Sorry for the unannounced hiatus on this fic.

Chapter 18: The Old Squire

Daenerys and Daemon sat upon the highest and most extravagant thrones in the pure born Hall of a Thousand Thrones. Drogon curled in Daenerys' lap while Rhaegal perched on her shoulder and Viserion wrapped around Daemon's neck. The nobles of the Tourmaline Brotherhood, the Guild of Spicers and Pureborn all stood before them in bounds. Their Dothraki surrounded the prisoners and their bloodriders stood between them as a makeshift wall. Jorah stood behind them in case anyone tried something funny.

"You have no right to sit on those thrones!" One Pureborn man yelled.

"Foreigners!"

"Savages!"

Their dragons hissed at the slanders. Daenerys gave them an even look, "You call us savages but when we approached you in a dignified manner you shrugged us off."

Daemon added on, "Further more, Xaro Xhoan Daxos and Pyatt Pree killed the Thirteen and were going after you next." He nodded to Jorah who pulled Xaro from behind his throne, "Xaro Xhoan Daxos proclaimed himself the King of Qarth and had the Warlocks doing his dirty work. We destroyed the House of the Undying and captured Xaro."

Daenerys nodded to their bloodriders who spouted orders in Dothraki. The Dothraki all began to release the nobles from their binds. "You are not our enemy, Xaro Xhoan Daxos is, as he is yours. But we were under Qarth's hospitality and we were greatly wronged. We demand compensation."

"What kind of compensation?" One of the Guild of Spicers asked.

"All of the riches that once belonged to the Thirteen and leave a small portion of the fortune to their families." Daenerys answered.

"We would also want their fleet of a thousand ships along with the men who sail them." Daemon added, "We would also like to take a hundred war galleys from each of your fleets."

This caused a slight uproar but the dragons all screeched in reply, "Of course we could always spread the word of how the people of Qarth treat their honored guests." Daenerys calmly replied, "I'm sure your trading prophets will reflect your treatment of us."

This caused them to go silent, "Very well." One of the elders of the Tourmaline Brotherhood said and others agreed.

"And lastly you will free all of your slaves. Those who chose to stay will be taken in and will be compensated like any other worker." Daenerys ordered leaving no room to argue.

"What of Xaro's great vault?" One of the younger nobles asked.

Daenerys and Daemon exchanged a look, "What great vault?" Dany asked.


They were lead to a room beneath Xaro's palace by his former slaves. The giant circular steel vault had ripples all over it. Daemon pulled out his sword and walked towards the door and held his sword up and compared the two.

"This entire door is made of pure Valyrian Steel." He took a step back.

Daenerys stood before Xaro who was in chains, "How do we open it?"

"I entrusted the key to the one man I trust." He replied keeping his head up.

Jorah tugged on the chains, "Who is it?"

"He only trusts himself." Daemon said walking up next to Dany.

Daenerys looked at the vault and saw a circular keyhole before she turned back to the man. She saw that he had a circular necklace. She harshly ripped it off his neck. "This seems to be it."

Xaro scowled at her, "Clever girl."

Daenerys placed the circular key in the hole and turned. After a series of clicking noises, the vault door opened with a groan. Their bloodriders approached and their torches eliminated the entire vault revealing gold, jewels and all manner of extravagant possessions.

Daemon looked in awe of the cache of wealth. Daenerys, on the other hand, regarded the slaves that lead them down into this cavern, "We will take a third of these riches and the rest will be given to the recently freed slaves."

Jorah tried to object, "Khaleesi-"

"I agree." Daemon nodded before he looked at the door, "And we will take the door as well."

"Why the door, Qoy Khal?" Irri asked.

"Valyrian Steel can be useful." Daemon smiled thinking of all the possibilities, "Pay some workers to remove it from the vault and prepare the elephants to drag it to the port."


It took them two days to remove the door from the vault and take it out of Xaro's palace. In that time Daenerys was preparing the fleet with the help of Jorah while Daemon oversaw the transport of the vault door. The Dothraki were hesitant to board the ships but the twins assured them that they will bill remembered and revered as the first Khalasar to ride the wooden horses across the poison water. They all beamed at the prospect but still seemed hesitant.

Daenerys stood on the deck of a war galley, renamed Balerion, with Ser Jorah. She was making sure all the livestock and food were being loaded safely on the ship when Jorah approached her, "Everything seems to be running smoothly Khaleesi."

The queen nodded, "Yes, it seems the gods are smiling down on us."

"No, it's because of you and the king that we are here." Jorah replied, "It was the both of you who thought of the compensations and conditions, the gods had nothing to do with it."

Daenerys watched as Daemon ordered a few men to lift the vault door on the cargo net. She smiled to herself, "Come Ser Jorah, let us set a course with our captains."

The two descended from the deck and down to the port with Jhogo and Aggo close behind, "Where will we land, Your Grace?" Jorah asked, "I'm sure you and the king have discussed the matter."

"Yes, we have but two places in mind." She replied, "Sunspear so we may treat with House Martell. They were loyal till the end weren't they?"

"Aye, Khaleesi." Jorah nodded.

They passed by a few merchants who eyed her warily, "We've also considered Dragonstone if we don't have allies in Westeros. We could use it as a launching point for our conquest."

"As Aegon the Conqueror once did." Jorah mused causing Daenerys to chuckle.

"Something like that." Daenerys replied.

They walked in comfortable silence as they made their way through the port. Though unbeknownst to them a child scurried between the larger adults. The child who followed them held a wooden ball. The little girl eyes the queen keenly.

"Some of these merchants have business with some of your enemies, the Lannisters." Jordan informed, "It will not be long before they hear of this."

"We will be long gone from Qarth by that time." Daenerys replied as she spotted her captains.

"Dragon Queen." A small voice called.

Daenerys looked down to see a little girl approached her. The girl seemed to be a beggar, her torn clothes and tangled black locks were evidence enough. She held a wooden ball and held it up as an offering.

"Oh, sweet thing I shouldn't." She smiled gently but the girl held the ball higher. Daenerys relented before taking the ball.

"Turn it."

Placing a second hand Dany twisted the ball revealing a secret compartment. Inside was a green scarab it was beautiful.

"I am so sorry." The girl whispered before breaking out in a run.

After a second look, Daenerys recognized the scarab as a manticore. Dropping the ball she took out her dagger as the green monster scurried towards her. Before she could stab the little insect she was shoved down to the ground where she barely saw a pair of beige boots and the butt of a staff squashing the little beast.

Jorah and Aggo aided her as she climbed to her feet. She followed the beige leather boots up to the face of the elderly. His hair long and white as well as his beard.

"A thousand pardons, Your Grace." The old man bowed his head in shame, "It is dead. I had to squish it."

"You are quite quick on your feet." Daenerys commented.

"These old bones have yet to fail me." The old man replied, "Did I hurt you in any way?"

"No."

Jhogo raised his blade at the old man, "This man attacked you, Khaleesi."

"Blood of my Blood, he protected me." She replied much to his confusion, "Look to the ground where the green insect once lived, he killed it." She stated before turning to the man, "I owe you my life. What is your name?"

"You owe me nothing. I am called Aristan, though, Belwas named me Whitebeard on the voyage here." Aristan answered.

"And who is Belwas?" She asked.

Mowing down the crowd a nut-skinned man with a bald head, a massive stomach and arms like a tree trunk appeared, "I am Belwas. Strong Belwas they named me in the fighting pits of Meereen. Never did I lose." He slapped his scarred belly, "I let each man cut me once before I kill him. Count the cuts and you will know how many Strong Belwas has slain."

"And why are you here Belwas?"

"From Meereen I am sold to Qohor, then to Pentos and then fat man with sweet stink in his hair. He it was who send Strong Belwas back across the sea, and old Whitebeard to serve him." The eunuch explained.

She already knew who sent them, "Illyrio sent you?"

"Yes, Your Grace." The old man nodded, "Magister Illyrio begs your kind indulgence for sending us in his stead but he cannot mount a house as he did in his youth and sea travel upsets his stomach."

Daenerys noticed that Aristan began to speak the common tongue. He was speaking High Valyrian of the Free Cities earlier.

"Forgive us if we caused you alarm. Truth be told we were expecting someone more. . ."

"More regal." The young queen chuckled, "You speak the common tongue well, are you from Westeros?"

"Yes. I was born in the Dornish Marches, Your Grace. As a boy, I squired for a knight in Lord Swann's household." The elderly man informed, "Now I squire for Belwas."

"A bit old for such, aren't you?" Jorah asked suspiciously.

"Not to old to serve, Lord Mormont." Whitebeard.

"You know me as well?"

"I saw you fight a couple of times. At Lannisport and Pyke." The squire answered.

Jorah looked at him suspiciously but the tense moment was broken when Daemon rushed through the swarm of people. He ran directly to Daenerys.

"I heard what happened, are you alright?" He asked as if he was the one nearly called.

"I am fine thanks to this elderly squire." She assured, "These two men were sent by Illyrio."

Daemon immediately glared at the men suspiciously. Jorah smirked at the king for no lie can escape him, "What does Illyrio want?"

"He would want dragons." Belwas laughed, "The children that made them."

"Excuse me." Daemon stepped between Daenerys and the two men and reached for his blade.

Aristan quickly intervened, "Allow me to clarify, Your Grace. Illyrio would like for you to return to Pentos. The Seven Kingdoms have great need of you. Robert the Usurper is dead, and the realm bleeds. When we set sail from Pentos there were four kings in the land, and no justice to be had."

Daemon and Dany looked at each other. They saw the joy in each other's eyes but kept it from spreading to their faces. Daenerys stepped forward to stand beside Daemon, "We have three dragons. A Dothraki horde of forty thousand, goods and gold, and an entire fleet of ships."

Aristan chuckled before replying, "It makes the three ships Illyrio provided seem insignificant."

"We'll set sail immediately." Daemon said eagerly.

"Brother wait." Daenerys grabbed his hand and walked away from the two men. They were a good few yards before they stopped, "Jorah said it himself we need foot soldiers Dothraki can't hold lands and castles."

Daemon sighed, "I got ahead of myself."

"We need foot soldiers." Daenerys reminded, "The best we can find."

Daemon thought back to when Jorah had suggested using the best soldiers of the known world, "We can acquire a legion of Unsullied we can stop at Astapor before heading further west."

"We just freed slaves and now you want to buy some?" Daenerys accused.

"I never said we'd buy them." He replied, "I say we kill the slaver scum and free them, give them a choice and if we're lucky, they'll choose us."

Daenerys didn't even have to think before she replied, "Yes."

"Astapor here we come." Daemon smirked before the twins walked back to the group.