Chapter 088 – Moonblade

[298 AC]

Listening to her rough breathing as Arianne slowly recovered from her last climax, Phenex slowly withdrew his shaft from her quivering and clenching depths, causing a soft moan to escape her lips.

Looking up at him with half-lidded eyes full of affection, the Dornish Princess kept quiet as Phenex slowly rearranged her position on the bed, leaving small kisses along her jawline, neck, and shoulders while doing so.

Afterward, he slowly removed the golden chains, which were inlaid with emeralds from around her wrist, ankles, neck, and the one decorating her dark silken hair. Doing so with great care, while his lips once again wandered over the smooth skin in a display of great affection every time he took off another piece of jewelry.

No words were spoken during this time, but their gazes never left each other, conveying the emotions that they could not find words for, though Arianne soon found herself overwhelmed by the tender care she received, causing silent tears to fall from her eyes.

Phenex was quick to soothe her as he wrapped her up in a thin sheet, after removing the ripped dress from her bare form, and took her in his embrace, before carrying her towards the balcony and setting Arianne down on the stone railing, materialized a pair of black linen pants to cover his lower body, while he did so.

His arms still wrapped around her, while one of his hands softly caressed her side and upper thigh, the other gently brushed through her ebony locks and over her graceful back.

It was a dark summer night with the moon on full display and the streets of Sunspear were still illuminated with light from innumerable lanterns, candles, and torches, as the banquet and festivities in the city were still in full swing.

It took a few moments for Arianne to calm down, as she basked in the warmth and safety of Phenex' embrace, her head resting on his shoulders while her hands had taken hold of the hand caressing her side, intertwining their fingers and brushing over the firm muscles of his strong arm.

Her gaze was directed down at the still bustling city while she listened to the strong beat of Phenex' heart.

"I haven't yet shown you my wedding gift for you, have I, my love?", Phenex suddenly voiced out quietly.

Moving back a bit and looking up at him, Arianne asked softly, with some surprise in her tone: "What gift?"

Stealing himself a loving kiss from her soft lips, Phenex replied mischievously: "The one I didn't tell you about.

Look."

He gestured towards the endless dark ocean beyond the shores of Sunspear and Arianne followed his gesture with her gaze, as an ethereal white flame ignited around his body.

"Arise, Moonblade.", Phenex whispered quietly, though the Dornish Princess didn't really understand the meaning behind these words, seeing as nothing happened at first.

Slowly but surely though, Arianne could see a soft light shining beneath the abyss-like depths of the ocean surface, and not only that, the light seemed to grow stronger and larger with every passing moment.

The young Princess was shocked and dazed as she looked at the white island upturning the sea and changing the land. From high up the tower, Arianne could see that the shape of the island seemed to vaguely resemble a sickle moon – in other words, a blade.

Thousands upon thousands of small lights suddenly rose from the white-glowing island like fireflies and ascended into the dark night sky, the sight of such a spectacle simply breathtakingly beautiful.

The Dornish Princess couldn't see it clearly from the distance, but the island's flora and fauna were simply paradisical, with overflowing sources of sweet water, lush greenery, and a myriad of different colorful birds and other animals.

"Maron Martell built the Water Gardens for his wife Daenerys Targaryen as a gift, and to mark their union.", Phenex stated quietly, his arms wrapped around Arianne's waist as he pressed his chest against her back, the thin sheet fluttering in the nightly breeze.

"Moonblade is my gift to you, Arianne.", he continued softly, his lips right by her ear as he inhaled her flowery scent, "Every full moon at midnight the island will turn into a beacon of light, blessing the surrounding lands. And in a few hundred years, Sunspear will not be surrounded by deserts any longer, but by lush forests and grassy plains."

Turning halfway, the Dornish Princess looked at her lover with incredulity, not being able to fully comprehend what she had just witnessed.

After living with Phenex for so many years and having received his love and care, the young woman had seen him do some magical things, but it was only now, after she had seen him raise the land with nothing but a thought, that she finally understood.

Her husband was no mortal man. Phenex was a god, and his power was seemingly endless.

Seeing his gentle smile and the love in his eyes, Arianne took a few deep breaths, as she shook off her momentary daze. Raising one of her lithe hands she tenderly brushed away a few dark locks that had shadowed Phenex' beautiful purple eyes, before gently cradling his cheek.

Stretching her neck a bit, she placed her lips on Phenex' for a feather-light kiss, before withdrawing a bit afterward and exclaiming softly: "I love you."

The Dornish Princess spoke these words not only for him but also for herself, to remind her that it didn't matter what he was. God or not, Arianne loved Phenex and wanted to be with him, and in the end that was all that mattered to her.

…

Many people gathered at the shore of Sunspear the next day, looking at the paradisical island from afar with incredulity. They were fearful and shocked at first, as they could not understand what had happened.

It was only after the High Priest Moqorro announced that this was the Red God's gift to bless the marriage between the Princess and the Sword of the Morning that the common folk lost much of their fear, but their shock and awe remained.

Being healed of grave injuries by the grace of the Red God's priests and priestesses was a completely different concept, compared to seeing land being created and shaped with such apparent ease.

Once again the people's perception of the Lord of Light changed. He wasn't just a destroyer and healer, but also a creator.

At this point, almost all the common people in Sunspear had abandoned their old beliefs and were fervently devoted to the Red God and his miracles.