"Dany, do you know how my brothers and I survived in the terrifying far north? It was my obsession with you that kept me going."
In Winter Snow Castle in Cisland, Dax held Danyla in his arms, tirelessly whispering his cheesy declarations of love.
"It would have been such a shame to die before I'd slept with you!"
Danyla could not help rolling her eyes. Holding Osirion, she walked over to the Dragon Egg incubator beside the fireplace.
Danyla did not know whether she was imagining it, but she kept feeling that the Dragon Egg was developing faster as winter set in. The egg she had prepared for Osirion was a pale blue one laid by Rafa. Rafa was currently the female dragon with the strongest House Targaryen bloodline, so the egg was undoubtedly of excellent quality.
"Now that all the troops Beyond the Wall have withdrawn to Cisland, Saint Dany Fortress can be sealed off completely. Who knows what else will arrive along with winter and the Long Night!"
Danyla intended to leave Cisland and return to Holy Flame Island to oversee affairs. She had spent the entire year working at the Wall and in the North, urging the local lords to prepare for winter.
Thanks to the high-yield, cold-resistant crop seeds provided by Holy Flame Island, the North had built up substantial reserves during the Long Summer of more than a decade. Life this winter should have been considerably easier than before.
With Danyla's support over the years, the Night's Watch had greatly increased its numbers, recovering to more than five thousand men. All its equipment had been replaced as well, dramatically improving its fighting strength and leaving it capable of handling most emergencies.
"Saint Dany Fortress is taller and stronger than the Wall. Those giant ballistae and