Dragonlord Chapter 158: Dreams of the far future

The sun was high in the sky as the Nimbus sailed from Dorne, its golden light flickering through the fronds of swaying palms. But Harry and Arianne were outside the scope of the Dornish sun as they were inside a dimension of his creation.   

A gentle breeze carried the scent of salt and citrus, mingling with laughter and the faint whisper of running water from the fountains. A couple of tortoises watched from the pools, but in a secluded courtyard screened by hibiscus and shade trees, a different kind of play unfolded.

Arianne Martell stood barefoot on the warm tiles, her dark hair braided back and her body clad in a sleeveless leather jerkin that clung to her form like a second skin. In her hands, she gripped the newly gifted spear—a weapon of great repute owing to the valyrian steel it was made of.

She named it Sunlance.

She originally wanted to name it Sunspear, but Nymeria and Harrion were quick to make fun of her apparent lack of imagination.

Across from her, Harry adjusted his stance, his shirt discarded and sweat glistening on his bare chest. He gripped his own spear, thicker and blunter than an actual weapon of war, but still long and bound by magical enchantments to stay intact in a spar with valyrian steel.

“Are you certain you’re ready for this, husband?” Arianne asked with a smirk, twirling her spear with fluid ease. “I’d hate to see you limping before the Northerners nursing your pride.”

“We both know who has been limping these days.” Harry shot back with a wolfish grin.

“Is that so?” she purred, circling him slowly. “Let’s see if you are as good with a spear in hand.”

From the side of the pool nearby, Nymeria Sand reclined on a bench, one knee drawn up, chewing a peach and watching with keen amusement.

“Try not to harm each other,” Nymeria called. “At least not before tonight. I’d hate if my time with the Black Wolf gets suspended due to injury.”

“Your concern for me is flattering.” Harry said as he parried Arianne’s sudden lunge, her spear aimed for his side.

“I’d pour a cup of wine and say a few beautiful words,” Nymeria said. “Then I’d help Arianne pick a new husband.”

Arianne laughed as she pivoted, her foot skimming the tiles.

“Don’t tempt me, cousin. He bruises like a peach.”

Harry lunged forward, then, a quick jab that Arianne turned aside with ease, though her eyes widened slightly.

“That one had teeth,” she said. “Getting serious, are we?”

“When you called for a practice session, I never imagined you’d use that spear. If I’m not serious, you might break something.” Harry said as he took his leg backwards to avoid a sweeping attack from Arianne.

“Pfft! You are just slow and out of practice.” Arianne waved off any concern.

“Sunlance is no ordinary spear. It has some special powers.”

“What special powers?” Arianne asked immediately while blocking a series of jabs from Harry and expertly danced around the renewed offensive.

“You’ll see as you practice more with it.” Harry said with a smirk.

She feinted left, then struck right—Harry blocked, but stumbled slightly when Nymeria made a sound to distract him, and Arianne surged in with a wicked gleam in her eyes. He caught her shaft mid-thrust, twisted, and suddenly they were chest to chest, weapons locked between them.

Her breath hitched. His eyes were dark, but this close, he could see flecks of yellow in them.

“Caught you,” he said softly.

“Did you?” she whispered back.

She let go of the spear and reached up, curling her fingers behind his neck to pull him down. Their lips met—not for the first time, but with the same fervour as the first. The kiss was brief, flushed with heat and play, before she pulled back and shoved him with a laugh.

Harry staggered back, blinking.

“Was that a kiss or a distraction?” he asked while he flicked his fallen spear with his leg and caught it in his open palm.

“Both,” she said, retrieving her spear. “And now your guard’s down.”

Robb raised his weapon, chuckling. “I’ll keep that in mind.”

Nymeria whistled.

“Seven save us. If this is how you train, I might become an aunt soon.” she said with a smirk, her eyes lit with amusement.

“You’re welcome to join,” Arianne offered without looking at her cousin.

“I’d rather not get impaled by lovebirds,” Nymeria said, lounging deeper into the cushions. “Besides, I’d rather join you in bed tonight.”

Harry struck again, this time low and sudden, but Arianne spun to avoid it, letting the momentum take her halfway around him. They exchanged blows as they danced around each other poking and prodding with the spears in their hands.

However, they stopped the training when Arianne called it quits, and Nymeria was in no mood to pick up a spear. Once they had freshened up, they retired to Harry’s chambers.

(Lemon scene in Discord Patron only channel)

*****

The first light of morning slipped through the balcony and windows like a gentle tide, golden and soft, warming the cool edges of the great bedchamber. The silks from the night before—crimson, ivory, and gold—lay twisted and half-draped across bare limbs. The air was fragrant with the memory of oil and rose, and the only sound was the slow, even rhythm of three peaceful breaths.

Harry awoke first. His eyes blinked open to the sight of Arianne’s hair spilling like black silk across his chest, her arm wrapped possessively around his waist. Her leg lay atop his, anchoring him in bed. On his other side, Nymeria was sprawled like a cat in the sun, one hand lazily resting on his shoulder, the other beneath her cheek. Her breathing was steady, her features softer than last night.

For a moment, Harry lay still, absorbing it all—the warmth, the scent of sex and even the brief tiredness he was feeling. It was sweet and enthralling.

Arianne stirred. Her lashes fluttered before she opened her eyes, and when she saw him watching her, she smiled—a slow, joyful twitch of her lips full of satisfaction and heat.

She crawled over to his side and pressed a kiss on his cheek.

“Have you been awake for long, my love?” Arianne asked, nuzzling into his chest with her head.

He could feel her warm breath on his chest, bringing goosebumps from head to toe.

“Not for long but long enough to appreciate your beauty while you slept.” Harry whispered, coiling a strand of her luscious hair around one of his fingers.  

He particularly enjoyed her warm, nubile body pressing against his, acting as a warm blanket.

“I’m glad my presence in your bed brought you comfort, dear husband.” Arianne said with a giggle. “But I remember you saying something about making a stop in our journey. You said it was a surprise, so let’s hear it then.”

“Hmm. Well, why don’t I show you instead?” Harry said after his connection to the wards of the Nimbus told him the airship had come to a halt.

Harry and Arianne carefully extracted themselves from bed without disturbing Nymeria, who was in deep slumber. He threw one of the silk sheets around Arianne and himself to cover their naked bodies before they approached the balcony.

Arianne let out a surprised gasp when her eyes fell on the city below.

“This is…” Arianne was at a loss for words as she turned her head to look at Harry with wide eyes.

“Oldtown – the first city of Westeros.” Harry said, looking down from the balcony at the massive city sprawled out in all directions with high stone walls and massive towers reaching high into the sky.

“Why are we in Oldtown?” Arianne asked in a panic. “Are you trying to start a religious war?”

“Start?” Harry said with a snort. “I’m here to end a religious war that has been going on for thousands of years and ensure the next one will be.”

He turned his eyes away from Arianne to look down on the oldest and grandest of cities of Westeros. This city held the true strength of Andals, and the Faith of the Seven was rooted in the foundations of the continent through this city. While he had no reason to consider Oldtown to be a threat to his interests in the current scenario, it was better to prepare for the eventuality.

Besides, he had another reason to visit Oldtown.

Aside from being the centre of the Faith, Oldtown was also home to the Citadel. Now that was an organisation that warranted a closer scrutiny. After everything Archmaester Marwyn had told him about the Citadel and its shadow activities throughout the centuries, he had left it alone because the time was not right. It wasn’t as if he could replace the maesters provided by the Citadel in the North with an alternative.

But those times had passed. The wealth and the connection he had cultivated all these years had allowed him to build an alternative to replace the maesters across the castles in the North in the coming decade. There were also more Northmen trained in the Citadel for their links, funded entirely by his patronage. He could recall them and use them to meet any need for learned men in the North. The Sea Dragon’s Academy also continued to churn out men and women of different crafts and skills, which meaningfully contributed to the North’s need for skilled labour.  

So, he had many things to do in Oldtown in very little time. He hoped Lord Leyton Hightower had heeded his request and made arrangements as per his wishes. The Hightowers were more mercantile than any of the Great Houses of Westeros. So, it was no surprise when they readily agreed to accommodate his request.

Harry readily cleaned up and made himself presentable, dressed in a black doublet and breeches. A silver sash was wrapped around his waist with a belt carrying his sword, Godkiller.

On the deck of the Nimbus, he found his mother already dressed in modest silks.

“I’m thankful you’ve decided to seek the blessing of the Seven, Harrion.” Catelyn said with a bright smile before pressing a kiss on his forehead. “May the gods bless my son to have a fruitful marital life.”

“Well, I know you believe in the Seven, and we were close to the Starry Sept. So, I thought this was an opportunity that we couldn’t miss. Besides, Lord Leyton writes that the High Septon has agreed to host a prayer ceremony to bless my marriage to Arianne.” Harry said.

“Really! That’s excellent news, Harrion.” Catelyn’s eyes shone with joy. “You managed to arrange all of this without bothering anyone else. You shoulder so much responsibility at such a young age, it sometimes makes me think I failed as a mother.”

Catelyn hugged her son closely with her eyes shining with unshed tears.

“You didn’t fail. I was just too good a son.” Harry said, with genuine affection for the woman who became his mother in this life.

He never thought he’d see anyone other than Lily Potter as his mother. Still, Catelyn Tully managed to do just that by providing the maternal love he had never experienced and by giving him siblings. This new life was a gift that came into his hands through luck and forces beyond his control, which made it all the more precious to defend his family and the life he was gifted fiercely, even from plausible enemies.

Harry’s stormy grey eyes fell on the large dome of the Starry Sept. He doesn’t know what he’d find there. His experience with the Seven was severely lacking. Even when he helped to renovate the sept in White Harbour, he had not felt the presence of the Seven other than a faint echo.

Out of all the ‘gods’ he had encountered, the Seven were the least interfering godly beings out there. It was almost as if the Seven were purposefully staying away from their temples of worship, avoiding their believers with a passion.

Looking into the Starry Sept, he felt something at the edge of his senses. There was a power in the building. Whether that power was hostile, like the Doom and the Great Other, was yet to be seen. He got the feeling he’d soon know for sure.