(a/n: Wow, i didn't expect such a response to this story! and i didn't think that i would be back with a new chapter so soon either but this idea kept floating around my head so i just had to do this. Thank you to all those who have faved and reviewed. Enjoy!)
Part 2: The Demon & The Dragon
Daenerys Targaryen was terrified. The young woman had never felt fear as she did when she married Khal Drogo.
Dany, Viserys and Magister Illyrio arrived at Khal Drogo's encampment several hours before. The marriage ceremony began at dawn and has carried on well into dusk, thus far. A great earthen ramp had been erected for the ceremony, which sat the Khal, his bride, his bloodriders and those closest to him.
Daenerys sat beside her husband to be Khal Drogo, while Ser Jorah Mormont, her brother and Magister Illyrio sat far below her.
Below Dany was a vast, writhing sea of Dothraki people, feasting, fighting, jesting and celebrating. Every one of them was dressed for the occasion in painted leather vests and horsehair leggings, gorging themselves on hot foods and drowning themselves in wine. Food was brought to them but Dany didn't touch anything. The fear within her twisted and coiled like a serpent.
Although she knew this was for Viserys' and their chance to gain an army to reclaim their birthright from the usurper, Daenerys was still afraid. The Dothraki were a strange people, with a foreign culture, a harsh and alien language and customs.
As the celebrations continued, among the wild revelry, drinking and loud japes, there appeared an odd sight.
Among the throngs of celebrating Dothraki, a tall man wrapped in a swirling emerald cloak appeared. The man gracefully moved his way through the tangle of people with ease, gliding gracefully towards Dany and Khal Drogo. As he approached, Dany got a better look of the man.
He was an older man, a decade senior to Khal Drogo. The man had a head of inky black hair that was streaked with white on the temples. Dany saw the man carry himself with a confidence that is usually ascribed to nobility. Dangling around his neck was a medallion of gold that sparkled in the light of the fading sun. Stern, dark eyes studied the Dothraki that danced and drank around him with a cool, analytical look.
As he got closer, the Dothraki slowly hushed down and watched the man move with awe and even fear. Khal Drogo and his bloodriders spied the man as well. The bloodriders reached for their weapons but the khal raised a hand, causing them to stop.
The green-cloaked man stood before the khal at the bottom of the earthen ramp in full view of the khalasar. All around, there were hushed voices and wide, astonished eyes. Even down below, Dany could hear Viserys, Jorah and Illyrio speaking softly.
For a long moment there was silence. Some of the Dothraki that stood near him stepped away, as if they were afraid to catch a fatal illness.
Khal Drogo stood and he descended to meet the man. All eyes watched as the khal met this newcomer.
The khal stood a few inches taller than the man and looked far more threatening but, there was something about the man in green that made Dany feel even more unsettled than before. After the long moment of silence, Khal Drogo said something; his voice was deep and sounded harsh.
To Dany it sounded like he was demanding something of the man or threatening him.
The man raised an eyebrow and replied in fluent Dothraki, his voice was even and smooth like silk.
Silence fell again for a few moments then suddenly, Khal Drogo burst out laughing. His laughter was booming and hearty, as if he heard the funniest jest in the world. Suddenly, to Dany's surprise, the khal and the man embraced like long lost kin.
After the embrace, the khal claped a hand on the man's shoulder and he gestured to the ramp that seated Dany, the khal's bloodriders and the other honored guests. The man bowed a head and said something in Dothraki and the khal grinned.
Drogo turned and he announced something in a booming voice and the people looked relieved and the revelry resumed, as if nothing had happened.
Dany blinked in confusion. What had just happened? Who was this man and why did he cause such a stir, let alone earn a seat of honor from the khal? The man sat up higher than Viserys, Ser Jorah and Illyrio but he still sat below the khal and his bloodriders, as per custom.
The man sat a level below Dany, which interested Dany even more.
Within moments, a plate of steaming hot meat, a bowl of stew and a cup of spiced wine were brought to the man. He accepted it graciously and dined.
As the man ate, Dany kept an eye on the man. Upon closer inspection, the man was well groomed like a lord, with his cloak and his medallion but he also appeared to have been through a hard life with skin that looked like aged leather and rough, calloused hands.
When a slave girl arrived to refill Dany's cup, she asked her about the newcomer. The slave looked at her in surprise.
"You not know him?" exclaimed the girl in low Valyrian. Dany felt a little foolish but she shook her head.
The slave cast a look over her shoulder toward the man and then looked back to Dany. "That is Ra's al Ghul" said the slave, in almost a reverent whisper "Him lord of a great House. Traveled from Qarth to see the Khal".
Dany cocked an eyebrow "How does he know the khal?"
"He fought together with Khal and khalasar in many battles. They are like brothers."
"If they are like brothers, why did everyone look afraid of him?" The slave fell silent. She glanced around nervously, as if she was worried to be overheard.
Finally, the girl said in a voice so soft that Daenerys almost missed what she had said. "They call him Demon. Very dangerous, even Khal fears him."
With that the slave girl left to tend to the other guests, leaving Daenerys feeling a little more interested and a little more terrified of the man.
She looked down at the many Dothraki as they danced, drank and fought. The young Targaryen then glanced over at the man known as Ra's al Ghul. The hairs on the back of her neck stood up.
He was staring directly at her. Instantly, their eyes locked. Ra's Al Ghul's dark eyes studied her for a moment and seemed to bear a deep, unfathomable intelligence. His stern, emotionless face betrayed no emotion. Dany could see why he was called the demon.
The man looked cold and cruel with a face that looked as pitiless as a slaver. Oddly, the man's face slowly changed. A warm, friendly smile appeared on his lips. Ra's raised his cup of wine to her and bowed his head a little.
Dany's fear and nervousness faded a little. The man didn't seem like a monster. Maybe his name and his mannerisms were a mask to protect the man within.
In comparison to the Dothraki and Khal Drogo, with their strange, beast like ways, Ra's Al Ghul looked like a kind, civilized, nobleman. However, the young Targaryen knew that appearances could be deceiving and she felt that there was something dark hiding within the man.
As the festivities wound down, as the feasting and celebrating calmed, it soon came time to present bride gifts to the new khaleesi.
Viserys presented her with some slaves to serve as her handmaidens; Ser Jorah gifted her with a stack of books of Westeros and of its history and people. Soon, one by one, the rest of the khalasar brought forth their gifts; Pelts, jewels, needles, jars of scents and feathers and many other handsome gifts.
The gifts soon began to accumulate into large piles, each filled with more gifts than she has ever received in her life.
Ra's al Ghul stepped forward and a solemn hush fell upon the gathered khalasar. The man towered over Dany and she caught a faint hint of scent of blossoms emanating from him. He bowed low and humbly. "My lady" greeted the man in the common tongue of Westeros.
When he rose, Dany saw a kind expression on his face "My name is Ra's al Ghul, of the House of al Ghul, of Qarth. It is an honor to finally meet you."
He smiled "I knew your father, Aerys, and your brother, Rhaegar."
"Y-you did?" asked Daenerys in surprise.
He nodded "I was a good friend of your father and your brother saved my life. I owe him a great debt". A sad look crossed his features "Unfortunately, I have been unable to repay him." Viserys mumble something that sounded an insult. Whether or not Ra's had heard him, he gave no indication.
Instead, the man known as a demon took off his medallion and he placed it around Dany's neck. He then declared something loudly in Dothraki, which caused everyone around them to gape. Even Khal Drogo looked taken aback.
Viserys scowled in confusion and turned to Illyrio for the translation. The young woman looked as confused as her brother, which earned a chuckle from the lord in green.
Ra's al Ghul explained "What I have said is this: I have pledged to honor any three requests that you desire. Anything you may need, consider it done."
Dany's eyes widened in wonder and astonishment. Nobody has ever done that for her. Her whole life, Viserys and herself had lived on the run from the Usurper's hired knives and have lived on the kindness and generosity of various wealthy and noble houses. After what little of their wealthy had been spent, they had resorted to begging.
Now, she was marrying a powerful Khal and a noble lord offered to grant her anything her heart desires. Maybe she could ask him to help her get out of this marriage, but that didn't seem possible and it would only infuriate Viserys.
Ra's Al Ghul noticed her bewilderment and he chuckled again. "You don't have to request anything now. You may save these favors for another time. If you are ever in need, you may call upon me and my house at any time and we will come to your aid." There was a sincere look on his face that told Dany and everyone else that he meant every word he said.
"Remember this my dear child: You are always welcomed in my home and in Qarth" said Ra's al Ghul.
He wished her and the Khal well and he withdrew, vanishing into the crowd of Dothraki.
The rest of the khalasar bestowed their gifts, until Khal Drogo was the last one, who presented a gift of his own.
The next morning, Ra's al Ghul was nowhere to be seen.
Ser Jorah told her that the green-cloaked lord had left as suddenly as he had arrived and that he must have already began his long journey back to the glorious city of Qarth, which lay far beyond the Red Waste.
The young Targaryen was a little disappointed that Ra's al Ghul had gone. She wanted to thank him for his kind gift, to learn more of his relationship with her family and to say goodbye.
Although she was disappointed, Daenerys didn't feel sad.
For reasons unknown, she felt, deep down, that she will see the man known as the Demon again.
Ra's al Ghul sat in his palanquin and watched as the long, rolling plains of the Dothraki sea pass him by.
It was good to see his old friend again. The Khal has grown strong and his Khalasar was certainly mighty. Ra's remembered when the Khal was a wild, young Dothraki, who burned with passion and with an ambition to lead his own great Khalasar.
Ra's fought along side his young friend on many conquests, though he detested some of his young ally's brutal methods and custom but he held his tongue, for a time. He stood up for the unarmed and the innocent a number of times, which made the Khal laugh. Eventually, Ra's grew tired and parted ways with the young man and settled in Qarth.
The nobleman thought of the wedding and of the riotous evening that he witnessed. Dothraki weddings were always a colorful affair, filled with fine food, plenty of wine and healthy amounts of bloodshed.
Ra's was glad that his daughter Talia didn't accompany him, knowing the danger that would come if she had attended, although he feared more for the safety of the Khal and his khalasar than his own daughter's. Ra's knew that she could handle any situation. After all, he taught her everything he knew.
His thoughts then settled on the young Targaryens he saw.
The boy was just that, a boy playing at being a man. He may be of the blood of the dragon and have the temper but he lacked the patience and wisdom of his forebears. Ra's knew the boy's father, grandfather, great-grandfather and even spoke with his great-great-grandfather.
All four of those once great kings would die of shame if they saw what their name has been reduced to.
The girl, however, was a different matter. She was young and frightened and lacked the confidence that a Targaryen typically had. Probably because of the abuses of her brother and not being raised in the ways of the Targaryens.
Ra's had known of the Rebellion, the deaths of Aerys and Rhaegar, and the eventual fall of the Targaryen line.
True, Ra's could've stepped in. He could've summoned his servants and all his warriors and gone to the aid of the house of his old friend. He could've protected his friend's family and all those who were mercilessly cut down by the dogs of house Lannister and Baratheon, but he didn't.
Although they were old friends, Ra's could not and would not go to Aerys' aid.
Knowing the madness of the Targaryen line and how it has taken its toll on his once beloved friend, Ra's felt that it would be too late for him to do anything and that Aerys' fall was bound to happen sooner or later. Maybe this was good.
Ra's considered the girl, Daenerys. She was young, lacked confidence and experience. But the gift of the magister, Illyrio, may be the key to the restoring of that ancient house.
Ra's has lived an incredibly long life, though not as long as his close ally, and had seen many extraordinary things. Those old petrified eggs were quite a sight, relics of a bygone era, an age of heroes and legends that still lives on in story and song.
In his extended lifetime, Ra's had studied everything he could on dragons and had worked with the finest minds in the whole world to try and revive those great beasts but proved unsuccessful…until now.
Those old rocks, as Daenerys and Illyrio mistook them for, were much more than what they appear.
Ra's al Ghul smiled and gazed out across the vast expanse of green and could easily hear the powerful wing beats of a dragon.
"These are interesting times" murmured the Demon "Very interesting…."
End of chapter
(a/n: So, what do you think? Ok, so the story will follow the series (a bit of the book and the tv series) but may diverge here and there due to the presence of Batman/Dc characters. I won't be able to update very often but don't worry, i will update when i can.
I hope you enjoyed this and here is a sneak peak of next time: At the Tourney of the Hand, Sansa encounters members of House Wayne and witnesses the appearance the terrible scourge, the Laughing Prince (otherwise known as the Pale Man). But she also witnesses the arrival of the newest hero of that the common people sing and talk about: the Dark Knight.)