Chapter 43 - Shocked Daenerys
While she was still thinking, I pointed towards Leaf.
"Dany. Do you know who she is?"
She looked over, "She is Leaf."
"That's her name. But do you know who she is?"
Daenerys frowned and looked at me with a questioning look.
I continued, "Have you heard about Children of Forest?"
She thought about it and after a moment, she answered slowly.
"I've heard stories... from Ser Willem Darry. Stories about the Children of the Forest."
I nodded.
"Those stories were true. Leaf is one of them."
Daenerys looked at Leaf again before shaking her head.
"But... she doesn't look like one."
I turned to Leaf.
"Would you mind?"
Leaf gave me a flat look.
"Really? You want me to do this just to satisfy her curiosity?"
I laughed.
"Think of it as showing something to a younger sister. Help her open her eyes."
Leaf sighed.
"You always make it difficult to refuse."
The next moment, her appearance changed. Her human form disappeared, revealing her original form.
Daenerys gasped. Her eyes went wide, and she stared at Leaf without blinking.
Emma was surprised as well.
It was the also the first time she had seen Leaf's original appearance. But unlike Daenerys, she recovered quickly.
Her years of training in the House of Black and White had taught her that the world held many strange things beyond ordinary understanding.
Daenerys, however, remained completely speechless. For the first time in her life, one of the old stories she had grown up hearing was standing right in front of her.
I looked at her and concluded, "Magic is real Dany and it is coming back. But keep this a secret between us. Do not tell Viserys."
She nodded and promised that this will be a secret.
We finished our dinner quickly. Wanting to ensure everyone's absolute comfort before the biting chill of the night truly set in, I stepped back outside into the cool evening air. The night was quiet, save for the rustling of ancient leaves under the starlight. I retrieved a bundle of thick quilts and heavy sheets from the supplies I had in HOT, carrying them back into the dimly lit room so that everyone could finally settle down and cover themselves.
Nearby, Viserys was still knocked out cold. I suspected he would not wake until the following morning at the very earliest. Despite his deep, dead-to-the-world slumber, I took extra care with him. I carefully lifted his limp frame onto a thick blanket of plush furs and draped a heavy quilt over his shoulders. My primary concern was ensuring he wouldn't catch a cold during the night, a dangerous fate that seemed entirely too possible given his naturally weak, malnourished frame.
However, looking down at him objectively, I had to admit he looked significantly better than when we first found him. Over the last two months, since he and his sister had begun traveling under our protection, he had finally been fed properly. A bit of hard muscle and a healthy, subtle layer of flesh had slowly returned to his once-skeletal body. He no longer looked like a walking corpse on the verge of collapse, though the lingering shadows of his long, gruelling days of wandering the Essosi streets as a beggar king still hung heavily upon him.
Seeing her brother finally settled, Daenerys quietly took one of the quilts I offered. She wrapped it tightly around her small shoulders and took up a place right beside Viserys. Her violet eyes were wide, weary, and anxious. She was clearly still not entirely at ease in this strange, dilapidated keep, her young heart utterly consumed with worry for her brother's fragile well-being.
Recognizing that she needed proximity and reassurance, we decided against seeking out private quarters. We all took our places on the stone floor of the great hall. It was the central hub of the entire structure, serving seamlessly as both our dining area and our makeshift barracks for the evening.
Securing a ruined, open keep at night in an untamed wilderness was no small task, so I took extra precautions for our collective safety. With Leaf's unique, mystical assistance, we called upon a few friends from the surrounding wilderness. They were a formidable pack of wild wolves that resided in this deep, untouched section of the ancient forest.
Leaf spoke to them in her guttural, melodic language, the old tongue of the earth and the majestic beasts began to wander and patrol the dark perimeter of the holding. I knew they would ensure that no unwelcome human guests approached us unannounced.
Furthermore, I was sure that there were no other major apex predators, like ferocious shadowcats or giant bears, lingering in the nearby areas. For the night, at least, we were entirely secure. Even if a stray beast chanced upon our camp, the combined presence of Leaf and myself meant we would face no real trouble.
As we finally lay down to take our rest, the atmosphere shifted into something far more intimate. The girls quietly moved in, snuggling tightly beside me. This close-knit arrangement included Emma, who had recently become a permanent fixture in our nocturnal activities.
Just a few days back, she had been enthusiastic to join our bed, driven by Val's wilful desire. Val's stated reason at the time had been rather amusing. She claimed that she and Leaf simply could not handle my physical endurance alone anymore and they desperately needed another partner to share the burden.
At first, I hadn't quite believed her excuse, thinking it a playful jest, but Leaf had solemnly nodded her agreement, confirming that indeed, it had become far too much for them to manage.
I hadn't known exactly what to say to that, but deep down, the reality of my condition was becoming undeniable. It seemed that my mystical bonds were altering my very biology. First, it was the robust, enduring power of the First Men flowing through me. Then, paired with the ancient, magical blood of the Children of the Forest, any supernatural power residing within my companions was actively bleeding into me.
Sleeping with them had fundamentally strengthened my physical body, enhancing my stamina to superhuman levels. The magic of this world had reinforced my constitution, making me an absolute force in the bed. Well, what man in his right mind would ever complain about such a gift? I was more than happy with this turn of events.
Furthermore, after being with Emma allowed me to gain unique abilities from her. Because of our intimacy, I had successfully acquired a few covert powers originating from the House of Black and White. These newly awakened traits included an innate mastery over stealth allowing me to sneak up on targets undetected and a deadly precision for executing lethal sneak attacks, which were the core focus of the Faceless Men assassins. I had not yet unlocked the advanced magic of face-changing, which remained one of their most guarded, mystical skills, but I felt a strong intuition that with time and deeper mastery, that power would soon be mine as well.
Tonight, however, was strictly for resting. Because young Daenerys was sleeping just a few yards away in the same open hall, we kept things entirely innocent. The girls simply pressed their bodies tightly against mine, using my elevated body heat to keep the midnight chill at bay. Wrapped in each other's warmth, the tension in the room completely melted away, and soon, everyone was fast asleep.
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End of Chapter 43 - Shocked Daenerys