NOVEL WEB Chapter 36: Untethered
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123 AC, Dragonstone
Rhaenys was halfway turned when Harry raised a hand casually, "Stay a moment, will you? I gave you time just as you asked, but I think it's time we had a proper talk about Rhaena."
Rhaenys knew that this would eventually come, even if she'd hoped that she could delay it a bit. Looking the sorcerer in the eyes, she knew that he had decided that he had been patient enough.
And the day had started so well. She'd gone on a walk with Corlys, something that they started to do every morning since their 'adventure' in Pyke. There was something about facing one's mortality, about seeing how small they truly were, that made them want to spend more time together, something that they somewhat stopped doing after their children's deaths.
She did not like how he still supported Rhaenyra and Daemon after what happened to Laenor, because he was convinced that his legacy would live on in Jacaerys, that his name as the grandfather of a king was worth it all, even if the boy wasn't Laenor's.
It all felt so small, in hindsight, at least compared to seeing the Drowned God itself possess a boy and almost killing them. She did not forgive him, not in the slightest, but the thought of losing him, her last anchor besides Laena's daughters, pained her severely. She felt like Corlys had changed as well, at least somewhat. He was more attentive, and he stopped trying to win every argument. He still did not like the fact that she would not actively support Rhaenyra, but their arguments were less heated and did not end as bitterly as they used to.
But that aside, Rhaenys would not deny that what happened in Pyke had terrified her to the core. Starting from their capture, all the way to the fortress collapsing and the Drowned God almost killing them all, it had been nothing but madness and mayhem. The sorcerer had done as promised and kept them safe, but the thought of Rhaena being in her place, running for her life, was far more frightening than facing a god had been. That had been something that both she and her husband agreed on.
The sorcerer was dangerous. He wasn't malicious, not in any way that Rhaenys could see, but his very nature made him a danger to people around him. Death and peril followed him, like a storm always brewing behind his shadow. Wherever Harry Potter went, the world changed around him, and not always for the better. It wasn't fair, not really. The man hadn't done anything to deserve it. But that didn't change the fact that her granddaughter had started walking right into its path.
As if to prove her point, the events just a few minutes prior showed that her misgivings were well-founded. Corlys had rarely spoken of his time in Asshai; he was always sombre when she mentioned it early on in their marriage, but before they went to confront the Potters, he had told her of magic-wielders he had met in his travels, including Shadowbinders. They were magic wielders capable of moulding shadows to their will, killing people from Kingdoms away, where every pact held treachery in some way, where blood mattered more than gold. Of course, the Potter didn't end up acting like Corlys' description of sorcerers, but then again, normal sorcerers did not battle gods either.
Either way, her husband described Shadowbinders as the perfect assassins, likely only surpassed by Faceless Men, and even then, only because of the danger that came when dealing with them. They were inescapable once they found a target, and now, they were in the fortress with them, for at least a week. Seven of them could have easily killed off most of the royal family. Of course, it would have been hard to deny that, and Asshai would have found itself being attacked by Vhagar had that happened, something that Rhaenys wasn't sure was true.
Fortunately, her family was not the target. Seven Shadowbinders came to Dragonstone to kill Harry Potter and had died in seconds from the looks of it. By the gods, the sheer disappointment in the sorcerer's voice when he described his attackers was the same as a master at arms who had a failure of a pupil, or a knight with a simpleton as a squire.
If she were honest with herself, it had been the sorcerer's reaction that stabilised things, the way he took control over the room, essentially putting them at ease with his rant about how ineffectual the assassins were, which stopped them all from reacting badly to the danger they were in. He took control of the room, and Rhaenys was glad for it. She would still need to find out who was responsible and who could have possibly arranged for seven Shadowbinders to act as his assassins. From what her husband told her, such a number was unheard of.
Yet, Harry Potter's help did not change the fact that the first time since the man left his manse, he was attacked by foreign sorcerers, with her granddaughter being in the room as well.
Which was why, now that the sorcerer, Corlys and she were alone, she retorted, "Perhaps, but I distinctly remember asking you not to go on any more expeditions with Rhaena."
"And I didn't. I hadn't even planned on speaking with her."
"Then why were you here?" she asked, remembering the vague response he had given them earlier.
"I suppose since Rhaena know, she'd tell you anyway. I was there with Helaena. There were complications with her children's health, and I offered my help. This was me checking in on them," he answered before shrugging, "I didn't exactly plan on being assassinated or that the girls would be there when it happened."
A pit dropped in Rhaenys' gut as she realised that the man was likely telling the truth. She had heard the servants' gossip of young Jaehaerys and Jaehaera suddenly growing and becoming louder, claiming that proximity to their ancestral home helped them in some way. Rhaenys had put it out of her mind, but it did match the sorcerer's methods. "You didn't mention that."
"I wasn't aware that I was supposed to report to you with my every move," Potter answered, his tone neutral.
He didn't yell. He didn't growl. He just stated things, and yet the response made Rhaenys feel as if she was treading on some dangerous ground, "I was mistaken. I am still unsettled by the events in Pyke, and Rhaena being involved in any of them."
The sorcerer smiled, "That's understandable. I understand your worry, but believe me, I would have never involved Rhaena in anything as dangerous as Pyke. I would have sent her away the moment I deemed it to be more dangerous. Admittedly, I should have likely done the same to you, but I suppose I wished to show you a glimpse of the secrets of this world, of what Rhaena could learn. I will admit that I did not plan on fighting a god, which complicated things immensely."
Rhaenys suppressed the urge to scoff at this reply; who planned on fighting a god? Potter obviously wished to show them the wonders of the world and had succeeded in showing them the dangers. Her knowledge of the Ironborn was that they were savages whom Aegon the Conqueror easily invaded after wiping out much of their nobility with Balerion's flames. There were no mentions of such power residing in the Isles or a looming god ready to wipe out any opposition.
In a way, this had proved to Rhaenys that they were not the greatest powers in the world, that there still were many dangers in the world that would bring them and their dragons low, and she was likely speaking with one of them.
Corlys was the one to answer this time, "Given what we have seen, you do understand worries, Lord Harry."
"Of course, I do. But our normal expeditions are rarely this destructive. We visit ruins, old places, rich with history and magic. We try to unearth the mysteries of this world, one adventure at a time. So far, the worst that Rhaena experienced were a few fire and wind spirits that died in seconds, an ice spider that did not last more than five seconds, and a possessed Greenseer who tried to attack us, which I easily scared away. She was never in any danger, and I have no intention of putting her in a position where injury or death was even an option."
Rhaenys was speechless, not believing that the sorcerer said this to reassure them. Who used giant Ice Spiders, Greenseers, and Spirits made of fire, as creatures safe enough for a young girl to face.
"Intentions aside, you can't expect us to send our granddaughter to dangerous ruins willingly," Corlys answered back at him, "Just because she wishes to go on some adventures like some character from a storybook. She's not some sellsword's daughter or hedge knight's apprentice; she's a Velaryon, a Targaryen."
"Perhaps, she is also the girl who tried to claim the Cannibal, alone, in the middle of the night, and who almost died for it. She is a girl who just realised that she knew very little of the world she lives in, of her own ancestors, and she will not stop looking for answers."
"You are the one who encouraged it," Rhaenys stated, "This was your doing."
"Perhaps I was the one who awakened this hunger in her, but that hunger for answers inside her, the spirit for adventure, must have been there before me. She's a brilliant girl. Curious. Brave. This hunger would have either awakened at another time, alone this time, which could have ended with her injuring herself in recklessness, or it would have been smothered down, and she would have been lesser for it. Maybe if I hadn't taken her to that small trip into the Dragonmont, things would have been different, but we cannot change the past."
Rhaenys couldn't help but make the comparison to Laena, the girl who walked up to the largest dragon in the world, and succeeded in claiming it, the girl who recklessly jumped into bed with Daemon out of a sense of adventure and seeing the world, who had likely been the driving force behind their voyages across Essos, before settling in Pentos. Rhaena truly was like her mother in many ways.
Unfortunately, both she and her husband hoped that it was just a phase, after which the excitement for adventure would die down, and she'd find something else to obsess over, like riding her dragon, when it grew large enough, or perhaps, even learning how to wield a weapon. It wasn't ideal, but it was better than sending her into danger.
Corlys nodded as well, "My blood runs in her veins indeed. Perhaps, if she were older and wiser, we could have been more comforted. Perhaps, if the realm were not on a knife's edge, we would have agreed, but we simply cannot."
Harry Potter nodded, accepting their decision, "Perhaps, but I cannot, in good conscience, deny her something so profoundly her, or think that we abandoned her after showing her the world. To do so would be like asking a dragon to crawl rather than fly. As it is your decision, you will be the ones to enforce it." He looked between the two of them, not unkindly, but somehow certain of his words. "However, if she seeks me or my wife out, asking to join us in an expedition, we will not refuse her."
Both Velaryons froze in their tracks, realising what the sorcerer's words meant. Given Rhaenys's post as Hand of the King, they would both stay in the Capital, with Corlys occasionally going to Driftmark. The moment they left, Rhaena would ask to join the Potters on another expedition, and they would have achieved nothing but make their granddaughter resentful of them for denying her.
Rhaenys shook, trying to contain her rage, only for the sorcerer to speak up, "Normally, I would not interfere or intrude, but Rhaena needs this. And if you keep denying her, she will do it the moment she can ride her dragon, either way, but without us as a safety net. That doesn't change the fact that Rhaena also needs you. She was always closest to her mother and her father, while I am sure that he loves her, he doesn't truly understand her or know how to deal with her. Which is why I propose a compromise that would hopefully work for everyone."
Corlys took a deep breath and asked, "What do you propose?"
"Given that your issue is Rhaena's safety, let's mitigate this. I will not take Rhaena in a place that would not be out of the question to travel in, such as large cities in the Seven Kingdoms, and the like, and we will not move without your written approval, however, if you refuse, you will do so in a letter to Rhaena, herself, while explaining your decision. I will also craft a small item for Rhaena, which would send her back to our manse for her own safety, should any serious situation occur. After each expedition, Rhaena herself will write you a letter detailing what happened, and you can contact me if there is any reason you're worried. Also, should either of you wish to join, I have no issues accommodating you."
Rhaenys shivered slightly as a memory of Pyke crumbling and what happened to Dalton Greyjoy came to her. She did not want to go travelling with the sorcerer again. She felt too old to go adventuring like some squire, even if a small part of her relished the idea of travelling the Seven Kingdoms with nothing but the clothes on her back and Meleys keeping her company. It was what drew her to Corlys, in a way, the adventuring spirit within him. Of course, when she had Laena, all dreams of adventures faded, replaced with the wonder and love for her child. She did not regret it in any way.
Speaking of her husband, Rhaenys subtly hit him as he felt his excitement for the sorcerer's offer. It was a good compromise, in a way, and gave them some measure of control over their granddaughter, which the sorcerer could have easily ignored. She had seen him battle a god to a standstill and travel across the continent in seconds. He could have easily ignored their wishes completely, but he didn't. And that made it all the harder to say no."
"I understand that you want what's best for her," Potter added gently. "But I promise you, so do I."
Rhaenys looked at her husband, who was clearly torn. He didn't like losing control, but he liked losing his granddaughter even less. She could already imagine the girl's reaction to their refusal of her travels. They'd seen it before in Laena, and it ended with their daughter gallivanting across Essos with a banished Daemon, not speaking to them for moons at a time.
"Where do you plan on taking her next?" Corlys finally asked.
"Winterfell," the sorcerer immediately replied to both their surprise.
If she had been given a hundred guesses to where the Potters would travel, she wouldn't have guessed Winterfell in any of them. "I was under the impression that you would go to Asshai, given the events of today."
"Believe me, I have plans for Asshai, but this will not be a place where I would take Rhaena."
Rhaenys wasn't exactly happy with the response, given that the sorcerer was obviously keeping something away, something that he knew about the attempt on his life, but was glad that he did not plan to involve Rhaena in his likely feud with Asshai. Yet, she couldn't help but ask, "But why Winterfell?"
"It's in the name," the sorcerer answered while chuckling, "It's where Winter fell. I've heard many tales of Brandon the Builder, the man who built the Wall alongside the Giants, so I must admit being curious to explore where he supposedly built his family seat. There's also the magic of the First Men, of course."
"Magic?" Corlys asked, suddenly wary.
"Nothing serious, I assure you. Tales of Greenseers are somewhat rare, but Skinchangers are far more common for First Men to develop. It's the ability to see through an animal's eyes and control them. It could be wolves, ravens, eagles, shadowcats, and even rats," Potter spoke up casually, staring at a rat in the corner of the room, who seemed frozen in fear, before screeching wildly and running away, "Hmm… I've always disliked rats."
Ignoring the oddness of the event, attributing it to some trick from the sorcerer, Rhaenys thought of the man's proposal once more. She supposed that visiting Winterfell wouldn't be so dangerous. The Starks did support her during the Great Council, and they seemed like an honourable sort, if a little too blunt. That was decades prior, of course, but Rhaena wouldn't be in the same danger as the Iron Islands. Then again, she hoped that he wouldn't end up fighting another god or anything of the like.
She turned towards Potter after meeting her husband's eyes and said, "We'll speak with one another in case we have any concerns, but I don't see why your compromise wouldn't work. But we will speak to Rhaena first."
The sorcerer nodded, as if he already knew that they would agree, "Of course. I believe that should be everything, right?"
Corlys nodded, but Rhaenys remembered a small detail that had happened earlier in the day, "It's regarding the events of Pyke. Larys Strong placed me and Meleys in the Iron Islands during the fall of Pyke. He wished to leverage it to make Viserys distrustful of me. I was able to deny it, of course, as the timing of the journey would have been impossible, even with Meleys, since you transported us back with your magic. But I would like that if asked, you and your wife deny our involvement, and perhaps even your own, in what happened in Pyke. Hopefully, that would stop Lord Strong from making an issue of things."
The man nodded, with a small smile growing on his face, "I won't say a word. And don't worry about Larys Strong. I have a feeling that he'll be quite preoccupied for the near future."
That was all Harry Potter said before walking out of the room, leaving them alone, pondering what Larys Strong had done to annoy the sorcerer. Perhaps it was the supposed curse of Harrenhall showing itself again. A part of Rhaenys pitied the crippled man, the other part already planned on who would be the next Master of Whisperers.
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AN: That took a bit more out of me than I expected. I know that this chapter was a bit on the slow side, but I think a few of you will see where things are going in the next couple of chapters, which I'm very excited to write. As usual, please let me know what you think and if you have any suggestions.
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If you want to support me check out my patréon at https://www.patréon.com/athassprkr
I tend to upload drafts of early chapters on there to get people's opinions of them so you can read up to 20 chapters ahead as a bonus.
Thank you guys for your support in these hard times.