It is often said that Dorne women are open-minded, but until today, Wright had never thought there was anything particularly special about Nymeria and Tyene. That was until Tyene bought a nude statue and placed it in their home. It was then that Wright realized the darker sides hidden deep within both of them.
"Oh!"
"Heehee."
The sounds of women's exclamations and quiet laughter echoed through the air.
In the guest hall outside the castle's bedroom, dozens of noblewomen had gathered. Nymeria and Tyene stood before the statue, pointing at different parts of Wright's statue and explaining them in detail to the women.
The two women slowly walked through every part of Wright's body, inside and out. Their man, Wright, was the best. These women had only heard about him before, but after seeing the statue, they were even more envious, though they couldn't touch it! Nymeria and Tyene were beaming with pride and satisfaction.
"Not bad! Not bad!"
Renly, who had been pushed to the side by the crowd of women, stroked his chin and muttered to himself as he admired the statue.
"What's not bad?" Wright, returning from the blacksmith, overheard.
Renly raised his hand and pointed to the center of the women, who were crowded around the statue. "I mean the statue is really well done. It looks just like you!"
"Sharing the wealth is only right. Since you like it so much, I'll buy one and give it to you!" Wright said, and as soon as he finished speaking, all the noblewomen turned to stare at him, scrutinizing every inch of his body. Wright felt as though, with clothes on, it was as if he was standing there naked.
Bang! The bedroom door was flung open.
"Ah~~~ Don't bite me!" Arya Stark dashed out from inside, five baby dragons clinging to her, biting her relentlessly.
"Slen!" Wright and Renly shouted at the baby dragons in unison.
The five dragons jumped off Arya and approached the two men, their little heads bobbing together, staring at Wright and Renly. Less than five seconds later, they returned to chasing Arya again.
The baby dragons had only recently hatched and couldn't understand the Dragon Tongue. They instinctively sensed a familiar scent and the strong magical power emanating from the men.
The heat in Tyrosh was intense, and the dragons' teeth, which looked like those of kittens—transparent with a hint of white—had no trouble tearing through Arya's thin clothes, leaving bite marks all over her.
Luckily, Arya's direwolf entered and bared its teeth, chasing the baby dragons away and rescuing her.
Arya's direwolf had once chased after the baby dragons, but now it could only growl because Odahviing had returned and was lying in the courtyard, peacefully napping.
Quaithe and Margaery also came out of the bedroom, holding children in their arms, followed by Loras Tyrell, fully armored.
Wright cast a healing spell on Arya and then turned to Quaithe. "What happened to Arya? Why were the dragons biting her?"
Quaithe replied, "Arya was feeding the baby dragons meat, but then she tricked them by hiding the meat she was bringing to their mouths."
"She deserved it!" Wright said and then turned to Arya. "Dragons are different from other creatures. Once they've identified food, any creature that moves their food will be attacked, even their own siblings. You should count yourself lucky the baby dragons can't breathe fire yet, or you'd be in real danger."
"So that's how it is! I thought they were like the direwolves, that you could play with them," Arya said, her injuries healed, her clothes now tattered from the bites. She quickly scurried away, embarrassed.
Margaery set Lyonel down on the ground. Lyonel, almost one year old, could say a few words and was learning to walk. Upon seeing Lyonel, the blue baby dragon, Seadragon, flew over to him, tugging at his pants with its mouth.
The other four baby dragons resumed their playful fighting. The black one, Shurvokon, climbed onto Quaithe's shoulder with its claws and looked down at the baby Solon in her arms before spreading its wings and letting out a roar at the dragons below.
"Ugh~~" With its bat-like body and raven-like call, Wright hated this one the most. It was so loud every morning that it kept him from sleeping.
Renly watched the dragons play. "So these are the dragons that hatched together. Their personalities are already showing this early!"
"Annoying as hell!" Wright said, reaching out to grab Shulvokun by the neck and toss it into the bedroom, holding it like an overgrown goose.
Compared to the other black dragon, Klogravuun , Shulvokun was the most energetic, jumping around everywhere. It had fallen out of the window several times but was tough enough to endure. Even after being picked up, it would scramble right back up to the window sill, never tiring.
Margaery teasingly remarked, "Others would envy you, and yet you complain!"
"Your family now has two dragons, one big and one small!" Wright said, then turned to Renly and Loras. "But the defense of Storm's End needs to be strengthened. Your dragons aren't that big, so someone might try to target them."
Wright's castle was filled with magical arrays, so he didn't need to worry about the baby dragons. Odahviing was even less of a concern—his dragon-sized body made people despair. Its scales were so tough that crossbows couldn't pierce them, and it was immune to fire. To poison it, you'd need dozens of vats of poison.
Renly replied, "I've already spoken to Loras. After we return, my personal guard will expand to seven squads. By the way, did you bring what I asked for?"
Wright took out two spools from his pocket and handed them to Renly. "The improved Valyrian steel thread. It's wrapped in nitrated lamb intestines, finer and lighter than the ones used in my castle, and the effect is even better. I'll be switching to this soon."
Valyrian steel is light, but the two spools of thread given by Wright still had some weight. Renly weighed them in his hand, then brought them to his nose and sniffed. "Making sausages? Whatever, as long as it works, but this seems a bit too little. Where's the blueprint?"
Wright: "I've prepared plenty of spools for you. They're all in the study's chest. Inside, you'll find the 'Eye of Wright' blueprint and many defensive magic circles. These steel threads are enough for you to lay out all the defensive arrays for Storm's End."
Renly patted Wright's arm, and the two didn't need to exchange words of gratitude.
"Speaking of which, Renly, would you like me to give you a statue?" Wright gritted his teeth. After thinking for a moment, he realized he hadn't exposed his body, so it must have been Renly's doing. The statue, depicting Wright, had already spread far and wide, and Wright knew that name would never go away. Even if he denied it, people would nod and smile knowingly when they heard it.
"No need." Margery, bending down to help her son learn to walk, looked up at Wright. "Nymeria has already ordered one of the same size for me."
"Then take good care of the statue!" Wright glared at Renly before walking away to find Robb Stark, who was sitting idly playing with his fingers.
"Robb, I've prepared what you asked for. Come to the study later to pick it up!"
"Master Wright, does this consume a lot of magic power when used?" Robb asked, uncertain.
The Eye of Wright and the magic circle blueprints, along with Valyrian steel threads, were gifts for Renly. However, there was still quite a bit of Valyrian steel thread left. Wright, believing in not doing things for free, had drawn a few copies of the blueprints, planning to sell them to Robb Stark so he could set up a similar system in Winterfell.
Wright raised a finger. "Don't be fooled by the size of the eyeball on top of my Tyrosh Castle. Ashara and Tyene can use it, so you can do it too. You'll have no problem. I'll let you try it out in a bit! And I've heard from the mages from the North that your two younger brothers also have magic. When you're not in Winterfell, have the mage advisors use it, or let them operate it."
"Alright, but Valyrian steel is too expensive, and I might not have enough money for this trip!" Robb was also tasked with purchasing goods for the North, so he was cautious about spending unexpected funds.
"You're one of my three apprentices, so just take it now. After it's set up, if your father finds it useful, he can pay for it!" Wright patted his chest, assuring Robb that the price would be fair.
This was no small sum, and Robb nodded, touched.
Robb's young wife, Seran Farman, also walked over. Wright noticed her figure; she had been just a pretty-faced girl before, but today, her blouse was slightly bulging, showing signs of a woman's figure.
"Lord Wright, this... this is from Lady Nymeria," Seran handed a small statue, another of Wright's, that had been hidden behind her. She seemed a bit embarrassed.
Wright understood her hesitation. In the conservative North, this kind of thing was considered inappropriate, and taking it back would definitely stir gossip. He glanced around, noticing that nearly everyone had one. Nymeria was indeed generous.
"This is Tyroshian art. Since it's a gift from Lady Nymeria, you should accept it. Lord Wright not only practices magic but is also a pioneer in the art scene here in Tyrosh. With his reputation, no one will talk behind your back," Robb said, gently stroking Seran's golden hair.
A pioneer in the art scene! Wright didn't know how to respond to that, so he simply maintained a smile and gestured for Seran to take the gift.
The mages, having completed their studies in Tyrosh, were preparing to leave. Wright began to energetically promote his wares.
A Valyrian steel sword cost hundreds of thousands of gold dragons, including both raw materials and crafting costs. As for the steel threads, Wright sold them by weight—30,000 gold dragons per pound.
In the end, besides the confirmed orders from Storm's End, the Magic School in King's Landing, and Margery representing Highgarden, several other nobles were interested. Tyrells had hired mages as advisors, and there were no issues with using them. Thoros and Qyburn also had a part-time position in the Red Keep. After consulting with Robert, the Royal family also bought a set to be installed at the highest tower of the Red Keep, with payment deferred.
Besides buying rare items and luxury goods, many commercial orders were also confirmed. Some nobles planned to buy Tyroshian products, while others were looking to trade with Tyrosh. The position of Tyrosh as a trading hub was firmly established in their minds.
The war in Dorne had ended, and the fleet from the Magic School, along with the southern nobles of Dorne, sailed out. Renly was returning to Storm's End, Robb to the North, and the mages to King's Landing. The nobles from Lys and Volantis journeyed eastward together.
The massive port of Tyrosh had grown quiet as one ship after another set sail, with the noble families from the Stone Step Isles gathering to see them off. The once bustling harbor gradually became empty.
"Renly, why aren't you leaving yet?" Wright walked back to the harbor square after seeing off the mages from the Magic School. He noticed Renly standing alone.
"I'll leave in a moment!" Renly was no longer wearing his usual noble robes, instead donning the traditional green antlered armor of House Baratheon.
"Are you going to fight?" Wright asked, noticing the armor and the Valyrian steel sword, Storm, hanging at his waist. The sword was enchanted with lightning damage, far more practical than a magic wand. Despite his extensive knowledge of wand-making, Renly had never bothered to craft his own.
Renly removed a Valyrian steel pocket watch from the clasp of his chest armor. "It's time."
As the crowd gathered in the square, Renly reattached the watch to his armor and stepped to the edge of the dock. Taking a deep breath, he raised his voice, shouting toward the sky: "Peyt~~Vah~~Aaz~!"
In the bustling harbor, even the loudest shout wouldn't carry far, but Renly's voice echoed across the entire island of Tyrosh.
"Dragon Shout! That's not Wright!" At the Dragon Cult headquarters on the ninth floor, the High Priest Dofas rushed to the window as the magical pulse spread.
"He's summoning a dragon!" Standing beside him, the dragon priest Naisso Visama noted.
A dragon, white with red and yellow spots, flew toward them from the direction of Tyrosh Castle. It had been circling the skies above Tyrosh for months, but no one had realized how much it had grown. Now, the small dragon had grown into a beast nearly ten meters long.
People often overlook the growth of those around them, but now, with a closer look, they saw the dragon's changes. Its body was built differently from livestock; with iron-reinforced hollow bones and air sacs throughout, it was much lighter than a whale of the same size. Its long neck and tail took up much of its length, and its enormous wings gave it a bulkier appearance.
Under Wright's careful guidance, Peytvahaaz had grown exceptionally healthy, surpassing the size of dragons raised by the Targaryen family at the same age.
As the dragon drew closer, it was clear that the red and yellow spots from its youth had merged into vertical stripes, with a pure white belly and a head and wings that were red, while its neck, body, and tail were striped with alternating red and yellow.
With many ships having just set sail, the harbor had cleared up, allowing Peytvahaaz to dive down from the sky, skimming the sea surface as it passed over the harbor.
"Haha, I'm off!" Renly shouted, mirroring Wright's actions. Without needing to land, the dragon flew past, and Renly used a Mage Hand spell to pull himself onto the dragon's back, landing steadily.
"Show-off," Wright muttered.
Wright noticed that the dragon's wings were beating powerfully. The dragon wasn't very large, but Renly's armor added extra weight, making it clear that without it, the dragon could have flown much farther. As it was, it would barely be able to catch up with Margery's ship.
"Balon, lead the way back to the castle! Summon all the officials of Tyrosh for a meeting!" Wright had pressing matters to attend to in Tyrosh and felt like there was always something to be done.
Meanwhile, in an orchard on the outskirts of Tyrosh, two farmers, their faces covered in dust, set down their water buckets and shielded their eyes from the sun as they looked up at the sky.
"The second dragonrider of House Baratheon has taken flight. We don't have much time! We need to warn our master!" one said.
"You're the only one in a hurry. I have all the time in the world," the other responded.