Lorenzo Vallens, Palace of Dawn, Nova Roma
The impressive vessel stopped at one of the palace's landing platforms, and although they were normally reserved for magical carriages and brooms, it adequately fulfilled the function of receiving the enchanted ship of his good son
However, while the vessel was an exquisite work of magic, and it was more than evident that Lorenzo would commission something similar for his family, his attention was not on the ship
But on the imposing white beast that had landed in front of him
For Lorenzo, it was still impossible to believe that the winged colossus in front of him was only two years old
It was huge, easily the size of an elephant, bigger that many adult dragons, and if his daughter's words were true, it was possible that it would grow to a wingspan of over a hundred meters
Arraxys, a powerful name for a majestic being, tilted its shoulder, allowing Aemon Targaryen to descend into the palace
Lorenzo looked around, the nobles and merchant families watched silently, not daring to intervene, but the whispers were getting louder and louder, a new Dragon Lord had appeared
Aemon had short hair, dressed in a custom-made black tunic, with embroidered white dragons, the quality was exceptional, it was a kind of silk, but different from the acromantula, it even seemed alive to a certain extent
The young visitor watched the city with an impassive gaze, while the rest of his progress descended from the boat
Lorenzo looked at the young Lord's women, they were all dressed in exquisite white robes, with blood-red cloaks on their shoulders, all adorned with exquisite jewels, they moved with elegance and some arrogance, they kept their steps serene and their gazes cold
They walked to stand just behind Aemon, looking at Lorenzo calmly
"Lord Lorenzo Vallens," said the young dragon, his voice denoting cordiality, but there was not a hint of submission
"Prince Aemon Targaryen," said Lorenzo, bowing his head cordially and with a gesture towards the palace
A moment later, Aemon greeted his wife politely, the exchange was polite, but somewhat distant, something normal, considering that the one who really had contact with Aemon Targaryen was Lorenzo
Finally, focusing on her daughter
"My Lady," said Aemon, looking at Rossana
Her daughter smiled smugly, surrounded by her maids, at the same time that she stretched out her hand towards Aemon, who took her and kissed her, without taking his eyes off the young Lady
Lorenzo raised an eyebrow in amusement when he noticed the not at all discreet look that his daughter gave to her fiancé, which was shared by her servants
The Lord of Nova Roma simply shook his head silently, although there was no major problem, the engagement was a fact and would be finalized soon
That was all that mattered
"Lord Vallens, following the advice of my fiancée, I have brought gifts," said the young Lord, at the same time as wizards and witches, evidently in the service of the young prince and dressed in silver armor descends from the ship
So, these were the famous lycants that Rossana had spoken of, former werewolves, healed and sworn to serve the young dragon
They looked imposing, lethal and powerful, and the political message was more than clear
House Stark and House Targaryen had an army under their command, and although reduced in numbers, Lorenzo was more than certain that the young dragon would take it upon himself to train and arm them with the best that gold could buy
A lethal and imposing personal guard
Lorenzo nodded elegantly and gratefully as he received the gifts, a barrel of diamond-harvested Frost Wine, a unique flavor reserved for the young prince's relatives, two whole rolls of the most exquisite fabric he had ever seen, white and cool to the touch, called Frosted Silk, as well as more samples of Stark products
Lorenzo accepted everything with grace and responded with his own gifts, objects and goods from Nova Roma, Aemon and he had just given each other more than two million galleons worth of goods as a simple greeting
Although it is not as if Lorenzo gave importance to such a thing, just as he knew perfectly well that Aemon did not either, for them, gold was ephemeral, a political tool for their own ends
After the courtesies, Lorenzo and Aemon began to walk towards the ruler's office, both had a busy schedule and the prince's visit would last only two days before flying to Topaz Island, with his daughter departing with him, dressed in the Targaryen cloak on her shoulders
Along the way, Lorenzo did not overlook the irony of the situation, he was a proud and powerful sorcerer, a proud Vallens, one of the most powerful magical families in the world, with an almost perfect record of victories both military and economic, with only one exception
The defeat of his ancestor, Claudius, at the burning of Londinium, just after the Battle of the Dancing Star
His ancestor executed, his wife Priscilla taken prisoner and Lorian Stark's concubine, his daughter married to Lorian’s heir, and his children forced to return defeated and humiliated to Rome
One would think that Lorenzo would hold infinite resentment against the Wolf Lords, however, this was quite far from reality, the defeat of Claudius was what allowed his sons to anticipate the rotten senate and form Nova Roma before the total collapse of the empire
And from that moment on, the Vallens flourished, steady and controlled growth, with surgical military action when necessary and adequate economic and political pressure, the lesson of Claudius' defeat ever present
And here he was with a Stark, the only family that was able to humiliate them, and not only that, Lorenzo was giving him his eldest daughter Rossana
"We are here," said Lorenzo, taking a seat and offering Aemon to do the same, while he prepared everything for the talk
“My daughter mentioned what happened in the Hebrides Islands, an artificial volcano, the guardian and the runestone, I must ask, have you researched that magic?” Lorenzo asked with obvious curiosity
Aemon nodded calmly, before answering
"Superficially, I've had other matters that required my attention, but it's family magic, Targaryen one" Aemon said with finality, making Lorenzo nod slowly, understanding the message and leaving the subject for the moment
"Then let's get to the point," he said, waving his wand and causing the wall behind the desk to start moving
The young dragon watched with surprise as an elegant and luxurious painting was present, in it, a beautiful and elegant woman, dressed in a traditional Roman dress, with curly hair and jet black like Rossana, although with a darker skin color, quite common in nobles living in the Mediterranean
Lorenzo stood up and bowed
"Venerable Lady Auriana Vallens, I ask for your wisdom," recited Lorenzo, as he channeled his magic with his wand, waking up to the picture of his great-grandmother's great-grandmother, showing olive eyes, her bearing was elegant and powerful, and she looked at Lorenzo with curiosity
"My descendant, your call has been heard, what do you need?" asked the woman without hesitation, focusing all her attention on Lorenzo
Lord Vallens looked at the woman and spoke
"The time has come, a new Dragon Lord has risen and a Lady Vallens has been promised to bring the next generation of riders," Lorenzo said, only to be interrupted by Aemon
"I request the instructions to find the Mausoleum," said the young dragon, and those words caught the full attention of the painting, who was looking at the young Lord for the first time
"Oh Merlin, you look so much like him," whispered the old Lady evidently lost in thought, looking at Aemon, who frowned at those words
"I don't know if possessing a resemblance to Daemon Targaryen is a compliment or an insult my Lady" he confessed with amusement, it was evident that the young Lord, unlike Lorenzo, knew very well the identity and exploits of the Liberator
Like his venerable ancestor
"A compliment of course, but slightly insulting, your kinship with him is evident, same eyes and hair, although your complexion is stocky, similar to that of the Wolf Lords, but there is no doubt about the relationship you have," said Auriana, crossing her legs, analyzing each part of Aemon with evident interest
"I wish you to give Aemon what he needed for the expedition," Lorenzo said simply, causing the portrait to nod calmly
"I understand, however, the entrance to Daemon Targaryen's secrets will not be possible, at least not for now," said the former Lady, now focusing her attention on Aemon
Lorenzo raised both eyebrows in surprise, at the same time that Aemon frowned
“Are there any drawbacks?” he asks, obviously curious and politely
Auriana shook her head and spoke
"No, or at least, nothing you can solve, although the island is accessible at any time of the year, the blood mausoleum only appears on a particular day, just when the barrier between life and death is at its weakest," said Auriana, making both Lorenzo and Aemon quickly deduce what date it was
"Samhain," they both said instantly, causing Auriana to nod calmly
"Daemon confided his name to me, but nothing about his family or lineage, the only thing he mentioned is that, when the time came, I should inform the "brat" about the mausoleum, that you would know how to get to it," said the portrait, evidently, the subject of the rogue prince was difficult for her
"He was married," Aemon confessed, causing Auriana to look at him curiously, noticing this, the young dragon continued
"According to the story he was a fierce warrior and an able commander, but he was not perfect," said the young Aemon, making Auriana nod elegantly
"Disappointing, but not unexpected, although that did not take away the immediate attraction I felt for him, for his power, in a world surrounded by pampered and useless heirs, his presence was intoxicating, I was twenty-two years old, while he was fifty-five, and, even so, I gave myself to him with joy and he made me his as many times as he wished. I accepted them all willingly, they were the best years of my life, he gifts me powerful offspring, proud Vallens sons and daughters" the portrait confessed, making Lorenzo uncomfortable and making Aemon smile with amusement
"I have time to chat for a while, if you are interested, if you want to know more about the rogue prince," Aemon promised, making Lorenzo look at him with obvious interest and Auriana with curiosity and gratitude on her face
"I would be really grateful for such a gesture, young wizard” Auriana said with a smile
Aemon nodded calmly, preparing for an interesting history class
Lorenzo knew they would both be late for dinner tonight, but in his opinion, it was totally worth it
And he was not wrong
Lucrecia Malfoy, New Rome
"And these are my witches, they will be a gift for Aemon, I'm sure he will appreciate four virgin pussies to release stress," commented the heiress of the city with amusement, caressing the young witch with a single finger on her neck, making her shudder
"Our Lord drowns in women Rossana, four more will not make a considerable difference," said Lucrecia, as she drank from an elegant glass of wine and prepared for dinner
All were dressed in black dresses with red dragons embroidered, as well as white capes over their shoulders, all would perform tonight representing the Stark and Targaryen houses
Fleur and Bhavani rolled their eyes in amusement and resignation, apparently Rossana and Lucrecia would never change
Both were too competitive to do so
“What do you think they are talking about?” asked the young heiress, as she moved from one side to the other, concern more than evident on her face, her mind lost in silly and chaotic ideas, each one more absurd than the last
“What if the engagement was cancelled? What if they decide that I wasn't worthy of Aemon?”
However, her concern was interrupted by the arrival of the young dragon himself, who entered the room, causing all the maidens present to bow to Aemon
"Stand," he said in a deep voice, evidently pleased by something, as he entered the room where all his women were available
"Everything in order?" Rossana asked with concern
Aemon smiled softly and said
“Everything in order, I had an interesting talk with your father and one of your ancestors, Lady Auriana was... quite vocal in his opinion of Daemon Targaryen” he confessed with amusement, while taking a seat on a comfortable sofa in the suite that the Vallens had assigned for them
Even in silence, her fiancé's presence was so imposing that all the witches present were in complete silence
And before Lucrecia could react, Rossana had beaten her to it
"Girls, present yourselves to your new Lord, now," ordered the young Vallens, and the three servants left everything they were doing to obey
The three witches, beautiful, but not especially magically powerful, walked over to their future husband and knelt, showing total allegiance, to a shocked Aemon
“I am Julia, my Lord”
“And I, Claudia”
“And I, Cornelia”
"And we exist to serve the dragon prince," said the three of them at the same time, lowering their heads and waiting for an answer from Aemon
"They're not very bright, but they're good girls, and..." However, to Lucrecia's obvious pleasure, Aemon raised his hand, silencing Rossana on the spot
And as was customary since the second trial, the young Vallens submitted instantly, as docile as a puppy, something that evidently surprised the maids themselves
"Nice to meet you three, tell me about yourselves," Aemon said calmly
And apparently, the kindness shown surprised and stunned them, since they did not respond instantly
"Your new Lord asked you a question, answer him" Rossana said sternly, only to be silenced by Aemon again, this time, with a single glance
The first, Julia, looked up tentatively and began to speak
"I... I enjoy reading My Lord, arithmancy has always fascinated me," she said cautiously, hoping not to be reprimanded
Aemon nodded, focusing his gaze now on Claudia, who blushed completely before answering
“I enjoy clothes in general my Lord, design them and, if I have time and resources, sew my own dresses”
"I enjoy gardening, tending to magical and mundane plants alike," Cornelia finished
Aemon simply nodded and looking at Rossana, ordered
"As soon as we return to Wolf's Den you will make sure that the three of them are assigned to their respective activities in the castle," said the young dragon, making it quite clear that it was not a question, but an order
Such words shocked the young witches, who looked at their Aemon with surprise on their young faces
The same face that Hestia and Flora, as well as the Patil twins, put on when they discovered that they would not only be holes to fuck to the young dragon, but functional witches in the powerful Targaryen house
"Now leave, I must talk to my Ladies alone," Aemon ordered delicately, causing the three of them to stand up, bow to Aemon and leave the room in sync
Leaving the young dragon alone with his women
"The third test will be in Samhain, the Blood Mausoleum is hidden by Draconic magic and the barrier to cross is weakened enough during the convergence, we will have exactly one night to enter and beat the test, if we don't, we will be trapped till the next convergence" Aemon said with determination
At those words, Lucrecia straightened her back, staring at her man, an act that the rest of the witches imitated, including Rossana
"I understand my love, what do you want us to do?" Fleur asked looking at Aemon with determination
The young dragon looked at her with a smile and said
“We will plan an expedition, we do not know what we are facing and we do not know the nature of the test, we must be prepared for any eventuality”
“What will we do with the tournament?” Maria asked, referring to the desperate circus that Fudge had organized to save his career
"What about it? The trial will be on the last day of October, the same day the tournament starts, there will be no problem," said the young dragon with determination, making all the witches present nod calmly
Seeing that they were all in agreement, the young Lord looked at Fleur and asked
“Do you have news about your mother? Is the Island Council prepared with the orders I gave?”
The beautiful French witch nodded elegantly and spoke
"Oui my dear, your orders were received and the island has begun to make the modifications you requested, although all the Veela have questions, they are all looking forward to your visit, the preparations for the massive orgy of celebration are practically ready," said the young Veela with emotion, making Aemon sigh and massage his face, while the rest of the witches laughed softly
"I mean the preparation for the ritual my love," Aemon said with a smile, making Fleur blush
"Oh, Oui everything is ready, although they don't know the nature of the ritual, the resources of the island are at your disposal" he said with certainty
"Perfect," Aemon said cryptically, and Lucrecia couldn't help but ask
"You haven't told us your plans with Topaz Island yet, my love," there was no reproach in his voice, only curiosity
Aemon smiled softly and spoke
"Topaz Island is part of my paternal family's legacy, while Wolf's Den is part of my maternal family's one, both are important and both are valuable," said the young dragon standing up and walking around the place
"The growth of our coalition has brought trouble with the ministry, the Wizengamot is becoming more and more annoying to us, the latest discussion, driven by Dumbledore and his faction, will allow the wizards and witches of the department of mystery to raid Stark Lands, citing the safety of the Wizarding World, something we evidently will not allow," said the young dragon firmly, Looking at all their witches
"All Stark lands, Wolf's Den, forests and settlements, everything that is magically linked to the Stark bloodline will leave England, we will use one of the branches of Yggdrasil, to combine Topaz Island, brimming with Targaryen magic, with the forests of Wolf's Den, brimming with Stark magic and I will establish the island as the Power Seat of our coalition, a capital of sort, A completely sovereign magical nation" Aemon confessed with determination, to the overwhelmed but excited witches
"That... Is that possible?" Bhavani asked, overwhelmed at the thought of all the magical theory that such a magical act required
The young dragon nodded and spoke
"It is, it will require millimetric preparation and whole months of planning, but we will make it possible, and we will do it when the attention of the Wizengamot and the ministry is on other matters," said the Aemon astutely
"You will use the final of the tournament, when the scanners detect any problem, all Stark lands and assets will be outside the jurisdiction of Dumbledore and Fudge, brilliant dear, simply brilliant" confessed Rossana, evidently excited and curious about this ritual
"Let's not waste time on that for now, let's enjoy the banquet, we can discuss this on Topaz Island," ordered the young dragon
They all nodded, the topic was not finished, but everyone could enjoy the hospitality of Nova Roma tonight, they would have enough time to discuss magical theory on the island
And while this conversation was happening in the skies of Italy, the pieces in England were still moving, the Quidditch World Cup would soon have unpleasant visitors, the director of the most secretive department of the ministry would begin the scouting of the perimeter of Stark lands and an obese minister would begin to believe the idea that Jon Stark was against him, seeded by weak but rich wizards who are deadly afraid of the Young Wolf
Things would be much more complicated from now on