Chapter 05

Alicent watched as Aemond approached the lioness made of light and smoke, and when he touched the muzzle, she disappeared.

The witch, Lady Lycoris smiled as she kept that strange stick in the wide fabrics of the sleeves of her dress.

She looked straight into her eyes, she had never seen that green before. It was somewhere between deadly and admirable, or the scar that faded into a lightning bolt on her forehead.

- "And can you do a dragon?" - Aemond asked excitedly, leaving behind his facade of childish seriousness and frowning at the witch.

- "Oh no. This spell is unique to each wizard or witch," - She smiled as she shook her head, - "They say it is a reflection of the soul. My husband had a lion with a great mane."

Husband.

So she was married, but since there was no man by her side, it meant she was a widow.

- "My king," - Said the witch, holding out a black leather journal, with strange initials, - "A journal of an ancestor who was in Valyria before the Doom. I have made a copy for the King of Dragonstone."

Alicent made way for Viserys.

Her husband was a dreamy man, but fortunately, his Hand was a sensible man, she beckoned to Maester Orwley, who received the books. The Maester looked questioningly at Lady Potter-Black, and she returned a defiant glance.

- "I will check these contents," - Said the Maester, - "And if Lady Potter-Black will allow me, all the texts within reach."

- "Only these so far." - Replied the witch.

Alicent took a couple of steps forward.

- "I think Lady Potter-Black must be installed in a room," - Said Alicent, - "It must have been a tiring journey, even more so with a baby and in her condition."

Lycoris Potter-Black looked down at her bulging belly and then at the baby in her arms, apparently hungry because it began to pull at the neckline of her dress.

- "True, true," - Viserys said, - "Let us hope we can talk more of your magic, Lady Potter."

- "I would be delighted, Your Majesty," - She bowed her head in courtesy.

'She's had etiquette lessons and knows something about courts,' - Alicent thought at her manners.

Princess Rhaenys said something in her ear, and the witch nodded her head. Lord Corlys, Princess Rhaenys, and Lady Potter left the hall, with the two creatures loyally following the witch.

The baby, in Lady Lycoris' arms, looked up at Alicent and sneezed, changing his hair to match the queen's.

'Adorable,' - Thought Alicent as she looked at his bright little eyes and chubby cheeks.

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'Thank you, Snape. For your advice,' - Thought Lycoris, briefly remembering the dungeon bat.

He may have been an evil man, who knew nothing of happiness, who loved to become the terror of children, and a spy who slithered like a snake between the Death Eaters and the Order.

'Close your mind as a shield, and enter the minds of others to use them as a weapon,' - He said when she was just a frightened fifteen-year-old learning how to raise her mental barriers against Voldemort.

In a few minutes, she read three people. The king could only think of her as a Valyrian goddess (which flattered her very much) the man in gray thought of her as something to be examined (woe betide him if he touched her, she would take his balls off) and the queen only thought of her as an enigma (at least she didn't think of taking her to the stake), she also thought Teddy was adorable, though that was obvious.

- "Mama mama mama mama," - Repeated Teddy, tapping her breast, demanding to be fed.

- "Now, now, my love," - Said Lycoris, stroking Teddy's hair, which turned a slightly reddish brown. - "I'll feed you."

- "He has a sweet tooth," - Laughed Lord Corlys.

- "Mother Magic help me when he starts to walk," - Smiled Lycoris, then kissed her baby's cheek, - "Right. You won't give Mummy any trouble?"

Teddy laughed and clapped his hands.

A marauder. Merlin protect her.

They arrived in the room that was given to Lycoris, her suitcase was already there along with two maids.

- "You are not necessary," - Said Princess Rhaenys to the maids, - "But still, thank you for your service."

The two maids looked at Winky and Kreacher. The Black's elf muttered something like "useless muggles", the maids were frightened and left quickly.

Princess Rhaenys helped her to sit down. - "Would you like to rest, my dear?" - Asked the princess.

- "I'm sleepy and in the mood for a cauldron cake," - Lycoris replied.

- "Winky will bring it, my lady!" - Said Winky excitedly - "Winky doubts that Muggle ladies know how Lady Lycoris likes her desserts."

In a Pop! Winky entered the suitcase to use the kitchen at Grimmauld Place.

- "I will leave you two alone," - Said Lord Corlys, - "I'll go and see Laenor and the boys. We would like you to dine with us, Lycoris. We want you to meet our son and his family."

- "I would be delighted to meet them," - Lycoris smiled.

Lord Corlys could not stop talking proudly of his grandchildren, and Princess Rhaenys showed close aloofness to them.

Lycoris had learned that it was often best not to meddle in other people's affairs.

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Corlys knew that Lycoris's presence would draw attention at court, especially from Viserys.

When Rhaenys had settled Lycoris in the room with the lovely Teddy and the elves to attend her, they made their way to the privy council.

When they arrived, they were all there, including Rhaenyra, who had just given birth a few days before to her third child.

Laenor did not miss the opportunity to name him as her former lover.

Of course, he had tried it with Jacaerys and Lucerys.

- "The text she provided is very ambiguous, Your Majesty," - The Maesterree said, and Corlys watched his wife's gaze twist, - "Nor do we know that they have any truth to them."

- "It mentions ancient Valyria in detail," - Rhaenys replied, - "The detail of the dragons and their system of magic. Something almost similar to that used by Lady Lycoris."

- "We should not trust this Dragon Speech," - The Maester continued, - "Nor do we know if it works."

- "It works," - Said Rhaenys, - "I have seen her communicate with her dragon, and in a few weeks I have heard words from Meleys."

- "We don't know what her intentions are," - Rhaenyra said, then looked at the king.

- "She is a vulnerable woman, Rhaenyra," - Queen Hightower replied, - "She still has a nursing baby and is pregnant. What risk could she pose?"

- "We should confiscate that strange stick she has with her and keep the creatures confined," - The Maester continued.

- "That stick is her wand and something very important," - Said Corlys, - "And those creatures are bound to Lady Lycoris. They have the backing that the months we sailed from Lys to Driftmark we had a cultural exchange, from her land to ours."

- "Their land?" - Lord Strong asked.

- "Magic. She says she appeared in Valyria with her baby and a dragon," - Rhaenys said. - "The wizard Black, when Valyria still existed, sought a way to pierce the world and kidnap a baby dragon. Lady Lycoris released him from captivity a few months ago and promised to bring him home. Things went wrong, and she was stranded here with her family."

- "So, what do we do with the witch?" - Lord Lannister asked.

- "What do we do?" - Viserys repeated. - "Lady Potter-Black is under the protection of the Velaryon family and will remain so. Rhaenys," - He looked at her.

- "She is a lovely girl," - Rhaenys said, - "Though she has a hint of sadness in her eyes. It has been shared that she went through many events in her world, alone and with a baby, she didn't even know she was pregnant when she came to the ruins of Valyria."

- "The children can learn Dragon Speech," - Alicent Hightower said, - "They are still young, and learning to speak with their dragons will help them understand them better."

Viserys looked at Rhaenyra.

- "Jacaerys and Luke can join their lessons," - Said Rhaenyra.

- "Perfect, we must know when she could teach my children and Rhaenyra's children separately." - Agreed the queen.

- "The poor girl is with a child and will need time for herself and her baby. The boys will learn the Dragon Speech together."

- "Father, I don't think..." - She tried to say something, but Viserys shook his head.

- "It is my last word," - Viserys said, - "They learn together or not at all."

Corlys saw the looks Alicent and Rhaenyra gave each other, challenging looks.

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Lycoris: No way, I already taught in an illegal teaching group, I can handle this small group.

Aemond: Can you kill someone with that stick?

Lycoris: With two words, but it's illegal where I come from. And I've used it a couple of times.

Aemond: Cool