Game of Thrones: The Road to Pirate King

Chapter 238 Dorne's Leisurely Life

During the day, sunlight streamed down the coastline of Dorne, and Euron, at Ashara Dayne's request, walked alongside her, recounting his experiences conquering the Stepstone Islands.

When he spoke of the "Crown of the Sea Corpses," a structure built from countless heads to spread fear, Ashraf's delicate brows furrowed slightly, and a clear hint of reluctance and pity appeared in her amber eyes.

When she heard that Euron could command those terrifying sea beasts that existed only in the depths of legend, her initial reluctance was instantly replaced by intense curiosity and amazement. She looked up, unable to resist asking, "Do they—really all obey you?"

Euron looked at the mixture of fear and excitement in her eyes, and a smile played on his lips. He didn't answer directly, but instead gazed intently at the distant sea, issuing a silent summons.

Moments later, the nearshore waters surged violently, and a massive, mountain-like back broke through the surface, its dark skin gleaming with a cold, metallic sheen in the sunlight—it was the behemoth, the "Ironback Whale." Even more astonishingly, two remarkably sturdy-looking seats had already been placed on that incredibly broad back.

Euron reached out to Ashara, his eyes filled with invitation and encouragement. Ashara's heart pounded, instinctively filled with fear at the sight of this unimaginably enormous creature. But when she saw Euron's calm, composed gaze, as if he had everything under control, her fear strangely subsided. She placed her trembling hand in his palm, letting him guide her step by step onto the back of the giant whale.

The two settled comfortably on the back of the Ironback Whale, and the behemoth began to move slowly, cutting through the azure waves and roaming freely on the surface of Dorne. This unprecedented spectacle instantly attracted countless Dornish citizens, who flocked to the shore, letting out deafening gasps and exclamations, pointing at the figure on the whale's back as if witnessing a divine miracle.

Princess Arianne Martell, witnessing this scene, crossed her arms and gave a cold snort, her beautiful face filled with undisguised disgust. She especially disliked Euron's intimate behavior with Ashara on the back of that giant beast, and the thought of her aunt Ilya, who was heavily pregnant and about to give birth, filled her with a surge of anger and indignation for her.

At lunchtime, sparse tree shadows were cast on the ornately carpeted ground in the open courtyard of Sunspear City.

Prince Doran leisurely ate his Dornish stew, speaking seemingly casually yet with a weighty tone: "The situation on the Stepstone Islands has now stabilized, which is good. Have you heard? Many are now beginning to call you—the King of the Stepstone Islands."

Euron chuckled softly, swirling the wine in his glass, the red liquid gleaming like a jewel in the sunlight. "King? Hah, it's too early to call yourself king." His smile faded, his gaze sharpening. "The Three Daughters Alliance entrenched there—Mir, Rhys, and Tyrosi—none of them are easy opponents. They're like poisonous jellyfish in the sea, soft to the touch, but impossible to approach."

Prince Doran smiled approvingly and nodded slowly: "It's good that you're so clear-headed. If you were eager to put on the crown right now, I would think you've been blinded by victory and are not up to any great task."

"I will keep my promise." Euron's tone was calm, yet it contained an iron will. "But that will take time, and more importantly, it will take the right opportunity."

Prince Doran's deep gaze seemed to have already seen through Euron's plans. He didn't press further, but simply stated gently yet firmly, "It seems you already have a scheme in mind. I won't interfere too much. But remember, wherever Dorne's power is needed, send someone to me, or Oberyn." He paused, then added meaningfully, "In those free trading cities, we, House Martell, also have many friends."

The two clinked glasses, and that was the end of it.

In the months that followed, Euron Greyjoy, unusually, set aside his campaigns and schemes, enjoying a period of peace and leisure. He often strolled with Ashara Dayne among Dorne's unique red hills and oases, appreciating the scenery so different from that of the Iron Islands.

One day, in the sandy courtyard near Starfall City, Asara picked up her swordsmanship. Her brother, the famous "Sword of the Morning" Arthur Dayne, had once instructed her, but she lacked strength and what she learned were mostly elegant postures that resembled real swordsmanship but lacked practical combat significance.

Euron, upon hearing this, did not question it, but instead took a different approach. He did not ask her to increase her strength, but instead began to teach her the Water Dancer sword technique originating from Braavos.

This swordsmanship is as fluid as flowing water, emphasizing light footwork, body balance, and precision and speed of strikes, which is perfectly suited to Asara's physical characteristics.

Under his careful guidance, Asara's swordsmanship improved visibly. Her sword tip was no longer frivolous, but instead possessed the swiftness and cunning of a viper, unique to a water dancer, and her movements had gained a more elegant yet deadly rhythm.

As night fell, the heat of the day faded from Yangji City, and a gentle breeze brought a touch of coolness through the carved windows.

Euron would visit Ilya on these quiet nights, and the two maintained a tacit restraint in their interactions, as if an invisible boundary existed between them, which neither of them easily crossed.

Unlike her previous aloofness and indifference, Ilya now seems to be gradually opening her heart.

She would lean against the soft couch, chatting with Euron by the gentle candlelight. The conversation would no longer be superficial pleasantries, but would delve into the depths of the past.

She spoke of the amusing journeys she and Oberyn traveled through the Seven Kingdoms with their mother in their youth, a nostalgic smile playing on her lips. She also recounted her own experiences with arranged marriages, which felt like mere routine, her tone as flat as if she were telling someone else's story. Her voice would occasionally lower, and when she spoke of the unforgettable humiliation she suffered at the hands of the Lannisters at Casterly Rock, a flicker of pain would cross her eyes.

She also shared the complex and indescribable feelings she had when she became Rhaegar Targaryen's wife, including the glory of being a queen and the deep-seated unease; she recounted the experience of giving birth to her first child, Rhaenys, which was a mix of extreme happiness and immense pain; and finally, when she returned to her homeland of Dorne, she felt a sense of exhaustion and relief, as if she had survived a catastrophe.

"Now," she said, gently stroking her rounded belly one last time, her tone carrying a rare, almost coquettish complaint, "I just want this little one to come out soon. So I can walk around again, see the garden in the sunshine, instead of being stuck in this house all day long, it's so boring."

Euron gazed at her, his eyes deep, and finally replied gently, "Although I also want to see him soon, this—is not something that can be rushed."