Chapter 30

"I suppose congratulations are in order, Lord Thalyn," Kaelarys said as he approached a group of people engaged in conversation.

The 789th Tournament of the Dragons had concluded, and the high-ranking noble families of the Freehold had gathered for an evening celebration. It was a tradition and one of the rare moments when all 40 Dragonlord families came together.

Glasses were raised, and toasts were made to the winner of the tournament. This year, it was Baelor Thalyn, the son of Lord Thalyn, who was crowned the Champion of the Dragons. Though the title did not have much meaning since the tournament is held every two years and a new champion is crowned each time, it came with a hefty sum of 200,000 gold marks.

He knew Baelor and had seen him a few times. House Baelaeron and House Thalyn were friends, which is one of the reasons his father had wanted him to marry the daughter of Lord Thalyn. Consequently, they were invited to every wedding or birthday celebration, and vice versa, giving them the chance to meet often.

By Valyrian standards, Baelor was not particularly blessed by the gods in terms of looks, but he compensated for that with his talent in combat. He was one of the few young men who had surprised Kaelarys when they faced each other in a training match.

Lord Thalyn turned around as his name was spoken. He was a tall man with a sharp, hawk-like visage and streaks of black in his silver-gold hair. His violet eyes lit up as they recognized him. "Ah, young Kaelarys," he answered with a polite nod before turning to the group he was talking to earlier. "If you'll excuse me."

He signaled for a slave to bring them some refreshments before turning his full attention to Kaelarys. "Thank you for the congratulations, but perhaps they should be directed to my son. He would be very pleased."

"Believe me, I tried, but it seems he is quite busy, and I didn't want to disturb him," Kaelarys replied as they each took a glass from the tray the slave brought and made their way to the terrace to continue their conversation in a more relaxed atmosphere.

"I must say, however, that your presence here puzzles me. Not that it is unwelcome, but I was assured that you were traveling," Lord Thalyn remarked as they seated themselves at a table on the terrace.

Kaelarys smiled, taking a sip of his wine before responding. "Indeed, I was. My ventures took me from Volantis to Lys, and last but not least to the Kingdom of the North in Westeros, to House Stark. It has truly broadened my horizons."

Lord Thalyn nodded thoughtfully, his eyes narrowing slightly. "So Lys, huh? I am sure you have heard of the events that transpired there?"

Kaelarys took another sip of his wine, his expression carefully neutral. "Indeed, I have. The conflict between House Vhassyl and House Sathmantes was quite the upheaval. But I am sure the Council managed this accordingly."

"Indeed. You were quite lucky that all this happened just after your departure," Lord Thalyn said, and Kaelarys didn't miss the underlying meaning behind his words.

Kaelarys smiled faintly, maintaining his calm demeanor. "Luck does seem to favor me on occasion."

Lord Thalyn's gaze remained steady before softening and smiling. "The North, then? What possibly could have made you go there? I am quite sure that everything there is as cold and grim as the tales suggest."

Kaelarys chuckled at that. "You are right. The North is not exactly a place where I would spend much time. Dragons and the cold do not make for a good match after all," he joked. "But the North has an interesting culture and people, not to mention magical... history."

"So, a trip more out of curiosity than anything else?" Lord Thalyn asked.

"More or less. A bit of a change from the capital did me good. I'm sure you can understand, Lord Thalyn."

When Lord Freeholder Balexes Thalyn was still a young dragonrider, he had the same wanderlust. He embarked on many journeys that took him even to the distant Empire of Yi Ti, similar to Kaelarys's uncle, though his uncle went there for business reasons rather than curiosity.

"Since we're already here, I have a favor to ask of you," Kaelarys said, setting his glass on the table.

"And what would that be?"

"I am interested in slaves from Sothoryos, the Sothoryi, cave dwellers, or any other species native to that land."

Lord Thalyn was the only one who took the trouble to import slaves from Sothoryos. The natives were amazing pit fighters, but that was all there was to them. They were savages and nobody could use them for anything else but entertainment.

He raised an eyebrow at the unusual request. "Sothoryos is a dangerous place, as you well know," Lord Thalyn replied. "The creatures and people native to these lands are fierce, and many do not survive the journey back. What is it about these particular slaves that interests you?"

"I am interested in their physical abilities," he said, and could see the wheels turning in Lord Thalyn's head.

"So you want to train pit fighters?" Lord Thalyn questioned.

"Oh, no," Kaelarys chuckled. "Nothing of the sort. Pit fights don't interest me; I find my entertainment elsewhere. I'm more interested in their bodies."

Lord Thalyn looked confused at his answer, but he was a smart man and it didn't take long before realization set in. His eyes widened comically. "Blood magic?"

He wasn't sure if that was a question or a statement, but it was correct nonetheless.

"Yes."

"But for what purpose? Our blood mages have researched everything there is to know about these savages. And I doubt that you alone will be able to find anything groundbreaking."

Kaelarys leaned forward, his voice lowering conspiratorially. "That's where you are mistaken, Lord Thalyn. The blood mages have barely scratched the surface." He then leaned back into his chair, smiling cheerfully. "Or so I believe. You see, I am an innovator, and I believe there is always more to discover than just what we see."

Lord Thalyn hummed to himself. "Inspiration can often strike when it is least expected. You have already surprised the world once; maybe you'll be lucky again. Very well, I will get them for you. How many do you want?"

"As many as you can get me. I will pay for them generously, of course," Kaelarys replied. "On another topic, where is your wife, Lady Aella? I haven't seen her at the feast."

"My lady wife is once again with child. She will be expecting him soon and didn't want to attend."

"Truly? And a boy as well!" Kaelarys exclaimed, surprised by the news. "I haven't been paying attention, it seems. Congratulations once again. It seems House Thalyn has many things to celebrate."

"Yes, It appears that fortune favors us this year," Lord Thalyn replied.

"There you are," a voice spoke up from beside them, and they turned to see Lysandra standing there, as beautiful as ever.

Kaelarys hadn't seen her in a while, similar to his sister. While his sister couldn't seem to let go of him, Lysandra showed more discipline, although it was clear she missed him just as much as Seraphine.

He turned back to Lord Thalyn and stood up. "It seems our conversation will have to wait for another day, Lord Thalyn, but it was a pleasure talking to you."

"It was equally... thought-provoking for me," Lord Thalyn replied and stood up, giving Lysandra one last glance before leaving Lysandra and Kaelarys alone.

"So," he said as he wrapped his arms around Lysandra's waist and she hers around his neck. "How has my little angel been spending her time?"

"It was dreadful without you," she pouted cutely. "Not to mention, I was almost married off to some dimwit from House Elaerys."

At this, he stopped moving his hands up and down her back and looked into her eyes. "Almost? What happened" he asked.

"No, I was able to convince Father otherwise," she replied, leaning her head back into his chest.

Kaelarys sighed in relief and kissed the top of her head, but didn't say anything else as they spent their time in each other's embrace without talking.

He knew that he had to do something. Lysandra was the daughter of Vaelor Baelaeron, who was the brother of Aelor Baelaeron, one of the Council members and head of House Baelaeron. She was a beautiful woman and dragonrider, not to mention at an age where she was supposed to be married already.

She was lucky that their father wanted them to find their husbands and not use them as political tools, but even his uncle had his limits. He couldn't let his daughter remain unmarried for the rest of her life.

Her sisters, Alyra and Vaelaera, were already married to members of House Vaelgyreon and House Xaelaerys, respectively, both Dragonlord families.

While Vaelor allowed his daughters to marry whomever they wanted, they had to be from respected families, as even he had a standard he envisioned for them. And it seemed that his Uncle had reached his bottom line waiting for his youngest.

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Sorry for no chapter yesterday; I was very tired and couldn't write a single word.

Also, the exam was somewhat easy for me, so no worries :D

Anyway, does anyone know what happened with the author of the newest Twilight fanfic? It was a lovely story.