[110] The Dragon’s Gift

Chapter 110: The Dragon's Gift

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The door closed with a soft click behind the departing council members, leaving Yara and me alone in the chamber that still held the lingering scents of perfume and authority.

Sunlight streamed through the tall windows, casting golden patterns across the detailed map of Westeros on the council table.

I circled around, enjoying the momentary silence while studying the Iron Queen. Yara stood with one hand resting on the hilt of her dagger, her posture relaxed. The leather jerkin she wore hugged her athletic frame, emphasizing the strength in her shoulders while the fabric strained slightly against her full breasts.

Unlike the polished, soft beauty of my wives, Yara's appeal came from her raw power and confidence. The kind of woman who could command respect on the deck of a ship with just a glance.

"Your dedication to our cause deserves a proper reward, I realize," I said, leaning against the edge of the table. "You've proven yourself time and again."

Yara raised an eyebrow, her lips curving into that familiar half-smile that never fully committed to warmth. "If you're offering more bodily pleasure, Your Grace, you could have just said so without the dramatic private audience."

I laughed, amused by her bluntness. "That's what I appreciate about you, Yara. No flowery southern courtesies, just salt and iron."

"We Ironborn don't waste words, Viserys," she replied, crossing her arms. "So what is it you really want to discuss?"

I straightened, moving toward one of the side tables where a flagon of Dornish red and several goblets waited. "Khal Drogo tried to pour a molten golden crown on my skull. Do you know how I survived that?" It was time to bullshit a little.

Her eyes narrowed slightly. "No idea. Some of the stories say you flew away on a dragon. Although I thought it was horseshit until you showed up with one."

I didn’t know the stories around me were like that. I didn’t even have a dragon back then. How did such a stupid rumor start?

"Yes, but before that." I poured two cups of wine, offering one to her. "How did I survive having molten gold poured over my head? How did I block a crossbow bolt with my bare hand in Highgarden?"

Yara accepted the wine but didn't drink immediately, her gaze sharpening with interest. "I've wondered. Some say the Lord of Light blessed you."

"Pick up that dagger," I said suddenly, setting my goblet down and rolling up my sleeve to expose my forearm. "Cut me."

"What?" She blinked, clearly caught off guard.

"You heard me." I extended my arm toward her. "A small cut. I want to show you something."

Hesitation flickered across her face—not from squeamishness, certainly, but from confusion. After a moment, she set her wine aside and unsheathed her dagger. The steel gleamed in the sunlight as she stepped closer.

"If this is some strange kingly kink..." she muttered, pressing the blade to my flesh.

"Just do it," I urged.

She applied pressure, and her brow furrowed immediately.

The blade seemed to resist, like she was trying to cut through tough leather rather than skin. With additional force, she finally managed to open a thin line across my forearm, a trickle of blood welling up.

"Why's your skin so hard? What- whoaa, seven hells," she whispered, eyes widening as the wound began to close before our eyes, the blood receding until nothing remained but a faint pink line that too disappeared within half a minute.

"That's..." She looked up at me, genuine astonishment on her face.

"One of many gifts," I said, rolling my sleeve back down. "It’s not some magical gift from the Red God. It's my own. A power I awakened through my true self."

Yara stepped back, her expression a fascinating mix of awe and suspicion. "Such powers coming from your own? Sounds like something from a fever dream."

"Perhaps. But very real nonetheless." I focused my attention, calling forth the interface that had become second nature to me. A translucent blue screen materialized in the air between us, text floating in neat rows. It was a new menu.

===

[Dragon King's Shared Powers Menu]

Select recipient:

(1) Yara Greyjoy

(2) Sansa Stark

Available Traits:

(1) Dragon Wings (Click to Lend)]

(2) Regeneration (Click to Lend)]

===

I blinked in surprise. Sansa is here too, huh? My northern wife was the only other virgin I'd been with, which was probably the only reason why her name came here.

“Why're you staring at empty air?” Yara asked. “Some kind of dark magic?”

"Not dark at all. More like... otherworldly magic, let's say," I explained, enjoying her rare display of amazement. "The blood of Old Valyria runs stronger in me than anyone realized. With these powers, I can bestow certain powers upon my lovers. It helps if the said lovers were maidens, like you were.”

Her eyes snapped to mine, a flush rising to her cheeks. "You knew?"

I smiled. "Of course I did."

"That's why you gave me the wings," she said slowly, understanding dawning as she looked to the side. "Because you… really think of me as your woman, rather than a pawn? "

She's reaching conclusions of her own, but it's that far fetched. I'll let her be. "Anyway, now I'm offering you more."

I touched the screen, clicking her name first, and then the (Click to Lend) button beside [Regeneration]. The text flickered, pulsing with golden light.

[Transfer successful!]

[Your Mate Yara Greyjoy has now access to Regeneration, a passive trait. You still have access to it, of course. If you want, you can also stop lending it to her anytime you want.]

While I completed the process, I silently added the other recipient—Sansa Stark. My northern wife was quite soft, and needed some protection she could get.

I only gave her Regeneration though, not Dragon Wings, unlike with Yara. Since she was a warrior, the commander of my fleet, she needed both these powers.

Unlike Yara, I wouldn't tell Sansa about this gift yet. Better to let her discover it naturally if the need arose.

"Now," I said, dismissing the screen with a wave, "you too have the power to heal. It can close wounds and resist disease."

I didn't mention that it could slow down her aging, too. This is why I had to be careful with whom I'd lend this trait to. While I didn't know how much slower my aging would be, I expected it to be at least a few hundred years similar to dragons of this world. So, I'd have to be careful which companion I wanted to keep with me for the centuries to come.

Yara stared at her hands as if expecting to see them glowing. "Prove it."

I smirked and handed her the same dagger. "Try it."

Without hesitation—as suited Yara—she drew the blade across her palm. Blood welled up immediately, but to her visible astonishment, the cut sealed itself within moments, leaving behind clean, unmarked skin.

"Fucking crazy," she breathed, a smile of genuine delight spreading across her face. She looked younger suddenly, more carefree than I'd ever seen her. "This is... this is incredible!"

"It is," I agreed, watching her experiment with another small cut that healed just as quickly. "But there's a catch."

Her eyes lifted to mine, suddenly wary. "Of course there is."

"As my chosen one, I'm allowing you to hold multiple gifts. The Dragon Wings and this Regeneration,” I explained, leaning closer. "But later, you must choose which you want to keep. I'm saying that, by the end of this Dornish situation, you'll need to decide—the wings or the healing."

Yara Greyjoy was a great part of my realm's fighting force, and I enjoyed her company too. But I couldn't give her too much of these powers just yet—if ever.

"What?" The joy drained from her face, replaced by something close to outrage. She stepped toward me, her hand briefly tightening around her clothes. "That's not fair, come on. I need both."

"I have limited energy to maintain these gifts in others," I lied smoothly. In truth, the System had no such limitation, but I needed to maintain control. Giving her too much power too quickly would be unwise. "Choose wisely when the time comes. Which serves the Iron Islands better—flight or immortality?"

Yara's eyes dropped to the dagger in her hand, then back to me. I almost burst out laughing as I saw the calculations running behind those sea-green eyes.

The strategic value of each power, the personal benefits, the implications for her rule. She bit her lips, dropping the dagger and pulling me by the collar a little. "You are such a bad man, baiting me with such great power for what? I'm already yours.”

I stepped closer until the point of her face rested against my chest. "You're mine, but you'd always put the Iron Islands first. We both know that.”

Her lips twitched, and she sighed easily. “Oh well, that's a good point. Even though I feel like you're manipulating me somehow.”

"No way. I'm a King," I corrected, gently pushing the dagger aside. "And you're my Queen of Salt and Iron. Why'd I lie to you?”

“Hmmm…”

Without warning, she yanked the front of my doublet and pulled me into a fierce kiss. Her lips were demanding, tasting of wine and salt wind. I responded in kind, my hands finding her waist and pulling her hard against me.

This was so different from the calculated seduction of Margaery or the sweet surrender of Sansa—this was a clash of wills, neither of us truly submitting.

When we broke apart, both slightly breathless, she still fixed me with that defiant stare. "Well, since you already know that I'm not just your puppet to play with… Fine, I'll make a decision after this situation is dealt with.”

"I would expect nothing less," I replied, my fingers tracing the strong line of her jaw. "That's what makes you valuable."

And unpredictable, I thought privately. In the show, Yara had been a minor character, her fate ultimately tied to Theon's arc. But here, with my influence, she was becoming something entirely different—a true power in her own right. I was curious about her future.

She stepped back, her expression going easy. "I should prepare my fleet. Three days isn't much time."

"Before you go," I said, catching her wrist. "One more thing."

I leaned in close, whispering some minute detailed instructions about what to do if she encountered certain... complications during her mission.

Her eyes lit up slightly, but she nodded. "Understood."

As she turned to leave the chamber, I watched the confident sway of her hips, the strength in her shoulders, and felt a surge of satisfaction.

The Dragon System had given me the means to reshape this world, one powerful woman at a time.

"Are you really not going to yank me by the arm and keep me for a hit longer, my King?” she suddenly called over her shoulder, pausing at the door.

"I thought you said three days wasn't much time," I said, before yanking her towards me, and bending her over the Small Council table. “Let me give you some extra reward then.”

Her face pressed against the table, she turned her head back to look at me with a bite of her lip. “Nghn… yes.”

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