The next morning, a crowd gathered on the platform in front of Dragonstone to see them off.
Ashara, Rhaenys, and Daenerys stood side by side, surrounding Viserys. Behind them followed Margaery, Arya, and Kinvara, though Kinvara stood at a distance, her deep blue eyes reflecting some concern for Viserys's upcoming journey.
They had only just learned that Viserys was going to The Wall. Originally, Arya wanted Viserys to take the opportunity to bring her back to Winterfell, but Viserys refused, stating that dragons would not allow anyone other than a Targaryen to ride them.
Daenerys hugged his waist tightly, her small face buried in his chest. "Brother, remember to come back early, and then tell me stories about The Wall."
"Alright, I will," Viserys said, affectionately stroking her silver hair.
Ghidorah was already crouched in the center of the platform. Her three heads took turns looking at the women who were still reluctant to part, her molten gold eyes carrying a somewhat human-like expression of speechlessness.
Viserys gave Ashara a final embrace, then kissed the small faces of Daenerys and Rhaenys. Of course, he didn't forget to nod and say goodbye to the women behind them before turning to walk toward Ghidorah.
He skillfully climbed onto her back and had just settled firmly at the base of the dragon's neck when Ghidorah let out a low roar. Her wings suddenly unfurled, kicking up a gale that sent the women's robes fluttering.
Viserys felt a slight change in Ghidorah's mood, but he didn't think much of it. "Wait for my return," his voice carried on the wind.
In the next moment, Ghidorah soared into the air, her massive shadow sweeping across the platform as she quickly rose into the high sky, flying swiftly toward the northwest.
The golden scales traced a dazzling trail in the morning light, soon becoming a tiny black dot on the horizon before finally vanishing from everyone's sight.
Rhaenys kept her head tilted up, watching Viserys until no trace of him could be seen.
Seeing the young girl's worry, Ashara placed a hand gently on her shoulder, gave her a reassuring look, and then led everyone back into the fortress.
Ghidorah's flight speed was much faster than that of other dragons; it took less than three days to cross the Narrow Sea.
During this time, Viserys remained seated on the dragon's neck, feeling the gale rushing against his face during the high-speed flight. Occasionally, he would circulate magic to form a thin barrier around himself, which both blocked the wind and allowed him to get some sleep.
Soon, he could clearly see the rugged coastline of Westeros below. It looked like five splayed fingers; this should be The Fingers peninsula in the Vale, the domain of Petyr Baelish, the "Lord of Sheepshit."
Viserys recalled the map of Westeros to confirm their direction, then had Ghidorah fly north along the coastline. They planned to fly to the mouth of the White Knife first, then turn inland to strike directly into the heart of The North.
To avoid causing a commotion too early, Viserys kept Ghidorah flying above the cloud layer. He only lowered their altitude briefly when he needed to confirm landmarks.
Soon, they were flying over White Harbor.
White Harbor was the largest city in The North, with the castle of House Manderly standing at the mouth of the river.
Currently, only a few dozen ships were anchored in the harbor. Compared to the busy ports of Valyria, it seemed much quieter here. Pedestrians on the streets were also sparse; clearly, the war had already affected Westeros's trade.
Viserys did not stop, guiding Ghidorah further north.
During the subsequent flight, the desolation and poverty of The North gradually revealed itself. There were vast stretches of bare rocky mountains and expansive wilderness, with only occasional small patches of forest surrounded by villages and castles.
The further north they went, the sparser the population became and the colder the climate grew. Even though it was currently the height of summer, the sky over The North felt gloomy.
On the morning of the second day after arriving in Westeros, Winterfell appeared in Viserys's field of vision.
Viserys had Ghidorah lower her altitude slightly to carefully observe this castle that House Stark had managed for thousands of years. From the air, Winterfell looked much smaller than he had imagined, and the fortifications were clearly dated. Although The Walls were thick, they were relatively low, making them easy to scale.
The number of guards on the castle was also quite sparse; it seemed Robb Stark truly had taken most of the soldiers The North could muster. No wonder Winterfell was so easily captured later on.
He could see several children practicing archery in the castle's inner courtyard. A woman stood beside them—that should be Catelyn—and she was currently looking up at the sky. Viserys could even see the expression of shock and worry on her face.
A sudden thought flashed through his mind: if he attacked now, Winterfell would surely be reduced to ashes under Dragonfire. But Viserys quickly suppressed the thought; after all, mere destruction would only create deeper hatred.
By this time, the guards inside the castle had also spotted the three-headed dragon in the sky. They ran onto The Walls in a panic, and some archers began to assemble.
"Enough, let's go," Viserys said, gently patting the dragon's neck. "Continue north."
This was the first time he had revealed his presence in Westeros, but it was intentional. By the time the news spread, he might already be a guest at The Wall.
Furthermore, if the Northern army knew a dragon had appeared at their home, they might fight even more urgently than in the original timeline, thereby accelerating the overall progress of the war.
Ghidorah ascended once more, flying toward the even colder north. After leaving the vicinity of Winterfell, signs of human life became even scarcer, with villages only appearing near larger castles.
The situation in Queenscrown was even worse. This town, which once provided supplies for the Nights Watch, was now nothing but ruins, with clear signs of having been burned and looted.
Moreover, there were some figures wandering among the ruins who quickly hid upon seeing the dragon. These could be Wildling scouts who had crossed The Wall, or perhaps deserters and displaced people who had turned to banditry.
However, these had nothing to do with Viserys for now, and he had no intention of dealing with them.
After flying past Queenscrown, the scenery below actually improved quite a bit, with large patches of forest and grassland becoming visible.
This was Gift belonging to the Nights Watch, originally the granary and pasture for the Night's Watch legion, though it was now a wasteland. However, perhaps because The Wall ahead blocked the cold currents, it looked somewhat more fertile than other parts of The North.
Yet, just as he could see the towering white wall of ice in the distance, an unexpected situation occurred in an open space at the edge of a forest below.
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