers of the sorcerers in some way.
Instead, the manse looked like a weird extension of Dragonstone, made of what looked like a single piece of stone, which melted into the mountain behind it. There were no markings or strange symbols, just a seemingly ordinary building, other than the infamous Valyrian Stone, which was supposedly lost to time.
As they arrived in front of the door, they found a small piece of parchment attached in front of them, which made Corlys freeze in his tracks, out of bewilderment at the utter madness of it.
Rhaenys grabbed it and snorted despite herself, "Gone fishing. Will be back when bored. If the matter is urgent, please use the boat near the shore."
Corlys turned toward the shore, and there was a small ship that he was sure wasn't there previously. Perhaps it was an illusion. The Warlocks of Quarth were known for their proficiency in them, after all.
However, as he approached, the Sea Snake realised that, despite its small size, this was no ordinary vessel. It was nestled where the sand met the tide, as if the sea itself had deposited it there like a trinket. The hull was long and narrow, tapered like a blade, made from a kind of timber he didn't recognise, pale and smooth, without a blemish or barnacle to mark it.
There was a single mast set toward the middle, low and raked slightly back, with several odd-looking sails furled in tight rolls along the rigging. A bowsprit jutted forward like a spear, far longer and thinner than any Westerosi design, no, it was more different than any design he had ever seen.
He climbed aboard, the deck low to the water and steady beneath his feet. The sails were light and thin. The lines and blocks were made of a pale metal, which couldn't be steel, as it would quickly rust at sea.
Rhaenys climbed behind him, "This is unlike any ship I have ever seen."
"This ship is either the most ingenious or maddest one I have seen," he replied.
"Your obsessions aside, this is still a sorcerer's ship. We should come back at a later date. Perhaps, they would be back then."
Before Corlys could answer, the boat shifted and started to glide forward without making a sound. It was impossible, half of the vessel was on fully stable sand. He had checked it himself.
He didn't get the time to voice the impossibility, as they both stumbled, hands grasping for the railing as the boat gathered speed, cutting through the water with impossible smoothness. The shore was gone in moments, Dragonstone shrinking behind them, a dark tooth on the horizon.
Corlys managed to right himself, blinking salt spray from his eyes. "That's… not natural."
Rhaenys said nothing, her hand clenched tightly on the rail, looking unsettled by what was happening.
Far ahead, a smaller vessel bobbed lazily, far smaller than their own. A man sat on its edge, legs dangling, a wide-brimmed straw hat casting a shadow over his face, and a metal fishing rod in his hand. He waved at them with too much cheer. Next to him, a woman reclined with a book in her hands, utterly unbothered.
Somehow, the boat seemed to push itself towards them, and they got up and walked up towards Corlys and Rhaenys. Other than the book in the woman's hand, he had thought them to be normal fishmen, from a distance, but now that he could see them, he noticed that the clothes that the two wore were too well-made for smallfolk to own.
Other than the straw hat, the man wore a white, unstained cotton shirt, brown breaches, and black boots. Corlys also noticed the odd far-eye contraption on his eyes that the princes had told him of when they showed him their gifts, which immediately made him realise who this was, the sorcerer.
The sorcerer tilted his hat and spoke up, "Howdy."
The woman who was supposed to be his wife answered back, "You're wearing a straw hat, Harry. Stop acting like a cowboy."
"Hey! Don't diss the hat," the sorcerer replied in a slightly childish tone, "And you wear hats all the time."
"I wear hats when they're suitable. You're wearing it because you think it's cool."
"They are cool," he protested.
"Whatever you say, dear," the woman replied in a patronising voice.
The man glared at her before turning towards them, "Ah, sorry about that. I'm Harry Potter. This is my wife, Daphne. What brings you to our little fishing trip?"
Corlys had no idea what a cowboy was, and what a lack of heat had to do with hats, but he brushed it off as some sort of foreign culture. Instead, he took the time to observe the supposed sorcerer.
He did not look like the sorcerers in Asshai or the magic users in Quarth, whom he had met. There was always something unsettling when they were near, like the world itself baulked at their unnaturalness. Even wood-witches had this air of unnaturalness to them. Instead, aside from the odd clothes, Corlys would have never picked these two people out as magic users.
He didn't know if this was reassuring or the complete opposite.
Rhaenys glared at them, "It was your cursed boat that brought us here."
"Were the instructions unclear or something?" the man muttered, mostly to himself, "I'm pretty sure it said to use the ship if you needed to speak with us. What did you expect would happen?"
"We didn't expect the ship to depart on its own," Corlys answered with a calm voice, "We apologise for any offence given."
"Meh, what offence. I thought I might have accidentally made a mistake or something. I don't usually make magical mistakes these days, especially with something as basic as an animation charm or a conditional illusion."
Corlys barely understood most of what the man said and asked, "I'm afraid I'm not familiar with this kind of ship. Would you be able to help us return to shore?"
"Oh, of course. It shouldn't take much… Sorry, I didn't catch your names…."
Corlys snorted and shared a look with his wife, "My name is Corlys Velaryon, the Lord of Driftmark. This is my wife, Rhaenys, daughter of Aemon Targaryen and rider of Meleys."
He hoped that the implied threat of a dragon could give him any advantage over the coming conversation, only for him to be surprised as the man's smile widened, "Ah, Rhaena's grandparents. She speaks very highly of both of you. You, especially, Lord Corlys, are someone I've been meaning to speak with in some time."
That response was both confusing as it was threatening. Corlys was used to be known as the infamous Sea Snake, Lord of the wealthiest house in the Seven Kingdoms, a man who had travelled the world and enriched his house with his daring and adventures. His wife was the sole daughter of the heir of the Seven Kingdoms; she had been usurped, often known as the Queen Who Never Was.
It was extremely unusual to be known as Rhaena's grandfather, more than anything, and he did not know how to reply to this. It was also extremely unsettling that a sorcerer sought him out personally: "If I may ask, why would you wish to speak with me?"
"Oh, the stories you must have. I'm a bit of an adventurer, you see, and some of your accounts could be useful for a few of my future expeditions."
Well, that was something that Corlys would happily share: "As flattering as this is, we are not here to share the tales of this old man."
"Oh, then why are you here?" the golden-haired woman asked, while raising an eyebrow.
"It has come to our attention that our granddaughter, Rhaena, has spent time in your company without any supervision. As her grandparents, you understand our concern, of course," Corlys replied.
"Sure," the woman, Daphne, replied, "She's a wonderful girl, Rhaena. I'm sure that she would grow up to be an amazing woman, in time."
"She is, and we are very proud of her. Unfortunately, the lords of Westeros will not take kindly to her closeness to people so entrenched in the Higher Mysteries, and in my travels, I did see some very concerning applications of such unnatural powers, applications that I do not wish to see my granddaughter subjected to."
The Potters looked at one another for a few seconds before the man replied, "I'm not sure what you think happened during Rhaena's time with us, but we assure you that she was safe for most of it."
That seemed to suck the last of Rhaenys' patience. Corlys knew that she was quite emotional with the possibility of losing Rhaena to a sorcerer, likely afraid of losing more of their children's legacies. She was usually more controlled than this, "Enough courtesies and aimless words. We wish that you free Rhaena from your influence."
Corlys suppressed the urge to wince at Rhaenys' directness, yet what surprised him the most was the fact that, for the first time, the sorcerer and his wife seemed taken completely off guard by Rhaenys' words.
"Free her from our influence? What are you on about?" the sorcerer asked, genuinely bewildered, glancing at his wife as if to confirm he hadn't missed something.
Corlys shared a look with Rhaenys at that, both silent, both frowning, realising, perhaps for the first time, that things might not be as they had feared.
AN: I'll admit it. This chapter got away from me a bit. It was meant to have more interaction with Harry, but I guess I'll pick it up in the next chapter. This was my first time writing Corlys, and I hope that I wrote his character somewhat accurately, his wariness of magic somewhat overshadowed by seeing a new ship, and trying to figure it out. Rhaenys being blunt in the end feels a bit off, to be honest, but I wanted to show her that she would be the more emotional one of the two if she thinks her family is in danger. As usual, please let me know what you think and if you have any suggestions.
Chapter 27: Tempest of Magic
I would like to thank my beta, Awdyr, for his help in this chapter.
123 AC, Dragonstone
"Free her from our influence? What are you on about?" the sorcerer asked, genuinely bewildered, glancing at his wife as if to confirm he hadn't missed something. Corlys shared a look with Rhaenys at that, both silent, both frowning, realising, perhaps for the first time, that things might not be as they had feared.
Rhaenys Velaryon would admit that confronting the two sorcerers while they were alone so far away from shore was an unwise decision. She hadn't meant to be so direct with them, but she was unsettled with the entire encounter.
She was very anxious about the likely danger to her granddaughter. She was not an expert in the Higher Mysteries, and neither was her husband, but what he had told her of his expeditions showed magic as a force of cruelty and sacrifice, something that no young girl should be around.
The odd magic ship that moved on its own had disturbed her immensely. Her husband was, as well, even if his fascination with the odd ship which he gave an admiring look despite the situation they were in. The fact that the ship had appeared from thin air, with the sorcerer being miles away, fishing of all things, hadn't calmed her down in the slightest.
It didn't help that her leverage in the form of Meleys had all but vanished the moment the sorcerer and his wife stood on the odd ship. After all, she couldn't exactly threaten to kill them without risking her dragon burning her and her husband in the process. It was why she hadn't mentally summoned her dragon to her, something that hadn't helped.
And so, as she saw Corlys speak to the sorcerer and his wife, in a way that reminded her of how he interacted with her grandfather, overly polite, afraid to offend with any words, while also slowly circling the subject, her frustration roared to new heights. Was this how sorcerers wished to be treated, like kings?
In a way, she understood. What was a king but a man who could destroy one's life or bless it with nothing more than a few words and perhaps even a whim? There was more to it, but people feared the power kings possessed, and sorcerers certainly had power to them, according to her husband, at least.
Her granddaughters were all she had left of her children. How would she face Laena after letting a sorcerer put her daughter under a spell? Images flashed in her mind, of Rhaena being sacrificed in a pyre, of her being withered by shadows, of her being stabbed with the Dragonglass knife, of her losing the light in her eyes which she had inherited from Laena.
She was to be the second strongest person in the Seven Kingdoms, the highest a woman had ever risen in terms of political power, and yet she felt powerless before a man wearing a silly straw hat, whom her husband spoke to in a way he spoke to a King.
She couldn't control herself for much longer and spoke up, "Enough courtesies and aimless words. We wish that you free Rhaena from your influence."
Rhaenys did regret being so direct, especially given the warnings her husbands had given her in dealing with sorcerers. And yet, she did not show this outwardly; she stared into the sorcerer's green eyes, having all but demanded he set Rhaena free.
And yet, the panic or the cunning she expected to see in his eyes never materialised, and instead, all she saw was confusion, "Free her from our influence? What are you on about?"
She shared a look with Corlys, and he looked like he wished to speak, but Rhaenys had no wish to offer endless platitudes to the sorcerer, not when he had obviously not been offended by her directness, "We know the value a Dragonlord has to your kind, and I will not have my granddaughter be involved in any form of magics. Name your price, sorcerer, and set her free."
If anything, the man's confusion remained, "Is this about what happened last night? I'll admit that the expedition was slightly more eventful than I expected and that we shouldn't have taken Rhaena with us on that one. She was perfectly safe, I assure you, but some knowledge is dangerous in its own way."
This time, it was Rhaenys' time to be confused. She shared a look with her husband, who shared her bewilderment, which he voiced: "What did happen last night?"
"Umm, the expedition to Skagos," the sorcerer replied casually as if what he said wasn't impossible, "I wouldn't say it was dangerous, just informative. I didn't expect to see a Child of the Forest there, or remnants of White Walkers from the Long Night. Very fascinating, given how little is known of the island other than its unicorns and the fact that its residents trade with the wildlings north of the wall. I think this is because of a lack of record-keeping and the isolation of the island."
"I'm afraid I must have misheard. Did you say that you were in Skagos last night?"
"Yes, I did. Other than the possessed Greenseer, it was quite pleasant. Oh, and the Ice Spider. A shame about the Child of the Forest, though. I had so much to ask her about the Long Night. Then again, I like the challenge in figuring it out myself," the sorcerer replied.
"That's impossible. It would take many weeks, perhaps even many moons, to make the trip there by ship," her husband commented, feeling baffled, "It would even take days on dragonback."
"Sure, but we didn't go there by dragonback or by ship," he replied, and for some reason, she saw his wife roll her eyes at him.
She didn't have time to question why that was, because suddenly, she looked around and found herself staring at a familiar mountain in the distance. She remembered it well from the few times she had travelled there. Casterly Rock, the seat of House Lannister, loomed in the distance, golden in the light, carved from the very cliffside like a lion baring its fangs toward the sea. Its heights caught the wind, towering over Lannisport below like a monument to pride and power. Rhaenys could hardly believe her eyes.
"Oh," Harry Potter said simply, tilting his hat back. "Distance doesn't really mean much to me."
Rhaenys barely registered what the sorcerer had said, stupefied at what she was witnessing. How were they on the complete other side of the continent? It was impossible. It was completely and utterly mad.
Her husband seemed to share her awe, which slowly turned to scepticism, "This is an illusion, isn't it?"
Potter didn't seem insulted by her husband's denial. In fact, he didn't look concerned in any way, "You can achieve much with illusions, far more than people think. One could live their entire lives inside an illusion, be born into it, and die in it as well. It is true that I could probably trick you into believing the same way, but I do not see a reason to do so in the first place…"
Rhaenys hadn't expected the man to so casually speak of magic. After all, it was a mysterious force, one whose secrets are guarded zealously by its practitioners, yet the man sounded like a Maester teaching an uneducated lordling.
In truth, Rhaenys knew that the sorcerer wasn't lying. It wasn't by any virtue of his honesty or any words he said. No, it was because, while she still felt her bond with Meleys, it felt like it was muted by distance, much like the few years she was away from King's Landing, before her father allowed her to ride Meleys for longer trips. It had been a stipulation from King Jaehaerys at the time. He did not like the idea of a woman being a Dragonrider without being married to a Targaryen. Looking back, she could see the wisdom of it, of not having Dragonriders outside the ruling family in fear of a civil war involving dragons. Not that it mattered with the incoming succession crisis.
Yet, her father had insisted on Rhaenys claiming a dragon as was her right as his daughter, and her grandfather agreed with a few stipulations. When she was far from her dragon, the bond was muted, but she could still feel it, much like she was now.
Her husband, though, seemed unconvinced: "You cannot expect us to believe you because of your goodwill."
Again, the man seemed completely at peace with Corlys' denial, "Corlys Velaryon, you're a man looking at the world through a keyhole. You've spent your whole life trying to widen that keyhole... to see more, to know more. And now, on hearing that it can be widened, in ways you can't imagine, you reject the possibility. A bit of scepticism is healthy, of course, but it is the height of foolishness to blame what you do not wish to see as lies or illusions. After all, the world is far larger and far more wonderful than one could possibly imagine. To deny it all in favour of comfort and normalcy would be extremely tragic."
Corlys still seemed unconvinced, but Rhaenys discreetly poked up and nodded. Her husband immediately understood that she was convinced somehow that it was true, and his eyes widened, "I apologise for doubting your prowess, sorcerer. You must understand that this changes what people believe magic to be capable of."
"What people believe and what is true are not always one and the same. There are truths of this world, some magical in nature, some not, that would surprise even the most knowledgeable man. It is the purpose of humanity to uncover these secrets and build wonders."
Rhaenys saw that Corlys wished to ask something, and she decided to speak up instead. After all, there was a reason they had confronted the sorcerer in the first place: "What is the nature of your relationship with Rhaena?"
"Did Rhaena tell you how we met?"
"I suppose you don't mean when you broke your fast with Rhaenyra and Daemon."
The man nodded, and Rhaenys continued, "She said you saved her from the Cannibal, after she snuck out."
"I did. It was entirely by chance, I assure you, but without my interference, she would have perished that day. I brought her to the manse and was prepared to berate the girl for her foolishness. And yet, all I have seen is a lonely girl wishing that someone would care for her. She thought that a Dragon would make her family love her, and that claiming a strong and powerful one would make her matter. It didn't, not truly, and when I gave her a dragon, when her egg hatched, she realised that as well. And so, I wished to show her that there was more to the world than that. The expeditions into the Dragonmont and Skagos, as dangerous as they were, are memories that will stay with her forever, adventures that she will treasure for the rest of her days."
Rhaenys had expected many answers. A man seeking to influence the house of the dragons, a sorcerer seeking an apprentice who had Valyrian blood or more sinisterly, a man wishing to sacrifice a Dragonlord for the sake of power.
Like it or not, they were at his mercy. They were alone, practically unarmed, apart from a dagger she had hidden and her husband's sword, in a ship hallway across the continent with two men capable of magic. He had no need to lie.
Still, the answer surprised her completely, and Corlys was much the same: "You took a young girl halfway across the world, let her keep mementoes worth a fortune, all because she was sad."
This time, it was the sorcerer's wife who answered, "It is a sad world when showing kindness to a sad child is deemed outlandish."
Rhaenys did not know what to say to that, and obviously neither did her husband. Was that truly all there was to it, kindness? For a long moment, neither Rhaenys nor Corlys spoke. The wind shifted across the deck, carrying with it the scent of salt and the whisper of waves, as if the sea itself waited for their answer.
Finally, Corlys broke the silence, changing the subject completely, "So, it was all true, the Children of the Forest… The Others…"
"As I said, Lord Corlys, the world is far larger than you could have possibly imagined."
The sorcerer did not say much after this, choosing to look at the sea instead of continuing their conversation. His wife had gone back to read her book, while she and Corlys stayed in silence.
Rhaenys frowned as she noticed that the waves had been picking up slowly over their conversation. She heard Lady Daphne speak up while still reading her book, "Are you going to do something about that?"
She had no idea what she was referring to, and neither did her husband, and yet the sorcerer seemed to understand it easily enough with a thoughtful tone, "Nah, I'm curious to see where this goes."
"But right now? With them on board?"
The man smiled and waved his hand dismissively, "It'll be fine."
"Whatever you say, dear," the golden-haired woman replied with a dry tone, which did not reassure Rhaenys at all.
She and Corlys shared a concerned look. They were definitely speaking of them. Rhaenys shifted slightly, hand brushing the small dagger hidden in the folds of her robe, while her husband's fingers tightened around his sword's pommel. They had never been so vulnerable in all their lives.
The wind howled louder. The waves that had lapped lazily against the hull earlier now struck violently, rising higher and falling more fiercely. The clouds rolled in overhead, far too fast to be natural. It was like the sea itself was raging at their presence. She couldn't see Casterly Rock anymore, or any land, for that matter, just the waves, and that she could barely make out as the clouds blocked out the sun.
Something was coming. She could feel it, as could Corlys from the way he straightened beside her, his eyes narrowing toward the mist that was beginning to gather.
They were proven right when a ship emerged, somehow having remained perfectly hidden by the storm that had appeared so suddenly. She recognised the sails immediately, black sails and a golden kraken.
The Iron Born.
What were they even doing so close to the Westerlands?
There was no time to ask. Hooks flew from above, clanging against the deck, and iron-booted raiders dropped down in practised silence, blades bared.
Corlys didn't hesitate. In one smooth motion, he stepped in front of her, his blade drawn and ready, standing firm, despite his age, knowing that he would not be able to fight that many men.
Rhaenys wished that Meleys were nearby, that it could fly and burn these raiders to their precious drowned gods. But there was a way they could survive this, Harry Potter, the sorcerer who had made them travel thousands of miles, in the blink of an eye, the man who had, according to her granddaughter, made the Cannibal flee in terror.
When she looked at him, she expected bursts of fire and lightning, a complete desolation of the coming ship. Instead, he merely raised both hands, utterly unconcerned, and said in an overly pleasant tone, "We surrender."
The Ironborn blinked, and Rhaenys wished to hit him, especially when he gave her a small, mischievous wink. She looked at his wife, who also seemed completely unconcerned, maybe slightly irritated at the interruption at best.
The sorcerer's smile, if anything, widened. "Take me to your leader," he giggled slightly, and she swore that she heard him mutter under his breath, "I've always wanted to say that."
Rhaenys stared at him, stunned.
Daphne Potter closed her book, stood up with the grace of someone completely unimpressed, and muttered, "Honestly," before following her husband down the deck.
The wind howled louder still. The waves rose behind them.
And Rhaenys was left clutching her dagger, uncertain whether she'd been taken prisoner or had simply wandered into madness.