Chapter 4: A Laughable Pn—Or Is it?

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  The mansion rawling fortress of luxury, hidden deep within the Bck Walls of Vontis. The Bck Walls—a, dark stone fused by Valyrian fire—rose high above the city, separating the Old Blood from the masses below.

  Only the oldest, most powerful families, those whose blood traces back to the a and powerful Valyrian Freehold, were permitted to live within its protective fines. Outside, Vontis sprawled in chaos and erce, but ihese walls, order and supremacy reigned.

  I followed her up winding marble staircases through halls lined with tapestries depig fire and light until we arrived at a grand structure that dwarfed the rest of the mansions around it. Of course, the Church of Light is rich, I thought as we climbed, staring up at her swaying hips, hidden by robes flowing around her like rivers of blood.

  We were at the Red Temple. The heart of R’hllor’s influen Vontis, its crimson spires rose high above the Bck Walls, casting a shadow over the district as if deg that the Lord of Light’s reach extended over all. It was no surprise that the temple ulent.

  “Here,” after a bit of walking through a hallway, we stopped before a door. She pushed it open and nudged me with a . “I’ll be right back.”

  “Very suspicious,” I said, but it was too te. She smiled and turned on her hill while I walked ihe room was luxurious. Rich, crimson tapestries adorhe walls, embroidered with swirling fmes and intricate symbols of R’hllor.

  A grand delier hung from the ceiling, a golden frame glinting in the dlelight that filled the space with a warm, almost hypnotic glow. Plush cushions a drapes covered low, ornate couches scattered around, and a table inid with red gemstones gleamed in the ter of the room, holding bowls of exotic fruits and wine.

  Ihe Red God’s faithful enjoyed power ah, and as the High Priestess, she stood at the ter of it. No wonder she acted so fident as if she was untouchable. I could use her. She had the potential t me much.

  I looked at the rge, high window fag the city. I walked toward it and gnced outside, catg a glimpse of the city spilling out below the walls, all the way to the Summer Sea. The fresh salt air swept in, filling my lungs as I watched the o that I’d have to cross soon. It was strange and refreshing… to be this high up, looking out over the world as if it were mine for the taking.

  I wouldn’t lie. I felt a little greedy.

  Soon, the door creaked open behind me, and I turned. She entered, a silver tray in her hands piled high with gleaming fruits. With her usual calm, she crossed the room and presehe tray to me as if it were some kind of peace . “Here.”

  I looked down at the fruit, then up at her, meeting her gaze with a ft expression.

  She let out a soft ugh, setting the tray down on a nearby table and pig up a slice of apple. She bit into it, eyes still locked on mine, sav each bite. “You really think I will poison you?” she said, her voice ced with amusement. “Hard to believe you still don’t trust me, Prince.”

  I kept my expression cold. “We haven’t done anything to establish trust yet, Priestess.”

  Her lips curved into a teasing smile. She stepped closer, pressing her body into miil her chest was flush against me, her hand trailing up to rest on my shoulder. “Mhm. Would you like to, then?” Her voice was low and sultry, her gaze ced with a dark glint of sedu. “Do something to establish trust, I mean…”

  I ched my jaw, staying still. The temptation was there, Viserys’ lust wanting to surface, but I could hold it in. “I didn’t expect a Red Priestess to act like a bed sve,” I said, my tone sharp.

  She ughed, tilting her head back, her breath warm against my skin. “I find it amusing how free you are with your words, evehey’re directed at a High Priestess.” Her firaced a line along my jaw. “If a true believer heard you say that, they might die from the shock alone. Perhaps after gutting you with a knife.”

  “Well, I’m not a believer,” I shot back, my gaze never wavering. And then I couldn’t hold bay longer—my hand slid around her waist, pulling her close as she gasped softly, her eyes widening. “And if I recall right, you called me your ‘king,’ didn’t you? You should be fih whatever I call you, bed sve or whatnot.”

  For a moment, her expression was unreadable, her eyes searg mine as if looking for something deeper, something hidden. But then she smiled, her voice soft as silk. “Ah yes. Of course,” she said, “You’re really different from what the rumors say.”

  I released her, turning away to look out at the city again, needing a moment to pull myself back from the edge.

  I could feel her gaze on me, but I ig, fog instead on the sprawling view beyond the walls. “I need a ship,” I said, breaking the silence. “I have to return to Westeros.”

  “If you’re worried about the Dothraki finding you, rest assured.” Her voice was calm and reassuring as if she already had everything pnned. “They won’t hear a word of your presence here. They’ll never know where you are.”

  I gave a skeptical snng over my shoulder. “I’m aware of you red priestess’ powers, but still, you ’t guarahat. But fine. If you help me keep my presence hidden for a few days, that’ll do.” I turned fully to face her, log eyes with her again. “I need your help to aplish something in the few days. After that, I’ll leave for Westeros. Do you uand?”

  She stared at me, her gaze unwavering, before a slow smile spread across her face. “What is it, my king?”

  I didn’t answer immediately. Instead, I called up the System, muttering Iory in my mind. A faint hologram appeared in the er of my vision, a grid of small boxes filling the s, only one of which was occupied. I slipped a hand into the bag hanging from my side, pretending to reach for something there, and grasped the obje the iory with my mind.

  A momehe dragon egg appeared in my hand, its surface gleaming with red and bck hues.

  Her eyes widened slightly, surprise fshing across her face as I held the egg up between us.

  “A life for a life,” I said, watg her rea carefully. “I, the st drop on blood on this earth, io awaken the real dragons, t them back for the first time in a hundred and half years. And your blood magic will help me do it. You uand?”

  For a heartbeat, she was silent, her gaze fixed on the dragon egg as though it were a relic of her god himself. Her lips parted, and a faint shiver ran through her. Then, slowly, a smile spread across her face, ohat grew into a wide, fervent grin.

  She looked up at me, her eyes shining with reverence. “...Azor Ahai.”

  The thrill of manipution tihrough me. Let her think I was the hero of prophecy. Let her think I was a god’s chosen. I’d use her power, her belief, her devotion to achieve my ends. And if she ended up being from that too? Well, you’re wele.

  ****

  Kinvara had been a high priestess for more than a lifetime, long enough to watch faith bend and break men while she remained untouched.

  The Lord of Light had shown her visions, and she’d seen miracles burn to life in her hands. The faith of this religion held no mysteries from her, only truth, and she knew power. Real power. Naturally, only the orue God was truly powerful, but some men showed simir greatness as well.

  True power left marks in a person’s soul, the kind that no robe, no pretense could mask. It made them appear strong, brave, and ung of death.

  She had met kings, anders, and men with blood who cimed to match the dragons in their iy, and she’d seen through them all. Some spoke the truth, but many wore masks of strength and held nothing of substanderh. They were just men too afraid to face the emptiness inside. And acc to the rumors she heard, acc to what the fmes had shown her, Viserys Targaryen was no different—a shadow of his bloodline, ging to something he could barely prehend.

  So she expected a coward. She expected weakness cloaked in arrogance when she decided to meet him. But when she did meet him at the inn? It was a different story.

  There had been something opposite in his eyes, the sharp edge to his words, that mind that didn’t waver in the face of threats, daring to wield a knife, not out of stupidity, but braveness against her. Perhaps he had once been that rihat the rumors spoke of, but he wasn’t anymore. The i of overing his death and his fate must have ged him.

  She’d seen that ge before, usually fed across years of hard battle, but he had ear ht. A cautious, dangerous man. It was something she’d been trainize, a potential. Kinvara hoped her experienced senses weren’t wrong.

  Because Melisahat bitch, had apparently found the Warrior of Light. And Kinvara wasn’t going to let that wench overshine her aime. She was hoping Viserys was the true warrior, and if he wasn’t, she’d shape him to be. Then, the two of them will receive the blessing of the orue God together…

  The whole week, a smirk stayed ihoughts as she searched and prepared for what he’d demanded.

  Awakening dragon eggs? She nearly ughed when he first proposed it, her instinct was to dismiss him, but she held back. Do you think the Targaryens wouldn’t have do before, if it were possible? trary to people’s belief, the Targaryens were mad enough to try anything, such as blood magid… ihey had already done so many times i three hundred years.

  Ahe dragons had not returned.

  If his entire family failed for three hundred years, how could he succeed?

  Kindara was curious to see. So she didn’t question him, nor did she voice her doubt. The flicker of something real in his eyes kept her silent. So, the’s see the worth behind your words. For he was a mystery worth her time, for now.

  …..

  They were riding together now, their horses pushing forward through deadened nds twisted by smoke and darkness. The air grew thicker the hey came to the City of Mantarys, the edge of the Valyrian Freehold in the distance, a decayed remnant of what had once been the heart of the empire.

  The nd bore history—the mark of corruption, a stain that seemed to stretch forever.

  “How are you holding up, Prince?” Kinvara asked, breaking the silehat had beeliween them for too long. She kept her gaze forward, but she could feel him beside her, hear the hooves of his horse before he even spoke.

  “The stench is bothersome,” he muttered, hand briefly at his nose. “But I’m managing.” He patted his horse—a white beast, elegant and striking. She looked at the horse briefly.

  He’d "Dany White," of all things, a strange choice given his sister’s niame was Dany. Was this his idea of humiliating the Khaleesi? Or was this his way of showing affe? Kinvara couldn’t tell.

  “The stench is the least of our worries here, near Mantarys,” she replied, looking out at the twisted horizon ahead as if the city itself were bending and shifting in the shadows.

  He only raised an eyebrow, casting her a look of skepticism. “What could possibly be worse?”

  She almost ughed. “Mantarys is no ordinary city, Prince,” she replied smoothly. “It lies to the southeast of Vontis, at the very edge of the Smokihe Doom of Valyria left its deepest scars here. The nd around it has been poisoned by old sorceries, dark magigering long after Valyria fell.”

  He gnced over, half amused. “Speaking of magic. I’m curious since people always said Targaryens had it in their blood. Are there other forms to it other than blood magic? Maybe I learn them.”

  Sometimes—she’d realized this the past week they’d been traveling—she couldn’t be sure if he was truly curious about something or just askio seem stupid. Regardless, she answered in her usual tone.

  “To be fair, the agi Targaryen blood remains to be proven,” she replied, though she k used to be true ba the day. “But the people of Mantarys are… different. They are deformations. Monsters, some would say. Some say they bear the mark of the Doom in their very flesh.”

  He snorted. “Sounds like a ale.”

  Again. He seemed to be lying. Her unmatched experien human nature told her that he was lying. That he indeed believed her. But why was he lying then? Sometimes, he showed her less than what he was for some reason.

  “Perhaps,” she said, shrugging. “But Mantarys has a sinister reputation across the nd. It’s known that horrific deformities are ong its people—mutations, twisted limbs, strange growths. It could be the lingering effects of the Doom, or perhaps just the result of old sone wrong.” She shot him a gnce. “Either way, travelers avoid Mantarys whehey . That’s why we’re doing the same, despite the high number of witches we find there.”

  “Good thing I’m not oo be frightened by ghost stories. Besides,” he added, his smirk widening, “I’ve got R’hllor’s favorite priestess by my side. Shouldn’t that t for something? I think they’ll be scared by you.”

  She ughed at the ent, the fai smile on her lips as her eyes drifted to the road ahead. At least he’s growing more rexed around me. “I think they’ll be more scared of you instead. You’re building muscles from those exercises you’ve been doing all the time that you’re not riding the horse,” she said.

  “I hope so,” he replied, his gaze focused ahead. “That is…” Just a short distance away, she could see the faint outline of a vilge, barely disible through the haze.

  “That’s the pce I told you about,” she said. Smoke curled from the tops of low buildings, filling the air with the acrid st of charred wood and dust.

  They slowed as they approached, drawing the attention of vilgers who peered at them with wary eyes. Huts rose, and kids hid behind them. Everyone’s gazes lingered on Kinvara's red robes, and one by ohey murmured among themselves, some bowing, others nodding with reverenbsp;

  The awe in their expressions was expected. That was the influence she wielded in Essos.

  Kinvara dismounted, letting her gaze sweep over the gathered faces, seeking the one she had e for. “Yarra Vesh Duul,” she called, and there a woman stood just at the edge of the crowd, her face marked by age and hardship. The woman blinked, looking around to make sure it was her hat was called. Her clothes were ragged, the lines of fatigue etched deeply into her features.

  “M-me, m’dy?” The Maegi asked, and Kinvara nodded.

  “Yes, you. e, Prince,” She turo Viserys and murmured, who too dismounted from his horse. He approached the woman, who eyed the two of them with a mix of awe and fear.

  A momehe old woman dipped her head low, hands csped tightly together as she stepped forward, her body trembling as she came before Kinvara. Her hair was a mess of tareaked with gray, and her hands were rough, calloused from years of hard bor.

  “...She’ll do,” Viserys said, his eyes examining her. Kinvara wondered what someone who knew nothing of Blood Magic could see. Regardless, the decision was not hers to make.

  Her gaze softened just enough to appear kind as she spoke. “The great Lord of Light has chosen you,” Kinvara intoned. “The Lord has a purpose for you—a deed that will bring you closer to his eternal fme.” Her words were flowery, but her tone did not present it as an offer. It left no room for refusal. “Say yoodbyes and prepare to leave with us.”

  The woman’s gaze darted to the side, her eyes meeting those of her children, a few grandchildren standing timidly behind them. She swallowed aated.

  Kinvara uands her hesitation, the ache of someone bound by earthly ties. It is a look she has seen tless times befo ahead, look all you want, she sighed, thinking with detached patience. But when the gods call, no mortal bonds keep you.

  She khe woman would e. Despite her fear, despite the hollow in her eyes as she met her children’s gaze o time, the call of faith would be stronger. It always was.

  And, indeed. Without a word of protest, she gathered her things and joihem, as Kinvara knew she would.

  The materials for the Dragon Awakening Ritual were ready.

  Spoiler

  [colpse]**

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  Author Note: No way, someoed 2 stars! Need some good ratings guys, we're running low on it. Not reted to this, but I might soon post another chapter in two hours or so. I'll appreciate some ratings to help the algorithm!!!