'Boom!'
A metaphorical explosion went off in the onlookers heads. Everyone looked at each other in dismay. You look at me, I look at you.
Everyone here knows this is just lady Caitlyn stirring up trouble. "So, what's it gonna be?" Ned saw Jon mouth "uncle?" At the end of his question which made Ned almost lose all the strength in his knees.
"Go back! All of you!" Ned shook in rage. Caitlyn wanted to say something but saw the look in Ned's eyes. She scurried away in a huff.
In seconds, only the two of them remained in the horse stables.
"Why chase them away? We were just getting to the interesting part." Jon let out a chuckle whith hit a flat wall on the other side.
"You are not funny."
"No? I think you are hilarious though. Punishing me for her actions, letting me be treated less than scum in my own home. Denying me the opportunity to mourn my own father. Absolutely hilarious!" Jon looked at him in scorn.
Ned saw the hate in Jon's eyes and trembled. Has he done wrong? He just wanted his nephew to be safe. If he paid too much attention to him, his wife would have been even more jealous and angry.
If he gave Jon a status to protect him from his wife it would make her even more wronged. Having a bastard has already dishonored her, how can he bare to take it that far? Not to mention Jon's identity, what if he becomes a contender for the throne in the future? How can he keep his family safe?
Jon didn't say anything else after that. He just continued to sharpen the sword. Ned looked at the sword and then attack Jon. He has a sword already?
"Jon." Ned is internally conflicted. He could get rid of his problems by forcing Jon to the wall, but he cares what Jon thinks of him. He loves him very much, Ned watched Jon grow up from an infant to the young man he is now. How could he not love him?
Sending Jon to the wall in this manner will completely destroy their relationship. That is not something Ned wants to happen.
"Where did you get this information?" Ned asked with a serious expression.
"Are you worried someone will use this information against you?" Jon sneered.
"The citadel keeps records of all marriages, and children born or on the way to be born in the royal family. Can you guess what was to me my name if I were a girl?" Jon turned to face Ned with an expression of 'you will never guess' but Ned's head is buzzing.
"Jon, don't you see? This is why you need to go and join the order of the nights watch. You are not safe here."
"You mean you are not safe with me here?" Jon let out a hallow laugh, one filled with emptiness and loneliness. "The person you told me was not trying to convince me to take claim my inheritance. She just wanted me to see that which you seek. To be rid of me." Jon has always respected his father, he had believed by going to the nights watch he would bring honor to house Stark.
But, why should it be up to him to do that? It is just a way to get him as far away from the throne as possible.
"Jon." Ned felt flustered, but his face showed no reaction. "What do you want?" Ned asked him. But Jon ignored him and continued to sharpen the sword. Not getting a response, Ned turned and about to leave when his wife walked back in this time holding a letter.
When Ned read it, he became gloomy, his entire body exudes a grief stricken aura. After taking a look at Jon who is still ignoring him, he left without looking back.
Jon is thinking, 'what do I want?' Heh, I want my childhood!
Amelia traversed to the town near deep moat docks. She is wearing a long robe that covers half of her face which is then covered in a black silky scarf.
This creates an aura of mystery around her. She ordered a plate of food but after seeing it, she didn't touch it, instead she inquired about any groups willing to escort her to Pentos.
"There are six such groups.." The innkeeper spoke in a thick northern accent. She gave him five silver coins on which she cast a silver stag. These coins previously had the various human territory logos from her previous world but with a single spell, a picture of a stag had been put on a few.
The rest of the coins she removed and logos so she can use it any where in the known world.
"My name I Rina. Please help me find the most skilled and trustworthy of the groups. I will pay 20 gold coins when we depart and then upon arrival, my uncle and his wife will give me 30 gold coins. Please handle this matter with utmost care. I will be back in a day and half." Her voice is very beautiful. Of course as fae she possesses otherworldly beauty that drives mortals a bit crazy with wild thoughts.
Jon has a strong constitution. Which is why even though he wanted her, it is at a normal level a man wants a woman.
After walking out of the bar, the innkeeper went to find her the most skilled group. He seems to have forgotten she also asked for the most trustworthy group.
Amelia went back to Winterfell and snuck in using a floating spell. The gates where closed for too long and she didn't want to waste too much time. She felt Jon in the woods where she found him practicing his sword skills with chilling focus.
"Ehem.." Jon didn't stop out right but gradually slowed down his movements until he reached the point where he could stop.
"I'm going to Pentos. I want to meet the girl who will one day bring dragons back to this world."
'Boom'
Again with sudden shocking information. Jon looked at her after she pulled down the hoodie revealing her exquisite face. Today, she is even wearing earrings. That match her blue green eyes. Her skin flawless, and those small but full red lips.
He just stared at her for a full minute without saying anything. Then came back to his senses giving a light cough.
"Pentos?"
"Hmm."
"Dragons? Actual dragons? Does that mean ...?" He didn't dare say it.
"Siblings born from the king and queen. They escaped dragon stone and have been having a hard time surviving on the streets and running from assassins hired by king Robert. They will somehow get three dragon eggs and hatch them, creating a legend." She walked towards him and took the hand that has already grown new blisters from training so hard these past few days.
"Lord Arryn is dead." Jon said looking at her.
"Already?" She looked genuinely surprised.
"Then I don't have a lot of time before the princess is married off to the horse lord with 40 thousand strong." Her expression shows struggling with something. Jon became shocked once again.
"She is to marry a Dothraki?" He asked.
"Not willingly. But she doesn't have much of a choice since her brother wants an army and the man housing them is in cohort with someone in Kings landing who wants war."
"These two will soon hatch Dragons?"
"No, just the girl. I have to leave." She looked at him with a soft expression. "Will you come with me? Meet your kin and maybe even rescue a princess?" Her smile is infectious.
"In the stories, what did I do?"
"You went to the wall. You regretted it on the way when your uncle brought along two rapists who were given a choice. As a house flower who grew up in a castle, you disdain them. But it was already too late. The wall is unmanned, shirt on supplies and the wildlings are gathering, by now there's probably already 50 yo 70 thousand strong following a man named Mance Ryder. The new king belong the wall." She let ho of his hand.
"Men like you are everywhere in my old world. Brave men who die young. Always thinking you will do something no one has ever done before." She took a step back. Seeing him not making a decision, she smiled sadly. He wants to go there and help prevent the Wildlings from crossing over. Having made up her mind, she gave him a sad smile.
"There is more to the wall. They stories about things lurking in the cold, they are true. There's a reason the wildings are willing to submit to one man. They need to get as far away from the true north as possible." She gave him 50 liters of strong vodka.
"To keep you warm." She said and turned to leave. Jon quickly took away the five barrels and watched her leave, his heart heavy with emotions.
In her heart, she is hoping he stops her but he didn't say anything. She then used a fast spell to disappear from his sight.
Jon lost the strength in his legs and fell on his knees crying. He cried so sadly for a long time before standing up and after putting on a jacket from the space ring, he walked out of Winterfell with ghost by his side. From this day on, he will not be an eyesore for Caitlyn Tully anymore.
Amelia is also having a bad day, she decided to steal from Winterfell, especially the food in the kitchen, the chickens, some piglets, calves, goats, even two ponies were stolen.
With these, Amelia should be able to have stable growth food supply in her space. Just for variety, she dug a pit and put live fishes from the river near Crofters village.
In the woods, Amelia picked up deer, stag, geese rabbits and placed them in different territory after separating the space into many parts.
This space was awakened when she awakened the 'devour ability at level 7 of novice mage. At master level, she was able to nurture beasts with her essence blood and let them inherit the ability to devour other living beings for their cultivation.
This is another reason for hiding this power from others. Although the granted ability needs to ne nurtured with her essence blood over time, what would prevent others from kidnapping her and keeping her locked up to harvest her essence blood?
This is why she decisively took drastic measures when the siblings encircled her castle. There is a reason fae is referred to by humans as demons. They are old so they are indifferent. But most importantly they are cruel.
Cruel to themselves, cruel to the enemies and even more cruel to the innocent. Amelia had no reason to think they wouldn't enslave her for her power.
In this world, there is no need for her grow an army of devour beasts as the space was intended.
She will use this space to grow the scarce things in this world. Food. It doesn't matter how much food she grows, all she needs is to have more.
Amelia returned to the inn and booked a room for the night. She entered her space and drank the mana dew made from the lives of humans she had killed in her world. Because of her level, she can only drink a spoonful of the stuff since it is very strong.
As soon as she drinks it, her body is filled with power. She sat cross-legged and directed the magic in her body to the right places. This takes a long time and very delicate work. Before long the entire day is finished like this. Cultivation is like this, it takes all the time and only give a little in return.
Amelia roasted mutated beasts meat inside her space and checked on her herbs. After this session, she will surely make it to level one peak. After separating from Jon at that time, she had ended her space and used her magic dew to reach level one low, medium and now peach level. As soon as she passes over to level two, her body strength will also reach level two which is ten times stronger than a training normal man.
Currently her strength is less than that which is why she hired a group on men to escort her even though she doesn't think she will die from bandits. It helps that time in her space is only a third of time spent outside.
Her body shed impurities because of cleansing the marrow and purifying her bloodline. Amelia is used to the sticky black substance but it hadn't reached to such lengths in the past. The mana dew is really a high level resource.
She seem to have gained an inch in height and her skin and beauty is even better than a day ago. She gave a punch and felt that her bloodline is really getting purer making her stronger than before.
Mana levels are novice, apprentice, Master, grand master. Humans had only reached these levels in the past each stage has 10 levels with each having three small levels of low, mid, and peak.
Novice can only cast spells that will affect one person during the first five small levels. They can use their spells on a group of ten in the higher novice levels.
Amelia is currently in the lowest level of novice. Her spells can only be cast on one person. Mostly herself. But, the destruction power of her 'devour' natural ability can already take on a group of people 2 meters in distance.
After all, when she wiped out an entire army she had only been at level one grand master stage. This inherent ability is outside the scope of normalcy.
At six evening, the innkeeper sent someone to get her downstairs so she can meet the 'wooden skull' mercenary group who took the job.
"This is Amelia, she hired your group for an escort mission. Amelia this is Wood. Yeah, his last name is also Wood. He is a third son of the Wood family, so he chose to become a self made man." The innkeeper is used to bridging a gap between parties.
"Mr. Wood, pleased to meet you. I'd like to leave early in the next day." She stated outright. She extended her hand for a shake but he didn't take it. Instead he stood tall and looked at Amelia form above.
'Wood' is 6'6 looking like a small giant to Amelia who is 5'9. His large brown eyes are inside thick eye lashes, like most men here, he has a large beard brown blond the same color as his hair.
"Lady Amelia, please call me Mark. Wood is what ugly men call me." He let loose a wide grin showing a playful side to him that is hard to see when he is seriously staring her down a while ago.
After watching her beautiful face without an ounce of fear, he smiled. To her surprise, his teeth look clean and white even the air from his mouth is not smelly at all. She even noticed he has a pair of thin pink lips. She blinked, waiting for him to speak.
Amelia looked around the table, smiling lightly. Her beauty has made many of the men let out gasps with their faces flushed. She put a heavy pouch on the table.
"We will be spending time together out there. As a small woman, please take careful care of me. Tonight, feast and enjoy yourselves to your hearts contents. After boarding the ship your options will be limited." She smiled at the shy and lustful men around her and after nodding to Mark, she went back upstairs.
The men let out cheers after opening the pouch on the table filled with a few hundred silver coins. There's 37 of them including the cooks, cleaning and boys who take care of their armor and weapons.
What the innkeeper didn't tell her was that Wood has a ship and also a crew. But since they will be going to Pentos as well, it is money they made on the way.
The men hired professional companions, bought alcohol and meat to eat. They even paid for a few songs from a local singer. The atmosphere is lively until they drank too much.
All except for the captain whose eyes kept lingering to the rooms upstairs in the inn. Every time he looked at the women trying to entice him he felt they are like mud on the floor compared to that face, that voice. That enchanting smile that made him want to give her all his possessions and still feel it's not enough.
Looking at his men who are thoroughly enjoying themselves, he felt bitter. She had ruined his ability to enjoy all this.
....