Prologue: The Fire Inside (a Dothraki tale)
A blazing hot sun beat down on Esseros. As Shievah, the once honored Khaleesi, walked with another Khal's bloodraiders, hands tightly bound, with whip slashes on her back and shoulders, one for each time she stumbled.
After walking for what must have been hours, they arrived at a camp just a few miles outside of Dothrak, the holy and scared place.
Two men dragged her to their Khal.
"For you, blood of my blood." They reported.
"We found her in the grasslands."
The Khal (Moro) rose to his feet and inspected the woman as Two of his brides sat perched behind him.
"All white-haired women are witches."
One of them said.
"Cut off her head, before she casts a spell on you."
Added the other.
"Even if I was blind, I'd hear my wives tell me,
'Cut off her head' and I'd know she was beautiful."
He smirked as he got closer to her.
"I am glad I am not blind."
Said the Khal.
"Seeing a beautiful woman naked for the first time, tell me, what is better than that?"
"-killing another Khal?"
One of his men responded,
"Taming a wild horse, enslaving a village, and destroying their idols?"
The other added.
The Khal rolled his eyes, at the clearly retorhical question.
"Yes, seeing, a beautiful woman naked for the first time is one of the five best things in life."
Shievah smirked at their exchange.
But her smile instantly broke as the Khal tightly gripped her blouse
"Take your hands off me,"
She growled in a low and dangerous tone.
"Or risk losing them."
Her Dothraki was flawless, and each word dropped with the venom of her rage.
Stunned, Khal Moro let go of her.
Everyone in the tent stared at her, surprised she could speak any Dothraki at all.
The Khal cocked his head for a moment.
"You're very bold for a mere woman."
He warned.
"I am not a mere woman."
She told him.
"I am a warrior."
Moro threw back his head and laughed at her. Then he grabbed her by the neck and brought her face close to his.
"I, am a warrior."
He hissed.
"My men, are warriors."
They each nod in acknowledgment.
"But you,"
He said, tightly gripping her throat.
"Are nothing;
Nothing but a slave to The great Khal Moro.
And tonight I will lie with you
And if The Great Stallion is good,
You will give me a son."
Shievah quickly pulled from his grip, and stepped back.
"I have laid with enough men."
She spat.
"I will not be imprisoned by another."
The Khal smirked at her,
"I imagine you're a very profitable whore..."
He spat.
"I AM NO WHORE!"
She roared.
"I was a Khaleesi of the North, wife of Khal Drogo, son of Barbos."
Moro's face fell. He knew of whom she spoke.
There was a long pause before he quickly grabbed her wrist and Yanked her to him.
He then whispered in her ear.
"It is a shame your Khal is not here to protect you."
Shievah sneered at him.
"I have left my Khal and Khalesar behind me."
Her eyes met his as she spoke.
"I now plan to cross the poison sea once more."
The Khal laughed even harder at her ludacris statement and his blood-riders joined in the mockery.
"I like her."
The Khal told his men, as he mentally undressed her.
"She does have spirit."
One of them replied.
The Khal nodded slowly circling around the once renowned Khaleesi.
"Even if you could get away with such things,"
The Khal inquired.
"I can't help but to wonder, why?"
She turned to him with a serious look on her face.
"Because it is better to die as a warrior, than to live as whore."