The Darkness of Day

by WalkingPotterGirl14

He put a dagger in her heart. She died. End of story. Or was it? The Gods decide that there's more to tell, more to save, and more heartbreak to follow in the story of Daenerys and Jon's lives, starting with new revelations right outside their doors. (Rated T until chapter 26, Fix-it Fic, obvious spoilers for the show)

39. Daenerys and Jon: The Battle of Meereen

Hello my lovely readers! Thank you for the great response on the last chapter, and thank you to:

DarylDixon'sLover

Smiile77

TheAttemptedWriter

Jana

bfishy

MiaMia

Perseus Apollyon

Irakli Chargazia

tonywarrior

Herraidous

MayaFaya

Your reviews helped me get this chapter out for all of you, so thank you so much for your constant support! And welcome to the new followers and favorites as well! I have to admit this one took longer but that's only because I'm in a major transition in life right now (moving out of college apartment into an actual one) so I've been packing like crazzzy. With that said the next chapter might be a little later than usual but don't worry I'll still get it out sometime next week. This chapter is filled with a lot of blood and tears and heart-string pulling moments so I hope ya'll are ready. I personally think this is one of the better chapters of the story, so I hope you enjoy! :)

---

Daenerys

She didn't know how long she had stood there, staring off into the sky, thinking of how far her beloved might have flown, but she knew sooner or later, she had to walk away and become a queen and not some lovesick woman.

So, she did, painting her face differently and going back to her stoic expression, before going straight to where Rhaemon would be waiting with the generals. It was strange, how her state of mind seemed to switch so easily, but she supposed that had happened to her after years of learning how to plan.

And Jon did have a point. She was the one who knew the Essos area far better than any of the others in their close-knit family. It was her who needed to guide the dragonriders to where they needed to go. She just didn't want to miss her family. But those were the spoils of war.

The war meeting was one she had been to before, with plans drawn out, weapons made, and a backup plan written just in case something were to happen where the city was taken. A part of Dany hoped that because they had the dragons, it would be easy for Jon and the rest of the travelers to get the people out safely, but at the same time, she was nervous that the invaders would have beaten them.

She had to have faith though because if she didn't have that, she didn't know what else she could have.

Once she laid out the correct route for them to take that avoided the view of the ocean, she had let Rhaemon do the rest of the work regarding the dragonriders. There was even armor that had been made especially for their dragons for battle just in case something like this were to happen, but had never gotten the chance to use it for real until now – only when traveling to Sothoryos for supplies.

But while battle plans were important, she had promised her son that she would come and speak with her children, so that is exactly where she walked to. When she lands her feet right outside of their door, she could hear soft voices coming from within the walls, but her hand knocks three times, effectively stopping them.

"May I come in?" she asks.

"Yes," a voice answers, much like the sound of her daughter. She slowly opens the door and sees her twins sitting on their bed. Dan was looking at the ground while Daemon had his arm around his sister's shoulders.

Daenerys comes over to their sides, sitting next to them. "Is everything alright? Have you two made up?"

Daemon looks over at Dan and squeezes her side, while the girl sighs, clearly exasperated. "I know the way I reacted wasn't good." She finally turns her head up to look at her mother. "It was more out of confusion than anything else…I grew up in a part of the world that was so remote from sorcery and magic that hearing of something like this just…scared me." She glances over at her brother again. "At this point, nothing in our family should be strange."

Daemon chuckles a bit and nods. "That is true."

Daenerys smiles a little and rests her hands on both of them, each arm encircling one of her children. "I don't want to be a bad mother right now – everything both of you are feeling is valid and understandable – but there are far more important issues happening in our lives at this moment rather than the things we can move with our hands – or that you two can move with your hands."

"But it's incredible!" Dan whispers, her voice laced with shock. "I mean, mother, you had to see it. Her wound was bleeding badly and then he just muttered some Valyrian and within seconds the blood was literally flowing back into the wound! And then it healed like it didn't happen at all! No scar or anything!"

"I know, I have seen it," Daenerys chuckles, squeezing her daughter's side. "It's quite an interesting power that will be very useful to us in the future, but for now, both of you need to learn to take a deep breath and take what life throws at you. Because at this point, I don't think this family hasn't had anything not thrown at them."

Daemon bites his lip and sighs. "I still don't understand why we can't help. Whatever 'Lord of Light' person is above us, he gave us these powers for a reason. We're supposed to use them for good."

"And I'm pretty sure taking down slave masters is for good," Dan points out, looking up at her.

Daenerys sighs and thinks about her words carefully. "I find it very noble that you two want to help," she begins. "And you're right – there is a reason why you were given these powers. But at this time, your father and I think it's best if you stay out of this. What is happening right now is something so last minute that none of us expected. We didn't think anything like this was going to happen anytime soon, but this conquest is beginning, and I don't want to put my children's lives at risk more than we already have."

She moves to kneel in front of them, seeing the disappointed looks on their faces.

"I know in your minds, you two are not children. And in a way, you aren't. In some families, now that Mae has her blood, they would marry her off in an instant. Some boys even go to war at this age. But we are not other families. If I can prevent you from being in as many fights as I can, I will, because I tried so hard to get this family that I have now…and I'm not inclined to use it. So while yes, you can harm people and protect others, I don't want my young children to do so – at least not yet. I mean, think about it. If I suddenly go an let you two fight, then Mae and Zaevar will – who both still need training from your father badly regarding swords – and then Nesara, and then once the people see the royal children fight, the other children will want to fight – do you see what I mean? It's a domino effect."

Dan sighs and lets her shoulders drop. "I understand…I was just serious about before…everything is changing so quickly and I wish it would slow down, but if it doesn't the least we can do is try and help."

Daenerys smiles softly at her daughter. "I know. And it's frightening. But that's how life is sometimes. You evolve with it. Not against it. This power your brother has…yes, it's something that I have never seen before, but I've always been one for moving forward, not relying on past ideals to guide us. If anything, there are probably more people who have this power that are just too afraid to come forward and tell us because of the stigma around it. I'm going to make sure that people like your brother have the chance to learn about what they are, the same way we have with your powers. And I will make sure this all happens while we defend our walls and take back our country."

Dan looks over at Daemon, who was quiet. "So…we aren't going back home then?"

Daenerys bites her lip. She hadn't told her children about their plan yet because it was still the same day. "I do plan to keep us here, yes. I think it will be easier to rule over the people of Valyria from their won ground than from a distance."

Daemon shrugs a little. "Makes sense."

"But Ari!" Dan exclaims. "And Ghost! They have to come here."

"Because your father and I are going back to Meereen for this invasion, we will make sure we bring back the direwolves. This is all last minute and very quick, but I believe it will run well as long as we all work together." She looks at the two of them and takes their hands. "I know that everything is moving quickly, but are you two in this with us? Will you act accordingly and listen to what we say?"

The twins share another look before both turn back to their mother. "As long as Ari can meet my dragon, I don't care what we do. I just want us to be safe," Dan says softly.

Daenerys nods. "And you will be." She looks over at Daemon. "And you, my son?"

Daemon sighs and was quiet for a moment, contemplating his words, before he looks back to her. "I'll go along with whatever you think is right. You're my mother and I trust you. I'm only worried about what will happen when you go off. I don't want my family to die. I know we have a lot of dragons but they've been killed before."

"I know. But hopefully, we'll have the element of surprise on our side this time." She leans in and kisses her children's foreheads, before hugging them tightly. "I love you both, very much. You know that. And one day, I'm sure you're going to be out there with us. But for now, you stay with your siblings, and stay safe."

When she pulls back, she could see tears in Dan's eyes. Daenerys' brow furrows.

"What is it?"

"Nothing…I don't want to lose you or father. You're the only parents I've ever known," she mutters.

"You won't lose us," Daenerys says fiercely. "I promise you. We are going to return to you. We will bring back Ari, and Ghost, and even hundreds of Meereen people with us. And when we arrive back here, we are going to arrive okay."

Dan nods, hugging her again. Daemon does as well, their arms wrapping around her like a present. Daenerys lets out a soft sigh and closes her eyes, relishing in the moment. Her family meant everything to her. At one time, power was the most important thing on her mind. The reclamation of the family she once had.

But now, she had the family she always wanted, and she didn't want to lose it. And there was no way she was going to allow that to happen.

---

When the children had finally pulled away from her, and she told them to go remain with their siblings until they left, Daenerys had found herself walking around the castle until she found the courtyard that Eleana was in. All six of the hatchlings were with her, some sleeping, some attempting to fly around her head, but most were too young to do so.

Either way, it was a sight Daenerys loved to behold.

Her mind was aflutter with possibilities of what could happen, but she forced herself to push that down deep within her mind so she could focus on something else. And maybe, with all the stress that was enveloping her head, that 'something else' was getting her hair done by her handmaiden.

"Eleana?" she calls out. The young woman turns her head and smiles at her. The dragons, all of which either wake up or let out a soft screech, waddle their way towards Daenerys, causing her to laugh. She picks up three of them while the other three walk around her legs. Lyanian and Aryeon were on her shoulders, both resting easily.

"I was surprised I took care of them for so long," Eleana admits as she walks over to the queen. "Did something happen this morning that I am not aware of?"

Daenerys feels herself let out the longest breath of her life. "There…has been many things that have happened. And I am sorry for not telling you until now."

Eleana smiles a bit and shrugs. "It's alright…I sort of assumed."

Daenerys' brow furrows. "How did you-"

"It's not hard to think that there's going to be some sort of invasion when every dragon you see fly over the castle has some sort of battle armor ready," she points out, causing Daenerys to sigh. "Come. You can tell me about it while I get you ready for whatever it is you are planning – because I know there is something happening."

Daenerys nods, following the girl calmly as the little dragons waddled their way along with them to her chambers. They walked all the way through the painted halls until they landed upon her door, and as soon as they head inside, all of the creatures fly onto the bed, nestled against one another.

She sat down in her spot with Eleana right behind her, and as he nimble fingers combed through the dragon queen's hair, she started to explain everything that had happened. The letter she had received from the slave cities, the plan Jon and the others were going to do to ensure the innocents were not hurt, her fears the went through her. It was like everything she needed to get out, all put into one little spot.

By the time she had gotten out every last stress she had, Eleana had finished multiple braids on her head, four of which that extended all the way down to the middle of her parting. "This sounds like your first real battle as king and queen," Eleana says softly.

Daenerys sighs. "It is. And that's what's stressing me. I knew that this would happen – Jon and I had planned to take back the cities and rebuild Valyria into a better version of what it once was – but I just didn't expect it to be so soon. Even Dan had a minor incident today…I think the pace we've been moving has been overwhelming for the children as well."

"As it would be for anyone who was going through what your family has," Eleana points out. "But I think you're going to be alright. And so will the innocents there."

"How do you know?" Daenerys asks her, her shoulders falling. "The last time I participated in something like this, I killed everything in sight."

"Because a) that wasn't you, and b) I have seen you become a better leader than you were before. Over these years, you've become a force to be reckoned with. You didn't stand for anyone's qualms because you wanted change. And that's what you brought to Meereen. And I know that you will bring it to Valyria."

She moves her hands to rest on Daenerys' shoulders, smiling a bit.

"You saved a girl that I didn't even think could be saved – me. And multiple other girls from living a life serving men who were far less deserving of them. You are a good person, my queen. I know that you are nervous as to what is going to happen now that the walls are down and you're beginning your conquest, but I believe it is going to be one for the storybooks."

Daenerys smiles softly at her friend. "Thank you, Eleana…I think I needed to hear that." Eleana nods and takes a step back, wanting to finish her hair. Daenerys still sighs and looks outside. "It's strange…I believe I'm much more nervous for Jon and my family than anyone else."

"Well, the children I can understand," Eleana says quietly. "But Lord Jon? He's a warrior. A protector. I don't think he'll get taken out easily."

"He's been killed twice, Eleana."

"Yes, once by people who betrayed him, and once because he didn't finish the job of killing someone. I don't know if you've noticed, my queen, but Jon never keeps any suspicious characters around the castle here. At least from what I have seen." She nods towards where the dead bodies of the king and queen were, probably floating out to sea. "And I'm pretty sure he kills his enemies now instead of sparing them."

"But he has a good heart," Daenerys says, biting her lip. "I feel that he's going to end up trusting the wrong person again. Or that I will. Jon and I have both done some bad things in the past but what matters is that we give people chances…a choice to prove themselves…even with the loyalists here, we gave them a chance. And while I don't believe those are the ones who are going to stab us in the back, I'm frightened that we're going to give that same chance to someone who is undeserving of it."

Eleana nods gently from where she stood, listening to her queen's problems. When her hair was done, and walks over and grabs a dress for Daenerys, but it was something she hadn't been expecting at all. It was like one of her normal dresses, except next to it was a pile of armor that seemed to be able to fit over it.

At her questioning glance, Eleana shrugs. "I told you, I had a good intuition something was going on a couple of days ago. I had the blacksmith make these special. As well as some for Jon for you to bring to him."

Daenerys smiles and hugs the girl tightly. "You're always one step ahead of me, Eleana."

Eleana chuckles as Daenerys pushes to pull on the red and black dress the young woman had made for her, and once it was over her body, Eleana does the strings and smiles at the proud expression Daenerys had on her at wearing her house colors again. "You look beautiful, my queen." She looks over at her and takes her head. "And in regards to your fears…I think you and Jon will be fine. You two have both been through so much that picking who to trust should come easily at this point. You know when someone is working behind your back, so with that knowledge in mind, you can push forward with reforms on the people who deserve it, while focusing on the ones who make you feel…a little suspicious. You also have Arya, who's a little spy in of herself. I truly think you are going to be alright. I've always trusted you…and I think no matter what, it is going to work out."

The dragon queen hugs her friend tightly again, closing her eyes. No matter what, her nerves were going to remain, but she at least knew that one of her closest members of her little, Meereen family supported her in what they were doing.

"Thank you, Eleana." She pulls back and grabs the armor, placing it into a bag for it to be given to Jon when they arrived. "You know, you and Arya seem to be good friends."

"She is a great person," Eleana states with a smile as they walked away from the queen's chamber, heading back towards the fields outside where many of the men would be getting ready to fly soon. "She didn't have to train me in sword work, but I believe I feel at least a little more prepared in case something were to happen." Daenerys looks over at the girl and sees a red blush spread across her cheeks. "And I also helped her…experiment a bit."

Daenerys raises an eyebrow. "Experiment? How?"

Eleana chuckles a bit and looks over at her. "Do you remember that one night where we had the conversation about Arya's love-life?" Daenerys' brow raises in complete surprise and shock and Eleana laughs. "That kind of experimenting."

"Good gods," Daenerys whispers, glancing at the ground. "Do…do you have…feeling's for her?"

"No," Eleana states, shaking her head. "It happened because she wanted to try it out, and I've been experienced in that from my time at the whore house. She just wanted to see if it was for her and I offered to help her." She shrugs a bit as they walked. "She decided it wasn't her, personally, but it was nice to help her out and see what she liked. It's always about trying new things and new people."

Daenerys nods, still surprised by the new information. "I never thought of her that way even though I mentioned it to her."

"Don't let her know I told you," Eleana states, chuckling a bit. "I never meant to let that secret go but I thought because I'm your handmaiden, it's different. And of course, when she went back to Gendry I knew she was more into men. It didn't harm my feelings."

Daenerys nods once more and looks back over to her. "Are…you interested in women, Eleana?"

The girl was silent and she stops a little, biting her lip. "I don't…know." She looks over at her. "I've been told to know how both kinds of bodies work from what I experienced when I was a young girl. But I like making both feel…pleasurable, I suppose. I haven't done it in a long time because I've been serving you which I enjoy, but if I had to pick one…I'd say women suit me more. I like both but most men have just been…awful. Especially in whore houses. At least women understand thoughts and feelings…it takes a nobleman to know those things."

The young girl looks over at Daenerys, chuckling a bit.

"Which I'm sure you've met at this point."

Daenerys chuckles but nods. She was indeed guilty of having that. "I do…but know that no matter what you do intend to choose or be with, I'll still want you around me. I've heard of people who have killed their own kin for liking someone of the same parts. Quite horrid."

"You don't find that strange at all?" Eleana asks her.

"Honestly, I don't care where someone sticks their cock in whomever, or who's tongue goes where – I care about the content of someone. If they are a genuinely good person. I really don't think anything else would distract me from that."

Eleana smiles a bit and squeezes her shoulder. "That's good. I'm happy you think that way." At that moment, they begin to arrive near the outer edge. Eleana sighs. "I suppose I should 'wish you off to war' now as a good handmaiden does."

Daenerys bites her lip and turns to her, tilting her head. "Would you like to come?"

Eleana's brow raises. "Are…are you sure?"

"You know how to fight if need be, but honestly I could use someone to help me with the Meereen people. Kinvara is great and all, but she is out there helping Jon and it's hard for me to properly understand them without someone who knows the language – which you do after living there. I can assure you that you would be safe."

"Oh, it's not safety that concerned me," she states, chuckling a little. "I'm just…surprised you want me there."

Dany reaches forward and grabs the girl's hand. "Eleana…the last time I left a handmaiden in the care of someone else, her head was chopped off of her body. I refuse to lose another close friend of mine because I'm putting trust in others. You will stay by my side because I am not going to lose you too."

She sees tears appear at the edge of Eleana's eyes, but Daenerys quickly shakes her head, squeezing the girl's hand and smiling.

"No crying, because then if you cry I will, and that's not what we need right now. But, what I can ask of you is to fetch my children one more time so I can say goodbye and that we will return…and then from there, we will fly."

Eleana bows her head, stepping away, but this time with a noticeably larger smile spreading across her lips. "Yes, my queen."

---

When the children were brought out this time, Daenerys could feel tears threatening to fall out of her own eyes, but she held them back to remain strong for them. She hugged Zaevar and Mae tightly, feeling them let out all of their emotions into her arms, and then, little Nesara rushes up to her and practically knocks her over.

"Don't go!" she cries into Daenerys' neck, causing the woman to sigh in distress. She didn't want to leave them behind, but she had no choice. There was no way she was bringing her children into war. "Papa already left – I don't want to lose my mama, too!"

Gods, why don't they just rip out her heart already?

Daenerys pulls back and looks at her, resting a soft hand against the little girl's tiny cheek. "You listen to me – all three of you," she starts, looking to Mae and Zaevar as well, who were both trying to keep calm faces for the little girl. "I'm going to come back. Jon will be back. All of us will be back. And we're going to be safe, and sound. And when we do come back, I promise we will give you those flying lessons, and train you how to feed your dragons, and everything else. This is going to be nothing but a dream."

"But-" Nesara sniffles, swallows, and then speaks again. "But if you aren't here…the people are going to hurt us for what our old mama and papa did."

Daenerys' brow furrows as she turns to Mae for some sort of explanation, and the older girl sighs. "Nesara seems to think that because we have the Galeron name, people are going to hurt us because of that. She's scared that if you aren't here to protect us, no one will."

"Well, I can assure you that's not true," Daenerys says, turning back to the little girl. "The people in this castle love you. The city loves you. And if for some ungodly reason someone did try to harm you, there are hundreds of guards in that castle who would get to them first. And if somehow, anyone came towards you with hate in their eyes, you tell them 'I'm not my family. I'm a Targaryen, if not by blood, then by love.' Because you are a Targaryen. All of you."

She turns to Mae and Zaevar and sees that their walls had broken, and both had tears coming down their cheeks.

"You may not be my children from my womb, but you are my children despite that. I would never let harm come to anyone of you. I love you with all of my heart and wouldn't want it any other way. You are going to be safe, and nothing will happen. And we will return." She reaches out and hugs Zaevar and Mae as well as Nesara, pulling them in for one big hug.

After a moment, Mae grabs her little sister and pulls her back, letting Dan and Daemon come forward. Daenerys hugs the twins tightly, letting out a deep sigh as she watched Eleana from the back climb onto the back of one of the dragonriders. When Dan pulls away, her brow furrows as she looks over to where her handmaiden was.

"She's going to?" Dan asks, confusion lacing her voice.

"Eleana will be able to speak to the Meereen people. I can only understand a little bit of what they say. I have to make sure that they are okay." She sees the look in Dan's eyes and sighs. "I told you - you and your brother, along with your siblings, will join me one day in battle, alongside your father. But for now, you must stay here and protect your siblings."

Dan sighs but nods. "It's alright…I already apologized to Nesara for snapping before so that's good," she points out. "I guess now we just…stay down and try to avoid being seen?"

"Exactly," Daenerys responds, before leaning in closer. "And no using your powers unless you absolutely need to. That includes your blood magic, Daemon. We don't want to draw more attention to this area more than we have to with what we are doing right now. Only if it is an emergency. You can practice on your own, but no sparring with Zaevar or the other fire mages, and no practicing with blood with Nesy."

"Alright," both of them begrudgingly agree, but nod.

They come forward and hug her again tightly. "I love you," Dan mutters into her neck.

"Me too," Daemon states from his side, pulling back.

"I love you both as well." She presses her lips against their forehead and stands. "Stay protected and stay hidden. We will be back soon enough – maybe with even more people with us."

The two children nod before stepping back to where the other three stood, staying close to their sides. Daenerys forces herself to turn her head and let out a soft sigh, walking over to where Drogon laid, waiting for her.

If she didn't turn away from her family, she would never do so. She had to put away the feelings of love within her and replace them with power, with an urge to take back what was theirs. And walking over to Rhaemon, her first-commander, she could feel it beginning to take hold.

"Rhaemon," she starts as she begins to climb up Drogon's side. "Do you know the path that we've mapped out?"

"Yes, my queen," he states. "I've looked it over and it seems we'll be avoiding the water altogether. We should pass over the city at one point and your Dothraki army off the coast, but sooner or later if we follow the path, we will be where Jon had said he would bring them."

"Good." She turns her eyes back to where her dragonriders were resting, and for the first time that day, felt a genuine smile spread across her lips.

All dragons, of all different sizes and shapes, ready to fly, with their riders of famous Valyrian houses on the back. They had their weapons, they had their fire, they had everything that they could need. And here they were, ready to fight. For her and for Jon. It was a moment she never thought she could ever witness.

But looking at all of them, she realized with a start that she could get used to this view.

"Ñuha zaldrīzes kipagīros's!" she begins, her voice echoing off the air around them. "Are you ready to take flight and take back Meereen for the kingdom of Valyria?!" There was a solid shout that came from her question, a raise of swords and chants of expletives and screams. And it was then that she could feel the familiar sense of war begin to take over. "Then let us stand!"

She turns to Drogon and holds onto his scales tightly, inhaling once, twice, thrice, before she could feel prepared to say the word that would push them into a new world.

And gently, she leans down into Drogon's ear, whispering to her child, "Sōvegon."

He takes off first, followed by Rhaemon's dragon, followed by everyone else, flying behind her as close as they could, and as high as they could go. Daenerys turns her head to get one last look at her children, all of which were waving to her and shouting one last 'I love you!' before they disappeared from sight.

When her heart began to speed up again at the idea of her family being alone, she pushes that back down and turns around, looking at all the dragons, even spotting Eleana nearby, her face as wide as it could go with a large smile that could light up hundreds of castles. They were a dragon army, and they were coming for Meereen, whether they were expecting something or not.

And this…this was only the beginning. While her fears could stay, there was no denying of the future that was right in front of them, almost in reach.

And it was up to them to grab it.

---

Night came quickly, and when Daenerys could finally see the edges of the city that she had claimed to be her home for some time now, she remembered how fast dragons usually were.

They had avoided flying above the water, but from where she flew from their point, lowering their guard, no ships had arrived yet, which means the cities were still in accordance with their plans. They didn't arrive a day early. They had made the right move getting here at this point.

But, even if the ships were not there, and it seemed to the city was completely silent, something did stop Daenerys in her flight path. A body that laid on a street.

"Keligon," she commands Rhaemon, who signals from his dragon to stop their flights. All of the dragons begin to hover as her commander turns back to her. "There is a body in the street. May we see if there is something wrong before we continue?"

"Not for long, my queen. We have a schedule. We need to make sure if there are any spies, they do not see us."

Daenerys nods. "Of course."

The two of them soar down to where the boy was, leaving the rest of the dragonriders up in the sky to wait for them. They descend to a point where their dragons allow them to step off and onto the stone streets of Meereen, and as Daenerys walked closer to the boy, only then did she see who the boy was aligned with.

The sigil of Astapor sat upon the dead man's robes.

She feels herself pull away as she moves her eyes down the street, looking at several other bodies that laid slain at their feet. Rhaemon grabs her arm gently and pushes her back towards the dragon, his eyes jumping from area to area around them.

"This isn't safe, my queen," he says to her softly. "There has to be a reason for this. I'm sure Jon is going to know why. Do not fret. If you can see, the city is abandoned, which means he got the people out."

"I…I know," Daenerys mutters as she forces herself to turn around, trying not to look at the dead bodies on the ground. "But I can't help but wonder…what could have lead to that?"

"We'll find out soon, but for now we need to remain on track." He walks over to his own dragon and climbs on. Daenerys spares one last glance at the dead bodies in the streets, before forcing herself to turn her head and climb back onto Drogon, taking back off into the sky to lead her people to her camp.

But what had happened down below…the smell of the fresh blood on the ground, and the lingering scent of despair in the air, she needed to know what had happened. And she needed to know soon.

---

They fly for a little bit more until Daenerys starts to see the familiar flow of the Dothraki horde, the glow of the horizon of their large, nomad family calling out to her. As they flew over the crowds, she could hear some of them shouting up at her, saying their praises and sharing their love, and she could feel a soft smile start to spread across her lips.

These were her people. And they loved her.

But as she got closer to the edge of the Dothraki, she could feel herself start to slip slightly. There, near the end, were the people of Meereen, a large sea of citizens who were all close together, huddled into tents that the Dothraki had shared with then. Some seemed to be shivering in fear, clearly confused at the change of events, while others were gathered with their family, looking up at Daenerys as she flew past them, some even chanting "Myhsa!" as she does so.

From what she witnesses from her spot above, none of the citizens seemed to have any serious bloodshed, which was important. But there was still one person on her mind that she hadn't spotted yet: Jon.

They fly for a little bit more until she spots Jonarys in the distance, resting his head against the edge of a cliff. She signals to the other dragonriders to begin to descend around the area so they could build their tents and areas for the night, while Rhaemon stayed by her side. Once their dragons hit the ground, Jonarys lifts up his head and greets Daenerys.

"Hello, my boy," she whispers with a soft smile, coming off of Drogon's back. She looks over to see Rhaemon helping Eleana off of the dragon she had ridden, and then once she was safely on the ground next to them, they walk over. As they do, Daenerys got a good look around them, trying to analyze the people of Meereen.

Some looked a bit frightened, but none seemed to be terrified. Many were trying to reach out to her and she does so as they want, holding out her hands to hear their cries. She could sense Eleana next to her, looking at the people who were chanting her name, trying to listen for full sentences.

"They love you," Eleana whispers to her gently, causing Daenerys to smile. "They don't blame you for what happened…they want to be safe…they want to go home…so many voices, all at once."

"But what did happen?" she asks Eleana sharply, looking up at her. "Are any of them saying so?"

"No," she hears a voice whisper from behind them, causing Daenerys to look over in confusion. There stood Kinvara, with fresh blood on her hands. "They are not speaking about it. But I was there, and I can explain as to what happened."

Daenerys brow furrows as she steps away from her people, making sure to give them a soft smile before turning her gaze back to Kinvara. "What's with the blood? And where are the others?"

"The others are at the front of the military camp," Kinvara starts as they begin to walk away. Rhaemon comes over to their side, listening intently while the rest of the dragonriders set up their tents. "When we first arrived, it was hard to get the Meereen people to listen at first, but as soon as I translated what Jon was saying, they began to follow us out one by one. The people had also come to know Arya since she had been with the guards – and of course, having dragons beside them sort of encouraged them to move along quite quickly."

"Did they process through the Dothraki well?" Daenerys asks.

"Yes…and no. The Dothraki were understandably confused at how these people were suddenly appearing out of nowhere in their camp, but I explained to them that it was an order by their Khaleesi. While they were questioning why you were not there, I continued to advance with them. Again, it's quite hard not to convince someone when a dragon is at your back."

Daenerys chuckles a bit. That was very true. "I could see them as we flew, but I'm more confused about the bodies in the street."

"That…came once we were about halfway done moving people. The Astapori and Yunkish sent in spies."

Daenerys' eyes widen and she turns to Rhaemon, who only nods to confirm his suspicions. "I had a feeling," he says. "From what Queen Daenerys has told me, these cities have wanted her to die for years in Meereen. To normal people, as long as they change what they are wearing, their citizens could easily blend into the ones of Meereen as well. It was the perfect chance for them to spy on us."

"Did…did they give out any information?"

"We raided the homes that we found them in afterward," Kinvara explains. "There was nothing important. I don't think any of them realized you had been gone for so long. You have to remember that when you left, there weren't many qualms or issues happening within the walls of Meereen. And when someone did need advice, the guards and Arya were here to try and help them in your stance. They probably only sent word about your home or the people who served you. It's very hard to reach the inside of the pyramid if you don't have a valid reason, much less get information about it."

Daenerys nods, digesting all of the information. "And Jon…where is he?"

"The king…is healing."

Daenerys stops short and stares at her. "Healing? What do you mean, healing?"

"When the spies realized that Jon and the others had come to guide the Meereen people to safety instead of letting them stay there for the sneak attack of the other cities, they began to try and kill us. One of them snuck up on Jon and stabbed him from behind, but he was able to get the upper hand and cut off their head. Most of the bodies you saw in the street were the work of Jon and Taevar…a couple from Gendry, but he was more focused on getting the people out safely while Jon and Taevar took care of the betrayers."

"Seven hells is he alright?!" Daenerys asks, before looking around them. "Where is the strategy tent? His tent? Anywhere – take me to him. Is that the blood on your hands? I-"

"Calm down, my queen," Kinvara says gently to her as they walk. "He is alright. He's awake. It was just a wound, nothing more. It wasn't deadly."

Daenerys could feel her chest heaving, trying to calm her ever-beating heart. She didn't mean to lose her composure in front of her handmaiden and her first-commander, but at the same time, a part of her had been terrified that something like this would happen. Still, she needed to remain calm. So, she straightens herself up and looks to the red priestess. "Even so. Take me to them. We must rest before the battle tomorrow."

"As you wish."

---

When she enters the war tent with Rhaemon, Eleana, and Kinvara at her sides, her eyes travel from spot to spot.

There, in one corner, was Gendry and Arya. The young woman was attending to a wound that was on the man's side, and she could see a soft little cringe appear on his lips each time Arya stitched up his skin, but there was nothing else wrong besides that. She looks up at her and smiles a bit, letting out a relieved sigh.

"Daenerys," she breathes. "Have you missed a lot."

"I can tell," Daenerys chuckles, coming over to their sides as the other three come to the map, looking it over. "Gendry, are you alright? What happened?"

"Nothing that can't be fixed," he admits softly, looking over at Arya. "This woman's been all over the world with so many wounds that this means nothing. I was only trying to get people out when some spies attacked us. Nothing more or less."

"Still, I'm sure it hurts. But I want to thank you for staying true to your duties and not leaving their side. Some men might have run at the first opportunity if something like this would happen."

Gendry shakes his head. "No. I've never been that man unless I was forced to leave. I'll always stay by the side of the people I care about – besides, I owe everything I have now to you. I wouldn't just abandon it – especially after that bloody dragon ride."

Daenerys laughs. "Right, the dragons. How was that?"

"Amazing!" Arya exclaims.

"Fucking terrifying," Gendry mutters.

The two different personalities cause the dragon queen to snicker. "Afraid of heights, are we?" she asks Gendry.

"Heights? No, I'm afraid of falling off a bloody dragon nearly a thousand feet in the air! That's what I'm afraid of," he scoffs.

"But it was exhilarating!"

"If you have a death wish!"

"Alright, alright," Daenerys chuckles a bit, looking between the two. "I see your point. Where is Taevar?"

"Over here, my queen," she hears a groan, causing her to turn her head. He had been so quiet that she hadn't even noticed her hand, resting in the corner with what looked like a cold cloth wrapped around his middle. She rushes over to his side and removes it, feeling herself gasp gently. There was still blood coming out – not much, but enough where it was worrying.

Her eyes instantly turn to his and he shakes his head, trying to calm her worries.

"Don't worry, my queen," he reassures her gently. "I've been hit much worse than this. Kinvara's been helping me with the pain."

Daenerys looks over to the red priestess, who nods. "That was the reason I had blood on my hands."

"Ah," Daenerys murmurs before looking back at him. "These spies – are all of them dead?"

"As far as we know, yes," Taevar confirms. "Once Jon and we collectively moved everyone out of the city as quickly as we could, I had Jon do one fly over to make sure there weren't any remaining. And if there are, for some reason, I'm sure they'd be a little less hesitant to come out now."

Daenerys nods, moving the cloth back to his wound. "Is he alright?"

"He is. He's in his quarters – well, yours, really. Go and join him."

Daenerys steps back and nods, letting out a deep breath as she looks over at the curtains that separated where he was from the rest of the group. She quietly walks over and parts the way, glancing inside. Jon was resting against the ground, his eyes closed as if he was trying to sleep a little. Because they had only come on their dragons, cots weren't readily available for them to rest on. But it seemed he had made himself comfortable on the ground with some furs and a pillow he seemed to have gotten from the Dothraki.

She gently walks over to him and looks to his side. There was a bloodstain on his shirt from where he had been stabbed, but it didn't seem like he was in much pain, and there was no more liquid protruding from his body. Although as she came closer, she could smell the familiar scent of iron, wafting into her nose. He had been hurt but seemed alright now.

Daenerys gently kneels down and rests a hand on his cheek gently, stroking the soft stubble of his beard. Within seconds, his eyes slowly open and his brow furrows before he realizes that it was her, right in front of him.

"Dany," he whispers before pulling her into him tightly. She smiles against his neck and wraps her arms around him, being careful to main the wound on his body. His grip was tight, his embrace warm, showing that despite the wound that sat on his skin, he was still very much strong.

After a moment, he pulls back and presses his lips against hers, letting out a deep sigh when he pulls back, a soft smile comes over his lips. "I heard what happened," she says softly to him. "We're going to need to increase the security of the city after this…I'm sorry for what happened to you and Taevar."

Jon shakes his head. "It's what we have to do to protect the people we care about…I probably saved multiple lives from those spies. I'm almost positive that if they had succeeded in killing us they would have harmed the rest of the Meereen people that were in there."

"Then I'm proud of you," she murmurs, her hand still on his cheek. "Even when your lives were threatened, you still managed to get these people out. That's the sign of a true leader." She pulls back and gently lifts up the edges of his shirt now that it seemed the rest of his tunic and other clothes were off so he could rest, getting a look at the wound. "That's not awful…could have been worse."

"Look at you, miss wound-expert," he murmurs.

Daenerys snorts before turning back to him. "I'm not an expert by any means, but I have seen my fair number of wounds recently." She sighs and glances at the ground. "No one said war was pretty. And that's what we're starting. A full-on war."

"And we're going to win it no matter what," Jon states as she moves closer to him on the furs, starting to dress his wound in some clothes from her bag. "I made a promise to you that nothing was going to separate our family. And that includes these bastards."

"I know, Jon. I know." She looks up at him and smiles a bit. "I'm just worried about a lot of things. That's just how I've become ever since I've had children. Ever since I've found something worth keeping. But I'm going to get over it in time." She brings a wet clothe up to his face and bathes the scratches and cuts he had on his cheeks. "And tomorrow…we're going to take back those cities."

"Indeed, we are," he murmurs, looking at her. "How were the children when we left? Both dragons and real ones."

Daenerys laughs a little, but couldn't help but feel her heart swell at the mention of him calling the dragons their children. "Good. Sad, but good. The dragons all went to sleep very soon before we left. When they're young, they tend to rest more than do anything else because it helps them grow strong. The real children…it was a mix of emotions." She bites her lip and looks back at him. "The Galeron's almost thought that because we weren't there, someone was going to hurt them due to their past."

"That's awful," Jon whispers.

"I know. I had to reassure them that we loved them and that nothing was going to happen to them. It was heartbreaking to see the fear on little Nesy's face. Gods." She looks back at him and takes his hand in hers. "Dan and Daemon still wanted to come but I kept my ground…I'm not going to involve our children into a war if we don't have to. That's what happened with so many in Westeros and I refuse to let that happen again."

"I get it," Jon says softly. "I don't want them suddenly shooting fireballs either."

Daenerys chuckles a little. "Or Nesara using her blood magic on some animals or however. Or even Daemon using it. I don't even know if he's gained full control of his regular healing again. I believe it's going to be a long time and a good amount of training before I feel comfortable letting them fight. Although their sword work has been good – and Mae's been training like mad. I'm pretty sure she's even starting to teach Nesara the little moves she's been learning."

She sees a smile spread across Jon's face, but before she could ask what it was for, he speaks. "And when Nesara has a little brother or sister, she'll teach those moves to them, too. A pass down for the family."

Daenerys feels herself smile and a small blush spread across her cheeks, but a soft sigh of sadness escapes her a moment later. "Jon…"

"I know, thinking about children is the last thing that should be on our minds right now with what we're going to do tomorrow. But you can't lose faith in that either. I know it's going to happen. I can feel it." He leans in and kisses her softly, feeling him nudge her nose lovingly with his own. "And there will be many more after that."

"Good gods, how many do you think I can push out?" she laughs.

"As many as you can," he chuckles, causing her to shake her head and kiss him again, her arms wrapping around his neck once more. He pulls her close to him, their bodies joining together like a familiar dance that they knew from their years together. But as her fingers started to run through his curls, a familiar cough cleared the room, and the two of them pulled back suddenly.

There stood Arya with her arms crossed, with Rhaemon behind her.

"I'd hate to interrupt this little love-fest, but we have some planning to do. You two can fuck each other when we're all gone later," Arya states.

"Arya!" Jon chastises, his face turning red.

"We all know you will," Eleana points out from the opposite end of the curtain, causing Daenerys to blush this time.

Rhaemon rolls his eyes as the two of them separate, quickly standing to come over to them. "It's been an emotional couple of hours but we do need to plan what we are going to do tomorrow. Are you two ready?"

After composing themselves, Daenerys nods, looking over to them. "Let's all gather." She walks forward and gestures outside. "I would also like to use my Dothraki if need be. I have a feeling they have been hankering for a fight for a long time now."

Rhaemon smiles a bit. "You read my mind, my queen."

---

It was quite late when they finished their plans for the morning. Gendry and Arya retired to another tent, while Eleana went to stay with Kinvara, and Rhaemon and Taevar went to their own. A good night's rest – or the best that they could get while on the ground – was needed for all of them.

Daenerys had lit candles in the war tent for them to use while they were still awake, while Jon would try and make the furs as comfortable as possible. When she did come over to him at one point, however, as soon as he was beginning to get back into more comfortable clothing to sleep in, she stops him.

"I have something for you."

His brow furrows as he peaks behind her, trying to see what she had, but instead, she moves it away, preventing his sight. "I thought surprises were being held back for the duration of his fight?"

She chuckles a little. "I didn't get this for you originally because I didn't think we would be fighting so soon, but Eleana was one step ahead of me. I don't know how she does it." She holds out the bag to him and watches with a smile as he takes it gingerly from her, looking into the sack curiously. Within moments, he feels his brow raise and then looks at her in shock.

"Is….is this...?"

"Yes. Your own armor with our house sigil on it." Jon stares at it before looking at her with wide eyes, almost like asking for permission. To which, she laughs and nods. "Go ahead, try it on."

He quickly takes out each piece, placing them onto the ground to get a good look. She watches with a smile as he picks up individual pieces, staring at them in awe like a child opening up a present before he starts to put it on him in a slower process.

She sits against the furs and watches, biting her lip once everything was on. The pattern was scaled, black with red etchings, and the Targaryen sigil sat proudly on top of it all. He sighs as he looks down at it, shaking his head.

"I wish I had a mirror to look in," he chuckles quietly.

"You don't need one." She stands up and approaches him, resting her hands against the outer edges, her fingers moving up and down. "You look amazing, my love…it just makes sense on you." She looks up and tilts her head. "Wait a moment." Her fingers move up to where his hair was still in a bun from battling, before she yanks out the tie and throws it away, causing him to snort. "There. Better."

"I'm going to need that for battling, you know."

"Yes, I do, but I'll enjoy it down for now." She runs her fingers through his dark curls before leaning up and joining their lips together in a passionate kiss, letting out a deep sigh of contentment. When he pulls away a moment later, he looks over in the sack and tilts his head.

"There's…something else in there," he murmurs.

"Oh, it's mine." His brow raises as he turns to look at her, and she chuckles at his shocked expression. "Well, you can't expect me not to have armor."

"I…I know that you would eventually, but I didn't think it would be at the same time as me." He walks over and pulls out the armored dress, looking over at her with a smile. "Try it on!" he says giddily, almost like a child. It made her smile spread more.

"Jon, I barely know how to put it on."

"I'll help you." Before she could even protest, his fingers started to work at her clothing, moving it to places where it could sit while he put the armor over her. While a part of her was almost too tired from the emotional day, she wanted to entertain his ideas and thoughts, at least for the time being while they still could before the sun rose the next morning.

It doesn't take long for him to get it on her, and when he does, he stops and stares. It was almost exactly the same as his except in a more feminine form, suitable to fit her frame, but then it had the same colors and positions of sigils on it. When he didn't say anything, she quietly crossed her arms against her chest. "Is it that bad?"

"No," he instantly states, coming forward to her. "It's exactly the opposite. You look amazing, Dany." He leans in and kisses her again, one that was quick but emotional as well. When he pulls back he looks back at the armor and then back at her. "I can't believe I'm seeing you as this…you've changed so much."

"What do you mean?" she chuckles a little.

"I mean, just…look at you," he whispers, taking a step back. "When I first met you, I knew you were a fighter, but you had never really stepped onto a battlefield. You had your dragons and that was perfectly alright, but I knew deep down that there was no way you'd be able to keep yourself safe unless you were properly trained. I haven't ever seen you in armor like this, and now, with Dark Sister at your side and with this on you…it's almost like a whole different Daenerys has stepped forward."

His words cause her heart to surge, and she steps forward, embracing him. "Well, that wouldn't have been possible if not for you. You trained me well, Jon."

"Are you going to fight tomorrow?" he asks her gently.

"I…don't know for sure yet," she admits. "It depends if I feel threatened while we are confronting them. We have more than enough dragonriders where Drogon could easily rest, but it will all come down to the choices the others make. I do think to fight on the ground would send a good message though - that I'm not afraid."

Jon nods before he brings her hands up to her face. "You are so beautiful. You know that?" He kisses her again, causing her to smile. "And kind." Another kiss. "An amazing mother." One more kiss. "And a fucking badass, honestly."

She laughs at his words but takes them in all the same. "Thank you…I think after today I needed to hear that. I've been questioning everything."

"Well, believe it. Because you are. And there is no one else on this world that I would rather be with." He kisses her again, this time igniting a flame deep within her very quickly, but as soon as it was lit, it died when she remembered where they were, and what they had to do. She pulls back after a moment, much to his confusion, but she explains gently.

"I think we should wait until tomorrow…I have so much anxiety about what's going to happen. I think we just need to rest and get our energy ready because we're going to need it…and then you can, what was it? 'Make sweet love to me?' After the battle, then."

She sees his cheeks light up red at his own comments but he nods. "Alright, we can do that. Can I still hold you?"

"Is that even a question?" she chuckles. He smiles as he starts to remove her armor, and his own, and once they were back into their small clothes, he pulls her into his arms and down to the fur beneath them, pulling her close to stay warm in the cold night. She snuggles her head deep against his chest, breathing in his scent, enjoying his embrace.

If she could, she would stay here for a thousand years.

"I love you," she whispers to him. "And we got this, right?"

"Of course we do." He kisses her forehead, her body melting against his own, relaxation coming easily for the first time that day.

---

Light broke the dawn. And the ships came in quickly.

When the soldiers of all five cities marched off of their boats to take Meereen, they stayed in direct formation, not moving from their master's commands, only placing their feet in front of the other when their commanders said to.

But as the five slave masters from each city came forward to the front, leading their men forward, they felt a strange chill in the air the more they moved into the land of the enemy. The closer they walked to the pyramid, the deeper it became.

There were no sounds when they would break down the doors, no shout of terrors or screams echoing throughout the streets. Just eerie silence, as if every single person who had lived in Meeren up and left. They looked at each other, confused, befuddled, wondering what on earth happened to the city.

But as the slave masters walked further, just as concerned about their mission as the next man in that room, the Astapori master laid his eyes upon a dead man that bared his symbol, his flesh already rotting, his eyes in the back of his head, dried blood on his lips. Rage went through him like a hurricane, and he turned to the others.

"Check your spies!" he yells angrily. "They know about us!"

The five masters as well as their soldiers filter throughout the city to find the dead spies, all with different stab wounds or slit necks that ended their miserable lives. They would curse and rag, and scream and shout, and sooner or later, the five masters came together, seething with untouched anger.

"Fill the city!" the man from Mantarys said, his eyes a deep shade of red. "If you see any Meereen person, kill them instantly! We're going to go speak with this dragon cunt."

The soldiers fill out their orders, as many as possible filling into the streets of Meereen as the five masters made their way towards the Great Pyramid, only the sound of their fighters marching reaching their ears, as well as their won footsteps. They would look around constantly, trying to see if there was someone there watching them but found nothing but emptiness.

As they walked through the gates, even the guards seemed to have disappeared, but finally, after their searching, they saw four figures standing at the top of the stairs that lead into the pyramid. An older man, a red priestess, a man with a large hammer, and the dragon queen herself.

"You treacherous cunt!" the Astapori slave master calls out, his eyes filled with rage. "You knew about our attack? How?!"

Daenerys tilts her head from where she stood before stepping into the light better. From there, you could see the glint in her armor, the shine it brought down on her, while her hand gripped Dark Sister, ready to swing if need be. "You should know by now that I have spies everywhere. Just as you did, apparently."

The man from Tolos snorts. "It doesn't matter – those people were disposable anyway!" Her lip twitches in anger at his distaste. "We're here now. You and your men are completely surrounded. It seems your whole city has disappeared – even your guards! What is a measly woman and a couple of her close friends going to do when we command our soldiers to come up here and strike you down?!"

Daenerys smirks before descending down the steps. "Easy. I just say this." Her eyes quickly snap to the shadows of the courtyard. "Gūrogon zirȳ."

Suddenly, five men come from the shadows and subdue the five masters, grabbing their arms and pinning them behind their backs, bringing them to the ground. They curse and yell but could not escape, as the holders were stronger, and had a better grip. Daenerys walks down the steps more and right up to them, now that they were properly on the ground.

"You're a madwoman!" the slave master from Elyria screams at her.

"I'm not mad – I'm someone who is trying to keep order in this world," she states, her smirk shifting into a frown on her face. "I know that many of you are stuck in the old ways of which the world worked, but in order for us to move on, we need to come together, to build a better one. I've been in Meereen for a long time now and have rebuilt it from the ground up. Do you hear the citizens? They don't call me 'mhysa' because of some spell, or whatever it is that you say I have done. It is because I freed them to be normal people. To have lives and families, jobs, and homes. Something that you never gave your people. And what I have built it to is greatness that has never been achieved."

"Your 'greatness' is blasphemous to our tradition!" Tolos man says.

"Your tradition?" she asks incredulously. "You mean your tradition of harming your slaves? Of killing babies in their cribs to train your soldiers? Of selling mere children into a life of work, and to never have a normal family? How about when I first came to Meereen and saw a child mark each mile on a post to my way here?! That is not a tradition. That is torture."

"So what if it is?!" Mantarys man shouts indigently. "We have a lifestyle here, one that you are not supposed to be a part of. You have no right to come in here and take what is ours?"

"People are not property," Daenerys says angrily. "I am not trying to take your people as my own slaves. I am trying to give them a life that you could never give them. When I left for Westeros years ago, I made a mistake leaving the cities in charge of people that didn't know how to properly rule. But now, I am back. And I have the proper help I need. And no one is going to take what we have reclaimed. So I am going to give you a choice."

She takes a step back and directs her eyes to the Yunkai and Astapor slave masters. It was funny how she barely even knew their names, but a part of her didn't want to. What they had done to so many people, innocents or otherwise was unbearable to even think about. And this had all started with them.

"I remember you sent me letters wanting to possibly make an alliance through marriage," she starts out. "While I said no, you persisted. I was done making political alliances through that way a long time ago, and I already had one with a former slave master's family that ended in misery. I refused to do so again. So, now, since you're threatening the lives of my people, you have two options. I'm sure you've heard that I am married now."

The men all glare in anger, while the Astapori and Yunkish one's snort. "Yes, we remember one of your little dragon riders told us."

"Yes, he did." At that moment, the said dragonrider comes out from the doors that lead into the pyramid with his sword in hand, and Daenerys smiles softly. "That dragonrider is my husband. He didn't tell you because he wanted to return home to me without any further questions." He presses his lips to her softly, before his eyes turn to them, a glare evident in his gaze. "Former slave masters of Slaver's Bay, meet Jaehaerys Targaryen."

"Another Targaryen?!" Tolos man screams. "Incestuously scum!"

"You have no right to comment on any of that after some of the horrible things you have done to every single person who lives within the walls of your cities. What we have is based on love and peace. Prosperity. Things the people of Slaver's Bay, as well as the outer lining cities, haven't experienced in years."

"So what is he then?" the Mantarys man sneers. "Your king of Meereen?"

"No," Daenerys states, a soft smile coming over her lips. "He is the King of Valyria, and I am the Queen."

"King of Valyria?!" the Astapori man laughs, his crude voice echoing off of the walls. "What do you think Valyria is? It's been in ruins for hundreds of years – you will never bring back Valyria again!"

"But you're wrong," Daenerys states, coming to where he stood. "Valyria is alive. Very much alive. With dragons, and sorcerers, and everything else that you could possibly imagine. You may choose to believe me now, or believe me later, but regardless, the greatest empire that ever lived is being rebuilt – and you can either aid in it, or be the destruction of your own cities."

She steps forward, making sure to give each former slave master an expression of dignity and grace.

"I don't want this to end in bloodshed. When I became queen of Meereen again, all I wanted was peace. To rebuild the world to what I wanted it to be. But you got in the middle of that. And then, I found my home, a place that I care deeply for and want to expand back into the world. So, all five of you can bend the knee to my husband and I, and swear your allegiance to Valyria so your soldiers, your ships, and your cities will not be harmed. You will take part in the rebuilding, and be given a chance to start over as something new for your people, as well as yourself, without clinging to the aberrant ways of your past."

Her eyes narrow into one of a glare once more.

"Or, you can refuse, and I will make sure to burn every last one of your soldiers and ships until there is nothing but ash, and take your cities without your help, killing you in the process. Those are your choices."

The men were silent for a moment, either slithering with kept-in anger or bumbling for words. Eventually, the Yunkish man speaks up. "I thought you didn't want to kill innocents?!"

"Your soldiers are not innocent," Daenerys states. "While some of them may have been forced into serving you and doing what you say, they still are abided by your rules and laws, and kill at your command. If we did not prepare for this attack, who knows how many they would have killed based on what you have said to them. The real innocent people – mine, who were only trying to live their lives in peace in their homes – are away from here. Safe from harm. Do you have any other questions?"

"Why do you think that your one dragon is going to kill us all?" the man from Elyria snaps at her. "We heard of the stories in Westeros and we're prepared for that now! We even got personal scorpion plans sent to us from the kingdom of Westeros because someone there wants you dead!"

"I am fully aware of the relationship I have with Westeros, but that is of an easy matter. It is not only Drogon that will be doing the burning."

"Oh, I'm sorry," the Yunkish man mocks, glaring at her in contempt. "Your big dragon and your little baby dragon that your husband was riding. What a pathetic excuse for a beast."

Jon snarls at him and almost comes forward, his hand on his sword, but Daenerys reaches out and grabs his tunic, stopping him. She shakes her head, her eyes saying 'he is not worth it.' His hand lowers, but his glare of hatred does not. Daenerys turns her head to the slave masters and then looks back at the older man standing above them. Rhaemon.

With one quick nod, he smiles and then raises what looked like a horn to his lips. He takes a huge breath of air and breathes in, a loud trumpeting sound spreading through the air, filling their ears. It lingers for a moment before it disappears. the slave masters continue to struggle to break free, but freeze when a familiar rumble starts to develop from beneath their feet.

Daenerys turns her gaze back to them, the rumble growing louder and louder, not taking her eyes off of the slave masters. They stare up into the sky in fear, and within seconds, flashes of color suddenly come by their eyes as hundreds of roars descend above them. There were shadows of different and brilliantly vibrant color dragons, all circling above them. Some even teased the slave masters with puffs of fire, causing them to sink away, screaming in fear.

Each dragonrider lands at the top of a gate, surrounding them, their claws destroying the stone, but making the intimidation that they needed. Drogon nestles himself squarely at the top of the stairs, while Jonarys flys to the ground, his feet causing the stones beneath them to shake. At this point, the slave masters were absolutely shaking, staring in shock at the dragons that surrounded them, a mix of reds and blacks, golds and maroons, whites, and blues. A beautiful rainbow of fire.

"It seems you miscalculated," Daenerys states, stepping forward. "I have far more than two dragons – and I don't know if your scorpions or your soldiers are ready for any of this."

She steps forward and grabs at Dark Sister again, her eyes narrowed.

"And not only will my army of dragonriders burn down your men, for anyone who is left standing, I will make sure myself, my husband, and all of my army men, as well as my Dothraki, who are waiting for a second horn blow beyond these gates, will destroy them with a single swing of our swords. I say again – it is your choice if you wish for this bloodshed or not. But believe me again when I say this – Valyria has risen. You can be united with us, or be the enemy. Choose."

The slave masters continued to stare up at the dragons as if wondering how to properly assess what was happening. But, one word came from the Astapor slave master, his eyes narrowed, his gaze not faltering. "We will not bow to you!" he snaps.

The other slave masters stare at him angrily, but Daenerys only backs away with a smile on her face. "So you choose bloodshed then?" The man does not respond, while the other slave masters were throwing curses at him. "Very well. Rhaemon." She turns her head to look at her commander. "Send the dragonriders to the streets. Burn down every last ship on the sea, and make sure the fire kills all the sailors. When they are done, take them to the streets. For now, we will enter and take on the soldiers ourselves."

The horn in Rhaemon's hand sounds once more, and that was all it took for all of the dragons around them to go off soaring, screeching into the sky and towards the water. Daenerys pulls out Dark Sister, staring at the Astapori slave master.

"You've brought this on yourself." She turns her head. "Kinvara, Rhaemon, make sure the guards keep a good hold on these men. Gendry, you come with Jon and I. Arya and Taevar, along with a couple of other men are waiting for our signal."

"As you wish, my queen," Gendry says, coming to her side from the stairs.

Daenerys looks to Rhaemon. "If the slave masters submit, sound the horn and stop the attack. Until then, do not move."

Rhaemon nods as Daenerys finally steps away from the slave master, her hand gripping Dark Sister tightly. She doesn't look behind her as the gates swing open, and instantly she sees one of her dragonriders rain fire down onto one of the closest ships, the sails going up in flames. Before she could even properly react, one of the master's soldiers come at her and she swings Dark Sister, dodging his hit and slamming it into his body.

She hated killing. She really did. But it was what had to be done.

It seemed that after that, every soldier that was close to them either ran at the group or ran away when they saw the dragons burning down the ships. Jon stood at her side, taking a good bulk of each solider as he swung and cut each of them open, blood spilling onto the concrete underneath them. The pavement began to smell of iron, wafting into her nose, splattering onto her armor.

Was this the first time she had ever been on the ground during a battle? No, there was the Battle of Winterfell, but that had been against dead monsters. These were people. Actual people.

She hadn't realized how good Gendry was with his hammer, because as she sliced through one solider that escaped Jon's grip, she could see out of the corner of her eye that he used the end of his hammer to knock on soldier into the water, while slamming the other side into the head of the other, sending flesh flying onto the ground.

Before she could attack again, there were more roars above them, and she watched mesmerized, as four dragons, individually, all burned down the ships that were trying to sail away at that moment. Their fire creating a beautiful inferno, almost like a vortex of flames. The scent of burnt cloths, wood, and flesh linger around her, but the screams this time did not bother the queen's ears. No. They fueled her on.

At that moment, she feels a tug at her arm and she looks down to see Arya, who was frantically looking around. "Jon and Gendry have gone deeper into the soldiers. At this rate, the dragons are going to burn down every last ship. Once they do, they'll be in the crossfire – and that's not good. I know what that's like."

"They do too, don't worr-look out!" she screams, pushing Arya out of the way as a soldier runs at them. He lunges his sword into Dany's side, barely missing, grazing her skin. She quickly parries and dodges his attacks, before ducking underneath a hit and slamming her body into his own, onto the ground, the attack a surprise. As soon as he falls, she sinks Dark Sister into his chest, blood pouring out from his skin, before yanking it from his body.

The man lays dead as Dany breathes heavily, looking over at Arya. "Thank you," the girl whispers in shock.

"What are good sisters for?" Daenerys asks her, causing the girl to shake her head and smile. "Come on, let's go find your boyfriend!"

"He's not my – for fuck's sake, whatever!"

---

Jon

Blood was everywhere.

There was a mix of smells and sounds and different sights in his vision. Occasionally he could see the flight paths of the dragons when they would soar towards the water, setting another ship on fire. He could hear the screaming, the clanging of swords, the splashing of water as men dived into the waves to somehow save themselves from the destruction. But the constant smell that he felt was blood. So much blood.

And as he tore through these men, one by one, as each person tried to make their way to the dragon queen, he felt no pain, or loss, or hatred. He only felt the need to protect what was his. And that was that.

He heard another grunt and looked behind him to see Gendry slam his hammer down onto another man's head. It was only then did he realize that he had lost sight of Daenerys in how much he had killed, and a bit of panic began to seep in. Before he could even ask where she was, however, he was suddenly slammed onto the ground, a sword at his neck from a solider that came out of nowhere.

Jon kicks at his stomach and pushes the man off of him, pulling at his sword, but before he could kill the soldier, the man's head was cut clean off, rolling onto the ground. From beyond his body, as it fell he could see the worried eyes of Daenerys, her sword etched with fresh blood now. Once she sees him she rushes forward, and he notices that her side was bleeding.

"Are you alright?" he quickly asks her.

"Nothing I can't fix – where is Taevar?!" she asks as they run towards a hill, trying to find some sort of high ground where they could see the damage being done.

"I was with him when it first started but when I rushed forward to help you, he disappeared!" Arya yells her hands on her own sword. "Are we-seven hells."

Jon looks to see what it was that he concerned her so much, but as soon as he turns his head, he understood exactly.

Smoke was everywhere within the sky, and as far as the eye could see, each and every single ship was on fire, their decks casting complete shadows of ash into the water, and their sails burning up into the atmosphere around them. Jon could feel flashbacks of King's Landing coming to him, and when he looked at Daenerys, he could see them coming to her as well.

Before he could say anything to her, however, the dragonriders who had lit the ships on fire, from all five cities, turn their eyes onto the streets and hover in the air. As he looked around, he had seen the dragons had made quick work of the slave masters scorpions, as each and every one of them were in the sea, destroyed by the flames.

Soldiers still remained and were still fighting with the few on-ground soldiers that they had. "No," Daenerys suddenly says, taking a step back. "We can't have them destroy every single street with soldiers in them!"

"Why the bloody hell not?!" Gendry yells to her.

"If we destroy every single street it'll take months to rebuild the homes for the Meereen people. We have to focus the enemies troops into one condensed area, but I don't know how to-"

A horn suddenly blew two times, and the group turns their heads to see into the distance from their hill. A rise of smoke appears, almost like a cloud of dust that spread throughout the area, blocking any kind of view they could have had before. The familiar screeches of bloodriders beseeched Jon's ears, and once the dust cleared, it was who was leading this pack that surprised him.

There, at the front of a herd of Dothraki, was Taevar, on a horse, with his sword in his hands.

"How did he do that?!" Arya asks over the noise, her eyes following the hand as he leads the Dothraki forces into the streets.

"I don't know but it's what we need right now! Look what he's doing!" Their eyes follow as each Dothraki soldier begins to cut off the soldiers from the slave cities, moving them back every few paces, sometimes even picking them up and throwing them so they would be forced to eject from their spot. "Taevar had the same idea we had. Let's work on the other side!"

The group gets to work quickly, descending down from their height and back into another street, where now instead of fighting, many of the soldiers were looting at the homes of the people. Each person took a designated section. Gendry and Arya both tore through each of their opponents quickly – he could have sworn Arya had some sort of super-human speed with how quickly she disposed of some of these soldiers.

With him, it was easy work. He cut through each of the soldiers like they were a piece of meat on a butcher's table, one clean swipe, a dodge, and a parry every now and then. He wasn't surprised at the low-skill soldiers that the slave masters brought. Many had sold their Unsullied off to Daenerys at the beginning of this. Their skilled soldiers were gone, replaced with these poor men.

A part of Jon wondered of Daenerys knew where the Unsullied had wandered off to. Perhaps he could tell her when this battle was over, but that should have been the last thing on his mind.

He brings his sword down hard on a body, slicing it nearly in half, the two pieces of flesh splitting apart and falling to the ground. He turns his head to look at Daenerys, watching as she cut through many of the soldiers that came at her. He was surprised at how easily she defended herself. She must have been training by herself when he wasn't around for her to be this good. Or maybe she truly was a natural.

Her eyes turn to him, widened, before she suddenly throws her sword directly to the left side of his body. He was stilled for a moment, following the path of the weapon, until he sees it land in the head of someone who was about to bring their ax down onto his body. Gods, he needed to stop getting bloody distracted.

"Stop staring and fight!" Daenerys chastises him as she yanks the sword from the man's head, pushing off another into the next street with her leg.

"Sorry 'bout that!" he yells, bringing his sword down on another soldier. As they stepped out into the next street, he sees that many of the soldiers had been rounded up here by the Dothraki, a lot of them trying to fight with the skilled fighters on horseback. Daenerys stays by his side, her hands gripping the handle of Dark Sister so tightly that her knuckles were turning white.

The two of them kept their eyes vigilant as two more soldiers came at them at the same time. Jon blocked one and hit him so that he fell to the ground while his sword slit the neck of the second. Daenerys took the opportunity to sink her sword down into the body of the first soldier, ending him effectively, before yanking it back out.

They stay still again, looking up as the dragons suddenly reappeared above them, their roars shaking the ground, intimidating each and every soldier. Screeches of anger were heard, and the untold heat from the mouth of each dragon circling around them was almost unbearable. If they were truly going to destroy most of these soldiers, they needed to get out, and that had to be very quick.

He hears voices started to shout. "Mercy!" "Please, let us go!" "We don't want to fight!" Jon could feel himself lowering his sword at the voices, turning to Daenerys. She seemed liked she wanted to end the battle as well, as so many people had already died, but both of them knew that if they stopped it, the slave masters would only come back stronger next time until they submitted.

However, before either of them could make that decision, three horns were sounded from where Rhaemon had stayed, which made Daenerys let out a sigh of relief.

One horn had meant for the dragons to come. Two meant for the Dothraki. Three meant they had surrendered.

"It's over," Daenerys whispers, looking up at Jon, who nods. He could almost see a ghost of a smile on her lips, but she could not allow that to appear, so the frown comes back instead. If they wanted to take over these cities, they needed to be tough, relentless, even if deep down both of them didn't want to harm the other people. "Qoy ki tih qoy, take the zinay azzafrok's soldiers to the beach ma vitihirak them closely. Kisha're going to gwe hash a chat ma their commander's."

The Dothraki instantly get to work after that, moving the soldiers along the way as the dragons began to retreat to their resting places. Daenerys looks up at Jon, who was still staring at the Dothraki confused as all hell.

"I told them to bring them to the beaches. It's the only place here where they'll be contained in one secure area."

"You still have to teach me, you know," he states quietly. "How to speak Dothraki."

"I'm surprised the Gods didn't bestow that upon you as well," she states, smiling a bit before looking at Arya and Gendry. "Are you two alright?"

"Better than we have been in a long time," Arya says, wiping blood from her eyes. At that moment, Taevar rides over from his position with the Dothraki, and Daenerys steps forward with a confused gaze on her.

"How did you command the Dothraki to follow you? And how did you get there so quickly?" she asks him.

Taevar nudges behind him. "When Arya took off, from where we stood, I knew that if we let all of the soldiers spread out too thin we would destroy the whole city. I knew Dothraki from a long time ago – wanted to learn every language I could, I suppose – and told them that it was your command to head forward. I'm sorry if it was against your wishes."

"No, you thought exactly as I did. I applaud you for thinking on your feet," she commends, looking back out towards the ships. "I thought the wreckage on the ships at King's Landing was bad…"

Jon rests a hand on her shoulder. "It had to be done. If we didn't attack them, they would have destroyed the whole city."

Daenerys sighs and nods. "I know. I just wish so many didn't have to die…but you're right." She looks back at the pyramid, her shoulders straightening. "It's time we ended this. Let's go."

---

When they arrived back at the pyramid, Jon was surprised to see that all of the slave masters were not bound and were standing, but judging from their posture, he had a feeling what they had done had scared the living shit out of them. Even if they were upright, they were shaking, swallowing their comments.

But the moment Daenerys stepped in, all of them stood straight, looking at her with almost a mix of fear and wonder. And honestly to Jon, it was sort of like that to him too. The last time he had seen Dany in war, it had been at King's Landing, and while it had been a completely different version of her, she still had never stepped foot on the ground.

While she herself seemed to be alright despite the few cuts she had, and the small gash on her side, she looked absolutely frightening. Her usual graceful walk was replaced with one of a commander, one that screamed 'I may be a queen, but I am also a warrior.' Her platinum-silver hair was tinted in red, and dirt and ash sat on her face, but there was no mistaking the woman underneath it.

And fuck was he proud of her.

"I heard the bells," she says, her eyes translated on the masters. "Tell me now – what are your names?"

Each one of them begins to speak. "Hezdas," the man from Astapor mutters. "Mikhak," say the Yunkish man. "Greznas," speaks the boy from Elyria. "Prosner," snarls the master from Tolos. "Zermok," growls the man from Mantarys. All of them had their eyes trained on her, and while the anger was clear, the fear was even clearer.

"The slave masters that have taken over," Daenerys states, stepping forward to where they stood. "Tell me, in each of your cities, are there slave masters still there?"

"Yes," Hezdas states. "Many who will not go easily with this."

"They don't really have a choice in the matter do they, though?" Jon asks from where he stood. "If they sent you on their behalf to lead, they're expecting either something like this or a victory. Clearly it will be the first."

He could almost feel the anger coming off of them in waves, but he ignores it while staring at his dragon queen, her eyes alit with flames of passion. "Well, I'm glad you've finally given into your heads to see that this is the right option for the rest of the men…if not the few that you have remaining."

"You're a monster!" Zermok snaps angrily, causing Daenerys to look over at him. "Both of you! They may call us mad-looking in Mantarys but nothing compares to the atrocities that you have committed!"

Daenerys walks forward to the man. "I'm sorry that you feel that way…Zermok? That is correct, isn't it?" The man begrudgingly nods. "But if I recall correctly, I was willing to try and work out something peacefully a long time ago, whether that was through marriage or not. When you found out I had found another, you lost your bloody minds and decided to secretly attack my city. If I wasn't informed of this treachery by someone who is loyal to us, you would have been the one committing all these murders to innocent people. But there are two very clear differences between our ruling and your ruling."

She steps back and looks at all of the slave masters, letting out a deep breath.

"My men, and my husband, took the time out of their days, even getting hurt in the process due to your spies to get the innocent people out of this city so they would not be a causality to the war, while you didn't care. You didn't think of how many lives would be lost in this battle as long as my head was on the backend of a sword. And while I did kill many of your soldiers, I actually feel bad about it. I didn't want this to end in a fight. I didn't want to start off what we are trying to build this way, but you gave me no choice. You picked bloodshed, so I only responded."

"What about the slaves?" Mikhak asks her, causing her to look over at him this time solely. "Some of them may not want to leave their masters – you've seen it yourself."

"Which is why, like everything else, I am giving them a choice." Daenerys was quiet, her eyes seeming to transcend back in past, memories lost in her before they land on the man again. "I know that when I was younger, letting go of every slave was radical. I understand that. But you have to understand that the minority are the slaves that want to stay. Many of your slave masters are cruel, unjust, and will harm any slave at a moment's notice. But, we recognize the free will of people and the choice to choose. So slaves can either go free and begin a new life, where they will be taken care of wherever they sail off to within the cities, or they can stay with their masters if they feel they have nowhere to go. I know that no matter what, I will gladly help them, as will my husband and all of Valyria, but they can stay in their own worlds if they want to."

It was silent between her and the slave masters. The hovering dragons over them all but threw off the conversation to a head, but Daenerys kept her eyes straight, waiting for any more questions or demands.

"What if there's another uprising?" Prosner suddenly asks her. "Like the Sons of the Harpy? Are you going to just fly off on your dragon now?"

"I'm not the same girl I used to be, as you can see, Prosner," she states, gesturing the armor and the blood that was ridden across her body. "And even so, if something like that were to spark up again, I'd deal with it, or Jaehaerys would. We are rulers, and people who go against that rule is treason. It's a common law across the world. It's not a question of 'if I will deal with it.' It's a question of 'when.' And that will be answered if someone has the stupid idea to do that again…and if you are, well, you can see what happened to your ships this time around."

The slave masters were quiet, looking between each other. Finally, Greznas from Elyria sighs and steps forward. "What would this rule look like? We just…want to know what is going to be taken from us."

Daenerys looks between them and bites her lip. "Nothing is going to be taken from you except the barbaric practices that you have been using against these people. No one deserves to be sold in slavery. I've ended the slave trade here in Meereen, and I intend to end it wherever I can. In regards to your home and your culture or whichever way you put it, we're not going to be looting your homes as your soldiers did."

She looks up the sky as a couple of dragonriders come past the pyramid, going towards the desert again.

"We're going to employ a governing system," she says to the men, turning her eyes back to them. "See, Valyria is quite a large city. I know you didn't believe Valyria was alive at first but it is. Many of those Valyrians want to leave the city after being trapped for hundreds of years. Dragonriders and their followers alike. We have already picked out the governors for each of your cities, as well as the changes to your slaves. Your culture will remain as it is, but there will be changes. Infrastructure, economics – your cities will be changed and brought forward in a new progressive way, something that hasn't been done in years. I don't want to take away the Ghiscari people's culture – we want to bring it forward, into a new world, with a new life. And if someone does need help, we're always a carriage ride away. As much as I have despised you for what you have done, and how you have treated your people, I want to push past that and create something better."

"How would we get to you?" Hezdas asks her. "The road of Valyria has been destroyed and there are so many properties of land that are demolished."

"My husband and I are working on implementing repairs to the roads, an increase in bridge production to make traveling easier, and a shipping system for people who want to travel by sea," she explains easily, causing Jon to smile. He knew she had been practicing what to say to these masters for a while now. He was glad to see her say it with so much pride.

Daenerys turns to Jon and urges him forward, to which he steps to her and stands beside her, looking down at the slave masters.

"Do you have any other questions?" she asks calmly, a different demeanor than the first time she had asked that question earlier.

The slave masters look at her and then at each other. There was nothing but the harsh wind around them blowing soot into the air. It distinctly reminded Jon of King's Landing for a moment, but in a different way. This time, it had ended with a victory for all of them.

Slowly, Greznas steps forward, looking at Daenerys, before bending down to one knee, his head bowed. "Elyria is yours."

Prosner follows next, bending down. "Tolos is yours."

Jon and Daenerys turn their gazes to Zermok, who quietly steps forward, his beady red eyes staring them down but bending the knee, all the same, his shoulders dropping. "Mantarys is yours."

That was a particular area Daenerys wanted to rejuvenate after the horror stories she had heard from there. He was sure they would have long conversations about it in the future.

With a long sigh, Mikhak steps forward, bending his knee, even though it looked that he hated doing so. "Yunkai is yours."

And finally, with a walk so slow it was torturous, almost as if he was dragging his feet purposefully, Hezdas, the man that had started this all, sending off the letters to the other cities and aligning them against Daenerys, bends to his knee, staring up at her and Jon with contempt. "Astapor is yours."

Then, all five of them simultaneously bow their heads to the two of them, saying at the same time, "We bend the knee to Jaehaerys and Daenerys Targaryen, Rulers of Valyria."

At that moment, two dragons appear at the top of the pyramid, roaring loudly, their screeches spreading throughout the courtyard of the gates. Jon watches as Daenerys smiles slightly at the declaration, happy that this was over – at least for now – but puts it away a moment later to go back to the expression she had before. "Believe me," she starts, causing the slavers to look up at her voice. "This will be better for your cities. For the people there, and for the slaves as well. You may not think it, but it will."

She steps back and looks to Gendry, Arya, and Taevar, who had been quiet for most of the time.

"Taevar," she starts, causing the man to look up. "Thank you for thinking on your feet and bringing the Dothraki to our aid. It made our attacks much easier to relay." Taevar bows his head to her.

"Of course, my queen."

"Gendry, Arya," she starts, turning to the two of them. "If not for your quick thinking regarding the interception of these letters, we wouldn't have been able to plan and get here so quickly to save our people. Thank you for everything."

Gendry nods his head. "You don't need to thank me, your grace," he says with a smile.

Arya shrugs from where she stood. "This is a normal day for me at this point."

Jon could see Daenerys try to hold in a laugh at her statement, but the queen only nods and turns towards Rhaemon. "My commander. Thank you for sticking with our plan. I think it went quite well, don't you?" Rhaemon comes down at that moment to stand at her side, the horn in his hands.

"It was nice to use these horns for once in our lives, my queen. I'd be glad to use it again," he comments, looking at the masters.

"I'm sure we will again. Would you and the others mind taking the slave masters down to the beach where they could meet with their soldiers? We will straighten out everything regarding who we will be sending to their homes later on. For now, make sure they are all contained."

"Yes, my queen," Rhaemon says, bowing his head. He turns to Gendry, Arya, and Taevar, and individually they all begin to move the masters, holding them so that they couldn't run away, but not too harshly. Jon understood why. Of course, they would probably be upset after everything that had happened, but they knew the penance if they did run. It wouldn't be pretty.

He watches as Daenerys finally lets out a sigh of relief as soon as they left the courtyard with the slave masters. And then, a small smile for the first time that day appears on her face. She turns to Jon, not letting it fall from her lips this time.

"We won," she whispers, almost in shock. "We did it."

He reaches over and grabs her hands in his, squeezing them gently. "I told you we would." She smiles up at him, leaning up and pressing her lips against his own, a kiss that spoke so many words that it was almost impossible not to feel his heart swell at her excitement. Quietly though, he hears a small cough from above them and they pull apart, watching as Kinvara descended down the stairs to where they stood.

"My king and queen. I must say your army laid waste quicker than I have ever seen."

"Kinvara," Daenerys states, shaking her head. "I'm sorry for not acknowledging you – you were so quiet. Without you, the Meereen people might not have followed Jon out of the city. Thank you for your translations that you did."

"You do not need to thank me. My mission in life is to aid you. However, I do believe I have to go and attend to some of the dragons now."

Daenerys' brow furrows. "What do you mean?"

"Well while you and Jon were fighting alongside your men, some of the dragons did get grazed by the scorpions before they were destroyed. Nothing that was harmful – these people have been riding dragons for years so I'm not surprised at their ability to dodge – but enough where they need help. I'm going to go back to camp to aid them. You two, on the other hand, can help each other for the time being with your gashes."

"We can," Jon admits, looking over at Kinvara once his eyes tear away from the ash-filled sky. "After we are healed, what then? Do we talk with the masters? Amend the relationship with the Dothraki? Or the Meereen people?"

"I think for now just focus on yourselves," Kinvara says honestly. "You two fought many soldiers – and this was the queen's first time really on the ground beside the Battle of Winterfell. She needs to rest."

"That is true," Daenerys mutters. "I don't think I've felt this sore in years."

Kinvara puts a hand on the girl's shoulder. "Then rest. We will meet later. I'm sure the Greyjoy girl will be here soon as well."

"Yara, right," Jon states, running a hand through his hair. "She'll be here later on. I completely forgot about that."

"We'll be prepared for what she gets here. For now, let's go attend to our wounds. Kinvara, there are some horses that you can take out to the battle site so you can aid the dragons. We will meet you later."

Kinvara bows her head. "As you wish, my queen." She steps back and heads towards the gates, putting her hood above her head so she could move quickly. Jon watches until she disappears behind the walls, before turning his gaze down to Daenerys. She looks back up at him and he sees the same look in her eyes that had absolutely adored, the one that told him that this was his Dany.

The world may find out about them now, but let them know. He didn't care as long as he had her and his family.

"Come on," he says gently to her, holding her hand in his. "I suppose now is as good as time as any to teach you 'after-battle' care."

She chuckles as her hand tightens around his own. "That's an actual phrase?"

"Perhaps I made it up but it's still important," he responds, which makes her laugh harder. Even so, she doesn't let go, walking into the Great Pyramid together again. He looks behind him one last time, getting a view of the whole city, before letting out a deep breath and walking in with his love at his side.

They had won. And now hopefully, he would finally be able to ask her what he had wanted to do for years. And this time, for real.

To marry him.

---

Gotta say, I'm really enjoying doing these battle scenes - think I might do it more in the future if you guys want haha

Here are some translations for your lovely readers:

Ñuha zaldrīzes kipagīros's – "my dragonriders"

Sōvegon- "fly"

Keligon - "stop"

Gūrogon zirȳ - "seize them"

Dothraki translations:

Qoy ki tih qoy, take the zinay azzafrok's soldiers to the beach ma vitihirak them closely. Kisha're going to gwe hash a chat ma their commander's - "Blood of my blood, take the remaining slavers soldiers to the beach and watch them closely. We're going to have a chat with their commanders."

Next chapter there won't be as much action but there will still be plenty of heart-string pulling moments that I think you all will enjoy and something maaaany people have been waiting for so I'm excited to write it, but I hope the battle scene was to your liking! It's my first time ever really writing something like that so please let me know what you thought. I really want to make them as descript as possible for you awesome people.

As always, love it? Hate it? Want to burn down my apartment building like Dany did to the slaver's ships? (please don't lol). Let me know in the reviews, as they always inspire me to write quicker for you all and get these chapters out. Your support has been so amazing and really helps me in keep writing, so please let me know what you think because you are all awesome people and readers alike, so thanks for making my day a little brighter! Don't forget to follow or favorite if you want to join us on our adventure, and I will see you all in the next chapter. Thank you so much for reading and I hope you have an awesome day! Wash your hands and stay healthy!