Conquest Keep, its towering white spires slowly faded into the green shadows of the mountains.
Behind the castle, a swift stream cut through an emerald valley, winding toward the distant Summer Sea. On both banks stretched lush meadows dotted with wildflowers of every hue.
Far from the noise of towns and keeps, this was a playground for dragons—and one of Lo Quen's rare places of leisure.
He sat cross-legged on a broad, grassy slope beside the stream, his posture easy and unguarded. Several strikingly beautiful women were gathered around him, their attention fixed on the three colossal shapes playing in the shallow waters ahead.
Blooddancer was the liveliest of the three. Its massive body rolled and splashed in the stream, sending up sheets of silver-white spray that drenched Silverfall beside it.
Silverfall let out an annoyed growl, lifting its elegant neck high to avoid the sudden shower. Its long, razor-edged wings spread slightly, the translucent membranes catching the sunlight and scattering it in brilliant hues.
Duskshadow, covered in deep violet scales, was the quietest of the trio. It lay sprawled across a large boulder in midstream, its vertical purple eyes half-closed as it lazily watched small fish dart below the surface. From time to time, it dipped a claw—sheathed in fine purple scales—into the water, sending out slow ripples.
Ynys Yronwood sat a little to Lo Quen's right, her arms wrapped loosely around her knees. A few strands of her golden hair fluttered in the soft breeze as her sapphire eyes followed the dragons with wide-eyed wonder.
"They're extraordinary," she murmured, her voice tinged with awe. "Each one so different, yet so beautiful."
She smoothed the folds of her skirt unconsciously, her heart swelling with quiet anticipation. Seeing such power awakened a hazy longing within her—a vision of the future Queen she hoped to become.
What would it be like to bear a child of Dragonblood Lineage? The thought lingered in her mind.
On Lo Quen's left sat Chai Yiq, her legs crossed, her gaze trailing over the dragons with a trace of envy.
As Lo Quen's Flame Knight, she too possessed the ability to bond with dragons. Yet there were only three in existence.
The fiery black-red dragon egg fossil still refused to hatch, a fact that weighed heavily on her. Her pale violet eyes flicked unconsciously toward Lynesse, seated on Lo Quen's other side.
Lady Hightower reclined lazily against a stone draped with a soft fur blanket. The youthful charm that once defined her beauty had deepened into a serene, maternal radiance.
She wore a loose light-blue silk gown, though it did little to hide the graceful curve of her swelling belly.
Thanks to Lo Quen's tireless attentions, Lynesse had conceived two months prior.
A gentle smile touched her lips as she placed a pale hand on her abdomen, stroking it tenderly.
In her four years of marriage to Jorah Mormont, she had borne no children. She had always thought the fault was hers—but clearly, it was not.
This child had begun as nothing more than a bargain between her and Lo Quen. His proposal had been simple: she would become his mistress and bear him bastard sons who would carry the Mormont name, destined one day to rule as the Great Lord of Winterfell and the Earl of Bear Island.
Lynesse had agreed almost without hesitation, viewing it purely as an exchange. But once she conceived and felt the fullness of life stirring within her, something inside her changed.
Now she had surrendered her heart entirely to the man who had made her a mother—and she could no longer pull it back.
Chai Yiq noticed every detail. Lynesse's pregnancy stirred thoughts of her own.
Unlike the fifteen- or sixteen-year-old Jaelena sisters, Chai Yiq was older—eighteen—and carried the burden of vengeance and a fallen homeland.
Perhaps, for the sake of restoration, she should take the initiative... and bear His Grace's heir.
At that moment, the restless Blooddancer suddenly lunged toward Duskshadow, its vast shadow sweeping over the water and setting off a trail of ripples.
Duskshadow, who had been lounging idly on the boulder pretending to brood, reacted instantly. Its huge frame sprang up in alarm, wings flapping frantically as it scrambled away from Blooddancer in panicked retreat.
Silverfall lifted its neck with effortless grace and let out a clear, almost mocking roar.
Down in the river valley, the girls burst into laughter at the sudden display of playfulness. Whatever thoughts had occupied them moments before were scattered by the sight of such wild, unrestrained energy. Their bright laughter mingled with the dragons' cries and the murmur of the stream, echoing through that peaceful haven.
Before long, a Dragon Soul Guard arrived, bearing a letter from Conquest Keep.
Lo Quen broke the seal and read quickly. A flicker of surprise crossed his face. "I didn't expect them to return—and to bring that thing with them."
Without hesitation, he turned and headed back to Conquest Keep.
In the great hall, Meizo stood waiting with Khorane and Moreo, their expressions expectant.
A year earlier, Khorane and Moreo had sworn in Tyrosh that they would capture unicorns from Skagos for him. Now, they had fulfilled that promise.
Their faces showed the dust and fatigue of long travel, yet both men grinned proudly.
"Your Grace, we've brought you living unicorns. They weren't easy to catch, but we managed to take seven—some large, some small. They're penned safely in the stables."
Lo Quen nodded approvingly. "Well done, both of you. Let's go see them for ourselves."
He called for Qyburn, and together they hurried to the stables.
Seven enormous iron cages stood in a row, each lined thickly with dry hay.
What they saw inside made even the well-traveled Qyburn draw a sharp breath.
Unicorns.
They looked nothing like the graceful steeds of legend, but rather resembled powerful stag deer.
The largest stood nearly six feet at the shoulder, sleek and strong, their movements taut with coiled strength. The smallest were no bigger than young foals.
Their coats gleamed with a silvery-white sheen, smooth and fine as the richest silk. Their necks were long and elegant, their heads more refined than those of horses or deer, their eyes gleaming with a quiet, uncanny intelligence.
And at the center of each forehead rose a spiral brown horn—hard, gleaming, and beautiful.
The unicorns pawed the ground uneasily, snorting deep and low in warning as the humans drew near.
Lo Quen studied them and knew without doubt that they were stronger than even the finest warhorses.
"By the gods..."
Even the usually composed Meizo couldn't help but whisper in awe.
Qyburn, however, reacted quite differently. His eyes blazed with excitement, filled with the hunger of discovery.
Lo Quen turned to him. "Qyburn, I want you to drop every other task and devote yourself entirely to them—their taming, breeding, and care. Keep them healthy and safe. Not one is to be lost. I want a full Company of unicorns, and I want it soon."
Qyburn bowed, his voice hoarse with exhilaration. "At once, Your Grace."
"Yes, Your Grace!" Meizo echoed, his eyes alight with the same understanding—the power these creatures represented.
Lo Quen strode out of the stables, Qyburn's eager commands already ringing out behind him as he set his assistants into motion.
The wonder stirred by the unicorns' arrival had not yet faded.
Only a few days later, the harbor at Crown Town witnessed a spectacle unlike any before.
...
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