Aaah! Welcome back to the story! I'm so sorry with how late this is, but I finally got a job, unfortunately away from my precious computer. But have no fear! I'll get better at managing everything!
Phew. Okay. This is the third installment of my Game of Thrones series. And as hinted in the previous story, this will eventually be a Robb Stark/OC - this will happen by either the fourth or fifth installment, depending on how many chapters are in this one and storyline and everything. But I will have a chapter in this from Robb's point of view from the Red Wedding episode, explaining the change.
Alright, enjoy the first chapter! And thanks for being so patient! As always, bold is for Dothraki conversations, italicized is for Valyrian.
A day has passed since we met Ser Barristan Selmy and we arrived in Astapor. But while the two men and my sister focus on getting us an army, I am distracted by thoughts of the mysterious man across the Narrow Sea - the one Aegor showed me. I don't even know his name, so how could he possibly come to mean everything to me.
"Princess?" I hear someone ask. I turn to see Jorah has stopped walking, watching me as I stared out at the sea, my sister and Ser Barristan walking away from us.
"Yes? I'm sorry."
"You have been distracted, recently. Ever since the House of the Undying." He comments, eyebrows raised.
"It is nothing, Jorah."
He gently places a hand on my shoulder, staring into my violet orbs. "You can tell me, Princess. Truly."
I smile up at him. "I know. And I will. But now is not the time for me. We must focus on helping Dany."
"You're just as important as she is, young Princess." He tries.
I shake my head. "No, I am not. And I am honestly fine with that. Whatever thoughts plague me, I must cast them aside. Dany deserves my full attention. I promised to fight for her, and I shall."
"Jaenarys, don't forget to fight for yourself as well." Jorah places a hand on my back and leads us towards Ser Barristan and my twin.
The four of us turn down another path, and find ahead of us something truly despicable.
Slaves stand chained to wooden structures, bodies covered with blood and their heads hanging. "The Walk of Punishment is a warning, your Graces." Ser Barristan tells us as we walk past the chained and beaten men.
"To whom?" My sister asks, taking my hand.
"To any slave who contemplates doing whatever these slaves did." Jorah tells us, and we stop in front of a badly injured man. Blood is smeared across his face, and it takes everything in my power not to unsheath Blackfyre and break the man's chains.
"Give me your water." My sister orders, holding out her hand.
"Khaleesi, this man has been sentenced to death." Jorah tries to tell her, but obeys Dany's command. She takes the pouch from him with a small glare and walks up to where the man has been mounted, tilting his head gently and putting the water to his lips. The slave refuses her offering.
"Leave this place, your Grace." Ser Barristan tries, passionately. "Leave tonight, I beg you."
"And what is she - they -" Jorah nods down at me, "to do for soldiers?"
"We can find sellswords in Pentos and Myr."
"Is it 'we' already, Ser Barristan?" Jorah asks, and I roll my eyes at their dick measuring contest. Men. Such prideful fools. "If you want to sit on the throne your ancestors built, you must win it. That will mean blood on your hands before the thing is done." Jorah tells my twin as she walks back to us, giving our friend his water.
"The blood of my enemies. Not the blood of innocents." Dany takes my hand and leads us towards our destination, our two male companions quickly following.
"How many wars have you fought in, Ser Barristan?"
"Three." The ser answers Jorah's question.
"Have you ever seen a war where innocents didn't die by the thousands?" I look back and watch the old man shake his head, silent. "I was in King's Landing after the sack, Khaleesi. Princess. You know what I saw? Butchery. Babies, children, old men. More women raped than you can count. There's a beast in every man, and it stirs when you put a sword in his hand." Jorah looks down at me. "Or hers."
"My sister will be no such thing." Dany vehemently argues, taking my hand harder.
I shake my head. "No, he is right. A weapon is only as powerful as they who wields it. If I am going to get you that throne, I will be one of thousands cutting down men."
"Just not the innocent." My sister argues, passionately. I frown.
"War is bloody, Daenerys. Always has been, especially in our family." I look over at Jorah. "But what makes the Unsullied different?"
"The Unsullied are not men. They do not rape. They do not put cities to the sword unless they're ordered to do so. If you buy them, the only men they'll kill are those you want dead."
"Do you disagree, Ser Barristan?" My sister asks.
"When your brother led his army into battle at the Trident, men died for him because they believed in him, because they loved him, not because they'd been bought in a slaver's auction. I fought beside the last dragon on that day, your Graces. I bled beside him."
"Rhaegar fought valiantly, Rhaegar fought nobly, and Rhaegar died." Jorah counters, voice strong.
"Did you know him well, Ser Barristan? Our brother?" I ask the old man.
"I did, your Grace. Finest man I'd ever met."
"I wish I had known him." I mutter, looking at the water and beyond, longingly.
"But he was not the last dragon." My sister adds, and we continue walking to the building where the meeting would take place. I find myself wishing I had brought Daavi, for I do not like leaving her on her own when she's so young. Perhaps I truly am I mother, worrying for the safety of her daughter.
We enter meeting place, and stare up at the two slavers and Missandei the translator. My sister raises one eyebrow. "Let us get straight to business. My sister and I would like to purchase all of the Unsullied."
"All?" Missandei asks, surprise written all over her face. "Did this one's ears mishear you, your Grace?"
"They did not. We wish to buy them all."
"They want to buy them all." Missandei tells her master.
"They can't afford them. Those sluts think they can flash their tits, and make us give them whatever they want." Master Kraznys tells his friend. I look to my sister, and we both have an eyebrow raised.
"There are 8,000 Unsullied in Astapor. Is this what you mean by all?" Missandei asks.
"Yes, 8,000. And those still training as well." I tell her, crossing my arms under my breasts.
The other master looks frustrated as Missandei translates. "If they fail on the battlefield, they will shame Astapor."
"Master Greizhen says they cannot sell half-trained boys. If they fail on the battlefield, they will bring shame upon all of Astapor." Missandei tells us.
"We will have them all or take none." My sister argues strongly. "Many will fall in battle, we will need the boys to pick up the swords they drop.
Kraznys groans. "The sluts cannot pay for all of this."
"Master Kraznys says you cannot afford this."
"Her ship will buy her 100 Unsullied, no more."
"Your ship will buy you 100 Unsullied, no more."
"And this is because I like the curve of their asses." Kraznys grins disgustingly.
"Because Master Kraznys is generous." Missandei tells us, ignoring the words of her master.
"What is left will buy her 10."
"The gold you have left is worth 10."
"I will give them 20 if it stops their ignorant whimpering."
"But good Master Kraznys will give you 20."
"Their Dothraki smell of shit -"
"The Dothraki you have with you -"
"But may be useful as pig feed."
Missandei shakes her head. "The Dothraki you have are not worth what they cost to feed. But Master Kraznys will give you 3 Unsullied for all of them. Master Kraznys asks how you propose to pay for the remaining 7,877 Unsullied?" Missandei questions as my twin and I look up at the watching slaves. Women and children, dirty and scared.
"We have dragons. We will give you one."
"Dany." I whisper, and she gives me a sharp look. I just sigh, then look over at Missandei and the masters. "We will give you two." Missandei immediately turns to her now interested master, while Jorah and Barristan come up to us.
"You will win the throne with dragons, not slaves your Graces."
"Khaleesi, Princess, please." We both look at the men harshly, and they back off. Dany takes my hand and we hold onto each other for strength as we walk towards where the masters sit.
"Four Dragons." Kraznys barters.
I snort. "Two."
"Three."
"Two." I snarl.
Kraznys speaks, and we narrow our eyes at him, as though we don't know what he's saying.
"They want the biggest ones."
"They shall have the biggest and the fastest." I tell Missandei. She nods. "Done."
"Done." Kraznys agrees, and we begin to walk away, but Dany stops us when she gets an idea.
"We'll take you as well, now." She says to Missandei, and I grin. "You'll be Master Kraznys's gift to us." We both look at the bald man. "A token of a bargain well struck."
"She asks that you give me to them, as a present. She asks that you do this now." Kraznys glares but nods, and Missandei walks ahead of us.
"Khaleesi, Princess, two dragons is worth more than any army." Jorah tells us.
"Aegon and his sisters proved that." Ser Barristan adds.
Missandei waits for us in the shadows under an archway. "You're both here to advise us." My sister states to the two men, turning in her spot with me and glaring up at our companions. "We value your advice. But if you ever question me - or us - in front of strangers again, you'll be advising someone else. Is that understood?" The two men nod and we walk ahead, urging Missandei to follow us. As we can't reveal what we truly know, my sister asks, "Do you have a name?"
"This one's name is Missandei, your Graces." The taller woman tells us, a little bashful.
"Do you have a family? Anyone you'd return to if you were given the choice?" I ask her.
"No, your Grace. No family living."
"You belong to us, now. It is your duty to tell us the truth." Dany orders.
"Yes, your Grace, lying is a great offense." Missandei agrees. "Many of those on the Walk of Punishment were taken there for less."
"I offered water to one of the slaves dying on the Walk of Punishment. Do you know what he said to me? 'Let me die.'"
"Why did you not tell me?" I ask her, and she sighs. Before she can answer, Missandei speaks.
"There are no masters in the grave, your Grace."
"Is it true what Master Kraznys told us about the Unsullied? About their obedience?" Dany asks as we pass by the slave army, all lined up against the walls.
"All questions have been taken from them. They obey, that is all. Once they are yours, they are yours. They will fall on their swords if you command it."
"And what about you?" I ask the other girl. Because that's what we are, girls in a world man thinks it owns. "We are taking you to war, after all. You could get hurt, fall sick, be hungry, you may die."
"Valar Morghulis." Is all Missandei says, and I smirk as my sister responds.
"Yes, all men must die. But we are not men."
"Come, Missandei. I have a dress that may fit."
"I am your slave, your Grace." She argues, confused.
I shake my head. "You were a gift, yes. But you are not my slave."
"I don't understand." I take her hand and smile.
"I don't expect you to, not yet. But you will. My sister and I… we're not much for being masters. Tell me, have you ever pet a horse? Seen a dragon?" I ask Missandei, who shakes her head. "You will. I think Caraxes and Daavi will like you."
I sit on my bed in the quarters of my ship, Daavi sitting on my lap as I pet her head gently. As I thought, Caraxes and my dragon took a liking to Missandei. I worry for my stallion. I can tell as the days go on he grows more tired. Hopefully when we get our Unsullied, he can stretch his legs once more. I was unable to ride him back in Qarth, distrusting of the men there. I guess I was just lucky Xaro and his men thought little of my gift.
"Daavi, I must ask something of you." She purrs and lifts her head. "Have faith in me, my darling. What I have to do tomorrow will not be real. I would never give you to another, much less a man who acts as though he is a god. Do you understand?" She chitters a bit. "It will look as though I am leaving you, but I won't be. Just have faith."
I stare out the window of my chambers and at the sea, thinking of a world beyond. So much confusion haunts my mind, prevents me from sleeping and focusing on the task at hand. And why am I plagued by thoughts of the strange man Aegor showed me? Was all of it just one big hallucination? Or was I truly shown my future?
Life for me, it seems, will never be as simple as I wish it.
