It was a long, single-masted ship, long, slender, with a dark red hull. The sails were furled; they were black as the starless sky. Even at anchor, the Silence looked cruel. In the bow was a black iron maiden with an outstretched arm. It had a slim waist, high, proud breasts, and long, shapely legs. The iron-black mane fell to the shoulders and the eyes were mother-of-pearl, but it had no mouth.
Victarion clenched his fists. With those hands he had beaten four men to death and a wife as well. Her hair was already flecked with frost, but she was as strong as ever, the broad chest of a bull and the flat stomach of a young man.
''He who kills his own blood is cursed in the eyes of gods and men,'' Balon had reminded him the day he drove out Crow's Eye.
- It's there – Victarion said to his second in command – Pick up the sails, we'll continue with the oars alone.
His brother's men had already identified his sails, but no sound came from that ship. On her decks, a motley crew of mutes and half-bloods kept quiet as the Iron Victory approached. His gaze met those of pitch-black men and others squat and hairy like the apes of Sothoros.
''Monsters,'' thought Victarion.
They dropped anchor twenty yards from Silence.
He belted himself on while the oarsmen took their places; the long sword hung at one side and the dagger at the other. Lord Captain's cloak draped over his shoulders, made of nine layers of gold-thread cloth embroidered to give it the shape of the Greyjoy kraken, and beneath it heavy gray chain mail covering his black leather garments .
He found his brother in his cabin. '' Nothing has changed '' – was the first thing Victarion thought when he saw him – He is the same as the day he sent me to look for the queen ''. Euron had always been the handsomest of Lord Quellon's sons, and age did not seem to affect his beauty. His hair was still as black as the midnight sea, without a wave of white foam, and his face was still smooth and fair under his neat black beard. He covered his left eye with a black leather eyepatch, but his right was as blue as a summer sky.
The smiling eye, thought Victarion.
"Crow's Eye…" he greeted.
- Brother – Euron smiled. He had something strange on his lips. In the light of the torches they looked very dark, bruised, blue – The last time we met I sent you to find my queen. It doesn't seem like its doing very well for you –
- She did not accept your offer -
- It was a good offer. The next one won't be so good - Euron let out a little laugh - Could you see it? Is it true that she is the most beautiful woman in the world? –
''She is'' - Victarion clenched his fists - ''With her hair of silvery gold and her eyes of amethyst''
-I was able to see her, she herself sent me here – he said – She wants you to swear allegiance to her and help us conquer the Iron Throne –
-She must be the most beautiful, no one has ever clouded your judgment so much –
- What do you mean? –
- You have forgotten that we are sons of iron – Euron's smiling eye shone brimming with malice – In other times we were conquerors. We don't kneel –
- Robert Baratheon showed us that we cannot wage war against the Iron Throne. We cannot defend the islands –
- Who is talking about the islands? I love Lannisport. High garden. The Rejo. Ancient. The riverlands and the Reach, the Royalwood and the Jungle, Dorne and the Marches, the Mountains of the Moon and the Vale of Arryn, Tarth and the Stepstones. I will take over all of Westeros –
- Have you lost your mind? If we can't defend the North, and I assure you we can't, how are we going to conquer the Seven Kingdoms? –
- You disappoint me, Victarion. You want to help Daenerys Targaryen sit on the Iron Throne but not your own brother -
- She has an army. And she has dragons –
- Dragons... I will have them too - Euron promised - Look at this -
He held out a horn with both hands. It was black, shiny, twisted; It had clamps of red gold and dark steel, and etched in the form of ancient Valyrian glyphs that seemed to glow reddish.
- I found it among the smoking ruins of what was Valyria, a place that no one but me has dared to visit. It is a horn for dragons. The ancient dragonlords blew horns like this before the curse finished them. With this horn I can subdue the dragons to my will –
Even he allowed himself to hesitate. Even Victarion can know what terror is. ''Balon was crazy, Aeron was even crazier, and Euron is the craziest''. Three dragons in the hands of his brother... What kind of God could allow such a thing?
- Why are you telling me this? –
- For love. Because you are my brother. Because I'm your king – Euron chuckled – I'm giving you the opportunity to participate in all this. Join me and the Seastone Throne will be yours when I sit on the Iron Throne. You will succeed me, just as I succeeded Balon… And in the same way, one day your legitimate children will succeed you.
''My legitimate children – But to have a legitimate child, I first needed a wife. Victarion had no luck with handcuffs. And Euron's gifts are poisoned – he reminded himself –
- Am I asking too much? –
-I gave my word to the dragon queen – he clenched his fists even more and a drop of blood fell to the ground – My word of honor –
-Ah, honor - he crooned - honor is important, but family is even more important -
- Family? Victarion opened his hand; he had a palm red with blood – You, who took my wife and forced me to kill her. You talk to me about family? –
- You carry my blood in your veins, we are family – Euron smiled – You choose, brother. Live as a king or die as a servant
- I should kill you – Victarion opened his hand; he had a palm red with blood – But whoever kills his own blood is eternally cursed. But when the dragon queen arrives it will be time to settle debts –
He turned and walked purposefully towards the door. At that moment, something that might as well have been a giant's fist struck him in the back. He knocked the breath out of him and made him fall flat on his face.
That…? "He had a bolt stuck almost to the feathers. He turned heavily to look at his brother.
-Coward… -he murmured confused – You are my blood…-
- Believe me I'm sorry – Euron left the crossbow – It hurts me to give you such a poor death but I couldn't let you reveal my plans to your queen –
Victarion tried to sit up, but his strength was gone, and he could barely feel his legs.
- Your own blood... You are cursed... In the eyes of the gods... -
- What gods? – He chuckled – I know more gods than anyone. Gods of horses and fire, gods of gold with gem eyes, gods of pure air… I know all the gods. I've seen whole towns pray when they see my ship… No one has managed to hurt me – Euron continued – You're suffering, I know it, and I'm still here chattering. It's time to end your pain
Victarion felt icy cold, and each breath of air was like a stab of pain. Still, he managed to gather the strength to speak again.
-She will kill you – Victarion's voice became more serious – When Daenerys Stormborn finds out about my death… She will come for you and you will have nowhere to hide… she will take you out of your hole and finish you off… With blood and fire –
Euron's eye flashed as he pulled the knife from him.
-She will try - he smiled - And I'll be waiting -