A/N: Hope you all are continuing to stay safe and patient. We can do this together.
Joon sat in the main hall of the imperial garrison headquarters of Trader Town. As Captain-General of the Northwest Imperial Army, Trader Town's garrison was under his jurisdiction and so naturally, its commander, Major-General Ikken Feng, had to send weekly reports via courier to his army's headquarters near Kushiro before sending it to his command tent.
So when General Feng informed him that Sela the Hyrkoon, one of the most powerful jhats in the Plains of the Jogos Nhai, had sent an emissary to Trader Town and informed him that she was in possession of Crown Prince Sumeng Bu, Prince Daeron Targaryen, and a Chogo woman by the name of Chanhee, Joon had sent Quartermaster Shin to the city to corroborate Feng's report. A week later, Shin sent a special courier to his command tent and confirmed that the emissary's words rang true after he correctly answered certain questions about the Crown Prince, Daeron or Jon, and Chanhee regarding their appearance and age. What's more, the emissary described Jon's direwolf Ghost in great detail and also talked about a certain red dragon that grew bigger by the day after consuming many animal carcasses.
Wait a moment. What's Meleys doing that far north? But Joon quickly remembered that dragons had a strong bond with their riders and would sense whenever they were in danger, at least from what he had read. If she can fly that far and if the words on her growth are true, then I've just housed a powerful dragon under my roof.
Meleys was a particular cause for concern from how quickly she had grown at Kushiro. Joon had to admit that Jon had picked a fitting name for the red dragon, as Meleys of old was very fast and very cunning, both of which the new Meleys began to show. At the same time, he also understood that he couldn't hide the dragon, but he wanted to reveal its existence at a proper time. The emissary informing General Feng and then Quartermaster Shin of the dragon's existence took control of the situation away from him.
But instead of worrying over a matter that was no longer under his control, Joon thought of ways he could adapt accordingly. After all, the key reason why the Kitara family became the most powerful house in the northwest region was because his ancestor saw no point in fighting the emperor in a losing battle and thus submitted in exchange for power. The result was the Kitara family becoming quite important in maintaining the entire northern frontier of the empire, since their submission allowed every Kitara to become indispensable as soldiers and at court over the generations.
If the officers should ask on who is Daeron Targaryen, I will tell them, but only the parts that they need to know and nothing more. Better to seize control of the narrative than let others influence it without you, he concluded.
Once Quartermaster Shin confirmed the emissary's message, Joon took half of the army up the Sand Road from Tiqui to Trader Town, a journey that took another week. But once there, he wasted no time in getting settled and appraised all of the daily matters in the empire's northernmost city.
"General Kitara, may I say that it is an honor for—" Feng bowed to him before Joon cut him off and turned to Quartermaster Shin, who also greeted him.
"Stow that, General Feng. Is the emissary still here?"
"Yes, general," Shin confirmed. "I can have him ready to speak to you as soon as possible."
"Do that," Joon ordered. "I must hear his words myself."
The big-headed Jogos Nhai, offered a cup of tea on Joon's orders, told him again on the current condition of the Crown Prince, Daeron, and Chanhee. "And the leader of the renegades, who is he?"
"His name is Detu, my lord," the emissary answered. "He was once a former ally of my jhat, but he only got to his position through usurpation. He sees the coming winter as a threat to his hold over the other jhats that came with him, so this is his way of guaranteeing his power by focusing their energies on war."
Joon groaned while rubbing his forehead in annoyance. Too many times had he heard this sort of story, with the young man in an unstable leadership position suddenly making war in order to prove his capability. This is seriously getting old.
"And what plans does Sela the Hyrkoon have for this Detu? Renegade or not, your people violated the truce with the empire. Even if you do have the Crown Prince under your current protection, someone has to answer for this breach," Joon explained.
"Sela expected you to have such concerns, my lord. She told me to say, 'The jhats under me have decided to denounce the actions of Detu and judge him as unfit to lead a part of our people in the future while reflecting his deeds as unrepresentative of the Jogos Nhai. Whether he dies by betrayal or is killed by imperial troops is no longer our concern,'" the emissary relayed Sela's message.
"I'm afraid that it will take more than your jhat's message to reassure the emperor and the court at Yin of the good faith she professes to have," Joon shook his head.
"I don't have the power to discuss, on Sela's behalf, on what to do with Detu at the moment," the emissary told him. "However, I do have her leave to elaborate on the details of our exchange. I trust that you have read Sela's offer."
"I have," Joon nodded. "But I trust you know that the Prime Minister has forbidden us from negotiating with you lot. In fact, I'm disobeying orders just by talking with you."
"Then why have you come here, my lord?" the emissary asked.
"'When you engage in actual fighting, if victory is long in coming, then men's weapons will grow dull and their ardor will be damped,'" Joon quoted the general he had studied.
Unfortunately, the emissary didn't know what he was talking about. "I'm sorry?"
"What those words mean is that the longer a war is being waged, the greater the exhaustion," Joon said in simpler terms that even the emissary would understand. "My family have protected the northern frontier for many generations, and we know that the most effective way of fighting you involves as little actual combat between us as possible. Wars cost money and effort, which cuts both ways."
"I agree," the emissary nodded. "Unlike Detu, Sela is well-aware that her tribe cannot hope to last in a long war with the empire and desires the maintaining of peace between our peoples."
"Which brings me to what exactly does Sela want in return for the safe return of the Crown Prince, Daeron Targaryen, and Chanhee," Joon brought the discussion back on topic. "As I said, I am disobeying orders despite the fact that I have a relatively painless way to resolve this crisis right here, so you better make it worth my time."
"As you wish," the emissary adjusted himself on the mat. "Sela's stormsinger predicts a long winter, which the rest on the plains have also said. To ensure the survival of her tribe, she desires portions of your harvest and livestock to last her at least four years and twenty-five thousand silver taels to pay for more supplies."
Quartermaster Shin wrote the offer down while General Feng scoffed. "I knew it. You people are looking for coin, but you don't steal it like you lot usually do."
Joon gave a scolding look to General Feng, who cowered under his cold stare. "And that will be enough to ensure the safe return of Prince Sumeng, Daeron Targaryen, and the Chogo woman?"
"I'm afraid those terms would only apply to the Crown Prince, with the Chogo woman being thrown in without terms," the emissary waved his hand dismissively at the mention of Chanhee. "For Prince Daeron, there are other conditions to be met."
Joon's face slumped. "What other terms do you seek?"
"As we're dealing with someone who can control an actual dragon, which has already been used to deadly effect, Prince Daeron is an asset that would require a large payment to be made before we can release him into your custody," the emissary made clear.
"Spare me the explanations, zorsemen. What is the term?" Joon was getting impatient.
"Sela would like an addition twenty-five thousand silver taels for his release. In addition, she would like to trade furs for some of your tanegashima."
Shin stopped writing while Feng slammed his hand on the floor. "Impossible!" he shouted. "We will never give you such weapons and make you more dangerous than you already are."
"Selling black powder weapons without license from the emperor is punishable by death," Joon added. "With your jhat asking for fifty thousand silver taels, which is more than what any jhat ever obtained, her condition of wielding tanegashima unfortunately cannot be met."
"Then, you can have the Crown Prince and the Chogo woman while Prince Daeron shall continue to enjoy our hospitality until you change your minds," the emissary shrugged.
Joon scoffed. Do you not understand what dragons really are? "If you think that you can hold a dragon, including an actual one, against its will, then you are gravely mistaken."
"What are you talking about?"
"See, this was one of the benefits of having a proper education, zorseman," Joon leaned slightly forward. "You can look down on 'southerners' as much as you want, but one of the things that I appreciate of the empire is that we have access to a wealth of knowledge, including scrolls that talk about when dragons ruled much of the lands west of the Bone Mountains."
"I've heard talk of old Valyria," the emissary tried to stand his ground, but he was quickly outmatched by the Lord of Kushiro.
"You've heard talk, but you don't have actual knowledge," Joon pointed out. "Dragons are bonded to their riders for life and over time, they understand each other's feelings and thoughts. This was why Valyrians are so highly regarded because they could control the only creatures in the known world that could unleash fire but also proved that the dragons are not mindless beasts. This isn't hearsay. Their bonds are well-documented in recorded history."
"And?"
Joon shook his head disapprovingly before continuing. "You currently have the only Valyrian and only dragon on this side of the Bone Mountains. And I can assure that you that Daeron Targaryen might be young, but he's not stupid. The moment he senses something off, what do you think he will do? What do you think his dragon will do?"
The emissary kept silent but was starting to get worried. "His dragon will fly up into the air, swoop down, and burn all of your tents, all of your mounts, all of your food, and your entire families in order to protect her rider. And she doesn't have to worry about hurting Daeron, as he cannot even be hurt with fire."
"How is that possible?" the emissary became more uneasy, prompting Joon to stand up and walk slowly towards him.
"It is a known fact that some from his family, House Targaryen, had the ability to not be harmed by fire. They call it being 'unburnt.' With her rider having that trait, his dragon can burn you all indiscriminately if you try to do anything detrimental to him." The emissary gulped but looked as if he was standing his ground. "But if a dragon is not enough to cause you anxiety, then I trust you have his seen direwolf."
"You mean the big white wolf?"
"They're called direwolves and just like his dragon, it will kill you if you even make its bond companion, Daeron in this case, notice something wrong. Now, if being burnt alive doesn't scare you, perhaps you prefer having your throat slashed with his paws and your skull crushed in his jaws. Like so!" Suddenly, Joon grabbed the emissary by his head, stood him up, and began squeezing the sides by pressing hard with his thumbs on the Jogos Nhai's temples.
The emissary, not expecting an aged southern lord to be so belligerent, was unpleasantly surprised at how strong the Lord of Kushiro turned out to be despite his unassuming frame. He tried to push Joon's hands away from his head, but found that his grip was too strong and he quickly became more than uncomfortable from how the pressure his skull was getting.
"Let go!" the emissary begged, while Quartermaster Shin and General Feng were shocked at how ferocious their commander really was.
"Whether from his dragon or his direwolf, you and your ilk will be dead!" Joon showed his teeth. "The question is, which one do you prefer?" After another moment and seeing that the emissary had enough, he let him go but pushed his head away from him, causing the Jogos Nhai to fall flat on the floor. "I suggest you think again on burdening us unnecessarily, considering what creatures are with Daeron at the moment."
"What do you have in mind, my lord?" the emissary stood back up.
"No extra taels and no black powder weapons. You've already asked us to meet terms that we have never made to your people before, but you let your greed overstep your bounds," Joon adjusted his robes while speaking in a calm tone again.
"Sela will not like what has happened today, my lord."
"And that's her choice but remember my words. I wouldn't give Daeron any reason to suspect you, as that will lead to the fatal consequences that I had just spelled out. Best to release the three of them with as little trouble on both sides as possible," Joon said.
"But I can't go back without an offer from you, my lord."
"Tell Sela that we are prepared to give fifteen thousand silver taels and two years' worth of food to her tribe. As she must come down her herself, I will issue safe conduct to her and whoever she brings to oversee the exchange," Joon offered.
"Sela might protest that, my lord."
"The most I am willing to offer is seventeen thousand and five hundred silver taels along with two years and two moons' worth of harvest and livestock. That's the best offer she can get," Joon answered quickly.
"I will let her know of your offer, my lord," the emissary bowed his head. "If or when she decides to accept, she will come to Trader Town. Will we have safe conduct then?"
"Yes," Joon nodded his head. "You have my word as the Governor of the Northwest Province."
"Sela knows of your reputation, my lord. I'm sure she will come," the emissary bowed lower before exiting the main hall.
"General," General Feng stood up in protest. "You're not actually going to pay them what they want?"
"Maintain discipline, General Feng," Joon turned to him which admonishing him, causing the garrison commander to stand straight at attention. "We've already shown again that we can beat the Jogos Nhai on their own ground and from what I've heard of Sela the Hyrkoon, she's not stupid to think that she can resist us indefinitely. She'll take what she's offered."
"General, I must caution against this," Quartermaster Shin stood up. "The prime minister's orders were clear. If you do this, you might get yourself in trouble."
"I know, quartermaster. However, given that we already beaten the renegades and that we're dealing with neutral jhats who are more reasonable, you think the court and the emperor will complain when the Crown Prince is delivered safely into our hands?"
"At the same time, general, the prime minister will not forget that you disregarded his orders. He might come after you," Shin added.
"Leave the politics to me, quartermaster. As for you, I suggest you look through the treasury in this city. I'm sure that the amount I offered is but a drop in the bucket," Joon told Shin.
"In addition, you had the provosts sent out to arrest Daeron and the Chogo woman," Shin pointed out. "Aren't you contradicting your own orders, general?"
"This is a very fluid situation, quartermaster. We have to keep all of our options open. Because of me, the emissary will now go back to his jhat with a reduced offer and with warnings of what might happen should they try to do anything against Daeron Targaryen. If the Crown Prince returns, that'll be the only thing that matters. If Sela tries to do anything to rouse his suspicions, his dragon and wolf will kill them for us, and we won't have to pay anything. There are many ways that we can benefit from this. As for Daeron and Chanhee, if what Sela says is true, then we'd be in a complicated situation should we arrest the Crown Prince's rescuers," Joon outlined.
"Now that we're talking about the dragon, why did you keep it hidden?"
"I have my reasons, quartermaster."
"A dragon is not something that you can just conceal. The court will make you answer for that."
"As I said, leave the politics to me. I gave you a task and I want you to fulfill it," Joon pointed to the exit of the main hall. Shin hesitated before nodding and leaving the main hall.
"You actually going to give them what they want?" Feng exclaimed.
"Not what they want," Joon corrected him. "They asked for a total of fifty thousand silver taels, four years of food, and black powder weapons. I got it down to less than half of that, two years' worth of food, and no tanegashima after scaring the emissary, so you can't say that I'm giving them what they want."
"I have strong reservations of your actions, general," Feng protested. "This could set a dangerous precedent."
"Possibly," Joon admitted. "However, I wouldn't be so worried. Once the Crown Prince returns, there'll be rewards for all, including for you."
"For me?" Feng pointed to himself.
"I remember how you ended up here, Feng," Joon crossed his arms. "You pursued the wrong woman and they sent you to this place as punishment. It's doubtful that you will progress higher than where you are now."
Feng gritted his teeth, his fragile ego threatened by the memory of how he was denied a woman because of his commoner status.
"If you help me, you might be rewarded. If you don't, you'll be stuck here. It's simple as that."
"But general, consorting with these zorse-fuckers?"
"Of course, you would prefer to continue fighting with your brawn, not your brains," Joon sighed. "If you choose that path, I can't change it. I don't like these zorse-fuckers any more than you, but would you rather fight a short war and come home unscathed or a long one and maybe die needlessly?"
"Who said anything about dying? And I'm not afraid of death," Feng answered.
"I thought so. But why choose honor in death if there were other options to follow? Fight smart, not hard," Joon finished before proceeding to leave the main hall. "We shall continue this tomorrow. I'm sure the emissary will bring a response soon."
Later that night, Feng had dinner in his quarters. But that night was important, as he was meeting an acquaintance from Tiqui. What made this acquaintance different from the others was that he was a magistrate and might help in his current quandary regarding Lord Joon's plans. He's too powerful and too cunning, so I need someone else, he thought as he still had unease with his consorting with the Jogos Nhai. But what made him angry was how Lord Joon brought up his past and thus reopening old wounds. Men like the governor can do whatever they want, but men like me will always be beneath them. But time to show them that sometimes, we can bite back.
The magistrate, still fat and bald from when he last saw him, enjoyed the arakju, the rice, the beef, the pork, and the other dishes that had decorated the table. But since he was an imperial official, Feng had to pay for his company. He slid across a small pouch of silver taels, a hundred, to the magistrate. Opening it, the magistrate smiled, closed it again, and put it in his robes.
"What can I do for you, General Feng?" the magistrate asked.
"I have a certain problem, a problem I believe will be of interest to you."
"I'm listening," the magistrate cocked his head.
"I understand that a white devil embarrassed you six moons ago. Did he have a white wolf with him?"
That got his attention. "How would you know that?"
"I can tell you where he is, provided that you meet my terms."
"And what terms would they be?" the magistrate inquired.
"A way to damage General Kitara's reputation permanently and get me promoted," Feng quickly said.
The magistrate smiled. "Of course. I've been longing to hit back at the governor for sheltering his white devils."
"Then we are in agreement?" Feng asked hopefully.
"First, tell me where that wolf boy is and if the Chogo whore is with him. I've already posted a bounty on his head, but I am prepared to let you have a share, in addition to the other terms you gave me," the magistrate offered.
Feng thought through his options before nodding. "He's with the jhat called Sela the Hyrkoon. They have the Crown Prince with them also."
"You lie," the magistrate called out in disbelief.
"I might be an officer who can't be promoted anymore, but I don't lie," Feng responded defensively.
The magistrate took a moment to also think. "And am I correct to think that Governor Kitara is planning an exchange?" Feng nodded. "If I had some Goi sabotage it and violate the safe conduct that he'll probably issue, then I can kill that wolf boy, that Chogo whore, and rescue the Crown Prince myself." He bobbed his head excitingly. "I like it."
"And I have your world that you'll help me?" Feng asked again.
"Of course," the magistrate raised his cup of arakju, which Feng responded with raising his own.
Best not tell him about the dragon. I don't believe it exists, but it might complicate matters for me, especially my reward, Feng thought as they drank to their deal.
Jon pushed an antelope carcass to both Meleys and Ghost, after he skinned and field-dressed it. Meleys went for the neck and back while Ghost chewed on the legs, although the direwolf had to avoid the flames. Fortunately, she knew how to be careful with her breath and thus avoided her companion's other bonded creature.
It amazed Jon at how… tolerant these two were of their presences. Ghost wasn't afraid of Meleys, but she was making clear that she didn't have much to fear from the direwolf either. While the dragon could incinerate her prey in an instant, the direwolf could savor the process of a kill and could see his work. But as they were both bonded to the same person, they decided to get used to each other even though they had a lot to work on before they had a working relationship.
Appreciating both of their efforts they were making for his sake, Jon rubbed Ghost's head and ran his hand down Meleys' spines, which made his direwolf lick his hands and his dragon creaking gratefully. "Thanks, you two," Jon said to them both. "We'll get through this."
Earlier that day, Sela invited Jon, Chanhee, and Sumeng to go on the hunt with them. Of course, Sumeng elected to stay in his yurt and continue drinking whatever spirits that they had, which he described as "tasting like zorse piss." As if you'd know what that tastes like, Jon shook his head. Sela took a long look at Jon as they mounted their zorses, and he knew that she knew that he had bedded Chanhee.
"Good," Sela slapped his back, hard. "You're now a man."
"I don't know if me bedding Chanhee makes me a full man," Jon was still unsure.
"You don't understand," Sela said. "Lots of things can come from when you hold a woman in your arms. For example, you know what pleasures her the most and you know the tricks a woman is capable of doing in order to ensnare you."
Jon didn't expect to hear that. "Tricks?"
"Not many people will experience this, but you'll find a someone who might claim to love you and will do anything to prove that. And behind it all, he or she wants something from you. Usually, their wants are based on material needs, or maybe just you."
"Why just me?" Jon asked.
"For your case, you can control a dragon. You don't think that many people won't try to use you for their own ends? Their need to use you can take the form of obsession, lust, or a focused goal on controlling what you already have," Sela outlined.
"How would you know that?"
"I met a woman like that, back in Kayakayanaya," Sela sighed sadly. "I thought we had… something special. But when I came to raid that city, she took everything that I had there while I became a forgotten memory. So, I cut off her head, tied it to my zorse's tail, and let her skull know what it's like to experience shit."
Jon was taken aback. "I'm sorry that happened to you," he merely offered.
"Don't be. It's all in the past and I became stronger. Now, no one can hurt me anymore," Sela answered before getting out her bow. "Let's get some supper," she then urged her horse on.
They spent all day tracking and hunting the few antelopes that they could find near their camp. Naturally, they were incredibly hard to catch, as the only other animal that could provide meat was the zorse and that was a line that the Jogos Nhai would never cross unless in dire straits. The antelopes were fast and nimble, able to maintain a quick pace for miles and easily maneuver their way through many zorsemen. At the same time, it made the hunt all the more worth it, as sometimes the things that one needed to keep moving required one's all.
Jon couldn't use the bow, so Sela gave him a spear to use alongside Longclaw and Dark Sister. After hours of exhaustive riding in the fairly desolate steppes, he finally got close enough to an antelope to stick it with his spear. Seeing it wounded, he dismounted, ran to the animal, and claimed his kill by unsheathing Dark Sister and stabbing where the heart should be. His trips in the wolfswood with Ned Stark taught Jon how to hunt, but this was probably the most difficult he had been on.
They made it back to camp by nightfall, where they feasted on their catch, totaling four antelopes. Jon wondered if either Meleys or Ghost would have made their task easier, only for Sela to say that Ghost had white fur and could easily be spotted by the antelope's trained eyes while the Meleys would simply scare any animal near her. She also said that getting four antelopes was considered a very good day on the plains, as those animals were incredibly hard to catch and would last them a moon if the tribe was careful.
For Chanhee, she also got a kill, which she accomplished by releasing an arrow while riding hard on a zorse. She sat beside Jon and snuggled against him as they eat their hard-earned meat.
Jon kissed the top of her head, their bond growing very strong from when they first shared a bed together, or a bunch of furs in their current situation. While he knew that she was a pretty, what they had was… pure. There was no politics behind, no coin exchanges happening, or some ulterior motive that got their relationship started. No, what this was merely comprised of two people young and sharing something that all couples would die for. For just a moment, Jon was glad that Ned Stark never told anyone of who he really was, as he could enjoy what he had with Chanhee and not worry about pissing off or scandalizing some house he probably would've had no business knowing with if he was a bastard instead of the last male heir of House Targaryen. I wonder if this was how my father, my birthfather, must've felt when many maidens pursued because of what he had and not because of who he was as a man.
Jon didn't want to dwell so much on it and would've liked to think that besides his love for his mother Lyanna, he did love Elia as time went on. My half-siblings, Aegon and Rhaenys, deserved better than what happened to them.
Not wanting to brood more, he simply cuddled against Chanhee, just enjoying life's simple joys without having to care about what he had to as a prince of House Targaryen, as the coming of the wights, and other matters that would soon demand his undivided attention.
As Jon and Chanhee were about to head back to their yurt for the night, maybe to make love again, they were called to Sela's yurt, with someone telling them that they received a response from Trader Town. So soon?
As they entered her yurt, Jon and Chanhee saw the emissary and greeted him courteously before they froze at the sight of imperial cavalry officers, both of whom were unarmed and seated across from Sela.
"Don't worry," Sela assured them both. "A condition for me extending my hospitality to these Goi," she eyed them distrustfully. "Was that they leave their weapons outside of my camp. If they bring harm to you or any of us, they'll wish for a quick death."
Jon and Chanhee slowly sat down, even though Sela's assurances did little to comfort them. Will they arrest us, or get the bounty on our heads? From the last time they had spilled Goi blood, these cavalrymen might have been tough but did not give off the impression that they were smart.
Then, Sumeng entered the yurt, also at Sela's insistence. Upon seeing their Crown Prince, both officers stood up and fell prostrate in front of him. Sumeng bid them to sat back down before sitting between Jon and Sela.
"Finally, some of my people," Sumeng made clear his relief. "Where did you come from?"
"Trader Town, Your Highness," one of them answered him with reverence. "General Kitara and General Feng have asked us to see to your condition."
"Well, aside from the zorse piss I've been drinking and having to live among these savages, I'm fine," Sumeng told them, which made the two Goi give nasty looks to Sela. Jon and Chanhee shook their heads, as the Crown Prince just didn't know how to stop insulting the very people that treated him with respect despite him being difficult.
"How dare you shake your head in front of His Highness, white devil!" the other Goi roared at Jon. "You know, General Kitara has issued an order for your arrest for the murder of imperial cavalrymen, one of whom I knew well. If it weren't for the woman jhat here, we would happily take satisfaction in arresting you and this Chogo whore."
Sumeng cleared his throat, getting his attention. "Is this how you speak in my presence? By throwing insults at my rescuer?"
The Goi kneeled again and placed his head on the furs. "I am sorry, Your Highness. I will be more careful."
"You do that," Sumeng bid him to sit, again.
"Now, then," Sela spoke to the emissary. "What has Lord Joon offered for the safe return of Prince Sumeng, Prince Daeron, and Chanhee?"
"When you are referring to the Crown Prince, address him as 'His Highness!'" the Goi who spoke first tried to scold Sela, only for her to stare daggers at him and causing him to back down in fear.
"Lord Joon is prepared to offer seventeen thousand and five hundred silver taels along with two years and two moons' worth of harvest and livestock," the emissary relayed the offer.
"That's less than what I asked you to get," Sela became annoyed at her emissary.
"He said to warn you of the potential consequences from trying to take advantage of Prince Daeron and his Chogo woman," the emissary pointed to them both.
"What consequences?"
"He said that if you tried to hold him against his will, Prince Daeron will know and we might all die from dragon fire and his large wolf biting our heads off," the emissary paraphrased Lord Joon's threats.
"Wait a minute. A prince?" the other Goi scoffed at Jon. "You telling me that this white devil, this murderer, is actually someone important?"
Jon crossed his arms. "I shall correct you. Those men that you accuse me of murdering, they tried to kill me and Chanhee here. And they said that they were paid to do so by someone that I will not name yet. Plus, my direwolf would only attack those that try to threaten me and whomever I enjoy close bonds with, but I wouldn't expect you two to understand since your hatred for the Chogo drowns out all logic from your little minds."
Both of the Goi ground their teeth, increasingly angered at the white devil daring to talk back to them, but Sumeng stepped in and made them be quiet.
"What was said about his white wolf and his dragon are all true. I've seen his dragon burn a score of zorsemen, my captors, in a matter of seconds. What's more, I've personally seen his prowess in combat, as it takes a certain bravery to charge headlong into a group of zorse riders and slash at their ribs," Sumeng defended Jon, which shocked both of the Goi. "If Governor Kitara issued an arrest warrant for him, then I shall order him to pardon him and the Chogo woman and also order an investigation as to why the men he killed tried to kill him."
Jon was surprised that Sumeng would go that far for him. I might have rescued him, but given what kind of man he's showing to be, this is unexpected.
"Your will shall be done, Your Highness," a Goi bowed with deference to their prince.
Oh, this is getting ridiculous, Jon thought of how much reverence they were showing to Sumeng, but was careful not to make it evident as he was defending him and Chanhee.
Sela brought the conversation back to focus. "So, Lord Joon is expecting that I take his offer or Prince Daeron will unleash his fury on me?"
"That's one way of putting it," the emissary confirmed.
Sela sighed before nodding. "Well, I aimed high and I got more than what I was hoping for."
Jon, Chanhee, and Sumeng turned their heads, astonished. "What?" he blurted out.
"Key rule in negotiation, you three," Sela said. "Aim for the highest offer that you can think of while also preparing your lowest expectations." Before she revealed further, she had the emissary escort the Goi out of her yurt. "Seventeen thousand and five hundred silver taels is more than enough to last us through a brutal winter, and two years' worth of food is a bonus. I had lower expectations, but I always aim high."
"Ah," Jon understood, as did Chanhee and Sumeng. "So, you know when to stop making terms as long as you can get the most benefits out of it?"
"That's what negotiation usually is," Sela replied. "You rarely will get the outcome you're hoping for, but the best you can do is get the next best. And my next best was still more than I had expected to obtain."
"Interesting," Jon rubbed his beard in thought while Chanhee was amazed at how Sela turned out to be experienced in such matters. As for Sumeng, he was dumbfounded that a woman on the plains could even think this far. "Also important, your Lord Joon has the wrong impression of me. I am not stupid as to invite the wrath of your creatures and I am just as anxious to return the Crown Prince back to his lands. The longer he stays here, the more problems I will get. However, I was not going to make the same mistake as the renegade Detu and I now have more protection from those that would try to usurp me."
Jon remained stunned at how wise Sela really turned out to be, and how crafty she was. I guess being a slave before becoming a jhat makes you do things that most people wouldn't be capable of doing, he pondered.
It also made Jon think of how the schemes between the powerful were formed. So negotiating like how Sela did with Lord Joon is one way of surviving? Even at his young age, Jon saw the value in a good bargain, as evidenced from his trips to Winter Town. But bargaining among the powerful was an entirely different matter and Jon was still unsure if he could learn the artform that was negotiation. Guess I'll have to find out.
After Sela confirmed with her emissary that Lord Joon granted them safe conduct to imperial territory, she had Jon, Chanhee, and Sumeng prepare to head south. But before they could return to their yurt, their path was blocked by the two Goi cavalrymen.
"You fucking cunts!" the more talkative Goi shouted through gritted teeth. "You think you're safe here?"
"Well, that's more than you can say for both of you," Jon shot back.
"You killed a friend of mine, you bastard," the other Goi spit near his feet. "I will have satisfaction, safe conduct or not."
"You would disobey your general's orders?" Chanhee scoffed, not surprised.
"And you, you fucking whore! All you Chogo will know your place, but not before I get a taste from you," he looked at her with the most malevolent stare one could imagine from a man.
"I'd like to see you try," Chanhee challenged him, which made the Goi step toward them to strike. But before they did, Ghost made his presence known by growling behind them. Also, Meleys flew in from above and landed in front of them, hissing at them with a ferocity Jon and Chanhee had not seen before.
"It's true," the talkative Goi whispered in fear. "You do have a dragon."
"That's right," Jon stepped forward while putting his hand on Dark Sister's hilt and Chanhee revealed her dao. "You really think that it's a good idea to threaten the both of us? Come on. Let's see you what you can do."
The Goi was tempted to accept his challenge despite the dragon and direwolf surrounding them, but the other Goi grabbed his arm and shook his head. "You haven't seen the last of us. One way or another, you will see what happens when you fuck with our people and livelihood," he threatened.
"We'll be waiting," Chanhee answered back, getting her more glares from the Goi before they turned around and walked away, Ghost growling at them as they passed each other.
Jon and Chanhee sighed in relief, but they were still worried at what the Goi might try to do as they retired for the night, Ghost and Meleys following them.
What the Goi didn't know was that their Crown Prince had listened in, increasing his frustration at their stupidity. If those cavalrymen try to harm my rescuer, they will answer to me. While he was aware that the court didn't think much of him, he knew how to keep the people in his life happy and content and he wasn't about to fail in that regard. My word is good, so Jon and the Chogo woman won't have to worry about me.
A/N: Joon is now facing a potential threat from the magistrate, who alongside the garrison commander are plotting to undermine him and kill Jon and Chanhee for humiliating him. This can't end well.
And now, Jon has got a very important lesson, which all of us can apply to in our lives. Being able to negotiate is a skill that is very difficult to obtain and requires a lot of experience. Negotiation is important in business, politics, the military, and practically every aspect of human interaction. Here, Jon can't just go charging in to solve every problem that comes his way. He learned just a little in canon with the wildlings, but here in Yi-Ti, he'll learn to become a master negotiator.
Fingers crossed on what the Goi will plan to do, and how Sumeng will act to protect the ones who rescued him.
