For this magical land, it seemed that besides Meraxes, the other dragons weren't very fond of the North. The occasional surge of energy here often sent shivers down their spines. Daenerys could clearly sense their aversion to this place.
Daenerys feared Dreamfyre might lose control and throw Vada off due to unfamiliarity with the environment, so she transferred to her back and personally controlled her.
The North was indeed vast and sparsely populated; they often had to fly for a long time before seeing a village of any significant size.
However, in the vast lands south of Winterfell, although the vegetation wasn't particularly dense, it retained the purest, most primitive, and most mysterious beauty of nature. The hillsides were covered with gently rolling wild grasses and moss, and low, sparse vegetation grew desolate yet tenaciously.
Looking down from high above, the area around Winterfell, from southwest to northeast, was covered by a vast forest stretching for hundreds of kilometers—the Wolfswood.
Seeing the vast and relatively fertile land before her, Daenerys's farming genes began to awaken uncontrollably.
In fact, as long as the seeds were cultivated well, high-yield crops such as barley, oats, beets, and soybeans could still be grown on this land. Unfortunately, Daenerys had not yet discovered high-yield crops like potatoes and sweet potatoes in this world.
By noon, Winterfell was finally in sight. Winterfell was the ancestral castle and center of power for the Stark Family, considered the capital of the North, located in the heart of the northern region of the Seven Kingdoms, with the King's Road connecting it to King's Landing and The Wall.
Looking at the majestic Winterfell in the distance, Vada couldn't help but complain to Daenerys,
"Your Highness, they say the North is poor, but I think Winterfell is one of the most magnificent castles in the Seven Kingdoms."
"Of course! Winterfell is said to have been built by Brandon the Builder over eight thousand years ago with the help of giants. According to some documents, Oldtown's Hightower, the Stormlands' Storm's End, and The Wall were all built by this Brandon."
"It is said that magic was incorporated into the construction of these places. That's why these structures have remained as strong as new after such a long time, and they are all reputed to be impregnable fortresses."
Vada curled her lip in disdain,
"These ancient families just love to glorify themselves. As far as I know, the Bolton Family of the Red Kingdom twice invaded Winterfell and burned it to the ground."
"Haha!"
Vada's words immediately amused Daenerys,
"You're right, the older and more powerful the family, the more they like to do that."
As they spoke, the dragons had already arrived above Winterfell.
Winterfell was a complex, massive castle spanning several acres, including two thick walls and a market located at its gate—Wintertown.
Wintertown, largely abandoned during most of the summer, was a gathering place for the common people of the North during Winter, located outside The Walls of Winterfell.
The market had many wooden stalls for merchants, muddy streets, and houses built of logs and unfinished stone lined the roads. Fewer than 1/5 of the houses were inhabited in summer, but they were full of people in Winter.
The King's Road passed by the town, extending east of Winterfell. There was a small inn within Wintertown. Young men from the Mountain Clans also often came here in summer to sell furs and game meat in exchange for some necessities.
Winterfell itself was built around an ancient Godswood and a hot spring. Hot water was piped through The Walls to warm the various rooms, making Winterfell more comfortable than other castles during the harsh northern Winter.
In Winter, the Stark would also channel hot spring water to Wintertown, adding a touch of warmth to the severe cold there. Therefore, among all the great nobles, the Stark Family was relatively caring towards their subjects.
And most of their family's accumulated wealth was almost entirely spent on aiding commoners during each long Winter. For this reason alone, Daenerys held the Stark Family in high regard.
Winterfell was protected by two massive granite walls and a moat between them. The outer wall was about 80 feet high, and the inner wall was about 100 feet high. There were many guard towers on the outer wall, and over 30 loopholes on the inner wall.
The outer wall was said to have been built during the last 20 years of "Snowbeard King" Edric's reign, because although he ruled Winterfell for almost a century, his rule was not stable and was attacked from many sides. The inner wall was even older, built at least two thousand years ago.
It seemed that the Stark Family members were quite skilled with their hands, just like their glass greenhouse built above the hot springs, which was a significant structure, allowing the Stark Family to eat fresh vegetables and fruits even in the severe cold of Winter.
Within The Walls, the Stark Family's castle was composed of a large collection of courtyards and small open spaces. People practiced martial arts and trained in these training grounds. Looking from above, at least twenty or thirty people were currently sparring with swords in the training ground. Some smaller figures walked nearby, practicing target shooting.
"Brother, look! It's dragons! It's dragons!"
Ten-year-old Benard, putting down his longsword, excitedly shouted to his fourteen-year-old elder brother, Rickon.
The sentinels on The Wall had already spotted the dragons and rushed to report to Duke Ellard Stark, who was in the great hall handling territorial affairs with his younger brother.
"Your Grace, Your Grace, five dragons are flying towards our Winterfell."
"Understood! That's enough for today, quickly prepare to welcome the Dragon Princess."
Although Ellard was not old, only in his thirties, he already seemed somewhat weary. This was because he was severely wounded in his youth during a battle supporting the Night's Watch against the Beyond the Wall, which also led to him never marrying or having children.
"Aren't they just a few pieces of broken Valyrian steel armor? Is it necessary to go to such lengths and invite all the great nobles of the Seven Kingdoms?"
Clearly, the Stark Family did not have much affection for the Targaryen Royal Family.
Daenerys controlled Dreamfyre to land directly on the spacious training ground. Meraxes, on the other hand, took Little Balerion and the others towards the tall Weirwood tree in the Godswood.
It was said that the Weirwood tree was over ten thousand years old, the largest Weirwood in all of Westeros south of The Wall. Because the Stark Family were devout followers of the Old Gods, this Weirwood was also their sacred tree.
Even from a distance, Daenerys could feel the vibrant magical fluctuations within that Weirwood, so it was no wonder Meraxes took a liking to it at first glance.
"Thud~"
Dreamfyre landed steadily on the training ground, her massive body instantly occupying half of the training ground.
Daenerys took out a pot of dragonflame wine and a set of porcelain from her luggage; these were her gifts to the Stark Family. Previously, when visiting Luanhe City, Daenerys had also given these two specialties from Holy Flame Island.
"Your Highness, should the Lizard Lion meat and offal be taken down? If they're not processed quickly, they probably won't last long."
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