Dont forget to comment and vote, its makes me happy ...
read full story in patreon : CaveLeather (9$)
The dusk deepened. Looking northeast from the highest point on the Isle of Vahar, one could already faintly see a galaxy of lights at the end of the horizon.
Qarth, the legendary "Queen of Cities" with its triple walls, silently boasted of its splendor in the night.
On a hillside overlooking the sea stood a magnificent residence. With white curved walls and arched windows inlaid with colored glass, it had once belonged to a grand merchant of the Ancient Guild of Spicers, a symbol of his wealth and power here.
When rumors of the Iron Fleet's arrival spread, the merchant had fled back to Qarth with his core ledgers and most precious cargo, leaving behind this opulent but empty mansion. Now, it served as Euron's temporary lodging on Vahar.
Inside, the faint, elegant scent of expensive eastern incense favored by the original owner still lingered, mixing with the salty tang of the sea breeze.
Euron stood on the wide terrace. Lysa Garfield stood quietly in the shadows deeper within the room, still as a beautiful statue.
Euron's fingers lightly brushed her smooth cheek, his touch lingering with a rare gentleness.
Lysa embraced his waist and closed her eyes softly.
"We are close to Qarth now," Euron said, withdrawing his gaze from the horizon. He asked quietly, "Are you ready?"
Lysa did not avoid his eyes. Her gaze was like tempered steel—firm and pure. She took a deep breath and nodded solemnly. Though her voice was soft, it held no hesitation. "Everything is prepared, just as we planned."
A flicker of complex emotion crossed Euron's eye. He clicked his tongue softly, his tone carrying genuine sentiment. "Tsk... to be honest, I'm actually reluctant to let you go." His fingertips slid along her jawline as he chuckled. "For over ten years, you've always been by my side."
Lysa's eyelashes fluttered slightly. She responded almost instantly. "Then I won't go."
"Hahaha—" Euron laughed low in his throat, shaking his head as he pulled his hand back. "That won't do." His tone became decisive. "I promised you a crown as the Queen of Qarth. A gift isn't truly given until it's worn on your head, is it?"
The night grew darker, and the sound of the waves outside became clearer. Euron gazed at Lysa's soft silhouette in the moonlight, then suddenly chuckled. "While the night is still young..."
Before he finished speaking, he took her hand and planted a passionate kiss on her lips, igniting the night with undeniable possessiveness.
In the heat of the moment, Lysa buried her face in his neck. Her voice was barely audible, yet distinct. "When everything is settled... I want to bear your child, just like Alicia." She paused, her tone softening further. "Boy or girl, it doesn't matter."
After a long, intimate entanglement on the bed, only the sound of their mingled breathing remained in the quiet room.
---
Dawn was approaching. On the dock, beside Lysa Garfield, stood three striking companions.
The Peacekeeper stood like an iron tower, his massive frame encased in black plate armor, guarding Lysa's safety. The red priestess Gwendolyn, her fiery hair like a burning banner, held a golden censer emitting faint warmth; her eyes were devout and sharp amidst the swirling smoke. The shadowbinder Evelyn seemed to blend into the shadows of the dawn. Her presence was thin, yet it made the surrounding air feel thick and cold.
Euron's gaze swept over this small team, finally settling on Lysa's face. He spoke slowly. "Qarth is not a safe place. Within those triple walls, every brick is soaked in a thousand years of intrigue. The air drifts with colorless, odorless poisons, and daggers in the shadows are harder to guard against than swords on a battlefield. The dangers you might face are no less than those of open war."
Lysa met his gaze without a hint of cowardice. Instead, a calm, confident smile surfaced. "Don't worry about me," she said lightly. "The net we've woven over ten years is deeper than you imagine. We have our own information network and agents in Qarth. They are already waiting."
Euron shook his head gently and winked. "Verbal warnings aren't enough. I have some... more tangible protection for you."
As he spoke, the shadows behind the group seemed to come alive. A scalp-tingling friction sound arose.
From the darkness, a giant python slowly slithered out. Its body was as thick as an ancient tree, covered in red and white cloud-like patterns, with a striking bright yellow underbelly. Atop its massive head sat a pale, bone-like ornament shaped like a skull, adding an air of deadly mystery and majesty.
"This is Salome," Euron introduced. "Don't worry, she isn't venomous, and she's excellent in the water." He paused to emphasize, "She possesses a special sense that allows her to track targets across obstacles. Her body can coil up to form a stable, comfortable platform—a moving throne for you to rest on, or even command from."
Euron patted Salome's cold, tough scales. "In terms of pure attack power, she can't compare to deep-sea Sea Kings, but she is obedient and gentle. Perfect for close protection."
The giant snake Salome slowly lowered her skull-crowned head, gliding elegantly around Lysa a few times, her cold, smooth scales brushing against the hem of Lysa's dress.
Finally, her massive body gently but firmly encircled Lysa, forming a living fortress of protection. She lowered her head again, nudging Lysa lightly with her hard skull in a gesture of intimate submission. She had accepted her new mistress.
Suddenly, the calm sea nearby broke open with a splash. Amidst the churning waves, two Yuda Snakes surfaced.
As giant venomous Sea Kings, they were a hundred meters long. Their heads were majestic and dragon-like, topped with ferocious skull-shaped bone horns. Their vertical red pupils burned like charcoal, and their bright red forked tongues flicked constantly, radiating primitive deterrence. Their bodies were a cold iron-blue, covered in dark gold ring patterns like metal shackles. The edge of every scale was sharp as finely crafted armor, gleaming with an indestructible metallic coldness in the sunlight.
Most peculiar were the flowing red manes on their necks, extending from the top of their heads to the water's surface, dancing like flames in the water as they swam.
On the backs of these two Sea Kings sat a sleek, uniquely shaped ship—the Perfume Yuda.
On the ship's mast, a unique pirate flag depicting nine intertwining snakes snapped in the wind.
This unique vessel slowly approached the shore, waiting silently for its owner.
"This ship is for you," Euron said to Lysa, pointing to the vessel that seemed one with the sea serpents. "Once ashore, these two Yuda Snakes will protect you. They are as reliable as Salome." He paused, adding the key function of this transport: "When you need to go to sea again, they can pull the Perfume Yuda through the waves. No wind required."
Euron leaned down and pressed a brief, firm kiss on Lysa's smooth forehead, then helped her onto the deck of the Perfume Yuda.
As the red priestess Gwendolyn passed by with her censer, Euron suddenly reached out, grabbed a handful of her fiery hair, and pulled her in for a domineering kiss on her lips, red and sweet as a blood-soaked rose. Gwendolyn rolled her eyes at him, but instead of scolding him, she gently stroked his face with warm fingers and kissed his cheek back before boarding.
Shadowbinder Evelyn's face was forever covered by a polished lacquer mask. In all these years, Euron had never seen what lay beneath. Now, on the verge of parting, Euron stepped forward, gently lifted the bottom of her mask to reveal cherry-red lips, and kissed her solemnly and softly. It was unexpectedly sweet.
This unexpected move caused Evelyn, usually as still as an ancient well, to stiffen instantly. Obvious shock radiated through the mask. She instinctively took half a step back. In her single exposed eye, a complex, indecipherable look of resentment flashed as she gave Euron a deep, lingering stare.
Like a man who had pulled off a successful prank, Euron laughed aloud and turned, striding back to the shore. Standing in the rising sea breeze, he waved vigorously at the Perfume Yuda as it began to move.
"Lysa! Gwendolyn! Evelyn! Before long, I'll come to Qarth to see you!" Euron's voice pierced the growing distance, clearly reaching the ears of those departing.
Pulled by the two Yuda Snakes, the Perfume Yuda slowly left the coast of Vahar. The ship and the serpents gradually merged with the darkness in the distance, finally vanishing completely into the heavy night and sea mist that precede the dawn.