Ch25. Towards Old Valyria

Oberyn was looking downwards with shaky legs as he held the railings in a vice-grip while watching the clouds passing under the ship.

He thought about his homeland, Dorne, and how the situation there improved tremendously after the treaty with the Iron Islands. His people got new towns, more sturdy buildings, enough drinking water to drown in it, fully functioning farms, opportunity to learn magic, and so much more.

All the while the world thinks the Belserion Trade settled in Dorne, under the protection of Martells because the company built a town there, Scarlet Port, and it is the biggest headquarters of theirs. Well, after the Iron Islands, but no one knows that.

Nobody even suspects it is actually the other way around and House Martell alongside Dorne is actually under Belserion Trade. But... Irene could be frightening like that.

He spent the past three years in the Iron Islands and learned to love the place. Three years but he still found new things every day. He and Ellaria had a lot more to explore yet. His children were attending Belserion Institute... oh, how he loved their bragging and performing magic for him while their eyes asked to be praised. He owed Lord Cair and his two wifes a lot for that.

But...

"Damn, this is crazy. Why did I volunteer to come? Am I actually going crazy? Overexposure to Bellatrix is a really frightening thing..." He trailed off, happy that Ellaria joined Irene for a banter. He would not enjoy her seeing him in a state like this!

"Oh, is the big bad dornishman scared of heights?" Bellatrix's cooing voice could be heard from behind him, making him robotically turn around as his body stiffened.

Fuck, this is the last thing I needed, he despaired.

"Be good, Bella." Thomas scolded lightly and Oberyn could see Bellatrix's eyes glint mischievously.

He thanked all deities known to him that Thomas was there to mitigate Bellatrix. He didn't particularly enjoy her company on a one-to-one basis. Yes, he thought he would like the woman and he does. She is a superb fighter and a real insurmountable challenge. Which he liked. But damn if spending a week next to her isn't enough to make his sanity want to take a permanent vacation...

"Kay! Bella will be a good girl." She saucily whispered to Thomas and gave him a long wet peck on the cheek. "But I want a reward!" She excitedly added while Thomas rolled his eyes.

"Of course you do. You-"

"So-sorry to interrupt you two insane love birds." Oberyn, as pale as The Wall, interrupted them wearily. "Thomas, shouldn't you, I don't know, keep using your voodoo to make sure we won't go for a quick fall followed by a splash and eternal vacation on the bottom of the ocean?"

"Oberyn, you were on the Iron Islands for the last three years. This much should not phase you." Thomas waved him off indifferently as his hand snaked around Bella's torso, making her yelp and grin flirtatiously at him.

"Y-yes. Three years, yet... When you mentioned a quick peek at Old Valyria I didn't quite picture twenty ships sailing the sky, ABOVE the clouds, might I add, while the man who is keeping the ships in the air, is flirting, almost undressing his batshit crazy woman with his gaze while us poor people with no hocus-pocus stuffed up in our ass have no way to save ourselves if said man suddenly loses his focus!" Obery hysterically exclaimed and started panting.

"You wound me, Oberyn." Thomas gave him a mocking sad look. "You don't trust me."

"I do trust you, Thomas." Oberyn released a tired sigh as he ever so slowly dragged himself away from the railings while still clutching them for his dear life. He then glared at Bellatrix who looked at him smugly while squeezing Thomas's ass with great delight. Oberyn continued dryly. "It's that insanity next to you I am not so sure about. During these two days of flight, she did EVERYTHING in her power to distract you into losing the focus."

He saw Thomas blink and about to defend her so he hurriedly continued.

"Don't try to deny it! I lived in the same castle as her for the last three years! As much as I love the Iron Islands, I will never get used to your wife! I know there is something seriously wrong in that head of hers!"

"Muuu, Bella is a good girl. Bella even decided not to throw bad Oberyn outta ship." Bellatrix pouted while giving Oberyn an accusing look with upturned eyes as she placed her chin on Thomas's shoulder and stuck her tongue out at him.

"See!? That is exactly what I am talking about! She is doing it on purpose!" Oberyn screamed.

"Well, I am not gonna deny that. She does have a peculiar sense of humor." Thomas said as Oberyn gaped at him.

"I now understand there is something seriously wrong with you too, mate. You two are as if made for each other. Excuse me, I am going to look for Ellaria. I need a bout of fresh common sense." He deadpanned and hurried away.

"What's up with him?" Thomas looked at Bellatrix. He didn't have time to interact with him during the journey as he was organizing the mages. All thousand of them, fifty per ship they brought along on this field trip to the latest extinct magical country in the known world.

"He is insanely afraid of heights." Bellatrix quipped and Thomas thought it was not worth it to ask for elaboration. Alas, she decided to continue.

"Two years ago, I once invited him to the bungee jumping event of the Black Scripture. It was funny seeing his expression." She cackled.

"Oh, that..." Thomas trailed off as he remembered what she was talking about and genuinely pitied Oberyn.

That event was nothing more than jumping from the highest tower in the Iron Islands, without a rope, of course, trusting the members of Black Scripture beneath the tower to catch you with Wingardium Leviosa. A team-building exercise, Bellatrix called it. Fortunately, only one poor sap actually died so far. Which for two years of such exercise was a marvelous record...

"Coincidentally the guy whose head was ripped off when his body was stopped by the Wingardium Leviosa cast by ten mages but the dork assigned to the head forgot to stop it, jumped right before it was Oberyn's turn. Since then there are actually two people assigned for each body part." Bellatrix uncaringly shrugged, pressing and snaked her hands around Thomas's torso, her chin still on his shoulder.

"I see, I guess Oberyn stopped visiting your events..." Thomas asked as he noted her chest tightly pressing into his back.

"Nope." Bellatrix humorously replied, popping the 'p'. "I dragged him on every following event though. It was fun hearing his screams." She dreamily uttered.

"I see." Thomas told her, unsure how to actually react.

"In retrospect, that might have been where he got his fear of heights. He was quite fine the first time, you see."

"I see." Thomas deadpanned as he stared on the horizon.

"Hmm, but his reaction... ah, he might have overheard me and my Black Scripture members when we discussed doing one such event here on the ships. Just, you know, without the actual squad for catching people as they fall. We thought more along the course of portkeys. Dunno though, it might be just fine or it might make the jumper into a bloody splat. Will have to make a test run first, you see."

"I see." Thomas just leaned back into her soft chest, uncaring, as he thought about the influence the bond had on him. Perhaps he indeed got a little flexible on the line between sane and crazy. He wouldn't know.

"Maybe I should tell him there are actual runes carved on the hull to keep us floating even if I lose focus." He pondered.

"Maybe. I mean, I understand his worries." Bella hummed knowingly.

"You do?" Thomas asked in surprise.

"Yes, I did forget to use the silencing charm last night. Hearing our activities must have been a scare. Especially if he thought you losing focus would drop us to our untimely demise." Bellatrix gave a sheepish laugh.

"So, will you tell him?" Bellatrix asked curiously.

"No." Thomas grinned. "No, I think I won't. Let him enjoy the ride."

"Oh... Look! Valyria!" Bellatrix exclaimed as she pointed forward to the ruins of a city.

"Hmm, yes. We have a few hours until we arrive and anchor the ships though" Hadrian smirked as he turned around and scooped Bellatrix up into a princess carry.

Understanding his intentions, she squealed and giggled.

It was time for her reward.