The Dragon and the Hawke 59

Marion and Missandei spent a full day enjoying their reunion, and only emerged after the sun was high enough to be shining through their balcony. When they entered the throne room, they were met by Dany and Barristan, each with an amused glint in their eye.

"Hey guys," Marian smiles, "What're we planning today?"

"We are planning a series of new cities across the continent," Dany tells her, and waves for the pair to follow.

She leads them out onto the balcony that had been constructed for the Dragons after Drogon's affair with the wall. In the center was a table that had been set with a map of the known world. Dany gave Drogon a happy caress on the snout before turning to the map, "The level of discontent amongst the new citizens of my empire grows with each new city claimed."

Marian nods, "can't expect former masters and slaves to get on all that well. Hell, only reason Meereen manages half as well as it does is because we've killed most of the former masters."

"Yes, it seems the Sons of the Harpy were at least a boon in that way," Dany agrees, "We do not have to deal with this… passive aggressive attitude that has been adopted by the former masters of the Free Cities."

"Those names are way too ironic," Marian shakes her head, then raises her hands in surrender at Dany's glare.

"Ironic it may be, but the feeling that came with it was not," Barristan notes, "The Free Cities got their names by being unbent by the whims of any overlord. They were independant."

"And now I have taken that independence away," Dany tells her friend, "And so the tensions grow."

"And you think new cities will help?" Marian asks

"I do," Dany nods, then passes a scroll to the goddess, "Aegon has sent word that his army has finally managed to press through to Vaes Dothrak. It can be considered the Dothraki capital. He has captured it, the wise women of the Dothraki, and killed the new Khal of Khals, Moro."

"So he's won?" Marian asks.

Barristan nods, "Grey Worm is leading a contingent of Scalebound to help bolster the Prince's forces. When he feels confident that his men have a tight grasp of the land, he will return with Rhaegal."

"Good for him," Marian nods, then asks, "So I'm guessing the new cities are going to be put in the Dothraki sea?"

"Correct," Dany nods, "Yara is off assembling a team of prospectors to find the best routes through the land for road building. Once they are planned, we will begin spreading the word to our people."

"And you aren't telling them now because?"

"If we tell them now, there will be migration, but it will be chaos and everyone will think themselves entitled to a slice of the grass sea. I want order."

"Ah, okay," Marian nods, "So they'll basically be buying land and then moving there?"

Dany furrows her brow, "I had not thought of that. It is a good idea, but most of the people could not afford such an option."

"Yeah, but the people you want out of the cities are the former slavers, most of them are rolling in it."

"That isn't necessarily true," Barristan disagrees, "Jorah would probably have a better idea, but I do not think that untrained slaves truly cost much."

"Whatever the case, it is an option," Dany declares and waves her hand to silence the topic, "We are here so you can help us construct the cities."

"Me?" Marian leans her head back, "Why not get workers to do it? They could use the gold, and they'd probably love you for giving them the jobs."

Dany and Barristan blink at her, the Empress admitting, "I had not even considered that."

"It is a good idea, your grace," The old knight nods, "It would certainly lessen the number of our people making use of our shelters within the cities."

She nods, then shakes her head before looking at Marian, "And this is why I can't be without you for a month. You realize that your advice has been a you send for years, do you not?"

"A you send?" Marian furrows her brow, "What did I send?"

Dany closes her eyes, "Is that all you take from what I just told you?"

"No, but the rest of it is just insecurity talking," Marian tells her, then waves a hand at her, "You are literally the best ruler that I've ever met, on either of my worlds!"

Daenerys pulls herself a little straighter at the statement, "Thank you, Hawke, I appreciate that."

"I know you do," the former Champion of Kirkwall nods, "But that isn't why I said it."

Missandei takes the Empress's hand gently, "You are the light in a thousand suns, your grace. The people of The Maw may see my wife as their god, but you are their Empress. They love you, because it is you who has guided them into freedom."

Barristan nods solemnly at the favored advisor's words, and Dany smiles at the words and purses her lips, "Thank you, Missandei, for your words. And thank your wife when you catch up with her."

Missandei blinks, turns to where Marian had been standing, then sees that her wife had departed. She turns near completely around before her eyes land on Marian. The mage is stalking back into the pyramid, grumbling as she goes in frustration. Missandei gives a final squeeze to Dany's hand before she rushes after her wife, ignoring Barristan's chuckle as she passes him.

She catches up with Marian as the lady reaches the White Room, "And where do you think you are going?"

Marian turns back, eyes wide and a guilty look plastered onto her face, "Uh…. out?"

"Are you?" Missandei raises an eyebrow.

"No?" Marian leans back, giving the best surrender she can.

"Correct," Missandei nods, then she smirks, "At least not without me."

Marian's frown breaks into a wide grin, "you want to come with?"

"I do," Missandei nods.

"Great! Let's go!"

"And where exactly are we going, love?" Missandei asks

"I hear there's a mad alchemist in King's Landing," Marian tells her, "That's what I got from some of the Bolton men when I was talking to them, at least."

"The who?" Missandei asks, having never actually been very invested in the Stark storyline on more than a cursory basis as her friendships with Tyrion and Sansa required.

"Doesn't matter," Mairan assures her, "Point is, it could probably help us with our little… side project."

Missandei raises an eyebrow, "I would hardly consider our wish to bear a child of both our blood a 'side matter,' would you?"

Marian's eyes widen in horror, "Of course not, love! Never! It's the most important thing in my world right now!"

"Then let us be off," Missandei extends a hand for Marian to take, which the mage happily does.

And then the two of them are in a crater.

Marian looks around, "Huh, not what I expected, but at least there isn't a welcome party."

"You do not enjoy being welcomed," Missandei asks, then shivers from the unexpected cold that comes with Westeros.

Marian, seeing her discomfort, creates a coat for her. The Empress's advisor takes it with a smile and looks around, "This must be where the Sept of Baelor once stood."

"The what?" Marian asks

Missandei rolls her eyes, as much as she did not pay attention to the Starks, Marian payed just as little attention to the goings on of matters not directly affecting The Maw, it's people or its friends. As much an enemy as the Lannisters and their backers were, they were not a threat to The Maw, and would not be a threat to the Starks unless Stannis was defeated.

"Halt!" A voice shouts from above, drawing their eyes to a man in a golden cloak.

"Oh, it seems that you will be receiving your welcoming party after all," Missandei notes.

Marian snorts, "Me and my big mouth."