return of a sea snake, revelations, and looking for the black dragon

AN: a little Helena pov plus the return of the sea snake.

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Sparta, The bay of Seals, 9th moon 129 AC

(HELENA)

As We make our way toward the castle on the hill, I can't stop thinking about the giant of a man who stood beside the dragonlord.

Long curly brown hair and blue eyes that look like the early morning sky.

I always thought those of the north were said to be unattractive.

How did I know I was among northmen? Easy. It's far too cold to be anywhere else.

But that's what surprised me. The beauty of not only the giant man with a blue marking over his left eye, but also the island itself.

Sure, it was broken down on the outside. But when you really looked at it, the beauty could be almost felt.

The men who accompanied my children and I were given leave to remain with us.

One thing that shocked me was how disheartened they seemed at lord Valhalla not remembering the title he held.

However, everytime I asked them on our way they wouldn't say anything.

They'd been incredibly nice the entire time except for that. It seemed very very serious to them.

I shake those thoughts away as I feel a rumbling approach from the left.

I see maelor's reaction before getting to have my own. Wide eyes and an awe struck expression.

Turning to see what caused such commotion I almost faint from shock.

Standing before the dragonlord mere arms length in front of us with his horse sized wolf at his shoulder, is a true giant.

I had thought the man beside him was one. As I'd read everything I could about different parts of westeros. I had to. For nobody would listen to my warnings. I tried seeking out proof in literature to get them to understand. But such things never happened.

But no. The thing standing before lord Valhalla is the real thing. 15 feet tall. A nose as large as my hand, and eyes as large as dreamfyres own.

The rumbling speech he lets out also shocks me.

After only a few sentences lord Valhalla moves us onward toward the castle.

My son had enough of not knowing what the giant was to Stay quiet, and asked the dragonlord a question.

"Wowww what are they?"

The man looks over his shoulder at my son with a softness that looks odd in eyes so intimidating before responding in a soft voice.

"Those are the giants. One of the most important parties on my island. They help keep us all safe."

My sons eyes widen even more at that. I allow myself a soft smile before I notice the dragon lords eyes on me.

He speaks so quietly I almost don't know for true he says anything or not, (why don't they know Valyrian?)

I was caught off guard. Not knowing why he would ask that. It seems my confusion was evident on my face as he shakes his head and sighs before replying to his own words.

(You're far too ingrained in the faith of the seven to teach them. A pity. But they will learn here. Just as they won't know any about the seven. Those fake honorable gods and the treacherous people who worship them have no place here. Am I understood?)

I thankful my children don't understand Valyrian at this moment. For the words he speaks are harsh.

I try to retort him. To give an answer with adequate enough reasoning for him to see not all who follow the seven are what he thinks. But he doesn't give me the time. Speaking again.

(Look at the current state of the realm Helena. Who is among the traitors to your fathers last wishes? Who kept to their oaths?)

I can see what he's saying. Very few 'andal' families did what my father wanted them to do. And I'm sure the ones that did only did so to get benefits out of their imagination.

He seems to see my realization in real time and offers me a small smile before putting his hood up.

He and I still haven't talked about my former husband, and quite honestly I don't want too.

While I weep for sunfyre who didn't deserve such a fate, I also know the dragon would never have let aegon come to harm. Even if he was despicable, a dragon will always love its rider.

My mind is a whirlwind as we reach the keep. I can only barely make our jaehaera and maelor asking the lord Valhalla a multitude of questions in quick succession.

But I'm lost in thought about what lord Valhalla said about the seven and their religion. My mother had always taught it to me. To have such things questioned so brutally left me in a tailspin.

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(ZAYNE)

I let Helena and her children sleep in the keep while I made my way back into the mountain bowl.

Before I can make it in however im hailed by James.

""Magnar! Who is the winter goddess?""

I chuckle after hearing him describe her before I respond.

""A women who's suffered punishment she didn't deserve. I know that look in your eye James. Do not scare her. Am I clear?""

My seriousness calmed his excitement. He turned deadly serious too and nodded once.

Happy with that response I turn on my heel with frost and we make our way to to speak to leaf about getting this castle started when Artemis returns from giving the qarthie my message.

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The lands inside the mountain were truly breathtaking. A temperate Forrest with streams and lakes all around. Not only that, but the water is so clear. Many of my people thought this meant no more boiling water. I made sure to put a stop to that.

With only about 6,000 total people on the island I know many many more will need to be brought in to truly get Sparta where i want it to be.

Another thing I immediately implemented once we made it inside the mountain was to plant the peppermint and chamomile as my stash was running thin.

Those two little plants helped out tremendously with stomach problems that came from starving people finally getting good portions of food. As such, they couldn't stop themselves from gorging which caused stomach issues.

That and the not drinking any water that isn't boiled has brought the number of deaths via dehydration down to 0. An accomplishment if I do say so myself.

Of course, we didn't throw up an entire kingdom in the moon we've been here. But, there are a few houses built in the style of the breeze homes from Skyrim. I feel it matched northern aesthetic of my island well.

Now that people have been fed, given health regulations, and have stopped dying from the two I decided it was time for someone else to play doctor other than me.

Finding a midwife who had birthed many babies was as far as I could go to get my first 'nurse'. She's currently being taught by Leaf and her companions on both how the earth singers or nymphs as I've decided to call them and myself want medical things done. By the end of it she'll be more qualified than any grandmaester.

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The next thing I did was getting my army ready. For even if they don't make an appearance in the dance, they need to be ready for the dawn.

As such I already began making them do different calisthenics like push-ups and burpees.

But now we begin stamina training.

I let them gain some weight before doing this because I didn't want to kill them. But stamina is most important in my opinion.

I need men who could run from harrenhall to rooks rest If need be. Though they would never do that with horses, it's the stamina that matters to me.

The sword fighting will come later. After I feel they've progressed enough in fitness it will be time to teach them how to kill a man without a blade.

How to snap a neck in milliseconds,how to press onto different parts of the body to make someone do what you wanted them to, how to camouflage themselves to blend into the environment to evade or ambush all this will be taught by me eventually.

Only after that will they learn to truly weild a blade. Right now they carry spears and shields as it's pretty easy to understand, poke em with the pointy end and don't let yourself be poked.

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Next was my need to find people magically inclined. My plan is to have a dedicated force of wargs from all over the north. They will keep an eye on suspicious activities on the island while I keep one on the mainland through lord Reed.

For this I will need to speak to my people. Giving slim a message to gather everyone i ready myself by putting on a new style of clothing the seamstress made. 'Something to wear during those meetings with the southern lords' she had said.

And she was right on the money. The design looked like the one shay wore in Ac rouge. A mix of Templar and assassin wear that I loved.

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The narrow sea, Dragonstone, 130 AC

Corlys Velaryon pov

Arriving back on the docks of Dragonstone is such a relief. For half a year i have sailed the world. All in an effort to get resources and gold for the war we find ourselves in.

It truly started almost 6 moons ago, when the kinslayer aemond slew my grandson lucerys. Although I was gripped with rage when I found out, I was halfway across the world. What could I do other than stay on task to help my remaining family?

I had grieved in my own way for lucerys death. A way I wished not to have. For my grieve already got me into a situation I don't know how to handle.

I have a son, Alyn. With a ship captian named marlida of hull.

I've seen the boy a few times. He looks just like me. Even more than lenor. If anyone who knew me saw him, they'd know instantly who's son he was.

It's not like i didn't wish to be a father to him. In truth I was scared of my wife. What my beautiful Rhaenys would think of me should she learn of his existence?

The anger and guilt I felt at having Laena and laenor died so soon after eachother left my heart cold and bitter for a time. This resulted in Alyn.

Sighing as I try to come up with a way to tell my wife and family while also telling Adam who I really am I see my family upon the docks to greet me.

This makes my already forced smile even more forced.

But it's the look my wife is currently showing me that has me on edge. Even more than the sling her arm currently resides in.

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Rhaenys it seems wished to speak to me posthaste. Ordering my grandchildren away before I could even greet them properly in the keep, we make our way to the gardens flanked by two of my guards I left in her charge.

Sitting in the chair across from my wife I finally see the tears fall. This tells me all I need to know. She's found him.

I don't speak to try and stop the tears, for it's already too late for that. When my wife speaks, it's the first time since our children died that I hear just how hurt she is.

(Why?)

That simple question makes my heart freeze. Taking a deep breathe I decide to lay everything on the table.

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After informing Rhaenys of my actions that led to Alyn and the one I indulged when I heard of Luke's death, I am first slapped across my face.

As I clean the blood from my lip, she speaks to me again. (I love you and always will Corlys. This is the last time you do this and I forgive you. I will not condem your son because he had no part to play in his conception. You will however present him to the court and be a father to him, for he should be raised up and honored. Not hidden beneath the tides.)

With that she leaves me. And all my plans of informing my family about the rare journal I found was pushed to the back of my mind.

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The next day begins with my family sitting me in the painted chamber to tell me of the developments around the world.

The usurper was dead. Killed by an unknown dragon lord.

I had to repeat the words to myself multiple times before they finally registered. And with it a huge laugh bubbled out of my throat.

Although things with Rhaenys have been strained, I and she have been good since our talk. Soon I will need to go get my son and explain to him everything. Not something I'm looking forward to, but I must.

After a few days of settling into the island and putting lord celtigar in his place, I gather Rhaenys, jace, baela, and Rhaena in the gardens. Eager to share with them my findings that date all the way back to old Valyria.

Although as soon as I remove the cover hiding the sigil of house Valhalla everyone in the rooms breath catches.

(What's the reason for those faces? While I know it's incredible to have something of the Valhalla house that started our history, it's still just an old book.) I say trying to discern what could've caused such a reaction.

The most notable of said reactions however comes from Rhaena and my own wife.

Growing impatient I clear my throat and break them from their stupor as it seems my first words went unheard. As I open my mouth o speak Rhaenys cuts me off.

(You've heard about the death of the usurper. But perhaps it's time i tell you the whole truth.

After learning of our Allie's in rooks rest being besieged, the queen decided it was time for traitors to face dragon fire. It was to be she herself who went, but I was able to dissuade such a plan.

Arriving above the rook, I was greeted with the expected siege. However, upon further notice I found the Hightower princes dancing in the sky with a dragon I myself have never seen before.)

My wife's words were enough to make my eyes moonwide. I speak my peace before she can continue, (that's impossible!)

I'm answered with her beautiful smile before she responds, (I thought that myself. Regardless, after killing sunfyre the black dragon began eating his kill. Something I normally would have balked at and stopped at all cost. But the sound the black dragon made after winning the battle stayed my hand. As well as meleys' own feelings when in close proximity to the obsidian beast.

Upon meeting the mysterious dragon rider, I could discern nothing as he wore a style of clothing I've never seen, one that hides his face from view. One thing that cannot be hidden however are his eyes. They glow in the darkness. A beautiful Valyrian steel grey and red...)

She continued speaking but after hearing about the man's eyes my mind came to a screeching halt.

There's only one set of eyes I've ever heard of like that. As I'm thinking Rhaenys finishes up her story. We both speak the same words at the exact same time.

(Zayne valhalla)

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(RHAENA)

When I hear my grandfather speak the name that's been running wild through Dragonstone for a sennight my mind and everyone else's in the room raced.

Corlys spoke before any of us could. The look in his eyes was indescribable

(How do you know that name?)

Without waiting for someone else to speak I did, (we could ask you the same question grandfather. Zayne Valhalla is the name of the man who saved grandmother and stopped the arrow the kingmaker fired from killing her. Were you not listening when she spoke of rooks rest? )

At the end of my query his response was not words, but a toss of the journal he was talking about showing us. The one with the Valhalla sigil.

He speaks as I open the book, (this was in a trunk I received from a man whom claimed I'd saved his ship from pirates. While I don't remember such an event I took the gift anyway. I read this journal. Which belonged to lord jaenyx Valhalla.

In this journal, he speaks of his grandson the most. A boy who suffered under his hand. Most of the writing was him apologizing. However, he described his grandson as different from every other member of his family.

He claims this grandson didn't have the pure red eyes of his family, but a mixture. A beautiful Valyrian steel grey interspersed with dragon fire red. He calls his grandson…..)

But before he finished I spoke (Zayne)

My mind raced. A boy my age who was alive during the doom. My grandmother seems to have read my mind because she spoke out against it as well, (Corlys. Don't you think that's a little far fetched? The boy I met was special sure. But…) she tried to finish but my grandfather wasn't having it.

(Do you not understand? How much of a coincidence could it be that the boy who saved you had the same eyes and name as the heir of house Valhalla almost 200 years ago? No. I don't believe it. Where is the lad?)

Corlys, my grandfather, is a man who rarely gets excited. In truth I can count on one hand how many times I've seen him smile for true. All of them in front of only our family.

(I do not know. He was adamant about getting back to his people. Claimed they would starve without him.) My grandmother responds.

The look on Corlys' face is one we all know well. He's thinking. Hard.

After a few minutes he excused himself. Claiming to find this Valhalla.

My head was spinning. Not only was the man in my dreams real, but my grandfather thinks him born in valyria? Meaning he's 200 years old?

Looking at baela who's been mostly quiet I ask her, (and what do you think sister mine?)

She gives me that patent smirk before replying, (from the look on grandfathers face he believes it wholeheartedly. I myself haven't read the journal or met the man so I can't say for true.

But does anyone here actually believe grandfather to be a fool?) the unanswered question was all she needed before continuing, (I think we should meet this Arthur Valhalla to be sure.)

Both my grandmother and jace nod at this.

Making up my mind I go to see if I can catch my grandfather. Surely he's not chasing 200 year old ghosts.

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AN: next is the Convo with Rhaenys and jace. Then we're off to Sparta and winterfell. Do hope you enjoyed the chapter. A little bit of a shorter one. 🖖❤️ live long and prosper.