Havoc wreaked in Daznak's Pit. One moment she was listening to Jorah's dedications, the next Daario was with her, trying to help her flee from the Sons of the Harpy. Then Drogon's black wings covered the sky. He landed in the center of the pit and she ran to him despite Daario's warnings that sounded above the crowd and she climbed on his back. A wave of guilt washed over her as the memory of her chaining up Rhaegal and Viserion surfaced infront of her eyes. Forgive me. She prayed. She did not know whom she was praying to but the prayer was there and she hoped it would be answered. She was tired and in dire need of rest. She closed her eyes and after some time when she opened them she saw that Drogon was flying over the Dothraki Sea.
It seemed that her memories were out for blood. Drogon landed in the tall grass where once her khalasar had gone by and she climbed off him. Before she could talk to him, he flew off leaving her in the vast sea of grass. She needed water so she started walking through the sea, on the look for a stream or some source of water.
In the distance she heard the noise of hooves running through the grass and big crowds of people. Once, she had been khaleesi to the Dothraki, wife to the greatest Khal who ever lived and mother to the Stallion who would have mounted the world. If I look back, I am lost. She reminded herself. A khalasar was coming and there was nowhere that she could hide from them. I am the blood of the dragon, and these are my people. They will do me no harm.
She was afraid but also determined to not show it. When Drogo's wound had become infected and he had fallen from his horse, most of their khalasar had abandoned them and reformed. The Dothraki follow strong leaders, khalessi. Jorah's voice echoed in her head. She stood tall and proud as the khalasar approached. They rode in a circle around her and she studied their face but she had not known them. They seemed to think her a slave or a whore that had run away from her master.
They bound her in ropes and had elected to bring her back to the Market in Vaes Dothrak to be sold off as a slave or whore once more.
The vastness and the scents of Vaes Dothrak made her heart hurt. The last time she was here, she was a girl, a sister, a wife and a mother. Now her children were the dragons and she was alone in the world.
The city had not changed. It was busy as always and it smelled wonderfully of herbs and spices just like Dany remembered it. Absentmindedly her bound hand reached down to where her belly had been once swollen with her son.
The bloodrides that had bound her brought her forth to their khal. She was exquisite – silver hair and purple eyes, something not oft seen. She gave them no indication of who she was or that she understood their language until the bloodrider suggested they sell her.
"You will unbind my hands and set me free." She said proudly in Dothraki. It was a strong command that turned the heads of the bloodriders and the khal alike.
"And why should we do that, silver-haired, slut?" one of the bloodriders spat. Dany felt the khal and his khaleesi's eyes on her.
"I am Daenerys Stormborn, Mother of Dragons, the Unburnt, Khaleesi to Khal Drogo, Mother of the Stallion that would have mounted the world, Queen of the Seven Kingdoms and Slaver's Bay." She spat back and they all looked at her started.
"Khal Drogo is dead." The other khaleesi spoke in her turn. "You belong to the Dosh khaleen." Dany had known since coming to Vaes Dothrak the first time that the fate that awaited her should Drogo die was to serve the Dothraki with the other crones. But she was a dragon, not a crone. She did not reply to them and allowed herself to be dragged off to the crones.
"You ought to have been brought back to us when your khal died." The eldest crone had told her. "You belong here, the Dothraki are your people and you will serve the Great Stallion in life and in death alike." She took off the ropes off Dany's arms that had left blisters on the delicate skin and put an ointment to help. They helped her out of her clothes and into a dress similar to all of theirs.
"I am the blood of the dragon." Dany said looking at all of their faces. There were young girls, some younger than her and many old women that had spent their lives here in Dosh Khaleen after their husbands had died.
"Now we take a vote to decide whether you stay here with us or take a punishment for not coming at your own will." One of the eldest crones announced.
Dany bid her time in Vaes Dothrak trying to not let the memories and the happiness that her first true home brought her drown her in her new-old reality. She loved her dragons and she knew that her being queen was important to many people and that it was also her birthright yet something was missing – the promise of a family. She missed the sound of the bells that rung in Drogo's hair whenever he walked, she craved his touch on her skin and she missed feeling Rhaego's kicks in her womb. I must be strong. She reminded herself. And she was strong. A fortnight after she had been dragged to Vaes Dothrak the crones had still not come to a decision on her fate and so they allowed her to stay in with them so they would study her and decide.
Then a murder happened in the sacred city – and she'd known it was one of hers that had come to look for her. Bearing weapons and shedding blood was forbidden in Vaes Dothrak and exactly the breaking of that rule revealed whom it was that had done the murders.
"I need to make water." Dany told the crones and the eldest one ordered one of the younger girls to follow Dany. And then that same girl was in the hands of Daario Naharis who shut her mouth with his hand so she wouldn't scream.
"Khaleesi." Jorah sighed happily. "We are glad to find you."
"You killed those men, didn't you?" She looked at them sternly. Vaes Dothrak was a sacred place no matter their intention or hers.
"We did. But we also found you." Daario insisted.
She forced them to let go of the other khaleesi and then told them to hide while her plan works its way to the real world. The two men that loved her didn't like the sound of that, or the fact that she would have to face the judgement of the khals and crones but they could do nothing but obey.
The crones led her to the temple where once Drogo had promised to take the Iron Throne and give it to their son; the same temple where she had eaten the stallion's heart to strengthen her son and yet he was stillborn. It gave me the strength that I needed to survive. But this was also the place where her brother had gotten his crown.
"Khaleesi." The khal whose bloodriders had captured her spoke first. "You stand trial for avoiding your duty among the Dosh Khaleen. We will now decide what to do with you." The other khals around him nodded. It was five khals in the big temple and their bloodriders but no one else. The giant hearths burned bright and the flames warmed her but also made her stronger.
"I have not committed a crime to sit here and be judged by you." She spoke back. "And even if I had, you are unfit to judge me. I am the dragon." The khals burst in laughter as she seamlessly moved closer to the stage around which the hearths were. "We stand in a sacred place." She started steadily. "Here I got the prophecy for my son. Here my beloved husband promised me the Iron throne and here I lost the last of my brothers." Her fingers traced the outline of the first hearth and she met the horrified looks of the men. "I lost my husband to a lamb maegi's curse, I lost my son to the shadows. Some of my khal's khalasar threatened me and yet here I stand. I am the dragon. The blood of Aegon the Conqueror flows through my veins. I am the rightful queen of the Seven Kingdoms and Dragon's Bay and the Dothraki are my people, and they need me. You were right, I have a duty to them. And my first act as their khaleesi will be to rid them of you. She turned over the first hearth and met their horrified looks. They knew what was coming for them and it was high time she cleansed the sacred land and gave these people a new beginning. The fire caught onto her clothes and burned them away just like it burned away the temple and the false khals. Dany enjoyed the touch of fire to her skin and watched them burn and when they died she stepped outside of the temple where all of her people bowed down to her.
It took them two days to prepare – gather food for the short journey, sort the men who were going to come along and prepare the horses. Dany had ordered that good soldiers would stay behind to protect Vaes Dothrak. All the rest were to follow Dany to Meeren and help her cleanse the city of the Sons of the Harpy. Jorah and Daario followed her anxiously everywhere and they couldn't really believe what she had done. The heirs to the old khals wanted to be her bloodriders and one even brought forward a silver mare like the one Drogo had given her. It was only fitting.
"Is it wise?" Daario asked. "Are they to be trusted?"
"They are my people. I trust them." Dany said finally.
"The Dothraki follow the strong leaders." Jorah added. Dany looked at him carefully. "And not only did she burn their leaders but she always lives to tell the tale. They will follow her."
And so they started for Meeren. Dany wondered when she would see Drogon again and made a vow to herself to free Rhaegal and Viserion as soon as she got to the city. And a day or two's ride after she heard Drogon's wings in the distance.
"I'll ride ahead. Do not follow me." She looked at Daario. Jorah tried to protest but Daario stopped him as Dany galloped ahead. She left the silver not too far away from Drogon , knowing that her khalasar would take care of it and she climbed up on Drogon's wings. She whispered to him to fly to them and he did and then landed on a huge cliff.
"I am your khaleesi. I am the Mother of Dragons, the Unburnt. I cleansed Vaes Dothrak of the false khals. I freed Slaver's Bay and renamed it Dragon's bay. I am Queen of Meeren and Queen of the Seven Dragons. You are my people. The Dothraki are not used to being led by a woman and yet you all followed me. I am meant to choose only three bloodriders but I will not do that. I choose you all just like you chose to follow me. Will you help fulfill Drogo's promise? Will you tear down the stone houses across the Narrow Sea? Will you help me get my rightful seat?" she yelled on top of her voice as her people all looked up at her and after a second's silence when her speech was done they all burst into cheer and started chanting her name.
She flew on Drogon's back all the way to Meeren, knowing that the Dothraki were galloping behind her. When she reached the skies of her city she saw that by the sea, there were hundreds of ships firing at the pyramid and the city. She made Drogon fly to the pyramid and when she jumped inside the balcony she saw Grey Worm, Missandei and a few strangers in the chamber above the Throne Room. There was a dwarf, a man of olive skin and a man with hair like hers. Viserys. She thought but she'd known this was impossible.
"Your grace." Grey Worm spoke in High Valyrian. "Do you wish for us to attack?"
"No, I will go into the vault and free the Dragons." She announced.
"Your grace, the dragons are free." Grey Worm looked at the Silver haired man and the dwarf.
"Good. I will deal with you later." She looked at the foreign guests and walked back to the balcony where Drogon came to when he saw her. She climbed back on his back and flew around the pyramid, knowing that when they hear their brother's wings Rhaegal and Viserion will follow. And she was right.
With all three dragons, she quickly took over the fleet of the masters and burned away the unnecessary pollution. The Dothraki had taken care of the Sons of the Harpy and helped the people of the city just as Dany had ordered and after she made sure they had settled and had been taken care of she went back to the pyramid.
Missandei had a bath with scalding hot water prepared for Dany. She couldn't wait for her handmaids to scrub her clean of the filth and ashes of the road.
"Khaleesi, what happened?" Missandei dared to ask as the handmaids were scrubbing Dany's skin until it was red and raw. Dany had taken a liking to the translator and kept her close as a trusted advisor and friend. For the same reason she had made Grey Worm commander of the Unsullied and Ser Barristan commander of her Queensguard. Now she had to find a fleet large enough to carry her whole army over the poison sea.
"I went back and undid some wrongs. I came here and cleansed the city of the poison the Sons of the Harpy were spreading." Dany put it plainly. She was tired and sore and craved silence but she knew there would be no silence. She ordered Grey Worm to spread a guard of the Unsullied throughout the city so the city would be safe until everyone else rested and healed. There was also the matter of meeting the foreign guests but she couldn't and wouldn't deal with them tonight.
"Your grace, the guests ask an audience." Missandei said when she came back with the wine that Dany had asked for. She also brought a plate of cheese, bread and olives. Dany had been starving and she hadn't thought of food since they'd left Vaes Dothrak. Dany chewed on the bread and cheese and thought about it.
"I need rest, the guests can wait." She was never usually one to put off an audience but too much had happened in a very short time and she needed time to process it. She had to be the strong queen her people looked up to and not a scared girl. The scared girl was mostly dead and yet she'd seen a ghost in the chamber and it frightened her. "I want to see Ser Barristan."
Missandei nodded and left Dany but by the time the old knight came she had fallen asleep.
That night she dreamt of the warmth that Drogo's embrace offered her and the heat of the fire that burned away the temple in Vaes Dothrak. She woke up covered in sweat and drowsy as if she'd taken milk of the poppy or dreamwine.
She got up and washed her face, dressed herself and then called for her handmaids to bring her breakfast and braid her hair. She had decided to wear a long braid like Drogo had even without the bells. She would wear the bells when she took the Iron Throne.
Ser Barristan came soon after her maids brought her the food.
"You wished to see me, your grace." The old knight bowed to her. She smiled. He was like a father to her, the only sane male figure that belonged both to her old life where her family had been alive and to the present life where she was alone. He always gave her good advice and counsel when she needed it.
"Yes, sit." The old knight did as he was bid. "I want you to tell me who the guests are. You know you are in charge of the city and yet these guests roamed free in the pyramid when it was attacked. Who are they? Can we trust them?"
"Your grace…" he began but stopped himself for a second to chew on his worlds. "these guests are not random. They all come from the Seven Kingdoms." He looked at her and for the first time since she'd known him there was fear in his eyes. "The dwarf is Tyrion of the House Lannister. He is brother to the Kingslayer and Queen Cersei." Barristan looked down. "He claims that he killed his father and then the Kingslayer smuggled him out of Kings Landing because Cersei put a price on his head. He says he wants to get an audience with you to prove his intentions for your cause. He said you have his fealty and he would do his best to bring down his sister."
"A Lannister turning against his own kind? Is that truthful? And are you sure he is not an imposter?"
"He is not an imposter, my queen. And if he truthfully rid us of Lord Tywin then you ought to thank him. Lord Tywin is the one who ordered your brothers' children to be slaughtered." Dany grit her teeth. Ser Barristan had told her of the brutalities that happened in the Sacking of Kings Landing and she would never forget them. She wanted revenge for her brother's family, she wanted revenge for Rhaegar and she wanted revenge for her mother. It was grief that took my mother. Grief for her son, her grandchildren, her family. She gave me life and let the sorrow swallow her.
"Alright then. I will give this Tyrion an audience later today." Barristan nodded.
"Tell me of the other two."
"The olive-skinned one is Prince Quentyn Martell who comes to marry you." The statement made Dany laugh. That man was not the first to want her hand, nor would he be the last. "He says that Ser Willem Darry made a pact with Prince Doran that when his daughter Arienne and your brother Viserys would have come of age, the two of them would marry and reunite the Houses Martell and Targaryen. Yet the deal could not be fulfilled when Viserys died and now they want you as retribution."
"I am no retribution." Dany said. "I am no one's consolation reward. The Martells are family and they will treat me as such and bow down to me for I am their queen." The marriage demands usually annoyed her but this one really got to her. "And the other one?"
Barristan took a deep breath. "He is your brother, your grace." He said finally.
"My brother is dead. I saw it with my own eyes. " Since when did ghost start roaming around freely? Was he back to haunt her? She remembered her hallucinations in the Red Waste when she and her people were suffering from the heat and lack of water. It is hard to die unmourned, sister. Viserys had said.
"Your other brother, your grace. This is Prince Rhaegar." Her heart froze in her chest. She'd known that her brother had been slain on the Trident by Robert Baratheon. He dared to follow his heart to the woman he loved.
"Are you sure?" she wouldn't dare get her hopes up. She'd heard of many false pretenders saying that they were her slain brother, or others claiming that Viserys lived with his face deformed by the molten gold, swearing that he would take his revenge. There had even been rumors that it was Viserys who had killed Drogo, but it was all lies. Her family was dead and it was up to her to take what was stolen from them.
"Yes, your grace. I swear it on my life. He has grown up before my eyes, become a man before my eyes. I would know him anywhere." Barristan swore and Dany's breath caught in her lungs.
"Bring him to me, immediately." She ordered and Ser Barristan nodded and left to bring the prince. He'd known that it would be difficult for her to face him but he was also sure that the fruit of their reunion would be rich and good for the entire known world.
