Qarth, 299 AC

Daenerys

.

"Khaleesi, I am a veteran of two wars and countless battles, yet I have never seen a city fall so quickly." said Ser Jorah as he rode beside her. "The Americans fought as if they would not die."

It was true. Dany herself had seen them in combat. Foes after foes fell to their firearms, while her friends remained untouched.

"Indeed, they have exceeded every expectation. A moon ago we were close to death, and now we have an entire city." she replied. The impregnable Qarth had finally been conquered last night, with only twenty men and a good plan. The historians would look back on this event in disbelief, and rightly so, for even Dany had not completely recovered from this extraordinary turn in her fortune. Yet it was true. The city itself had been partially destroyed, and it would take time to repair it to its former condition.

"What is to be done with our captives?" asked Ser Jorah, no doubt referring to the nobles and princes.

"Their wealth and properties will be seized entirely and spent on welfare of liberated slaves and the commoners." she answered. There was a time when she would have considered alliances with them, but not anymore. Dany was a changed woman now, favored by the gods. "But those who prove themselves useful will be allowed to keep their positions, under many restrictions of course. Any who undermine the new order will be punished."

Ser Jorah looked at her proudly. "An excellent suggestion, Khaleesi. There is the question though, about our forces. The Civic Guard has joined our side, so has the trained Qartheen army loyal to the princes and nobles, but we need to ensure their loyalty."

"Dutch Vanderlind suggested an increase in wages. If I can provide a better life for them and their families than their old masters, they would stay loyal. That will be no issue, considering all the wealth we control now." she said. "What do you think of the man, ser Jorah?"

"The man is an enigma, Your Grace. Undeniably capable, judging from his exploits, but dangerous in equal measure."

Dany remembered Quaithe's words. The man had provided good counsel and she would continue seeking it, but at the same time she would never let him have power over her. Mayhaps her other American friends would help keep a check on his ambitions. Nevertheless, Dany would reward them all.

They were out on a tour followed by her bloodriders, to greet her new people. The liberated slaves and commoners would yell her name whenever she passed by, waving and tossing flowers her way. This is what Viserys wanted, she thought, but her brother was not deserving of this love. In the distance, she could hear the loud sounds of the firearms. The city might be won, but a few rebels still remained who had to be put down.


Dany was crowned in the Hall of a Thousand Thrones, the seat of the pureborn, which she took as the new royal palace. Friendly priests from the Temple of Memory had performed the ritual and placed the ancient crown of Qaathi kings on her head. It was made of gold and adorned with precious stones like diamonds, rubies, pearls and jade. Except the pureborn and the merchant princes, people of all kinds attended the ceremony- even some merchants from Westeros, the Free Cities and various realms of Essos had come and would certainly be bringing the tales of dragons and new weapons back to their homeland. What would Robert Baratheon do once he learned of her new position? Certainly, he would be enraged and find it much more difficult to send cutthroats after her.

Let him come.

Her first decree as Queen was to abolish slavery in its entirety, and to forbid slave traders from ever entering the city. A few merchants who protested were soon put in the dungeons for 're-education', as Hosea Matthews put it. For the remainder of the day, she heard grievances of her people from her seat, involving matters of property dispute, contract payments, funding for various works and so on. One visitor was Pyat Pree the warlock.

"The House of the Undying wishes to congratulate the Mother of Dragons on her victory." The man bowed. "We are thankful that our sacred place was spared during your conquest, but we ask what is to become of us." The truth was that both soldiers and slaves refused to go near that place because they feared it, if the tales of Ser Jorah were to be believed.

"I have no quarrel with the warlocks, so you may continue your practices in peace and seclusion. I only command that from this day onwards, your new recruits will be free and willing men, not slaves or impoverished commoners picked up from the streets." The warlock accepted the terms and left. His cult was dangerous, and Dany did not want to get too involved in their matters.


That night she had a private feast with those that had been with her throughout the journey. It was the time to celebrate what they had achieved and to plan for the future.

"All the troublemakers have been accounted for." said Hosea. "And the walls are manned with more guards."

"Good. One less thing to worry about." Dany replied. "How are the liberated slaves faring?"

"They're occupying the mansions and merchant homes for now, Your Majesty."

"How much wealth have we collected?" asked Ser Jorah.

"Arthur and I oversaw all the vaults. Those of the merchant princes were filled to the brim, enough to rebuild this city ten times over." said Dutch.

Enough to buy an army as well.

Dany lifted her wine cup. "My friends, let us celebrate this occasion!" Everyone cheered as cups clashed with others.

"Misters Smith and Marston, you do not talk much. Why is that?"

"Khaleesi, I'm not good with words or talking. All my life was spent in the wild, living off the land and fighting people. That's all I know how to do." Charles answered as he ate.

"I'm still trying to accept our situation, Your Majesty." said John. "Dutch and Hosea talk about God this and God that, but I'm still confused."

"I can understand." said Dany kindly. "The gods work in strange ways, though I pray that you find your calling."

"What now, Khaleesi?" Arthur asked. "We have the city, but we don't know a thing about running one." He was right, ruling a city was different than ruling over a small group of nomads. Fortunately, she had ideas of her own.

"I remember you telling me that Americans choose their own leaders, who sit on a council called a Congress."

"Yeah, that's right."

"In Westerosi tradition, the king has a small council of lords to advice the crown on various matters. But I have realized that lords or princes often have designs of their own. My family was betrayed by houses who lusted for power and even killed little children to further their ambitions. They do not care about their people. Essosi nobles are no different, and they even practice slavery." she announced. "Keeping that in mind, I have decided to let this city's newly liberated population select representatives from among themselves. They will sit on my new council and advise me on ruling."

"Do you intend to raise them to nobility, Your Grace?" asked Ser Jorah.

"No. There will be no more scheming lords under my rule. The gods have chosen me for a higher purpose. They have shown me the hardships faced by the downtrodden and sent signs of their favor. I intend to change the world." she answered. "All these lords you speak of are like spokes of a wheel, always trying to come on top of each other and as the wheel spins, it crushes those on the ground."

"Many have tried to stop it, Your Grace. Many have failed."

"I will not stop the wheel. I will break it." Dany declared.

A long silence fell on the hall.

"That is an impressive line of thought, Your Majesty, but I have one issue. Kings or Queens also inherit their power, much like the lords do. A son follows his father and so on, leaving no choice for the people. If you break the existing wheel, you will only end up replacing it with your own." said Dutch.

"That is where you are mistaken, mister Vanderlind." she decided to reveal her secret. "My line will not inherit my power, because I cannot bear children."

Another silence.

"Are you completely sure about that?" asked Hosea.

"Yes. The witch who killed my husband also destroyed my womb. I am barren." she said. "My dragons are the only children I will ever have, and that is why I will never create a wheel of my own. How we select my successor is a matter for another time, but it will certainly not be my son or daughter."

Hearing that, Dutch raised his glass. "I can agree to that. I have no love for crooked politicians and presidents, so it'd be nice to have a godly woman in power, one who cares about the people."

"I am glad we could come to an understanding." Dany smiled. "Which is why I will invite everyone on this table to join my council. You have been invaluable allies to me, and I will always heed your advice as your friend."

"I accept the honor, Your Grace." said Ser Jorah.

"Please give us a moment to discuss things." said Hosea. Dany nodded. The Americans took some time amongst themselves before giving their answer.

"Hosea and I will join your council, Your Majesty." Dutch Vanderlind spoke.

"I accept, but what about the rest of you?"

"The rest of us aren't experts in politics like these two." Arthur pointed at the two men. "Sure, we can fight and sometimes lead people, but that's it."

"The offer will remain, mister Morgan, should you change your mind. But I must reward you with something."

Arthur thought for a moment before answering. "If it ain't too much to ask, Khaleesi, we would prefer some land outside the walls."

"What do you intend to do with that land?"

"Just live out in the open, maybe build a ranch or something."

"A ranch?"

"It's like a farm for raising horses and cattle." he replied.

"Of all the things you could ask of me, you ask for a farm?" Dany was confused.

"I don't like cities that much Khaleesi, and the same goes for John and Charles. We aren't fancy rich people in castles like the ones we've seen here. We won't fit in."

She laughed. The men were very different from the people she usually met, in a pleasant way. "Granted. But you will return to Qarth whenever I have need of you."

"Agreed."

.

Outskirts of Qarth, 299 AC

Arthur

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While the city was at the edge of a barren desert, they eventually found a suitable place near the coast, where the grass still grew, and the temperature wasn't too hot. It provided a nice view- the walls of Qarth in the distance and a large grassland to the east. The gang couldn't have asked for a better place. Daenerys had sent a group of workers to help them build their new home in the wild. Plans of a stone fortress were mentioned, but quickly shut down. It would be a normal wood and brick house, not an eyesore.

It took a month to build their new ranch. The house wasn't too big, and the workers were eager to help, as they had been freed by the Americans. In the meantime, they slept in Dothraki-style tents while a large group of the queen's soldiers guarded them at all times. Daenerys had insisted on this extra muscle to discourage any champions of the old ways from attacking them, and they couldn't disagree with that logic. Dutch and Hosea would go back to city every day and return with the details of their council meetings.

"The notorious Van der Linde Gang, now working as slave liberators for a dragon queen. Who would've thought?" joked Arthur during dinner.

"You wound me, son. We might be good at robbing and killing people, but at heart we always were freedom fighters." said Dutch. "And don't deny it. You did enjoy killing those no-good slaver sons-of-bitches back there. That being said, I do miss all the stuff we used to do."

"So, is that it? Are we gonna settle down in this ranch?" asked John.

"For now. The girl wants to tighten her grip on this city and get stronger before we make any more plans." Hosea answered.

"Then what?"

"Then we conquer more cities and free more slaves, getting richer in the process." said Dutch.

"With an army of watchmen and freed slaves with knives? Don't think that's gonna happen." Arthur stated.

"And we are short on bullets, you know. The next city will put up a fight." Charles added. The battle of Qarth had used up much of their ammunition. They had to find a way to produce more, but it would be challenging in this medieval world.

"Her dragons are growing up fast, and she is loaded with enough cash to buy an army." said Hosea. "The chemists back in the city are studying the gunpowder. We might make some progress soon, but let's not worry about that right now. I have decided that you boys should learn sword fighting and the local language. Mr. Smith is already ahead of you two in both areas, so you need to catch up."

"Me, using a sword? You gotta be joking!" Arthur replied.

"We need to adapt, Arthur. There's no other choice. The queen has agreed to send Rakharo for your training. You'll never be an expert swordsman, but maybe you would learn enough to stay alive. As for the language, I believe Missandei can help." Dutch answered.

"Isn't she supposed to stay with Daenerys?" he was surprised.

"Apparently, she has taken a liking to you, given that you saved her after all. The girl will arrive here tomorrow. Take your lessons seriously everyone."

Arthur sighed. It would be like going to school, not that he knew what schooling was like.


The construction wrapped up the next day, with the queen sending some expensive furniture and a cook as a housewarming present. Arthur had worked on a ranch before, as a farmhand shoveling shit and herding cattle, but this was different. They owned this place and had fine horses in their stables, even the strange 'zorses' confiscated from the nobles and princes. The air was dry but clean, free from the smoke of factories and trains. It was what he had always wanted.

.

Finally built the ranch. Home sweet home.

.

Arthur's journal was filled with drawings of unique sights he never thought he would ever see- the queen's dragons, Qarth's walls and towers, the large Targaryen banner that flew above the royal palace and now the first modern ranch in a medieval city. He spent his days exploring the terrain and learning new skills from Rakharo and Missandei. Fighting with a sword was on a different league than fighting with a knife or machete, but he got the hang of it soon, though he could never beat the Dothraki in the sparring yard. Charles was making good progress, and John was still young which could work in his favor. Men like Arthur were simply too old to learn swordfighting, so he made fewer visits to training. He could only wait for the people back in Qarth to figure out how to make more bullets.

Missandei was a different matter though. Arthur had rescued her on impulse, but he never expected that it would go this far. The girl followed him everywhere he went, teaching the men phrases in Valyrian and Dothraki and pulling her weight around the ranch. Often, he wondered why the powers that be had decided to bring this girl to him. After Mary left him and Eliza and Isaac died, he gave up hope of ever settling down. But here he was now- with a proper house, lots of money, support from the law and a new family.

"Wanna go for a ride?" he asked her one morning.

"But it's too early, mister Morgan." she replied, half-asleep.

"Then you better get used to it, girl. Get ready."

Missandei was given a white 'sand-steed' by the queen, which was a beautiful horse that looked just like Dutch's Arabian. Arthur took the girl through the eastern road while two guards followed them, keeping a respectable distance. He still hadn't got used to getting escorted everywhere and it could get annoying at times. After a few minutes of riding, he could see her having trouble controlling the horse.

"Do you ride much, girl?"

"No, Arthur. I do not know why her grace gave me a horse this big."

"It's alright, just don't pull on the reins too much or too hard. Give her a light kick."

Missandei did that and there were some improvements.

"That is much better." she smiled.

"Just act confident, okay. The horse can sense it if you're not."

"Yes, Arthur."

Seeing her make some progress, he decided to change the topic and asked, "Where does this road lead to kid?"

"The city of Asabhad in Yi Ti." Missandei answered. "It takes you around the Bone Mountains."

"Do they have slaves in this Yiti?"

"I am not aware of it. That land is mysterious, and no one knows what happens there. What about your country, Arthur? The queen said you come from a magical realm and were sent here by the gods."

"Well, we used to practice slavery but then we had a war and now it's no more. Still, the freed people live no better than slaves, always in fear. I guess that the place isn't magical as you say."

After riding around for an hour, they went towards the coast. The waves of the Jade Gates were calm, and the atmosphere was serene. It had been a little more than a month since he was in Qarth.

"Why did you free me, Arthur?" the question came out of nowhere. "I meant nothing to you."

"Why not? Couldn't let you fall into the hands of some whoremonger, could I?" he answered truthfully.

Missandei looked at him as if he were an exotic beast. "Just like that? No reason at all?'

"I saw that dog parading you around and I couldn't just stand there and let it happen. Truth be told, I wanted to shoot that bastard."

"With your loud weapons?"

"Yup, but it looks like the fellers we freed got to him first." he laughed, remembering that scene from the battle. "Do you miss home, kid?"

"I do. It was a beautiful place, where no one ever fought or killed."

"Would you like to go back there? To your family?"

"They are…they are dead. The slavers killed them when they took me and my brothers Marselen and Mossador."

Brothers?

"I'm sorry. Where are your brothers now?"

"In Astapor. Master Kraznys was training them to become Unsullied."

Arthur remembered Mormont mention that name a while back. It was army of sorts, but why would they take in children?

"Why would that monster want children in an army?"

"The Unsullied start as boys. The masters cut their parts off and train them for hours. I used to sneak into their barracks to play with my brothers. When the masters found out, I was sold off to that trader who brought me to Qarth."

Castrating young boys? Jesus! Arthur had thought that his life was rough, but it turned out to be a fairy tale when compared to what Missandei had gone through. Does every child in this godforsaken place fear being turned into a slave? No wonder the girl was mature for her age.

He heard the familiar screeches of the queen's dragons and looked up. The three beasts soared up in the sky and were now much larger than the last time he had seen them. Once they were large enough to ride, there was no telling what Daenerys could do.

"Come on, time to go back home." Missandei's tale had disturbed Arthur and he couldn't stop thinking about it for a while. Was that the reason God had sent him to save her? Seemed like it.


Dutch and Hosea informed them that a small election was held in the city recently, under their guidance. Ten representatives were chosen for the queen's council, taking the total count to thirteen, just like the Thirteen Princes they had deposed. Apparently, it had become a popular joke among the people. The freed slaves were doing fine, with the construction of a new housing district and food imported from surrounding kingdoms. A few nobles were also executed, while some merchants eventually found favor with the queen on account of their usefulness. One of them turned out to be none other than Alequo Hestis, the man who paid them for that pocket watch and indirectly funded the uprising. But the next piece of news was what they had been waiting for.

"Gentlemen, a brilliant man from Yi Ti figured out how to make the gunpowder. He said that it's similar to something recently invented in his country and the ingredients are easier to find there, so we have this problem solved." said Dutch as he pulled a small box out from his satchel and placed it on the table. Arthur opened it to find some black powder.

"Is that…"

"Freshly made gunpowder, yes." said Dutch. "It's a bit different, but it should work."

"Let's test it. I wanna see it with my own eyes."

Arthur took the box outside and placed it on the ground, a safe distance away from everyone. Then he took out his bow, lit an arrow on fire and aimed at the box. As expected, the powder exploded with a loud bang when it contacted the fire arrow, sending their new horses and animals running away in fear and covering the air with smoke. By now, Rakharo and Missandei had grown used to the sound, so they had no reaction except wonder. The gang was excited to learn that it was legit.

"Well, now that we have the gunpowder, we need the guns. Luckily, we have Mr. Hestis and his men working day and night to replicate a rifle." said Hosea.

"We will need to import the powder from Yi Ti though. But when that's done…"

"Then we'll free more slaves." Arthur finished Dutch's sentence. For some reason, he knew where they should strike next.

Astapor.

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Notes: Please do leave a review on any chapter you read, even if it's criticism. It will make the story better in future.