Tyrion drummed his fingers impatiently as he stood in a small room off to the side in the building that had become a temple to the Lord of Light with how quickly the red priestess he had brought here had been gaining converts it was more than necessary.
That had been one of Tyrion's better plots since coming to Meereen. She had done a good job pacifying the masses and even converting some of the former Masters into believers in the Lord of Light and as a result, they now believed in Queen Daenerys.
The followers of the Lord of Light had been rather generous in their tides and offerings to their Lord and his champion. The fact that the head priestess, Kinvara practically worshipped Daenerys is what made this religion so profitable. They were seeing many generous donations from the Temple of the Lord of the Light to his champion and the new religion had done a wonderful job of allowing them to redistribute the wealth to the more needy people as well as pocketing a small sum for when they returned to Westeros to fund their campaign for the Iron Throne.
Today for once, Tyrion was not visiting the temple of a God that he did not believe in for financial or even political matters but religious ones. He was here to verify the rather impossible claim that Jon Snow had returned from the dead and was truly a Targaryen. A claim that Tyrion hated to admit sounded surprisingly reasonable if Varys was telling the truth about what his sources had heard. Not that the truth was ever a certainty when it came to Varys.
He had been waiting in this nearly empty room for almost an hour now, waiting for Kinvara to finish her preaching for the day so they could discuss the resurrected Prince. Alas, the uptick in business meant she would likely not be available until later in the day.
Finally, after a few more moments Kinvara swept into the room looking as beautiful as when they had first met when he stopped in Volantis on his way to meet Daenerys for the first time. Her hair was silky and dark falling in curtains around her head, framing her soft heart-shaped face beautifully. As always, regardless of the weather, she wore a crimson red dress with gold embroidery on the edges. The dress was a long-sleeved one with a low cut that showed plenty of tantalizing skin that Tyrion was sure was at least part of the reason she had so successfully gained converts to her lord. All of the female priests were incredibly young and beautiful. She also had the signature golden choker holding a valuable gemstone clasped around her neck like all of the priestesses did.
"Lord Tyrion," She greeted as she stepped into the room and closed the door behind her.
"Kinvara!" Tyrion exclaimed joyfully at finally being able to deal with this foolishness. "I've come here today-"
The priestess cut him off. "I know why you are here Lord Tyrion."
Tyrion raised an eyebrow in disbelief. "I doubt that."
Kinvara smiled. "You are here because of the Prince. You are here because he did not stay dead."
Tyrion took a step back in complete disbelief. He knew she had a way of knowing things, a network of her own spies but the odds of her founding out so soon after Varys who was widely called the spider for how intricate his network or web of spies were. He knew so many things through his network that they had taken to calling his sources the little birds for often he unearthed plots whose only witnesses to the conspiring were the birds of the air. He had been kept as the Master of Whispers for four different kings despite his questionable loyalty due to how much more effective he was than any other spymaster.
He had thought that her claiming to know what the second-rate sorcerer had told Varys when he took his cock was simply a bluff to get Varys to back down or perhaps something she knew coincidentally through a chance encounter with the aforementioned sorcerer. Never had he imagined that she was actually being honest when she claimed to have seen things in the flames. Now, Tyrion had his doubts that she hadn't truly seen things as she claimed.
He shook off his doubts and responded in turn. "Yes, I am here on behalf of Queen Daenerys of House Targaryen to seek out the truth behind her nephew and his claims of not staying dead- to see if such a thing has ever been done before. I am here to verify that Jon Snow being unburnt is proof that he is a Targaryen and not just a side effect of his supposed resurrection."
"I can verify that Aegon Targaryen did come back from the dead and that he is not the first to do so. He like everyone the Lord of Light has opted to bring back has a purpose that is yet to be fulfilled. He is the one who was promised, to save the world when from the Other. He is Azor Ahai reborn again."
Tyrion resisted the urge to groan at the very religious response. He could believe in blood magic being what brought him back but the idea that he was brought back because he had a purpose was ludicrous, no one died after accomplishing all of their business. If that was the case then why were so few people resurrected? And why were they calling Jon Snow Aegon? Was his mother that uncreative in naming him before her passing? Or did they decide that since he was Aegon because he would reconquer the seven kingdoms since it was his purpose or some equally flimsy reasoning? "I thought Daenerys was the one who was promised?" He asked skeptically. "You told her she was Azor Ahai reborn."
Kinvara smiled at him once more. "They both are the Princes that were promised, they both have a role to play in the Lord of Light's grand plan."
Tyrion would keep that part to himself, he doubted that his Queen would appreciate sharing another one of her titles with her nephew, that might turn her against him and cause her to set her sights to the North rather than Kings Landing and Casterly Rock where his vile family was and those sheep who had condemned him because Cersei had proclaim it so. She needed to keep her focus where the people he needed revenge on were. The North would be a good ally for Queen Daenerys and ensure her victory against his vile sister and his cruel lying brother.
"Who else was resurrected?" Tyrion asked curiously after a moment of silence taking in all that the priestess had just revealed.
"A great many people throughout history in the age of heroes especially. Many more once again, after the Queen Daenerys, brought magic back into the world. The most famous of those resurrected is Nissa Nissa herself."
"And who is this Nissa Nissa? The woman who Azor Ahai killed to forge lightbringer?" Tyrion asked skeptically.
"Nissa Nissa was Lightbringer; it was her death and more so resurrection that led to the forging of Lightbringer. The sword that lead to the side of the King Azor Ahai's victory over the Great Other. No one knows who truly struck the killing blow."
Tyrion laughed at that. "Are you suggesting that Jon Snow is Nissa Nissa?" He asked completely incredulous. The idea of it was mad, surely she wasn't suggesting it. He knew that they believed Azor Ahai would return from the dead and come again with a glowing sword but they couldn't really think that Jon Snow was that sword to be wielded by Daenerys possibly. This religion was complete madness and utter nonsense with no grounding in reality.
"The flames are unclear as to who he is. He has a role to play in the great war. Perhaps he will be Azor Ahai reborn or perhaps he will be the sword wielded by Azor Ahai. We know only what we interpret from the visions our Lord shows us." Kinvara said patiently.
Religion was utter nonsense, even Kinvara had just admitted that to him. He would keep this part of the conversation to himself. He knew that Daenerys believed in prophecy, and destiny. It would be best that she didn't get any wild ideas from their fever dreams. She would know the dead could live, nothing more of their exchange.
Meereen was fucked. The way Queen Daenerys had taken the city had been effective for sure but it had completely crashed Meereen's economy to a point where he might prefer the ten million in debt that they had in Westeros to the current situation with no income, the vast majority of workers, unemployed and homeless and most the crops burnt and no longer usable.
Taking the city from within by causing a slave rebellion had been a true masterstroke from a military perspective and if Daenerys had just planned on sacking the city and moving on it would have been a good decision- the best decision even but ruling a city in the aftermath of that devastation was no easy feat.
Tyrion had first suggested paying the wages of the slaves thinking that the issue was the masters refusing to pay their workers but the longer he stayed in the city and explored it, talked with the rightfully furious masters and the now jobless slaves who wanted slavery back the more he realized that was hardly the issue. The problem was the slaves rebellion resulting in destroying their master's wares and as a result all of the cities dependable income. Paying the wages of the slaves might stop the Harpies from being active and maybe end the senseless murder in their streets but it would not stop the city from suffering an economic collapse with no wares to trade.
Slavery might have been the primary product that was traded in Slavers Bay or as the Queen insisted it was now named; The Bay of Dragons but it was far from the only thing. They had reliable produces of wool, vinegar, and an assortment of crops but now they had none of those. The crop fields had been burned by most of the slaves during their usurpation as they struck back at their cruel masters. The sheep were even shrinking in quantity with how large of appetites, the Dragons had. So yeah Meereen was truly fucked. It's a good thing that Tyrion had always loved a challenge.
Queen Daenerys had taken steps already, of course, that would in time yield fruit but they didn't plan on staying in Meereen for ten years. At least Tyrion hoped they didn't he needed to return to Westeros and take the throne from his perfect wonderful family. The replanting of the olives, beans, lentils, and all the other crops was an easy step that Daenerys had made long before Tyrion arrived in Meereen. That would never be enough in the short term, they needed a new product of value or an increase in an existing one immediately or else they would be forced to take a loan from the Iron Bank which Tyrion doubted they would grant since they had no doubt profited off of slavery and despite what they might claim would want to see it return.
Many of the larger manses stood on fertile ground and places where he suspected there could be valuable ore beneath. They could destroy the now unoccupied ones who had their assets seized by the state and mine beneath them but first, they would have to test the land and see if there was any hope of finding any before squandering valuable recourses into digging down in the ground.
He had sent some of the newfound freemen out to drill holes in the ground the manses now owned by the government and collect samples of the water beneath to inspect it for any traces of any valuable ore that could hopefully result in a new source of income for the economy of Meereen.
"Lord Tyrion," Daenerys snapped at him harshly. "I asked you to give me an update on the progress of restoring Trade to Meereen and resolving our economic crisis. If you can not pay attention to the meeting then I will find myself a new master of coin who can."
Tyrion's head snapped up from the wine glass he had been fixated on. "Apologies, Your Grace," Tyrion said with a bowed head. "Things are difficult to say the least. We're working on finding any previously untapped mines beneath the houses of the former masters whose property we've seized. Once the data has been analyzed we'll likely have a few more mines, hopefully of something more rich than copper. Props are progressing well enough and in a few years should be another reliable source of income."
Tyrion hesitated and took a long gulp of his wine before making his next suggestion knowing the Queen likely would hate it. "We should also see about selling the services of some of our skilled laborers to other cities that might need it." He cringed at the end and held his hands up somewhat defensively. He knew that he had worded that poorly to say the least.
Daenerys glared at him with clear rage she didn't even try to conceal. "You want me to bring back slavery?" She demanded harshly. "That will never happen. Meereen is now a free city and will remain a free city forevermore."
Tyrion flinched. "Of course not," He protested. "Think of it like you would with a company of sellswords. The Storm Crows are not your slaves but you hire them to work for you, do what you ask, and follow you wherever you tell them to go as long as they are paid. Think of this as the same thing but with a company of farmers or a company of blacksmiths, or a company of miners. We should organize the free men who no longer have work here into guilds and sell their services to work in other cities. They would be paid by the people who hired them, of course, with the city only taking a small tax on the transactions."
Daenerys gave him a shrewd look but said nothing. Grey Worm did not have the same qualms as her about speaking on Tyrion's idea. "Why would masters pay? They just use slaves to do services without pay in other cities."
Tyrion grinned and shook his head. "They still have to pay even if they use slaves, they just buy the slaves instead of temporarily paying for them as hired workers. The money that previously all went to the masters who sold the slaves would just now be evenly distributed amongst the sla-paid workers." He quickly amended after the Queen sent him a heated glare. "Additionally this would allow us to expand the places we can send our workers to places where slavery is illegal like Braavos and potentially even Westeros."
Ser Barristan reluctantly nodded in agreement. "It's a sensible solution, we would restore Meereen's primary trade product without allowing the evil that slavery is to reign again. We still can trade skilled workers even if that's not as slaves and that would be a massive boon to our financial situation."
Tyrion hid a grin behind a well-timed gulp of his wine. He knew with Ser Barristan siding with his plan, that it would almost certainly be enacted. Perhaps, this would restore the economy to a state that had some chance of being sustainable enough that Daenerys might return to Westeros sometime this year.
Queen Daenerys sighed. "Very well, Lord Tyrion. We will try organizing these guilds of workers and licensing them to other cities as you suggested. No man will be forced to join these guilds and all will be paid for their services. If any master is found mistreating his paid workers then they will be punished in a double proportion. If this turns into slavery again, it will be your head that is taken, Lord Tyrion. Is that understood?"
Tyrion set down his wine chalice and bowed his head. "Perfectly, Your Grace."
Daenerys nodded and moved on with the meeting. "With Meereen's issues dealt with for the day, let's move on to Westeros. Lord Varys do you have any news to report?"
Varys nodded. "My little birds have told me that it has been a very hectic week in Westeros." He said with an eerie smile. "Queen Margaery-"
"Lady," Daenerys corrected sternly. "She is a false Queen married to a false King. They are a Lord and Lady nothing more. I am the only Queen."
"Apologies, Your Grace." Lord Varys apologized hastily and Daenerys waved it away, urging him to go on with his report. "Lady Margaery had her trial by the faith on charges of infidelity to Ki-Lord Tommen, lewdness, adultery, fornication, adultery, lying before the Gods and high treason. She was cleared of all charges after interestingly enough, Loreon Lannister testified on her behalf that Lord Tommen's master of whispers, Lord Qyburn had one of the witnesses tortured repeatedly and even dissected until he spun the tale they wanted him too. Lord Qyburn was arrested during the trial."
"Loreon Lannister?" Tyrion asked completely incredulous. "He is fiercely loyal to the Lannisters, he would never speak against Cersei's side in a trial." He had known Loreon himself, they hadn't been friends or anything but he was familiar enough to know that the man took his duty to his family very seriously.
Varys hummed and ignored Tyrion's objection. "Lady Cersei Lannister also had her trial which she opted to have hers be decided by combat."
Tyrion took a drink when he remembered his own trial by combat. Prince Oberyn had defeated the mountain but then his own arrogance and desire to hear Ser Gregor confess to his crimes had led to his skull being smashed into bits and Tyrion being found guilty of a crime he did not commit. Trial by combat was a mockery of justice that only allowed the powerful to trod over the powerless. They had never discussed it but Tyrion was sure that part of breaking the wheel would be to end that practice. "Whose skull did Ser Gregor smash this time?" Tyrion muttered between sips.
Varys chuckled. "No one's, My Lord. Ser Gregor was not your sister's champion."
Tyrion spewed out the wine that he had been drinking. "What?" He asked in complete disbelief. "Was it Ser Robert Wrong then or whatever it was he'd taken to calling himself now?"
Varys smiled an eerie smile. "No again, My Lord. Ser Robert Strong attacked the sept they were holding Lord Qyburn the night that he was imprisoned. He absconded with Qyburn before Cersei's trial. The Tyrells paid Kettleblack for him to refuse being her champion and Ser Loras championed for the faith. Your sister was forced to choose Ser Balon Swann as her champion. He lost to Ser Loras and Lady Cersei was executed the next day."
Tyrion dropped his goblet in shock. Cersei was dead. He had wanted to kill her himself, to choke the life out of her, or maybe give her the same poison that whoever had killed Joffrey used to do the deed. He wanted to watch Kings Landing and Casterly Rock burn to take everything that Cersei cared about away from her. He was furious, this was his revenge and it was stolen from him. He had wanted to destroy her not just execute her.
Yet a part of Tyrion mourned the sister he never had but had always wanted. Cersei had always been cruel and awful and Tyrion had wished her dead numerous times as she had with him but now he felt so unsatisfied and just wished to have an actual sister. He crushed that part of him down beneath his need for revenge. For Tysha he would burn all of the Lannister name to the ground. Every single Lannister would be dead by the end of this war if Tyrion had any say in the matter.
"I'm sorry for your loss, Lord Tyrion," Missandei said gently in an attempt to comfort him.
Tyrion snorted. "Loss? This is a joyous occasion. No one deserved death more than she did. Good riddance, I say." Yet he did not quite entirely feel what he was saying. He believed that she deserved to die and wanted her dead but he didn't at the same time. It was all so confusing. Tyrion picked up his goblet off the floor and grabbed the wine tumbler, refilling the glass until it was to the brim and then downed it in one gulp before refilling it again.
Daenerys coughed in an attempt to move on to a safer topic of conversation, this was big news but there was little they could do with it, and they were trying to spare Tyrion's feelings, It was almost sweet if it wasn't so sickening. Why did he even care that she had died?
"Anything else to report?" Daenerys asked Varys.
"Oh yes, Your Grace, there is also news from the North." Varys informed her.
Daenerys's breath seemed to catch. "My nephew? Prince Jon?" She asked hopefully.
Varys nodded. "Prince Jon has taken Last Hearth, the ancestral seat of House Umber. He suffered minimal casualties in the battle as most of the Umber's army was marching onto Winterfell to join up with the Boltons."
"The Boltons forces number at around five thousand made primarily up of their men, Umbers, Hornwoods, and Karstaks. There are also another two thousand Lannister men that have been redirected from Riverrun to head north and kill Prince Jon.
Daenerys fiddled with her hands. "Does Prince Jon have any other allies or just the wildlings?" She asked nervously.
Varys frowned. "As far as I've heard no. He only has his wildlings."
Daenerys sighed and then straightened her posture. "He's a Targaryen, he'll win regardless. We always do the impossible."
Tyrion nodded along with her statement completely unconvinced. He would be shocked if Jon Snow wasn't dead by the time they returned to Westeros to begin Daenerys's campaign for the throne. If Jon had any common sense, then he would return with Jorah to Meereen and abandon his wildlings to die at the hand of the Boltons much larger force. From what he knew of Jon, however, Tyrion doubted the bastard prince would ever consider that option. He could only hope that his Queen did not take it too hard and turn all her rage to the Boltons in the North when he inevitably died before they ever could meet.
Tyrion sighed as he refilled his wine goblet for the hundredth time tonight. The sun was peaking over the horizon now and he still hadn't even slept an hour. He had passed out early, drunk out of his breeches but he had dreamt of Cersei without her head and Jamie ripped in half by a savage Rhaegal, his features burnt beyond recognition. He saw Tommen's crown melted on his face the molten gold burning him alive. He saw Myrcella defiled by all of the Queen's men and then Tyrion himself at the end. She received a gold dragon for her services like Tyrion had once paid Tysha. Kings Landing had been burnt into ashes by the Queen's vicious dragons. For some reason, he had awoken terrified, and in a cold sweat with his heart racing. He had been restless after that fantasy that had felt like a nightmare.
He had rolled out of bed and rather than go back to sleep he had gotten up and had another drink and then another and then another one after that. He was pretty sure the steward had replaced his wine with grape juice by now but he was too drunk to tell. He had spent the last five hours or so sitting on his balcony watching absent-mindedly flipping through a book on the yore of the North as his queen had ordered. He was reading about wargs right now, men who could wear the skin of an animal and control them. Men who could talk to animals supposedly. It was nonsense of course but it was interesting and kept his mind somewhat occupied on more pleasant dreams than those that had haunted his nightmares.
He was supposed to be searching for methods on the Others and how to defeat them but he was instead avoiding that section at the present time. He had started at that part but when he nodded off, his vision had been filled with the most horrific of sights. He had seen Cersei rise up out of her grave, headless and all and take his cock. He had seen Tywin shoot him with a crossbow bolt that had somehow left him alive just long enough to see Jamie's re-animated right hand strangle Tysha as he watched helplessly. He had jolted back awake and had refused to give in to his weariness anymore. Sleep would bring him no peace as he was horrified by the dreams of his family suffering.
Tyrion could not understand why. He wanted Cersei dead so badly and now that she was, why was he not happy? He had not shed a single tear when he killed his own father on the privy but for some odd reason, he was mourning the sister he had hated. Sure, he had hated father but it was not the same way. His sister had always been cruel to him and had tried to have him killed multiple times. His father had considered him a disgrace and not his son. Both were awful people as was Jamie but he still found himself caring about his sister for some reason.
Perhaps it was because of what her death so soon after the death of Joffrey and Tywin would do to Tommen and Myrcella. He had thought that he wanted Tommen dead, a foregone conclusion if Daenerys was to be Queen. He had thought he wanted Jamie to watch as he did the same to his sister and daughter as had once been done to Tysha but now he found the image sickening in his dreams. They had just been extensions of Cersei and Jamie to him before Cersei had died but now that she had Tyrion found himself caring about them as their own people. They weren't just extensions of their evil parents but unique and wonderful individuals.
He had once fantasized about killing all the sheep in Kings Landing and had wished for enough poison to kill all of them. His revelations about Myrcella and Tommen being their own people and not just their parents had led to him reconsidering his desire to murder all the denizens of Kings Landing. Like Tommen himself often was they were just gullible, not evil. They were a bit stupid but that didn't mean they deserved to die. That was a startling revelation, he no longer wanted to murder all of those sheep who had jeered at him and been stupid enough to judge him guilty before there was any evidence of that. They had all hated him and considered him an evil vile monster because he was a dwarf. It was undoubtedly Queen Daenerys's idealogy and constant optimism rubbing off on him but he no longer hated them for that but instead wanted to show them they were wrong about him
When he had watched Rhaegal rip a man in half as he died a painful and brutal death, he had been horrified. He had thought he had seen the worst of war and pain during the battle of the blackwater but he had been far away from the wildfire, safe on the walls, and did not enter the fray until after the wildfire was gone. He had thought he had no problem with the horrors of war but perhaps he did. He had watched men die in the most painful of ways and been horrified and disgusted. He didn't want that for Tommen, Myrcella, the innocent denizens of Kings Landing, and he wasn't even sure he wanted it for his siblings- well he supposed just Jamie now since Cersei had been executed.
He watched as the dragon that haunted his dreams so much dipped it's head down to greet Daenerys who had only just woken up. She had yet to braid her hair or dress in anything more than a robe. He watched as the dragon rested his large head on her lap and she stroked his scales as she talked to him. They were too far away for Tyrion to make sense of what they were saying but they were still talking with the dragon lifting its head off her lap occasionally nodding along or shaking his head in what Tyrion could only assume was disagreement.
Tyrion had thought himself as close to an expert as there was on dragons but he apparently knew nothing if Rhaegal behaved like that. Dragons were simple violent creatures with primal intelligence and well Rhaegal was violent, he was as intelligent as any human. He was the only one who behaved like this of her dragons, and he wasn't even like that consistently but only during the late-night hours and early mornings with a few exceptions. It defied all logical explanations and Tyrion had woken himself early on many occasions to observe Rhaegal's interactions with his mother. He was the most fascinating character Tyrion had ever seen and was constantly present in his thoughts along with the question of where do whores go? Yet this morning Rhaegal was hardly a pressing thought as his family tore apart his heart and shredded his mind.
Jamie was the person that was always on the front of his mind, especially since the revelations of yesterday. Well him and Tysha. When Jamie had left the Kingsguard, to be Lord of Casterly Rock and their father's heir, he had thought that he was doing it to spite Tyrion. That he had wanted Tyrion to suffer, his brother was cruel and wicked in every way. He had wanted to take the one thing Tyrion had coveted more than anything else and the thing Tyrion would never possess away from him.
But as much as Tyrion wished he was lately, Jamie was not Cersei. He was a good person. He was the brother who had always been kind to Tyrion and had never let him doubt that. He was the one who had saved Kings Landing when he killed the Mad King and had never tried to tell anyone why he had done it, too afraid of what would happen if it was publically known and some fool had used that knowledge to destroy the entire city carrying out the Mad King's last wish. As far as Tyrion was aware he was the only one who knew that piece of information, he knew for certain Cersei did not know or else she would have boasted of her twin brother's heroics to the entire kingdom and insisted that Robert reward Jamie in a ridiculously lavish way that was sure to add another million dragons to the crown's insurmountable debt.
Once Tyrion had fantasized about betraying Jamie's trust like Jamie had betrayed his and set off the wildfire beneath the city, turning the whole city into ashes, killing all the citizens of Kings Landing in one fell swoop. All those people who had reviled him and wished him dead would be the ones who wound up dead in the end. Tyrion had moved past that now, the innocents would stay uninvolved in his revenge schemes, so would Tommen and Myrcella and probably Uncle Kevan who had believed in Tyrion's innocence. Only Jamie would die for his betrayal, well and Cersei but she was already dead so he wouldn't get the chance to kill her himself. Except would his Queen let Tommen live? Perhaps Myrcella but surely not Tommen. He would almost certainly die and Tyrion hated that.
Tyrion hated Jamie but he loved him as well, the hatred was definitely the more dominant feeling than his love but the love was there. He cared for who Jamie was but he had made one unforgivable mistake and for that, he would die. He had lied to Tyrion and called his wife, his beautiful, wonderful wife a whore who had been paid to fuck him because he was too ugly for any normal woman to love. Tyrion had been a fool to believe his brother over his own wife but he had always had a weak spot for his family and he still did even after all of their betrayals. Jamie's death would not be anything extravagant, maybe just burned alive by a dragon or even a simple beheading, or heck he could hang the ponce. He did not care how Jamie died as long as he died. As Queen Daenerys was fond of saying, injustice must be met with justice and he would deliver it to his brother. Even if he might mourn his death afterward. He had to die for Tysha wherever she was now.
"It is quite strange isn't it, old friend?" He heard a voice ask from behind him.
Tyrion spun around and stumbled as he looked at his visitor. "Varys." Tyrion sighed. "Where do whores go?" That was not what he meant to say, he had meant to give a witty retort about how they weren't friends but as drunk, as he was he had very little filter and often just said what he was thinking of.
Varys frowned slightly. "I'm afraid I don't know, a eunuch has no need for whores although I'd imagine you could check a brothel. Are you looking for a particular one?"
In a normal scenario, Tyrion would never give Varys information like this freely but he was extremely drunk and sleep-deprived so he had no filter. "My first wife, Tysha," Tyrion said quietly before taking another long drink. "She was a crofters daughter. My brother fooled me into thinking she was a whore and had her raped by the guards and then me. We paid her for her services and father sent her away to wherever whores go." Tyrion hicced.
"I don't know where she went but I can ask my little birds if they know anything about her whereabouts." Varys offered without any hesitation.
Tyrion nodded, not really believing there was any chance of him finding anything and they fell back into silence. Tyrion continued to drown himself in wine and the dangerous thoughts of his family continued to swirl around in his mind. He felt like he was going in circles here and he supposed he was in fact doing so. His thoughts had been that way most of the night.
"It is quite peculiar isn't it?" Varys said again as he looked off towards the balcony belonging to the Queen. Tyrion followed his example and saw that Daenerys was talking to Rhaegal quietly and Rhaegal was eagerly nodding his head in agreement with something she had said to him.
"It is," Tyrion said immediately, grateful for the distraction from his current thoughts. "I've read most everything people have written about dragons and I've never heard of any behaving at all like this, not even in legends."
Varys nodded. "His behavior is very human-like at times, that is for sure. He strategically hunted the Sons of the Harpy and has persuaded the Queen to make different decisions concerning her kingdom. He has been as much of an advisor to her than any of us and possibly a more effective one at that."
Tyrion nodded as well in agreement. "Don't forget his hostility towards Daario or that he let a boy without any traces of Valyrian blood pet him, something that according to all the known knowledge on dragons should be impossible.
Varys nodded his agreement. "I did some digging into that boy, Tyto. He has no Valyrian blood anywhere in his lineage, so either someone in his family line lied about their parentage or Rhaegal truly doesn't care about people's blood."
Tyrion nodded as well and took a small sip of his wine. "It's very peculiar." He agreed. "What is even odder is that he'll often relapse into behaving more like his brethren during the day, albeit a little more intelligent and clingy but during the earliest and latest hours he would be a human in mind and would follow conversations easily, even responding through odd human-like gestures."
Varys smiled. "It's almost as if he is human at those times. No other animal species use nods or head shakes to communicate yes and no yet Rhaegal as a dragon does so constantly."
Tyrion narrowed his eyes in suspicion. "What are you suggesting Varys?" He asked sharply.
Varys laughed. "Nothing, my lord. Just pointing out how odd his behavior is for a dragon and how little we truly know about them."
Tyrion didn't believe that but he didn't care enough about it to argue so he let the issue drop and let silence once again reign over them once again as he drank his wine.
"Theon Greyjoy," Tyrion remarked in disbelief, and he heard Daenerys inhale sharply as she heard who exactly stood before her. "Last time we saw each other was at Winterfell, yes? You were making jokes about my height, I seem to recall. Everyone who makes a joke about a dwarf's height thinks he's the only person ever to make a joke about a dwarf's height. "The height of nobility," "a man of your stature," "someone to look up to." You're all making the same five or six jokes."
"It was a long time ago." Theon protested his voice raspy and well worn.
"It was." Tyrion acknowledged. "My sister was Queen. Jon Snow was just a bastard and Ned Stark still had a head. You were still loved by the Starks. And how have things been going for you since then? Not so well, I gather. Can't imagine-" Daenerys cleared her throat and Tyrion fell silent.
"You show up here with a hundred ships and the crew to sail them seeking a truce?" Daenerys wondered. "What are your demands? That I support his claim to the Iron Islands?" She said the word him with disgust that Tyrion only heard from her when talking about the masters. He supposed the Starks were sort of her kin now and Theon had murdered two of them, innocent children at that. She was always touchy when it came to children.
"Not my claim." Theon protested. "Hers."
Daenerys raised an eyebrow. "And what's wrong with you?" She asked, obviously testing his response.
"I'm not fit to rule," Theon whispered defeated.
Daenerys nodded and smiled for the first time during this conversation. "On that, I'm sure we can all agree." She turned towards Yara and ignored Theon for the time being. "Has the Iron Islands ever had a Lady Paramount before?"
Yara frowned, obviously irritated by the address as only a Lady Paramount and not a Queen as the Iron Islands had always insisted on naming their rulers as Kings. "I would be a Queen when you grant the Iron Islands their independence from the Seven Kingdoms in exchange for the Iron Fleet's services."
Tyrion made to say how stupid of an idea it was, how it would cause mass rebellion, and destroy the Seven Kingdoms as every kingdom would soon demand independence and the whole country would fall into civil war. She could not give the Iron Islands or any other kingdom independence unless she was prepared to lose all of her kingdoms and undo the work of her ancestor, Aegon the conqueror. She beat him to the punch, however.
"I can not grant you independence. That would only stir rebellion and I plan to rule all of the seven kingdoms, not six." She smiled a wide smile that flashed her pearly white teeth for all to see. "I have a counteroffer for you, in exchange for the Iron Fleet, I will not execute your brother for murdering those two Stark boys and for betraying his family."
"Your Grace!" Ser Barristan protested immediately. Tyrion himself had to resist the urge to facepalm at Daenerys's blunt negotiation tactic that had possibly ruined any chance of them gaining the Iron Fleet in the wars to come.
"I didn't kill those two Stark boys." Theon murmured quietly.
"Oh?" Daenerys questioned with a raised eyebrow. "Then who did? Did they choose to burn themselves alive?"
Theon shivered under her gaze. "They escaped. I burnt two of the miller's boys instead to hide that I lost them."
Daenerys's glare only hardened at that revelation. "Oh? So you think it's all fine now because you murdered different children and not the Stark boys? That just because they were baseborn their lives don't matter? You think that murdering commoners should be forgiven? That you don't have to pay for your crimes?"
Yara stepped forward. "Theon has already paid for his crimes." She said defensively as she tried to shield her brother from Daenerys's view as if she was going to turn into a dragon and breath fire on him then and there.
"Doesn't seem like it," Tyrion remarked casually. "He's still alive. It was complicated for you, I'm sure, growing up at Winterfell. Never quite knowing who you were. But then, we all live complicated lives, don't we?"
"He paid the price." Yara insisted.
Tyrion looked at Theon and scrutinized him. "He lost three fingers and that makes up for two lives?" Tyrion wondered aloud. "Tell me would the Miller's boys that he murdered say he had paid the price? Would Eddard Stark? How about Robb Stark the brother who he betrayed or even Prince Jon?"
"He also lost his cock and four toes, my lord," Varys spoke up from the corner he had been lurking in.
Ser Barristan cleared his throat to try to stop the argument that was clearly brewing with how hostile everyone was. "Perhaps, we should take a day to think on your offer before we give our own counter-offer."
Daenerys nodded stiffly. "You, Lady Yara, and your crew are our most honored guests while you are here in Meereen. Please explore our lovely city while you are here in Meereen. I've heard there is no place quite as beautiful in Westeros."
Yara and Theon gave a jerky bow. "Thank you, Your Grace, for extending us your hospitalities. We look forward to meeting again tomorrow." Yara said through gritted teeth before spinning on her heel and walking out of the temple with Theon trailing behind her like a loyal dog.
Tyrion sighed. These negotiations were certainly not going to be easy.
They had spent many hours discussing last night what they should do with the Iron Born that had shown up at their gates. Everything from giving them what they wanted and their own independence to murdering all of them and taking the Iron Fleet by force. Eventually, Ser Barristan had convinced Daenerys to relent on the idea of taking Theon Greyjoy's head and they had come up with what Tyrion thought was a reasonably fair solution to their dilemma. Now they were just waiting for the Iron Born to show up so they could exchange offers and hopefully solidify their allegiance in the wars to come. Tyrion sighed and took a sip of his wine as he tapped his foot impatiently waiting for them to come.
A scream was heard from outside and another soon followed it only seconds later. Within the next few seconds, the sound of terrified screams soon filled the air. They were all on their feet in an instant and sprinting towards the door to go find the source of so many people's terror. Ser Barristan grabbed the Queen's arm but she tore out of his grip. "Wait!" He called out as he limped behind them. "Let Daar- Ser Daario io go first and see if it is safe." Barristan had to grit his teeth at the notion of calling Daario a Ser. He had not been happy with that decision by the Queen. Tyrion personally thought that the vows and honor that the position of knighthood held was ridiculous. Jamie had never protected the innocent Tysha and not one knight had stood for Tyrion in his trial to defend his innocence. Knighting Daario might make the Westerosi people less endeared to her but he was just as worthy of the title as most knights. A terrible human being who was nothing but selfish scum.
Daenerys reluctantly nodded. "Ser Daario, scout the situation and report back to me. Take two of my unsullied guards with you. The rest of us will stay here for now."
Tyrion reluctantly swallowed his curiosity and did not follow Daario out of the pyramid, to see what all of the commotion was about. He had no idea what it could be. He doubted that they were under siege, they would have some warning before that happened, you can't really just move large armies in secret. Maybe the Harpies were becoming active again and had attacked in broad daylight, just outside the temple the Queen resided in despite how foolish of a decision that would be and would cost them all their lives.
Then they heard a loud and long Dragon roar and all of a sudden things started to make sense. Someone had likely done something that Rhaegal had decided was wrong and he had executed them for it in plain sight and only shortly after sunrise. The body that was likely torn in half by Rhaegal was an unsettling sight as Tyrion knew from firsthand experience and had no doubt caused widespread panic and fear.
When she heard the dragon's roar, Daenerys had gone back to trying to get outside. This time not even Ser Barristan could sway her decision. Tyrion never wanting to miss out on the action had been hot on her heels as they rushed outside.
Tyrion's suspicions were proven accurate as when they stepped outside they were immediately greeted by Rhaegal. They were not entirely accurate, however, since as far as Tyrion could tell there were no dead bodies strewn across the street that Rhaegal had savagely murdered. No instead there was just one whimpering man lying beneath Rhaegal's foot with Rhaegal's head craned down over him, like a serpent waiting to strike at its prey if they made the slightest move.
That was Theon Greyjoy beneath his foot, Tyrion realized with a start. That was certainly going to throw a wrench into today's negotiations. Why did Rhaegal choose to attack Theon Greyjoy of all people? Was his mother's obvious hatred for the boy just rubbing off on him and like the Harpies because of his mother's feelings he acted? But that didn't seem to quite explain his actions as his mother hated plenty of people, most of the masters even but Rhaegal had never been so hostile towards them. It couldn't be because of the shared blood the Starks had with the Targaryen's either since a number of families had Targaryen blood of some sort. The Baratheons, Velaryons, Arryns, and even the Lannisters where among the many houses with royal Targaryen blood, that didn't even count all the unknown bastards in their family trees. He couldn't be aggressive because he murdered his kin since Tyrion himself had killed Targaryen descendants he was sure. He wasn't attacking Theon Greyjoy because he murdered two boys though, there were countless murderers in this city and he never went after them. So why Theon?
Was it because of Prince Jon? Since he had the blood of the dragon and was the Starks kin did Rhaegal take it personally that Theon had betrayed the Starks? Perhaps Prince Jon was destined to ride Rhaegal and he felt the Prince's anger towards Theon and not his mothers? Surely, their bond wouldn't be so strong before they even met. He had never heard of a dragon rider sharing their feelings with the dragon before they rode them. This whole episode made no sense. Then again Rhaegal never made any sense so this was just par for the course.
There was no doubt in Tyrion's mind that Rhaegal had not chosen to attack Theon Greyjoy of all people on accident. If it was Drogon or Viserion perhaps he might believe that was the case, just a happy coincidence. But this was not them but Rhaegal. The Dragon who had shown remarkable intelligence as long as Tyrion had known him although from what he had heard from others he used to behave more like his brothers before he was chained up.
Occasionally, during the daytime hours, he would regress back into a more normalish dragon-like mind, an intelligent dragon but nothing like he was at night. Every night he would go back to being a genius and every morning would have a conversation with the Queen. He had strategically hunted the sons of the Harpy and had somehow convinced Queen Daenerys that not only Prince Jon was a Targaryen but that the Others were real. He would hold real conversations with the Queen- in the common tongue and from the little Tyrion had observed would nod and shake his head when she asked him questions. There was no way his choice of target was a happy accident. He had intentionally chosen Theon and because he had known who he was and what he had done, the latter was likely his mother telling him though.
"Rhaegal!" Queen Daenerys scolded with her hands on her hips like an irate mother scolding a child who didn't listen which Tyrion supposed was exactly what was happening here.
Rhaegal looked away from Theon lying beneath his heavy foot and towards the Queen in an instant. They locked eyes for a long moment, locked in a battle of wills. Tyrion wondered what would happen if Rhaegal refused to leave Theon alive. Would she side with the dragon and let him kill Theon without consequence or would she actually turn on her dragon again and try to drive him off, and possibly chain or even kill him. If she did the former option she would ruin any chance of getting the Iron Fleet but he had a feeling that if it came down to it then she would choose it anyway, she was far too loyal to her dragons, in particular, Rhaegal as he is pretty much the only one present in Meereen regularly these days and she was terrified of losing him as well.
Thankfully Daenerys was saved from having to make that terrible decision as Rhaegal huffed and then flew off into the blue skies leaving a very much alive but somewhat injured and very shaken Theon Greyjoy behind.
Rather than try to soothe things over and apologize for Rhaegal's aggressive behavior, Daenerys defended his aggressive actions. "Rhaegal has very little tolerance for murderers." She said cooly. "Especially those who murder innocent children."
Yara stepped forward, no longer cowed with Rhaegal gone. "He attacked my brother in the street!" She scowled. "Is this how you treat your honored guests here in Meereen?" She snarled. "You are more ma-" Theon tugged on her arm to cut off her tirade before she said something she was sure to regret.
"It's okay, I deserve it." Theon rasped quietly.
Daenerys looked at him with an odd expression. "You deserve worse." She said quietly and Theon nodded in agreement with her shockingly. The cocky boy that Tyrion had met years ago in Winterfell was gone, broken at the hands of Ramsay Bolton as Varys had informed them last night. He was only a shell of himself now. Maybe Theon had already paid the price in full for his crimes
Tyrion clapped his hands together drawing everyone's attention to him and breaking the very tense atmosphere that had fallen upon them once more. "Let's all head inside and discuss the terms of our alliance with a nice drink!" Tyrion exclaimed, overly cheerful with a fake smile.
Yara made to say something witty in response to Daenerys but thought better of angering the Queen and likely more so her dragon that had just attacked her brother so she just clenched her jaw and gave a slight nod before she followed them indoors.
They bypassed the throne room that did not actually have a throne entirely proceeding to the solar where they all; Queen Daenerys, Ser Barristan, Lord Varys, and Tyrion himself sat around a table with Yara and Theon Greyjoy on the opposite side. Once the steward had filled all of their goblets with wine, Daenerys started the meeting.
"We have thought over your offer of the services of the Iron Fleet and you supporting my claim in exchange for the Iron Islands independence from the crown. My response has not changed at all on that front. We cannot give you what you seek unless we want all of the seven kingdoms to be caught in a massive civil war where every region tries to demand their own independence." She said simply and perfectly calm.
Yara made to say something in protest, an angry retort but Daenerys held up her hand and Yara fell silent once more. "I have a different proposal for you. I will grant the Iron Islands the same privileges as Dorne. They will be made a Principality rather than just a region like the other kingdoms. You will be free to govern yourself but you must follow the laws of the seven kingdoms and are bound to come to our aid in times of war. You will be free to choose your own leaders as you did before the day of Aegon the conquerer through Kingsmoot or whatever method your people choose, the crown has no authority to choose your leaders. I will support the claim of Princess Yara Greyjoy to the Sea Salt Throne and help you overthrow Euron Greyjoy but it will be up to you to win the people's favor in the Kingsmoot, I will have no part in that decision. You will respect the integrity of the seven kingdoms you are bound to or you will lose this privilege. No more reaving, roving, raiding, or raping."
Yara once again made to protest but Daenerys was not yet done. "Theon Greyjoy will not be executed for his crimes but he will take the black and serve as a member of the Night's Watch."
Tyrion resisted the urge to bang his head on the table. That had not been part of the terms they had decided on last night. They had agreed to banish Theon to the Iron Islands after the war was won and if he ever showed his face in any of the other kingdoms afterward he would be executed for his treason. Did Rhaegal's aggressive actions change her mind or was it always her plan to offer different terms than they had agreed on?
"Absolutely not," Yara snarled clearly enraged by the offer; likely the last unplanned part at that. "My brother has already paid for his crimes. If you insist on punishing him further then you will not have the Iron Fleet"
Tyrion wanted to groan. Were they really about to lose a hundred ships because Daenerys couldn't put aside the sacking of Winterfell and murder of two small boys for the greater good? This was all Prince Jon's fault, he doubted that she would have cared this much without finding out that he was her kin and that Eddard Stark had tried to protect her.
Daenerys smiled sweetly. "I mean to break the wheel." Daenerys declared. "No longer will the powerful trample over the weak. No longer will the rich not be punished for their crimes. No longer will any woman be sold into a marriage. No longer will bastards have no place in the world. Slavery will end. No longer will men rule over women. Regardless of their family name, I intend to treat all men and women equally. Equality for all." She explained. "I can not usher in this new world if I do not follow my own rules. No matter who it is or what it means I will meet injustice with justice. Theon Greyjoy murdered two innocent children in cold blood. The punishment for murder is death or the wall. Be grateful that I am offering the second one."
"You would give up the Iron Fleet to punish Theon even further? Is justice for two random children really worth giving up the throne?" Yara asked in complete disbelief.
"Of course not, I'm not giving up the Iron Fleet. I'm just possibly giving up your crew being the ones sailing it." Daenerys said with the utmost of confidence. "My unsullied could storm your ships and take them with ease from your unprepared crew, sure I might lose a couple of hundred men in the process but I would have a hundred ships which would seem to be a fair trade."
Daenerys shook her head. "Of course, I don't need the Iron Fleet at all. I could climb on Drogon's back and take the other two dragons with me back to Westeros. I could single-handedly wreck Kings Landing and take the Iron Throne without any of my armies."
She sighed. "I don't want to be Queen of the Ashes. I do not desire to see innocents die as collateral in my quest for the throne. I don't want to slaughter your crews and take their lives when I don't need to do so. I don't need you but you need me."
"Lord Varys tells me that your uncle Euron killed your father and is trying to kill you. They tell me that he is a madman hell-bent on ruling the Seven Kingdoms. They also say that the Iron Islands chose him over you to lead them. That he is the king the people chose. He is naturally my enemy so aiding you does not hurt me but I do not have too. If I turn you away then where do you go? You need allies to defeat Euron's much larger fleet and you won't find them elsewhere. Lord Tommen will not offer any aid to you and risk war with the larger fleet. If I turn you away you are on your own with nothing to do except wait for your death. You have no leverage in these negotiations. You will not receive a better offer."
They had discussed this part of the negotiations if the Greyjoys had tried to refuse as they expected them to. Despite them gaining the allegiance of Yara Greyjoy being inevitable they had wanted to give them those concessions to stop her from rebelling or a suicide mission ot hurt Daenerys's campaign and it would put an end to the raids they conducted. It was a courtesy thing to gain loyalty, not something they had to do. They held all the leverage here and they had very little reason to give any ground to the Greyjoys. Still, this was a step too far and would almost certainly result in a messy capturing of the Iron Fleet and them needing to hire full crews for all of their ships.
Yara gritted her teeth and clenched her hands into fists. "Sending Theon to the Night's Watch is the same thing as executing him. The Stark's bastard serves as Lord Commander there, Jon Snow."
"My nephew is no longer Lord Commander. Ser Davos Seaworth is the new Lord Commander from what Lord Varys tells me."
Theon couldn't contain his disbelief. "Nephew?" He asked incredulously.
Tyrion chuckled and set his chalice down on the table. "I suppose while you didn't hear the news while you were at sea. Prince Jon is not Eddard Stark's bastard but his sister's. His father is Rhaegar Targaryen."
Theon swallowed nervously and looked towards Daenerys, visibly trembling. "I accept your offer, I will take the black and join the Night's Watch as atonement for my crimes if you support Yara's claim."
Daenerys beamed at him. "And you?" She asked Yara.
Yara sighed and looked back at Theon who gave a slight nod. "I accept as well, the Iron Fleet is yours, Your Grace." She and Theon dropped to a knee showing their fealty to her, albeit reluctantly in Yara's case.
Daenerys smiled and nodded. "Then rise Yara Greyjoy, ruling Princess of the Iron Islands."
Yara did just that as Theon stayed on a knee. "Theon Greyjoy, you grew up in Winterfell did you not? With Prince Jon?"
Theon nodded hesitantly and Daenerys gestured for him to rise. "Then come sit and tell me all that you know about my nephew." She said no doubt trying to contain her enthusiasm at finally hearing something about her nephew from someone who actually knew them. Tyrion had told her all that he knew of him but he had only been with Jon Snow for a couple of moons. Theon had been in Winterfell, raised alongside Prince Jon for years.
The Red Priest's have a tendency to know things they should have no way of knowing by seeing it in the flames. Considering Azor Ahai/The Prince Who Was Promised seems to be worshiped by their cult; the odds are high that Jon who could be that prophesied prince dying and then coming back is something they would see. They refer to him as Aegon since that is his cannon name in the TV-Verse but it won't matter at all since Jon will never go by it.
Tyrion has been a skeptic for a while and never a religious man. He is logical and a realist, so obviously he's going to have a hard time accepting myths or gods as a true concept. He won't deny the truth when it slaps him in the face but it'll never be his first instinct to assume that magic is at play.
Everyone seems to take the tale of Azor Ahai defeating the great darkness means that Azor Ahai dealt the finishing blow himself but that doesn't have to be true. No one saws that Ser Jamie defeated the Targaryen dynasty; they say that Robert won his rebellion and toppled the Targaryen dynasty. It might have been Jamie that won the war by killing Aerys but history will remember Robert not Jamie as the victor. Why do we assume that the same isn't also applicable to Azor Ahai? If he was the King at the time regardless of who killed the Great darkness on the battlefield, it would always be his victory. We know that Nissa Nissa died to forge Lightbringer but what if Lightbringer wasn't a literal sword but an idea? What if Lightbringer was a call to arms only made possible by the death of Nissa Nissa? Not sure if I'll go down this route but the option is there.
We have a tendency to call it bad writing when people suddenly change their minds but that's not actually unusual for people to flip on a dime like that. Love and hate are two sides of the same coin and people are unpredictable at times and do things that make no sense for them to do. That's human nature. Lots of people have dark fantasies about being raped or murdering someone but when it actually happens or they have the chance to do it they hate it and back down; that's an extreme example but just because you think you want something doesn't mean you actually do.
The only way that I can justify Tyrion's character progression in the later seasons of Game of Thrones is with the logic that he doesn't actually want what he thinks he wants. That's why he betrays Daenerys when he realizes that her taking over meant the end of his House which seemed to be something he strived for previously, even without the Tysha confession. He thinks that he wants Cersei dead but when he gets to the finish line, he realizes he doesn't want that for some odd reason that shouldn't make sense considering how awful she treated him. That's the thing though, emotional attachment or love is supposed to make sense.
In the show, the catalyst for that revelation is seemingly Cersei's pregnancy but in this, it is her death. The Tysha confession obviously has him more upset with Jamie but that doesn't mean he actually wants him dead. He hates Jamie but he also loves him, that love might fuel his hatred but Cersei's death forces him to put things into perspective and re-evaluate what he wants. He still feels it's his duty to kill Jamie for what he did to Tysha but he no longer wants to kill those uninvolved in the plot and render Kings Landing into ashes.
Tyrion only asks people where whores go six times in the books and he never poses the question to Varys. I could have sworn he asked at least twice that but it was mostly his internal monologue. Varys now knows and with his expansive spy network can search for her if he finds it beneficial to do so.
I'm assuming it was a lack of knowledge in the show or perhaps an intense hatred of the Usurpers dogs that made her treat Theon so kindly in Meereen because for someone who is so absurdly overprotective of children and someone so brutal in their revenge of slights against them it seems out of character to do nothing towards someone who murdered two children. Knowing that the Starks are kind of sort of her kin is going to make her negotiations with the Greyjoys much more hostile and once Tyrion says that he burned two different boys that anger would only increase due to her desire to break the wheel.
Offering the Iron Islands independence was moronic at best and would create a multitude of issues for them to deal with as every kingdom demanded the same. Obviously that isn't happening here.
Jon was always going to have a violent reaction to seeing Theon again, even with Sansa vouching for him. He doesn't kill him because of what Theon did for Sansa and how he knows it'll upset Daenerys to do so but he's obviously going to have a hard time refraining from doing just that.
Theon loathes himself after Ramsay broke him and is very weak-willed at this point. He feels guilty and wants to be punished for his actions and to have atonement. It's very much in character for him to think that he deserves to be attacked and nearly eaten by a dragon. Ramsay made him think that extreme pain and torture was the punishment for doing anything that he wasn't supposed to do. That kind of brainwashing isn't easily undone.
Daenerys is fine offering the partial independence that Dorne has to the Iron Islands because she does care about having the love of the people and not just their fealty so force can't always be the answer. Also in an ideal world, all seven Kingdoms function that way- following the laws of the world with a broken wheel she wants to build but mostly managing themselves as the cultures are far too different to be effectively controlled by one person. She'll use partial independence as a bargaining chip to gain armies even if in reality she plans to freely offer it to all the Kingdoms.
Yara and Theon showing up in Meereen with a hundred ships was a very half-baked scheme that was foolish at best. They had absolutely zero leverage in the negotiations and without knowing what Daenerys is like they are actively choosing to go to who for all they know is the Mad King come again. Daenerys's men outnumber their own, 3:1, and their crew probably aren't all trained soldiers like the unsullied. She also has dragons who could easily burn their wooden ships even if they have scorpions mounted on the decks which we see no evidence of, they still would likely lose. They knew nothing about who Daenerys was so why would they assume she would take a small portion of their navy to not marry Euron?
To be fair they had no better choice but to just hide away and wait for Euron to die but they were really in no position to make demands of Daenerys. Even when Daenerys demands the wall for Theon, it is either accept her terms or die. Obviously they'll choose the former option. Theon who thinks he deserves to be punished is going to take the offer to help his sister.
Next Chapter we go back to Jon's POV for the longest chapter so far. Make sure to follow/subscribe so you don't miss it.