Dragonstone stood alone in the sea like a dark and ancient beast.
Towering cliffs surrounded the island, jagged and unforgiving, while violent waves crashed endlessly against the black stone below. Above the island, Lightbringer hung in the sky like a massive scar carved across the purplish-red heavens.
At the center of Dragonstone rose Dragonmont, the smoking volcano that gave the island its ominous appearance. Pale gray steam drifted constantly from its geothermal vents, covering the castle beneath it in a haze of smoke and sulfur.
After leaving Storm's End, Gendry and the others finally arrived at Dragonstone aboard a fleet of warships.
Stannis Baratheon's flagship, Fury, was an enormous three-deck warship powered by three hundred oars. Yet even it appeared modest compared to Gendry's flagship, Rage, which possessed four hundred oars and dominated the sea like a floating fortress.
The matters of the Stormlands had finally been settled.
Renly Baratheon had been stripped of his honors for treason and sent to the Wall.
Lady Catelyn Stark had completed her mission and already departed for Riverrun.
Loras Tyrell, the Knight of Flowers, returned to Highgarden carrying both severe injuries and a broken spirit.
As soon as the ships docked, fierce winds swept across Dragonstone's harbor.
"Whoosh! Whoosh!"
The harsh sea breeze tossed everyone's hair wildly. The closer one moved toward the cliffs and open coastline, the stronger the wind became.
Gendry inhaled deeply and immediately noticed the island's distinct smell.
Salt.
Smoke.
Sulfur.
Dragonstone's air carried the scent of both the sea and fire itself.
"Dragonstone…" Gendry murmured quietly. "I've returned."
Beside him, Daenerys tightly held his hand while looking around with excitement shining in her violet eyes.
The closer she came to Dragonstone, the more emotional she became.
This was her birthplace.
The home she had never truly known.
Daenerys had been born on Dragonstone during the final days of the Targaryen dynasty. Soon afterward, as the island was about to fall, Ser Willem Darry had fled across the Narrow Sea with Viserys and the infant Daenerys.
Now, after all these years, she had finally returned.
Daenerys wore the white fur of the great lion Hrakkar around her shoulders, shielding herself from the cold ocean wind.
Her gaze moved constantly from tower to tower, taking in every detail of the island.
Dragonstone held immeasurable significance for House Targaryen.
This was where Aegon the Conqueror had once ruled before conquering Westeros.
This was the ancestral seat of dragons.
Daenerys gently stroked the head of the green dragon hatchling in her arms.
"You've returned home too, Vhagar," she whispered softly.
The dragons seemed especially excited after arriving at Dragonstone.
They were highly sensitive to fire, heat, and sulfur, and the volcanic island stimulated their instincts.
The black dragon Balerion and the white dragon struggled wildly inside their wicker baskets, scratching and clawing restlessly.
Gendry quickly calmed them.
"Easy now," he said while rubbing their small heads.
"You'll get to fly soon enough."
The little dragons growled unwillingly but gradually quieted down.
The group first entered Dragonstone's busy harbor.
Compared to the massive number of armed merchant ships and cargo vessels anchored nearby, even the great flagships seemed small.
For quite some time, Stannis had detained every vessel sailing within sight of Dragonstone.
Gendry glanced toward the crowded harbor.
"What do you intend to do with all these ships, Uncle Stannis?"
Stannis stood with his hands behind his back while staring toward the sea.
"They'll be released eventually," he answered calmly.
"At the proper time."
Originally, Stannis had intended to use those ships in an assault on King's Landing.
But now the situation had changed.
The wildfire hidden within King's Landing had turned any large-scale naval assault into suicide.
Furthermore, detaining so many ships for too long risked offending the Free Cities and numerous Westerosi lords.
Together, Gendry, Daenerys, Stannis, Ser Barristan, Melisandre, and the others walked through Dragonstone's military encampment toward the castle itself.
However, the number of soldiers stationed there was surprisingly small.
Barely two or three thousand men remained.
After a long silence, Stannis finally spoke.
"I never wanted Dragonstone."
His voice carried a trace of bitterness.
"Even after all these years… I still haven't grown used to this place."
Behind him, Davos Seaworth quietly followed along. The Onion Knight understood Stannis better than almost anyone.
During Robert's Rebellion, Dragonstone had been held by loyalists to the Targaryens. Robert ordered Stannis to build a fleet and capture the island.
Stannis obeyed.
He built the royal fleet from nothing.
He defeated the enemy.
He secured victory for his brother.
And afterward, Robert granted him Dragonstone.
Meanwhile, Storm's End—the ancestral seat of House Baratheon—was given to Renly instead.
Stannis had never forgotten that humiliation.
Dragonstone itself was not a desirable holding.
The island was barren, damp, rocky, and isolated.
Storms constantly battered its shores, while Dragonmont loomed ominously behind the castle like a sleeping monster.
Few noble houses swore allegiance to Dragonstone, and those that did ruled poor, rocky islands.
"It's little more than a lonely fortress in the sea," Stannis muttered.
Gendry looked at him thoughtfully before speaking.
"But things are changing."
"The encirclement of King's Landing is beginning."
"Harrenhal will become a major military stronghold in the future."
"You may command from there one day."
Stannis said nothing, though his expression softened slightly.
Dragonstone's importance would undoubtedly increase now that Daenerys and her dragons had returned.
A dragonlord belonged on Dragonstone.
At last, the group arrived before the Castle of Dragonstone itself.
Gendry stopped briefly to admire the ancient fortress.
The castle looked unlike anything else in Westeros.
Dragonstone had been built using ancient Valyrian stonecraft, techniques largely lost after the Doom of Valyria.
Black stone towers twisted upward like dragons frozen in motion.
Everywhere one looked, dragon imagery dominated the architecture.
The walls were lined with gargoyles and monstrous statues.
Wyverns.
Griffins.
Manticores.
Demons.
Hellhounds.
Cockatrices.
Stone lizards.
Hundreds upon hundreds of strange creatures stared down from the walls.
"So many dragons…" Gendry thought quietly.
Dragonstone truly felt like the home of dragonlords.
As they entered the courtyard, a sharp female voice greeted them.
"My lord husband… Lady Melisandre… you've returned."
Lady Selyse Baratheon approached with several attendants.
"Has Renly finally sworn fealty?"
Then she noticed Gendry and Daenerys standing beside Stannis.
Her eyes narrowed suspiciously.
"And who are these two?"
Selyse Florent was tall and thin, nearly matching Stannis in height. Her face was sharp and severe, with large ears and a pointed nose. Fine dark hair covered her upper lip despite her constant attempts to remove it.
Her expression always seemed bitter.
Beside her stood Ser Axell Florent, Dragonstone's temporary castellan and Selyse's uncle.
Their daughter, Shireen Baratheon, quietly stood nearby.
Daenerys could not help feeling slightly awkward after seeing Selyse.
Now she finally understood why Stannis always looked miserable.
Even political marriages usually relied somewhat on attraction.
This marriage clearly possessed none.
Stannis sighed heavily before introducing everyone.
"Things have changed."
He gestured toward Gendry.
"This is Gendry Baratheon, the lawful heir of King Robert Baratheon."
"King of the Andals, the Rhoynar, and the First Men."
"And this is his fiancée, Princess Daenerys Targaryen."
Selyse's expression changed instantly.
Above them, Lightbringer continued glowing red in the heavens.
"The sacred flame burns brightly," Selyse said fanatically.
"The Lord of Light has chosen his champion."
Her gaze turned toward Stannis.
"How can you kneel before another?"
Clearly, Melisandre's teachings had completely consumed Selyse.
She had abandoned the Faith of the Seven entirely in favor of worshipping R'hllor, the Lord of Light.
Melisandre stepped forward gracefully.
"The true lord's will has already been revealed," she whispered softly into Selyse's ear.
Selyse immediately lowered her head toward Gendry.
"The flames sometimes flicker with uncertainty," she admitted devoutly.
"But perhaps you are the Lord of Light's chosen banner upon this earth."
Gendry honestly did not know how to respond.
Selyse's fanaticism made him deeply uncomfortable.
Thankfully, Stannis quickly changed the subject.
"This is my daughter, Shireen."
His voice carried both affection and sorrow.
Shireen Baratheon was a gentle and timid child.
Unfortunately, fate had treated her cruelly.
Not only had she inherited Stannis's rigid features and House Florent's large ears, but she had also suffered greyscale as an infant.
Though the disease had not killed her, it left permanent scars across one side of her face and neck.
The affected skin looked stiff, cracked, and gray-black like stone.
Still, Shireen quietly curtsied politely.
"Hello," she said shyly.
Gendry smiled warmly.
"Hello, Shireen."
Daenerys also greeted her kindly.
The little girl immediately seemed slightly less nervous.
Soon afterward, the group entered Dragonstone's great hall.
"There are dragons everywhere here," Stannis explained while leading them forward.
"I imagine you'll like it."
Davos eagerly added further explanation.
"Everything in Dragonstone was shaped after dragons."
"The great hall itself resembles a dragon lying upon the earth."
"The kitchens are built like coiled dragons, with smoke pouring from their nostrils."
"The towers appear ready to spread their wings and fly."
"The Sea Dragon Tower watches the ocean, while the Shrieking Tower rises toward the heavens."
"Even the walls, bridges, and staircases resemble dragon tails and claws."
Daenerys listened attentively to every word.
The more she learned about Dragonstone, the happier she became.
This place truly felt like home.
Meanwhile, Gendry quietly looked around.
One particular person was noticeably absent.
Patchface.
Melisandre suddenly approached him from behind.
"He's not here," she whispered softly.
Gendry glanced at her.
"You know who I'm looking for?"
Melisandre smiled faintly.
"And studying him would bring you little benefit."
"What exactly is he?" Gendry asked.
Her crimson eyes reflected the flickering torchlight.
"He is touched by something dark."
"Not a true god… merely a fragment of an evil will."
Melisandre's voice remained calm, but serious.
"I have seen him many times within the sacred flames."
"Sometimes his head is surrounded by skulls."
"Sometimes blood covers his lips."
A faint fragrance surrounded her body along with unnatural warmth, as though heat radiated directly from her skin.
Gendry could not tell whether the scent came from perfume or magic itself.
After a moment, he slowly nodded.
In short—
Patchface was dangerous.
Advance Chapters avilable on patreon (Obito_uchiha)