A very pleasant dream had been interrupted by someone shaking her and whispering her name. She groaned in protest and rolled away.
"Someone is at the door," Arya informed her.
She groaned again. "You get it, if it's Aidan again, tell him I'll see him later."
About the time Arya left her alone on the bed, Daenerys managed to crack open one eye. She was surprised by the amount of light coming through the window. Was it morning, already? They'd gone to bed quite early, and Daenerys hadn't intended to fall asleep, but Arya wore her out and well, it couldn't be helped.
"What time is it?" she asked, groggily.
"Afternoon," Arya guessed as she began dressing.
Daenerys bolted up in the bed. "Afternoon? That's impossible! How long was I asleep?"
"A few hours."
She tried to fit the pieces together. Though her mind was foggy she went back to one of the last firm memories she had. Illyrio has reappeared and swindled her into having lunch with him. She definitely remembered that. Then what happened? The library. "We went to the library."
She was talking to herself, but Arya confirmed it happened. "We did. I was reading when you attacked me." As proof, there was a stack of books on a nearby table and if her memory was accurate one or two others that were knocked onto the floor as well.
After that, the rest came back with clarity, Aidan, Missandei's letter, she and Arya. She hadn't been sleeping all night, she'd been sleeping most of afternoon. She wasn't sure if that made it better or worse.
Arya was on her way to the door when Daenerys noticed something and nearly leapt from the bed. "Arya wait!" she screamed.
Forgetting that she was naked she rushed over to where Arya was. The guard turned, obviously concerned. "What's wrong?"
"Your neck," Daenerys whispered.
Slowly Arya rolled her head from side to side, testing her muscles. "What of it?"
"I left a mark," she said pointing to it as her face burned.
A sly smile spread across Arya's face and in other circumstances Daenerys might have found it attractive, but there wasn't time. "Really?" she asked, making an abrupt turn toward Daenerys's large mirror.
She didn't need to go along, she knew what Arya would find. She'd gotten carried away and left a bruise-like mark on the side of her neck. How would she and Arya explain that? It was already known they spent the afternoon together, Aidan's visit would confirm she was with Daenerys, and anyone with eyes would be able to guess how it got there. "Damn it!" she groaned.
Her eyes surveyed the room, looking for something to cover the damage? She didn't see anything promising, but she did catch sight of her dress on the floor. She hurried to it and scooped it up. Once it was on, she used her fingers to tame at least some of her wild hair. "What are you doing?" Arya wondered.
She wanted to strike her. What an idiotic question. "You can't answer the door with that thing on your neck," she said plainly. "Go sit down and I'll get the door."
"It's…"
It wasn't fine and she didn't want to hear that it was. She pointed to a spot near the window, as long as her visitor remained in the doorway, he or she wouldn't be able to see Arya there. She went but wasn't happy about it. Daenerys would deal with that later. One problem at a time.
She stopped when her hand was on the doorknob to make sure she looked decent and then she turned it. "I'm so sorry," she said without knowing who was there. "I must've fallen asleep."
A young man was waiting patiently, Daenerys recognized him as a servant. He was tall and strong, with a handsome face. Before coming to work in the castle he'd been a squire until an injury forced him to choose another occupation. He typically worked near the throne room. It was Tywin who took the lame squire and repurposed him into a servant for the King. That didn't bode well for her. If this man, out of all the others was sent for her, she could guess who issued the order. "Are you alright, Princess?" he asked. "I was concerned when I knocked and didn't get a reply."
She forced a smile, making use of the blush on her cheeks to convey adequate embarrassment. "I'm perfectly fine," she exaggerated, "I was i enjoying a quiet afternoon reading and fell asleep." Hoping to redirect the conversation she asked, "It's Darin isn't it? I've seen you many times."
It was his turn to blush, and he looked down, bowing slightly. "Y…yes Princess, we've even spoken on occasion."
"I think you may be right," she told him, although she couldn't remember a time they traded words. "Well, it is a pleasure to see you again Darin, and I'm sorry if my afternoon nap kept you from your business."
His cheeks were just beginning to return to their proper color when they flared again. "Oh no, it's quite alright. I'm sorry I woke you, had I known you were resting I would've…" His words trailed off and Daenerys knew why. Even if he knew she was sleeping, he still would have knocked, because the person who sent him was much scarier than Daenerys could ever hope to be.
"That's quite alright, it was time for me to rejoin the world anyway. Do you have need of me Darin?"
His red face changed to something that included more purple as he coughed into his hand and choked on a recent lungful of air. As she waited for him to recover, she wished she hadn't sent Arya into hiding, she could benefit from her opinion now. What had she done that caused Darin distress? She checked her dress again to make sure there were no obvious signs that it had spent much of the afternoon on the floor. "No," he said, still sounding raw. Turning away slightly he coughed one final time and then tried again. "No, Princess, it's not…" he paused and made an attempt to calm himself. "I didn't come on my own behalf, the King and the Hand asked that I escort you to the throne room."
She forgot all about Darin's unease and instead began to focus on her own. "They requested me?" she verified needlessly. He wouldn't be there if they didn't.
"Yes, Princess, as I said, I'm sorry that I woke you, but it seemed urgent."
"That's quite alright." She stopped to think. She couldn't refuse an order that came from her father or Tywin, but she couldn't exactly go down there looking as she did either. Then there was the matter of Arya to contend with. She'd need to cover up that mark on her neck, and figure out a way to reconnect with her that didn't make it known that she was hiding in the Princess's bedchamber the whole time, and all without alerting Darin. "As I just woke up, would you permit me a few minutes to ready myself?"
She posed it as a question, but she knew no servant would deny her such a request. Her father might, Tywin definitely would, but Darin wouldn't. "Certainly, Princess. Shall I wait here?"
"That's unnecessary," she said as kindly as she could. "Once I'm ready, I'll need to locate my guard, and then we'll meet you. How about at the top of the stairs? You can escort us down and to the throne room from there."
Darin thought about it for a moment and then nodded. "Agreed."
"I appreciate the kindness," she said before closing the door between them. With a lot to do Daenerys hurried to the mirror and studied her reflection. She was looking for whatever made Darin uncomfortable, but saw nothing scandalous.
Arya popped up at her side. "What are you doing?" There was humor in her tone Daenerys didn't approve of. She was being summoned by the King and the Hand, that was no laughing matter.
"Making sure I don't look like a whore," she responded without thinking.
Arya's face changed in a blink and she looked furious. "What!? Why would you ever say that? You look as perfect as ever."
Before Darin knocked on the door, those words would have been precisely what Daenerys wanted to hear, but things were different now. The woman she'd been all afternoon, the one who confidently initiated sex with Arya, who was happy with the person she cared about, she was gone and all that remained was a scared little girl who was terrified of disappointing her father. He was mad, but he was still her father and she couldn't just stop wanting his acceptance.
"Tell me," Arya said looking into Daenerys's eyes.
"Tell you what?"
"Whatever is going on in your head, whatever is making you think there is something wrong with you."
Part of her didn't want to admit it, but she knew she needed Arya's help. There was a lot to do and people were waiting. She sighed and tried to explain. "Darin, the boy at the door, he could barely look at me. He was stumbling over his words and blushing, I thought he must know what we were doing before he knocked."
Arya's face broke into an attractive smirk. "You were sleeping when he knocked," she reminded the worried Princess, "there is no sin in that."
"You know what I mean."
Arya turned serious again. "Daenerys, he wasn't blushing because he knew, he was blushing because that boy fancies you."
"That's impossible," she resisted. He couldn't desire her. Why would he? They were strangers.
"I assure you, it's not."
If Arya was right, it would be one less thing Daenerys needed to worry about, but she wasn't ready to believe just yet. "You couldn't even see him, how do you know?"
Arya pressed a sweet, soft kiss to Daenerys's lips. "I could hear him just fine, and I didn't need to see to understand, I'm quite familiar with that particular affliction."
It was a little easier to breathe. "I look okay then?"
The mirror revealed nothing out of place. Her hair was a little unkept but that was common after sleep. She'd run a brush through it a few times, grab the ribbon and it'd be fixed.
"You're beautiful," Arya promised, giving her another kiss. "Now you get yourself ready and we'll go, I'm sure Darin is anxiously awaiting your arrival."
Arya's teasing eased her panic, and the kiss didn't hurt either. It made Daenerys brave enough to joke too, even as her stomach rolled like the sea during a storm. "Unfortunately for Darin, I'm already spoken for."
"Are you now?" Arya fired back, looking up from where she was adjusting her sword on her hip. "If that's true, you probably shouldn't tell whoever it is how you spent your afternoon."
She laughed, grateful that she had Arya to calm her when she needed it. She knew all the reasons she needed hurry but none of them were more important than Arya to her. She went to her lover and kissed her. "Thank you," she said as they separated. "While I'm washing my face and tending my hair, you can look for something to cover your neck."
"Cover it?" Arya countered with a scoff. "I plan to wear it proudly."
She wanted to be angry that Arya wasn't taking this seriously, but it was hard when she was smiling like that. Like a sickness, it was contagious, and before long Daenerys was smiling too. "And where will you say you got it?" she wondered as she made a cup with her hands and lowered them into the basin of water.
"A brothel," she answered without delay.
"Seven Hells you will," Daenerys erupted, surprising herself with the intensity of the jealousy she was feeling. It didn't make sense. She knew Arya hadn't been visiting whores, so why did it matter if the court thought she did?
Arya was there when she finished drying her face. The guard traded the towel in Daenerys's hands for a hairbrush. She took the towel to the basket of dirty clothes and dropped it in, while Daenerys pushed the brush through her hair.
"I liked it as it was," she commented as she watched Daenerys undo an afternoon's worth of fun.
"You'll have the chance to mess it again," she predicted.
She set the brush down and thought back. Where had she put the ribbon after Arya got it off the floor? Before she could recall its location, Arya held it out, dangling the silk in front of the Princess's eyes, swaying it back and forth. "Looking for this?"
"Yes!" she called, trying to grab for it. Arya was quicker and kept it out of her reach. "Arya, we don't have time for games!"
"Who's playing, I am going to tie your hair."
Her annoyance melted away. "You are?"
"Sure."
Without difficulty Arya secured the ribbon to her hair, making it look significantly better than when Daenerys did it herself. "Like I said, perfect."
Her cheeks turned pink, before she remembered how late they were. "Are we ready to go?"
Arya didn't answer so Daenerys sought her out, finding her in the same place. This time she wasn't fussing with Daenerys's hair, she was placing a patch of cloth to her neck, to cover the mark their lovemaking had left. "I still think I should've told them I went to a brothel," she muttered. Daenerys assumed she wasn't meant to hear that until she caught Arya's eye in the mirror and saw it lit with mischief.
"Just finish what you're doing, so we can go already."
"So, it's my fault you can't resist me now?" she joked.
Her mouth opened and then closed. Her flirty reply forgotten, Daenerys remembered the final riddle they'd yet to solve. "Wait, where will I say I found you?" Afraid Arya didn't understand the significance, she elaborated. "I can't say you were here, I told Darin I'd find you and meet him, so where will you say you've been if someone asks."
"Missandei's room," she answered as though it was obvious. "I've been staying there since she's been in Storm's End. You can say you called on me to help you get ready."
It was a lie, but one she knew her father would be inclined to believe. "Perfect." They were near the door when Daenerys noticed the size of the cloth Arya chose for her neck. "You could have used a smaller bandage," she quipped, "it wasn't that big."
Arya rolled her eyes. "You underestimate yourself Princess."
R-C
With every step they took, Arya watched her smart, clever, beautiful lover retreat into herself. She hated it.
They walked in a line, Darin first, then Daenerys with Arya in the rear. Darin was angled so he could admire and converse with the Princess the whole way. It wasn't her awareness of Darin's affection that had her answering with clipped groupings of no more than five words, it was the upcoming audience with the King and his loyalists.
Arya was nervous too, though she did her best to hide that fact from Daenerys. She worried about the reason for their summons. Had Varys decided to reveal Arya's identity? Had someone else figured it out? Had she and Daenerys been less discreet than they thought, and someone knew about their romantic relationship? Had Jorah levelled another false claim against her in an attempt to be renamed Daenerys's guard? Any or all of these would result in her violent death. She couldn't worry about that now. She'd face what came bravely, she just worried for Daenerys. It would be days before Missandei returned from Storm's End and she didn't like the idea of leaving Daenerys alone until then. She'd have Aemon at least. She thought of her cousin and felt guilt. If this was her final day, she'd never get the chance to tell him about his family. If she didn't, it was probable that no one would, he'd spend his entire life wondering.
She listened to Darin tell a joke at his own expense in an effort to make the Princess smile. It worked, just barely, and the smile she gave was forced and empty, but the servant didn't know that and seemed pleased with himself.
"I need a moment with the Princess," Arya said before they reached their destination. Two members of the guard were at the entrance to the throne room, Arya worried if they got any closer they might overhear some of what she intended to say.
Darin was uncomfortable with the request. "Apologies, but everyone is waiting."
Arya wasn't going to back down. "It'll only take a minute, there is a security issue the Princess and I must discuss."
For several seconds he considered the best route, before he relented. "Be quick, please," he implored the woman in Dornish armor.
"What's wrong?" Daenerys whispered as she met Arya at the back of their three-person-party.
"Nothing, I just wanted to make sure you're okay." Her stunned expression provided Arya the only opportunity she needed to keep going. "You can do this. Whatever the reason they called you here, whatever happens, you're going to be okay."
"What do you think is going on? They never send for me, especially not this late in the day."
"I don't know," Arya said simply, choosing not to share the litany of possibilities she'd come up with. It wouldn't help Daenerys to have those ideas in her head. "What I do know, is that I'll be with you the whole time, and that I won't let anything happen to you."
A real smile graced her face for an instant before it was gone. "The last time…"
Arya was well aware of the last time they were summoned to the throne room, but she didn't want Daenerys to think about that. "Well it definitely isn't for that this time," she said to lighten the mood. "I was with you all afternoon and if they don't believe me, I can prove it." On the word 'prove' she raised her hand to her neck and tapped the bandage there.
Although she tried to scowl, Arya saw the hint of amusement bleeding through. "Don't joke."
"Whatever happens, you can do this," Arya finished, boiling their exchange down into a single, easy to remember point.
As Daenerys entered the throne room ahead of her, Arya knew the Targaryen could survive what was coming. She just didn't know if she'd be alive to see her do it.
R-C
Upon taking her seat, Daenerys felt it best to begin with a pre-emptive apology. "I'm sorry for the delay Father, I wasn't feeling well, I was asleep when Darin came calling."
Her father appeared unmoved by her statement but not everyone shared his indifference. Rhaegar, Aemon, Tyrion and Varys were all in Daenerys's eyeline and each gave a sympathetic look upon hearing she was ill. She didn't like lying but it's not as if she could tell the truth.
"This will be quick," Tywin said, only after it was determined that the King had nothing to contribute. "This can wait until you're recovered, if you'd rather."
"That's alright," she told him, hoping she sounded more confident than she felt. "I feel much better since I woke, thank you."
"You wish to go to Highgarden?" her father asked her without making eye contact. He was staring at one of the many stain-glass windows.
This was about Highgarden? She'd done well addressing Tywin, she hadn't stuttered at all, sounded reasonably intelligent and articulate, but speaking to the King directly was a different matter all together. "Y…yes, I…" she paused and tried to gather her chaotic emotions. She heard Arya's voice clear as day in her head. 'You can do this!' She believed her. She adjusted herself in her seat and spoke to her father as calmly as she could. "During her last visit Lady Olenna invited me and I think it would be wise to accept her generous offer." She was done until another argument occurred to her. "I'd hate to inadvertently offend a prominent family like the Tyrells."
She wondered if perhaps she was laying it on too thick, but to her surprise she saw Tywin nodding in silent agreement to her point. Equally unexpected and slightly more hurtful was the stunned expression Rhaegar wore, as if he didn't think her capable of justifying the trip. Behind him, Aemon smiled at her reassuringly. She tried to return the favor.
"I agree," Aerys said from the throne.
She couldn't help it, she looked around to see if the others were hearing the same thing. She couldn't recall the last time her father agreed with her about any subject. "You do?" she heard herself ask in a pitiful, squeaking voice.
Tywin stepped in to provide the details. "It'll need to be a short trip, we'll need you back in the capital for your brother's wedding."
She wasn't excited about the union, mainly because it would mean her time with Arya was over, but she nodded anyway. "I understand."
The Hand looked down at a note he had waiting next to his chair. "We'll begin the preparations right away. When things are ready, I'll let you know."
She nodded again, to confirm she understood. "Thank you," she said sincerely. She was going to Highgarden. More importantly, Arya was going to get to go to Highgarden. She hoped she would be able to reunite the Stark sisters before Arya returned to Sunspear. If she could do that, she'd feel like she gave Arya a fraction of the joy that the soldier brought into Daenerys's life.
As soon as they were dismissed Tyrion came over to her. "I'll be arranging things for your trip, so let me know if there is anything special you'd like packed."
She wasn't really sure. She'd never travelled on her own before. She didn't know what sort of things to ask for. "I'll give it some thought and come to your office if I think of anything," she bartered, not wanting to admit her ignorance.
"You can come to my office even if you don't think of anything."
There was only one thing to do when Tyrion was being so blatantly charming, she laughed. "Maybe I'll join Arya when she visits you tomorrow morning."
"Yes, I do see plenty of your guard, but less of you. Where is the Lady Sand?" he asked, seeking her out. "I'm sure she's eager to hear about the trip you're taking her on." He paused, and his expression dimmed a bit. "You do intend to take her with you, don't you?"
"Definitely, but you're right, I should probably find Arya and begin preparing."
She suspected that Tyrion knew it was more Arya and less preparing that Daenerys was interested in but like a true friend he didn't mention it. He just ducked his head and offered a final smile. "I hope I see you tomorrow, the office could use your beauty."
She knew he was teasing her, but she couldn't stop the blush from stinging her cheeks. He looked pleased with himself, so she sought to get in the last word. "If Aidan will be there, I wouldn't miss it."
He was moving away when she started speaking but that stopped him. He grinned wider than before and nodded. "Tomorrow then." Was it her imagination or did he look proud of her?
She was going to go to Arya but when she turned away from Tyrion, his father was there. "Princess, I hope you enjoy your time in the Reach."
"Thank you," she said respectfully. "I'm happy to be able to accept Lady Olenna's invitation."
"Yes, well you were right, it's too great a risk to decline. The King wishes to improve relations with the Tyrells and this visit is a good first step."
Of course. She should have known that her father wasn't saying yes because she asked, or because it was something she wanted. He was doing it to strengthen the already firm bonds between the Tyrells and the Targaryens. "I agree, I'm looking forward to it."
"I saw you speaking to Tyrion, I trust he gave you the scrolls from Storm's End." As he spoke his shrewd eyes shifted to his youngest son. He didn't look thrilled as Tyrion conversed with one of the servants.
"He did, yes and I appreciate you sending it. I was excited to hear from Missandei, even though it hasn't been very long."
"If I may Princess, why did you send your girl to Storm's End, and so soon after the Musgoods were here?"
"I needed someone I could trust to deliver a note I'd written to Lady Musgood."
There was a moment where Tywin was too busy deciding if he believed her to respond. "We could have sent a raven."
"I know, but I felt the contents too personal to risk it being intercepted or lost, so I sent one of the people I know I trust implicitly," she explained.
"It's quite a ride to the Stormlands, did you send the girl alone?"
"Absolutely not," Daenerys insisted, not needing to work too hard to appear horrified. "I sent the Commander of the Unsullied with her."
For the second time that day, for possibly only the second time ever Tywin looked impressed by something she said. "That was smart thinking."
Unsure of what to say, she settled for a polite, "Thank you." Luckily, Tywin took his leave soon after, crossing the room to talk to someone significantly more important.
R-C
Tyrion was behind his desk when Arya arrived to see him. He looked up and smiled, making one quick notation in the margin and then closing the book to give the guard his full attention. "Good morning Lady Sand."
She growled without much real animosity. "I told you Tyrion, I'm no Lady, Arya suits me fine."
"I know," he admitted, "but seeing you flustered is one of the few pleasures I get in this new, responsible life I'm living." He said the word 'responsible' as though it was the most horrific thing he'd ever been called.
"If exciting is what you want, how about this – the next time you call me Lady, I'll jump over that desk take the most expensive bottle in your extensive wine collection and pour it out in front of you. Then I'll break the glass and use one of the jagged shards to cut out your tongue." She savored his stunned expression. "We'd both win, I wouldn't have to hear you call me 'Lady' anymore, and you'd get as much excitement as you could handle."
"Arya is then," he decides as he subtly shifts his chair a little further back. He might have gotten away with it too, had the wood not made a tell-tale scratching sound against the floor. Tyrion heard it when Arya did, and flinched. "So, Arya my friend, how are you? Now that I think about it, I can't imagine why anyone would call you Lady against your will, it is quite rude."
"It's no big deal," she said calmly, a reversal from her last opinion on the subject. "Do you have any appointments you'd like Daenerys to handle for you?"
He hesitated slightly, looking at his desk, then to Arya, then to his ledger and then back to Arya. "I'm not sure…"
She assumed Tyrion would know she was joking and take it in stride, but perhaps her threat had been a little excessive. "Tyrion, relax, I'd never harm you, you're Daenerys's friend. I just don't like being called Lady."
"No, it's not that. I mean it is, it's a huge relief to know my tongue is safe, I'm quite attached to it, and I know a number of lovely ladies who also appreciate it in working order."
Arya chuckled. "So, you really have nothing for Daenerys then?" she surmised.
"No actually, I have too much," he finally confessed. "I could keep her busy all day."
Arya took the one step necessary to travel from where she'd been standing to the desk. "Let's have it."
"Are you sure? She's taken a lot of these already. I'd understand if she wants a break."
Finally, Arya was beginning to see what was giving Tyrion pause. It wasn't her grisly threat or a lack of offerings, he was worrying about giving Daenerys too much. "She doesn't want a break. She loves the work she does for you. Without this, she'd stay in her room most or all of the day doing nothing."
"I was surprised when I first arrived, to discover she is not consulted very often," Tyrion noted, treading carefully.
"It shocked me too. She's a Targaryen, I assumed I'd be taking her to meetings from sunup to sundown, but it just isn't how things are done here."
"When my father was still at Casterly Rock he found work for any and all Lannisters, even the least respectable," Tyrion explained. He not-so-subtly pointed to himself to ensure Arya knew exactly who Tywin thought the least off.
"I don't understand it," she said with a shake of her head. "Daenerys is exactly what the Small Council needs, a fresh set of opinions, a mind not already polluted by the politics, she could do a lot of good, but no one will let her."
"Does she want to?"
"She wants to help, but she'd rather not be invited to the meetings if no one is going to listen to what she has to say when she gets there."
Tyrion put the pieces together faster than anyone Arya had ever seen. "That's what was happening?"
"Yes," she confirmed. "She'd ask Rhaegar or the King to be included and they'd eventually agree. She'd go to the meeting and they'd ignore her the whole time."
One look at Tyrion's face and she knew he was on her side in this. "For all it's prosperity the Realm doesn't know what to do with people that are different, whether it's a dwarf with a taste for fine wine and expensive whores… or was it, expensive wine and fine whores? Either way, the outcomes the same." He held a hand out to Arya. "It was much the same for you I'm sure, a woman who wanted to serve with a sword in her hand." Hyperbole aside, Tyrion did have a point. The world struggled with things that didn't fit their preconceived notions. "It's no different for Daenerys, a woman who can think for herself, cares about people and wants to help, a Targaryen no less, that's rarer than you and me."
Arya had never thought about it that way, but it rang true. Daenerys was one of the last living female Targaryens and as a result, she had to rely on men to tell her what her place should be. If Daenerys's mother had survived or an aunt maybe, they could have taught Daenerys it was okay to be different, that there were paths other than the one laid out by her father, but unfortunately that hadn't happened and Daenerys suffered for a long time because of it.
"You don't need to feel guilty Tyrion, those meetings you let her take, they are her small way of contributing to the Realm. She loves it, she's grateful for each and every one."
"In that case," Tyrion said opening his ledger again, "I think I can make her very happy. I have five people all hoping to see me today."
"She'll be thrilled," Arya foretold, "she'll probably come down to thank you personally after the last one has left."
"I thought I might see her this morning."
"I was told to make sure Aidan was here first," Arya said as she fought a smile. Through a fit of giggles Daenerys had told her about her exchange with Tyrion in the throne room. She had planned to come too, it was Arya who suggested she try and get under Tyrion's skin by checking for Aidan first.
Given Tyrion's huff, it was undebatable that her plan worked. "Of course. he's here. Aidan! You have a visitor."
The little boy came hurrying out. "Yes, Lord Tyrion?" he said in a practiced way.
With a hand the dwarf directed his focus to Arya. She knelt down. "Hi Aidan, do you remember me?"
He looked down at the floor to avoid her gaze but nodded. Their shared life experiences aside, she was a soldier with a sword, and he was a scared orphan who assumed her reasons for summoning him weren't good. She could understand. The nod was more than Arya thought she'd get, and she could work with it. "Well Princess Daenerys sent me here to let you know that she'd be coming to see you later today."
Aidan's whole demeanor changed when she mentioned Daenerys. She didn't need to ask if he remembered her, his wide eyes made it known that he did. "Will you be here just before lunch or just after?" she asked.
He shrugged then looked to Tyrion for aid. The Master of the Coin nodded, and Aidan passed that nod to Arya, adding a "Yes."
"The Princess will be happy to hear that. She's looking forward to seeing you again. She felt bad she was sleeping when you knocked on her door yesterday."
Over Aidan's head Tyrion said, "Had I known she was under the weather, I wouldn't have sent him."
"She's much better now," Arya assured him.
While Tyrion drafted a list of all the people who were either already inside the castle, or waiting in a line outside, he sent Aidan to the backroom to get the five empty purses. From his desk he took one large sack of coins and dumped a portion of them out onto the desktop. When Aidan got back, Tyrion patiently told him how many coins to put into the first purse. Both adults watched to make sure he got the count right, but he didn't need help. He tied the top and set it aside before doing the same to the second.
While Aidan was filling the last purse with coins Tyrion asked, "Is she excited about Highgarden?"
"It's all she's talked about since last night," Arya acknowledged, neglecting to mention she was even more eager than the Princess.
She carried the gold and the list out of his office and up to Daenerys's bedchamber where she was getting herself ready. "I was starting to worry," she said as she got up from a chair and went to Arya.
She set the gold on the desk and then handed the Princess the list. "Seems we'll have a busy day."
Where others might groan or curse upon hearing that, Daenerys was thrilled. "That's great. Tyrion's busy then?"
"He seems to be, he was hard at work by the time I got there."
"Was he in a meeting?" Daenerys guessed. "Is that what took so long?"
"No, he let Aidan help, so it took a little longer than usual," she recalled.
"Really? What did he do?" As she asked, she checked the purses, looking for telltale signs of the little boy's involvement.
"Tyrion told him how much to put in each purse and he counted them out."
Daenerys was taken with the story. "I'm sorry I missed that."
"Ask him about it, he's expecting you."
"When?" Appointments be damned if she told Daenerys Aidan was expecting her now, everyone seeking donations would need to wait while Daenerys devoted the majority of her morning to the servant who was quickly worming his way into her heart.
"I told him you'd stop by around midday, either before lunch or after," Arya said carefully. "He'll be in Tyrion's office. I figured we'd stop for lunch anyway, so you can spend time with Aidan before we return to finish off the remainder of your meetings."
She smiled. "That sounds perfect Arya, thank you."
"Anything else you need before we go and find the first name on your list?"
Daenerys pointed to the desk, while she adjusted the ribbon in her hair. "Can you take out a few coins, please?"
"How many?"
"Ten should do it."
She was curious what Daenerys needed the money for but didn't ask. She'd find out soon enough.
By the time she had tucked away Daenerys's secret stash of gold, Daenerys's hair remained unfinished. Arya came up behind her, knocked her hands away and then removed the ribbon entirely. "Same as last time?" she proposed.
"Yes, please. I tried to do it myself, but it didn't look as good as when you did it."
Separating a segment of hair from the rest, she asked Daenerys, "What is first on that list?"
"A donation to help feed the homeless in Flea Bottom," Daenerys read.
"Sounds like a good place to start. I'm ready when you are."
As it turned out, Daenerys wasn't ready until she had given Arya no fewer than five 'last' kisses. After each she'd try to nudge the royal toward the door, but she wasn't exactly heartbroken when she decided to linger for one more kiss.
R-C
Daenerys finished three of her five meetings before lunch. Rather than retire directly to the hall to eat she made her way to Tyrion's office. On the way it occurred to her just how much things had changed recently.
The Red Keep had always been her prison, a pretty prison, but a prison. Even on days when she and Aemon had plans, it was no less stifling because she had someone to smile and laugh with. As with almost every aspect of her life, Arya's arrival brought change. She hadn't been outside the castle in nearly two weeks and if it was two more before Rhaegar saw fit to release her, she wouldn't complain. Now there was a benefit to what had once been a burden. She didn't mind that no one cared enough about her opinions to include her in their various meetings. Being overlooked meant she and Arya had more time alone. She would never say no to a trip to the orphanage or the port, but if the highpoint of her day came tonight when she fell asleep in Arya's arms, that was fine too.
"Do you still have those ten dragons?" Daenerys asked as they neared Tyrion's office.
"Of course." She dug them up and set them into Daenerys's open palm.
"Thank you." Wanting desperately to kiss her lover she studied the hall for any witnesses who might catch them and unfortunately, she found not one, but three. Two guards on patrol and one servant were all close enough to see if she indulged. Rather than let the moment pass she leaned in close and whispered, "I'll thank you properly next time we're alone."
She watched just long enough to see Arya's eyes bulge out and her body go rigid and then she slipped away, laughing joyfully as she went.
She knocked on the partially open door and waited to be permitted entry. "Lord Tyrion, a pleasure as always to see you."
"You humble me Princess. When your guard told me I might see you this day, I didn't dare believe it was true."
"I came to see Aidan actually," Daenerys pointed out coldly, fully aware Tyrion could take it.
He covered his heart with his hand as if wounded. "I feared as much. When I tell this story later, I'll leave out that you came for another."
She was trying not to laugh but her mask cracked briefly, and a chuckle slipped out. She shook her head. "You can tell the story anyway you want Tyrion."
"I appreciate that," he said before he shifted them to real issues. "How was your morning?"
"Great," she proclaimed boldly as she recalled the wide variety of people she helped. "I met with three of the people on your list and everyone left happy."
"I'm sorry there are so many," he said pushing his ledger aside and reaching for a goblet of wine. "The King asked for a full accounting of the treasury, between that and preparations for Highgarden, there is little time for anything else."
"I don't mind," she promised him, "in fact, I quite like it. It's nice to feel like I'm helping people. I should probably be thanking you."
He set his wine down and bowed his head. "Well, if you must."
She laughed openly, giving up on trying to shield her true feelings. This was why she adored Tyrion. He could always brighten her mood. On a bad day, he'd make her smile and on a good one, he'd still improve her outlook. He was a great friend.
While Tyrion was waiting for praise to be heaped upon him, Daenerys called out for Aidan. "Ser Aidan?! Could you help a Princess in need?"
She heard him before she saw him, his heavy, fast-moving feet against the floor. He was a blur until he came to an abrupt half right in front of her. "Hello Ser," she said in greeting.
"Hi." He remembered her title too late but pinned it on at the end anyway. "Princess."
Daenerys smiled as she sank down to his level. "I understand I have you to thank for a letter I received." He looked away shyly, so Daenerys made it simpler. "Did you bring a letter to my chambers and give it to my friend Arya?"
He nodded first, then followed it up with words. "Yes, Princess."
"Thank you, Aidan," she gushed. "That letter was from someone very dear to me. I had been hoping to hear something and thanks to you I don't have to worry anymore."
He appeared fascinated by his boots but did manage a quiet, "You're welcome."
"I also hear you've been counting out gold for Tyrion today. Did you pack gold in purses this morning?"
He nodded vigorously and forgot to speak this time, but Daenerys didn't mind.
"That gold was a big help to me and since you did such a good job getting it ready, I wanted to give you a reward."
His eyes got big and his mouth hung open slightly. "Hold out your hands," she directed. "You can count these coins too, but these ones are yours."
One by one she dropped the gold dragons into Aidan's hands. He counted them as he caught them, gasping when he got to ten. "For me?"
"Yes," she assured him with a smile, "all yours."
Gleeful with his sudden windfall, he could barely keep his eyes off the coins long enough to find Tyrion. He scurried to where Tyrion was sitting and carefully opened his hands, revealing the money. "You must've done a very good job," he praised. "Why don't you go put your money with the rest of your things. When you decide what you want to buy, I'll take you shopping."
He darted away, making all the adults laugh. "You know Princess, if I'd known the reward for delivering that letter was so high, I'd have done it myself."
"Better luck next time Tyrion."
R-C
She had managed to complete the list Tyrion gave her, but just as he predicted it took the vast majority of her day. By the time she finished the last tour of the castle, it was all she could do to keep from falling asleep at dinner.
Now, Daenerys was being lulled to sleep in front of the fire, in the cage of Arya's arms. The soldier had removed her armor and was wearing a simple pair of trousers and a faded blue shirt. It covered far more than the layer she wore under the steel but was no less appealing. In truth, it was a nice change to see Arya dressed so casually. It suited her almost as well as the armor and was much easier to cuddle with.
They had spent most of the night talking, but over the past hour the stories had stopped, the questions had slowed and even the kisses were sporadic. She couldn't speak for Arya but in Daenerys's opinion, they didn't need words or even kisses, just being together was plenty.
The knock on the door not only caused her heavy eyes to open, it also caused Arya's fingers to stop playing with her hair, an unforgivable sin. "Maybe they'll go away," she whined.
"When do they ever?"
She had a point, but it didn't mean Daenerys wanted to move. "I don't want to deal with whoever it is."
"I'll take care of it." With the upmost care she moved Daenerys forward just enough to stand up. Without Arya to lean against she laid on her side. Arya picked up the pillow she was using to protect her back from the wall and positioned it under the Princess's head. More knocks came but Arya ignored them in favor of covering Daenerys with the blanket more completely. She was on the floor, alone and somehow Arya managed to make her feel cherished.
She curled up under the blanket and closed her eyes. Whoever it was knocked again, prompting Arya to yell through the door, "Seven Hells, shut up already, I'm coming."
Daenerys had meant what she said, whatever it was would have to wait. She tried to pay attention to what was happening at the door, but sleep beckoned, and she wasn't sure she could trust her ears.
R-C
She was already annoyed before she knew who was bothering them, but once she saw the man waiting in the hall, that annoyance blossomed into rage. "What?!" she barked.
"Where is Daenerys?" he asked, looking around Arya's frame to try and get a view into the darkened room. "Daenerys!" he shouted loudly.
"She's sleeping," Arya hissed, hoping he'd copy her volume.
He didn't. "So early?! Why, what's wrong with her?" He didn't wait for Arya to respond. "Let me see her."
She had many reasons not to like this man, but his entitled attitude was currently at the top of the list. He was similar to the last time she'd seen him, dressed in armor, filthy from long days on the road and overestimating his own importance. "The Princess is not seeing visitors tonight. If you have a message, I'll pass it along when she wakes."
Daario stopped looking behind her and appraised the woman for the first time. "Who are you? Where's Missandei? She knows me, she knows Daenerys wants to see me."
"Missandei is out of town," Arya told him, being intentionally vague.
"What? That's impossible, she's a slave, she can't just leave."
Arya ground her teeth together to keep from screaming and balled her hands into fists behind her back. If this went on much longer, she wouldn't be responsible for her actions. "The Princess sent Missandei on a personal errand."
"What errand?" he demanded to know.
"I'm sure the Princess will be happy to tell you about it, when she sees you, tomorrow!" She emphasized the last word.
Daario remained defiant. "I don't believe you. I'm a member of the King's army, let me pass."
"I serve the Princess and she expressly stated she didn't wish to be disturbed."
"I'm getting in that room and I'm going to see Daenerys," he decreed with absolute certainty.
Arya wished she had her sword, but she'd removed it with the armor, assuming incorrectly that she wouldn't need it. "You will see the Princess, but not tonight. Tonight, she doesn't wish to see anyone."
"Be reasonable," he urged. "She didn't know I'd be coming by tonight, so she couldn't possibly tell you to let me pass, could she?"
"No," she acknowledged. Daario's scowl shifted to a smile and he sensed he was getting somewhere. Arya didn't let him labor under that misconception long. "Daenerys did not know you were coming, she did not tell me to let you pass, which is why you aren't going in."
Daario was unimpressed. "You think you can stop me?"
She said nothing, she just blocked his path with her smaller body and waited for his next move. When it was clear he wasn't going to go, it was Arya's turn to smile.
She waited until his hand made contact with her, a detail she would rely on if she ever needed to defend her actions. He tried to push her out of the way, but she stood her ground, grabbing his wrist and twisting it behind his back. She caught him by surprise, but he was well-trained and had finely-honed instincts. She controlled him for only a fraction of a second before he shook loose. As he rotated to face her again, she lifted her left boot and lashed out, kicking him in the side of his knee. She hoped the sudden strike would be enough to unsteady him. Her plan was to push him out into the hall and close the door before he could muster another attack. It didn't happen that way. Instead of falling backward as she imagined he would, Daario lunged for her, moving further into the room rather than leaving. They collided and his weight carried her to the floor, hard. As they scrambled to see who would reach their feet first the third person in the room reminded them she was there. "Was all this really necessary?" she asked, her voice thick with sleep.
On one knee several feet inside the door Daario forgot about Arya and chased those words to their source. He spotted Daenerys near the fire and frowned. "Daenerys, what are you doing on the floor? What happened to you?"
"I was sleeping," she told him bluntly, "until some thoughtless ox knocked on my door and yelled my name, waking me up."
If it had been Arya on the receiving end of that rebuke, she would have had the good sense to look embarrassed, but Daario didn't seem affected. "I wanted to see you."
"Clearly," Daenerys spat sarcastically as she sat up more fully. "I hope you have a good reason for barging in here like this and trying to harm my friend."
For the first time since Daenerys spoke, Daario's eyes shifted to her. "She wouldn't let me in," he complained. "I tried to tell her…"
"She told you," Daenerys began, standing up and shucking off the blanket, "that I was sleeping, that I wasn't seeing visitors and that I'd meet you tomorrow and you ignored her."
"She wouldn't let me see you," he said as if it justified everything.
"She was following my instructions," Daenerys said formally. "Now tell me why you've come, so I can go back to bed."
He took a half a step toward the angry Princess but wisely stopped his advance when she held up a hand in warning. "I came to see you, Daenerys. I missed you."
She rolled her eyes and made no attempt to hide how unsatisfactory she found that answer. Arya enjoyed that more than she should've. "If that's why you're here it really could have waited until the morning. Goodnight Daario, I'll see you tomorrow."
Realizing he was about to be dismissed he rushed ahead. "Wait, I heard you are planning a trip to the Reach, I know Missandei's not here, you must be lonely, how about we go for a ride tomorrow afternoon?" he proposed.
"We can discuss it tomorrow!" she said with a firm authority.
Arya walked with the sell-sword to the door and although he didn't speak, she could practically feel all the unasked questions vibrating within him.
He was barely past the threshold when Arya was closing the door behind him. "Don't forget to lock it," Daenerys added, already on her way to the bed.
She did as the Princess requested, when she turned she spotted the pillow and blanket near the fire. "I'll just clean up and then…"
"Leave it for the morning," Daenerys instructed, "come to bed."
She hadn't been anticipating that. "You want me to stay after," she paused and searched for the right words, "all that."
Daenerys was already lying on one side of the large bed, but she extended her arm across the other as if she might actually touch Arya. "Everything else can wait."
They'd need to talk about Daario eventually, but she wasn't in a rush and apparently neither was Daenerys. She went to the bed, dropping her clothes next to the dress Daenerys was no longer wearing.
R-C
A good night's sleep did nothing to ease the dread she felt for the coming day. She woke up in Arya's arms, which was rapidly becoming her favorite place and she couldn't even enjoy it because the memory of the night before loomed over them.
"What happened with Daario last night?" she asked as she searched for a dress. She could have requested another handmaiden until Missandei got back, but doing so would have required Arya to leave before they arrived and Daenerys was loathed to do anything that cut into the amount of time she could spend with Arya. "I heard some of it," she made clear, "but then you went from talking to fighting."
"I'm sorry about that," Arya said quickly. "That wasn't what I wanted, but he wouldn't leave."
"He's stubborn," she noted, feeling no leftover affection for the man who used to share her bed.
"That's one word for it," Arya grumbled. "I don't know why, but he thought I was lying, so he demanded to see for himself, and I said no."
Arya might not understand Daario thinking but Daenerys did. He likely believed that if she saw him, she would adjust any instructions she'd given and allow him entry. It was madness, especially after their last conversation, but she didn't doubt that was what he expected would happen. "And that's when he hit you?"
"He didn't hit me," Arya clarified. "He put his hand on my arm and tried to shove me out of the way, so I grabbed him. I wanted to take him out into the hall, but he fell the other way, and you know the rest."
Despite doing nothing wrong, she could hear Arya's regret. Giving up her search temporarily she went to her lover, who was washing in the tub. She kissed her deeply. "Nothing that happened last night was your fault. You were doing as I asked you to. I'm sorry I put you in that position."
She chuckled darkly. "I'd do a lot worse than throw out your sell-sword ex-lover, if you asked me to."
In moments like that it was all Daenerys could do to remember how to breathe. It was like Arya didn't even realize how sweet she was behaving. If she didn't, Daenerys certainly did.
She was back in the closet when another detail from the night before demanded attention. "Did I dream it or did Daario mention Highgarden?"
Daenerys exited the closet with a purple dress and was treated to the sight of Arya standing in the tub, drying her body. "He definitely did," she informed the staring Princess just before she shook out her hair in a way, Daenerys had only seen dogs do.
The next question didn't come until Arya was out of the tub and far less distracting. "How do you think he knew about that?"
She hummed as she thought about it. "Someone must've told him. Maybe Mormont went to him after his last scheme failed."
Daenerys was busy arranging her dress while she considered the idea. Jorah and Daario were not close. In fact, early in Daario's service they detested one another. Over time they developed a certain level of mutual respect, but they were hardly friends. "I don't think so… wait! What scheme?" She added it in there so casually that Daenerys almost missed it. The knot in her stomach tightened. What had Jorah done?
"It was Mormont who told your father I deserted you," she provided, unaffected by talk of her almost-execution.
Daenerys on the other hand wasn't nearly as composed. "He did what!?" she screamed. "How do you know it was him?"
"I confronted him."
"He admitted it?" Jorah was someone she considered a friend. It made her sick to think he'd willfully endanger a woman's life, even a woman he didn't particularly care for.
"He didn't deny it," she explained as she dressed. "He claims it's my fault for leaving you, regardless of my intent."
She didn't need to wonder why he'd do it, that she obvious, but the how vexed her. Didn't Arya go to Jorah and ask him to watch her? "Didn't you speak to him before you left?"
"Yes."
With every word she seethed. She was going to kill him. Even after Arya was gone, she would refuse to allow Jorah to be within ten feet of her. He would never guard her again. If she had to stay confined to her bedchamber for the rest of her life, she would. She wouldn't allow Jorah to prosper, to be rewarded for trying to get Arya killed. "I'm going to tell my father he lied!" he decided hastily. "I'll tell him and then it'll be Jorah who has to stand before the throne and defend himself."
Half dressed Arya was suddenly in front of her. "You don't mean that."
Oh yes, she did! She definitely did. Just because Missandei saved Arya didn't absolve Jorah of his part in the plot. He needed to answer for that. "You were nearly killed!"
"But I wasn't," she reminded Daenerys gently, "I'm fine, I'm alive and well and right here with you."
That was true. She threw her arms around Arya's neck and pulled her in for a desperate kiss. She knew Arya was safe, the danger had passed but talking about it brought back how afraid she'd been that day waiting for her father to decide Arya's fate.
When the kiss was over, she tried verbally to make her point. "He needs to pay for what he did."
"You're angry," Arya observed accurately. "I understand that but think about it. Jorah was your friend once, maybe he will be again, if you tell your father the truth, he'll die and some of his blood will be on your hands."
The rational part of her brain knew Arya was right, but the larger, more primal part wasn't concerned with trivial things like morality. "I don't care!"
Arya smiled indulgently. "I know, right now you don't care because you're upset, but later, you might, and this isn't the sort of thing you can take back."
She couldn't believe what she was hearing. Brave, fearless Arya was willing to forgo vengeance? She had almost lost her life because Jorah lied, and she was willing to show him mercy? "So, he gets away with it?" She hated how sour the mere idea tasted.
"I'm not saying that," she clarified, "only there are things that hurt worse than death."
She wondered where she'd heard that before, and when the memory came back to her it turned her stomach. Aerys said something like that to Arya's father before he started massacring the family. Remembering all Arya endured, it only upset her further that Jorah willingly subjected her to more.
Unaware of the dark nature of her thoughts, Arya continued, "There is no law that says you have to tell your father now, or at all. There are other forms of justice, you get to decide what's fair, after you've given it thought."
"Fine." Although she agreed to wait, she didn't think her feelings on this topic would change no matter how many hours she devoted to it. If there was ever a crime that merited a death sentence, harming Arya would be it.
R-C
Author's Note: I felt a little bad, the last couple of chapters were a bit boring, so I decided to put this one out early. They are going to Highgarden, Daario is back and Daenerys knows what Jorah did. It'll take a couple of chapters to finish off the things that have to happen in King's Landing, then they'll be off in search of Sansa.
Thank you for reading, and for the reviews.
RC