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The Grind (Book 2) Ch.14
🕑 Added 2024-08-13 01:19:34 +0000 UTCBlaise Zabini was rather enjoying Dorne as he’d seen it so far. The sun beat down on everything, a constant presence but not always a harsh one. The air carried a dry sort of heat that settled pleasantly against his skin. Wind was more common than it was not, offering brief respites with its gusts. The land wasn’t a complete desert but there was certainly enough sand, sun, and shrubs to go around.
He’d chosen Dorne as his destination partially for the novelty of it all, especially after spending two years in the cold North and even more before that in the Highlands of Scotland. The change in climate was a welcome one. Blaise had always felt that he did better in warmer places. Moving to England — in a life that hardly felt like his own now — had put a damper on that preference.
Even after only two years, Earth already felt so removed in his mind. In a way, almost nothing had changed. In another, everything had. Hogwarts was still with them, their only link to home. An ever-present reminder and comfort. But the time and world they found themselves in were so different from what they were used to. And so far, the research teams had only found less than promising leads for returning.
Personally, Blaise didn’t know if he wished to return in the first place. His mother was waiting for him, he knew. But then again… his mother was waiting for him… She must have missed him. Blaise was her only heir. After seven marriages — and being widowed an equal seven times — that was by choice, Blaise knew. He was the only heir she would accept. She did love him, in her unique way, but she’d miss him for the investment he represented as much as any sentimental reason. Valentina Zabini was more likely to secure a method of immortality (Valentina Flamel, anyone?) than carry another child to term. And in all honesty, Blaise wouldn’t put it past his mother to succeed there.
He’d grown used to the idea of Hogwarts on its own in this new world. They all had. Most by necessity. Some, however, eagerly anticipated the opportunities and possibilities offered by Westeros and Essos. A whole new world to explore, one where the Witches and Wizards of Hogwarts were as powerful and unmatched as their ancestors once were. Even with magic returning and native bloodlines awakening, they’d seen nothing that could match the sheer versatility of wanded wizardry.
Those who cared to try could become kings and queens in this new world. And the intellectually inclined had new, fascinating aspects of magic to study and explore. There was no shortage of things to do — no shortage of power to grasp — even just around Hogwarts and New Hogsmeade. The town around the castle continued to grow. It would soon become a city — small still, but important to the people who now called it home and the lands around them.
They’d accumulated a certain degree of importance, of power. Their proximity to, and alliance with, White Harbor kept raw goods flowing in. Not always in bulk, but most everything they needed could be sourced by the major port city in one way or another. Finished goods — unique to New Hogsmeade — were exported in turn. And that was all without mentioning magic and the knowledge Hogwarts could bring to bear.
But Blaise found himself turning his focus outward. His mother had raised him with a certain cynical philosophy. No matter what world he was in, there was only power. Power given, power taken, and power held — power in information, magic, and intrigue. It’d served him well on Earth and in Slytherin House. It would serve him even better in this new world, Blaise knew.
Hogwarts had certainly upended the balance of power in Westeros. News traveled to Hogwarts — both as slow as expected and surprisingly quickly. The Seven Kingdoms didn’t rest with Hogwarts’ intrusion. Hogwarts had affected more than they could ever know. The pot had been stirred. And Hogwarts wasn’t even necessarily at the center of it all.
The rising magic of the world was ‘their fault’. At least, it was in that Hogwarts spurred things into high gear. Magic would have risen anyway and Blaise was certain the Seven Kingdoms would have been engulfed in chaos sooner rather than later. But the announcement Dumbledore sent out threw a large, foreign gear into the works. Westeros’ newest faction of players couldn’t be ignored. Some existing players had seen an opportunity in Hogwarts’ existence. Others must have seen a threat or a rival. Hogwarts simply hadn’t felt the consequences of those latter perspectives just yet.
The Starks and Manderlys had settled into a comfortable and mutually beneficial alliance with Hogwarts. The Tyrells had wished to heal their heir and since succeeding, sought to deepen ties to the newest potent power in Westeros. Stannis Baratheon wished the same for his daughter, as well as to get rid of a pesky priestess who’d overstayed her welcome. All examples of power held by Hogwarts and their allied Lordly Houses.
On the other side of the coin, the Faith of the Seven were unhappy, to put things lightly. They hadn’t taken hostile action just yet but it was likely only a matter of time. Already, they’d sent missionaries to New Hogsmeade, aiming to preach to and condemn those who settled in pagan lands under pagan gods while practicing pagan magicks. The missionaries hadn’t found New Hogsmeade in the end, ‘inexplicably’ wandering the same area over and over again until they were forced to abandon their quest.
The Faith was also the driving force behind a significant portion of the magical refugees that the town had taken in. They had a terrible tendency to drive away even their most faithful followers once they showed hints of awakened magic. Not even their own gods’ miracles were safe at times, often misinterpreted by their septons and septas. Of course, that tendency was a boon to Hogwarts, in truth. If they could, all magical refugees eventually found their way north. New Hogsmeade was quickly becoming the only place awakened Smallfolk would be safe from their own neighbors. Power that was taken, even if the Faith was too short-sighted to realize it.
The Citadel and its Maesters were also rather disgruntled with Hogwarts’ existence. A few Maesters tried to insert themselves into Hogwarts, citing the expected reasons of ‘tradition’ and ‘aid’. All of them failed miserably. And many an Archmaester had sent letters to Dumbledore. Strongly worded letters that somehow never managed to cross the line into outright threats. But the spirit was there. They weren’t happy at all that another institution of knowledge was intruding on their turf. The fools didn’t even realize that they gave Hogwarts power and credibility by even sending letters in the first place.
As one of the internal Slytherin leaders — and quite content with his significant hold over the House of Snakes — Blaise was privy to those letters. They mostly consisted of requests, ‘requests’, and outright demands for Hogwarts’ cooperation (read: submission). Or essentially the medieval version of cease-and-desist notices. Dumbledore had made writing replies to the Maesters into a game of sorts, putting the process to committee and challenging those taking part to fit as many veiled and well-worded insults into the reply letters as they could.
Not all of the Maesters were hostile. Notably, a man who called himself ‘Marwyn the Mage’ was exceptionally interested in the magical knowledge Hogwarts could offer. Dumbledore had taken to corresponding with him personally. But as a whole, no one in Hogwarts trusted the Citadel.
Knowledge was power, especially in this largely uneducated time. And the Citadel had a monopoly on knowledge in Westeros. They were the only ‘university’ on the entire continent. On Earth, England alone had both Oxford and Cambridge. Add in that every castle and keep worth mentioning employed a Maester, and the Citadel kept far too much power in too few hands. While Blaise didn’t think there was some grand conspiracy at play, there were almost certainly smaller ones within the Citadel and Maesters who acted with nothing more than self-interest in all things. Marwyn the Mage proved that the Citadel wasn’t a monolith but his interest in magic could easily swing the other way in other Archmaesters.
For the Highborn of Westeros, Hogwarts tentatively had the King on their side, through both their relationship with Ned Stark and their aid to Stannis Baratheon. They counted the Tyrells among their allies as well. But more than a few high Lords would still be wary of them, or seek to use them, or simply look to eliminate a new power that they couldn’t control. Thankfully, Hogwarts’ most recent efforts offered a solution there.
Blaise was hardly the only one leaving Hogwarts’ proverbial nest. A wave of older students — all of them having reached their majority — were set to foster in various places across Westeros. Even just that act would improve relations and dissuade powerful Houses from feeling slighted. Additionally, there was the possibility of marriage matches in many cases, further tying the Highborn of Westeros to Hogwarts.
The Weasleys had gone back to Highgarden in the Reach with Willas Tyrell and Bran Stark. Draco and his newly-wed wife Svetlana were going to Casterly Rock in the Westerlands — something Lady Olenna claimed would ‘satisfy the Old Lion but not too much’. Cedric and Cho were staying with the Starks in Winterfell but also had plans to visit much of the North. Neville, Susan, and Hannah were sent to the Boltons for now but likely only until they decided where they truly wished to go.
Blaise himself was offered a few choices. Lady Olenna was keen on getting as many fosters for the Reach as she could. She’d promised a spot for her birth House — the Redwynes — and claimed that something could likely be arranged with House Hightower as well. But while Blaise rather liked the Queen of Thorns, he yearned for something more stimulating than the Reach’s ‘chivalry’.
He needed true intrigue — poison, daggers in silk sleeves, and snakes in the sand. As such, he had his sights set farther south. Thankfully, Prince Doran Martell of Dorne had been rather agreeable to an arrangement. Lady Olenna called Prince Doran a ‘poised snake that’s forgotten how to strike’. Blaise could tell she held a certain amount of respect for the man though. He long recognized the way a schemer spoke of another schemer and he looked forward to inserting himself into the Prince’s schemes.
So it was that Blaise was set for Sunspear and Dorne. As were Lavender and the Patil Twins. Lavender and Parvati wished to feel the heat and experience what passed for a liberal culture in this age. Padma was dragged along for the ride by her sister. Still, Blaise didn’t lament their presence. Though she put up an air-headed front, Blaise knew Lavender had a keen social mind. And the Patil Twins were quite literally magical Indian princesses, though they rarely claimed it and many back home didn’t realize just how influential the Patil name was in India.
The three young Witches also held a respectable powerbase within Hogwarts. If life were a movie set in an American High school, Lavender would be the queen bee. The head cheerleader. And Parvati would be her second. Even Padma was popular within her niche, a well-respected ‘Claw.
Most others within Hogwarts foolishly dismissed the three Witches. Padma was ‘too soft’. Lavender, ‘too ditzy’. And Parvati, ‘too vapid’. Blaise knew differently. And while he suspected they wouldn’t fit into snake-infested desert courts as well as himself, they would thrive in the tropical, freeing climate and culture of Dorne. Furthermore, Blaise thought it would be rather… rewarding to be the dagger to their silk.
At the end of Hogwarts’ second year in Westeros — the first few months of 297 AC by the local calendar — Blaise and his Witches left Hogwarts for Dorne. He wasn’t claiming them for himself, per se… but he certainly wouldn’t let harm come to them on his watch. While they were to be in Dorne, Parvati had asked to be a part of the ‘Black Widow’s web’. His mother’s title had passed onto him, it seemed, and Parvati had walked through the same thought process that he had. The eldest Patil Twin was much sharper than she was given credit for.
Technically, they were supposed to travel by ship from White Harbor to Sunspear. None of them wished to be stuck on a boat for weeks on end. They were Wizards. It simply wasn’t done and unnecessary beyond that. Instead, an ancient, dusty flying carpet had been found in the Room of Lost Things and restored to working order by Professor Flitwick. They’d be traveling in comfort and it would only take three days to arrive in Dorne, rather than the nearly three weeks of uncomfortable sea travel this world’s muggles had to stomach.
Still, they left late to keep up appearances. Ease and speed of travel were advantages to keep secret. They would arrive exactly when they were scheduled to, and Blaise had even gone so far as to Confundus a ship captain from White Harbor when they first discreetly landed in Sunspear. If anyone asked, they’d come to Dorne as passengers on his ship. Blaise was hardly above such intrigue.
“I think we should make an entrance to remember,” Parvati argued before they presented themselves to the Prince of Dorne and his court. “Sunspear’s court is held in the Tower of the Sun. We’re very likely the only ones in Dorne who can… let ourselves in. Directly.”
“Oooooh~, yeah! We’ve got this flying carpet! Let’s put it to good use! The setting is even right!” Lavender agreed.
Blaise raised a single, almost impassive eyebrow, “After I went through all this work to conceal our arrival?”
“Well, obviously, we didn’t travel the whole way on a carpet. Don’t be ridiculous, Blaise,” Parvati smiled as if butter wouldn’t melt in her mouth.
Blaise felt his lips quirk up slightly, “Ah, of course. ‘Obviously’, our magic has its limits. But it’s still something to marvel at and fear. After all, we’ll be bypassing all of the guards and walls of Sunspear without a fight. It’s certainly a bold statement you want to make, Parvati.”
“We’re going to get ourselves shot…” Padma sighed in resignation.
“Ah,” That gave Lavender a moment of pause. “Yeah, it might be a good idea to announce ourselves beforehand in some way.”
“Patronus message?” Parvati suggested.
“Not mine,” Blaise snorted softly. “I don’t think the court will react kindly to a ghostly, head-sized black widow that can speak, even if it is a Patronus.”
“Padma’s kitten and soft voice should make the most non-threatening impression,” Parvati considered.
“It’s not a kitten… It’s a fully grown Black-Footed Cat. It’s the deadliest and most efficient predatory cat, regardless of size…” Padma pouted.
“I know!” Parvati beamed. “I just like teasing you, Pads.”
Padma sighed and took out her wand, her voice soft and unassuming as she cast the Patronus message, “Greetings, Prince of Dorne… Your guests from Hogwarts have arrived as agreed and we will be introducing ourselves to your court shortly… Please, uh… Please clear a balcony for us and d-don’t be too alarmed…”
“Perfect! That’s settled. Now, let’s make sure they never forget us!” Lavender exclaimed excitedly.
“Do you really think that was ever going to be an issue?” Blaise drawled.
“We are rather unforgettable, aren’t we~?” Parvati teased with a grin, pretending to buff her nails on the silk of her Westernized saree.
That sent Lavender into a fit of giggles. Padma smiled softly at her sister. Blaise simply rolled his eyes and remounted their flying carpet. The girls followed him. The carpet heeded his guidance with a few spoken commands and his will backing up the rest. Slowly and dramatically, it rose from the small alleyway by the docks of Sunspear that they’d stopped in.
Awe and panic quickly spread below them as they flew at roof level above the city streets, “By the gods!”
“Mother, mother! Look, they’re flying!”
“Hells, that looks fun…”
“Volantis herself would be jealous.”
“A wondrous thing! Magic unmatched!”
“My Lords, my Lords! I am very rich! Very! I will pay a king’s ransom for your carpet!”
While Padma crowded closer to Blaise to avoid the attention from below, her sister and Lavender reveled in it. They stood tall on the stable carpet, waving beatifically at the plebs and merchants on the ground. Blonde and deliciously curvy, Lavender drew just about every man’s eye. Dusky-skinned and exotically gorgeous, Parvati looked every part the Indian princess she was.
Parvati had tailored the delicate silk sarees that she and her twin wore, just as Lavender had tailored her own dress — a more traditional Westerosi style with a decorative lace corset and a lowcut cleavage that cupped and showcased her truly bountiful bosom. The pair of them had also tailored Blaise’s clothes — a practical mix of medieval and modern centered around a slick and simple black doublet with a black widow and its web over Blaise’s heart.
The quartet didn’t stop for any of the calls up from the street. But they didn’t rush on their way to the palace either. Sunspear’s Shadow City passed beneath dangling carpet tassels. Sunspear proper loomed on a pointed cliff at the edge of the city, helping to cast it in the shadows of its name. It was a unique construction, the base taking the form of the bow of a longship — like a dromond washed ashore. From it, Arabic-esque towers with bronzed domes rose to glisten and shine in the Dornish sun.
Blaise and his Witches flew above it all, bypassing any form of security the castle could claim. Guards patrolling the walls stopped to gap at them as they flew well overhead. A few regained their bearings as their destination became clear. The horns of alarm they blew were too late on the draw. In mere moments, the carpet was alighting at the top of the second-tallest, but otherwise largest, tower.
The carpet floated in through one of several open arches at the top of the tower. Inside, the Prince of Dorne was holding court. He sat on a throne at the head of the room, opposite the ‘only entrance’. ‘Only entrance’ for most, at least… Doran Martell was an older man with salt-and-pepper hair and beard. At his age, it was turning much more salt than pepper. He observed their entrance unflinchingly, an ever-assessing gleam in his eyes.
An enormous man stood guard at the side of his throne. Bearded and gruff, with a steely expression. An axe as tall as he was rested readily at his side. An empty throne sat on the other side of the Prince’s throne. And beside it, another, smaller throne sat on a ceremoniously slightly lower step.
From the third throne, a young woman eyed the flying carpet with shining awe. She was short and curvy, apparent even from her seat. Her olive skin looked sinfully soft to the touch and full-bodied hair fell in lush ringlets down her back. Large, dark, and soulful eyes lit up brilliantly at their uniquely spectacular entrance. A certain hungry — sultry and familiar to Blaise — settled there as she took in their appearances. He made note that her gaze didn’t discriminate between him and the girls.
Vassals and courtiers lined the sides of the throne room. The carpet flew right over the heads of some of them. They were a diverse lot, most seemingly Dornish but with more than a few outliers. Blaise easily discerned awe, fear, and shock on many faces. Here and there, he saw greed. But none more than one man.
He stood directly before the throne. Most likely, he was making his appeal or introduction to the Prince. He was notably not Dornish. Instead, he bore the coloring of a Valyrian, if Blaise’s studies of the wider world proved fruitful. But the aspect of most note was the expression on his face. A simmering sort of indignity at being interrupted that was almost completely overwhelmed by sheer, all-consuming, coveting arrogance.
The guards of the throne room were tense, including the massive man at the Prince’s side. But they didn’t do anything more than shift and move their hands to weapons. Swords stayed undrawn. A pair of crossbows were held and cocked but still lowered. And the Prince’s main guard didn’t move his ungodly bearded axe an inch.
“I see you got our message,” Blaise commented, his tone kept purposefully easy, confidently amused, and unthreatening.
“Yes, unorthodox as it may have been,” Prince Doran replied. “We did receive your… ghostly kitten messenger.”
“It’s not a kitten…” Padma pouted quietly.
Her voice carried at the top of the domed tower and the Princess interjected as well, “Yes, Father, could you not see that it was a deadly Black-Footed Desert Cat?”
The Prince allowed his lips to twitch slightly, “I don’t think you’re going to convince our guests to part with it, Arianne, my daughter.”
“Very well,” Princess Arianne pretended to sniff imperiously. “I shall settle for merely petting the noble creature.”
Her attempt at humor drew a soft smile from Padma, a more eager one from Parvati, and a giggle from Lavender. Blaise willed the carpet forward to the center of the throne room, forcing the Valyrian-colored Lord to step aside. He scowled fiercely but did so. But as he did, the man tried to run his greedy, grubby fingers along the weave of the carpet.
“Touch it and I will maim you,” Blaise stopped him dead with a paradoxically blunt and piercing stare.
“A threat?” The man sneered, a noticeably foreign accent to his words.
“A promise.”
“The Old Blood will see you bow in chains, burnt boy.”
“Oh, joy. Racism. From a foreign Lord in a foreign land, no less,” Blaise deadpanned, unphased. “How… original.”
“Enough,” Doran interrupted both Blaise’s deadpan and the ‘Old Blood’ Lord’s sneering. “You are both guests in my court. You will behave as such.”
“Of course, Your Highness,” Blaise gave a shallow, nodding bow as he and the girls dismounted the carpet. “I wouldn’t dream of being the first to violate your hospitality.”
The carpet rolled up, seemingly on its own and notably away from the confrontational Lord. As it did, the Lord took another step back and schooled the sneer on his face. He gave a stiff half-bow to the Prince and made it seem as if the issue was settled. Blaise didn’t believe it for a moment — and he knew Doran and Arianne were likely just as ‘fooled’. The vicious glint in those purple eyes as the Lord backed down didn’t escape his notice.
‘Bare minutes in Dorne and already making foreign enemies,’ Blaise thought, forcibly schooling a grin. ‘Oh, what fun~…’
Parvati stepped forward, dipping into a respectful curtsy. Lavender and Padma followed her lead, “Thank you for hosting us, Your Highness. Hogwarts will not forget this honor. Allow me introductions to yourself and your court, if you would.”
Doran nodded his permission and Parvati continued, “I am Parvati Patil, and my twin is Padma. We were princesses in our homelands but can no longer claim the title for anything other than honor. My lovely blonde companion is Lavender Brown. She is a Lady of good standing and popularity within Hogwarts. My tall, dark, and dashing male companion is Lord Blaise Zabini. He is the Black Widow’s Son. Though that title will mean very little to you, his mother Valentina is a woman to be reckoned with in our homelands — loved and feared by all who meet her.”
“Black Widow?” Arianne purred curiously. “And how did your mother come to bear such an epithet, Lord Blaise~?”
Blaise casually rolled his shoulders as the girls stood straight again, “Are you aware that female Black Widows eat their mates?”
Arianne blinked, “I was not, though that knowledge is fascinating.”
“And appropriate,” Blaise continued. “My mother was widowed seven times, Princess Arianne. With each husband, she was left wealthier than the last. Many claimed the deaths were suspicious but nothing could ever be proven. And the rumors never stopped men from walking into my mother’s web. Seven times, Your Highness. My mother certainly… earned… her reputation. I’ve always been proud to call myself her son.”
A quiet moment lingered in the court at Blaise’s brief tale. Even the dullest of guards could pick up the implication in his words, to say nothing of the experienced players of the Prince’s court. Yet even in Dorne, Blaise’s mother must have been something special, going by the shock, scandal, and speechless silence.
Then Arianne began to giggle — incredulously at first but quickly growing earnest and intensely amused, “Hehe… Heheheh~, your mother sounds a wonderful woman, Lord Blaise. Truly, a Lady to aspire to.”
Doran quirked a smile as well, though he gazed at Blaise with calculating eyes, “Yes, I believe she would have gotten on well with my brother Oberyn.”
“I’ve heard tales of the Red Viper from Lady Olenna Tyrell,” Blaise said, the barest hint of humor in his tone. “From what I’ve heard, I think I can safely say their meeting would be one for the ages. In all blunt honesty, you should thank whatever gods you hold dear that such a meeting looks untenable for the foreseeable future, Your Highness.”
“Surely, the Black Widow wouldn’t think her fangs could break the Viper’s scales,” Arianne teased.
Blaise made a show of barely stifling a snort, “You don’t know my mother as I do, Princess Arianne. They would either conquer the Seven Kingdoms with their love or see them brought to war for the very same.”
“And you take after her, Black Widow’s Son?” Arianne challenged, her sultry smile only growing wider as they exchanged words.
Blaise let a dashing smirk tinged with danger — the expression practically beaten into him by his mother — settle on his lips, “So some say, Princess. So some say~…”
IIIII
Fostering in Dorne was not a dull experience, Blaise quickly found in the weeks to come. Life in this new world moved at a somewhat slower pace than he’d been used to. Two years had passed in Hogwarts since their involuntary arrival. And while the denizens of the castle certainly kept themselves busy, nothing overly grand had happened to compare to the Triwizard Tournament and the Wizard’s coup that had followed it.
Progress was made, of course. There was a new town to be grown, with new responsibilities to take up and many, many new things to learn and practice. But it was a steady, unchallenged, and almost routine sort of progress. It lacked a certain stimulating flair that Blaise missed.
Life in the Dornish court did not lack that same flair. There were almost constantly new people and players to meet. Merchants, vassals, and visiting Lords came and went from Sunspear, the seat of Dornish power. And with them, they brought a whole new game to learn, foreign yet familiar to Blaise. Everyone wanted something. Motivations and ambitions formed a complex, ever-changing web. Yet power was a constant. It always was, no matter where one went.
He quickly realized that he and his Witches held an unprecedented power here in Dorne. Magic, of course, but more than that. Hogwarts itself was power. For the newest and strangest faction in Westeros, people bent over backward to learn more, form alliances, and earn their favor. They were guests of honor, prized by House Martell above all others. Princess Arianne had taken an especially intent interest in them.
While they joined the Prince’s Court at times, they spent much of their time at House Martell’s private retreat. It was a gorgeous holding near the sea called the Water Gardens. Many of Dorne’s younger generations were fostered there under the watchful eye of House Martell. A way to deepen ties with their vassals and offer a safe, somewhat neutral place for the children to grow and take their first steps into the shifting sands of Dornish politics.
It was there in that gorgeous holding that Lavender and Parvati (and Padma, swept along by her sister) introduced this world to the wonders of skimpy bikinis and nubile modern teenage flesh. At 18, the young Witches had certainly come into their own bodies. Lavender and Parvati didn’t have an ounce of shame to spare between the two of them. They were hot. They knew they were hot. And they aimed to make even the liberal Dornish seem like prudes.
Lavender favored a complex yellow bikini. On Earth, it would have been the height of lewd fashion. The kind of thing Blaise would expect to see on a swimsuit runway model. Where she hid her wand in that affair, Blaise would never know. Sheer strings crisscrossed her skin, inviting the imagination to wander. Yet, it didn’t leave very much private from those wanderings at all. The strings sat high on her waist, riding her wide hips. They framed her soft belly button like a work of art. And her full, prodigious breasts practically spilled out of them.
Parvati’s suit of choice was simpler, complementing her slim, slender, and sensual form. She was all sleek lines and surprisingly taut muscles. Combined with her dusky skin — as if bronzed by the gods — the more traditional black top looked almost natural. A pair of cut-off shorts as small as any bikini bottom added a touch of spice to her suit.
Padma was the most ‘modest’ of the three. Modest for modern Earth, not Westeros. The cutely frilled, light pink top and bottom matched her personality and her body. She was softer than her twin sister, seeming smaller as well, even though they were identical. She lacked the slim, understated muscle of Parvati but soft brown skin and slender curves had an appeal all their own.
The bikinis alone might have explained much of Arianne’s interest in the Witches (and the sole Wizard) of Hogwarts. Even for Dorne, two bits of string and so much bare skin were beyond the pale. Thankfully, the Dornish didn’t react with scandal. No, instead, they reacted with desire. And perhaps a little shock that they hadn’t thought of such a thing for themselves.
Blaise would certainly remember Arianne’s reaction when she first came upon the Witches lounging at the pools of the Water Gardens in practically nothing. The Princess’ mouth had dropped open into a perfectly shaped ‘O’ and she stopped in her tracks to stare. She seemed as if she would start drooling at any moment, and was very clearly committing the ‘indecent’ scene to memory.
“O-Oh! Oh…! Oh my~…”
“They’re something special, aren’t they?”
Blaise ‘stood guard’ over his Witches as they lounged in the sun at the edge of the pool. None of the Dornish had overstepped. Most merely stared in awe and lust to spare, even the guards of the Water Gardens. Still, Blaise ensured it stayed that way. He wore a modern suit as well. The sun beat down on his bare chest and the trunks were form-fitting but not overly tight. It was a more subtle approach than the Witches’ but one that still invited a Lady’s mind to wander.
As evidenced when Arianne’s gaze drifted to him and almost immediately followed the dark lines of his muscles down to a certain bulge in said trunks. Her eyes darted back up to his own but couldn’t resist another peek. A sultry desert heat burned there as she took in Blaise and his Witches.
“A-Ahem,” She cleared her throat and regained her royal bearing but that heat wasn’t quenched easily. “What… wonderful, glorious, inspiring things have you and yours brought to Dorne, Lord Blaise~?”
“You like them?” Lavender beamed a friendly and preppy smile at Arianne. “Great! Do you want one? I think you’d look scrump-diddly-uptious in a bikini, Princess Arianne~!”
“You brought more of these delightfully indecent costumes?” Arianne asked, excitement shining in her eyes.
“We did,” Parvati confirmed. “But Lavender’s a fair bit taller than you and you’re thicker than Padma and I. Hmm… Would you rather Blaise or one of us girls do the honors?”
Arianne tittered behind her hand, “Oh my, choices, choices~. And what would this ‘honor’ entail~?”
“Just a simple change and fitting, if you’re willing to exchange your current clothes for a bikini like theirs,” Blaise explained, nodding to the three examples already ‘on display’.
“Dresses, silks, and veils for a bi-ki-ni…?” Arianne mused, sounding out the modern word. “Yes, I believe that is a fair trade. The other noble Ladies of Dorne will simply be beside themselves with envy but it is only fair that their Princess is the first to receive such an alluring novelty.”
“Better do it yourself, Parvati,” Blaise said. “Otherwise, you’ll just nitpick me endlessly for putting her in an even slightly unflattering fashion.”
Parvati nodded and climbed to her feet. Arianne didn’t flinch as she approached and drew her wand. But Blaise noticed the guards stationed around the pool watching the interaction closely. Already, the dangers of a Wizard or Witches’ wand were becoming well-known. Doing impossible things with a ‘mere stick of wood’ tended to draw that kind of attention. While they were keeping magic close to their chests, they hadn’t completely abandoned it for all things.
Parvati began to circle Arianne and tap the tip of her wand to her lip, assessing the Princess’ body and what fashion would fit it best. Arianne bore the process with a certain familiarity, undoubtedly well-used to being measured and fitted for clothes. As Parvati indulged her passion for tailoring and fashion, Arianne turned her attention back to Blaise.
“Oh~?” Arianne fluttered her lashes at him. “Does the Black Widow’s Son not wish to take the chance to entangle me so~? I would have to surrender my noble, nubile body to your measuring, fitting hands, Lord Blaise~. Does that idea not appeal to you?”
Blaise smirked, “Rest assured, Princess, it appeals. But I’d rather give your princely father one indignity at a time. For now.”
“Then you may ‘rest assured’ as well, my Lord,” Arianne scoffed in good humor. “My father holds no say in my paramours. One day, I shall marry as he deems fit. But even then, my lovers are my own, not his.”
Blaise gave a shallow, somewhat rhetorical bow, “And I am thankful for that. Your father may be a great man but my fancy doesn’t lean in that direction.”
“Uncle Oberyn will be most disappointed to hear that when he returns to Sunspear,” Arianne teased.
“I’ll have to indulge him in other things to compensate for our lack of shared… ‘preferences’,” Blaise nodded.
“You share at least half of his preferences, my Lord,” Arianne giggled, the sound like an oasis in the desert to Blaise’s ears.
Parvati began to wave her wand, stealing the Princess’ attention away for a moment, “Oh! What an odd feeling…”
Her flowing dress melted away under Parvati’s Transfiguration. Most of Arianne’s silk stayed. A sheer silken shift settled on her hips, tied so an open slit ran up one leg. A pure white bikini bottom popped against Arianne’s caramel skin underneath. More solid silk acted as a top, looking to be tied only at Arianne’s breasts and behind her neck though Blaise knew the arrangement was anything but unsecured. Still, it left Arianne’s side and back bare and seemed to defy gravity and logic. The benefits of magical fashion, of course.
“It’s beautiful,” Arianne marveled when Parvati was done. “Truly, Hogwarts should have come to Dorne much sooner. Your talents are wasted on the fashions of the other six Kingdoms.”
“Morgana, tell me about it,” Lavender rolled her eyes playfully. “I still remember how the Stark boys and men-at-arms couldn’t even handle simple short skirts!”
“Here in Dorne, the heat is freeing,” Arianne nodded in commiseration. “Both for clothing and sensibilities. It heartens me to see that Hogwarts shares the sentiment. Though some may have guessed as much by the gift of your history shared by your announcement~.”
“How was Hogwarts, A History received…?” Padma asked softly.
“In Dorne? Spectacularly,” Arianne giggled, following Parvati to the pool’s edge and settling with the other girls as she kicked her feet in the water. “Its lurid tales have kept me warm on many a cold, desert night. I consider it the newest treasure of House Martell. I believe Uncle Oberyn found it equally… inspiring~. His new youngest daughter was conceived suspiciously soon after it arrived.
“Elsewhere? I suspect it made you as many enemies as it did friends. I doubt there is a Lady in the realm who didn’t ‘appreciate’ it at least once. But they cannot claim such appreciation openly as we can in Dorne.”
“What about the more, err… educational half of it?” Padma blushed, dancing around the pornographic elephant in the room.
“Oh, both halves were equally ‘educational’, in my opinion,” Arianne teased with a smirk. “But yes, the first half was also appreciated. History is to be cherished. A wholly new history with tales never before heard is priceless, indeed.”
As the girls happily conversed, Blaise began to notice something was off with the guards of the Water Gardens. Discreetly and seemingly with his attention still on the Ladies, he counted. And came up short. Yet the guards themselves didn’t seem to notice that some of their own were missing. Blaise palmed his wand, out of sight but ready to drop into his fingers at a moment’s notice.
“Heh, Hogwarts is def’ priceless. I wouldn’t trade it for the world. It’s home now. And all we have left of it…” Lavender said, growing somber near the end.
“Hmm, would you tell me of Hogwarts?” Arianne hummed a request. “I learned of the past from your gift, but what of the present? Do the four great Houses still stand? Do you claim descendence from them?”
Blaise noted the request for what it was — a subtle probe into the inner workings of Hogwarts — as he replied, “Gryffindor, Slytherin, Hufflepuff, and Ravenclaw still stand, though they’ve taken on forms you might not recognize. Instead of shared blood, they are families found and created. Every Hogwarts student is assigned to a House. Lavender and Parvati are in Gryffindor, Padma is in Ravenclaw, and I can only claim Slytherin.”
“Fascinating,” Arriane mused. “Would that not promote division within the castle?”
“In a way,” Blaise nodded. “Certainly before we were uprooted. Now, it merely creates a unique form of unity. Padma is well-respected in Ravenclaw and they tend to focus themselves on more intellectual and studious pursuits. Without them, Hogwarts would never progress. Lavender and Parvati’s popularity transcends House lines. They maintain a sort of stranglehold over many of Hogwarts’ Ladies.”
“And you, Lord Blaise~? What internal powerbase do you possess~?” Arianne gave a sultry smirk.
“Most of Slytherin looks to me for guidance,” Blaise said humbly. “Some of Ravenclaw as well. The lions and badgers of Gryffindor and Hufflepuff have been tough nuts to crack but…”
“Romilda Vane, Megan Jones, Leanne Bett, Milly Bulstrode, Su Li, Lisa Turpin, Marietta Edgecombe, Sophie Rogers, Rachael Codnor, Daisy Corran, and Helen Dawlish,” Lavender listed, seemingly unprompted.
Arianne blinked uncomprehendingly, “Pardon…?”
Parvati giggled, “All of the Witches who have something of a fancy for our dark, dashing, and dangerous Black Widow’s Son~.”
Arianne’s full lips parted ever-so-slightly in amusement, “Aha~…! It seems you understate your hold over Hogwarts, Lord Blaise.”
Ignoring the amused jab, Blaise raised an imperious eyebrow at Lavender, “Not going to include yourselves in that list?”
Lavender playfully turned her nose up at him, her arms crossing under her chest in a way that ‘just so happened’ to present her breasts like melons waiting to be plucked, “Hmph~! You can’t prove anything. Chocolate skin, a hunky-dunky bod, and an abso’ fetch face aren’t enough to loosen these luscious lips, no siree!”
“Ah, curses,” Blaise deadpanned, his voice comically flat. “And here I thought I had a chance with three of the most gorgeous girls of our year.”
Lavender’s eyes darted to him for a moment as her playful mask wavered briefly, “I mean…”
“Hold that thought, Lav love,” Blaise interrupted her, his eyes elsewhere. “It seems we’ve got a spot of company.”
Indeed, as they’d conversed and flirted, more of the Water Gardens’ guards had disappeared until only the five closest remained. At some unseen signal, man after man began to pour from hiding places around the pool. They were gruff men, all armed with swords or crossbows and bearing no discernable sigils. Most notably, they seemed worryingly professional.
The remaining guards took up arms and shouted for their comrades. They got no response. The guards who’d already disappeared were likely dead, Blaise knew. These men didn’t look like the types to leave potential enemies tied up or unconscious. And nearly 50 strong, the guards had almost certainly been overwhelmed and had their throats slit one by one. To do such a thing silently would have been impressive to Blaise… in any other situation.
Intimidated but unbroken, the remaining guards brandished their spears. One of the men marked himself a leader, stepping forward and clicking his tongue with condescension.
“Careful now, boys. We’re not here for yer princess. Just the Hell-witches and the burnt boy. We’re being paid good coin — very good — to take ‘em alive. This can all still be solved peacefully, yeah?”
Unfortunately, that information did make the guards hesitate. Their duty was to Arianne. Outnumbered as they were, it wasn’t a surprise that they’d only look out for themselves and their princess. Knowing he could hardly count on their loyalty, Blaise took a casual, confident step forward.
“Well, girls, four against 50. What do you say? Fair fight?”
“Not nearly,” Lavender growled, matching his step forward. “They interrupted our flirting.”
“Ah,” Blaise tutted, shaking his head with faux regret. “It seems their lives are forfeit then.”
“Don’t try nothing now,” The men moved around to encircle them. “Even accursed magic won’t save ya from yer fate. Someone with coin to spare wants the lot of ya. Refusing the First Daughter don’t often end well for folks.”
Blaise smiled a calm, almost languid smile, “We’ll see.”
In the inevitable massacre that followed, Blaise learned a few new things and reconfirmed something else. Firstly, killing slaving mercenaries was much easier than he expected. Secondly, a certain ‘Old Blood’ noble deserved to suffer before he died and Hogwarts may have just gained its first foreign foe in the anathema ‘Free city’ he claimed. And lastly, cosmetic charms could be more gruesome than most everyone realized and Lavender Brown was a terrible force of nature when her flirting fun was interrupted.
“Things were just getting good, you bloody chav-fucking wankers! Botched Full-body Brazilian Waxicus!”
Truly terrible…
IIIII
Bonus Pics (r34 art this time just to shake it up a bit)
Comments
Kz3838
Thank you for the great chapter, I really like how you wrote the Dornish and the idea of a purposefully botched cosmetic charm is kind of horrifying to think about. Stay safe out there and keep up the good work!
General_Rain
With a modified version of the bubble head charm that covers the whole body a group of witches and wizards could even visit Valyria to hunt for treasures. Bright Roar the heirloom of house Lannister is said to have been lost there during the Doom. With the pointing spell the sword and other lost relics could be easily found. It would be hilarious to see what Lord Tywin would do if the sword had secretly been stolen by the Maesters at Old Town all those years ago. We all know how he treated the nobles that stole from his family in the past.
General_Rain
Something that the Hogwarts team could do is make an accurate map of each of the kingdoms of Westeros and then explore the surrounding oceans to make better navigation charts/maps for the White Harbor ships to use with their new compasses. They could use brooms and that invisibility charm the older students learn or Heathers invisibility cloak to do so without being seen.
DerkKill
pebble two piece bikini/Micro Bikini Self-tie Bra Top with G-String Briefs/Sling Shot Micro Bikini/High Cut Leotard Monokini Bikini Swimsuit/Cutout High Cut Leotard See-through Swimwear/Extreme Sexy Deep V Neck Monokini/Sling Shot Halter Lingerie Swimwear/Sexy Micro Mini Monokini Swimwear/Tiny Micro Bikini Sheer Unlined G String V-string Thong Monokini/
General_Rain
As a side note, we know Professor Severus has to use glass or crystal vials for storing potions. Now that Myr is the closest/only store to resupply and their legendary lack of quality or customer service. I imagine that either Hogwarts will eventually make their own superior glass or just take over Myr. It is a merchant city they wouldn't even really need to fight them if they fall for a pureblood corporate hostile takeover scheme.
General_Rain
It would be funny if Atlas copies the dragon egg they received from Lord Stannis and permanently transfigure some large rocks to look like dragon eggs. They could sell them to the slavers for all the available unsullied troops. Since the gelding they received during training is not done with a curse Poppy probably has a spell or potion to heal it. That would make them able to have a family and as the show taught us they make a great loyal army if you treat them right. With five thousand Unsullied and about a dozen members of Slytherin reinforcements Blaze could easily become the new ruler of Volantis.
General_Rain
Well there goes Lord Blaze off to conquer Volantis in the near future possibly with some Dornish girlfriends along with his Hogwarts crew. They have no idea how bord the witchs & wizards of Slytherin house must be after two years in Westeros without quidditch. Since they are hiding the use of brooms to fly, and no major fights against Gryffindor means they are a powder keg eager to explode into action.
TheRavenbrand
Oh, the boltons gonna die. The Second Boy-Who-Lived is gonna have some real anger at what the Boltons have been doing to innocent people. I case people forgot, Neville was there when the Death Eaters tortured his parents. He survived their attack and thus became a boy-who-lived.
Sebastian
Hey can u please fix holdoor I have a feeling he is different if he had all his card in a deck
QuantumServer
Thanks for the chapter!
dryskies_btb
That's about accurate. The Southern plotline is mostly reserved for Atlas and his girls. Blaise kicks off the Eastern plotline here but Neville will mostly carry that one. And then Jon and Cedric will stay in the North and go beyond the Wall. The next chapters should be Atlas's POV and then Neville's POV (w/ the Boltons lol), then likely Atlas again before we get Cedric's POV of the King's visit to Winterfell.
Marius Petrauskas
great stuff
Based_Bass
Lol that went about as well as expected. Also damn Lavender…that shit is brutal. Intentionally botched cosmetic charms are not a thing I think I ever wanted to imagine.
jp9901
Nah, a Brazilian wax has to be an unforgivable to these men! Can I just say that I love how you've portrayed all these characters, they have their memorable quirks and traits but they aren't one dimensional (Fleur is still iffy to me, needs to tone it down on the praise a little)!
TheRavenbrand
You know what this means? Longer story and definitely interesting.
JO LP
dryskies already said in a comment for chapter 12 that there are three concurrent main plotlines planned for this story. North, South and East. I'm guessing we just got a peak at the start of the East plotline, despite them currently being in the south, it seems events will push them eastward. I don't think this is the South plotline. My theory for that one is that it will deal with the Citadel and the Faith, while the East will deal with slavery and the North will deal with he Iron Throne and hopefully White Walker that are less underwhelming than what we got in the show.
DamnedThrice
That's fair. Its just hard to keep track of so many characters which each have their own plotlines. And those are just the HP characters.
TheRavenbrand
One for each kingdom. Have to get the lay of the land before our boy moves. You have to have all the pieces in writing before you have the main character move. Otherwise you wouldnt know why something happened, for what reason and you don't want details that could be a chapter to be a throw away line.
TheRavenbrand
Yes yes!
DamnedThrice
As much as I love exposition, the more characters you focus chapters on, the more difficult following the story becomes. That was honestly my biggest grip with ASOIAF. So I'm kinda hoping there isn't another 6 to 10 chapters of following characters who aren't the MC.
