Ch17. You are becoming stronger!

Irene came back into the throne room and saw both of them sitting behind the table, calmly eating while trying to ignore Maester Klern as he waved his arms around in panic. Trembling from the worst four hours of his life as he felt the entire world moving and thought the Drowned God is punishing the Iron Islands.

Irene nonchalantly walked towards the table and sat on the empty chair, promptly buttering a toast.

"Done?" Thomas asked, smiling at her.

"Yes, dear." Irene nodded sagely. "I am sure you heard the quakes." And rolled her eyes.

"Oh, I did. And even if I did not, the panicking Maester was here to remind me." Thomas quipped indignantly.

Just then both spotted Bellatrix with her head lowered as she quietly and sullenly ate her toast. This was not her usual sullenness where she is pouting due to some of Irene's verbal jabs. No, both Irene and Thomas could with a bit of focusing feel through the bond that Bella really felt down.

"Bella, dear? Are you fine?" Thomas asked in a coaxing voice and rubbed her back.

"I-, I am fine." Bella replied with a weak smile.

"What's concerning you, Bell?" Irene looked at her worriedly and Bellatrix thinned her lips while again lowering her head slightly, looking at her hands.

"I just, sigh, I just... I knew you were strong Irene." Bellatrix started in a downtrodden tone and Irene shot Thomas an 'uh-oh' look. He understood and promptly one-arm-hugged Bellatrix to make her feel better. "It just sunk in now how much stronger you really are than me."

"My entire life I pursued power. I knew you were stronger... You had me beaten in seconds during our duels but this? Seeing you move islands?" Bellatrix chuckled lifelessly. "You know, in my old world, the height of the destructive spell was fiendfyre. Sure, people could cause a lot of mess during fights but nobody could reach a magnitude of power you casually showcased for no other reason than to make the terrain of our territory more advantageous to us." She leaned more to Thomas's hug, resting her head on his shoulder and continued in resigned confusion. "I think I-, actually I do not know what I feel... I am not jealous. The bond prevents it but I still feel quite down because of your casual show of power and it is all so weird. I suppose I am also mostly angry at myself for being so weak."

Thomas flicked Bella's nose to distract her and before she could complain relocated his hand on her head, patting her gently.

"You shouldn't compare your spells with hers. The spell she used, Universe One was made for World Reconstruction. Even in her world, it would be one of the highest and hardest of spells." He coaxed, quietly whispering to her ear.

"I understand." Bella responded subduedly, making Thomas observe her face.

"No." He slowly started. "I do not think you do." He told her carefully, getting her full attention as her gaze questioned him. "Bella, WORLD Reconstruction. I did not say Island. Nor did I say Country or Continent... World, Bella."

A realization flashed through her eyes as her jaw dropped a little, her inquisitive look snapping towards Irene.

Irene just chuckled lightly.

"He is right, you know? I made the spell to be able to influence the entire world. In my world, we did not know about planets or the universe so the world in this instance actually means the entire planet." She confirmed and playfully added. "I am not strong enough to affect the entire planet though."

Bella, with a conflicted expression, nodded in understanding, her view of magic drastically shifting yet again. She bit into her toast when Irene smirked.

"Yet." She said, making Bella freeze in shock as the toast she was biting fell back onto her plate. Even Thomas slightly widened his eyes at her.

"Oh, come on! You did not really think only you were getting stronger, did you?" She rolled her eyes goodnaturedly. "The bond changed us."

"What do you mean?" Bellatrix asked.

"You would never get stronger at the rate you are going. Did you never think about it? We are in the Iron Islands a month and your power skyrocketed. As sad as it is, this change is not entirely because of my training regime." Irene explained.

"Bella, you can probably Transfigure a mountain already." Irene deadpanned. "Sure, you would be completely drained afterward but it is possible. You started to like animation and you are getting better and better at it. You would be a terror on the battlefield once you can make a mountain into golems."

"Thank you." Bellatrix's mood improved significantly hearing that praise.

Irene looked at both Bellatrix and Thomas.

"I can feel my magic power saturating both of you every time we are closer, making you stronger by each passing day. I can also feel being saturated by your, ahem, excuse me, feeble magic. I can't stop marveling at the fact that it actually does make me stronger! Maybe not at the rate you two are going but I AM getting slowly more magically powerful." She ended her explanation with a smug smile.

"Back to the topic, Irene, what's the actual reason for this... relocation?" Thomas asked.

"Well, I did not only relocate the islands, I completely remade them. Firstly, I..." Irene started explaining happily the changes she made. Thomas and Bellatrix could only gape as she started counting everything she improved on her fingers.

For Bellatrix, this moment was when she decided to forsake curses and decided to fully focus on Transfiguration. For the first time in her life, she couldn't give the argument her family drilled into her.

The Dark Arts are strongest, they always claimed.

Yet, Bellatrix was sure no Dark Arts would be able to accomplish what Irene just did. For the first time in her life, Bellatrix decided her path for herself and fiery resolve flooded her.

One day, I will surpass Irene's magic with my Transfiguration, she vowed to herself.

Thomas on the other hand just shook his head in amused exasperation. Irene basically changed the entirety of the terrain while improving the islands immensely. He sighed in exasperation as he decided to pull his weight and get stronger.

"Okay, Irry," He quipped playfully, knowing she is annoyed by that nickname. "Tell me then, why did you do it."

"Oh..." Irene smiled sweetly. "So I wouldn't have to fly to and fro through the islands and raise wards for each of them. This way, I can do one massive ward and be done with it!" She beamed and with upturned lip cooed. "Anyway, I think I deserve a reward, dear."

Thomas, rolling his eyes, scooped her into a princess carry.

"Sure. Let's go." He pecked her on the lips, making her giggle as he carried to their bedroom.

The Maester Klern was listening with bated breath to her explanations, not believing she was the one responsible for the earth tremors, he quickly relocated towards the window and when he saw an island where there was none previously, he almost fainted out of shock. And then he remembered her telling she is actually getting stronger by each passing day and sucked a cold breath in.

"Is she an actual Goddess?" He muttered under his breath, not one of the trio hearing because Bellatrix also followed after Thomas, leaving the Maester alone.