GOT: Chapter 395/396

Chapter 395: Riding a Dragon

The arrow sliced through the cold air of Queenscrown, whooshing past the target by a hair's breadth and burying itself in the accumulated snow on the ground. If the first to miss the target loses, the winner and loser were decided. As for whether Theon's shot was destined to miss or deviated because of interference in the final moment of aiming, it became an eternal mystery.

This unexpectedly exciting peak duel held everyone's attention so completely that when Theon missed the shot, all the spectators first let out disappointed boos before starting to panic at the sudden sound of horns and alarm bells.

However, after a moment of panic, everyone immediately fell into confusion.

Because neither the horn blast nor the alarm bell conformed to Queenscrown's communication rules, and no one knew what was happening.

First, there was the single blast of a horn.

A single horn blast along the Wall signifies the return of rangers from patrolling Beyond the Wall, but this is Queenscrown. There is no Ice Wall hundreds of feet high obstructing communication. When patrolmen return to the city, the guards on the city wall can see and identify them immediately, making a horn blast unnecessary. Therefore, horn blasts here only have two meanings, two blasts and three blasts. Since the Free Folk no longer exist, two blasts naturally represent a rebellion by the New Gift people, and three blasts represent an attack by White Walkers.

Of course, it could also be interpreted this way, the person raising the alarm only had time to blow the horn once before being killed.

But what about the bell? In Queenscrown, the number of bell rings and the pattern of intervals represent different meanings, opening and closing the city gates, starting and ending work, meal times or curfew, assembling for battle readiness. Even the most urgent emergency requiring continuous ringing would have a certain frequency and pauses.

But now, the bell is ringing urgently, "clang, clang, clang," without stopping. What does this mean?

The person blowing the horn and the person ringing the bell do not belong to the same department and would not be together. When both methods of conveying information are abnormal, what could have happened?

Although equally confused, Aegor dared not be careless. Without time to think further, he quickly started assigning tasks based on the worst-case scenario, an attack by White Walkers. Evacuate the spectators gathered on the field, arrange for men to take soldiers to the major outer city gates. If the enemy had not yet arrived, quickly organize people to move refugees outside the walls inside. And if the great enemy was already upon them, then they could only make a difficult choice, close the city gates, and leave the unfortunate souls who could not get in outside.

But, never mind the airtight Wall, Great Canyon defense line, which has soldiers guarding every mile. Queenscrown itself has a patrol and alert network extending more than ten miles outwards. Unless the White Walkers sailed around the fleet at Ice Canyon Port and Eastwatch-by-the-Sea, landed in the North, and then attacked from the south along the King's Road, how could they possibly bypass this flawless double protection and suddenly appear outside Queenscrown?

"Master, Master, Master." Arya, who had rushed back to Aegor's side, shook his arm and shouted, "Quickly put away Lightbringer, and, give me a few, I can help too."

"Acrylic, go collect all the Lightbringer and bring them back. As for you, stop having wild thoughts." Aegor pulled away Arya's hand gripping his arm and pushed her towards the nearest North soldier. "Take your Little Princess back to the inner keep, keep a close eye on her, do not let her run around."

"No. Let go of me."

"Hey, look." Myrcella pointed to the sky in surprise. "Is that a dragon?"

A dragon? Aegor turned his head to look in the direction the Little Princess pointed. Indeed, in the gray sky, a huge black shadow appeared in the sky a hundred meters high, rapidly approaching and passing over his head. Its wings and tail were clearly discernible. What else could it be but a dragon?

The flying giant beast circled and lowered its altitude towards the competition field. A sound that was probably a light hiss to it, but to the crowd, it was like muffled thunder rolling.

No wonder the sounds of both the horn and the bell were so chaotic.

Aegor was suddenly relieved. It was not the patrolmen and guards who had made a mistake, but rather that he had considered every possibility in the emergency plan and communication rules designed for the Gift, but had failed to tell them how to issue an alarm when a dragon is seen flying towards Queenscrown.

The patrolling and alerting soldiers saw the dragon, but neither dared to relay a false alarm nor could they do nothing, so they each used their own methods to temporarily find a way to warn the others in the city.

And it was not just one dragon that came. Soon, two other slightly lighter-colored figures also appeared above the Black Dragon. Perhaps to make up for Aegor's regret of not seeing a dragon when he last visited Dragonstone, Daenerys had brought all three dragons at once. Among them, the Black Dragon she was riding flew lower and lower, while the other two slightly smaller ones flew up and down high in the sky, playing. More people in the field discovered the existence of these large winged monsters. The timid ones pushed and shoved, running towards the edge of the field, while the brave ones stood still, looking up at the miraculous scene, wondering if this was another event arranged by Aegor.

Fortunately, the arena was not a closed building, agile people could climb over the wall to escape. With the Logistics Department soldiers doing their best to maintain order, the spectators on the scene finally avoided any stampede. The culprit that caused the commotion circled above the arena several times, probably to confirm that there was nothing below that could threaten it, such as dragon-hunting ballistae. Finally, the Black Dragon chose to land in the center of the most open target range, settling on a small hill.

Arya, who was being forcibly dragged away by her own guards, did not forget to remind Aegor at the last moment. "Master, do not forget, that is, that is the Mad King's daughter."

Aegor waved at her. "I know, hurry and go down with them, you definitely do not want to be friends with her."

The script of Melisandre's fellow sorcerer, Moqorro, had taken effect. This Dragon Queen had actually come to Queenscrown for that non-existent The Prince, Part Two. Aegor was somewhat mentally prepared for this, but he had not expected Daenerys to pick such a day.

"Go collect everyone's bows." Aegor roared at Jarman Buckwell, the current Commander of the Crownland Guard. "Move all troops not employed by the Logistics Department away from the field. Without my order, no one is to make a move."

To dare to come alone to the North, which she had never visited before, she is a tough, a tough woman. Aegor both admired the Dragon Queen's courage and disapproved of her excessive boldness. Queenscrown was full of people with mixed intentions at this moment, the Night's Watch were neutral, but, theoretically, Beric Dondarrion and his party should be direct vassals of King Stannis, and the Mountain Clans are nominally subjects of the Stark family, not to mention the small group of Winterfell soldiers left here to look after Arya.

Why did Arya emphasize that she was the Mad King's daughter?

Because the Deposed King War began because Aerys Targaryen burned her grandfather and great-uncle to death. This is a true blood feud.

If this recognized last Targaryen could be killed, no matter how many dragons she had, the war would be over. How would the always just King Stannis reward such a brave killer?

Within this small town, there were thousands of people who had reason to attack Daenerys. If someone tried to attack her and the situation got out of control, whether they succeeded was secondary. Enraging any of her three dragons and provoking one of them to unleash dragonflame would spell the end of everything. All of Queenscrown's preparations were made to face the Night King. There were no dragon-hunting ballistae, and the city walls and warehouses were full of highly flammable dangerous goods like Wildfire, Dragon Crystal Bombs, and powder, and there was no fire brigade.

A series of miscellaneous orders were issued, and the panic had subsided. Seeing that the area was mostly cleared, Aegor tidied his appearance, took a few of his most trusted guards, and walked towards the Black Dragon that had landed on a small hill in the field, the Queen's mount.

(To be continued.)

Chapter 396: Leading the King into a Trap

The hot air from its huge nostrils quickly condensed into white mist in the air, and the accumulated snow under its claws quickly melted into snowmelt under the evaporation of its body temperature. The dragon moved its forelegs and hind legs to change to a comfortable position, turned its head, and watched alertly the group of black-clothed people walking towards it through the snow. The Dragonrider on its back, out of caution, did not dismount, so as to facilitate a quick takeoff and escape when feeling threatened.

Learning from experience, Daenerys, who had displayed her dragon over King's Landing but was nearly sniped by a dragon-hunting ballista and broke out in a cold sweat, understood this point. Although dragons have a great presence, they are not invincible once the enemy is prepared.

And in front of her, Aegor was completely shocked by the size of the adult dragon. Eyeballs as large as his own head, a huge mouth that could swallow an entire horse in one bite, and a single scale pulled off its torso could be larger than his own palm. Already so massive, and having deliberately chosen a mound to land on, everyone had to crane their necks to see Daenerys Targaryen sitting on the dragon's back, looking down from above, majestic and inviolable.

Any legend must have its source. Standing in front of a dragon and looking up at a Dragonrider on its back, anyone would immediately understand why members of the Targaryen family are widely considered to be closer to the gods than mortals.

He stopped several meters away from the dragon at the bottom of the mound. As a normal person, he could not and did not need to suppress his fear of such a giant beast.

"Good afternoon, Your Majesty. On behalf of the Night's Watch, I welcome you to visit the Gift."

"You are here, that is good. Otherwise, I would have been worried about who to ask where their Commander was located if everyone was scared away." Daenerys had originally just casually found a spacious place that was not easy to be ambushed to land, but who would have thought she had chosen the right place. She was very satisfied with this overhead view and the wary expression on Aegor's face, and could not help but wonder if perhaps she should have released the dragon earlier to show him last time at Dragonstone. In that case, maybe the Night's Watch would already be standing behind her. "You can come closer. As long as you do not make any malicious moves, Drogon will not eat people."

"No, Your Majesty," Aegor politely refused. "I believe your dragon is well-trained, but I can hear what you are saying from here."

It is just like those who keep dogs saying, "My dog does not bite." If something really happens, it is still just a dog. Getting bitten by a dog only requires a few vaccine shots, and you can even chase the owner for money. But if you are bitten by a dragon, whether you can even remain whole is a question. Aegor does not have dragonblood, and showing off is the thing he hates doing the most.

"As you wish." Daenerys did not continue with unnecessary talk. Completely opposite to the friendliness of their last meeting, this time she looked down at Aegor, and the expression on her face seemed a bit cold. "Commander, you sent me a little less than half a book, which I liked very much. You left a message saying its complete version is in the Night's Watch's library. Now I am here to get it, find the book and give it to me. As a token of thanks, you can have my promise, the industrial park outside King's Landing belonging to the Night's Watch will not be attacked in any form from the Targaryen family."

Separated by nearly ten meters, the heat radiated from the black dragon could still bake Aegor's face. This reminded him of Melisandre's amazing body temperature. The two were somewhat similar, only the former was a thousand times stronger than the latter. Dragons have a high body temperature that is unbearable for ordinary people. Aegor silently made a note in his heart. Without true dragonblood that can adapt to high temperatures, it is difficult for ordinary people to ride one for a long time.

"Your Majesty, I am certain I wrote clearly in my message. That book is very old, decayed, and weathered. It cannot withstand long-distance transport, and can only be read on-site." Aegor, suppressing his fear of the dragon and the dual test of being inexplicably attracted to Daenerys, replied cautiously and politely. "The Night's Watch's library is always open to Her Majesty the Queen. You can come to read it at any time and under any circumstances. I swear to all the gods in the world that I will ensure your personal safety in Queenscrown."

Daenerys certainly did not miss the description in Aegor's message. She was just asking tentatively, hoping it was just an excuse. Now, the Night's Watch Commander insisted on his statement. Should she risk dismounting and entering Queenscrown, or should she tear off the facade and express disbelief, and force him to produce the book?

What if this Night's Watch Commander is telling the truth? Would it not be a waste if such a work that suited her taste was damaged due to unnecessary moving and transport?

Staring intently at Aegor's face from the dragon's back, Daenerys struggled internally. Finally, she sighed, yielded to the voice in her heart, and made preparations to dismount. "Commander, I must warn you beforehand. If anything happens to me in this city, regardless of whether you planned or were aware, my three children will turn this place to ashes."

She even knows to state the unpleasant truth beforehand. Although this Queen is willful and bold, she is not completely naive.

Aegor breathed a sigh of relief. That decayed and fragile work simply did not exist, and the second volume had not even been started. If Daenerys forced him to produce the book, he truly would not know what to do. Admit to a queen riding on a dragon that he had lied to her? Aegor knew how to write the word "death." But as long as Daenerys dismounted and entered his castle, he would gain complete control. Even if she were angry, she would still have to listen to his explanation.

"I will guarantee your safety at all costs."

He did not know what she did, but in any case, the dragon lay down under everyone's gaze, skillfully used the base of its wings and its sides to create a ladder, allowing Daenerys to step down to the mound where it had landed.

After ensuring that Mother had moved out of the safe zone, Drogon let out a hot breath from his nostrils, raised his head and spread his wings, pushed off the ground and soared into the air on the air currents formed by his flapping wings, flying towards the two who were still circling nearby, whether brothers or sisters.

Perhaps because she did not want to wear matching outfits with the Night's Watch anymore, Daenerys changed into a fitted pearl-white winter outfit today. The robe was white, the pants were white, and even her gloves and the pointed ladies' boots on her feet were white. But even without dark clothing to contrast, her skin still appeared smooth and fair. Her beautiful and delicate face, as if heavily filtered and lit, her gorgeous purple eyes, like she was wearing colored contacts, and her molten-silver hair. Paired with the deliberately cold expression, compared to the friendly smile she wore when they met at Dragonstone last time, it was another kind of icy beauty, even more captivating. Aegor vaguely heard the sounds of his guards behind him inhaling and swallowing.

The Queen slowly walked down the mound under everyone's gaze, her posture elegant and slow, as if deliberately making people wait for her for a moment. It was not due to a malicious sense of humor or intentional difficulty. Firstly, her legs were a bit numb from riding the dragon for half the day, and secondly, the feeling under her feet was not quite right. The mound where Drogon had stopped when landing only looked like a mound because it was covered in snow. In reality, it was a pile of coal slag left over from the Queenscrown industrial park. The surface looked normal, but stepping on it was not as solid and stable as it appeared. Daenerys tried her best to remain cautious, but there was still a small accident as she approached the ground. After stepping on and crushing a large piece of coal slag, she slightly lost her balance and stumbled.

It was not serious, and it was impossible to fall down, but Aegor still could not help but reach out and help her. The moment their bodies touched, the inexplicable attraction that Aegor had been feeling suddenly became intensely, almost terrifying. He almost used up all his self-control to let go of her hand before Daenerys felt something was wrong, to avoid losing composure. In just these few short seconds, he almost could not bear to let go of the Queen he had in his grasp.

"Be careful, Your Majesty. This place is not like the South." Aegor suppressed the turmoil within him, turned around and took a tray from a guard. "Please accept the hospitality of Queenscrown."

On the tray were some small pastries and snacks. They were originally prepared to alleviate boredom for the two young ladies from Winterfell while watching the competition. At this moment, they were just right to reduce the Dragon Queen's vigilance. In Westeros, there is a tradition that has lasted for a thousand years, a sacred law that the Seven Kingdoms all abide by. When a guest comes to stay under the host's roof, as long as they accept the hospitality, during the remainder of their stay, neither party shall harm the other. Violators will break the sacred laws, be scorned by the world, and be unacceptable to the Old and New Gods. This is known as Guest Right.

Strictly speaking, Aegor should have prepared bread and salt, but it was naturally inappropriate to send someone to the kitchen to get them on the spot. Fortunately, these pastries also contained both flour and salt, so it could barely be explained away.

Daenerys was slightly stunned. Although she claimed to be the legitimate ruler of the Seven Kingdoms, since returning to Westeros, this was truly the first time she had visited someone else's home and become a guest. Facing this plate of snacks that was suddenly brought out, she almost subconsciously wanted to say she was not hungry. After a moment, she came to her senses, then took off her gloves, randomly picked a piece therefrom, and put it in her mouth.

After chewing a bite and swallowing it, the Queen softened her cold expression.

She had been keeping a straight face. Three parts were due to the fatigue from traveling a long distance, and seven parts were to vent the displeasure from her warm overture being met with a cold response last time she extended an olive branch to Aegor. But one does not hit a smiling face. She already had no ill feelings towards Aegor. Just now, she was helped when her foot slipped. Now that she had accepted the hospitality and become a guest, if she continued to keep a straight face, she would become a fool.

"Alright, Commander, lead the way."

(To be continued.)