After Vada swore her fealty, the banquet's atmosphere naturally became more harmonious and lively. Everyone was pleased that the Frey Family had successfully established a connection with Daenerys.
Especially after witnessing Princess Daenerys's impressive skills, they held her in even greater esteem and came forward one after another to offer toasts. Although the Frey Family members were ordinary in appearance and didn't particularly whet Daenerys's appetite, the lively atmosphere still made her drink a few more sips.
Despite Daenerys's young age, her alcohol tolerance was good, especially since this mead had no discernible alcohol content, so the banquet was a joyous occasion for both host and guests.
As Daenerys would gradually bring the great nobles of the North to Luanhe City before departing together for King's Landing, Daenerys politely addressed Marquis Frey as the banquet neared its end,
"Marquis Frey, I will bring all the great nobles of the North here as quickly as possible. I'll have to trouble you during this time."
"It is my honor, Princess!"
Marquis Frey sincerely replied,
"If it weren't for His Majesty's order, we in Luanhe City would truly not have the opportunity to host so many great Northern nobles at once."
"Those uncouth Northerners, who claim descent from the ancient First Men, usually look down on us parvenus. Hahaha!"
"The Frey Family is also riding on His Majesty's coattails this time, finally able to let them witness the Frey Family's true foundation!"
Watching Marquis Frey, who seemed nonchalant and even capable of self-deprecating humor, Daenerys increasingly felt that the Frey Family's prosperity was not without reason.
When it comes to a family's survival and strength, all matters of face and reputation are merely for show; if they are treated as fundamentals, it could very likely lead to self-destruction.
After the banquet, the dragon had rested sufficiently. Daenerys bid farewell to the Frey Family and continued north with Vada.
Daenerys first settled Vada on Dreamfyre's back. As a dragon she had contracted with for over three years, Daenerys could now make Dreamfyre completely obey her commands. So, even without her personally riding her, Dreamfyre could allow anyone she approved of to temporarily ride on her back according to Daenerys's request.
Daenerys herself climbed onto Little Balerion's back. Because the three young dragon were still small and didn't yet have their custom saddles, Daenerys had to grasp the few barbs on his neck and sit on his warm back to ride him.
Although many dragon are covered in barbs, the area between their neck and shoulder blades is smooth and barb-free, which is the most suitable place for a saddle, so there's no need to worry about getting pricked. Moreover, a dragon's body is very warm, so there's no need to worry about getting cold even at high altitudes.
As a dragon's body grows, even in areas with dense barbs on their back, the distance between the barbs is sufficient for an adult to sit. Those barbs can also help them secure their bodies.
This was Little Balerion's first time being ridden, so he appeared very excited. After taking off, he uncharacteristically took the lead, flying at the very front. He also continuously changed various postures, showcasing his superb flying ability.
Unlike Dreamfyre, who continued to fly with her usual composure, Vagharana, Grey Shadow, and Meraxes seemed a bit jealous that Daenerys had chosen to ride Little Balerion. They all scrambled to surround Little Balerion, constantly changing their positions, as if wanting Daenerys to see that their flying skills were even more superior.
Meraxes, in particular, despite being the smallest, used her speed and size advantage to continuously harass Little Balerion from front to back. Several times, she even unexpectedly flew directly onto Little Balerion's back and stomped on him fiercely a few times.
The dragon continued to play and soon flew over The Neck. This is the dividing line between the North and South of Westeros.
Legend has it that during the Andals' war with the First Men, the First Men, unable to contend, sought the help of the Children of the Forest to cast water magic, transforming the area into a swamp, preventing the Andals from advancing further.
This was indeed the case; the lands of the North accounted for nearly half of Westeros. Before the Conqueror's War, the various kingdoms in the South were constantly at war, yet no one ever attempted to invade the Northern lands.
This was because The Neck was a natural stronghold, easy to defend and difficult to attack, and coupled with the Cailin Bay fortress north of The Neck, a few hundred men could hold back an army of tens of thousands. This also objectively allowed the various First Men kingdoms in the North to survive.
Unlike most of the cold and dry Northern regions, the climate around The Neck is very warm and humid.
In The Neck, you can find various giant flowers and lush vegetation. Dense thickets are perpetually submerged in the decaying swamp, with curtains of fungal plants hanging from their branches, making snakes, insects, rats, and ants simply countless.
A type of large Lizard Lion, somewhat resembling a cross between a crocodile and a lizard, lives here. Their scales are excellent material for leather armor, but they are difficult to hunt as they live in the swamp.
Moreover, Lizard Lion are exceptionally ferocious, with some adults growing up to over ten meters in size. With the level of weaponry in this world, apart from dragon, very few people could truly hunt them.
Above The Neck, Daenerys indeed felt a surge of vibrant magical energy. However, this magic was very mottled and chaotic. There was both the life-filled magic of plants and cold water-attribute magic, occasionally mixed with a trace of scorching fire-attribute energy. Of course, the most prevalent was the aura of decay and corruption.
Therefore, neither Daenerys nor the dragon particularly liked the smell of this place, so they quickly accelerated, preparing to leave as soon as possible.
Only Meraxes was special; she seemed to sense something and directly broke away from the main group, diving downwards into the perpetual mist above The Neck.
Soon after, a towering inferno erupted from The Neck. It was clear that the thoughtless Meraxes had ignited the swamp gas when she breathed Dragonflame.
Daenerys was not worried about Meraxes's safety; these flames could not harm her. So, she ignored her and quickly urged Little Balerion to speed towards the north of The Neck.
"Roar~"
Not long after, Meraxes's excited dragon roar came from behind. Daenerys looked back and saw that she had caught a five-to-six-meter-long Lizard Lion and was struggling to catch up to Daenerys and the others.
After all, Meraxes's current body length was less than ten meters, so dragging such a large Lizard Lion would naturally be very strenuous.
Daenerys quickly urged Little Balerion to meet Meraxes and then took the Lizard Lion she had captured. The Lizard Lion was now half-cooked by Meraxes's Dragonflame.
However, after handing over the Lizard Lion, Meraxes excitedly turned back. Clearly, she hadn't had enough fun yet. Daenerys was too lazy to bother with her and quickly ordered the dragon to accelerate.
During the time they flew over The Neck, Meraxes surprisingly caught three adult Lizard Lion, the largest of which was almost ten meters in size.
Upon reaching the north bank of The Neck, Daenerys found a dry spot by the King's Road and landed, where she and Vada began to cut the Lizard Lion's scales.
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