THE BAY OF DRAGONS
The next update in my story! Again, it takes place just after/during the end of Season 6 of the TV show so if you aren't up to date with the show, SPOILER ALERT! Unicorns make everyone happy! xXDarkDawnUnicornXx ;p xxx
Chapter 2
"Ah! Good!" Tyrion exclaimed. "The girl has manners! And she knows who I am. I would classify that as a pass"
The dwarf threw a meaningful look at Varys who rolled his eyes before tucking his arms into his sleeves and walking up the gangplank onto the ship. Daenerys took Fareen's hand and lead her after him.
"This ship is magnificent! And so large," Fareen couldn't help but remark out loud.
The queen chuckled. "It's hardly big enough to be considered comfortable. I had hoped for a little bigger,"
"But, my queen, this ship could easily hold two hundred men on the deck alone! Any great ruler will tremble in fear as this draws into shore in Westeros!" Fareen ran her hand along the rail, her fingertips catching gently on the newly-carved wood. The queen watched her curiously, trying to see deeper into this girl's life.
"What is your name, child?" she asked, joining her at the rail.
"Fareen, my queen,"
"Well, Fareen, I'm afraid I must leave you here a while and make preparations for setting sail. I expect we'll leave before the sun has fully risen," Fareen curtseyed gracefully as Daenerys departed, leaving her alone with Tyrion for a moment.
"I've never been fond of ships," the dwarf said after a moment of silence, staring off into the sea.
"Why ever not?" Fareen asked, intrigued, remembering nothing from her research of Tyrion's view on ships.
"Well," he stepped forward to the rail, his eyes only just peeking over the top of the wood. "They're never made in dwarf-size,"
Fareen laughed, but quickly stopped, covering her mouth with her hand. "I'm sorry, my lord,"
"Nonsense, girl," he said, walking away towards the helm. "I been making my own dwarf jokes all my life. It's the one thing I can be appreciated for!"
"No it's not," she said quietly under her breath, once Tyrion had left earshot. She leant over the rail, resting her arms on the wood and smiling into the cool morning breeze. The sun pulled higher into the sky at every moment, turning the clouds orange and yellow before they eventually turned blue. The day would be a fine one, Fareen mused as moorings were cast off. They pulled out into the harbour in minutes and Fareen gasped out loud. Anchored in the Bay of Dragons, hidden behind a headland were thousands upon thousands of ships, each with their flags painted as dragons or krakens – curtesy of the Pykemen. The wind picked up as Daenerys's ship reached the head of the fleet and the roar of the dragons echoed back from the land. Three shadows cut out the sun for fractions of a second as Drogon, Rhaegal and Viserion sped past all the ships, far outpacing them as their wings cut the surface of the water. They seemed to cry out in happiness, and how could they not? The dragons hadn't had a chance to stretch their wings like this in a long time and Fareen felt their joy like a physical wave. She looked up to the bow of the ship where Daenerys now stood, surrounded by her closest friends and advisors: Missandei, Grey Worm, Varys and Tyrion. The queen's face was steely serious but even from the lower deck, Fareen could see the joy dancing in her violet eyes. Westeros wouldn't know what had hit them.
xxx
The ship was quite small, Fareen realised that evening as she went below decks to find a suitable sleeping place. Everywhere she looked, Dothraki and Unsullied slept, their snores carrying over the sound of the gentle waves. The night-time breeze washed over the vessel, making her shiver and eventually she gave up, returning to the deck to watch the stars. She wrapped her arms around herself, shielding her bare skin from the increasing cold. She'd never truly encountered the cold; Meereen's climate was warm throughout the seasons. Never had she seen snow or ice, bar when the Masters imported it to cool their drinks. Just thinking about it made her skin crawl and her hairs stand on end. The Masters spent all their money on goods that only gave them a minute of pleasure before it was gone, melted like the ice in their goblets. And now they were no more; Daenerys Stormborn had abolished slavery and Fareen felt forever in her debt. Though she had never been a slave directly, many had tried to capture her and control her. As a young girl she had been employed by a Master to steal from others; her height and appearance made her perfect. She remembered acting as a beggar girl on the street, luring in kindly lords and ladies as another beggar stole from their coin purses. Those had been cold nights, waiting in the dark streets for the next noble to come along and pity her, but no night would match this one. Her breath turned to mist in front of her face and her nose began to throb. She sank down to lean against the rails, pushing herself against the wood and wrapping her limbs into a tight ball. Shivering, she watched the few remaining crew members on the deck. They all wore furs or horse skins and the Unsullied stood as still as ever, the only trace of their alertness was their own mists coming from beneath their helmets. She focussed on the movement of the ship beneath her, feeling it swaying and rocking against the waves. Her eyes began to close and her arms slipped down to her sides, her hands falling onto the deck.
"Fareen," a soft voice called from far away. She blinked, trying to open her eyes, but her eyelids were too heavy.
"My dear, you must be freezing to death," the voice, Varys, came closer and an extremely warm hand rested on her shoulder. "Come with me, we'll get you warm again,"
She leant into the hand, feeling as she was pulled to her feet, but not really aware of her feet moving across the deck. The Spider's voice coaxed her gently until she heard a door open and she was sat down on a soft pillow. A blanket was thrown around her and she pulled it tighter, breathing in it's warm, woollen smell.
"Queen Daenerys has been very busy," he said, sitting next to her. "I wouldn't take offense that she didn't have the time to find you a suitable room,"
"I would never take offense to my queen," Fareen mumbled, feeling her senses returning.
"Good," Varys said, slurring his words like he usually did. "You may sleep here for tonight,"
Fareen didn't argue and lay down, resting her head on the arm of the lounger. She curled up like a cat, the way she always slept and instantly surrendered to the world of dreams.
xxx
The next day reflected nothing on the ice-cold night before. Fareen sat as close to the bow of the ship as she dared, holding on to the railing whilst poking her legs through the gaps. Her olive legs gleamed in the sunlight and she almost laughed in delight as she watched the dragons fly overhead, spreading their wings as wide as possible and shooting sparks of fire at one another.
"I'm just saying," she overheard a familiar voice talking nearby. "If those fireballs fall down here, we're all done for,"
"Calm, Varys," Tyrion replied. "If the dragons wanted to kill us all, I'm sure they'd have done it already,"
Fareen rose hastily, smoothing her skirts and hair.
"My lords," she greeted them as they came up the steps to the bow. "Thank you, Lord Varys, for helping me last night,"
"My pleasure, my dear. I believe you'll be of excellent assistance once we reach Westeros, and I wouldn't want one of the Queen's chief advisors to be frozen to death before we get there," Varys joined her at the rail. "You should speak with the Queen today to arrange more suitable sleeping conditions,"
"Of course, my lord," Fareen inclined her head.
"That all sounds marvellously fun, but I believe we have other more important matters to attend to," Tyrion inclined his head as Daenerys and Missandei approached. Fareen had not yet met Missandei, but she instantly knew by her face why Daenerys trusted her so much. The woman had kind brown eyes and an expression of calmness and serenity that instantly hit Fareen who warmed to her at once.
"The Queen wished to introduce me to our new researcher," she said, gliding forwards and taking Fareen's hand in her own. "It is a pleasure to meet you,"
"The pleasure is all mine, Missandei," Fareen smiled.
"The brother and sister from Pyke wish to come aboard today to discuss their plans for retaking their home," Daenerys said. "I would do well to have you beside me,"
Fareen followed her gaze to Varys and Tyrion. Both men bowed.
"Missandei, you and Grey Worm will also be present," she continued. "Fareen, take no offense, but I believe you would be better observing them and taking note of any true intentions you see rather than taking part in negotiations,"
"Gladly, my Queen," Fareen bowed her head before following the small group to the main deck where the crew was assembling a gangplank. A ship with sails painted of golden krakens drew closer to their own and the plank was lowered. A woman crossed, holding her head high and clutching the sword at her side, her dull leather armour shining in the sun. A tall young man followed, keeping his eyes on the plank and wavering slightly as he stepped down onto the main vessel.
"Queen Yara of house Greyjoy," Daenerys greeted her. "Future ruler of the Iron Islands,"
"Queen Daenerys," the woman returned her greeting, bowing to kiss her hand. "You have already met my brother, Theon Greyjoy. He still wishes to assist in any way he can,"
Fareen watched the man's face, instantly recognising the fear and torment that he had endured. From his sister? No, Fareen thought, this enemy comes from a far more distant place. Everytime he moved, she noticed more and more scars on his neck, on his un-gloved hands, even his face showed some signs of damage. He looked up to her and held her gaze, his dazzling grey eyes shining strong. Fareen looked at the ground, unable to meet his stare. So much pain had been hidden behind the mask that he wore; Fareen knew it all too well.
"Shall we go below decks?" Daenerys suggested and she lead the way to the map room, standing tall at the head of the table. Fareen hung back by the door, watching from a distance as she had been instructed. The queen gestured and the group sank down into their seats.
"I am glad you were able to trust me enough to come unaccompanied by guards," the Mother of Dragons spoke.
"Of course, my queen," Yara said, resting her arms on the table. "An alliance with no trust is no true alliance,"
"Agreed," Daenerys smiled briefly. "I must introduce me properly to my counsel. You have met Tyrion Lannister already,"
Tyrion murmured under his breath.
"Tyrion travelled to Meereen to seek me, much for the same reasons as yourselves. And like you, he brought a companion, Varys," Daenerys nodded her head to each name she introduced. "Grey Worm is the head of the Unsullied and my most trusted war advisor. Missandei is my interpreter and scribe who I freed from the Masters of Astapor. And my newest advisor joined us only yesterday in a plea to follow me to Westeros, this is Fareen,"
All eyes in the room turned to her, and Fareen tilted her head down, a sign of respect for those of higher authority. The negotiation followed swiftly after this, Daenerys heading the conversation and only turning to the people around her when absolutely necessary. As briefed, Fareen watched the two Pykemen and analysed their speech, their manner and their ideas. The man, Theon, was relatively silent and spoke only when he needed to, often interjecting excellent ideas and turning the plans into a formal battle strategy. Fareen felt a growing admiration for him and his sister; both were so composed and experienced, so different from the concepts she had already visualised for the people of Westeros.
"Perhaps, my queen," Yara spoke up as the conversation began to reach its end. "It would be beneficial for us to remain on the same ship, in the case of any decisions that need to be made quickly or any problems that may be encountered,"
Daenerys turned to Tyrion who shrugged in thought before speaking.
"This would require an even higher level of trust," he said, getting up and pacing, something Fareen was surprised he hadn't done before. "The journey is not short, my lady,"
"I am aware," she replied. "But have we not already demonstrated out trust in you? All we are asking is that you return this trust,"
"We are at your mercy here and now," Theon added, his voice growing stronger. "But my sister is right. This would be a good way to strengthen our alliance and learn more about each other. The best battle commanders are those who know how each other think,"
Fareen watched as Daenerys considered this.
"We would have to make some exchanges of living quarters," she said at last. "But I believe that this would be beneficial. I am willing to try,"
A vote was made and was unanimous, all voted to have Yara and Theon move on to the main vessel, The Targaryen, and for a few Unsullied and Dothraki to move to the Pyke vessel. Fareen was also assigned her own room, a small quarter with a bed and bathtub next to the Queen's and opposite Tyrion's. She went to sleep that night dreaming of mysterious grey eyes, clouded by dragons and ice.
Thank you for reading my little story. Not sure how long I can keep up these fast updates as I have just started my degree at university! At the moment I have hundreds of ideas where this story could go but please leave a comment on any ideas you may have as well as if you enjoyed/ didn't enjoy it! I have an open mind!
Unicorns shine brightest just before dawn! xxx