Chapter 61: The Salt quest

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  The Great Hall of Pyke felt different with Yara on that ahrohe Seastone Chair loomed behind her like a kraken frozen mid-strike, its bck surface drinking in what little light filtered through the narrow windows.

  I watched from my deliberately uated position as the Ironborn filtered in. Captains, raiders, ahered old sea dogs—their faces carved by salt spray and hardened by lives spent on merciless waves. They were hard men, strong soldiers, but sadly they were ironborn.

  Their eyes held a peculiar mix of rese as they looked at me, but there was also fear. Where Ironborn didn’t fear men, even the greatest men feared a dragon. With Viserion's shadow occasionally darkening the windows as she circled overhead, it couldn’t be a wonder why they kept themselves in check.

  Yara's voice cut through the muttering crowd like a bde through silk when all the men were present, along with the few women who deserved to ehese great halls. "My father's way led us to ruin twice, brothers and sisters," she said, her tone brooking nument. "The Old Way ends today."

  Jaws ched, and I caught more than a few hands tightening on on hilts. Old bastards never liked ge, and it was no different here on these isnds, either.

  "We are Ironborn," she tinued, leaning forward on the a seat. "We take what we want. His Grace here has allowed us to keep that luxury. But we must be smarter about what we choose to take." Her eyes swept the crowd, challenging ao interrupt. Nobody dared. "The Seven Kingdoms are no longer our prey. Their dragons and armies would crush us if we even dreamed about it. Rather, we look east."

  “What luxury? Robert Baratheon allowed the same, ae him for it. Did you fet, girl?” One of the elder ironborns said. “During Robert’s reign, we Ironborn were meant to abide by the ws of the Seven Kingdoms, whicluded refraining from raiding and pilging withieros. Your father’s rebellioy years ago was fueled by our frustration with these restris and our desire to recim the old ways of reaving aloerosi coasts. What’s so luxurious about this?”

  Another older captain with a face like cracked leather spat on the floor. "He’s right. We must abandon our aral waters? Bee fn raiders?" His voice was full of pt. "And all because this silver-haired boy ands it?"

  “Yes, precisely. And the luxury here is that we don’t die. You don’t die. I begged for your lives, and you spit in my halls?” Yara gred at the man, who ched his jaws, failing to find words to defend himself. “Thousands died because of my father’s rebellion, ahan a hundred died during this time. And even that is because you guys didn’t listen to me fast enough, didn’t drop the ons fast enough. Are you really suggesting we csh swords with a dragon, you stupid bastards?” She growled, and both of the old men flinched back.

  A short sileer, someone cleared his throat. "But the east?" The word echoed, the young captain’s fusion evident. “We’ve tried our luck there before, but…”

  "The Free Cities overflow with wealth," Yara breathed out her anger and smiled, and there redatlint to it. "Their merts grow fat and zy, their ships poorly defended pared to Westeros. They do hire meraries, but what are meraries before the Ironborn? Why scratch at the bones of fishermen when we could feast on Essosi gold?”

  “Well…”

  “Don’t give me that look. I see your point. I have personally led multiple ships to Essos, more than most of you here, so I know it’s not as easy as I say. But His Grace wants this. It’s not that he’s just allowing us half-heartedly, but he wants us to do this. He’ll help us, he’ll lead us, and he’ll take over the Essosi Lands. Trust me when I say that his Empire will be greater than Aegon’s." Yara finished her speech.

  I didn't move from my seat but let my eyes meet hers. I smiled, liking how she hahis. She’s a fine woman, I’m attracted. Her dominance use-worthy. I let my gaze gloss over some of the older men, hardening it, and they looked away. They should know what it means to insult my woman. Should I teach them a lesson?

  "His Grace," Yara emphasized the title, calling me up from my gre as if realizing what I was thinking. "He offers us a ot just to survive, but to thrive. Do you lots get it? The Drowned God cares not where we reave, only that we do so with strength and ing."

  “She’s right,” an ironbron said.

  “I see the logiore and more began to agree with her.

  “Great,” she said and stood, her presenehow filling the massive chair's shadow. "I am your Queen, chosen by the sea itself. The Iron Isnds will adapt, or they will drown. In this situation, the choice is simple. Do you all agree?”

  Another captain stepped forward. "You're queen because of him," he jabbed a finger in my dire. "His dragon burned our brothers!"

  "No, I'm queen because I uand what you don't," Yara snapped. "His Grace is the true king of the Seven Kingdoms, the first Dragon Rider in hundreds of years. The blood of Old Valyria flows in his veins, the same blood that once ruled the greatest empire this world has known." Her voice softened, being almost seductive. "\We are ironborn, we’re strong, and the Free Cities would tremble more tha the sight of our sails when they know a dragon flies over us."

  The assembly stirred, greed warring with tradition in their eyes. But I was bothered. How they be so stubborn? They keep g opinions with her.

  I rose slowly, drawing every eye. "Your queen speaks wisdom," I said, mildening my tone. "sider carefully how you receive it. For unlike her, I don’t see you as my people and wouldn’t hesitate to burn you to the ground if you misbehave."

  The threat hung clear as crystal. Viserion's screech punctuated my words through the windows. Yara seized the moment to stop me from further sg her men. "You heard him. Prepare your ships," she anded. We sail east with the ide. Those who wish wealth and glory, follow me. Those who don't..." Her smile turned sharp. "Well, I'm sure the Drowned God weles all his childreually."

  The captains began to disperse a short sileer, their faces a mix nation and calg acceptano more ht anger showed—they'd learhat lesson well enough when Balon fell, and now everything stered o.

  Soon, as Yara reminds them of her might, they’d be gd that Balon was dead.

  As the st footsteps faded, leaving the hall empty, I approached the Seastone Chair. “It was a great speech, Yara,” I said to my Iron Queen, who remained seated, her knuckles white where they gripped the a arms.

  “....”

  “Why aren’t you responding?” I asked, and she just looked up, a frown on her face. I chuckled. Without warning, I grabbed her and cimed her mouth in a demanding kiss.

  She made a small sound of protest that quickly turo a moan. Even now, that spark of defiance flickered in her eyes before drowning in desire. Her fingers clutched at my shoulders as she melted against me, every inch the fierce queen turned willing quest.

  ****

  I thrust hard into Yara, allowing the world around us to blur into a haze of raw desire and primal need. My every movement was met with a responsive buck from her hips, turning me on further, encio delve deeper, to cim her more forcefully with each passing moment.

  My fingers were ced through hers as I fucked her from behind like beasts, pressing her hands into the soft furs that lihe bed. I pulled her by the arms a moment ter, using them as leverage to sm into her with greater iy, each stroke elig a gasp or a moan from her lips. “Ohng, yes~! Harder, harder… I am- my hips are going to break!”

  Her hips were going to break, she said, but she begged for more anyway. Her inner walls suddenly ched tight arouhe sensation sending jolts of pleasure c through my body. I could feel the pressure building within me, an unstoppable force threatening to rip through me at any moment.

  “Get me–” Yara's cries of pleasure grew louder, more desperate, as she neared her own peak. “Get me pregnant, fuck me into a mess!” I drove into her harder, faster as I also reached it. With a final, powerful thrust, I buried myself deep within her.

  My body shuddered as wave after wave of ecstasy washed over me, the feeling of my seed spilling into her triggering her own climax. Her body vulsed beh me, her moans of pleasure musiy ears. I let go of her hands, allowio colpse onto the bed as I withdrew from her, my own body spent and sated.

  I fell back against the furs, my chest still heaving from our test round of passion. Shit, I actually came inside her. The air was full of the thick st of sex and sweat, mingled with the ever-present salt tang that permeated every er of Pyke.

  I closed my eyes briefly, realizing there was nothing to do here. A long mier, I opened my eyes and found Yara stretg like a satisfied cat, her naked flowing in the dim light filtering through the narrow window.

  She rolled onto her side, propping herself up on one elbow to look at me. Her tired eyes met mine, a zy smile pying on her lips. "You're insatiable, you know that?" she said, her voice soft and husky with lingering pleasure. “What happens to me if I actually get pregnant?

  I chuckled, reag out to tuck a loose strand of hair behind her ear. "What I say? Y out the beast in me," I said, ign her sed ent.

  Her smile widened, a hint of mischief flickering in her gaze. "Well, I certainly 't pin about the results."

  I leaned in, capturing her lips in a lethargic kiss as my hand trailed down her body, trag the curve of her hip. Gods, I loved toned women. It was rare that even after intense lovemaking, I found myself wanting this much more.

  But I knew we had matters to attend to, responsibilities that couldn't be ignored, no matter how much I might wish to lose myself in her once again.

  I had to stay in trol, so I let her go. A moment passed as we stared into each other, and something was calg in her gaze now, different from the raw hunger of moments before. I khat look. She wanted something.

  "Vis," she began, her voice still husky. "Now that I'm Queen... well, Highdy to be exact, but whatever. There's something we o discuss."

  I ughed softly. "You look serious."

  "I am. It's about Theon,” she said.

  My amusement died. Of course, it was about her useless brother. I'd been waiting for this versation since we took Pyke.

  "I want him released from Winterfell," she tinued, her firag idle patterns on my chest. "He's suffered enough, hasn't he? Being held prisoner in the pce he once called home..."

  I caught her wandering hand, squeezing perhaps a bit harder than necessary. "I 't trol the North, you know? Fet about Theon and fet the men you took there, for they're under Robb Stark's rule. I 't influe."

  "But you said-"

  "Theon will live," I interrupted her, releasing her hand. "As a prisoner, perhaps a sve, but he will. In Winterfell, as he has been from a young age. He won't die. I'll send Robb a letter telling him about that. He's definitely mad at Theon, but not enough to kill him if I request it. Although it’s troublesome that Theon burnt two i children, we say that your father maniputed him. That the ironborn who came with him did it."

  "Still..." Her voice held a note of protest, but I could see the resignation in her eyes.

  "Listen, he made his own decision. I uand your love for him as a sibling, but he’s his own person. Plus, him being here will trouble your cim. The opposing men might manipute him to stand against you. So let him live where he always has.”

  She fell silent, her lips pressed into a thin line. I knew she waue more, but she was smart enough tnize when I wouldn't budge. I mean, if I truly wanted, I could free Theon, but why should I?

  I leaned over, capturing her mouth in a deep kiss while my hands once again roamed her body, finding all the spots I'd discovered drove her wild. "Rather than that," I murmured against her lips, "I've heard that your uncle Euron Greyjoy is roaming the world. He has made quite a name for himself. Be careful of him, and if he es, kill him immediately. If you ’t, notify me about him as soon as you ."

  I couldn’t risk Euron Greyjoy, he was an anomaly. Yara sighed, and her body melted against mine, her earlier tension dissolving under my toubsp;

  "Uood," she breathed between kisses. "My King..." said my Sve Queen who’d do anything that I wanted, anything that would bring me be.

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