Chapter 85: You Are My Prisoner Now
Saelen watched Jon closely but said nothing. He simply gave him an encouraging look—and made no move to stop Sunflame.
He wanted to see for himself whether dragons hatched through system mana would still be drawn to those with Targaryen blood.
He wasn't worried about Jon revealing the secret. At the current rate of growth, Bloodshadow would mature soon enough. By then, he would have nothing to fear.
Besides, if his judgment was correct, the War of the Five Kings was about to erupt. When the red comet appeared and Magic returned to the world, Daenerys's three dragons would also be born. Westeros would descend into chaos. Without seeing it firsthand, few would believe he possessed dragons.
Encouraged by Saelen's gaze, Jon steeled himself and reached out to touch Sunflame.
The young dragon paused mid-breath. It sniffed the air, then slowly withdrew the gathering fire in its throat. The fury in its eyes faded, replaced by curiosity. Tilting its head, it studied Jon, then leaned forward to sniff his hand.
A soft, low rumble followed—almost like a cat's purr.
Jon stared in amazement as he gently stroked its head. Sunflame didn't resist. Instead, it half-closed its eyes, quietly enjoying the contact.
Saelen narrowed his eyes slightly, deep in thought.
So there truly was an innate connection—no matter how the egg was hatched, dragons seemed naturally inclined toward Targaryen blood.
"Skree—!"
"Whoosh—!"
Without warning, Bloodshadow exhaled a stream of dragonfire toward Jon.
Sunflame reacted instantly, slamming into Bloodshadow and knocking it aside. The flames brushed past Jon, scorching the air beside him.
The two dragons immediately fell into another scuffle.
Saelen snapped back to his senses and quickly used his warg ability to restrain them both.
"Are you alright?" he asked.
"I'm fine," Jon replied, though clearly shaken. He touched his cheek, still warm from the heat, and frowned. "What just happened?"
"These two have been fighting over dominance lately," Saelen said after a moment's thought. "Bloodshadow probably mistook you for Sunflame's chosen master—that's why it attacked."
Jon hesitated, then asked quietly, "Saelen… how did you do this?"
"The Targaryens spent generations trying to hatch dragon eggs. They paid in blood and fire, yet failed every time."
"And yet you succeeded…"
He paused, uncertainty flickering in his eyes.
"Are you…?"
Saelen understood exactly what Jon was wondering—but there was no way he could tell him the truth. He couldn't exactly say he had a system.
So he gave a half-truth instead.
"I'm not a Targaryen," Saelen said calmly. "As for why I can hatch dragon eggs… I'm not entirely sure myself."
"Besides, the White Walkers have returned. The Children of the Forest, the greenseers, and even giants have reappeared. With all that… is it really so strange for dragons to return as well?"
Jon thought for a moment, then nodded.
It made sense. So many things once thought to be myths had resurfaced—dragons didn't seem so impossible anymore.
And yet, something unsettled him.
He had grown up with Saelen. They had shared the same childhood. But now, it felt as though he had never truly known him at all.
At that moment, Bloodshadow padded over, sniffed Jon curiously, then tilted its head before losing interest. It turned back to Saelen, rubbing its head affectionately against him.
"Saelen," Jon asked, still troubled, "if you're not a Targaryen, how can you control them?"
"Warg abilities," Saelen replied simply, stroking Bloodshadow's head.
In truth, it was all thanks to the system—but that was something he could never reveal. To others, it was easier to attribute everything to his powers as a skinchanger.
Saelen glanced at Jon. He didn't seem particularly curious about why he himself had been accepted by the dragons. After a moment's thought, Saelen decided not to push further. The time wasn't right.
"The matters at Mole's Town are settled," Saelen said. "We leave the day after tomorrow."
"If you have anything left to handle, take care of it tomorrow."
Jon shook his head. "Then I'll take my leave."
Though he still had many questions, he suppressed them. After one last look at the dragons, he turned and left.
---
Once Jon was gone, Saelen sat quietly, staring into the fire, lost in thought.
A low growl broke his focus.
Sunflame had begun to stir again, eyeing Bloodshadow with restless intent.
"Rrrr—!"
Bloodshadow snapped back with an irritated hiss, clearly warning it off.
Saelen frowned. Without hesitation, he opened the system interface and activated the mana space.
In an instant, both hatchlings vanished.
Inside the space, they lay dormant, separated and finally at peace.
Saelen had planned to store them before departure anyway. Since they refused to behave, he might as well let them "cool off" early.
---
Deep into the night, the northern winds howled outside. But inside Saelen's tent, the hearth cast a steady warmth, keeping the cold at bay.
Then—
The tent flap shifted slightly.
A shadow slipped inside.
A gust of cold air followed, brushing across Saelen's face and waking him instantly.
His eyes snapped open. Instinctively, his right hand moved toward the Ice.
But suddenly—
A cool, slender hand caught his wrist.
"Don't move."
A familiar voice, low and steady.
The faint scent of alcohol and something softer lingered in the air.
Saelen relaxed slightly. "Val?"
She didn't answer directly, only murmuring, "You're quite alert."
"A woman sneaks into a man's tent at night—what else could it be?" Saelen said dryly. "Surely not to slit his throat."
He caught the faint smell again. "You've been drinking?"
Val gave a soft scoff.
"Don't pretend."
"The way you looked at me today—you wanted to devour me. Now that I've come to you, you're acting like some noble gentleman?"
Saelen cleared his throat awkwardly. "I simply admire beauty."
Val didn't understand the full nuance of his words, but she recognized evasion when she heard it.
"Oh? Just admire?" she said lightly.
Before he could respond, she swung herself onto him, guiding his hand to her chest.
Heat surged through Saelen's body. His breath grew heavier.
Val noticed immediately. Firelight flickered across her flushed face, her blue eyes steady and unashamed.
"The free folk follow strength," she said plainly. "I once believed that strength belonged to Mance Rayder."
"Now, I believe it belongs to you."
Saelen met her gaze, about to speak—but she silenced him with a finger.
"You southerners are hypocrites," she said. "You want something, but pretend you don't."
She drew a dagger and lightly traced it along his neck.
"You're my prisoner now."
"Just listen."
With a flick of her wrist, she tossed her braid behind her.
"I thought I'd wait for you to come steal me," she continued. "But after several nights… nothing."
She smiled faintly, cutting loose the bindings of her clothing with the dagger.
"So I had no choice," she said, her eyes glinting with challenge.
"I came to steal you instead."
That was all it took.
Saelen's restraint snapped.
In one swift motion, he turned the situation around…