Ch21. Cruise to Tyrosh

Thomas sat in the basket on the mainmast of Blue Pearl and looked at the glimmering sea, worried about the Iron Islands. Knowingly or not, in the past four years he found himself starting to care about his dominion and its people. It was something he and his girls built up from scratch, after all.

This was the first time they left it in the past four years, leaving the governing duties in Yara's capable hands.

The Belserion Trade was doing exceptionally well in Westeros. They became the main supplier of food for the North. The main supplier for glass for the entirety of Westeros. Main... Ugh, basically they had a LOT of monopolies in Westeros.

It was time to move on and start to invade the market of Essos and start creating alliances. Hence his stay on the Blue Pearl, heading towards Tyrosh, the closest free city to Dorne.

Suddenly hands snaked around him, hugging him tightly as he felt something soft pressed into his back.

"Irene." He smiled gently. "You done with writing letters?"

"Yes, m'Lord." She purred, pressing her lips on the nape of his neck, sending a tingling sensation through his spine. "Worried?" She asked between her pecks.

"Mmm, yes," Thomas breathed out, putting his hand on hers, stopping her affections. He turned around to face her and leaned closer to her ear. "You really know how to sneak on people."

"You were just too enamored by the sight of the captain Ladvia." Irene scowled but got surprised when Thomas, out of sudden, claimed her lips. Her body relaxed as she melted into the kiss, the frustration leaving her.

"Thanks. I needed that." She slightly tightened her hold on Thomas. "I am just so annoyed you know? Three days and we already faced three pirate ships. Three!" She huffed. "According to Bella's little spiders, it's the work of Petyr Baelish, or what's his name. He borrowed money from Iron Bank for the Crown only to emblaze and use them to buy mercenaries and pirates to attack our ships."

"Well, take it from the brighter side." He said, putting his forehead on hers in a calming motion. "Our 'trading' ships are battleships with the best cannons and the crew usually has at least ten magic users. At least they get some practice."

Irene rolled her eyes at him as she clicked her tongue.

"Maybe but it is ME that has to read through all the reports and give out orders!"

"Ah, maybe it is time to employ yet another so-called 'Minister'." Thomas squeezed her hips, making her yelp and received a glare in return. "Remember Irry," The glare intensified, fuelling his playful smirk. "we are not here to turn these people into a civilized society. We did what we could, it is the time for others to start taking care of themselves. We won't be here forever. Nor are we here in order to make a country. We are here to get stronger and move on."

"It's just... I-," She released a frustrated groan. "You are right. I just remembered my time as Queen and had to meddle, you know? It's in my blood."

"Well, I did not say we will let this world burn or our country to rot. I just want you to stop doing everything by yourself and instead train people to do it." Thomas kissed her cheek, receiving a satisfied smile. "Let's go find Bella, shall we?"

Irene nodded and they left the observation basket in a merry mood, thankfully not noticing the approaching ship, otherwise, their happiness would be soured.

As their feet hit the deck, they saw Bella sitting out of the way of the sailors, her hands molding a black glob of... something into a shape resembling raven as she weaved runes, charms, and surprisingly even mini-wards into it.

To her right sat a woman in a black intricate robe customized for battle with a black hood with her back regally straightened, her eyes on guard as she attentively listened to Bellatrix. She had black bob-cut hair and black eyes with high-cheeks. Her figure was on the smaller side but nevertheless hourglass with big breasts and firm buttocks. All in all, she could easily pass as a noble-woman... or a dark witch.

As the woman saw Irene and Thomas approaching she slightly bowed her head in respect, alerting Bellatrix.

"Having fun Bella?" Irene quipped mockingly and sniffed in disgust as she saw her hands covered in the black dense blob, streaming through her skin.

"Ah?" Bella raised her head, spotting where Irene's eyes gazed. "Ah!"

"I am actually making a new permanent transfigured creature. This one will look like a raven, feel like a raven, act like a raven but in all honesty, it would be able to kill a human effortlessly." Bellatrix excitedly stated and Thomas noted the woman next to her nodding in awe. "This world uses ravens as a sort of messenger birds so if I make around a few hundred, I can have a better spy network than you, Irry!" She smugly added, making Irene frown.

"Possible..." Irene was about to praise her in a cold grudging fashion when Bella just had to push it.

"And it won't even take me as long as it took you to make the Belserion thingy!" She went all into an 'ufufufu' mode.

Irene's eye-brow twitched when the dark-witch-looking girl added her fifty cents into the dialogue.

"I personally like the self-destructing rune most, it would be able to tear a castle gate off its hinges with a single raven as a cost." Her voice was melodious yet somewhat withdrawn and cold.

Thomas turned to the girl, her eyes widening slightly as she lowered her head.

"I am sorry, that was uncalled for."

"No, no. All fine." He waved his hands around in a dismissing manner. "I just wonder who you are."

"Understandable, my Lord." She acknowledged. "I am Pietra Black, Lord Cair, Lady Irene. Second in command of Black Scriptures."

"Figures it is one of those Bella's maniacs." Irene muttered quietly and Thomas was glad only he was able to hear it.

Black Scriptures.

As Irene was forming her Belserion Trade, Bellatrix wanted something similar. With her experience as someone who spent most of her youth next to Voldemort, she had extensive knowledge of recruitment techniques and training regimes. Plus she was stubborn.

Whereas Irene targeted the best of the best from the Belserion Institute. Bellatrix aimed for those more unfortunate and fanatically religious people believing in Goddess Bellatrix. To the unfortunate guys, mostly homeless children or women in need that somehow slipped through the system, Bella provided a shelter, financed from the Lord's coffers, and trained them from the ground up. Those fanatical ones need no further explanation. The people Bella trained were not Death Eaters per see...

Uh, let's just say the topic was the reason for many arguments between the trio.

Bellatrix was not teaching them how to fight. She was teaching them how to kill, torture, maim, and slaughter the enemies. Yes, she argued she taught only the willing ones from those she helped but... she basically saved them when they were at their lowest so almost every single of those Bella aided was 'willing' to die for her. When Thomas started adding into the equation their fanatical devotion to Bellatrix Black...

Hell, they basically took surname Black as a show of respect! Yes... they basically WERE her personal Death Eaters.

They created an organization that was in some cases even more dangerous than Belserion Trade. The so-called 'Black' Ops of the Iron Islands called Black Scripture. It was almost miraculous as Bella took people with near to no magical talent and in two short years managed to whip them into small personal force knowing a multitude of dark curses with full capability to use them. And they trained more, which in turn will train yet another batch of recruits. Bellatrix clearly knew what she was doing.

Irene was irked, to say the least, because even her Belserion Institute didn't manage to raise as capable destruction and assassination magic experts. Thomas had to, for the first time, act as a mediator between his girls until the consensus was reached. Every ship of the Belserion Union will have at least one member of Black Scriptures where they may act freely, not necessarily having to listen to the commanding officer. They were already fanatics. There was just no need to give them active commands as they would just do what they thought best for their 'Goddess' on their own.

"I am explaining to Pietra what to do and what to avoid for her role as ambassador in Dorne." Bellatrix beamed at Thomas with a 'praise me' look. Amused, he approached her and crouching down, he started to pat her head.

"Good girl." He nonchalantly quipped. "At least one of my girls understands the need for capable subordinates." He said sassily as Bella quickly gathered his meaning, sticking her tongue out at Irene.

"Yes, yes. I get it, alright. I will make subordinates. I will make tons of subordinates, alright! I will flood the entire Iron Islands with them!" She put her hands on her hips and jeered. "Just don't drown in them, then!"

Thomas and Bella were about to respond when the bell started ringing in alarm. An enemy ship was approaching.

A vein appeared on Irene's forehead as Bella started to get excited. Irene was about to order a bombardment of the ship, disregarding the loot, angry beyond reason that yet another idiotic pirates are targeting HER company when Thomas raised his eyebrow at Pietra's nonchalant attitude as she tried to hide her longing looks she was throwing the enemy ship.

"Irene," He put his hand on her shoulder, stopping her in her tracks. "let them come closer. Pietra will take care of them."

Said girl just tilted her head but her eyes showed her happiness and gratitude at being truste-, no scratch that. At being able to cause a slaughter.

Well, she WAS trained by Bellatrix Black, Thomas mused.

"Are you sure?" Irene asked unsurely but Bellatrix quickly put her worries to rest.

"Let her." She continued to mold her 'raven'. "The girl can cast strong enough Bombarda to tear these medieval ships to shreds if it comes to that."

That was when Ladvia, the captain of Blue Pearl came closer and Irene nodded in Pietra's direction with a headshake. Getting the meaning, Ladvia shouted orders to approach the enemy ship.

As Ladvia's warship came closer to the small pitiful Longship that was at least two, if not three times smaller than the Ship of the Line, Pietra quickly used a form of body-enhancing magic Bella invented when browsing through Fairy Tail magics and hopped onto the board of the enemy vessel. The screams ensued.

Really now, what do these pirates hope to accomplish here... Just ramming our ship into theirs would destroy them, Thomas mused as he saw the enemy ship brutally painted in blood while a small, calm, and relaxed smile sat on Pietra's face.