Chapter 71: Dragons Arrive at Dragonstone
Three days later.
Dragonstone.
This ancient, black-rock fortress, the ancestral seat of House Targaryen, was today enveloped in an unprecedented, oppressive atmosphere of dread.
Stannis Baratheon, clad in his black armor adorned with the flaming heart sigil, stood on the highest battlements of the castle, holding lightbringer.
Behind him were Davos Seaworth, the Onion Knight, and thousands of tense, battle-ready The Stormlandssoldiers.
Beside him, Melisandre, still in her red robes, stood facing the wind.
Her red eyes were fixed on the horizon, and she murmured ancient prayers praising the lord of light.
"Will he come?" Stannis's voice was hoarse and filled with uncertainty.
"He will," Melisandre's face showed an almost pathological, fanatical confidence. "The sacred fire tells me that his boundless arrogance will lead him to... the abyss of destruction."
"He thinks that with a Dragon, he has everything."
"But he doesn't know that before the truly great Light, a Dragon is merely a stronger'shadow'."
She slowly raised her hand, and in her palm, a black shadow, as if capable of devouring all light, slowly writhed.
This was her ultimate trump card, prepared for Aegon (Lin Hao)!
As long as that black Dragon dared to land!
She would immediately unleash this most powerful "shadow," born from her own life and Dragon King's Blood!
She wanted to show that "false king" who was truly "destined by heaven" in this world!
Just then!
At the edge of the horizon, a small black dot appeared.
No, it wasn't on the sea level!
It was in the sky!
That black dot was rapidly growing larger, at a terrifying speed visible to the naked eye!
"He's here!"
A lookout soldier on the wall let out a terrified, distorted shriek!
"ROAR—!!!!"
A terrifying Dragon roar, piercing the clouds and seemingly capable of shattering souls, descended from the sky!
Immediately after, a massive, sky-obscuring black shadow instantly enveloped the entire castle of Dragonstone!
It was Night Fury!
Its body, larger than a siege ram, descended like a black meteor, with an unstoppable majesty, landing with a thunderous crash!
"BOOM—!!!!"
The entire wall of Dragonstone trembled violently under its terrifying weight!
It didn't land on the open ground outside the castle, but rather, in the most brutal and unreasonable manner, directly in front of Stannis and Melisandre!
Its massive body almost filled the entire battlement walkway!
Its Dragon eyes, burning like lava, looked down from above at the mortals before him, who were already trembling with fear.
The primal pressure from the top of the food chain caused all the soldiers present to drop their armor and weapons, scrambling backward!
Even Stannis Baratheon, facing this legendary creature from nightmares at such close range, involuntarily took half a step back!
Only Melisandre, her breathing became incredibly rapid, and her eyes gleamed with even more fervent light!
"Now!" she roared frantically in her heart!
She was about to release the "shadow" in her hand, capable of slaying kings!
However, at this very moment!
A figure slowly stood up from the back of the giant Dragon.
Aegon (Lin Hao), clad in black and red Dragon scale armor, holding the greatsword "Ice," like a true Dragon King stepped out of myth, looked down at her coldly.
"Witch."
His voice was not loud, but it clearly reached everyone's ears.
"Are you... seeking death?"
As he spoke!
The Dragon King's Blood within him resonated wildly with the massive, unmined Dragonstone crystal veins deep beneath Dragonstone!
"WHIRR—!!!!"
An invisible, pure fire magic from ancient Valyria, ten thousand times more terrifying than Night Fury's pressure, erupted with a roar!
The newly formed black "shadow" in Melisandre's palm, upon contact with this power!
It actually... hissed in pain, like ice and snow melting in the sun!
Instead of rushing towards Aegon, it recoiled like a frightened child, frantically trying to shrink back into Melisandre's body!
"No... no... this is impossible!!!"
The fanatical confidence on Melisandre's face was, for the first time, replaced by an emotion called "fear"!
Her proud, unbreakable "shadow" magic!
In front of this man... had it... failed?!
Chapter 72: Killing "God" (Part 1): The Collapse of Faith
"Your 'god' seems to be very afraid of me."
Aegon (Lin Hao) leaped off the dragon's back.
His dragon-scale armor gleamed with a chilling, dark-red light under Dragonstone's gloomy sky.
He walked step by step towards Melisandre.
With each step he took, the 'shadow' in Melisandre's palm withered a little!
And Melisandre's face grew a shade paler!
She could clearly feel an absolute suppression stemming from her bloodline, from the depths of her soul!
This man before her, he… he was not just a 'Dragon King'.
The pure, domineering, and seemingly all-consuming fire magic emanating from him was even more ancient! Even purer! than R'hllor, the lord of light, whom she served!
This… this completely shattered her faith!
"No… you are not the 'prince'…" She looked at Lin Hao, her voice trembling, her red eyes filled with confusion and collapse.
"You… you are 'fire' itself!"
"You are… the true 'god'!"
"Silence! You manipulative witch!"
A furious roar interrupted Melisandre's 'blasphemous' words!
Stannis Baratheon finally awoke from the giant dragon's intimidation!
He looked at the priestess who had betrayed her faith, then at the Targaryen bastard who was approaching step by step!
His proud yet resolute heart was completely ignited by anger and humiliation!
"I don't care what kind of 'True Dragon' or 'False God' you are!"
He raised lightbringer, the flaming sword in his hand, high!
"Today, I will prove with your blood!"
"Who is the one true king of the Seven Kingdoms!"
He roared, gripping the sword with both hands, and with all his might, brought it down fiercely towards Aegon (Lin Hao)'s head!
This strike condensed his lifelong belief and his last shred of dignity!
Flames tore through the air, emitting a piercing whistle!
However, facing this deadly strike, powerful enough to split mountains and rocks, Aegon (Lin Hao) didn't even raise an eyelid.
He didn't even draw the greatsword 'Ice' from his back.
He merely slowly raised his left hand, adorned with a dragon-scale gauntlet.
"Clang—!!!!"
A deafening clang of metal striking metal echoed!
The flaming blade of lightbringer struck Aegon (Lin Hao)'s arm with full force!
Sparks flew everywhere!
However… Stannis's full-power strike, capable of cleaving a man in half, was… effortlessly blocked by just one of his arms!
The dragon-scale armor remained completely unharmed under the 'divine sword's' assault!
"Wh… what?!"
Stannis's gloomy eyes widened in disbelief!
His proud lightbringer couldn't even break through his opponent's defense?!
"Is this the 'god's' power you are so proud of?"
Aegon (Lin Hao) slowly raised his head, his black eyes filled with boundless contempt.
"Too weak."
He coldly uttered three words.
Then, his left hand, which had blocked the blade, suddenly spread its fingers, gripping the hot, flaming blade of lightbringer like an iron clamp!
"Sizzle sizzle sizzle…"
A teeth-grinding sound of flesh burning echoed!
But Aegon (Lin Hao) seemed to feel no pain at all!
The Dragon King's Blood within him had long made him immune to the burning of such 'mortal fire'!
"No!!!"
Stannis tried to pull back his sword in horror.
But Aegon (Lin Hao)'s hand was as if welded to the blade, unmoving!
"You… you monster!!"
"No." Aegon (Lin Hao) looked at him, a cruel smile on his face.
"I am not a monster."
"I am merely…"
"Here to reclaim the 'stone' that rightfully belongs to my family."
His hand, gripping the blade, suddenly exerted force!
"Crack—!!!!"
A crisp, heart-wrenching snapping sound echoed!
lightbringer, the 'divine sword' that Stannis and Melisandre revered,
was actually
broken in half by Aegon (Lin Hao) with one hand, by brute force!!!
"Pfft—!"
Melisandre could no longer withstand the double blow of faith and reality; she suddenly spat out a mouthful of blood and collapsed softly.
Stannis Baratheon, meanwhile, stared blankly at the half-broken, now flameless sword in his hand.
His resolute, lifelong belief.
At this moment, along with the broken sword, it was utterly shattered.
Chapter 73: God Slaughter (Part 2): The Fall of the Lord of Light
"No… no… impossible…"
Stannis Baratheon, like a puppet whose soul had been extracted, stared blankly at the half-broken, cold sword in his hand.
His iron will completely collapsed at this moment.
The 'kingship' and 'justice' he had pursued his entire life, and the divine power of the lord of light he believed in, were proven to be nothing more than a pathetic joke in front of this young, god-like man.
lightbringer… was broken.
His 'god'… was dead.
"Thud."
His knees buckled, and he fell to his knees before Aegon (Lin Hao).
And the thousands of The Stormlands soldiers behind him, upon seeing their 'divine sword' broken with bare hands, their 'witch' spitting blood and falling unconscious, and their 'king' kneeling in surrender… their already dwindling will to fight completely disintegrated.
"Clang… clang…"
Weapons clattered to the ground.
They all chose to surrender.
Aegon (Lin Hao) coldly watched the man, once a formidable figure, kneeling before him.
He did not kill him immediately.
He knew that for someone like Stannis, who valued 'honor' and 'belief' more than his own life, letting him live as a 'loser' and a 'heretic' was far more cruel than killing him with a single sword.
"Stannis Baratheon." Aegon (Lin Hao)'s voice was like ice from the deepest abyss, "You lost."
"You, and your 'god', both lost."
"From today onwards," he kicked the half-broken sword off the city wall, "there will be no more of that damn 'lord of light' in this world."
"There is only one god."
"And that is, me!"
He turned away, no longer looking at the completely disheartened Stannis.
His gaze fell upon the red priestess, Melisandre, lying on the ground, barely alive.
He slowly walked up to her.
"Witch." He looked down at her, "You are very useful."
"Your tricks of manipulating'shadows' and 'flames', though not grand, are just right for dealing with some rats hiding in the shadows, who cannot stand the light."
Melisandre struggled to open her red eyes, which had lost all their luster.
She looked at Aegon, her eyes filled with fear and a hint of submission she hadn't even realized herself.
"You… you want me… to serve you?" Her voice was incredibly weak.
"Serve?" Aegon (Lin Hao) scoffed, "No."
"You don't have that qualification."
"You are my spoils of war."
He slowly squatted down and grabbed Melisandre's fiery red hair, forcing her face up.
"From today onwards, you are no longer some damn priestess of the lord of light."
"You, and your magic, will serve me."
"You will become the sharpest 'black' blade in my hand."
"Do you agree?"
Melisandre looked at the handsome face before her, filled with tyranny and possessiveness.
She felt the pure 'fire' power emanating from him, a power that made her soul tremble.
Her heart, which had long been filled by the lord of light, at this moment, disgracefully felt a thrill of being conquered by a stronger power.
"I…" She struggled to utter a few words, "…agree."
"Very good."
Aegon (Lin Hao) released his hand with satisfaction.
He stood up, his gaze sweeping over the castle and towards Dragonstone's massive volcano, Dragonmont, which had slept for a thousand years.
He knew that deep beneath that volcano lay the true treasure that would allow him to fight against the Long Night!
"Give my command!" he shouted.
"Gather all the captured Stannis engineers!"
"Dig out all the black'stones' on this island for me!"
"Not a single piece… is to be left behind!"
"Winter in the North is coming soon."
"And we, too, should prepare a 'grand gift' for our incoming 'guests'!"
Chapter 74: Dragon Crystal Hoard and Letter from Stormborn
Dragonstone, the former Targaryen dragon lair, was transformed into an unprecedentedly massive mine under Aegon's iron rule.
Thousands of prisoners of war and sappers, supervised by Northern soldiers, toiled day and night, extracting the astonishingly rich dragonglass veins beneath Dragon Mountain.
Lin Hao, meanwhile, secluded himself in the ancient study on Dragonstone—the Stone Drum Tower—which once belonged to Aegon Targaryen I, the Dragon King.
Here, he and his newly subdued magical consultant, Melisandre, along with the most learned Archmaesters he brought from King's Landing, began to study day and night the ancient scrolls on Valyrian magic that the Targaryen family had kept sealed for centuries.
And the new system function, Valyrian Fire, which only he could activate.
"Your Majesty, according to ancient records," an old Maester, trembling, held up a parchment scroll that was nearly decayed, "the forging of valyrian steel requires two indispensable elements."
"First, the calcination of dragonfire."
"Second, the... blessing of a spell. Or rather... blood magic."
"And both of these have been lost since the Doom of Valyria."
"No, they haven't been lost."
Lin Hao's eyes gleamed with confidence.
He raised his hand, and in his palm, a dark red flame, mixed with Dragon King's Blood, blazed fiercely!
The temperature of this flame was far purer and more controllable than Night Fury's dragonfire!
This was Valyrian Fire!
"As for 'blood magic'..."
His gaze turned to the Red Priestess, Melisandre, who stood respectfully in the corner.
Melisandre immediately understood. She slowly stepped forward and, with her captivating, low voice, chanted an ancient and obscure Asshai spell.
"Very good."
Lin Hao stood up and walked to the center of the study, to the massive obsidian military map table.
He placed a head-sized piece of dragonglass, freshly mined from the caves, on the table.
Then, he slowly covered the dragonglass with his hand, which was burning with Valyrian Fire!
"Zok... Kren!"
He uttered the first reforging command in Dragon Tongue!
"Sizzle—!"
That incredibly hard obsidian, which even steel could not damage, began to melt like a candle under his palm!
It transformed into a pool of black liquid, flowing with a dark red glow!
"Zok... Suleyk!"
Melisandre's blood magic spell reached its climax at the same time!
The liquid, controlled by Lin Hao's will, began to rapidly deform, stretch, and reassemble!
In just a few breaths!
A valyrian steel longsword, entirely black, its blade covered with eerie, dark red magical patterns like ripples, was thus formed!
"Buzz—!"
The longsword let out a crisp clang, like a dragon's roar!
Its sharp aura cut through the air!
It's done!!!
Lin Hao held the first valyrian steel sword he had personally "printed," feeling the immense power of the flame, connected to his bloodline, within the blade!
A triumphant smile, the most unbridled since his ascension to the throne, spread across his face!
With this technology!
He was a walking war arsenal!
"Others"?
"Long Night"?
In front of my "Dragonglass-valyrian steel" production line!
They are all just experience points!
...However, just as Lin Hao was immersed in the joy of his "black technology," preparing to go all out on Dragonstone and mass-produce valyrian steel,
an unexpected message from across the Narrow Sea interrupted his plans.
The Spider, Varys, personally boarded Dragonstone on the fastest ship.
His face bore an unprecedented, peculiar expression.
"Your Majesty..." He immediately presented a letter sealed with the Targaryen family's wax.
"What could make my 'Master of Whisperers' so flustered?" Lin Hao took the letter with some surprise.
"Your Majesty, it's... it's your aunt, far away in Essos." Varys's expression was a sight to behold.
"Daenerys Targaryen."
"She... she sent an envoy."
"She... she heard that you 'restored' the Targaryendynasty in Westeros."
"So, she... she sent someone to 'command' you..."
"Command me?" Lin Hao's eyebrows shot up.
"Yes, Your Majesty." Varys swallowed with difficulty.
"She commands you to immediately relinquish that false king title that does not belong to you."
"And... and as a junior of the 'Targaryen family,' lead all your armies across the Narrow Sea to Slaver's Bay..."
"To swear fealty to her."
Chapter 75: The Dragon Queen's Pride and Aegon's Return
"Hahaha...hahahahahaha!!!"
Inside the gloomy, oppressive study of Stone Drum Tower, for the first time, Lin Hao's unrestrained, mocking laughter erupted!
He laughed so hard he bent over backward, as if he had heard the funniest joke in the world.
Kneeling below him, the envoy from Essos, a Qarthmerchant dressed in exotic silks with a hint of arrogance on his face, was somewhat flustered by Lin Hao's sudden outburst of laughter.
He had originally believed that his queen, Daenerys, the "Stormborn," was the only legitimate heir of the Targaryen family.
This "nephew" who had suddenly appeared in Westerosshould have immediately and fearfully come to pay homage upon hearing the call of the "Mother of Dragons."
But he hadn't expected the other party's reaction to be… mockery?
"Varys," Lin Hao finally stopped laughing. He wiped away tears from the corners of his eyes and glanced at The Spider, who was also desperately trying to suppress his laughter.
"Are you sure my 'aunt's' brain… wasn't fried by the sun in the desert?"
"She, commands me?"
"She, a so-called 'queen' who has never even set foot on the lands of Westeros."
"One who only has three palm-sized little lizards that have just learned to breathe fire."
"A little girl who is still playing 'house' with a bunch of slave traders in Slaver's Bay."
"She, actually commands me?"
Lin Hao slowly rose from his seat.
With each sentence he spoke, the substantial, bloody aura he had accumulated in Blackwater Bay and Harrenhal grew thicker!
He walked step by step towards the envoy from Qarth.
His tall figure, clad in dragon-scale armor, instantly enveloped the envoy completely in shadow.
"Go back and tell Daenerys Targaryen."
Lin Hao's voice was cold and cruel.
"I, Aegon Targaryen I, King of the Seven Kingdoms, the true leader of the Targaryen family."
"I also give her an 'order'."
He paused, a devilish smile appearing on his face.
"I order her to immediately stop her ridiculous 'queen's game'."
"Bring her three insignificant little pets and her… newly freed 'slave' friends."
"Immediately, return to Westeros!"
"Come before me!"
"Kneel!"
"Swear allegiance to me and the iron throne!"
"If she can do it."
Lin Hao reached out and lightly patted the face of the envoy, who was already pale with terror and trembling all over.
"I might mercifully consider…"
"Marrying her to one of my meritorious Northern lords."
"For example…" He thought for a moment, "'The Great' Jon Umber just lost his wife, it seems."
"What do you think of this 'gift'?"
"No… no… Your… Your Majesty… You cannot… You cannot insult the 'Mother of Dragons' like this!" The envoy was scared out of his wits!
He had never dreamed that this Blackheart Aegon would be so arrogant and brutal!
This was no longer a "rejection"!
This was blatant humiliation!
"Insult?"
The smile on Lin Hao's face vanished instantly.
He suddenly grabbed the envoy by the neck and lifted him up with one hand!
"You, a lowly merchant who isn't even a noble, dare to utter the word 'insult' in front of me?"
"Crack!"
A crisp sound of bones breaking.
Lin Hao twisted the envoy's neck without hesitation.
He threw the still twitching corpse onto the ground like trash.
"Varys." He didn't even glance at the corpse.
"Yes, Your Majesty." Varys bowed respectfully.
"Cut off this fool's head."
"Preserve it with lime."
"Then find the best box to put it in."
"And dispatch our fastest ship."
"Send this 'return gift' to Slaver's Bay."
"To… my 'dear' aunt."
"I want to see."
A tyrannical, black-red light, like the eyes of a Night Fury, flashed in his eyes.
"When she receives this 'gift'…"
"Will her three little lizards also be able to… like my Night Fury…"
"Breathe out, angry flames!"
Chapter 76: The Embryo of the Harem and the Valyrian Steel Legion
Aegon (Lin Hao) responded to the "arrogance" of his "aunt" Daenerys, whom he had never met, in the most direct and brutal way.
He knew that this war between "true dragons" within the Targaryen family was inevitable.
But he didn't care.
Now, he needed time.
He needed time to digest the vast land he had just swallowed.
He also needed time to prepare for the true Long Nightthat was about to arrive.
After nearly a month of frantically "raising an army" on Dragonstone, Aegon (Lin Hao) returned to King's Landing.
He brought with him thousands of chests of "dragon glass" ore, enough to drive the whole world mad, and a "Dragonflame" Royal Guard of nearly a hundred men, personally forged by him and equipped with valyrian steel weapons.
His return was met with the most fervent welcome from all of King's Landing.
And what awaited him, besides the cheers of his subjects, were two stunning beauties who had been waiting in the Red Keep for a long time.
The first was, of course, the rose of the reach, MargaeryTyrell, who had traveled all the way from Highgarden and whose "political acumen" was a hundred times sharper than her father's.
She wore a luxurious emerald green gown adorned with golden roses, and her always sweet-smiling, flawless face was enough to make any man fall for her.
She was the sweetest, yet most deadly, "alliance" that the Queen of Thorns had sent to Aegon (Lin Hao).
"My esteemed Majesty."
In the Throne Room, Margaery performed a perfect curtsy to Aegon (Lin Hao).
Her clear and innocent brown eyes, like a fawn's, gazed unblinkingly at the man on the iron throne.
"I, on behalf of my family and the entire Reach, offer you my humblest respects."
Her voice was as soft and beautiful as a heavenly melody.
The other woman, however, seemed a bit special.
She was still wearing her signature fiery red robe.
She was Melisandre, the former priestess of the lord of light, whose faith and soul had been completely conquered by Aegon (Lin Hao) in the "Godslayer" battle.
She was Aegon (Lin Hao)'s "trophy" and his most trusted "magic advisor" now.
"My King."
Melisandre's bow was filled with an almost pathological, religious fervor.
Her red eyes, which once burned with the flames of the lord of light, now reflected only the figure of Aegon.
"Your flame is the only truth in this world."
Lin Hao looked at the two women below, representing the pinnacle of "politics" and "magic" on the continent of Westeros.
One could bring him tens of thousands of troops and endless food.
The other could manipulate "shadows" for him and foresee the "future."
A meaningful smile appeared on his face.
He knew that the harem he had been waiting for, belonging only to him, had finally begun to be established.
"Very good."
He slowly rose from the iron throne.
"Miss Margaery," he first looked at the rose of the reach, "I have received the sincerity of you and your grandmother."
"Hear my command!" he announced loudly.
"In three days, I will officially marry Miss Margaery Tyrellas my Queen!"
"And," he paused, throwing out a "bargaining chip" that even Margaery was shocked by.
"I will appoint her grandmother, Lady Olenna Rayder, the Queen of Thorns, as my Master of Coin!"
He actually handed over the entire kingdom's purse to House Tyrell!
This trust and this courage!
A trace of genuine admiration flashed in Margaery's eyes.
"Thank you, Your Majesty, for your great kindness!" She bowed deeply again.
"As for you, Melisandre."
Lin Hao then turned his gaze to the red-robed witch.
"You, and your 'God,' have performed very well."
"I am very satisfied."
"I will order a brand new 'Red Temple' to be built in King's Landing for your 'lord of light.'"
"I allow you to freely spread your 'faith' in my kingdom."
"However," his voice suddenly turned cold!
"I need your 'light' to burn only for me!"
"I need your 'God' to become the sharpest and most obedient knife in my hand!"
"Can you do it?"
"I will die for you, my... Light, my... King!"
Melisandre responded to him with a trembling voice, almost like an "orgasm."
Aegon (Lin Hao) nodded in satisfaction.
He held the worldly "money" and "food" in one hand.
He held the extraordinary "magic" and "faith" in the other.
He would use these two hands to firmly grasp the entire Seven Kingdoms in his palm!
Meanwhile, at the other end of the Red Keep, atop the tower of Maegor's Holdfast, Sansa Stark silently watched the city outside the window, which was being decorated with lanterns and streamers for the arrival of the "New Queen."
She clutched a now cold lemon cake tightly in her hand.
There was no expression on her face.
Only her eyes, once as beautiful as sapphires, were now as hollow as the never-melting ice of the North.
Chapter 77 Aegon's Wedding
The sky over King's Landing, for once, was not shrouded in the smoke of war.
Instead, tens of thousands of battle banners representing the Targaryen Family's 'three-headed dragon' and House Tyrell's 'golden rose' flags waved.
Today was the wedding day of the new King, Aegon Targaryen I, and The Rose of Highgarden, Margaery Tyrell.
This wedding was orchestrated to the extreme of luxury by the Queen of Thorns, Lady Olenna, using her inexhaustible supply of golden dragons.
The 'King's Road' from the Red Keep to the Great Sept of Baelor was covered with emerald green carpets and millions of vibrant roses airlifted overnight from The Reach.
The people of King's Landing gathered on both sides of the street.
The expressions on their faces were complex.
There was awe, fear, and a hint of... numb joy brought by the free bread and ale.
They held awe for the young king, who rode a black warhorse, clad in black and red dragon-scale armor.
They feared the black dragon—Night Fury—that circled above the city, occasionally letting out a low dragon's roar, its vast wings blotting out the sun.
Aegon's face was expressionless.
He had no interest whatsoever in this wedding, which was full of political showmanship.
The only reason he agreed was because he needed House Tyrell's grain and its fifty thousand strong army from The Reach.
What he needed more was a queen who could bear him a legitimate heir with the Dragon King's Blood.
And Margaery Tyrell was undoubtedly the most suitable candidate.
He glanced at Margaery, who was riding a small white horse beside him.
She was breathtakingly beautiful today.
Her emerald green wedding gown perfectly outlined her already fully developed, stunning curves.
Her face bore a sweet yet shy smile, and her brown eyes were filled with ambition and desire for the future and for power.
She knew very well that she was not marrying a man.
But a monster, a demon king, a new 'God' of the Seven Kingdoms.
But she was willing... Inside the Great Sept of Baelor.
The High Septon nervously presided over this 'eerie' wedding.
He dared not mention the holy names of the'Seven Gods' again.
Because the true 'God' sat upon the back of that black giant dragon, perched on the dome of the Sept, coldly looking down upon this mortal ceremony.
"Do you, Aegon Targaryen I, take Margaery Tyrell to be your wife, your Queen?"
"I do," Lin Hao's voice was calm and majestic.
"Do you, Margaery Tyrell, take Aegon Targaryen I to be your husband, your King?"
"I... I do!" Margaery's voice carried a hint of an uncontrollable, excited tremor!
When Aegon, following tradition, placed the black and red 'three-headed dragon' cloak, symbolizing the Targaryen Family, upon her shoulders.
He lowered his head and whispered into the new Queen's ear, in a voice only the two of them could hear:
"Welcome to the dragon's den, my dear little The Rose."
"From today onwards, your glory, your family, everything about you."
"Will be bound to me, and to the dragon."
"The consequences of betrayal will be ten thousand times more tragic than Cersei's."
Margaery's body trembled slightly.
She felt the suffocating dominance emanating from this man, mixed with the scent of sulfur and fire.
Far from feeling fear.
Instead, a more pathological excitement flashed in her eyes.
"To bloom for the great dragon is the supreme glory of The Rose, my King," she replied in an equally low voice... That night.
Red Keep, Maegor's Holdfast, the King's bedchamber.
The lavish wedding feast had long ended.
All the guests had departed.
Aegon pushed open the heavy oak door.
The room was unlit.
Only the moonlight from outside and the warm, flickering fire in the fireplace provided illumination.
Margaery Tyrell had already shed her elaborate wedding gown.
She was dressed only in a gossamer-thin, emerald green silk nightgown, barefoot, standing by the window with her back to him.
Her figure, illuminated by the moonlight and firelight, appeared so alluring.
"Your Majesty..."
She slowly turned around.
Her sweet, flawless face bore a perfectly appropriate blush.
"You... you seem to have drunk a lot tonight."
"But I am still very sober."
Aegon slowly unfastened the dragon-scale armor from his upper body, revealing his bronzed, powerfully built chest beneath.
He walked towards her step by step.
"You are very clever, Margaery," his voice held a hint of playfulness, "Cleverer than Sansa. And more pragmatic than Cersei."
"You know what I need. And you know what you need."
"I like to do business with clever people."
"Your Majesty..." Margaery's breathing began to quicken.
She could feel the masculine aura, hotter than dragonfire, rushing towards her.
"Tonight, I am not here to do business with you."
She gathered her courage and stepped forward to meet him.
She extended her fair, tender, petal-like arms and wrapped them around Aegon's strong neck.
She stood on her tiptoes and pressed her delicate, rose-petal-like red lips against his.
"Tonight..."
Her voice became indistinct between her lips.
"I am merely a woman who yearns to be completely conquered by the great dragon."
A flicker of black flame passed through Aegon's eyes.
He suddenly scooped her up by the waist!
He strode towards the wide bed, large enough for ten people!
"As you wish."
His low voice echoed in the room.
"My... Queen."
The emerald green silk was mercilessly torn.
Scattering across the floor like rose petals.
Outside the window, the great dragon Night Fury let out a low, possessive roar.
And inside the room, the sweet 'whimpers' of The Rosewere just beginning.
This night was destined to be filled with boundless passion.
And destined for no one to sleep.
Chapter 78 The Queen's Quiet Words and Bad News from the North
The morning sun, filtering through the stained-glass windows, spilled onto the vast, disheveled bed.
Aegon slowly opened his eyes.
He felt more invigorated than ever before.
The Dragon King's Blood, after combining with Margaery, who also possessed an ancient bloodline (descended from Garth the Greenhand), seemed to have become even more active.
He turned his head, looking at the exquisite beauty still sleeping beside him.
Margaery's brown, slightly wavy long hair spread across the entire pillow like seaweed.
Her ivory-white skin was covered with ambiguous love bites from the giant "dragon's" ravages of the night before.
She was like a Rose thoroughly ravaged by a storm, yet blooming even more tender and beautiful in the morning sun.
However, just as Aegon's fingers were about to caress her smooth back,
Margaery suddenly opened her eyes.
There was no trace of sleepiness in her brown eyes.
Only alertness and a hint of deeply hidden shrewdness.
"Your Grace…" Her voice carried a hint of hoarseness from their lovemaking and a deliberate languor, "You… you're awake."
She coiled around him like a docile, beautiful snake.
"I… I have a small request, I wonder… if I should speak it." Her breath was like orchids, and by the pillow, still lingering with ambiguous scents, she began to whisper her "pillow talk."
"Speak," Aegon's expression remained calm.
"My grandmother, Lady Olenna, is honored to have gained your trust and to manage the finances," Margaery's fingers drew circles on his chest, "but the affairs of King's Landing are truly too complicated."
"And my brother, the Knight of Flowers Loras, he has admired you for a long time."
"You see… could you perhaps entrust him with the City Watch, this insignificant little position?"
"Let him share some of the arduous task of guarding the Queen?"
What excellent "pillow talk"! What an "insignificant" position!
Aegon sneered inwardly.
This woman, barely Queen, her seat not yet warm, was already demanding military power in King's Landing for her House!
"Loras?" Aegon, without changing his expression, squeezed her restless little hand, "A so-called 'Knight' who couldn't even withstand The Mountain's foul play?"
"Your Grace…" Margaery's face paled slightly.
"However," Aegon changed the subject, flipping her over and pinning her beneath him again, "you do have a point."
"The Queen's safety is indeed very important."
"How about this?" He looked at her pupils, slightly dilated from nervousness, and offered a "benevolent" smile.
"I can knight Loras Tyrell as my Dragon Guard."
"But," he added, "my Dragon Guard doesn't need seven people."
"Only three."
"And the list of these three people must be personally chosen by me."
"What do you think of this arrangement?"
Margaery instantly understood his meaning.
He agreed.
But he also diluted her brother's power.
"Everything… is up to Your Grace," she immediately put on a docile, worshipful expression.
"Very good."
Aegon nodded in satisfaction.
He knew how to deal with smart women like this.
The "carrot" and the "stick" must be given together… However, just as Aegon was enjoying his "newlywed" life in the harem, filled with political maneuvering,
A desperate "bad news" from the North, like a basin of the coldest ice water, poured mercilessly over his head!
"Your Grace! This is terrible!"
Robb Stark, without even time to knock, burst directly through the King's bedchamber door!
His handsome face was etched with unprecedented anxiety and fury!
"Cousin Robb?!" Aegon frowned.
"Your Grace! It's… it's Winterfell!"
Robb's voice was trembling!
"Theon Greyjoy! That traitor whom House Stark raised for ten years!"
"He… he betrayed us!"
"He took advantage of the North's emptiness, led the squids of the Iron Islands, and captured Winterfell!"
"Your brothers Bran and Rickon are missing!"
"Winterfell… he burned it to the ground!!!"
Chapter 79 Dragon's Fury
"What did you say?!"
Aegon's voice was not loud.
But it was this calm, unruffled inquiry that seemed to suck all the air out of the King's bedchamber in an instant, filling it with an indescribable chill from the depths of the soul.
Robb Stark, the battle-hardened Young Wolf, involuntarily shivered when his gaze met Aegon's black eyes, which had, at some point, transformed into 'dragon pupils'.
"Your Majesty..." Robb suppressed the grief and fury in his heart, knelt on one knee, and repeated in a hoarse voice, "Winterfell... has fallen. Theon Greyjoy, that traitor, he..."
"He burned Winterfell," Aegon finished for him.
"Yes." Robb's head was bowed deeply. "Bran and Rickon... are missing. The scouts said... the fire was too great."
"Missing..." Aegon murmured these four words softly.
He slowly rose from the large bed, which still carried the scent of last night's pleasure.
He was bare-chested, his perfectly sculpted muscles, like an ancient Greek statue, exuding a chilling sense of power in the morning light.
He did not look at Robb, who was kneeling on the floor, nor did he look at the new Queen, Margaery Tyrell, who had long since been terrified, her face pale, clinging to the sheets to cover her body by this sudden turn of events.
He simply walked to the window, step by step, gazing out at the vast territory that belonged to him.
"Theon Greyjoy..."
He uttered the name.
The name of a small man, one who barely existed in Aegon's memory.
"Heh..."
A very soft, mocking sneer.
"Traitor."
"Boom—!!!"
A visible, black-red 'aura' suddenly erupted from Aegon's body!
It was not fire.
It was pure, solidified killing intent!
The steel-framed window in the bedchamber instantly twisted and deformed under the impact of this 'aura'!
"Your Majesty!" Robb cried out in alarm!
"Ah—!" Margaery let out a short shriek!
She had finally witnessed it firsthand—the true wrath of the man she had painstakingly tried to 'control' last night... the demon king whom the world called 'black heart'!
That was not the wrath of a mortal.
That was... a god's, no, a demon's fury!
"Robb Stark." Aegon slowly turned around, his 'dragon pupils' burning with hellish black flames.
"I am here!" Robb instinctively responded!
"I give you all of your Northern armies."
"I will give you another ten thousand of my 'Black Dragon' elites."
"And I will give you a hundred warships from the Royal Fleet."
Aegon's voice was cold and cruel.
"I do not want Theon Greyjoy's head."
"I want you to bring the living Theon Greyjoy and his father Balon Greyjoy back to King's Landing, chained like two dogs!"
Robb suddenly looked up, his eyes filled with the bloody light of vengeance!
"What about... the Iron Islands?"
Aegon showed a cruel smile.
"The Iron Islands?"
"I want you to take enough wildfire with those hundred warships."
"I want Pyke to disappear from the map."
"I want the Greyjoy bloodline... extinguished."
"I want those mongrels who dare to call themselves 'Ironborn' to wail and repent in the flames!"
"I want the entire continent of Westeros to witness the consequences of betraying a dragon!"
"Yes, My... Your Majesty!" Robb Stark's blood boiled, and he prostrated himself!
"You may go." Aegon waved his hand. "Prepare for the expedition. I want you to depart within three days."
"Yes!"
Robb, filled with fury and the King's 'edict', strode out of the bedchamber.
Silence, like death, returned to the room, leaving only Aegon and Margaery, who was still trembling on the bed.
"You..." Aegon looked at her. "Heard everything?"
"I... I didn't... hear anything..." Margaery was so frightened she could barely speak clearly.
"No." Aegon walked over, roughly pinching her delicate chin. "You heard it."
"You must remember every word I said today."
"Tell your grandmother, tell your father, tell all the Tyrells of Highgarden."
He leaned down, almost touching her face, and said word by word:
"The Rose is beautiful, but it is full of thorns."
"I can ignore your trivial cleverness and political maneuvering, but... if one day you also dare to 'betray' like the Greyjoys, I promise Highgarden's fate will be ten thousand times more miserable than Pyke's."
"Do you understand, My dear Queen?"
Margaery's body trembled like a leaf in the wind.
She no longer possessed last night's charm, nor the morning's shrewdness; all that remained was primal fear.
"I... I understand... I understand, Your Majesty..."
"Very good."
Aegon released her hand.
He abruptly pulled open the bedchamber door.
"Get dressed, My Queen." His voice returned to its usual calm. "The wedding is over."
"Now, we have another 'family matter' to attend to."
"...Sansa."
Chapter 80 The "Contract" of Ice and Fire
Sansa Stark was found by Aegon's Dragon Guard in the Red Keep's sept.
Since arriving in King's Landing, she had developed a habit of coming here every day to pray for her long-dead father, mother, and missing family members.
She was still wearing her simple grey gown, her distinctive House Stark auburn hair tied back simply.
When Aegon pushed open the heavy sept doors alone, Sansa was kneeling before the statue of the Mother, eyes closed, praying devoutly.
"...By the Seven, please bless my brother Robb with victory."
"Bless my sister Arya, wherever she may be..."
"Bless my brothers Bran and Rickon... bless them in Winterfell..."
"Sansa."
A calm voice interrupted her prayer.
Sansa's eyes snapped open.
She turned her head and saw the man, dressed only in plain black clothes, yet still exuding a suffocating majesty.
"...Your Grace."
Sansa stood up somewhat flustered and curtsied.
She was confused as to why the newly wed King would appear here alone at this time.
Should he not be in his Queen's bed?
"You no longer need to pray for Bran and Rickon," Aegonwalked slowly towards her, his footsteps echoing in the vast, silent sept.
"W-why?" Sansa's heart sank, and an ominous premonition instantly gripped her!
"Because," Aegon stopped in front of her.
He was a full head taller than her, and he looked down at her blue eyes, which were beginning to well up with tears, "Theon Greyjoy has betrayed us."
"Winterfell has fallen."
"He burned your home."
Every word of Aegon's was like an ice-tempered steel knife, piercing deep into Sansa's soul!
"No..." Sansa's lips began to tremble, "No... you... you're lying to me..."
"I never lie," Aegon's voice was devoid of emotion, "The scouts just brought the news."
"Bran and Rickon... are missing."
"...No... No!!!!"
At this moment, Sansa Stark, who had learned to endure, learned hypocrisy, learned to protect herself with polite smiles in King's Landing, The Rose of the North... completely broke down!
"Waaah!"
She let out a heart-wrenching wail!
It was the despair of losing her last remaining family!
It was the sorrow of her home being utterly destroyed!
She no longer cared about the King's majesty, nor about the etiquette of a lady!
She lunged forward like a madwoman, pounding Aegon's iron-hard chest with her slender, powerless fists!
"It's you! It's all you!!" she shrieked hysterically! "You devil!!"
"You promised Robb! You promised me!!"
"You said you would protect the North!!"
"Why did you let him go back?! Why!!"
"Give me back my brothers!!"
"Give me back my home—!!!"
Aegon did not move.
He allowed the completely distraught girl to pound him.
His chest ached from the blows, but his heart remained cold.
He waited, waiting for her tears to dry, waiting for her strength to run out.
Finally... Sansa could cry no more.
She collapsed, kneeling on the cold marble floor.
She curled up like a lost child, letting out desperate whimpers like a wounded wolf pup.
Silence once again fell upon the sept, broken only by her suppressed sobs.
After a long, long time, Aegon slowly crouched down.
He reached out and, with his cold fingertips, forcibly lifted Sansa's tear-stained face.
"Done crying?" he asked calmly.
Sansa looked at him with eyes swollen like peaches, filled with despair.
Her gaze was full of confusion and a deep-seated hatred.
"When you're done crying," Aegon's voice was a whisper from the abyss, "it's time to learn 'hate'."
"Sansa Stark."
"Your tears are worthless."
"Your prayers are useless."
"In this man-eating world, the only thing that can keep you alive and help you reclaim everything you've lost..."
"Is this."
He pointed to his 'black heart'.
Then, he pointed to Sansa's.
"And this."
"Hatred."
"Your Grace..." Sansa looked at him, puzzled.
"I have already given Robb an army of vengeance," Aegonsaid slowly, "But merely killing Theon Greyjoy and his father... is far from enough."
"Enough?"
"Not enough."
A hint of cruel pleasure flashed in Aegon's eyes.
"I will make this traitor suffer ten thousand times more torment than death."
"I will capture him alive."
"I will lock him in the Red Keep's dungeons."
"Sansa..."
He leaned close to her ear, tempting her with a tone only a devil would use:
"I will allow you to see him."
"I will allow you to torment him every day."
"You can whip him."
"You can cut him with a small knife."
"You can even..."
He showed a smile that sent shivers down Sansa's spine.
"...eat his flesh."
"As long as you keep him alive."
"Alive in this endless pain and repentance."
"Do you agree, my little she-wolf?"
Sansa stopped crying.
She stared blankly at the demon king before her, who was breathtakingly handsome and atrociously cruel.
He was teaching her revenge, in the most primal, bloody, and brutal way.
At this moment, the ice and snow from Winterfell and the fire from Targaryen found a strange balance in the girl's heart.
She slowly wiped the tears from her face.
She stood up from the ground.
She looked into his black dragon eyes and answered in a cold, hoarse voice that was unfamiliar even to herself:
"I..."
"Agree."