Chapter 48: King In The North
Olivia's face turned pale, her heart felt colder and colder as moments passed by. This, is this a joke? Her father was sitting on such a large secret?
In truth Olivia has tried to avoid this topic because it made her feel bitter with her father's way of handling it. The way his mood would suddenly emit a chilling aura whenever she brought it up, she was convinced he hated her mother. But this...
This is why she thinks the Southerners are rotten. That Targaryen father of hers is also nothing good, even after knowing there is conflict between the kingdoms because of his actions he chose to continue with the honeymoon. She tries to come to her senses but the nausea in her stomach made her start wrenching.
"Are you okay?" Bran asked her worriedly coming towards her but Olivia quickly retreated away from him. She saw hurt in his eyes, this made her a little guilty but she still sneered and turned to leave.
As soon as she came out of god's wood she jumped onto Morpheus's back and disappeared North. A while after she left, her step mother came out from behind a tree nearby. Caitlyn watched Olivia's previous position and became gloomy. Ned didn't trust her with such information, how much pain would she have been spared if he had just told her?
Olivia's thoughts are running miles per second trying to figure out the implications for her and Ned Stark's relation ship. Two things are possible. Her father was more loyal to his friend than the love he might have had for her. Two, he was scared that she would take away his friend's throne. He was ready to name Stannis king than to reveal her name even to herself.
The idea that he was protecting her from them is stupid if someone knows her and what she is capable of, it would be more precise to say he was protecting them from her. This greatly saddens her but it is a valuable lesson.
She loved him even after he allowed his wife to do all that to her, and now that she thinks about it, he was probably hoping Caitlyn Tully would beat her into a sheep that will never grow a back bone.
He probably hoped to see her become meek so that even if she does find out someday, she would never have the courage to think about taking away his dear friend's throne. All this just to keep her in line. If she was born a boy what then?
"Hahahahaha...." Her sudden dark thoughts made her think this entire thing is funny. Because if her mother was not kidnapped then someone orchestrated the war. Her money is on the grey rats. They are in charge of the only distance communication in this world. All it would take is to bury any letter her mother may have tried sending home
Olivia flew in the direction of the wall and landed on her wall, she realized the new wall will block the water for the south when the ice wall starts melting. Hehe.. It seems even subconsciously she is always working for the good of her birth place. Putting this thought aside, she and her dragons started activating the runes in this part of the land.
This will make this land very fertile the sooner magic is introduced in it. It would be annoying if her fertile lands fell into the hands of the south, after finding out what that Ned Stark kept from her all this time, the thought of giving them anything else makes her stomach churn.
"Aeryn, Morph help me raise this wall with our joint magic. It will take a while but put my mind at ease." This is how the originally 13 meters tall wall turned 30 meters tall and her dragons covered it with dragon fire making it color gleaming black which is a stark contrast to the ice wall.
This was no easy task and more time was wasted here but Olivia feels better now as if this wall also represents a metaphorical wall she is building in her heart. She is lucky to have her dragons who are able to cast powerful elemental spells.
The previous watch towers have now become shorter than the wall making them useless but Olivia didn't destroy them but made part of the wall around the Tower seem to be made from glass so these towers built with great effort can still be used. She did not forget to make stairs that go all the up the wall every ten meters distance.
Just for convenience, she turned a lower part of the wall glass like as well to allow for light to come to this side because the wall is so tall it has become too tall blocking the light. However with this loophole the place has become bright again.
"Aeryn, this magic is awesome!" Olivia jumped in happiness that her lands will not be covered in shadows anymore.
Her dragons are over joyed to see her happy again. Whenever Olivia starts building something she becomes engrossed in her work and the smallest details can affect her mood. This way she becomes like a small child. One time she would be puffing up her cheeks the next moment she will be frowning, then she will show the brightest of smiles.
Finally Olivia decided to go towards the city. When she reaches the haunted forest it is full of tents camping outside her city wall. This forest is dangerous which is why she chose to build her city here but the Wildlings probably feel that outside the city is a more dangerous predator than in the forest.
Busy building her wall, she completely forgot there are people crowding her city gate. Frowning, she doesn't think taking in so many unruly people is a good idea. Especially when everyone's life is in danger from such a fierce enemy.
Walking into Mance's tent the others followed closely to hear the verdict. "What is the meaning of this?" Olivia didn't even greet.
"Hello to you too...angry person." Mance turned his head away from the music instrument in his hand looking at Olivia as the light seem to cling to her hair and shimmer with her every step. Really fuck'n beautiful.
"Why are you all loitering around my city?" She asked.
Then there is that temper, absolutely dreadful. There is something about her though, something almost beastly. The way she looks at you and all the hairs on your neck stand straight. A low grunt at the base of her throat sending shivers up my spine, I have never been attracted to a woman more that at that moment.
Ever since he saw the massive white flame she released to melt hundreds of dead soldiers to save them all. Such a miracle, even now he can not believe she is real. He must have been in a daze watching her because there is suddenly a gruff voice of a man.
"We came in good faith." A man walked in then soon the tent is full of all the important people in the wildling army.
"Crowding my gates with odd looking tents is considered good faith?" She tilted her head. Her eyes became cold with annoyance.
"We have come to ask you an important question." An elderly woman that everyone call mama spoke softly with her grandmotherly voice. Olivia turned to her still annoyed.
"Speak." She all but growled at them. Mance found himself chuckling. This tent is currently hosting the most feared of their people but this little girl stood in the middle turning from one to the next without even an ounce of fear. Just boundless annoyance.
"Can you defeat the night king?" One asked.
"I don't know." Olivia didn't need time to think about the answer. She has never met the night king and therefore has no measure of his strength.
"We are willing to fight with you in this battle as partners." One man said. His bushy face looking fierce.
"No." She doesn't need such partners. "Let's have it all in the open. I don't trust you, calling yourselves free, then using that freedom to terrorize each other and those you see as different. If I want me to give my back to a bunch of bastards, I would have invited Southerners." She sneered.
The tent is silent for a while, the many started speaking all at once most of whom are very angry at her words.
"So you won't have us in this fight? The moment you turn around we will enter your city and live inside it. By the time you return it will belong to us." One of the men said threateningly but Olivia just scoffed.
"You'll be sitting ducks. If I don't kill the night king you are all fucked no mater where you are. The only reason you are even still here is because you are so weak you couldn't take the wall with only a thousand men when you had ten times their numbers."
The truth really is painful to hear. Mance should have been angry, no he should be furious but just hearing her ridiculing tone makes his body strangely excited. Seeing how much fun she is having when they are all angered silly at her words, an indulging smile crept on his face.
Having thought of something for a long time now, he opened his mouth trying to sound neutral but inside he is very nervous about her response to this proposal of his.
"We are not here to trade insults. There is a proposition for you, the free folks have a king, me someone they chose themselves. They can become your people too.... if we were to marry." Mance said with a serious tone and everyone in the tent agreed.
"Pftt...hahahahaha... you are serious? No." Her eyes crying from laughter. That genuine amusement should have broken his heart but he is too far gone by now. Coughing into his hand, he continued trying to reason with her.
"I know you have an army of strong men but I have a little less than one hundred thousand soldiers who will all belong to you if you took me as your husband. I have already discussed it with everyone and they all agree." He tried to leave his own desires out of the equation when discussing this matter.
"I said no."
This time she said it with a low growl. The temperature in the tent suddenly became hot. Mance felt that shiver this time though giving him a slight delightful at seeing an emotion on those usually emotionless eyes.
"I will give your people armor and weapons to fight for their lives, you can lead them to battle. Don't have any designs on this city because it is a magical place if you force your way inside you will die screaming." Her voice is now a few degrees lower.
"What about the old and the young?" An old lady asked. Mance watched her eyes closely to see if she will soften her heart like most women. No matter if they are queen or head of a clan, women have always been soft. This is probably to use her humanity against her.
Contrary to his expectations, Olivia's expression didn't change in the slightest.
"Aren't you free folk? Let them die free. If they turn into whites my army will burn them." Olivia turned towards the exit about to leave. Seeing her really going, the old lady knelt with the resounding 'di' sound.
Olivia turned around in annoyance. She is about to berede the old woman for trying to use moral blackmail on her but then she heard the same sound coming from all around her. That pair of purple eyes squinted slightly as she tries to understand what is happening.
All the people in the tent are kneeling, including their would be king, Mance Rayder. When she went outside, the rest of the wildlings are on their knees. "Does this mean you want me as your queen?" She asked and they all sounded with the same voice.
"Yes!"
"Why?" She frowned. Naturally skeptical about it all. Although Bran had said she is about to subdue the wildlings she didn't take it to heart.
"At ease.." They stood up obviously not comfortable with this new position. She asked Mance "Why so sudden?"
"We were ready to have a king to lead us south, we are now ready to forsake that dream for a new one. We want to se if it is really possible to live in this frozen piece of land and prosper. You are the only one willing to change this barren place into a home for humans to live. You are definitely the first to want to fight for it." An elder answered for Mance.
"Is he no longer your king?" She gestured to Mance Rayder.
"A new dream, a new king. Mance understands and is in agreement with the idea of becoming your people, The first queen who is the 'king' beyond the wall!" That last shout made all the people jump and shout
"King beyond the wall!"
"King beyond the wall!"
"King beyond the wall!"
Mance looked to Olivia to search for any satisfaction on that pretty face but all he saw is the same stoic expression even as she has just gotten a massive army in Westeros. She started addressing the crowd when the noise quieted down.
"I will say this, as my people, those who are within my city are under my protection. You will not harm, steal or betray your fellow Haunted country men. If you do, you will die." Her sharp words are reinforced by magic and her dragons suddenly materialized on top of the wall roaring into the sky.
They flew around the forest their roars scaring away many animals with some birds falling down from the sky in absolute fear. Olivia exudes heavy pressure that made cold sweat flow and everyone's knees buckled and they all knelt down this time in fear.
Olivia is thinking these people will disturb the peace she has cultivated all this time. The more she thought the darker her thoughts became until Aeryn spoke into her mind.
"Mother, happy thoughts."
Right, she needs to keep it together. A distance away Theon and Jaime had been watching the spectacle but they were suddenly brought to their knees as their hearts started palpitating with dread. This kind of fear is all consuming. They looked down feeling like a mountain is pressed on their shoulders.
She took long breaths through her nose and out through the mouth. She retracted her mental power which has increased along with her plant power and ability to control her fire because of the dragon blood. Slowly the people felt the weight on their shoulders reduced until it disappeared.
Olivia refined powerful dragon blood making her instincts that that of a powerful over lord who can not tolerate those who would cause trouble in her territory. Even though it is just in her head that these people will cause disturbance in her home, she has half a mind to erase them.
In her mind she keeps repeating the same chant: Happy thoughts, Happy thoughts.
After they were able to look up, two massive dragons stared down on them from the massive wall. They released roars making others almost pee their pants.
The sudden dragons appearance shocked everyone, entire city has never seen them this big before. There are rumors that she has dragons but to actual see them, they felt awe and reverence for their queen. No one knows who started shouting.
"Hail the fire queen, who is king beyond the wall!"
"The king beyond the wall!"
"The king beyond the wall!"
The people's acceptance and love filled the air, Olivia can see the respect in the eyes of the wildlings. Good.
"From now on you are no longer wildlings or free folk you are now my people. You belong to the Haunted city." The loud crowd became silent, this is it. She is accepting them into her city. They became very excited many began to tear up and hug each other. They finally have a home. A safe home where they can grow up without worrying about sudden attacks from other clans.
"It is my responsibility to keep you safe it is your responsibility to give me your obedience and loyalty. I don't ever want to see these rags on your body. There is a clothing shop east of here, each person take five sets of clothing. As for what you are wearing now, burn it or keep it as a memento but if you put it on I will take it as you are calling yourself a free folk." She is about to leave when she turned back and gave them a look.
"I give you security you give me your loyalty such is the nature of our relationship." The image of her straight back as she heads towards her castle is that of an insurmountable mountain. Someone beyond reach. Mance felt a pang in his heart.
"Mother I have something that will cheer you up." Morpheus slowly hugged her mother's arm and said affectionately.
"Morph...."
"Mother this is one of the few times she is thinking beyond violence to solve a problem." Aeryn didn't want her sister to be discouraged.
"Alright. Share it with me dear." Olivia said gently to the overjoyed Morpheus.
It is a temporary spell that can be carved using runes in magical items. These Items will allow her soldiers to become just as durable as the whites as long as they kill more of them.
She needs to put a small fire elemental gem to purify the dark magic that will be released when the whites are killed, it will be sucked in, purified and then released into the body of the wearer.
"It is ritualistic magic and I finally have all the requirements. Open your mind to me and I will share the knowledge with you." Olivia is hesitant, the last time they tried to share knowledge with her it was overwhelming and almost cracked her mind space.
"I have practiced with Aeryn it won't hurt this time." Morph noticed her hesitation and whined.
Olivia gritted her teeth and opened her mind. The rush of information is like a violent tide crashing against her mental walls. It instantly gave her a piercing headache.
"Morph..." Olivia groaned in displeasure.
"Almost done." Morph is just happy to be able to help her mother. Details are not important to her.
"Thank you my baby. You have made me very happy." Olivia hugged her dragon.
"Mother, I have also found something to aid you in the war." Aeryn is not to be outdone. Olivia became very excited to hear this.
"All you have to do is to perform a ritual on a tree to convert it's fruits into a holy fruit with your healing flame. If someone eats this fruits, a tattoo of your white flame will appear on their body, granting them incredible healing power."
"It is not temporary and will just deem a little after a while it will go back to normal, it will only require a bit of time after it has been over used. This is because it doesn't recharge people's vigor and fighting energy like Morph's spell but it will be faster to make since you can not make these bracelets for everyone in the army an as a plus, it will last longer." Aeryn is very proud of when she saw her mothers excited expression.
"If they are injured they will recover quickly even when their bones are broken, although it may take longer than the bracelets. Their corpses can never be raised as part of the army of the dead." This is undoubtedly good news.
She had hoped for something like this from the children of the forest that day. The solution is to make both of these, the flame fruit will be for everyone while the bracelets are for the brave hunters she will dispatch to hunt down the generals of the knight king.
Olivia is suddenly full of energy she went to see her beautiful adopted son and then went into her workshop. This is really where she spends her happiest time. Olivia is happy when she is able to come up with ways to keep her people safe, this is why she always tries to never send them out to battles they may lose.
"There is a specific requirement for being able to activate this flame. Whoever eats the fruit has to wholeheartedly become your subject and be loyal to you. If I have learnt anything in these years is that humans don't believe or serve others easily." Aeryn said dejectedly.
"Don't worry about that Aeryn. This is enough. Thank you my dear baby you have no idea how much your idea will help me in the days to come." Olivia is choked up in emotion.
She feels comforted knowing there are those who worry so much about her. Olivia took the spell from Aeryn and Morpheus they all went do the underground garden where fruits are planted after she perfected the ritual.
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