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Chapter 402 - Chapter 402: The Revival of Valyria

Jon's castle is known as Icebreaker Castle.

When Viserys urged him to abandon joining the Night's Watch and instead claim his Stark heritage to balance Winterfell, Jon had refused. This decision led him to meet Shiera, and he was immediately captivated. With her Targaryen blood, Shiera's beauty was unrivaled, and her allure was undeniable. A master of seduction over countless lifetimes, Shiera easily had Jon wrapped around her finger.

With a confident smile, she told him, "I have everything you like," as if reading his thoughts. From that moment on, everything played out just as she had planned, though it took a toll on Jon. They say meeting someone extraordinary too early in life can be both a blessing and a curse, and Jon had learned that lesson well. After Shiera's passing, he never remarried. He raised his son strictly, but he doted on his daughter, almost to a fault.

After an earthquake, Jon noticed something subtly different about his daughter but couldn't quite identify what it was. That day, his daughter, Shiree, had insisted on going outside. Jon initially refused, worried she might catch cold since she was not yet four. But Shiree cried in that same pleading way Shiera once had, and Jon's resolve melted. He took her in his arms, mounted his horse, and rode out with her.

Before leaving, he reminded his son to keep up with his martial arts practice—a pointed display of favoritism.

"Shiree, it's too cold outside; should we head back?"

"No, Daddy's arms are very warm," little Shiree murmured, snuggling against him. Her tenderness caused a lump to form in Jon's throat, and his eyes misted over.

Jon, your arms are very warm.

Shiera's voice echoed in his mind, and Jon found himself reliving moments of their shared, if fleeting, happiness. He gently rubbed his chin against his daughter's silver hair and held her a little closer, as if in Shiera's memory.

Sensing she might have overstepped, Shiree glanced up at the sky with her blue eyes, waiting for something. Suddenly, she spotted a yellow dragon approaching in the direction of Icebreaker Castle.

"Father! A dragon! A dragon!" she shouted, pointing at the sky.

Recognizing the yellow dragon as Viserys', Jon dismounted, holding his daughter as he prepared to greet him. Viserys noticed them and decided to meet as well.

"Your Grace," Jon greeted him with a respectful bow.

Jon was long accustomed to being at odds with the Northern nobility; if his respect toward Viserys allowed him to keep good relations with Shiera's family, it was worth it. So he made sure to show all the proper decorum.

In contrast, Shiree observed Viserys calmly, without the slightest hint of a young girl's shyness. Her expression held the familiar maturity of Shiera.

"How badly was your territory affected by the disaster?" Viserys asked.

"Your Grace, no one in my territory was harmed. Everyone is safe. Some lost their homes, so I allowed them to stay in the castle. In my spare time, I've been helping to repair the damaged houses…"

In the middle of his response, Jon suddenly felt faint, his vision blurring. Before he could collapse, Viserys reached out and caught him.

"You wanted to see me?" Viserys asked Shiera after helping Jon lie down.

Shiree, or rather Shiera, spoke up. "I can sense members of House Sennesta. There are still people alive in the Doom Ruins."

"There are still people alive in the Doom Ruins?!" Viserys was shocked by her revelation.

He recalled how, using Dragon Dreams, he'd once glimpsed the outskirts of Valyria through his Euron's "avatars," where even the suburbs teemed with firewyrms, some tens of meters long and as thick as water tanks. The thought of what might still lurk in the heart of Valyria was terrifying. Yet now Shiera claimed that people were still alive in that forsaken place.

Then he noticed something unusual in Shiera—or rather, in Shiree. Shiera had once told him that her "old consciousness" wouldn't awaken until she was six or seven, maybe even eight or nine. But she was only four now, so why had her memories resurfaced so early? Still, there must be a reason behind her sudden awareness.

"I think if you plan to confront the Night King, you should consider going to the Doom Ruins," Shiera continued. "There are powerful magical artifacts and valuable knowledge there. Although much has been lost or damaged, you could still find items that might help you. I have a map of Valyria that marks significant locations as well as dangerous ones. I can give it to you."

Viserys immediately understood that Shiera wanted something in return. "What do you need me to do for you?" he asked.

"I can sense the Sennesta bloodline, so naturally they can sense me too. They hold my Blood Pact and have used it to awaken my former consciousness ahead of schedule. I don't want to live as a relic of history. I want to remain Jon's daughter, simply and fully, for the rest of my life…"

Viserys understood her meaning. Shiree, as a Targaryen, could sense other Targaryens, but her Sennesta bloodline also tethered her to that ancient house, and this Blood Pact bound her to her former consciousness. Only by breaking this pact could she free herself from the past and live as a simple person—something Shiera had long desired.

It wasn't impossible that Jon's sincerity had influenced her deeply. His genuine love had reached Shiera's heart, and now the newly emerging consciousness of Shiree shared this desire to stay by Jon's side. The two consciousnesses, though distinct, had aligned, leading Shiree to this decision. And since her consciousness hadn't fully matured, this new instinct had taken precedence.

Viserys knew that if he chose to help Shiera and Shiree, it would mean making an enemy of the descendants of House Sennesta—a once-powerful family that, at its peak, had controlled hundreds of adult dragons. Their legacy ran deep, and they would likely never allow one of their own to "escape."

But if he wanted to face the Night King, he would need to venture into the Doom Ruins himself. Without Shiera's map, it would be a dangerous journey, and his forces would suffer heavy losses.

"I understand. It's a deal."

In truth, it wasn't only about the map. Though Shiera's consciousness had often seemed proud and aloof, Viserys regarded her as a Targaryen. If House Sennesta wanted to reclaim what they saw as their "property," he would not hesitate to fight them head-on.

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