A/N: okay so BTW the things in italics are Khal Drogo's thoughts as he watches the scene. This whole chapter is his POV, but it's a detached Drogo…It isn't Drogo's thoughts while he is laying in bed.

Chapter 9

Shadow of the Day

sometimes solutions aren't so simple. Sometimes goodbye is the only way. And the sun will set for you…

It took Khal Drogo a moment to realize what he was looking at; he was watching himself. He was laying on a makeshift bed, covered in sweat, mumbling incoherent sentences. Daenerys was sitting beside him.

"His fever is too high khaleesi, he will die tonight," Jorah told her. What? Drogo thought in a panic, the maegi was supposed to cure me! What does he mean?

Daenerys glared up at the knight, her face wet from crying. Tell him, little moon of my life! Tell him I won't die. "None of you have any idea how strong he is. He will get better."

"I am not sure, khaleesi. He is not reacting well to the remedy, a man cannot survive a fever like this and a festered wound," Mirri Maz Dur said sadly, walking into the hut.

"I have seen this many a time on the battlefield, Daenerys. Men don't survive this kind of infection," Jorah reiterated. She was not listening.

"You were supposed to save him! You told me you could save him!" The khaleesi shouted after a moment of silence. The maegi sighed.

"There is one thing we could do, khaleesi," she finally admitted. Daenerys' face lit up. Daenerys no. Do not trust this maegi! She doesn't want to really help you!

"I will do anything! Bring him back to me!"

"But be warned, only death can pay for life. If you want your khal back, you will forfeit another." No. Little moon of my life, she will trick you! You don't know what you are agreeing to!

"I will do whatever it takes, just don't let him die," the khaleesi demanded, touching Drogo's forehead lovingly.

"This can only be done if he survives the night. If he is as strong as you say, khaleesi, we will begin at dawn," Mirri Maz Dur affirmed, turning and walking out of the hut.

Rhaego. The maegi wants Rhaego. Khal Drogo thought after watching the proceedings. She seeks to avenge her village…by killing us both. Daenerys think. Something is not right! She promised you a healed husband, and she is killing me. Do not give her our son too. Yes, Drogo had resigned himself to his fate. All he could do was watch as the events unfolded before his eyes, unable to change their course.


"Drogo, stay with me. Mirri Maz Dur has a way to save you. You just need to live until dawn- Jorah doesn't believe in you. He doesn't know you like I do, my sun-and-stars. I know you will," Daenerys explained to Drogo, sitting by his bed and wiping his face with a cold cloth. He didn't even acknowledge her, the fever making him delirious. She smiled sadly and continued her valiant effort to keep him cool; all through the night.

To keep herself from being discouraged, Daenerys talked to Drogo the whole time, telling him stories about when she was young, about things they did and about him. I wish I could have heard you, my little moon, I wish you would have told me these things when I was awake. Drogo thought, watching them. He had no idea what he had done in his life to deserve this kind of punishment. Was it the raping and pillaging? In that case, were all khals resigned to this form of torture? Or was he special?

He made it to dawn. Much to Drogo's dismay. And the maegi was there as the first rays lit up the hut. Jorah followed soon after.

"Ah, so you were right, young khaleesi. The great rider has lived another day," Mirri Maz Dur commented, obviously pleased.

"I told you he was strong. None of you believed me," Daenerys said, her voice devoid of emotion. Jorah was shocked by the news,

"I am sorry to have doubted you, Daenerys. You were right."

"The first thing we must do is get his horse. A life to pay for a life," she said in a no nonsense manner, Jorah went to fetch Athdikar. Athdikar? Daenerys no! She will want more than him. Do not trust her! Drogo shouted angrily, knowing his longtime friend would die for nothing.

They finally got the bay stallion in the hut, it had taken three blood riders and Jorah to pull him. Athdikar was still striking out in all directions.

"And you must not let anyone else into this hut," the witch told Daenerys.

"You have my word, no one will enter this hut," the khaleesi replied confidently, looking at Drogo.


He felt himself crying. Drogo could do nothing to change things; he could do nothing but watch the events that would, no doubt, alter his little moon's life more than she could ever imagine.

Daenerys left the hut after Athdikar's body hit the ground. She was met by the blood riders, in the front was Qotho. He was the only one that looked angry.

"Khal Drogo will live. The maegi has assured me of that," the khaleesi informed the crowd. Cheers resounded throughout the blood riders. Qotho narrowed his eyes incredulously.

"He is dying, foreign whore. And when he dies, you will have no power anymore. No protection. I will be khal," the blood rider spat at her. Daenerys stayed composed. None of the others made a sound. Most looked at the khaleesi to see what her command was. Of course the khalasar would follow her! She is a born leader, whether she knows it or not.

"While I am your khaleesi, you will talk to me with the respect that goes along with that title," Daenerys shot back. Earning a low roar from the crowd. Jorah materialized from the hut, ready to protect the princess. Before the knight could act, Qotho had grabbed Daenerys roughly and thrown her to the ground. She began screaming in pain. Jorah fought the bloodrider, dispatching him quickly like Drogo knew he would, and carrying the khaleesi into her hut. Then everything went dark for Khal Drogo.


Daenerys knew what she had to do. She had come to the conclusion while looking at Drogo's arakh back in their hut. It felt strange, being in there, to her. It was as if the hut knew something was missing. Looking at the bed, Daenerys remembered the night they made Rhaego. Rhaego was dead. They were filled with such optimism at that time, things had been so different. Everyday experimenting with their newfound feelings for each other. The handle of the arakh was worn, but the blade was perfectly sharp. Drogo took meticulous care of his weapon. He was a warrior, brave and strong. She knew he did not deserve to waste away simply because she could not let go. Drogo would not want this. That caused Daenerys to venture to her hut, determined to end his suffering. The khaleesi sat on the bed with Drogo, gathering the courage to carry out her mission.

"I am doing this because I love you, my sun-and-stars. I know you wouldn't do it to me, but I am going to be the strong one for the both of us now," the khaleesi began to cry. One slight move by him and her resolve would crumble.

"I will see you again, my sun-and-stars, and you must forgive me. I won't be able to live eternity if you do not. There will be no one after you, like there was no one before you. Wait for me, promise me you will Drogo," Daenerys whispered.

But she didn't wait for a response, she couldn't. Pulling one of her embroidered pillows over his face, Daenerys pressed down firmly; sobbing quietly. He was dead now- but the khaleesi knew that Drogo had truly died the day he fell from Athdikar, that was the beginning of the end. She closed his eyes gently, he was still warm. Daenerys wanted to lay down next to him, fall asleep in his warmth. But she knew that when she awoke he would be cold and grey. Her sun-and-stars would not be there anymore.

"You and Athdikar come find me when its my time, my sun-and-stars. I will be waiting for you both," Daenerys smiled sadly, touching the little wooden horse around Drogo's neck. Drogo, Rhaego and Athdikar all died for nothing.

"Jorah!" She shouted. They needed to set up a funeral pyre for the khal so at dawn he could be burned. The knight appeared minutes later, taking in the sad scene that lay before him. Khal Drogo was dead, and Daenerys sat next to him, holding his hand.

"He's gone, Jorah."

"I will have Rakharo gather the blood riders. We will be able to burn him in the morning. You really should sleep, khaleesi," Jorah knew it was a useless statement, but he had to say it anyway. She didn't give him eye contact.

"Do we wash the body? Do we dress him in anything specific?" Daenerys asked, ignoring him. The knight sighed.

"I imagine whatever you want him to wear is what Drogo would want. Washing a body is more of a Westeros tradition, but I think it would be appropriate. He did marry you after all. I think he would be disappointed if you did it completely the Dothraki way," Jorah smiled, glad to see her acknowledge his words.

"He will be ready in a few hours, thank you Jorah."


Khal Drogo woke up. Looking around, he was on a bed in Daenerys' room. I'm awake! It just hit him. He had woken up from the witch's curse! The omen was wrong! Drogo jumped up and ran to find the khaleesi.

It was early morning, and the first rays of light were coming over the mountains as Drogo walked out of the hut. The first thing he noticed was how quiet the camp was, there were no sounds other than horses rustling. Where was everyone? Drogo wandered around the camp, there was truly no one there. Looking past the camp and down at the beach he saw everyone gathered; as he got closer, the khal realized they were standing around a funeral pyre. Drogo saw Daenerys standing with Rakharo and Jorah, solemnly staring toward the pyre. They must not have seen him coming toward them. Was it Qotho on the pyre? He couldn't quite tell until he was almost there. As he stood on the pyre, Drogo realized with horror that he was looking at his own body; washed, shaven and wrapped in a ceremonial linen. Looking down at the crowd he noticed that none of the hoard saw him. He wasn't really there. Daenerys cried as she walked up to the pyre and placed her dragon eggs around him. The khaleesi, unknowingly, had walked right past Drogo.

"You could use those to live as a wealthy woman the rest of your life, princess. Khal Drogo has no need of dragon eggs in the afterlife," Jorah told her reasonably. To Drogo's surprise, Daenerys smiled slightly.

"In the house Targareyn, if someone you love more than anything dies, then you give them one of your prized possessions by burying it with them. You said so yourself, if Drogo had wanted the Dothraki way, he wouldn't have married me."

"Fair enough princess," Jorah admitted, stepping back.

"Come get me one day, my sun-and-stars," Daenerys whispered as she placed an egg on his chest. Drogo smiled, he would come get her. No matter where she was, or how long it took. He would eventually have her with him again. Looking down at his body, and more closely at his charms and talismen around his neck one last time, Drogo's brain hatched an idea; and he turned back to camp.

"Princess?" Jorah asked as she watched the pyre burn. Soon Drogo's familiar, rugged profile was lost in the flames. The screaming of Mirri Maz Dur was all that remained now.

"If you are worried that I will walk into that pyre, you can rest easy. I will not. The maegi's suffering is too precious a thing to miss," Daenerys said blankly, her face transfixed on the flames eating closer to the witch.

"You have done the right thing, princess," the knight stated, knowing she wasn't really listening. Although she had assured him otherwise, the princess walked straight into the flames, disappearing before Jorah's eyes.

When Jorah found Daenerys the next morning, in the pile of ash left by Drogo's pyre, she was completely unharmed. Three baby dragons clung to her body as she rose. The khalasar bowed in awe of the dragon tamer. They had loved her before, as Khal Drogo's little moon, they loved her now as the mother of the dragons.

"Those of you who choose to stay with me are welcomed to do so. If you wish to leave, no one is stopping you. The slaves are free and the women as well," Daenerys explained to the awestruck hoard. Most of them stayed.

"When should be your coronation ceremony, Khal Daenerys?" Rakharo asked, smiling at her. She sighed,

"this evening. I must go and wash up."

Her three servants rushed ahead and begun to prepare for her. The khal mounted Shierak and galloped back to her hut, the dragons in tow.

The filly and dragons waited outside as Daenerys walked to the tent. Immediately after entering, she noticed something out of place; hanging from the support beam of the ceiling was little Athdikar. He had been burned with his master, she made sure he wore it when she dressed his body. She had touched it on the pyre! Holding the wooden horse close to her chest, Daenerys felt a cool breeze pass by her- only to realize that the door was closed.

"My lady?" Irro asked, peeking her head in the door, "your bath is ready…are you alright?"

Daenerys looked once more at little Athdikar, her heart thumping in her chest, but her mind at ease. She smiled, he would come for her, "yes. Now I am."

A/N: There will be an epilogue! Probably tomorrow.

don't kill me :) I thought the ending was good for being sad! And the epilogue is happy! And Khal Drogo-y. REVIEW!

Sorry if there are minor errors, I just wanted to get this out there! I will fix it if it needs it!