The journey continued until nightfall before the carriage finally stopped at an inn along the road.
One of Princess Dayera's household guards had arrived ahead of them earlier to check the place first. By the time they arrived, the rooms were already prepared and the stable boys were waiting outside. Thaddues wasn't sure if a room had been prepared for him as well.
"My lord," Esteban asked as he steadied the horses, "will we rest inside tonight, or are you staying in the carriage?"
Thaddues was the last to step down from the princess's carriage.
He gave a slight nod as the princess walked ahead toward the inn, guided by one of her guards. She returned it briefly before entering.
Only after she had gone inside did his gaze shift back to Esteban, the horseman assigned to their carriage.
Earlier, even after seeing magic with his own eyes, Esteban still stepped in front of him without hesitation. Fear was there, but the man still stood his ground.
Thaddues expression softened slightly.
"We'll stay inside tonight," he said. "Feed the horses well. They're hungry."He handed Esteban two gold galleons.
The horseman froze. He had never seen a gold dragon before, but even he could tell these coins were worth a fortune just by looking at them. The gold looked too pure, too clean.
"My lord…" Esteban said carefully, afraid his young lord did not understand the value of the coins. "This is too much. These two alone could feed a family for a year."
Thaddues already expected that reaction. Truthfully, he still didn't know how much wizarding currency was worth in this world.
"It's a tip," he said simply.
Seeing the confusion on the man's face, he explained further.
"A reward for your courage earlier."
Esteban's eyes widened slightly.
No lord had ever rewarded him for bravery before. Men like him were expected to obey orders and nothing more.
Yet this foreign young lord rewarded him as if courage actually mattered.
The horseman lowered his head deeply.
"Thank you, my lord."
At that moment, Esteban made a silent vow of loyalty.
Thaddues simply nodded before entering the inn.
The place was crowded despite the late hour. Merchants, travelers, and sellswords filled the hall while servants moved around carrying wine and food from table to table.
The smell of roasted meat and spices filled the air.
It reminded Thaddues of roadside inns from his previous life. Places near highways were always busy.
He walked toward the innkeeper to rent a room, but before he could speak, one of Princess Dayera's household guards approached him.
"Lord Peverell," the guard said respectfully, "your room is ready upstairs. The horseman has one as well."
Thaddeus nodded once.
"Lead the way."
He brought him upstairs and stopped in front of a wooden door.
"Her Grace is with Princess Meyra for supper," the guard said. "She requests your presence once you are ready to dine."
"Understood."
Thaddues stepped inside and closed the door behind him.
The room was simple—just a bed, a table, a chair, and a wash basin. It wasn't much different from the one he had rented earlier in the Dornish port.
Still, something immediately caught his attention.
A small bronze mirror sat on the table.
He stopped.
Since arriving in this world, he had avoided mirrors entirely. Part of him didn't want to see a stranger looking back at him.
Even during the voyage, despite mastering transfiguration, and his capable of forming reflective objects, he never once tried.
But now…
Slowly, he reached for the mirror.
The reflection staring back at him made him freeze.
"This is… me?"
It was the first time he had truly seen the face of the body he now occupied—or rather, his own face. He looked exactly as he had in his previous life at fifteen. The only differences were his longer hair, taller frame, and his eyes—his old eyes had been hazel brown, while these ones were black.
Thaddues stared quietly for several seconds before waving his hand. The mirror enlarged itself and floated in front of him.
Now he could see his entire body clearly.
It felt strange—like looking at his younger self.
He wasn't skinny, but not heavily built either. Travel had left him lean, his frame more defined than before.
With a snap of his fingers, he cast a cleaning charm over himself and changed clothes.
He wore a dark green robe over a loose white sando and light trousers.
Dorne was still hot even at night, but his robes enchanted with cooling charms. The heat barely bothered him anymore.
Once finished, he left the room and headed toward the private dining room reserved by the princesses.
Two household guards stood up and are guarding outside the door.
The moment they saw him, one immediately opened it.
Inside, Princess Dayera was feeding Princess Meyra while speaking with a young man seated across from her.
The moment Thaddues entered, their conversation fell quiet.
Princess Dayera gave him a faint smile.
"Lord Thaddues," she said. "Come, join us."
She gestured toward the young knight beside her.
"This is Ser Roderick Dayne of Starfall."
Thaddues immediately recognized the name—House Dayne, one of the oldest lines in Westeros, older even than the Targaryens, and the family that bore the title Sword of the Morning.
Ser Roderick studied him with open curiosity before offering a small smile.
"So you're the wizard-noble who saved Princess Dayera."
Princess Dayera sighed softly. "You make him sound like a tavern tale."
Ser Roderick chuckled. "This is Dorne. Tavern tales are often close enough to the truth."
That earned a small smile from Princess Meyra.
Thaddues inclined his head politely. "A fortunate coincidence, nothing more."
"A coincidence?"Ser Roderick said with a grin. "A man appears out of nowhere, wields magic, and saves a princess. That sounds like fate to me."
"The singers would disagree," Thaddeus replied mildly.
"The singers would call it anything that earns them coin,"Ser Roderick said.
Princess Dayera shook her head with quiet exasperation. "Enough. Please, sit. Let us at least repay your kindness with a proper meal."
"Thank you, Princess."
Thaddeus took his seat.
Servants quickly set his plate before him—spicy snake stew, roasted peppers, flatbread, and lamb richly spiced in Dornish fashion.
Dorne never shied from heat.
Thaddues ate with calm precision, his movements restrained and practiced.
It drew attention at once.
Even among nobles, such careful composure was uncommon.
Ser Roderick leaned forward slightly, studying him with renewed interest.
"I'll admit," he said, "now I'm curious. Where exactly does House Peverell come from?"
Unlike Princess Dayera, Roderick asked directly. Dornishmen were less restrained compared to other nobles in Westeros.
Thaddues calmly cut a piece of meat before answering.
"House Peverell is one of the families listed among the Sacred Twenty-Eight of British wizarding society."
A complete lie.
"British–what?" Meyra asked curiously while chewing lamb. "It's too long. Where's that?"
"It lies in Britain," Thaddues answered smoothly. "Near the lands around Asshai."
The conversation at the table died down, leaving an awkward silence in its wake.
Even Princess Dayera looked surprised.
Ser Roderick blinked. "Near Asshai?" he repeated. "That's nearly the edge of the world."
"The world is larger than most imagine," Thaddues replied calmly.
Princess Meyra looked amazed instead.
"You came all the way from there?" she asked. "That sounds lonely."
Thaddues paused. Memories surfaced in his mind—the endless sea, the dead sailors he had burned to ash, months spent barely speaking to anyone because of the language barrier, and the isolation.
"Yes," he admitted quietly. "It was."
A faint smile touched his lips. "But it was worthwhile."
The three listened in silence.
"The journey changed me," Thaddeus continued. "Without it, I wouldn't be who I am today." A wizard with mastery of four branches of magic.
Princess Meyra tilted her head innocently.
"Then maybe sad things aren't always bad."
Princess Dayera immediately gave her younger sister a look. "Meyra."
"What?" the young princess asked defensively. "I'm trying to sound wise."
That made Thaddues chuckle softly.
"No offense taken, Princess."
Princess Meyra grinned proudly as if she accomplished something important.
Princess Dayera sighed before looking back at Thaddues.
"I've never seen Asshai myself," she admitted, "but even in Dorne, stories about it are everywhere. Sorcerers, shadowbinders… seeing your magic today was certainly eye-opening."
Ser Roderick clearly wanted to ask more about the magic itself, but he stopped himself.
As curious as he was, asking too much would be rude.
Instead, he changed the topic.
"Well," he said while lifting his wine cup slightly, "Starfall suddenly feels very small compared to lands near Asshai."
Thaddues looked toward him politely.
"House Dayne's name is known even across distant seas."
That surprised Ser Roderick.
"Oh?"
"The Sword of the Morning," Thaddues said calmly. "A title earned only by the worthy. Traditions like that are rare."
Ser Roderick laughed softly.
"Careful, Lord Peverell. Say things like that and my ego might grow too large."
"It already is," Princess Dayera said dryly. Princess Meyra giggled immediately.
Ser Roderick placed a hand over his chest dramatically.
"Princess, you wound me."
The atmosphere around the table became lighter after that.
Meanwhile, inwardly, Thaddues felt relieved the conversation moved away from Asshai.
Everything he said about Wizarding Families and Britain came from incomplete knowledge gathered from books he barely finished reading.
If Ser Roderick pressed any further, the fragile story he had built for himself would begin to crack.
TBC
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