The Narrow Sea, Dragonstone
At the entrance of a cave somewhere beneath Dragonstone, two figures were slowly walking inside. Under the flickering light of torches, the path ahead was a shifting landscape of light and shadow.
The passage wound through the entire cavern like a giant serpent, giving off a sense of mystery and solemnity.
Black dragonglass shimmered with a dark luster under the torchlight; its color was such a deep black that it seemed capable of swallowing all light.
As Jon and Daenerys Targaryen ventured deeper, the dragonglass veins appeared even more eerie and mysterious under the fire's glow.
They came in various shapes—some like massive pythons, some like winding rivers, and others like intricate mazes. They were like black veins pulsing through the entire passage, extending into the depths of the cave.
As Jon and Daenerys went further, a spacious chamber appeared before them. Reflected by the flames, the entire space radiated a strange light.
The ore here was completely different from the surrounding rock, making the entire cavern look even more peculiar and fascinating. The flickering reflections of the dragonglass did not make them uncomfortable; on the contrary, Jon and Daenerys felt a throb within their bloodlines.
A cold aura permeated the cave, and the air was thick with moisture and the smell of mold. The temperature was very low, making one feel as if they were in a frozen world.
However, due to Jon and Daenerys's unique bloodlines, that cold aura actually gave them the sensation of being in a forest after a rain.
In such an environment, the glow of the dragonglass created a mysterious and strange halo, as if they were creatures from another world.
Under that faint torchlight, Jon finally found the murals left by the Children of the Forest amidst the patches of shadow.
These relics of ancient times, illuminated by the surrounding pillars of dragonglass, formed a series of beautiful images.
The murals looked like the uncanny workmanship of nature itself, leaving one in awe. After signaling Daenerys to come over, Jon said to her:
"This is what I was talking about—the White Walkers and the wights. Like the Children of the Forest, they were real. The reason our ancestor Aegon I wanted to conquer Westeros was to integrate the power of the entire continent to declare war on these enemies of humanity."
Jon's words sent Daenerys into deep thought. After seeing the scenes on the murals, she felt as if she had dreamed her way back to those ancient wars.
"It is just a pity that men are greedy. For the sake of their power and so-called family honor, they never truly cared about the fate of the entire continent. It was precisely because of their greed that our family fell into decline."
"If Father had known all this, perhaps he wouldn't have been so…"
Thinking of her father's madness, Daenerys spoke these words with a hint of sorrow.
"No! Grandfather didn't go mad on purpose; he was driven mad by a certain individual's prophecy!"
"Hmm!?"
Upon hearing Jon's words, Daenerys's eyes instantly widened.
"I don't know if you remember the scene when we first met. That was the first time I used the power of the Old Gods. An existence that foresaw the coming disaster had been telling him about the potential threats."
Under Jon's description, Daenerys seemed to recall some situations she had encountered before.
"Are you saying… Father was driven mad by fear?!"
Daenerys's voice was full of disbelief, as if she found this fact hard to accept.
"The power of wildfire is great and would be very useful for destroying those White Walkers and wights. It's just a pity that Grandfather used it in the wrong places."
Seeing that Daenerys was convinced, Jon struck while the iron was hot:
"I have already secured the Wall and stockpiled a large amount of supplies there. Now it's up to you. As I said before, I will continue to gather strength to oppose the demons existing in the south."
"Can I do it?"
Hearing Jon's arrangements, Daenerys asked with a lack of confidence.
"I have already informed the garrison at Castle Black of many things and dispatched a large number of mercenary knights to support them. What you need to do now is rely on these forces to defend the Wall."
As Jon spoke, his hand unconsciously rested on Daenerys's shoulder.
"In ancient times, humanity defeated them once. I believe we can do the same. Moreover, we have dragons and this countless dragonglass. With these advantages, those terrifying monsters are no match for us."
"Alright, I can do it. I will do my best!"
Feeling Jon's proximity and encouragement, Daenerys's fair face flushed slightly.
Afterward, Jon and Daenerys went through all the murals in the cave together. When they saw a certain javelin champion, Jon specifically told Daenerys about the threat this individual posed.
In Jon's plan, Drogon and the other two could only be used as reserve forces. In times of necessity, they would carry Daenerys away to escape.
Without Jon's interference, the situation beyond the Wall had changed completely. Although some wildlings had been moved into the North, most of the stubborn ones remained outside.
Therefore, the Night King likely already possessed an army of nearly 100,000 wights. Thus, the pressure on Daenerys's side was quite immense.
Especially that legendary Horn of Winter—who knew if that cursed thing really had such magical power? If the Wall truly collapsed, Jon was already prepared to use Moat Cailin to defend against the wight army.
After leaving the cave, Daenerys could not calm down for a long time. The events of today had shocked her so much that she began to doubt her former values and worldview.
"Your Majesty! Are you alright?"
Seeing Daenerys's expression, Missandei gave Jon a strange look, as if blaming him.
Jon, however, wore an "I didn't do anything" expression. Although Missandei didn't know Jon well, she knew Daenerys very well.
If Daenerys had suffered any grievance, she would have resisted immediately, rather than looking so preoccupied as she did now.
While heading toward Dragonstone Castle, Daenerys's complexion improved significantly. As they walked up the stairs, Jon suddenly spoke:
"I once heard a rumor that there are many dragon eggs on Dragonstone. I wonder if you've heard of this?"
"Phew…"
After steadying her breathing, Daenerys spoke.
"I have also heard such a legend, but my brother Viserys told me it was all fake, meant only to demonstrate the sanctity of Dragonstone."
"Not necessarily!"
Upon hearing Daenerys's explanation, Jon directly made this statement.
"This castle has a history of several hundred years. It is something that has existed since our ancestors escaped from Valyria. I don't believe that legend could appear out of nowhere; it's likely just that we haven't searched carefully enough!"
Hearing Jon's conjecture, Daenerys's eyes went wide. She was also very curious about this secret of their ancestors.
"Then what are your plans?"
Guessing at Jon's possible intentions, Daenerys asked with some excitement.
To be honest, if a secret that her ancestors hadn't discovered was found by her, the sense of accomplishment would be very high. Furthermore, Daenerys always had a question in her heart: what method did the ancestors use to control dragons? It couldn't really be the binding spells recorded in the historical annals, could it?
"Where there are people, there are animals. And there is one kind of animal that loves living in dark, damp castles most of all."
"Is it rats?"
Hearing Jon's hint, Daenerys instinctively shuddered; she had been very afraid of rats since she was a child.
During her precarious life as a child, Daenerys had suffered greatly, and her living conditions were very poor. Sometimes those bold rats even dared to crawl onto her bed, so Daenerys was terrified of them.
"You… you're afraid of rats!?"
Seeing Jon's surprised gaze, Daenerys's face turned red, and she quickly made up a few excuses to brush it off.
Soon, after entering Dragonstone Castle, Jon took control of the rats within the castle and began sending them out in all directions.
Wherever there was a crack or crevice, Jon had the rats search. However, Dragonstone Castle was truly massive. It took nearly half an hour before Jon managed to find a few spots.
Yes, indeed, several spots. These places were even more hidden than the secret chambers in the Red Keep. If one didn't look closely, they would have no idea what lay behind many of the walls.
Here, after signaling Daenerys to follow him, Jon and she entered a secret passage that was barely wide enough for two people to walk side-by-side.
"This should be a treasure room. I believe you will like it here!"
Under Jon's lead, Daenerys soon entered the secret chamber. Here, various gold coins and jewels were piled up. Taking even a portion of this and putting it on the market would make many people willing to spend money to buy these things.
While the soldiers on their side were busy moving the gold and silver treasures, Jon picked up a book from a bookshelf.
"This is the private treasure warehouse of our ancestor, the Conqueror. I didn't expect that after so many years, there would still be so many gold coins left here."
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
If you like the story please give it some power stones and reviews. And if you want to read 40+ advance chapters or just want to support me please join my patreon at [email protected]/Translatingfanfics²