From the moment the Khal had left the villa, her life seemed to spiral. The pompous pup Viserys had nearly ripped her arm off pulling her to her feet, only to find herself sprawled out on the steps as a result of the man's backhand. She let her thoughts get the best of her. Too distracted with the realization of her facing not one but four Dothraki and that one of them was a person she never thought she would see again, she had let that worm knock her down. He had actually hit her. That bastard!
Jumping back to her feet she grabbed the sword she had dropped earlier and stalked toward the target of her anger. She may be someone's to command but no one struck her, ever. Red started to cloud her vision. She could imagine running him through with her blade and bathing in his blood. Raising her hand to strike, her swing was caught by one of the few soldiers the Magister kept at the villa, who wretched the blade free of her hands and pinned her arms behind her back. Rage bubbled inside her as all she could focus on was Viserys. How his face went from an expression of fear to one of his famous smug smirks. Her focus was only distracted when the Magister came to stand in front of her, giving the twit a chance to escape inside, nothing but disappointment splashed across his face.
"Why must you cause so much trouble? Have I not provided you a home and protection? Have I not saved your body from being sold to the highest bidder? All I ask of you is to protect the Heirs of Targeryen. Instead you have now endangered their one chance of getting home. You of all people should understand that all they want is to go home." Her eyes instantly glared holes into the Magister's. How dare he use that against her. He knew that her situation could never be compared to theirs. Shaking the soldier's hands from her, she closed the distance between them in a split second.
"Don't ever compare my wants with theirs. They have the ability to go home. I do not. You should know since you are the one who paid the highest price. You may have saved my body but you did nothing for my spirit." Yanking the headdress off and exposing the collar on her neck she grabbed hold of it and pulled, stressing her point of captivity. The Magister's eyes focusing on her actions.
"I will never go home." Spinning around, Illyrio watched the woman pick up her blade and roughly force it back into the sheath at her hip then stalk across the balcony to move down toward the ocean hidden by the villa. He knew she was right. He bought her and owned her. There was always the intention of setting her free, but no man in his right mind would release such a fine fighter as her. And yet, to see her free to return home after everything she had gone through would be more satisfying in some respects. Maybe tomorrows events could see her free. Maybe he could let go of his favorite possession.
When she first arrived, the rocks overlooking the ocean had been a place she avoided. Who could find pleasure around the black salt water? The longer she was present at the villa the more she grew to enjoy it. Against everything she grew up hearing of the poison water, she grew to love it. Listening to the waves crash against the rocks, the way the spray of the water created its own shower of rainbows, they became a welcome sight. The best part was the birds, watching the seagulls soar above the waves only to plummet down to the water and snatch up small fish. They were free. They could leave the villa and travel where ever they pleased. To have that freedom was something she longed for. To be able to journey anywhere she pleased, even to travel home after so many years. She wondered if her parents were still alive. If her family's khalasar was still theirs. What if they were dead? If her father was, then her mother would hopefully be in the protection of the Dosh Khaleen.
Did they look for her? Did they even care that she was gone? Twelve years is a long time to be away. What if they didn't? Those men took her and fled. They traveled lightly and they were leagues away from Vaes Dothrak by the time she woke up. Even if her father and her one had followed, her captors were too far ahead for them to catch up to before those scum made it to their main khalasar.
Anger bubbled in the pit of her stomach. Those men, if you could call them that, ruined her life. She was to be married, to start her own life with her khal, her one. They stole it from her and now her dream would be lost forever. Tomorrow she would either die or lose her dream to the girl Daenerys. This was her punishment for not doing what was expected of her. Instead of acting the part of a Kahl's daughter she tried to play the son. All she wanted was the freedom to do what the men did and now she was being punished. This must be what happens when you try to act like a man and anger The Great Stallion.
The anger inside her reared its head, letting it take over she chucked the headdress she still held out into the see. It was closely followed but a few rocks. All the control she had kept in place for so long snapped. Rage boiled over and made her thoughts turn dark. The self-loathing and hatred of man made her want to tear the villa apart, to leave no person who looked down on her or gave reason to her enslavement alive. She could accomplish much before the soldiers found her and killed her for her crimes. Or she could leave before they found her. Many scenarios played in her mind.
"If you grip that any tighter you won't have a hand Ezhi." Looking down Ezhi found her hands gripping onto one of the short knives she had drawn subconsciously. Her one hand on the hilt while the other was wrapped around the blade, a slow trail of blood flowing from her hand and down the edge of the blade. Releasing the blade and narrowing her eyes she turned her glare onto the person who was at the top of her list of people she wanted to end. The small beauty of a girl Daenerys. The girl did not flinch upon meeting the rage that flowed from the older woman. Though secretly she regretted drawing the woman's attention.
"Go back inside. You are to be married in three days' time. You will need your strength." Ezhi's voice was low but the ocean wind carried it to the young girl. The words caused a small frown to appear on Dany's face. Taking a step toward Ezhi, the tightening of the woman's hand on the sword was not missed, nor the small drips of blood still flowing form the clenched first at the woman's other side.
"You must know I do not want this. I do not want to marry the Khal, his is a savage and frightens me, but Viserys says the only way we can go home is to marry him." The words did nothing to appease Ezhi's anger but only added fuel to the already ragging fire. Taking quick precise steps Ezhi did not stop until she was toe to toe with the girl. Though only slightly taller she still had to look down to meet the girl's eyes, eyes that were slowly filling with fear.
"I do not care what you want girl. What I do care is that you not insult the Khal. You should feel honored to be his bride." Ezhi paused for a moment to gauge the Daenerys' reaction, which was not more than more fear.
"I will fight tomorrow not because I want you and your brother to get what you want, but because I want you to leave. I want you away from me and maybe I will get my chance at freedom. Whether by the blade of the Dothraki or the slight chance to have it after you leave I care not. Make no mistake I do not do this for you." Turning, Ezhi walked past the girl and made her way to the stairs leading up to the villa.
"You seem so certain you will die tomorrow." Daenerys' voice reached her and caused her to pause. Of course, death would be the most probable outcome.
"Yes, Daenerys I will most likely die, these men are not just savages, as you put it, but great warriors. The greatest of the Dothraki. There is little chance I will beat them in combat. The blood riders maybe, but Khal Drogo has never been defeated, I stand little chance. Tomorrow it seems we will both get what we want, just not exactly how we want it." Turning to leave again Ezhi started her ascent up the stairs only to be stopped a moment later by a hand on her arm.
"What if you do win? You can get what you want without losing your life." Yanking her arm away from the girl, Ezhi took a step forward before turning head to level Daenerys with straight face.
"Whatever happens, I accept my fate." With those words Ezhi took one last look over her shoulder before continuing her way up the stone steps.
It was those words that gave Daenerys clarity. She now understood that the woman she always thought was unbreakable was actually never whole. That she was made of badly put together pieces that had now tumbled down across the ground and swept away with the wind. Ezhi had made the decision to let whatever happens tomorrow play out without the care to try and win. She could get her escape without the dishonor of ending it herself or causing harm to anyone else, at least no physical harm.
It was this realization that had the heir to the Iron Throne making haste toward the villa and the man who had protected her and her brother this past year, hoping she could change the outcome of tomorrow.