"You killed Cersei," she said without feeling.
"I did," and he slumped to the floor.
She wiped her palms on her pants, and swallowed. "And where is she?"
"The Queen's quarters."
Dany looked at one of the Unsullied who had followed her into the Throne Room. "Where is that room?"
Jamie told her.
"Go. Find the dead Queen and bring her here," she nodded to the soldier.
She turned her attention to Jamie. "You killed my father."
"So I did."
"Give me one reason I shouldn't see your head on a spike."
"I have none," he still wasn't looking at her.
Dany's brow arched. "Your brother is bleeding, half dead…"
And now Jamie looked at her. "Cersei stabbed him in the neck. She wanted him dead."
"Why?"
"Because…" he swallowed. "Because she blamed him for everything that she lost. Our mother, our son and daughter…our father…she feared him."
Dany's chin went up, though she did not stop looking at him. "You will be my prisoner."
He nodded.
Grey Worm entered the room. Dany looked at him. "Where are the Lord Commander's quarters?"
"I do not know, Your Grace."
"Find them and bring him there," she approached Grey Worm. "Have two Unsullied soldiers there at his door day and night. No one is to enter except to bring his food. No one but those who bring him this food may leave. I will be by once the city is settled more," and she nodded. "Good night, Ser Jamie," and she left.
Dany walked with purpose to the Maester's room. She was wringing her hands a bit.
Part of her believed that she should have had Jamie Lannister executed then and there. He had killed her father…
…but then she thought about Tyrion, and how he would have wanted a say in what happened to his brother.
"This way to the Maester's quarters?" she asked a hand maid.
She nodded, and pointed to a door down the hall further.
The door was heavy, and she was tired. It had been a long night.
Inside, she saw many candles lit and two people hovering over Tyrion…Tyrion, who was laying prone on a table…
They were working diligently.
"How is he?" she asked, approaching the table.
"Your Majesty," the Maester bowed his head, looking at her, then looked at Tyrion. "He has lost much of his life blood…but the Queen did not hit an artery. He will live."
She exhaled. "Is he in much pain?"
"I have given him milk of the poppy in plenty to keep him asleep."
Dany nodded, then went to him, touching his hand.
She went back to her rooms with the memory of her speaking to Jamie and then visiting Tyrion fresh in her thoughts.
She thought that there was likely no reason for her to see Tyrion now, given the fact that they had argued, and she felt like a fool.
She had no idea what she would say to him, anyway.
Dany was eating her meager meal when she heard a knock. For a moment, she thought it might be Tyrion, and she was temporarily overcome with confusion. "Come in," she called.
Missandei entered, and she bowed and smiled. "Good evening, Khaleesi."
"Missandei," Dany smiled, and motioned for her to sit. "What can I do for you?"
The pair sat down. "The people are looking for you for wood for their fires. The city needs to be cleaned up since the battle…much has been done, but more needs doing, since there is only a few hours of daylight."
Dany nodded. "I can have some of the Unsullied work on these things tomorrow. We also need seamstresses…perhaps the Starks might know what to do about that," and she sat back. "They leave in the morning."
"Your rule is progressing," Missandei smiled.
"Is it? I feel painfully impotent."
"Why?"
She sighed. "I'm terribly confused." Missandei went to pour Dany some wine, but the Khaleesi held her hand up. "No. No wine, thank you."
"Is there anything I can do?" she looked at her Queen with concern.
Dany looked into her fire still turning with heat…"I loved Khal Drogo, Missandei. I loved him, more than I ever loved anyone or anything. And then, when I carried his son, I was filled with even more love than ever knew to be possible," she paused. "He died, and when he passed on, he was a shell of a man. And our son followed him where I could not go."
"I am sorry for everything that you lost," and the interpreter poured herself some wine. Anxious lines furrowed her features.
"You know about everything that I lost," Dany smiled and looked at her. "But things are very different for me now. Drogo was strong…a mammoth of a man. He was strong enough for both he, I, and his son. When they left me, I assumed their strength…I loved them. So much," her voice fell.
Missandei nodded.
"I rather thought that I'd never love again. I had had it in my life, and was lucky for it. I had other things to conquer…to bring to this world," she paused. "But still, I took a lover, and I cared for him. And I left him," she looked at Missandei.
The cold was settling in the room, and Dany pulled her wrap closer. The fire burned on, and the candles burned low.
"And here I am. I have everything I wanted. I am about to travel north to fight another battle…and when I win, I will return to King's Landing, ready to see Westeros through the long winter."
"I'm sure you're right, Khaleesi," Missandei said, sipping her wine.
"Of course I am," Dany replied. "But, you see, it is not enough."
"Your Grace?" she said, in confusion.
"It's not enough."
"What more…?"
"Love," she said simply. "I thought that I wouldn't require this thing. This thing that everyone chases. But I do. And friendship, companionship…."
"You have that in me," Missandei smiled.
"Oh, I know that I do," she touched her hand, and then sat back once more.
"But it's not enough."
Dany looked to the fire, a vague look about her.
Missandei shifted in her seat. "You have someone specific in mind."
Dany smiled. "In a way…yet my musings are much more general than specific," she paused. "Though, they are specific, too."
"Who?"
"I'd rather not say just yet. It would be better that I decide what to do and let this person know before I start telling everyone else about it."
Missandei finished her wine. "But perhaps I could offer some advice, if I know this person."
Dany looked at her. "It isn't Grey Worm."
Missandei smiled and blushed. "Thank you."
"It is rather foolish, if one thinks about it. All this secrecy…but this person…he is well known, and I rather think that it is better if during my sorting out of things I keep his identity hidden."
She shrugged. "You know best."
"Sometimes I wonder."
"Well, if you don't know what's best, who does?"
"That," Dany smiled. "Is an excellent question."
Missandei laughed, then she paused a moment. "Lord Tyrion knows very much about a lot of things. You could speak to him about it."
"Should I?" Dany looked at her with a sparkle in her eye.
"Yes, I think so. The two of you are rather close. He'd be happy to help."
"Perhaps I shall."
Missandei nodded, then stood. "I'll alert the others that the Unsullied are to be used in clean up efforts on the morrow," and she bowed, and left.
Dany sighed.
How funny that she should suggest Tyrion as her counsel! But, also, fairly obvious. She asks Tyrion for so much, it makes sense that she'd speak to him about this.
Except that in this particular case, it doesn't.
At least not yet.
Dany decided to have a glass of wine, and poured it out.
She rubbed her face.
There was much to what she was saying to Missandei about her love for Drogo. He was the exact opposite of Tyrion, save perhaps their passion. Both were rather passionate men, but about different things.
But maybe the gods merely recognized that Drogo was not what she needed any longer. Maybe it was the gods showing her that she needed someone with wit and humor…someone who would be faithful to her while she ruled, for she never saw Drogo taking orders from her.
And maybe she needed someone who was a friend now, as well. Someone to help her navigate the seven.
But as a Hand, he would.
This was doing no good at all. She wasn't thinking of Tyrion…she was thinking of herself.
Would he, as a Lannister, be a liability?
Probably.
Dany stood. She checked the sky…it was impossible to tell the time.
She began walking down the hall, still wrapped up against the seeping chill…up a flight of stairs…
"Come in," he said to her knock.
Dany took a deep breath and opened the door.
Tyrion was sitting by his hearth, drinking wine, and looking at papers. He appeared to be fully confused by her presence. "Your Grace,' he began to stand.
"No no. Please. Don't get up," and she sat across from him. "I came to apologize for my erratic behavior earlier," and her eyes dropped.
"No need to apologize."
"Well, I am sorry. It was foolish of me," and she smiled at him. "I saw Jamie."
"Did you? And how is my brother who wields his sword too readily?" he sat back with a smirk.
Dany laughed. "I would think that you'd be grateful for his liberal sword. It saved your life."
"Of course I am. But neither your father nor Cersei could be grateful. He does have a penchant for murdering monarchs…ill begotten or otherwise," he paused. "Perhaps you should cut off his head."
She smiled at him. "I like him."
"Well, then it's settled. You should marry him and make him less miserable, and make the Lannister name more palatable in Westeros," he paused. "Of course, we aren't considering your happiness, are we?"
"No. We aren't," she nodded.
"Well, Jamie is an attractive enough fellow. Sometimes smart. Occasionally amusing. He could make you a proper husband with some training. The incest bit will be a distant memory before you know it."
Dany suddenly became quite serious. "You honestly think that I should marry your brother?"
"Of course not," he replied. "What good would marrying a Lannister be? That name is poison here," and he drank deeply.
"You believe that I should only marry for politically strategic reasons?"
"You ask many questions Your Grace."
"I have you to answer them, my Lord," and she filled a glass for herself. "Best I get what I bargained for."
"Hm. Yes," and he downed it. "Now…do I think that you should marry advantageously…? My immediate answer is yes. You abandoned Daario for it, on my suggestion."
"I did indeed."
"You claimed that you had your true love in the Khal, is that not so?"
"I may have mentioned that," and she sipped.
"Well then. If you have given up on romance, that is, you've had your love and moved on, why not an advantageous marriage?"
"Perhaps I was precipitate."
"Were you?"
"Well," and she drank deeply. "There is a situation, one could imagine, wherein a person may enter my fancy and then where would that leave me?"
"You could always take a lover," and he poured more and drank the whole of it.
"But I don't want a lover. That is why I left Daario in Meereen."
"You are saying that you want a husband?" he seemed to be shocked.
"I'm saying that I foresee myself wanting another husband for love more than I want a lover for sex and a husband for political reasons."
Tyrion cleared his throat. "And, in your limited time here in King's Landing, have you found someone who meets your criteria?"
"For a husband?"
He nodded.
"Well…he would need to be very smart," she skimmed the lip of her cup with her forefinger. "Amusing, since so much of my time is spent in serious deliberation. Kind, since I deal with rogues. Supportive, since it is a lonely position to be in…"
Tyrion was looking at her steadily. "And all this, coupled with a handsome face, would surely do the trick."
Dany found his gaze. "I never said a handsome face."
"You didn't?"
She shook her head.
Tyrion seemed to snap himself out of some sort of trance. "Pardon me, Your Grace, you seem to be speaking to me, though I am not following your train of thought. An odd position for me to be in."
"I was merely extrapolating on the virtues my partner in life must have."
He nodded. "A very fine list. It would be difficult to find such a person."
Dany stood. "It would be, yes," and she turned. "Good night, Tyrion."
And she left him there with his thoughts.