Foreign

Chapter One~ Strange Beginnings

AN: So, this is gonna sound really weird...I had a dream a couple of nights ago that included scenes from this story. I don't really know where this is going to go, but I'm gonna try to make it make sense. Read and review, because I know that it will probably suck. So, on with the show.

The news media was buzzing. Everywhere, there was talk of the big star that was coming into the country, and why he was. Serephina made a concious effort to ignore her overly excited roommate, Linley. The short, blonde-headed pixie was jumping around their apartment, jabbering in the red-head's ear.

"He's looking for a wife, Phina. The mags I get every month say that just about every woman in his country has been offered up to him, but he didn't like any of them."

"You shouldn't read that stuff, it'll turn your brain into mush. I really don't care about some bigshot foreign prince trying to find some chick that he's not really interested in for some political role, so he can screw the next piece of ass that comes along without the reprocussions that come with it."

"That's not it! He's looking for love, Phina. He wants to feel that spark with someone that you can only get with that one special person. And he's not a prince, he's a Khal, meaning he literally has control over the equivilent of a small country. Forty thousand people, occationally moving over a huge expanse of grassy plane. Come on, tell me that doesn't interest you."

"Yeah, and I'm looking to adopt a little African child with some unknown illness. Get your head out of the clouds and be real. It's a political move, Lin. Believe me, I've been studying the monarchy for years. And, yeah, it seems interesting, but I do not care about some weird dude that rides around on a horse all day because his whole country is so bass-akwards, and they refuse to catch up with the rest of the world. Now if you would excuse me, I have to go to work."

Aboard the Khal's ship...

The whole voiage over the Great Black Sea, Khal Drogo stared off into space, dredding the landing. Getting off the ship meant having to face the press, and cameras being shoved in his face and lights flashing. This whole trip was just a huge waste of time. He had no desire to be married, and therefore, no woman was good enough for him. Unfortunately, with other khalasar on the move, other khals having children left and right, he had no choice. As the greatest of them all, the undefeated, he had to make sure his legacy lived on. On that note, he had agreed with the Dosh Khaleen, the wives of past Khals who goverened all Khalasars. But, to pass on his kingdom, it had to be a ligitamate heir, not some bastard born from a rutt with some random woman. Luckily, the Dothraki didn't restrict the potential mates to just princesses or high ranking royalty, so he wasn't stuck with some ugly wench with an attitude problem and no right to ride by his side.

Their ways were strange, but it was their ways, so he stood by them, though not as radically as his predicesors. Now, here he was, halfway around the world to try to find some girl to take home and make a queen. Despite many misconceptions, the Dothraki did have standards, and his might have been higher than others. He wanted someone to rule with him, not just bear children, but to be his counterpart, his consort. Not that many women understood that.

"My Khal?" Rakharo lingered in the doorway.

"What is it?"

"We are ready. The ship is docked, and the paparazzi are waiting. Should we make them go away?"

"No. They want a story, let us give them one, get it over with." Straightening his long braid, Drogo strode past his bloodrider, out to the gangplank. As he predicted, lights started flashing as soon as he was visible from the dock. People were shouting questions at him, but he tried to ignore them as he turned to see his bloodriders (guards) move past him to make sure no one assaulted the Khal.

"Khal Drogo, is it true that you are attempting to find a wife here, way across the Narrow Sea?"

"Is it true that you're looking for more than one? Our sources claim that you starting a harem to keep you busy."

"What are you looking for in a wife? What would you want her to look like?"

"Obviously you don't want someone of darker desent or you would have stayed in your own country, isn't this true?"

In his deep, booming voice he answered, "My motives are my own. I do not need a reason to visit a foreign country. Though, yes, some Khals in the past have taken more than one wife, I do not care for having to deal with more than one women." Looking at one of the female reporters, he snarked, "Your whole species is a hassle to deal with, so why would I want to deal with more than one?" Then he pushed past them and climbed into his car, heading to the place he had rented for the short time he was there. Rubbing his face, he noticed Rakharo staring at him. "What?"

"You have no problem dealing with women..."

"For a short period of time. If I am to commit to one for my whole life, better make sure it's not one that is going to make it a miserable experiance."

Two weeks later, Serephina rolled over to glance at her clock, wondering if she had time to sleep some more. 7:30am is what it read.

"Shit!" she bolted out of bed to grab her stuff. Running into the kitchen, she saw Linley sitting at the table with a cup of coffee, reading a newspaper. "What are you doing up so early? Isn't kind of your perogative to never be up before 9?"

"Had to make sure I got one of the first newspapers this morning."

"Why?" Serephina hurried around, pouring coffee and shoving a bagel in the toaster.

"Because, Khal Drogo is supposed to be in the city today."

"Aaaand you think you might be able to catch his eye by standing in a giant crowd with a billion other women? I thought you said this guy was looking for someone special. There's no such thing as love at first sight, Lin. He's not gonna just see your face randomly in a sea of eager, vying faces, and suddenly know you're his true love." Glancing at her watch, she cursed again.

"You are such a party pooper, Phina. And why are you in such a hurry?"

"Because, I have to be at the restaurant to open today. I've got 15 minutes, and if this guy is actually in the city, it's bound to be hectic. Streets will be cut off, crowds will be out, and I might be late to work. So, if you will excuse me from your crazy fantasy, I have to go."

Khal's Car

Did this girl ever shut up? Next to him sat one of the members of one of the highest ranking families in the country. Daenerys Targaryen, the youngest and only daughter of Aerys II one of the previous kings, sat next to him in his car jabbering incesently about nothing. She was young, and tiny compared to Drogo...then again, just about everyone was smaller than him. Dany was 18 years old and pale, everything was pale. Her skin, her white hair, even her light purple eyes. And in her youth, he felt no connection to her. However, he was required to spend at least a little bit of time with her. Her older brother on the other hand, Viserys, was just downright unpleasent. Where the girl talked constanly, he had not said a word since entering the car. He simply glared out the window, at his sister, or at the Khal. Looking over at Daenerys, he noticed a faint purple bruise just hidden under the sleeve of her dress. Grabbing her hand, which startled both siblings. He lifted her sleeve and revealed a bigger bruise in the shape of a hand, the fingers clearly defined.

"What happened?"

"I, um...I fell." She threw a nervous look at her brother.

"Falling would not cause a handprint." Then he turned to Viserys and grabbed his collar, "I have no patients for worms who harm women without provication. You lay a hand on her again, I will break both of them."

"You have no right to meddle in family affairs," his eyes narrowed, "unless you plan on becoming family."

"I have no intention of being part of your lying, coniving family, Targaryen." He turned back to the girl who sat huddled in the corner of her seat. "If he hurts you again, find a way to get word to me or my men. This sorry excuse for a man will not harm you again."

"You, sir, have woken the dragon!" Viserys made as if to hit Drogo, only to have his hand caught in a tight fist. He sqealed in pain, though Drogo was barely holding him. In one swift move, he moved his fist forward to hit Viserys in the face a few times. None of the blows would leave a mark, but the way the older Targaryen child acted, one would think he had been bludgoned nearly to death.

"You are no dragon. You are a worm. Come, young one, a nice warm meal in this dismal weather might do both of us good." Despite not having any romantic feelings toward Dany, she was still a child, one who needed someone to protect her from her ass of a brother. Opening the door, he slid out into the mass of people trying to get a look of the mysterious bohimouth. Drogo held a hand out to the small woman to help her out. With her on his arm, the press launched into a whole new mess of questions, wondering if this was his pick for a wife, or if they were just a fling.

Over the herd of people, there was a flash of red hair. It was small movement, just enough to catch his attention. Down the street, he saw it again, a woman glancing their way with a furrowed brow. She stared for less then 30 seconds before it seemed as if she suddenly remembered something and hurried on her way. Something about the girl gave him pause. Tugging on his companion's arm, he followed the other woman to a small restaurant. The sign had just been changed to open, so they quickly ducked inside.

"May I ask what we're doing here?" Daenerys asked timidly.

"Small place, most paparazzi wouldn't think that people like us wouldn't go to a place like this."

"I saw that look, when we got out of the car. Did you see someone you know?"

"I don't know anyone here," he said as the hostess sat them in the farthest table from the door.

"Then what was it?"

"I don't know."

They waited a few moments when the waitress came up to them with the menus. "Good morning, guys. My name's Serephina, I'll be you're server today. Can I get your drink orders?" Dany ordered a water with lemon, and when Drogo looked up to ask, he noticed that she was the same girl who had walked right past the mass of people. Her hair was up in a high ponytail and she was no longer covered up in layers of coats and scarves. "Sir?"

"Drogo?" Dany whispered, touching his arm.

Shaking his head, he sat up straighter and looked at the menu. "Uh, coffee, please."

"Would you like any cream or sugar?"

"Both, on the side."

"Sure thing. I'll go get that and I'll give you a few minutes to look over the menus." With that, she was gone.

"That was her wasn't it?" Daenerys tried to hide a smirk.

"Pardon?"

"That's the girl you saw when we were accosted by the press. The one that made you get that look."

He looked at her couriously. "You seem to notice much for one so young."

She shrugged. "Viserys thinks I'm a stupid little girl, one without the ability to know anything."

"He is obviously wrong."

"I don't mind that you don't like me. I mean, you are interesting, but I'm not quite ready to get married. Not when I'm just starting college. And, besides, I son't really like you like that anyway." Glancing up from her menu, she smiled as the waitress came to set their drinks down.

"Y'all had a chance to decide yet?" They were just about to answer when there was a rukus outside. One of the paparazzo had found them, which made all of them swarm. The girl known as Serephina took off to push the cameras back out the door. "Go on, you vultures. Who ever you're trying to get to, leave 'em alone and go away. This is a private establishment. Out!" The last cameraman that left got a harsh shove and landed on the sidewalk. "Christ, those people." She shook her head as she moved back towards the table. "Sorry about that, folks. I can't stand people like that. So, where were we?" Serephina smiled and took her notepad out.

At the end of the meal, Drogo asked to see the manager before they finished. He could see the slight look of panic in her eyes as she nodded and went to find the man. He came up to the table, imidiately knowing who was sitting there, and was visibly nervous.

"How can I help you, sir?" That was all Serephina heard from her spot at another table, whose orders she got and went to the kitchen to give them the ticket. There was a hand on her shoulder caused her to jump. "Christ, Manny, you scared me."

"Table six wanted me to give you this." He handed her the reciept book. Taking it, she opened it to find a crisp $100 note in it. She looked up at her manager in shock.

"What is this?"

"Didn't you know who that was?"

"Um...no. If they were some kind of famous person, I don't really watch T.V. or read magazines."

"Sera, you just served two of the most famous people in the world. Daenerys Targeryen and Khal Drogo." Again, shock.

"Shit. Linley's gonna freak." Serephina ran out to thank the couple at her table...only to find them gone.