Chapter 49

Solomon. Winterfell.

- So that's what Lina was talking about," I said in a thoughtful voice, sitting in my room and looking at Kinvara, who responded with a faint nod. She was now standing across from me with a confused expression on her face, hiding her eyes and fidgeting in her seat.

To be honest, it was quite a funny sight to see a mature woman showing signs of a young schoolgirl for whom spring had just arrived. Though I distinctly remember Kinvara offering to hook up without much embarrassment in the early days of our acquaintance. The difference between a business relationship and a love relationship, I suppose.

Priestesses of R'Glor, namely the likes of Lina, Erin, and Kinvara, only appear outwardly attractive and seductive, for she is powered by the magic contained in her necklaces. On the other hand, their real age could be a good hundred years, and one only needs to remove the necklace as their bodies will begin to age rapidly and then death will follow, that is, the natural order will be followed.

To summarize it all, Kinvara is not thirty years old, as her appearance says, but much more, as she is quite famous and has been for a long time. And I'm sure there have been men in her extended life that she's been interested in and slept with. Because of that, I find her current behavior interesting, because it's definitely not what you'd expect from a woman who has seen life.

I smiled.

However, I don't see any problem accepting her. Kinvara has always tried to please me ever since I met her. And I know that she will ignore the child and Kirana's situation. But it's worth mentioning.

- Kinvara," I addressed her, to which she straightened up sharply, but still didn't dare to meet my eyes. - Please look at me.

- M-my king? - she asked, doing as I asked.

- I am ready to accept your feelings," I began, to which Kinvara's eyes lit up and an instant smile appeared. - 'But you should know that one woman is already pregnant with my child, and I intend to take care of the two of them. Is that acceptable to you?

Kinvara's reaction was expected.

- Of course it is! You are a king, and for you to have multiple women is absolutely normal! - She exclaimed happily, and then took on a shy look again, throwing a glance at a certain part of my face. - In that case, may I...?

- Don't be shy," I laughed, to which Kinvara slowly approached me and gave me a rather tender kiss that lasted for about five seconds. When our lips left each other, she looked pleased enough that I let out a chuckle and stroked her cheek. - Satisfied?

- Yes, absolutely," Kinvara nodded and regained her usual look with a smile on her face. - What are your orders? Are we going to King's Landing?

I raised an eyebrow at how quickly she'd gone professional again, but since she was fine with it herself, I didn't see any problem backing her up.

- Not yet, no. I want to make time for the Starks and I don't think we'll be moving out until tomorrow morning," I shook my head. - I take it the Primate Murder has already left Winterfell?

- Yes. I believe he left with Lord Stark and his daughters," she said

- Good," I nodded and headed toward Lady Stark, but Kinvara stopped me.

- May I ask you a question? - She asked, to which she received silent consent. - The girl you arrived with...

- I find her interesting. I find her impertinence quite amusing," I replied.

- What do you mean?

- Lavena is not afraid to tell me what she thinks is right. It is not an insult or an attack on my honor, and there is no desire to use or profit at my expense in what she says. She is sincere in what she says, and I wonder what her reaction will be when her dream, namely to see Valyria, comes true.

- That... sounds strange..." said Kinvara in a doubtful tone. - 'Not that I'm against it, but...'

- No wonder," I smiled. - 'Just ignore it, Kinvara, and consider it my little whim, okay?

- . as you wish,' Kinvara said in the same tone.

- Thank you. Now, let's go. I want to speak to Lady Stark. I'm sure she has something to surprise me with.

It was a short walk to Ned's study, where Lady Stark was now, but it was long enough for every servant I met to greet me with a smile on his face. Anyway, Kinvara and I made it to the study and went inside, where three men were waiting for us: Ser Rodrik, Maester Luwin, and Lady Stark herself.

- It's good to see you again," I said, glancing around. - I suppose we have a lot to tell each other, don't we?

-0-

Lavena Satrion. Winterfell.

As I left, my 'lord' 'allowed' me to walk around the castle while he brainwashed another of his 'victims'. I hated to indulge him, but there was nothing to do, so I just walked where my eyes led me.

The passersby stopped all the time, giving me long and surprised looks, but they didn't bother me, for I was already able to ignore such attention. But the reason for their bewilderment lay in my attire, for it consisted of an ordinary thin dress. The "master" made sure that I was not inconvenienced by the cold with the help of magic. However, he still won't receive any thanks from me.

Coming back to the surroundings, that castle, the people, and the weather were very different from Braavos. If I tried to paint a picture describing everything that surrounded me now, I would only need three colors: gray, brown, and white.

Instead of the red roofs and orange walls that prevailed in Braavos, I was greeted by brown and gray, respectively, and a landscape that I would describe as "old" or "monotonous".

White, on the other hand, was plentiful. A lot of it. According to the description in the books, it was "snow," plain water, but in a different form. Instead of transparent drops, as in rain, from the sky fell, or rather, softly settled, particles of snow, having pure white color and shaped forms.

I caught a few with my hand, and as soon as they touched my skin, they melted and turned into drops of water. They were cold, but soft and almost weightless, just like silk, and... I found the sensation intriguing, for I had not encountered snow before.

And in this dominance of three subdued colors, the blood red stood out very brightly. Or rather, the blood-red leaves of a large tree on the castle grounds, and that was where I was going at the moment.

This combination was the highlight of the place, because if everything stands out, nothing stands out, and the red contrasted so well with the gray, brown, and white that it would definitely make a good picture.

I was finally convinced of this when I passed through the archway and found myself in a spacious area surrounded by walls. In the center stood a huge tree whose branches were taller than the walls themselves and whose leaves were blood red. It towered majestically in the middle of the place, as if to declare its importance and power, both to the castle's inhabitants and beyond.

But it also had a strangeness about it. And if the books were to be trusted, such trees were called "Weirwoods", sacred in the belief of the Old Gods, being spirits of nature itself. This was indicated by the presence of a human face carved on the trunk, as well as the color of the leaves.

A painting with Weirwoods against the background of this castle would not only be beautiful, but would have a different meaning. I saw very few true art connoisseurs, but each of them would have thought of the painting differently. Some about the peculiar analogy of a human being, some about the ability to move forward despite the opinions of others, and some about arrogance or domination. Perhaps I should paint the picture later.

- Who are you, lady? - I suddenly heard a rather childish voice beside me and shifted my gaze. It was two boys of ten and six years old, and next to them were a pair of large 'wolves', again from the description in the books.

"Lady?" That seems to be the address used in Westeros when addressing a noble lady.

- Artist.

- Oh, so you paint pictures? - I was surprised to hear from the eldest. - And you're not cold?

- Yes and no.

- Can you paint me and Weirwood? - Junior asked, to which I didn't know how to respond. Not because I might not get paid for it, but because of how innocently he asked me to.

- Is this your first time in Winterfell? - The older man asked, seeing my confusion, to which I nodded briefly.

- Since you've been let into the castle, you're an important guest," the boy murmured and nodded to himself. - I am Brandon Stark, fourth child of Eddard Stark, the Silent Wolf, Keeper of the North, and Lord of Winterfell, and this is Rickon Stark, my younger brother. My wolf's name is Summer, and Rickon's name is Shaggy.

How polite and formal. Well, what else would you expect from the children of nobles. Braavos is home to some of the same, but with a much more... brash demeanor. I'd even call these boys nicer company than I'm used to interacting with. Much nicer than my "master". I suppose I could honor their request, since I was planning on doing it anyway.

- If you can find me some paints and a canvas, I can paint you.

- Hooray! - exclaimed the younger boy.

- But shouldn't you have them with you? - The older boy asked.

- I didn't.

- All right, you wait here. Rickon and I will bring you what we find," the older boy said, to which I nodded, and they left, leaving me alone.

I sat down on one of the tree roots and looked up to the blood red crown.

Maybe this trip isn't so bad, I suppose.

-0-

Kirana Satrion. Braavos.

Sitting in the library and reading the books Mr. Solomon had provided, I couldn't help but be struck by how mesmerizing the stars were. Once in that hole in the sky, the magic I had always been interested in studying was pushed aside, giving way to the ever-distant and seemingly tiny to the human eye "celestial bodies" as written in the books.

Millions and millions of different "planets" and stars that floated in the middle of endless dark space, where a person could not breathe, hear or stand on something. It all sounded so interesting that I just could not tear myself away from the pages of the books, although Master Solomon mentioned that there may be differences between reality and the written lines.

I wonder if it is possible to visit one of the other planets?

I definitely lost track of time, and at one point, feeling a rather judgmental stare, I raised my head where I was met by a pair of large eyes.

It was a girl about ten or twelve years old with cherry eyes and hair tied in a bun on her head. She was dressed in a bard yellow patterned garment very similar to those worn in Yi Ti, an empire in the east of Essos, with wide sleeves and a design that resembled the plumage of a bird, and she was wearing a white kitchen apron.

She was summoned by Lord Solomon, using magical formation to watch over me and provide protection. And at the moment of her summoning, she held a long, disproportionate sword in a scabbard, disproportionate to her tiny body, which she could retract at will, seemingly to nowhere. He called her "Servant", though I suppose the word had a different meaning than what was common understanding.

She looked small and adorable, and three tiny round birds perched on her shoulders and head, but now her gaze expressed a soft, almost parental judgment that was directed at me.

- You haven't eaten your breakfast? Chirp Chirp. That won't do," she said in an appropriate tone, pointing with her eyes to the tray of food on the table. Rice, fried fish and vegetables that looked appetizing and spread a pleasant aroma throughout the room. - You're pregnant, Satrion-san, and you need to eat regularly.

- I'm not hungry yet, Beni-enma," I smiled, but she didn't take it as well as I would have liked.

- Chirp Chirp. Master has instructed me to take care of you, and you're just making things harder," she sighed. - Sele is too soft on you.

I couldn't help myself and laughed.

Even despite her appearance, Beni-enma knows how to be strict and demanding when it comes to cooking or caring. She only showed up at my mansion a couple days ago, and she's already become a nightmare for the servants. Sele, whose family has served the Satrions for generations, speaks of Beni-enma as nothing less than an extremely skillful cook and hostess.

Indeed, her meals are very good, hearty and nutritious. All my servants praised Beni-enma, because she made me feel their energy and pleasure in their work. Even Sele, whose family had served the Satrions for generations, spoke highly of the girl and recognized her superiority.

In addition to respect and recognition, the servants also felt fear for Beni-enma, for everything about training under her was like hell, according to Sele herself. When several servant girls asked Beni-enma to teach her how to cook the same dishes, they received training comparable to combat training, again, according to my oldest servant girl. And she had something to compare it to, as her family had trained to defend the members of the Satrion family.

In any case, I wouldn't want to upset Master Solomon, and the child needs something to eat as well.

- Alright, I'll eat," I said and put the book away.

- Good. Chirp Chirp," Beni-enma smiled sweetly. - I'm going to go check on my students. They upset me a bit yesterday, but it's all ahead of me.

With that, she left me and I started eating, taking a piece of fish on my fork and putting it in my mouth.

Mmmm... Delicious... As always.

-0-

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