"I think it would be better if we spend the night in different caves" she said, but it came out nervous rather than determined.

"Please, Your Grace…," he mumbled. "I'm sorry if I made you feel uncomfortable. I never meant to… You shouldn't be afraid, Your Grace, trust me. I won't try anything" he added softly.

She was silent for a while, slowly walking up to him, never looking him in the eye though. He inhaled deeply, nervous for her reaction. She stopped in front of him.

"It's not you who I don't trust…" she panted.

He seemed confused.

She looked up at him, her face all helplessness.

"It's me."

Before he could ask her what she meant, she had closed the distance between them and kissed him, feverishly, her hands pulling him closer, roaming over his body. He kissed back, automatically, his hands stroking her face and hair, before he grabbed her arms and pushed her slightly backwards – away from him. He held her there. They were both panting. He seemed confused, she seemed desperate.

"Khaleesi…" he said. She threw herself at him, trying to kiss him again, but he wouldn't let her. She seemed confused now.

"Why did you stop?"

"You're not yourself – you're ill".

"I'm fine" she repeated for the umpteenth time that day.

"No you're not. Tell me what's going on."

Daenerys averted her gaze. The rejection burned harder than the fires she had sat through. She rolled her eyes at him, shrugging herself loose from his grip.

"You wouldn't understand" she spat angrily.

He let her go.

"Please, try me. Tell me what's wrong. You must know I would do anything to help you."

"Then give me what I want!"

"What do you want?" he asked sincerely, desperate to help her.

"You!"

She was panting heavily now. She pulled on her halter top, the strings loosening so that she felt less restrained but her chest was now also more exposed, only covering the tips of her breasts and stomach. Jorah had never in his wildest dreams imagined this scene and it was taking every single bit of his self-control.

She came closer to him again and he backed away, towards the cave he had prepared for them.

"I feel like I'm on fire…" Daenerys panted softly through gritted teeth. "I tried to control it, but I … You have no idea how it's burning inside of me."

Jorah tried to support her.
"You're doing great. Try to stay calm"

"I can't…"

She sounded helpless and afraid even, but then she bounced up from the wall towards him. He caught her and directed her to the cave again. He didn't know what to say anymore.

"Jorah, please," she breathed as their faces were just inches apart, "you've never hidden your feelings for me very well. Don't start now. I know you want this, I know you've wanted this for so long… Don't fight it" she pleaded.

"I have to fight it. I'm a knight, Your Grace. Your Queensguard."

"Not tonight, Ser Jorah. As your queen I order you to give in."

She seemed so helpless and desperate. Jorah felt his resolve weaken.

"You said you loved me…" she mumbled so it was barely audible.

"I do, Your Grace" Jorah answered against his better judgement.

Daenerys huffed almost bitterly.

"Yours is not a platonic love. I've seen you, Jorah. You get jealous when I'm with someone else, when I'm naked you can't keep your eyes off my body, you stare at me when you think I'm not looking. Tell me I'm wrong" she ended fiercely, backing him against the wall.

"No" he breathed eventually.

"Then don't push me away. Just let it happen."

"I… I, I wish I could" he said in an almost pained voice. "But I can't, because I know this isn't really you, Khaleesi. You've made it clear how you feel about me, and I have to respect that."

Daenerys looked him straight in the eyes. She hesitated for a moment and looked down.

"No…" she whispered. "I was just afraid… But I've wanted you for so long."

She kissed him softly and he allowed it, his resistance failing hard. He kissed back and let his hands wander to her waist. He pushed them from one side of the cave to the other, so her back was resting against the wall. He kissed her some more and he heard her humming. As their kisses grew hungrier and more frantic, he suddenly remembered himself. He stopped their kissing and replaced his lips with his fingers on her mouth.

"I hope one day you'll say that to me and mean it" he whispered.

As realization set in, she pushed him away from her and crawled backwards into the cave.

"You would let me go insane rather than help me! I don't need you to be calm and collected while I humiliate myself! I want you to give into those fantasies I know you've had."

"I can't" he responded weakly.

"Then stay away from me!"

Jorah backed away from the cave, shocked and unsure how to handle this situation. From a fair distance he still followed her every move, more concerned than ever. Clearly, she was ill, but he had no idea what had brought it on. It could be a natural illness or brought on by being poisoned by those brothel keepers. For all Jorah knew it could be a natural development in the life of a female dragon. There was so little known about them.

She sat at the back of the cave, hugging herself, seemingly in some kind of trance.

For just a second he debated giving in, but immediately he decided that there was no forgiving that. No matter how he twisted the story, it would always be a selfish decision.

After hours she seemed to have fallen asleep – a feverish sleep that is. Jorah slowly dared to come closer and entered the cave as well. Asleep she looked as regal as ever. But no matter how dignified she was, even a true queen could be reduced to a bundle of primal urges if her body was unwell.

Jorah fell asleep himself as well and prayed to the Lord of Light, the old gods and the new that she would be better in the morning.

But she wasn't.

Jorah woke before Daenerys did and went to the lake to gather some drinking water for the road and to refresh himself. He took of his clothes – careful that Daenerys was still asleep – and washed himself with the near freezing water from the waterfall. While it cooled him down significantly, it did just the opposite to Daenerys, who woke just at that moment. She watched him wash himself in the distance and decided that she would once again use every fiber in her body to restrain herself from throwing herself at him again. She didn't think she could take the rejection anymore.

Jorah returned a minute later and noticed she was awake. He offered her some fruit, in hopes of everything being back to normal. She ate it, but like everything else, the sweet soft flesh seemed sensual to her. Then Jorah suggested that perhaps she wanted to cool off in the lake for a bit. He hadn't quite dared to feel her forehead, but she must have looked positively feverish to suggest it. In the meantime, Jorah started cutting down trees and gathering wood to build a raft.

Daenerys washed herself in the water and Jorah used everything he had not to stare at her, as she had rightfully accused him of yesterday. She clothed herself but didn't bother to hide the fact that she had done it as seductive as possible. Jorah was still building the raft when she came up to him.

"You want to use a bunch of dry sticks to drift us down a river we don't know" she asked skeptically as she darted around him, watching him work.

He wasn't in a hurry to respond.

"I don't know these woods either, nor do I know those mountains we were heading towards" he said eventually. "The only thing I know for sure is that if you follow a river downstream for long enough, it'll lead to the sea."

"Or get killed in the meantime. If there's a waterfall half a mile from here, it'll shatter your little raft within seconds and us with it."

Jorah didn't answer but continued to work diligently.

Daenerys stared at him fiercely.

"We should have never fled the city. We should have stayed there. I am a queen; you could have protected me instead of making me flee like a coward" she said accusingly.

She had finally managed to push his buttons and he responded before he knew it. He turned around to face her, stepping up close and towering over her.

"You know what I think? You should have never gone to that meeting alone. You should at least have brought a dozen Unsullied with you!" he exclaimed. His chest heaving heatedly, he stared her in the eyes that darkened as he spoke.

He took a deep breath and focused his attention back on his raft.

Daenerys handed him some sticks and stems that seemed suitable enough. He was completely engaged in his task, working every muscle in his body. Daenerys watched him as he tied a few poles together. When he got busy to make the knot, she stepped up close.

"That's never going to hold."

He looked up at her.

"Here, let me do that" she continued and pressed her body against his to push him away as she grabbed for the lianas he used to tie the knot. He held them firmly in his hands though.

"Give them to me, you're going to get us drowned!" she cried out in frustration. Jorah turned his attention to her.

"That's enough!" he stated firmly, for the first time in his life defying his Khaleesi. Daenerys however seemed more taken aback than angry. Jorah continued in a softer tone.

"This isn't about the raft. It's about… us. But that's not going to happen right now."

Daenerys let go of the lianas. She sighed defeatedly and leaned in against his chest, making Jorah look down at her while she brushed her lips over his naked skin as she spoke.

"I think it is" she breathed. "We both want it…. No-one will know…"

"Khaleesi" he started, his voice calm and soothing, "if nothing else, I'm your friend – at least I hope so – and as your friend I can't let you do this. You'll hate yourself later. And me for taking advantage of you."

She fell silent for a moment, moving away from him to create a small space between them.

"Perhaps we should travel separately…"

"Absolutely not, I'm not letting you out of my sight"

She growled.

"You have no idea what it's like…"

Jorah had finished the raft and dragged it to the river.

"To want someone who you can't have? Who doesn't want you back?" he pointedly responded as he watched the raft float, thankfully.

Daenerys looked at him and sighed – for both their suffering.

"Your carriage awaits, Your Grace" Jorah said as he looked at her, trying to hide his proud smile. Daenerys arched an eyebrow at him and climbed on the raft.

He helped Daenerys get on the raft and after a good push got on himself. The current was strong which was good because it meant they would be at the sea sooner, and because there was less chance of water snakes or alligators in the middle of the river. It was bad because it cost them a lot of effort to keep themselves on the raft, and the raft from crashing into things or turning upside down. Jorah became increasingly worried when Daenerys' eyelids started drooping and fever sweats broke out on her forehead. Had his previous number one concern been to keep the most beautiful woman on planetos from sleeping with him, it had now become making sure she survived the ordeal.

For once they were in luck as they made it to the beach sooner than expected and both in one piece. At that point, Daenerys alternatingly looked something like a rag doll, and a panicky dragon. As they walked across the beach, they spotted their ships soon enough. But even the small distance proved to be too far for Daenerys who got more frustrated with every step she couldn't take. Jorah decided to take the risk and carry her back. As he held her, she tormented him by kissing his neck and his ears, and scratching her nails over his back underneath his shirt.

There was no doubt in his mind that these moments would haunt him for the rest of his life. But he would suffer through anything if it meant she would recover from this.

Even the humiliation of walking inside the camp nearly making love to the Queen openly.

Tyrion spotted them first – and became speechless, while Daenerys kept rubbing her body against Jorah's, trailing her lips all over his jaw and neck. Somehow, Jorah understood that the speechlessness had less to do with seeing him, as much as with the scene he was making with their Queen.

"Help me! She's not well! Help her!" he shouted as soon as he was close enough.

People started to crowd around them. Missandei looked positively scandalized and tried wrestle Daenerys from his arms while Grey Worm tried to hold him back. But soon they noticed that Daenerys fought them even harder than Jorah did himself.

"I don't know what's going on" he started to explain desperately. "I found her, with some brothel owners. She tried to buy their ships. They got aggressive. We had to run. She's been getting sicker every hour. I… We went through the forest. I don't know what set it off, or how to stop it."

He sounded panicky even to his own ears.

"She's very feverish and not herself" he added, to make sure her dignity remained intact as much as possible.

Varys came pushing through the crowd, where Jorah still stood in the middle with Daenerys in his arms. He observed for a few seconds before realization set in.

He cursed.

"Take her to her tent" he ordered and started out ahead.

Tyrion hurried up to him.

"What's going on? You're from Lys, do you recognize what she has?"

"I do. These symptoms are hard to miss. She's been drugged" Varys explained as they entered her tent. He became solemn.

"I've seen and heard of this far too often. It's brought on by a fruit or tea from that fruit. Even after a small dose, one turns drowsy, inhibitions falter, the body relaxes and the sex drive turns into overflow" he explained.

Jorah kneeled in front of the Khaleesi's bed and tried to place her down on it, though she wouldn't let go. Even with Varys explaining it, the situation didn't become any less embarrassing. Tyrion still raised his eyebrows whenever his eyes landed on Jorah.

Jorah tried his best to avoid any of the disapproving looks and ended up looking into Daenerys eyes. They were droopy, watery and unfocused. But she smiled when he looked at her and it melt his heart. He brought a hand up to stroke her face. A tear escaped her eye. His mouth was so close to hers, he could see her straining upwards to press her lips against his. He would just have to lean in a little bit. Just to give her one kiss. Just for a bit of comfort. They had done more back in the forest. But Varys continued telling him what he knew while he searched Daenerys's cabinets for something, and Jorah remembered himself again.

"The drug is commonly used in the brothels to both give the customers an extra experience, and to make sure the women won't be able to leave, as they grow more and more dependent."

Jorah gently placed his hands over Daenerys's that were clasped firmly around his neck. Just as gently, he unclasped them and pulled them away from his body, while she nuzzled his cheeks and nose with her nose and mouth.

Finally, Varys seemed to have found what he was looking for. He put it in a glass and added some water. After stirring it a bit, he handed it to Jorah.

"Give her this. Then come find me at my tent. Come along, Tyrion" he ordered.

Both Daenerys and Jorah watched the men leave the tent, leaving them alone again.

Jorah stood up looking everywhere but at her. Daenerys, however, refused to take her eyes off of him. They were shooting fire.

"Why are you embarrassing me like this? Why would you get everyone involved? This is something between us! I can't believe you would hurt me so."

He tried to meet her eyes.

"Khaleesi, you're not well. I don't know what to do. They can help…" he offered.

"They can't help. You're the only one who can! I won't allow you to treat me like this! I am still you're queen, in case you have forgotten."

Jorah couldn't contain a bitter chuckle.

"Believe me, that's been the one thing on my mind."

She sat propped up on her arm, looking at him defiantly.

"Here." He handed her the concoction Varys had made.

Her eyes softened – just a little bit, not the loving look she had given him so freely since yesterday. Suddenly, she looked more like herself. It made Jorah take another step back. Regal and brave as the queen she was, she drank the fluid without complaint.

Then, she proceeded as if he wasn't even there. She rinsed the glass in her basin, splashed some water in her face and cooled down her chest.

Jorah suddenly felt very foolish. She still had her back to him, but he bowed anyway and silently turned to leave.

"Jorah don't leave."

Her pleading voice cut through the silence. He closed his eyes. Not 24 hours before she had accused him of always having to leave her.

As he turned around and opened his eyes, he found she had taken some steps towards him. Two tears rolled over her cheeks. Jorah's heart clenched in his chest. He had rejected her more in the last twelve hours than anyone should ever be rejected in a lifetime.

"I'll come back as soon as I can."

Defeated, she slumped back down on her bed and nodded, not looking at him.

With every willpower he possessed, he bowed once more and left her tent.

He found Varys's tent not far from the Khaleesi's.

Tyrion, Missandei and Varys were already deep in conversation, with Grey Worm standing stoically to the side. They all looked up when Jorah entered. It caused his cheeks to flush heavily, still he held his head high and strode up towards them.

Varys started out.

"Do you know how many tea or fruit she has taken?" he urged.

Jorah shook his head. "I don't know. I only arrived near the end." Anger suddenly welled up inside him. "Why didn't she have any guards with her?"

"She wouldn't accept it. She didn't want to jeopardize the chance to buy ships" Tyrion explained. "We have been in dire need for them for such a long time. She couldn't afford to wait any longer to cross the sea."

"Still" Jorah continued, not normally one to scold others. "You should have discreetly posted a few disguised Unsullied.

Grey Worm and Tyrion had the decency to look ashamed.

"Enough about that," Varys intervened, "we need to get the queen back to health."

"Do you know how? What was that drink you made her?"

"It's a substance that will help digest the fruit faster, hopefully get it out of her system a bit quicker."

Jorah allowed himself to be a little relieved.

"Alright. How long will it take? Can you make her more?"

Varys shook his head.

"I'm afraid not, the herbs I gave her are poisonous in itself in higher dosages…"

He seemed hesitant to continue.

"So we'll just wait for the effects to wear off?" Jorah asked hopefully.

Varys shuffled around nervously.

"They will wear off, eventually. But from what I've seen, a lot of damage could have been done by then…"

He was met with confused stares from the other people in the room.

"Her body is completely out of balance from the drug. Her mind might be affected, or her personality, if the effects linger long enough. We have to stop those juices from flowing through her or she might never be herself again."

"And how do we do that?" Tyrion asked.

Varys hesitated again.

"Well…" he started, looking at no one in particular. "There are only two ways I know of. One is to fight someone to death…"

Desperation set in among the others.

"She's in no state to fight someone to death" Jorah remarked.

"It would be far too dangerous anyway to have a real fight" Tyrion answered. "We would have to find someone willing to let her kill them to save her."

A solemn silence descended upon them, realizing this wasn't a real option.

Jorah swallowed. "I'll do it."

All eyes were on him again.

"I'll fight her without hurting her and let her kill me. If it will save her."

After a moment of everyone being dumbfounded, they all found their voice again at the same time.

"Come on! There's no way we're going to let that happen" Tyrion snorted.

"The queen would never agree to it" Missandei remarked.

"There is one other way" Varys said.

"What is it?" Tyrion asked, desperate for this insane situation to dissolve itself.

"If one is under the influence of the fruit, the other way to restore one's balance is… is to sleep with someone."

The room grew deadly silent then.

Jorah never took his eyes from a certain spot on the ground, frozen in place.

Tyrion rubbed a hand over his beard.

"We left Daario Naharis in Meereen."

It took all he had for Jorah not to let his head fall, though he felt his heart sink in his chest. No matter the scene they made when they arrived at camp, everyone knew how Daenerys really felt.

But then Missandei spoke up.

"I don't think she wants Daario Naharis."

Jorah never felt more uncomfortable. Everyone in the room knew of his feelings towards her. And now, in her fragile state, she had begged for him. There was no right answer. If he said yes, he would seem like a sad pervert taking advantage. If he said no, he would chose his pride over her life.

He remained silent, still staring at that spot on the ground.

Varys made the decision for him and turned to face him as he spoke.

"You have to do this. For her life."

Jorah still couldn't move or respond.

All eyes were once again on him. Then Missandei averted hers and made her way to the tent's exit.

"I'll go and help her majesty to freshen up."

Tyrion wrung his hands and followed her outside.

"You were willing to die for her a minute ago. You can do this for her as well" he said as he passed Jorah.

Jorah finally managed to lift his head and looked at Varys.

"You can use the tent next to mine if you want to freshen up."

His face showed nothing of what he thought.

It didn't matter, Jorah decided. He would do this for her. And with that he took a few large strides out of the tent.

So after the ladies had taken care of Daenerys for a bit and Jorah had freshened himself up, he made his way to her tent. He had never been more nervous. He thought about what Daario had said. That Daenerys was wild between the sheets, that he could never keep up with her. Even now he was cured and healthy, he was still old and he hadn't slept with anyone in quite some time. Had there ever been a different situation wherein he found himself making love to her, he would be nervous enough whether he would be able to please her, but now her life depended on it.

Timid and shy like a young boy, he entered her tent and smiled nervously.

"Khaleesi."

She smiled back. Her eyes were still dark with desire, but more focused now after her maids had cared for her best as they could.

Jorah suddenly had no idea what to do and found himself keeping his distance from her.

She must have felt nervous as well as she managed to restrain herself and keep standing in one spot. Jorah decided to talk about the situation as if it was a tactical operation.

"You have been poisoned. Must have been by those two thugs. They … ah, they tried to get you addicted to it and to keep you in one of their brothels…"

"They don't care that I'm a queen?"

"I think they only care about the money you were going to make them…"

Jorah immediately regretted his words, implying that her beauty would be something men would pay for greatly. He remembered her throwing herself at him all too well. Shocked he looked at her.

But Daenerys only raised her an eyebrow and for a second it felt like a regular conversation between them. It made it easier for Jorah to continue.

"Varys also told me there seem to be only two ways you can be cured… One is to fight someone to the death…"

Daenerys raised her eyebrows in desperation. That wasn't a real option. She couldn't fight very well and she couldn't risk being killed herself. Besides, she couldn't believe it would help with the burning, fiery itch inside of her. She breathed out and waited for Jorah to go on.

"Or…" she urged him on.

"Or you have to sleep with someone."

She nodded, it being the only thing she had been thinking about for the past twelve hours.

"Okay."

Jorah nodded to himself as well, not being able to meet her hopeful eyes.

"I'm afraid it would take too long to bring Daario Naharis over…" he told her as unwaveringly as he could.

She tutted.

"You know perfectly well that I don't want him."

He forced himself to raise his eyes to look at her, trying to school his hopeful expression.

She looked at him with a mixture of exasperation, love, lust and amusement.

"I want you, ser Jorah."

Her voice had never sounded more sultry.

"Alright." He smiled nervously to himself and looked around the tent.

Daenerys walked over to him.

"If you don't feel comfortable here we could go somewhere else."

It was true, Jorah wasn't looking forward to make love to his Khaleesi in the middle of their camp with only thin walls of linen to separate them from the rest. So he nodded and had the good sense to take some blankets with him before she took his hand and led him out of the backside of her tent. They walked towards the dunes and further still.

When Daenerys found a suitable spot she signaled it by turning around and dropping his hand. She smiled as sweetly as possible and Jorah was never more endeared.

Her endearing smile changed into a seductive one as she pointed at the sword still at his hip.

"You plan to use that" she joked.

He looked down and felt so stupid. Only he would bring a sword when trying to make love to a woman.

Quickly he unclasped his belt and let it drop to the floor. He looked embarrassed.

Daenerys stepped towards him and took the blankets from under his arm. She spread it out on a spot covered by dunes all around. Then she turned back to Jorah and kissed him hungrily. He kissed back. It was hard to let go after telling himself to hold back for so long. Daenerys kissed his face and neck and started unbuttoning his shirt. He let his hands travel over her body.

Before they could actually get down to business, three men with their heads nearly completely covered in cloths appeared. The men had weapons and walked straight for Daenerys. She jumped back, Jorah shielded her and grabbed two daggers from his boots. He started fighting back. He managed to keep two of them engaged in a fight, scratching him here and there.

Before Jorah could intervene, the other guy had slipped past him to Daenerys. He grabbed her and tried to force a flask of liquid in her mouth. She struggled back and knocked the flask out of his hands. She kicked him in the crotch. He toppled over and started swearing. He drew his sword and tried to attack her. In a rush, Daenerys grabbed Jorah's sword up from the ground and blocked the blow that the man tried to land. She drew the sword from its holster and blocked another blow. Then, with a strength she didn't know she possessed, she immediately swung the long, heavy sword herself, cutting her attacker. He stretched out angrily hacking away with his sword but Daenerys finished the job by driving the sword straight through his abdomen. Just at that moment, Jorah came rushing over to her aid after killing the other attackers as well. He looked at her and pried the cloths away from the corpses' faces. It were the men that had drugged Daenerys the day before.

They stood together looking down at the corpses in silence, trying to catch their breath. Then they shared a look. Still holding his gaze, Daenerys collapsed eventually and Jorah caught her before she dropped to the sand. She came to as he cradled her to his body. He put her down on the blanket, grabbed their clothes and his sword and donned as much as possible. Then he wrapped her up in the blankets and carried her back to the tents.

He only let go of her when he put her down on her bed where Varys, Missandei and some other medicinal men had gathered and shortly explained what had happened. They asked him to step aside so that they could do their job and so he did, but he stayed with her for as long as he could. As they urged him to get his wounds looked at, he waved them of but eventually allowed one of them to tend to them while he watched Daenerys. They told him it could take a day, maybe more before she would wake up, but he stayed nonetheless.

After a while, Tyrion came checking up on her, just as Varys found there was nothing more he could do for her. Both men gave Jorah expectant looks.

Jorah knew he had to tell them what happened. He glanced uncomfortable at the men and women still fussing over Daenerys.

Tyrion took the hint.

"Why don't we step out for a bit? Let them care for her so we can discuss what happened."

Jorah seemed reluctant.

Varys lowered his voice so only Jorah could hear him.

"Come on. Let her sleep for a bit. Certainly, you can understand that the Queen might be uncomfortable waking up with you by her side… after what transpired. She might need a moment for herself. She'll ask for you when she's ready."

After they stepped outside and Jorah debriefed them with just the relevant tactical information, he took Varys's advice at heart and went to his own tent, waiting for her to summon him.

The next morning he woke, bathed and ate. Then he went for a stroll around the camp and to the ships – most of which they had confiscated during the night after the previous owners were mysteriously killed in the dunes near their camp.

Everything still seemed alright and he felt good to be back. He said hi to the dragons that were sleeping after eating what seemed like a group of seals. When he came back, he ran into Varys. He tried to sound casual.

"How's the queen?"

Varys looked at him in surprise.

"You haven't seen her yet?"

"No, I thought it best to wait for her to wake up in privacy and summon me."

"She woke up early this morning, she's fine."

Jorah looked straight ahead stoically. He knew what it meant but said nothing about it. He went back to the tent that had been set up for him, not knowing what else to do with his day.