She dreamed about the lady again. Every night, when she and her brother would lay down their weary heads to sleep, she would dream about a beautiful lady with silver hair as radiant as the moon, garbed in a white dress studded with diamonds that sparkled like tiny stars, and who always had the kindest expression on her perfect and beautiful face. Every night, for the past 17 years, when she dreamed this particular dream, the lady was always holding her hand out to her, moving her lips and saying something which she could never hear as she was too far away. But, every night, in that dream, she always seemed to get a tiny bit closer, yet never close enough, as if something was still holding her back. Then, before she knew it, the dream ended, like it always did, and she woke up to see her brother next to her on the ground, still asleep.
Daenerys Targaryen looked upon the sleeping form of her elder brother, Rhaegar Targaryen. Like her, he was somewhat thin, mostly due to the sparse manner in which they had needed to live for the past 10 years. She remembered the day the servants had forced them to leave Ser Darry's manse after the kind old man had died. Rhaegar could have overpowered the servants, but instead, with dignity, he had gathered some food, taken Dany by the hand, and left. Since then, though they had been living hand to mouth, Rhaegar always made sure she ate enough, which sometimes meant he did not eat at all. He was always so kind. It made her feel guilty sometimes.
As she continued starring at her sleeping sibling, he began to rouse. She shifted back as he rose and turned to face her. The past ten years had not been kind to him; his face, while retaining a hint of its former unearthly beauty, had become more lined and thinner, and he had grown a short, silver beard. There were circles under his eyes, and his hair had become long, tangled, and messy, like hers. There were a few scars upon that face as well, courtesy of assassins sent to kill them, or when protecting her from street toughs. He bore it all stoically, even when people spat at him in the streets and called him the "Prince of Cowards".
"Good morning, little sister", he said, in a now scratchy voice, like he did every morning.
"Good morning brother", she replied.
Without another word, they took the other's hand, and they began to walk towards the market. As they walked, Rhaegar said, "I have a few coins I found last night. It should be enough to get you some breakfast."
"Brother, no. You have not eaten in almost two days, you need to eat. I feel fine." While not entirely true, he still needed to eat, since he was getting weaker.
Rhaegar looked at her for a few moments, and then sighed. "Very well. But, whatever I buy to eat, I am splitting it between us, no argument."
This time it was Daenerys who sighed. "Fine, just as long as you eat something, Rhaegar."
He gave her a small smile. "You looking out for me. What a reversal of roles." She smiled and laughed a bit in reply.
As they walked into the market square, many who saw them, specifically Rhaegar, either hurled insults, or worse, at him, or spat upon them. Through it all, Rhaegar kept his hand around Dany's and ignored all the jeers and taunts.
They came to a small fruit stall, where, though it cost them all of the coins he had found, they managed to buy two apples. While not the freshest, they were nevertheless filling.
As they walked down Essos' streets, Dany began noticing that some men were following them. They seemed like everyday street toughs, so Dany ignored them. However, after a while, she looked again, and saw the same men following them. She told Rhaegar as such, and he nodded, fingering a small dragon-hilted dagger at his belt, the only item that he had kept since the moment they had fled Dragonstone all those years ago. The two turned a corner on the street, only to run into more toughs. They were surrounded. Rhaegar motioned Dany to stay behind him.
The apparent leader of the small group, an large, ugly-looking fellow with small, piggish eyes, a large, bulbous nose that looked as if it had been broken more than once, and a mop of dirty black hair that looked more like an animal that had climbed onto his head and then died, smiled with a mouth full of dirty, yellow teeth, then spoke. "Well, well. Look who we 'ave 'ere lads. The Prince of Cowards hisself. " Amongst the jeers of his compatriots, he gave her brother a mock bow. "So, I do apologize for not lookin' my best, "your grace", but your arrival was rather sudd'n."
Rhaegar's grip tightened around his dagger. "I do not know what you want from us. We just spent our last bit of coin on food. We have nothing of value for you to take."
A second man laughed, in a more refined voice. "Oh, such manners. Alas, I do believe that there is something of value that you have, and that we want. King Robert has a hefty price on your silver heads" At this, he leered gruesomely in Dany's direction. She recoiled.
Rhaegar's hand gripped the dagger so tightly his knuckles turned white. In a voice subtly laced with wrath, he said "You will not lay a hand upon her".
At this, all the toughs laughed. "Oh really?" the refined one said. 'And do you plan to stop us?"
At this, he gestured, and one of the men reached for Dany. Rhaegar preceded to bury the dagger into the man's hand. The man bellowed in sudden agony, then all chaos broke loose. Two more men tackled Rhaegar, punching and kicking. Through it all, Rhaegar yelled at Daenerys to run. As she turned to do so, another man grabbed her by the arms. Instinctively, she kneed him in the groin. He let loose a groan, and fell to his knees. As she began to run, she was grabbed from behind and lifted off the ground. As she screamed, she saw Rhaegar getting beaten. Though he held his own, malnutrition for 17 years supplied him no favors against 3 healthier men. One tough knocked him unconscious. The leader then turned to her. "Now, let's have a taste of that highborn cunt, shall we boys?
As they threw her to the ground, and started tearing at her ragged clothes, she screamed, and one man hit her hard. Then, one of the thugs was suddenly bashed over the head with a flanged mace, the wielder of which was a large, muscular man with a scowl upon his face. Behind him were seven more men, all armed. They then went and proceeded to smash, bludgeon, and butcher the rest of the street toughs.
Through it all, Dany kept screaming, and then fainted. As she did, she felt the sensation of being lifted into someone's arms.
When she awoke, it was in a very soft bed, inside a large room with a small terrace. As she looked around in wonder, the room's door opened, and a man walked in.
He was probably the fattest man she had ever seen, with large teats like a women, a prodigious swell of a stomach, short, plump fingers upon which glittered multiple rings and gems, and a large, forked beard the color of ripe cheese. Upon seeing that she was awake, he smiled. "I am glad to see that you are alright Lady Daenerys. I feared the worst when Xorio and his men brought you and your brother to me beaten, half starved, and unconscious."
Seeing her wary expression, his round face softened. "Do not worry, your brother is resting comfortably in the room next to this one. As for me, you need not be afraid, for I am a friend."
Dany, having gathered her courage, spoke. "Who are you?"
"The man smiled again. "My name is Ilyrio Moaptis, and I want to help you."