"Good afternoon, Prince Lynd." Myrcella stepped off the lift with unsteady legs, needing the support of her maid to stay upright. Even so, she carried herself with grace, offering a courteous greeting when she saw Lynd waiting in the small garden.
"There's no need for so many formalities here," Lynd said, glancing at the puffy gown she was wearing. He turned to the head maid. "Her clothes aren't suitable. Find something warm and fitted for her to wear."
"Yes, my lord," the head maid replied, then led Myrcella inside.
Lynd turned to Jon. "The people who came with Myrcella—are they settled?"
"I've arranged for them to stay in Redemption Town," Jon replied.
Lynd gave a nod, dismissing him.
Not long after, Myrcella returned dressed in a fitted winter hunting outfit. She looked sharp and spirited, a striking contrast to the delicate appearance she had earlier.
"Very nice. That suits you well," Lynd said, giving her a quick once-over with an approving nod.
"It really does," Myrcella agreed with a satisfied smile, then wiped the sweat from her brow. "Though it's a little warm."
"That won't be a problem in a moment." Lynd gestured for her to follow, and the two made their way to the dragon roost platform.
When Myrcella saw the lava dragon Neltharion lying on the platform, her breathing quickened. Her face lit up with curiosity and excitement—but not a trace of fear.
As she stood marveling at the great beast, Lynd took her hand and led her onto the dragon's outstretched wing, stepping up beside the saddle.
Realizing what was happening, Myrcella's face filled with shock and thrill, her breath catching with anticipation.
"Get on," Lynd said, pointing to a specially crafted small seat at the front of the saddle.
Overwhelmed with excitement, Myrcella hesitated. She wanted to mount the saddle, but her legs wouldn't cooperate.
Lynd chuckled softly, then lifted her with ease and set her in the small seat. He mounted behind her, wrapping his arms around her, and gave the order for the dragon to take flight.
With a powerful sweep of its wings, the lava dragon leapt from the high platform, its massive form slicing through the sky before surging upward at dizzying speed.
Startled by the sudden rush and sheer height, Myrcella let out a series of screams, shrinking into Lynd's arms and clinging tightly to his arm, her body tense as stone.
The lava dragon circled once over Redemption Town, then veered eastward.
...
After Lynd's departure from Summerhall, an official announcement was released stating that Princess Myrcella would reside permanently in the capital of the Kingdom of Lorne, Ny Sar, until Prince Augustus came of age to wed her. It further stated that Princess Myrcella would have no involvement in the affairs of the Seven Kingdoms.
Though this appeared to reaffirm Summerhall's recognition of the marriage pact with the Iron Throne, a closer reading made Summerhall's true stance clear: it was distancing itself. Even Myrcella was being sent far away, across the sea to Essos.
When the announcement reached King's Landing, people reported hearing Queen Cersei cursing loudly in the Red Keep—sometimes at Lynd, sometimes at Tyrion.
Her rage lasted just two or three days before it was overtaken by panic. Word from the Riverlands brought new fear.
According to the report, the mercenary legion Tywin Lannister had hired from Essos had crossed the Blackwater Rush without authorization and launched an attack on Tumbleton, attempting to plunder the town. But the town's garrison repelled them decisively. Over ten thousand mercenaries were slaughtered, with barely three thousand managing to flee back north of the river.
The loss of troops in the Westerlands was a secondary concern. What truly terrified Queen Cersei was the possibility that Summerhall, which had so far remained neutral, might now choose to turn against King's Landing. If that happened, the capital wouldn't stand a chance.
Even worse, the report hadn't come by raven—it had spread from within the city itself, sparking fear among the people. Those with means took their families and fled across the Blackwater into Summerhall's territory. Those without cursed the reckless Westerlands mercenaries and grew even more resentful of both the Westerlands and the Iron Throne.
The plundering of the Riverlands had already disrupted food supplies in King's Landing. Prices rose daily, and the poor could no longer afford to eat. Famine began creeping through the city's lower classes. Discontent had long been simmering—but now it was boiling over into open hatred. In Flea Bottom, some had even begun stirring rebellion against the Iron Throne.
But before that unrest could take hold, Tyrion arrived in King's Landing as temporary Hand of the King—and swiftly stamped it out.
The first thing Tyrion did upon arriving in King's Landing was replace the commander and Lord Commander of the City Watch. Janos Slynt was arrested on trumped-up charges and sent to the Wall to take the black. His position was handed over to Jacelyn Bywater, formerly the captain of the Mud Gate.
At the same time, Tyrion split the Red Keep guard from the city's garrison, severing their chain of command. The Red Keep's security was placed under the command of the sellsword Bronn, while Addam Marbrand was given control of all Lannister forces and put in charge of defending the city walls.
Next, Tyrion ordered the arrest of hundreds of criminals—murderers, bandits, thieves, and rumor-mongers. The most violent killers were executed in the city square, while the rest were sent to the Wall to join the Night's Watch.
He also met with both large and small grain merchants to stabilize the soaring food prices, and opened the Red Keep's grain reserves to feed the starving populace.
After that, he contacted the Miracles Merchant's Guild to purchase grain from Summerhall, replenishing the capital's supplies and making it clear to the people that relations between King's Landing and Summerhall had not deteriorated.
This series of swift actions gradually eased the public's anger toward the Iron Throne, and order began to return to the capital.
Under normal circumstances, the people of King's Landing should have been grateful to Tyrion for controlling prices, securing food, and restoring public safety. But for some reason, the common folk inexplicably hated him. They blamed him for the food shortages and chaos, even though he hadn't been in the city at the time. The nickname "Little Demon Monkey" started to circulate in the streets, leaving Tyrion thoroughly frustrated when he heard about it.
...
Meanwhile, after hearing about the mercenary attack on Tumbleton, Lord Tywin took no punitive action against the sellswords. Instead, he had Ser Gregor Clegane integrate them into his forces and sent them to garrison Harrenhal, ready to reinforce King's Landing at a moment's notice.
However, another matter soon drew his full attention—Dacey Mormont, who had been facing off against Kevan Lannister at the Trident crossing, had vanished. No one knew where she had gone. This was troubling news for the Westerlands, because though her army was small, it was incredibly powerful—strong enough to tip the balance of any battlefield.
...
Lynd, meanwhile, remained unaware of what had unfolded in his absence. His only focus was reaching Stygai before Euron could complete his sacrifice and unleash disaster.
As he guided Neltharion through the skies, Myrcella—held in his arms—had recovered from her initial shock and fear, though her body still trembled from the excitement surging through her.
Though Lynd had used Storm Dragon runes to block out the wind, they couldn't entirely ward off the chill of high-altitude flight. Fortunately, the lava dragon radiated waves of heat as it flew, dispersing the cold. The only downside was the overwhelming smell of sulfur—thick and foul, like rotting eggs.
But Myrcella paid no attention to that. Her gaze was locked on the scenery below. Even though all she could see was the vast, blue-black sea, she found it endlessly fascinating.
Neltharion flew fast. Within a few hours, they had crossed the Narrow Sea. In the distance, a great port city came into view, standing proudly along the coastline.
"My lord, is that Pentos—the Free City across the Narrow Sea?" Myrcella quickly recognized the city by its distinct architecture.
Lynd didn't respond. Instead, he instructed the lava dragon to descend and glide low over the city.
Neltharion flew so close to the rooftops that the people of Pentos could clearly see the glistening scales on the dragon's belly. Panic erupted in the streets. The city watch sounded their horns, and even after the dragon had flown past, chaos continued to ripple through the city.
"My Lord, what you just did wasn't right. Someone could've gotten hurt." As the lava dragon climbed back up beneath the clouds, Myrcella suddenly voiced her disapproval.
Lynd didn't get angry. Nor did he praise her kindness. He simply smiled and said nothing.
It wasn't until much later that Myrcella quietly said, "Forgive me, Prince Lynd. I shouldn't have spoken to you like that."
Lynd could feel her concern, so he reached out and gently patted her head with a smile. "No, you were right. You should hold on to your kindness, and never feel hesitant about it. I'm not the kind of man who can't take criticism—but just because someone's criticism is valid doesn't mean I have to follow it."
Myrcella turned her head, eyes full of confusion behind Lynd's helmet. "But if it's right, why not follow it?"
"That," Lynd said, "is the willfulness of the strong." As he spoke, he tightened his arms around Myrcella to secure her to the saddle, then gave an order to Neltharion.
The next moment, Neltharion folded his wings and went into a spiraling dive toward the ground. Myrcella let out a loud scream in terror. Just as the dragon was about to crash, its wings flared open and a powerful gust of wind surged beneath it, catching the dragon close to the ground before it soared back into the sky.
Though Myrcella had stopped screaming, she was still frozen from the shock of the stunt, sitting motionless like a statue.
"Hm? What's that smell?" Lynd suddenly sniffed the air, deliberately speaking in a teasing tone.
At once, Myrcella's pale face flushed bright red. She shrank into herself, lowered her head, and said nothing.
She kept her head down for the rest of the flight, remaining silent even as they passed over Ny Sar.
...
The sudden appearance of the lava dragon immediately drew the attention of Ny Sar's garrison. Bed-mounted crossbows atop the city walls and towers pivoted to track Neltharion, ready to fire at any moment. It wasn't until their captain recognized the dragon's allegiance that he gave the order to stand down.
Lynd was quite pleased with their vigilance—even if he had been the one they were ready to shoot.
Neltharion flew across the city and descended into the courtyard of Nymeria's palace, landing in a large clearing that had been specially designated for dragons. Dragonkeepers from Summerhall were already waiting, with vats of molten metal ready to replenish the lava dragon's energy.
Lynd dismounted, while Myrcella still sat on the saddle, head lowered. He smiled, extended his hand to her, and said, "I imagine you'd like to change clothes. You won't manage that while sitting up here."
Hearing this, Myrcella's face turned even redder as she reached out, allowing Lynd to help her down from the dragon.
At that moment, Nymeria entered the courtyard from the study where she'd been working. She paused briefly at the sight of Lynd leading a young girl off the dragon, then smiled as realization dawned.
"I thought you said it would be a while before you could come. What brings you here so soon?" she asked, approaching Lynd.
"Something unexpected came up. I need to go to Asshai," Lynd replied.
"Asshai?" Nymeria blinked in surprise.
This wasn't the place for deeper explanations, so Lynd didn't elaborate. Instead, he gently pulled Myrcella to his side and said, "This is Princess Myrcella. She'll be living here from now on. Once Augustus comes of age, he'll marry her."
"Hello, Princess Myrcella," Nymeria said with a warm smile. "I hope you'll enjoy your time here."
"Greetings, Your Majesty," Myrcella said, taking a deep breath to steady herself and responding with grace. "I look forward to living in Ny Sar."
Lynd waved over a few nearby maids. "Take Princess Myrcella to change. She was feeling a bit unwell in the air and soiled her clothes."
At that, Nymeria cast Myrcella a knowing look, and with mischievous delight, gave a theatrical sniff. Myrcella's face turned crimson once more as she quickly lowered her head and followed the maids toward the guest chambers.
"She's your daughter-in-law, you know. Teasing her like that isn't very nice," Nymeria said, gesturing at Lynd.
Lynd gave her a sidelong glance. "I seem to recall someone just now making a very obvious sniffing gesture. If anyone's going to make her suffer, it's her mother-in-law."
Nymeria laughed and gave Lynd's arm a playful punch.
Lynd looked around and asked, "Where's Augustus?"
"Oh right! I have something to show you—something that'll surprise you," Nymeria said with a wide grin, then eagerly pulled Lynd toward the garden at the back of the palace.