Game of Thrones: Of Lions and Roses
Chapter 5 of my Game of Thrones story, enjoy.
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Now onto the story.
Disclaimer: Game of Thrones belongs to George R.R. Martin.
Daenerys
Daenerys Targaryen sighed as she observed the city from where she stood. Meereen had not fallen as quickly as the other two cities; Yunkai and Astapor. Yet it had fallen; but at what cost.
'So many dead and I still have a strange feeling of disquiet.' She thought to herself; tensing as she heard the roars from behind her. 'I still haven't been able to determine what is wrong with my dragons either.'
They had become more and more restless lately; she had expected them to become more aggressive as they got older; but she hadn't anticipated anything like this. It had been hard to control them during the battle too; she was trying to preserve the city as much as possible, but her dragons seemed to want to raze it to the ground.
She shook her head. 'I have so many other problems too; I still cannot believe the treachery I had to face…Even with that prophecy, to think it would be Jorah…and Ser Barristan. But even now; things have changed regarding that at least.'
She was still saddened at having to send Ser Jorah away; but his actions told her he hadn't earned her forgiveness. Unlike Ser Barristan who, rather than arrogantly assume his role in bringing down Meereen was enough, threw himself at her mercy. As a result Ser Barristan was now a loyal knight to her, potentially fulfilling the role Ser Jorah had beforehand.
She sighed and, ensuring that her dragons were taken care of; she descended down into the city. As she came down she came across Ser Barristan, who bowed when he saw her.
"Your Grace." He greeted her; with a new reverence.
Dany smiled gently. "Ser Barristan; so…it is done, this is the last of the slaver cities?"
Ser Barristan nodded. "Yes Your Grace; they have now all fallen under your control."
Dany nodded, still feeling the lingering sadness from the losses they suffered, the losses everyone suffered.
'All this, due to the slavers refusing to give up on their slaves.' She thought to herself. 'This cannot be ignored; their actions; their cruelty to their slaves…it all must be stopped.'
Ser Barristan noticed her preoccupation, but knew he had to talk to her.
"Your Grace; we have been successful, the slavers not killed in battle have surrendered. Many slaves have come to you, grateful for their freedom." He remarked. "The question now is, what shall you do next?"
Dany shook her head. "I cannot just abandon this place…There have been troubles in the other cities that I have conquered. I must stay here and rule them, it is the only way to resolve these issues, as well as prepare myself for my true role, ruling the Seven Kingdoms."
Ser Barristan nodded; accepting that her decision was their best choice overall.
Daenerys sighed as she sat on her throne; she had worked tirelessly the past several days to remove the last signs of the city's history of slavery, much like the others. This included removing the statue of the harpy; abolishing slavery and punishing the slavers for their actions. Many of them had attempted to plead with her, but she had carried on with their punishment.
'They expected mercy, when they showed none to their slaves; they killed those who were of no further use.' She thought angrily. 'Well no more, they have paid the price for their cruel actions.'
She was now holding court in the palace; sitting in the throne, observing as her followers all sat around her. Some were talking amongst themselves; others were waiting for the court session to begin. The atmosphere was tense however; Dany was determined to get to the bottom of things, figure out what was causing this unrest.
"What news?" She asked; looking around.
Ser Barristan spoke quietly. "Your Grace, I fear we are facing difficulties. There have been…several murders around the city, all at night, all in secret."
She froze, shocked by this. "Murders?! Do we know any details about this?"
"Yes Your Grace." Ser Barristan said gravely. "It would seem that the murders are a group known as the Sons of the Harpy. It seems they are…resisting your rule. All those killed are people loyal to you, or offering you aid."
"This cannot stand." Dany gasped. "We must stop them, find them, somehow."
There were murmurs of assent from her allies.
She listened to reports regarding the status of her armies, meeting with emissaries from the other cities to hear on their status too. She heard also that the last of the slavers had been punished; meeting the end they had put many of their victims too.
'Poetic justice…' She thought to herself; yet something told her that she was wrong in thinking so, something she couldn't fathom.
She pushed the thought aside however, asking. "What news from across the sea, what news from Westeros?"
Ser Barristan spoke up. "If what we've heard is correct, the war there is in a stalemate. The North and Riverlands remain defiant to the Lannisters and the Iron Throne. Stannis Baratheon is dead…"
Dany started at that. "If he is dead then, if everything we've heard is true, the Baratheon line has no males left."
"No legitimate male heirs." Ser Barristan clarified. "But from what I hear, Robb Stark, still proclaiming himself King in the North, has legitimized the eldest of Robert Baratheon's bastard children. Perhaps their war will begin again, but…Even so, no move has been made yet."
Dany sighed. "So, we are still waiting for them to tire each other out? But still, the Baratheon's remain a threat to me?"
"We cannot dwell on this Your Grace." Ser Barristan explained. "Besides, we have issues closer to home to deal with."
Dany sighed but nodded, agreeing, there were other things to attend to.
So, straightening up, she spoke up again.
"What else do we have to deal with?"
Ser Barristan hesitated before explaining. "We have a visitor, the son of one of the great masters who was recently executed."
Dany tensed at that; her eyes narrowed. "What could he want…Show him in, let's hear what he has to say."
They nodded and finally her guest entered; she was shocked to see he was young, no older than her in fact.
"I bid you welcome." She greeted him carefully. "How may I assist you?"
The man bowed to her and spoke. "Your Grace…I, I have come to ask about my father; his fate…?"
Daenerys shook her head sadly. "I understand he was your father; but he was one of the people responsible for the treatment of slaves, he…"
"My father was different Your Grace." The man burst out. "He was one of the few who stuck up for the slaves. He refused to slaves to be killed just because they were too old or of no further use; but was always overruled…I grant you, slavery is wrong, he should have been punished for that…"
Dany froze, shocked by this; there was no hint of a lie in the man's voice.
"Please Your Grace, he died by hasty judgement, he did not deserve this, imprisonment perhaps, but death…?"
Dany felt as if her insides were writhing; how many more were there like this man's father. Men she had put to death, simply assumed they were all the same. She cursed herself for making such terrible mistake.
She shook her head; trying, and failing, to develop any words.
In the end, all she got out was a single word. "Gods…"
The rest of her court were whispering; all clearly shocked by this proclamation too. Some expressed doubts but in the end Ser Barristan spoke up.
"Your Grace, you could not have known he disagreed with the other masters. The best we can do is be more cautious in future." He explained.
The young man nodded. "Indeed, if it helps prevent further deaths…But please, I must request that he be given a proper burial."
"Yes, of course." Dany agreed.
She remained silent as the man left. She was still cursing herself; to have made such a terrible and, for others, fatal mistake.
End of chapter, hope you enjoyed it, read and review please.
Hope this was alright, Dany is pretty hard to write.