Chapter 077 – Than

[295 AC]

As if on a timer, Phenex' eyes opened early the next morning. Drawing on his inner fire, his drowsiness vanished a moment later, as his gaze fell onto the young Princess, sleeping peacefully in his arms.

A tender smile settled involuntarily on his face, as he used a push of magic to cleanse both himself and the sleeping beauty from their sweat and any traces of their nightly activities. Arianne let out a quiet moan in her sleep, as his fire also banished any stiffness and exhaustion she may have felt after a night of dancing and passion.

Turning over slightly, Phenex slowly moved Arianne from her sideways position on her back, causing the light from the windows to dance over her beautiful form, as the quilt slipped downwards and revealed her chest and abdomen.

Tenderly, Phenex left light kisses all over her gorgeous face and neck, one of his hands brushing over the smooth caramel skin of her thigh, hip, and side, while the other caressed her cheek and brushed away her ebony locks.

It was at this moment that he felt the Dornish Princess awaken under his gentle ministrations, her eyelids slowly opening, her black eyelashes looking akin to the fluttering wings of a butterfly.

Hauntingly beautiful dark eyes stared up at him, a soft light shining in them, as Arianne lifted her hand and caressed his cheek. Her flat belly and perfect breasts, each toppled with a chocolate berry, still on full display.

"I didn't want to leave before you woke up, but the council is expecting me in a few minutes.", Phenex voiced out quietly, looking at her with loving violet eyes.

"So we do have a few more minutes, my love?", the young Princess whispered, desire and affection colouring her tone and shining in her eyes.

Phenex didn't reply, but his lips, descending on hers for a deep kiss, were answer enough.

…

Walking through the corridor towards the chamber where the Bright Sun Council was going to hold their meeting, Phenex felt Than, one of his Feathers, silently fall into position behind him, supposedly taking up his guard duty for the day.

Than was originally a bastard of a Westerosi lord, born to a prostitute in Lys. His light skin made him stand out a bit amongst the Feathers, as only Ruyu had lighter skin, thanks to her Valyrian descent.

His brown hair and bright green eyes, combined with his warrior-physique made him a very attractive man, though he had a quiet and serious personality, much like the other Feathers.

Than's weapon of choice, much like Phenex', was the longsword, which he kept strapped to his back while in the temple, and a single dagger sheathed diagonally over his chest.

"I have gotten word that the oldest of the Sand Snakes wishes to speak with you and will probably visit later today, Phenex.", Than whispered almost inaudibly, knowing that his Lord would hear him even if he was on the other end of the city.

"Hmm.", Phenex hummed, signaling his understanding, before asking in an equally quiet tone, "Anything unusual happening during the Fire Festival yesterday?"

As a Feather, Than's senses were enhanced beyond human limits, so he could also hear Phenex' words just fine. And listening to the words, the Feather understood what Phenex inquired about, as he had asked him and the other Feathers to accompany his lovers and those close to him to ensure that no harm would befall them during the festivities.

"We kept our distance and watched over them, no harm came to any of them.", Than replied.

He took pride in the fact that they had never failed their Lord, nor did he and his brothers and sisters plan to ever allow themselves to do so. They were the personal guard of the Phoenix, those who swore to serve by his side and watch over him until all life left their bodies.

They were his silent companions, their loyalty unquestionable.

"I will return to my solar after the meeting, so let the little flower know where to find me, Than.", Phenex remarked under his breath, before stepping into the council chamber and readying himself mentally for the tedious part of ruling – reports and discussions.

…

The meeting lasted for a few hours as the council members had reported about the state of the different projects and events that were of importance, while Kinvara had been there to direct the discussion, with Phenex mostly just listening in and giving his opinion on some topics, or handing out praise where it was due.

Afterwards, Kinvara had accompanied him to his solar, where Phenex had pulled the beautiful priestess into his lap, as they had rested in a comfortable armchair, while playing a round of chess, moving the pieces with their respective magic.

And while Phenex may have lost the game by a large margin, he had still been rewarded with a kiss for his efforts before Kinvara had left his side to get back to her duties.

With her centuries of experience and sharp mind, it was naturally impossible for him to win without taking advantage of the wealth of knowledge and memories his father and ancestors had left him, which was not something he wanted to do while having an idle game with his lover.

His ego was not yet that brittle that he couldn't accept losing a game against a woman he loved.

Turning his head, Phenex gazed in the direction of the Dothraki Sea, as he opened himself up to his less-mortal senses to investigate some disturbances he had felt coming from there with his sharp intuition.

It didn't take more than a moment for him to find what he was looking for, as a slight frown settled on his face.

It seemed as if the Dothraki had been gathering in Vaes Dothrak and not only that, but they also seemed intent on uniting all the khalasaars into one. Things though weren't so simple amongst the horselords, as no Khal would willingly step down from his position.

The Dosh Khaleen, a group consisting of former Khaleesi whose husbands had died, often acted as seers and foretold the future or interpreted omens for the Dothraki leaders.

Phenex saw that it had been them who had proposed that the Khals duel each other for the ultimate leadership over all Dothraki, so that they could stand against the threat that the Red Temple presented to their lifestyle and tradition.

They had managed to convince the gathered Khals that through these duels the Khal of Khals, 'The Stallion Who Will Mount The World', would emerge.

These battles would probably take weeks or months to finish, as each one could only be fought after a ritual had been carried out by the Dosh Khaleen and there were over a hundred khalasaars, small and big.

And yet, Phenex could sense that the one who would most likely triumph over all the other Khals was none other than Khal Drogo, who by this time was already leading a khalasaar with more than twenty-thousand riders.

The man was a vastly superior warrior compared to every other mortal man he had ever seen with only a few minor exceptions, namely Oberyn or Robert in his prime.

Sensing all this, Phenex knew that the time to deal with the Dothraki was slowly drawing closer.

Drawing back his senses, Phenex' focus settled on the present and the leather-clad, young woman stepping into his study, the two halves of her spear sheathed behind her back, a minute smile gracing her normally serious face.