"Let's say it was fate," he said with a quiet smile.
Thaddues let go of her hands as she found her footing.
He then snapped his fingers. Instantly, all the swords wielded by the bandits turned into binding ropes that coiled around them before they collapsed to the ground.
The bandits and lightly armored men—the household guards—were still conscious even after the spell Thaddues cast immobilized them. They were shocked to their core. What Thaddues had shown was something that defied fate.
When Thaddues retracted his immobilizing charm, the household guards were still in shock. Yet as trained men, they recovered swiftly, instincts overriding fear as they moved to protect the princess. Even in the face of this mysterious young man, duty came first.
"Your Grace, stand away from this young men," they said. They had seen what the young man could do. They turned their swords toward Thaddues.
The horseman Esteban, still shocked by what had unfolded before his eyes, had thought Thaddues was just a rich noble—not a wielder of magic or a sorcerer.
But seeing their swords pointed at Thaddues, he immediately stood in front of him.
"Y-You! You dare raise your blades at my lord—the man who saved your lives?" he snapped, disbelief cutting through his voice. "Is this how Dorne repays courage?"
Thaddues didn't stop him and quietly held The Tales of Beedle the Bard.
The household guards stiffened.
The woman finally spoke.
"Enough. Lower your swords," she commanded. There was no shock in her voice now; she had recovered from the situation—a reminder that this was not the first time she had encountered such tragedy on the road.
Every household guard followed her order, even the injured ones. They lowered their swords but still remained around her.
The woman then stepped forward and faced Thaddues.
"It was our rudeness. Forgive my people for their insolence. They are only doing their duty to protect me," she said.
"I am Dareya Martell, the second princess of House Martell. May I have your name, my lord?" she introduced herself, confidence returning to her voice as she stated her identity.
A sudden glint of fascination appeared in Thaddues' eyes.
"My name is Thaddues Peverell, a wizard from the most ancient and noble House of Peverell," Thaddues said as he held the book of tales by Beedle the Bard, then inclined his head in a proper court bow.
To be honest, the original owner of this body was the son of a merchant—a commoner. But Thaddues, who now occupied this body, wanted to establish his new life in Westeros. With his current magical attainment and wealth, he clearly deserved a last name.
He had chosen the name Peverell, as he liked the story behind it.
As for etiquette, it was something he had learned in his pastime reading a history book gifted by the system.
Dareya, the second princess of House Martell, had not heard the noble house mentioned by Thaddues, but she knew the world was vast. The way the young man carried himself left no doubt—he was a noble. Dorne may not be as strict with etiquette as other kingdoms, but nobles like her were still taught the ways of court from a young age. Not only that, she had witnessed his magic that saved their lives.
A wizard noble—something she herself found hard to believe. Yet here he was.
"We thank Lord Peverell for his bravery in saving us. May I ask where you are headed?" the princess asked.
Thaddues smiled at her. "To Sunspear. I have important matters waiting for me there," he said.
Dareya smiled. "How fortunate. We share the same destination. Perhaps you would accompany us in the carriage, Lord Peverell?"
Thaddues did not decline, and after the delay, the journey to Sunspear resumed.
Inside the carriage, Thaddues sat by the left window while Meyra Martell, the youngest princess of House Martell, looked at him with awe.
One household guard remained inside the carriage, sitting in front of him, gripping the hilt of his sword—ready to strike Thaddues if he saw anything wrong, which amused him.
"You… you're really a wizard, Lord Peverell? Not a charlatan?" the seven-year-old Princess Meyra asked in amazement, as if the tragedy that had happened earlier had never occurred.
Meyra had been inside the carriage throughout the chaos. To ensure her safety, Dareya had hidden her sister beneath the seats of the carriage—somewhere the bandits would never suspect in case the situation became uncontrollable.
"Meyra, do not speak that way to Lord Peverell," Dareya chided her sister.
The youngest princess pouted. Then Dareya turned to Thaddues.
"I apologize for my sister's behavior."
Thaddues chuckled.
"No worries. I understand her. Children are full of curiosity."
Then he continued, "Do you want to see magic, Princess Meyra?"
The young princess nodded in excitement.
Thaddues placed The Tales of Beedle the Bard into his robe pocket, then closed his left palm.
When he opened it again, several orange butterflies flew from his hand, filling the carriage with motion.
The young princess watched in awe as the butterflies' colors resembled their house banner.
She tried to touch one, but it burst into glitter. The butterflies illuminated the carriage, giving light to the dim space, while also bringing a cold breeze that eased the heat as they dissolved into glitter.
"Woah!"
Dareya could not help but be amazed. She had traveled across several kingdoms in Westeros on political missions, even reaching the Free Cities. She had seen sorcery and charlatans before—but what she saw now was truly an art of magic, unlike anything she had ever known.
"House Martell is in your debt, Lord Peverell. Your aid spared us from disaster, and my household guards owe their lives to you as well," Dareya said.
Thaddues had not only saved them from the blades of the bandits but also healed her injured guards by giving them a bottle of healing potion that worked instantly. Even the heavily wounded were cured. From its effects alone, she knew it was an expensive potion.
"Think nothing of it, Your Grace. Circumstance merely placed me upon your path. I daresay any decent man would have acted no differently," Thaddues said calmly, in character.
Dareya accepted his words without protest, though her sincerity remained clear.
"Even so, your deeds deserve recognition, Lord Peverell. I will personally commend your bravery to my father," she said.
Thaddues almost broke character and laughed. Finally, she had said the words he wanted to hear.
Fate, my ass.
He could help them survive the crisis, but not to the point of revealing himself or what he truly was. He was not naive enough to expose his abilities when his goal demanded a quiet life and careful restraint.
And yet—seeing the banner of House Martell had changed everything.
He had not expected that the woman he save to be a princess of the ruling house of Dorne.
From what he knew in Fire & Blood, there was little information about Dorne in this era. Only that Qoren Martell was the current Prince and ruler of House Martell.
So Dareya was the second princess of Dorne, and the second daughter of Prince Qoren.
Just that fact alone meant saving her would bring prestige. The reward would not be normal. He even planned on asking for a plot of land in exchange, even if he had to add more gold on top of it. It was a win-win situation.
If revealing himself as a wizard could earn him land and prestige in Dorne, then it was worth it. After all, people would eventually find out anyway. He simply did not want to hide it—only reveal it at the right time, like earlier.
"The bandits?" he asked.
Dareya inclined her head slightly, her expression calm.
"They have been taken into custody. In Dorne, treason against a noble house is not easily forgiven."
A brief pause. "Mother Rhoyne will bear witness to their judgment."
Hearing this, Thaddues fell silent.
Even from the books, he knew this world was chaotic and ruthless—different from the life he had before. It was something he would have to prepare for if he wanted to survive in this world.
TBC
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