[Chapter Size: 2600 Words.]
Third Person POV.
Winterfell.
...
...
Daemon woke up earlier that day, leaving Daenerys in bed, and went to the godswood, where the Children of the Forest who had been brought from beyond the Wall were staying.
They remained hidden among the trees of Winterfell's godswood, deeper within the forest, interacting only with the Stark family, although their existence was no longer a secret since they had come to Winterfell.
After all, they did not hide their appearance, since the free folk already knew of their existence. There was no reason to hide them from the northerners either, but Daemon would never allow them to go South. Especially because they themselves did not want to, and he already had an idea of how the followers of the southern gods would react to their existence.
"We heard your speech last night." Daemon heard their words and sighed.
"Well, the war is almost over," Daemon said, while the Children of the Forest nodded. In fact, there was almost nothing left before the southern army could begin marching North.
"We heard about the dragon in the north..." Leaf was the one who asked.
"It is there to help in the war as well. You do not need to worry about it," Daemon said, while the Children of the Forest nodded.
"And when should we go as well?" they asked.
Obviously, they would have their part in the war. Their role was more as advisors regarding the mystical matters of the White Walkers, the Wall, and the arcane abilities of their blood. They possessed far more knowledge than the Forest Witch Daemon had met in Mance's camp.
He had developed his ability even further, and they were also helping Brandon with the greensight he could now master.
"You will have to wait a little longer. You will stay with the free folk until all the matters in the south are resolved," Daemon said.
He would leave them with the free folk because it could be dangerous, with some lunatic possibly attacking them in the name of some southern god, since the Children of the Forest would certainly be seen as demons by them. Which made no sense, but one could never underestimate religious fanatics.
Just as many wanted to kill him, he was not naive enough to think his powers would be loved, and given everything he had already done alone in Westeros, there would be many people wanting him dead. But would that make him worried? No, he simply knew the world worked that way.
"There is something I would like to ask of you," Daemon said, while bringing up the alphabet of the ancient tongue.
"Very well. Ask young Bran to bring us paper, quill, and ink, and we will draw it," she said.
Daemon nodded and left the godswood.
He walked through the castle, receiving greetings and bowed heads from everyone, until he reached the bath chamber with its hot springs and entered the place.
"Daemon!!" A shout came from one corner.
Daemon smiled at Lucis, who beamed the moment she saw him.
"They told me you were here, so I wanted to see you," Daemon said casually, while beginning to remove his clothes.
"This is the women's bath!" Lucis looked at him suspiciously.
"Has no one told you that the king can be wherever he wants?" Daemon shot back.
She merely looked at him, puffing up her cheeks.
"Shy as always, huh?" Daemon laughed, while she still remained curled up in a corner.
She only kept a slightly irritated pout, but she could not stop staring at him with a certain desire running through her body as he entered the bath naked as well.
She said nothing as he approached her. And she easily relaxed in his arms when he held her by the waist and pulled her toward him, accepting his advances. The two shared a kiss before seeking more carnal pleasures, with Daemon unconcerned that anyone might enter after he had forbidden entry.
"So, we still have the war against the White Walkers before heading South..." After about thirty minutes, Lucis leaned against his chest.
"Yeah... I still need to deal with the war in the North," Daemon said.
"How are Val and Ygritte dealing with the southern court?" she asked.
"Val hated dresses at first, but she seems to have liked them after getting used to them. And I cannot blame her. Any woman would naturally take interest in feminine things, whether from the South or not. Even you walk around in floral dresses all the time now, according to Dany..."
"Well... there are things in the South worth enjoying and appreciating, when in the North we never had such chances..." she murmured with some difficulty, seeming unwilling to yield her pride regarding the lands below the Wall.
Daemon laughed. He knew these women, who had lived their entire lives beyond the Wall under harsh conditions, would not give in so easily, at least not verbally.
"Ygritte still hates dresses, but she wears them too. Even so, they are behaving themselves. I do not think they will have much trouble being at court."
"They do not seem like women who would be satisfied just staying in a southern castle," Lucis said.
"That should apply to you as well, but here we are..." he said in an amused tone.
"Well... I have been adapting to Winterfell for more than six moons..." she replied, giving a small smile before continuing. "But I imagine they will hate the court after what I heard from Dany and Ser Barristan Selmy. I intend to hate it as well."
"In truth, there are many tiring things. At the same time, there are comfortable baths and people doing things for you. It is quite a relaxed life, if you want to know. You just have to keep the realm united and everyone in line, besides knowing how to manage the money the family earns from taxes," Daemon explained.
"That sounds rather complicated," she murmured.
Daemon shrugged. They spent some more time together, talking and teasing each other, since he would have his time with her. Afterward, they left the place.
He knew his wife was with the black dragon. So he took the opportunity, grabbed a horse, and after Arya approached him asking to take a ride through the forest, Daemon agreed. Rickon came along as well, together with Nymeria and Shaggydog.
Some Stark guards joined them as well. They had not left the castle for quite some time.
They were not the first from the castle to head into the wolves' forest. Ghost and his pack of more than twelve direwolves had left Winterfell earlier, running into the forest.
Daenerys was with the dragons and saw them from afar, waving at Daemon while standing beside the black dragon. The other dragons also cared for her presence.
Daemon waved back, and Arya quickly continued with her questions. "Is it true that you defeated the black dragon by yourself?" Arya began shouting.
"You have already asked me that four more times. You already know the answer," Daemon shrugged, just like the last two times the girl had kept asking.
"It is just hard to believe! I mean, look at that dragon! How can one man defeat it?" she asked.
The questions even made the guards look at the king with some tension. Daemon merely laughed but said nothing more. Certainly, the stories told by those who had witnessed his clash would already be enough to satisfy such curiosity.
He continued onward, entering the forest while his cousins' two direwolves advanced ahead.
Daemon had reserved that part of the morning simply to relax a little. That place reminded him somewhat of his childhood. Despite the bad memories, they had enjoyed themselves greatly riding horses from the age of seven or eight, when they could ride through the forest or when their uncle would take them hunting.
Daemon found Ghost sometime later, with the entire pack appearing before him. Some had blood on their mouths. Certain animals had not been lucky, and those wolves enjoyed hunting.
Despite the food they received at Winterfell, natural instincts still existed in all of them, and they never missed the opportunity while running through the forest every morning, as they did to stretch their legs and sharpen their hunting instincts.
Arya continued asking questions, and Daemon saw no problem in telling her some things while they talked.
It was still strange for him to deal with the Starks.
Lady Stark had become a zombie wandering through the riverlands. As far as Daemon was concerned, she would remain there until her body completely decomposed.
His uncle was obviously a lost cause. He only kept him alive because he was useful and also because of his mother.
After all, he would not be there if not for that man. Daemon had also saved him in the capital when he was about to be executed, trying to repay that debt. Even so, he would keep him alive, but he was a man condemned to the Wall.
Robb was someone Daemon initially had no contact with. Despite their status as brothers, and although they even had a bit of friendship in their early years, it was soon broken by Lady Stark's influence, and they basically became strangers in Winterfell.
Daemon was treated more like a servant of the house than a brother back then. Sansa openly despised him, and Robb ignored him, so Daemon truly had no attachment to them from the very beginning.
Although Robb ignored him, he never mistreated him the way Lady Stark and Lord Stark did. He merely treated him like air and tried not to get close to him in order to gain his mother's approval and also due to the influence of his friend Theon Greyjoy.
When they reunited after Daemon returned to Winterfell after eight years away, Robb treated him with anger, and during the war, he tried to imprison him with fifty men in the riverlands after he had captured Gregor Clegane. Robb believed Jon had caused his father's death, unaware that his father had been traveling north before being captured by people from the Vale.
Obviously, it was useless. With a single Thu'um, all of his men fell, and Robb only survived because Daemon had hoped to fight him. He had even been willing to kill him if they ever faced each other on opposite sides of a battlefield.
But that never happened.
Robb had returned to the North as a defeated man after the Red Wedding. The war he had fought against the Lannisters had only become a failed campaign.
Even so, he had not become a king in the middle of the war. And during the campaign against the South, their relationship improved, to the point where they exchanged some thoughts alone while drinking wine.
Robb would never occupy the role of brother for Daemon; he had already lost that opportunity. He was merely a relative, although Daemon hoped he would keep the North under control after taking over Winterfell.
Sansa was someone Daemon had no interest in dealing with. He had not liked the spoiled girl in King's Landing and still had not lifted a finger to do anything for her in the Vale.
If he ever went to the Vale, it would not be because of her, but to kill Littlefinger. He would only make sure she did not die, so as not to leave his mother's family too saddened.
But she would be treated like air by Daemon. She would have no place at court, and Daemon would let Robb decide what to do with her. She would never receive respect, much less love, from Daemon.
But the last three were somewhat different.
In a way, Daemon liked the children. He would never pay attention to rebuilding the broken spirit of a shattered Sansa, but he did so for Bran just as he would even for Shireen. The next time he met Shireen, he would heal her face, but for Sansa he would never do anything.
Bran was someone in whom Daemon saw value and would try to keep close to him. The boy would be valuable to his rule, and if everything went well, he would govern Riverrun and also become the Lord of the Riverlands.
Arya had a freer spirit. If she wanted to go to King's Landing, Daemon would welcome her and even allow her martial training. The young girl would first have to decide what she wanted. He thought that would be her natural path, since she would not leave anyone in peace until she got what she wanted. She had already proven she was not a lady, not a common lady, and she was fascinated by Ygritte and Val.
His younger cousin, Rickon, was a good lad. Daemon had no problem with him and would help him as a blood relative in whatever was within his reach.
Daemon hoped Shireen would become a beautiful enough girl to win little Rickon over, given their friendship. Selyse and Stannis would even try to arrange for a prince to marry her, but Shireen was far too old for any son Daemon might have now.
Daemon believed Rickon was actually the best choice in Stannis's eyes if he did not have someone closer to the girl's age to take over as heir of Highgarden and Sunspear when Daemon eventually decided who would rule those two kingdoms.
Well... he soon shook his head. He was already sick of politics.
They continued through the forest, enjoying nature while the wolves filled every corner as they walked.
After teasing each other a little, they returned.
Daemon saw that Daenerys had not left the black dragon's side the entire time, so he went to her, letting the others return to Winterfell.
"Daemon," she said with a cheerful smile. "Meet Nyx!" she pointed at the black dragon.
Daemon raised an eyebrow.
"That is the name you chose? Sounds far too much like a girl's name for a fierce dragon," Daemon commented, raising an eyebrow while Daenerys merely giggled.
"You said I should choose his name, so I decided."
Daemon merely shrugged at the somewhat silly name. Since she had chosen it, then that would be it. The dragon was hers now.
Daemon smiled at his wife. He could not deny that Daenerys was a cheerful and fun girl. She had not been consumed by the worries of war since the fighting had begun.
Daemon had done everything for her and had never failed to keep her safe. She was exactly where he wanted her to be: preserving her innocence.
Although she had seen many terrible things, she still knew how to deal with them. But there were things far more horrifying from which he had protected her: death, destruction, massacres, in every place he had passed through in Westeros.
He had never allowed her to witness any of that and never would.
She could handle noble courts flattering them, but the experiences Daemon had already grown accustomed to — seeing dead children, hundreds of people who did not even know how to wield a weapon lying lifeless on the ground — were things that changed a person.
And she had been spared from all that terror.
"Hey, we can go inside for a bit and eat something. I plan to head North this afternoon," Daemon said while she nodded.
She bid farewell to her dragon, and the two returned to Winterfell while Daenerys clung to his arm the entire way.
Barristan Selmy was waiting for them while she happily talked about her ideas for Nyx, a saddle, and what their first flight would be like. Daemon smiled and shared a few laughs, seeing Dany happy.
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