Chapter 43 - 42 - The Sword of the Morning and the Prince (2)
At the Dragonpit, Maekar saw Bahamut lying on the ground with its eyes closed; the powerful and beautiful dragon seemed more relaxed than ever. This was no surprise, as it received food every day without even having to move. Such a good life was something Maekar wanted as well.
Perhaps sensing someone’s approach, Bahamut opened its eyes and blinked its double eyelids. Seeing it was Maekar, the body that was about to rise from the ground settled back down.
"We have a long journey ahead of us, my friend," Maekar said with a smile as he climbed the steel chains and ropes leading to the saddle.
Bahamut made a nasal sound in response and waited for Maekar to settle into the saddle before rising from the ground. It shook its body to throw off the dust and unfolded its gigantic wings. In an instant, it took flight toward the sky.
The dragon let out a long, golden roar, announcing its presence to the entire city, and flew toward the clouds. Outside King’s Landing, Caraxes opened its eyes and let out a threatening roar but lay back down on the ground.
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Dorne is the large peninsula that makes up the southernmost part of Westeros and is one of the constituent regions of the Seven Kingdoms. The lords of the ruling House Nymeros Martell style themselves "prince" and "princess" in the Rhoynish fashion.
Being the hottest region in Westeros, Dorne is rocky, mountainous, arid, and dry, and is home to the continent’s only desert. Dorne is bounded by the Sea of Dorne to the north, the islands known as the Stepstones to the east, and the Summer Sea to the south.
Between them lies the mountain range known as the Red Mountains, which separates Dorne from the Stormlands to the north and the Reach to the northwest and west.
The principal vassals of House Martell are Houses Allyrion, Blackmont, Dayne, Fowler, Jordayne, Qorgyle, Santagar, Toland, Uller, Vaith, Wyl, and Yronwood.
The strongest and most notable among them are the Yronwoods, the Daynes, the Fowlers, and the Ullers. The Yronwoods were the second most powerful house in Dorne, with rich and fertile lands, and also controlled the two exits from Dorne.
The relationship between House Yronwood and House Martell was tense; the former considered themselves superior to the Martells and had rebelled more than once.
At this moment, a gigantic platinum dragon was crossing the arid and dry mountains of Dorne; with each beat of its wings, a cloud of sand was left behind.
In the saddle attached to Bahamut’s neck and chest, Maekar looked at the desert before him and let out an admiring sigh. It was truly insane to live in a place like this. Life in this place was hard, but it made people resilient and strong. The environment you live in shapes who you are; this phrase could never be truer than for the Dornish.
Maekar, who was being hit by the hot and dry desert wind, could have chosen to fly through the Stormlands and cross the Sea of Dorne, but he chose this path because he had never been in a desert before. At the same time, it was a demonstration of his sincerity toward House Martell.
Sensing that he had already traveled far in two hours of flight, Maekar decided to land Bahamut at an oasis, even though the dragon was very comfortable in this hot and dry environment.
Bahamut tilted its body and descended toward the oasis, about two kilometers away. However, the closer they got to the oasis, the more Maekar could see a caravan of people. The sigil was a white sword and a falling star crossed over a lilac background.
Maekar naturally recognized the sigil of House Dayne.
However, he didn’t care and didn’t ask Bahamut to change direction. It was the only oasis for dozens of kilometers; he wanted to refresh himself.
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"My lady, the horses have taken water and are resting; in an hour we can continue our journey." The speaker was an old knight wearing light leather armor and yellow cloth. His skin was sunburnt and his hair already gray. However, his eyes were sharp and calm.
"Thank you, Davos." The one who replied was a young woman with light blonde hair and a pair of beautiful violet eyes. She dressed differently from other women, wearing yellow trousers and a purple doublet made of a lighter, finer fabric. At her waist, a long sword could be seen in its sheath.
It was Lady Clarisse Dayne, current wielder of the legendary sword Dawn and the current Sword of the Morning of House Dayne.
At this moment, as Davos and Clarisse were about to rest while the horses ate and drank, they noticed the horses began to grow restless. They started to neigh and move nervously from side to side.
Suddenly, a gigantic shadow passed over them, and a thud was heard; then, the ground beneath their feet trembled.
Davos and Clarisse looked to the other side of the oasis and would never forget the sight of a platinum dragon with golden scales drinking water not far away. The soldiers of House Dayne would never forget it either.
Maekar didn’t care about the stares of others; he dismounted from the saddle and climbed down to the ground, where he let out a relieved sigh. He looked at the crystal-clear water before him and couldn’t help but crouch down, cupping his hands and drinking a mouthful of water.
This damned climate was truly the enemy of any human.
After quenching his thirst, Maekar did not approach House Dayne; he found a large tree that offered good protection from the sun and leaned against the trunk. Bahamut moved its heavy, large body and lay down behind him, unconsciously protecting its rider.
Feeling the comfortable breeze of the oasis, Maekar finally felt alive again. He closed his eyes and let the breeze blow against his face.
However, the time for relaxation soon ended, as Maekar heard footsteps approaching and opened his eyes, just as Bahamut did.
Looking at the young woman and the old knight behind her, as well as about fifty soldiers further back, Maekar showed a curious expression.
Clarisse looked first at the enormous dragon and wondered which god had blessed House Martell for hitting the eye of the dragon Meraxes. Before such a monster, even larger than Meraxes in the books, the Lady of Starfall showed a calm expression that surprised even Maekar.
Common people seeing Bahamut simply paralyzed with fear, which could be seen in the fifty soldiers frozen in fear and horror.
It wasn’t cowardice, but the mere presence of something so large was terrifying.
"Prince Maekar, may the Old Gods grace you with health and abundance." Clarisse greeted Maekar with due respect; this surprised him a little.
"I say the same, Lady Dayne; the Old Gods have always been kind to their people." Maekar also smiled, remembering that House Dayne was one of the few noble houses that believed in the Old Gods, besides House Blackwood and the noble houses of the North.
"May I ask your name, my lady?" Maekar asked with a smile.
Clarisse looked at Maekar and, seeing his extraordinarily handsome face, had to admit that the books did not exaggerate enough when describing the Targaryens, though not all of them were handsome.
"I am Clarisse, current head of House Dayne and wielder of Dawn," Clarisse spoke in a solemn tone.
"It is like seeing the Warrior Queen herself, Visenya; ah, you Dornish prefer Nymeria," Maekar said with a genuinely admiring smile that a woman had become the Sword of the Morning of this generation.
That title is no joke in House Dayne; only the best of the best could wield Dawn.
A smile appeared on Clarisse’s usually solemn face; she felt the sincerity in Maekar’s words, and he seemed genuinely admiring of her achievement. Despite Dorne accepting a female ruler, it is not easy being a woman in this world.
If it weren’t for her uncle, Davos Dayne, who cared for, trained, and protected her, she might not have reached adulthood.
"Forgive my bluntness, but what is the prince doing in Dorne?" Clarisse couldn’t contain her curiosity and asked in a curious tone.
Maekar looked at Clarisse with a confident smile full of charm.
"What else, besides competing for the Iron Throne?"
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House of The Dragon: The Pale Prince
Game Of Thrones: The God-Emperor of Planetos
Percy Jackson: Godwyn the Golden.
Game Of Thrones: The King’s Court Wizard