Chapter 359: Spoils of War
The first light of dawn filtered softly through silk curtains, bathing the room in a pale glow.
Samwell opened his eyes to see Daenerys's exquisite face resting on the pillow beside him. Her silvery-golden hair spilled across the fabric like a blossoming flower.
Still fast asleep, her delicate body pressed against his, warm and supple. Unable to resist, Samwell leaned forward and kissed her soft red lips.
After returning victorious from Yunkai the night before, Daenerys had been particularly passionate, eager to fulfill her promise of bearing him a child.
Despite her fiery enthusiasm, however, the Dragon Queen's sensitivity betrayed her. Their night together had been a relentless cycle of triumph and surrender, her cries of defeat turning to pleas for mercy as Samwell overwhelmed her.
Though they had been at it well into the night, Samwell felt invigorated. The satisfaction of having conquered the Dragon Queen filled him with energy.
Carefully slipping his arm free from Daenerys's embrace, he rose and donned a robe before heading into the adjoining study.
On the desk sat the two most important spoils of the Battle of Meereen: the Dragonbinder Horn and the second red eye of the Harpy.
Samwell picked up the crimson gem first. During the battle, his sword Dawn had struck it, leaving its surface etched with fine cracks. Yet it remained vibrant, its color a mesmerizing blend of molten gold and fiery red. Holding it in his palm, he could feel its strange, electrifying energy, like a storm contained within.
Without hesitation, he placed the eye into his mouth and swallowed it.
A sharp tingling sensation coursed through his body, like an electric current sliding into his stomach.
The next moment, his status panel flickered into view:
---
Samwell Caesar
Title: Storm King
Lands: Storm's End, Eagle's Nest
Vassals: Lucas Dayne, Gavin Mander, Katu TigerFang...
Strength: 20.17
Agility: 11.76
Spirit: 39.99
---
The changes in his attributes were immediate and profound. Samwell felt his body surge with power, his heart pounding violently as if it might burst. His blood roared through his veins, and faint whispers seemed to echo in his ears.
This wasn't the first time he had experienced such a reaction. When his Strength attribute first broke 10, similar symptoms had occurred. This time, with Agility surpassing 10 and Strength exceeding 20, the effects were even more intense.
Yet it was the whispers that unsettled him.
Why were they so prominent? His Spirit was still capped at 39.99, just shy of the next threshold. Logically, the impact should have been minimal.
He glanced down at his hand, where the silver flower left to him by Melisandre had almost entirely faded. Only one petal remained intact; the others were smudged and indistinct.
Melisandre had warned him that this seal was temporary, meant to shield him from the chaotic forces of the Elemental Sea. Without it, his high Spirit attribute could lead to his essence being consumed or assimilated by the sea's untamed power.
Now, it seemed the seal was on the verge of breaking.
Samwell resolved to return to the Stormlands as soon as possible to have the red priestess reinforce the seal.
Taking a deep breath to steady himself, he turned his attention to the Dragonbinder Horn.
The horn was nearly as tall as a man, its dark surface gleaming faintly, crisscrossed with golden-red patterns and ancient Valyrian runes.
Running his fingers across the inscriptions, Samwell felt a searing heat that penetrated even his Unburnt trait.
"This must be the poisoned gift from Euron Greyjoy to his brother Victarion," Samwell thought.
It was clear now that the horn had been used to summon Viserion, the golden dragon.
Though Samwell wasn't overly concerned—his experience with Drogon and Rhaegal suggested the horn's power to summon dragons was temporary and did not grant true mastery. Euron could not claim Viserion as his own.
"Still, losing the horn to claim one dragon seems an uneven trade," Samwell mused. Perhaps Euron had hoped the horn would summon all four dragons to him.
His thoughts were interrupted by soft footsteps.
Daenerys entered the room barefoot, her silk nightgown clinging to her form. The morning light outlined her curves, rendering her silhouette both modest and enticing.
"Is that the Dragonbinder Horn?" she asked, stepping close and nestling into Samwell's embrace.
"It is," Samwell replied, nodding.
"Can we use it to control the dragons?"
Samwell didn't answer immediately. Instead, he pointed to the horn's inscriptions. "Can you read the Valyrian runes?"
Daenerys leaned closer, her lilting voice reciting:
"I am the dragon's binder. No mortal may sound me and live. Blood for fire, fire for blood."
Finishing, she frowned. "It seems the horn requires a sacrifice. A mortal must blow it, but it will cost them their life."
"Exactly," Samwell confirmed.
"And the last time it was sounded... who did it?"
"In ancient Valyria, slaves were often forced to blow dragon horns. The dragons obeyed the master of the horn, not the one who sounded it. There's also speculation that someone with the Unburnt trait might survive blowing the horn."
"A true dragon does not fear fire," Daenerys said. "We both have that gift."
Samwell's smile turned teasing. "Do you want to try it, then?"
Daenerys hesitated before shaking her head. "No, let's not risk it. We don't need the horn to control our dragons."
"Wise choice. Besides, even if you blew the horn, you're not its master. It wouldn't work for you."
"Then who is the horn's master?"
"Euron Greyjoy," Samwell replied, his eyes gleaming. "The maddest Kraken of them all."
He thought of the brief fight between him and Euron on the Sea of Dorne. At that time, this mysterious and crazy man left a deep impression on him.
"And Viserion is with him now?"
"He should be." Samwell patted Daenerys' arm, "Don't worry, we will get Viserion back."
---
Daenerys grew quiet, her head resting against Samwell's chest. "When will you marry me?"
Samwell chuckled, kissing her forehead. "Whenever you like."
"Let's marry in Meereen," she suggested. "I was supposed to wed in the Temple of Grace, after all, until you ruined everything."
Samwell laughed heartily. "I was planning to wed you in Westeros. Are you sure you want to do it here?"
Daenerys hesitated. The thought of returning to Westeros filled her with both hope and fear.
Would the people accept her, the daughter of the Mad King? Would they cheer for her dragons or cower in fear?
"No," she whispered, "I want to marry here."
Samwell, sensing her unease, gently stroked her hair. "Alright. I'll make the arrangements. Three days from now, we'll wed in Meereen."
As he spoke, he stood up holding the woman and walked to the outer room of the bedroom.
Three maids were standing by, helping the two to change their clothes and wash their body.
"Your Grace, were you sick last night?" Missandei whispered in Daenerys' ear while combing her hair.
"No."
The little maid was relieved.
Daenerys also understood why the maid asked this, and her face turned slightly red.
However, when she heard Samwell talking about their marriage, she felt a sweet feeling in her heart.
Samwell went out for a while and returned to the room, saying:
"An old friend from Qarth is here. Come with me to meet him later."
"Which old friend?"
"Xaro." Samwell deliberately gave a mischievous smile, "The guy who proposed to you fifty times."
Daenerys snorted. "That false merchant. What does he want here?"
"I have reached an agreement with the Thirteen masters of Qarth to jointly maintain the new order in Slaver Bay. From now on, the profits from the slave trade will be shared equally between us and Qarth."
Daenerys frowned, "Why should we cooperate with Qarth?"
"Westeros is too far away from Slaver's Bay. We can't always keep an eye on the situation here, and it would be a waste to leave the Unsullied here. So, we need a partner. In addition, we also need the fleet of the Thirteen to transport the army back to Westeros."
Daenerys said: "This is only a temporary arrangement, right, Sam? One day, we will come back and reshape Slaver's Bay."
"Yes, this is just a temporary measure." Samwell stepped forward and kissed her bare shoulders. "I promise. When we have enough strength, we will come back."
"I believe you." Daenerys then smiled and gave him a kiss.
(End of Chapter)