Benjen
It was almost cute the way Ygritte hung over the side of the ship, staring at the fast moving water. It reminded him of his nieces and nephews and how, when they'd been babes unable to ride their own horses, they would still lean over the sides of the wagon despite Cat's complaints and feel the air on their face and squeal that they wanted to go faster. And just like with them he moved to stand near her, ready just in case her excitement caused her to fall overboard.
'Not that it would matter,' Benjen thought to himself as, with a splash, Steve suddenly burst up from the depths of the Narrow Sea, easily keeping up with the ship as he swam hard. Ygritte let out a cheer and the sailors that were manning the riggings all swallowed and glanced at one another before pretending that it was normal for a blue-skinned man to be able to keep put with a ship with full sails.
"That's my man right there, that's my man!" Ygritte exclaimed, clapping her hands together and turning away from the railing to smile smugly at Benjen. "Bet you couldn't do that!"
"I could not."
"Heh," she laughed before sticking out her hand.
"We didn't actually make that bet."
"I said I bet and you confirmed you couldn't do it. Thus bet made."
"That's not how that works," Benjen commented.
"Cheatin' crow trying to sneak out of his bet!" Ygritte accused before calling over his shoulder, "The crow's tryin' ta get out of our bet!"
Tormund instantly leapt to his feet. "You tryin' to-oooh." He swayed a little before sitting down with a thump, his sister smacking him across the back of his head.
"You ain't doin' anything lest I tell ya," Rahne warned, voice thick with scorn so that Benjen had to carefully listen to each word she said in order to understand her. "And you!" She jabbed a finger at Ygritte. "Ya pullin' that bettin' shit again? How many time do I have ta explain how that fuckin' works!"
"Language!" Steve called out as he suddenly leapt onto the deck, landing with a thud. He was completely naked and left already a large puddle of salt water at his feet as Ygritte quickly turned and handed him a rough spun towel that he began to run over his arms and legs.
"You're standin' there lettin' your floppy parts show off for everyone and you honestly are scoldin' me about language?" Rahne complained.
Steve merely shrugged. "You and Ygritte are always complaining that I shouldn't treat you like southern flowers. And I never quite understood why so many of you in this day and age are concerned with nudity. When I was growing up it was common to see smallfolks to lords without clothing."
"It's a sexual thing," Rahne commented.
Steve shrugged before working to get more of the salt water off his body before it frozen; he and Ygritte now had a chillier body temperature and that, combined with the winds, could cause the droplets to freeze if he wasn't careful. "Only if you wish it to be."
Ygritte licked her lips like she was a hound spotting a choice piece of ham.
Benjen turned as the man lifted up one leg to pat himself dry, Ygritte taking a step forward to obviously try and 'help him' which forced Benjen to grab her arm and drag her away. While she had been flirting with Steve when they'd first met him her transformation into an Other had caused her desires for the man to go into overdrive. Steve and her had come to some understanding that they could engage in such carnal pleasures, much to her delight and honestly Benjen's relief as he wouldn't have to deal with the two dancing about each other awkwardly.
The problem arose that with both of them being far more than human their fucking could become dangerous. The first night on the ship Benjen had thought they'd been hit by a storm only to learn later that it had been the two of them. As such Steve, seeing the concerned looks of the ship's crew, had sworn off sex until they were back on dry land. Something Ygritte wasn't happy with. Keeping her away from Steve was a full time job for the Ranger.
'Of course if she really wanted to there would be no way for me to stop her,' Benjen thought to himself as he led a protesting Ygritte over to Rahne who merely rolled her eyes before taking over distracting her while Steve, thankfully, began to pull on his britches. 'Sometimes I think she forgets just how strong she now is… that or she remembers and enjoys the game.' He leaned more towards the latter as he thought of it. Ygritte had a playful side to her; not like how much of Westeros was used to women being playful, where it was giggles and spinning about. No… her playfulness was sharp teasing and mind games.
As if sensing his thoughts Dolorous Edd walked up to Benjen and muttered, "She's playing all of you. Smarter than most realize. Most likely also plotting our deaths but at least they will be creative."
Benjen chuckled at that. "There is that."
Eddison Tollet had been selected to come with Benjen to round out the party that was hunting Steve's friend Bucky. A survivor of the Great Ranging and the treason that had seen many that had gone with Lord Mormont slaughtered, Edd had managed to get back to Castle Black only to find out that he'd been thought dead and his position as Lord Mormont's steward given to his friend Grenn. Edd had taken it well, joking he'd go back and let the mutineers kill him, but the Night's Watch hadn't been quite sure what to do with him. Finally it had been decided for Benjen to take him on the journey to Essos. Jeor couldn't go, as he was needed to keep the peace at the Wall, and getting someone like Thorne to go would have been a disaster with the three Free Folk who were traveling with them. Edd had been seen chatting with Tormund without looking disgusted and thus been selected. Much to the man's amusement as he commented that it would be nice to die too hot than too cold as he'd been expecting.
"You've noticed that she can speak like the rest of us 'kneelers', right?" Edd continued on. "Full words without cutting off letters like a butcher hacking off bits of meat or the King's Justice removing hands and cocks. She is putting on that rough accent… it sometimes grows heavier when she realizes she's been speaking too plain."
That made Benjen truly look over at the Black Brother. "That so?"
"It happens mostly when Steve is around. He makes her drop her guard and she'll begin talking like any woman South of the Wall. Maybe not with the breathy tones of some lass from the Reach or the Crowdlands but it is there." He reached up and stroked his chin. "Reminds me of some of the Mountain Clans I dealt with. They had women that would do that."
"You dealt with the Mountain Clans?" Benjen asked, surprised.
"What of it?" Edd said. "They are people, just like you and me. Get their throats slit by jealous lovers no different than you or I."
Used to Edd's darker sense of humor Benjen ignored the comment the younger man had made. "My brother grew up in the Vale. He told me all sorts of stories about the Mountain Clans."
"Ah. Yes. Those." Edd merely shrugged. "I wager they are little different than the tales told about the Free Folk. What was the one I heard… about how Spear Wives loved to lure men into caves, hack off their cocks, and then use the skin to make grips for their spears?" He turned to Ygritte and Rahne. "Either of you cut off a man's cock to use as a grip for a weapon?"
"Of course not!" Rahne shouted.
"Cocks make terrible leather," Ygritte commented. "Everyone fuckin' knows that. You want the belly… that is soft and supple."
"I once met someone that swore by the soles of a man's foot," Rahne said. "Of course it all depended on how black they were… too much at it was useless."
"I used a giant's breasts once," Tormund said only for that to cause his sister to begin yelling at him that he'd never done such a thing and he needed to stop lying.
"Think they are taking the piss out of us?" Benjen muttered.
"Could be," Edd stated. "Right now I think there is only one cock Ygritte wants and skinning it is her last thought." He glanced over at Steve who was nearly dressed, the sodden towel he'd used to dry himself off now running through his golden locks. "But the Mountain Clans… they aren't that bad at all. All the high born lords hate them but that's because they are a reminder that the lands don't truly belong to them. They are the usurpers… not that you should tell any of the lords that. Not if you want to live." He paused. "Though, considering what we are racing towards a quick death by a lord's sword might be better than Steve's brainwashed friend."
"Hmmmpf," Benjen huffed.
"But the Mountain Clans… they are just like us. The Lords of the Vale love to talk about how horrid they are. Violent raiders that will come and rape and pillage and kill any village they can find. Can't go to sleep at night without knowing that they are stalking just beyond the trees. My mum fell for those stories. Would tell me every night, "Good night Edd, good work, sleep well, the Mountain Clans will most likely kill you in the morning"."
"And suddenly so much more about you makes sense."
"Oh, I'm far more optimistic than my family," Edd said with a rueful smile. "But the thing is those lords… the only time they deal with the Mountain Clans is when they are out riding with all their shiny baubles flashing about. Plenty of good little Andals who want to rob them too." He scratched at his ear. "Might know a few lads who would dress up as Clansmen and going, er, shopping, if you follow."
"I do," Benjen said slowly, not at all put off by confession. As the vows said once one was a man of the Night's Watch any crime they had committed was forgotten.
"But the Mountain Clans… they are like you and me. Just do things differently, that's all. There were a few that my family traded with… I'm of House Tollet but on the lower end. Father's father's father's father and all that rot. Not like the Lannisters where even if you live in a house made of shit you still cling to that name like a gilded cloth. Knew that I was no different than the rest who lived in my village so didn't walk around with a stick rammed firmly up my ass. The Mountain Clans would come down to barter with us… it was a good system. They would have furs that kept us warm and we'd give them grains and fruits. There was one woman, must have been very pretty when she was young. If she had been highborn men would have competed for her hand. Anyway, she would talk to me just like we are now but Simon, he was the arrogant ass of the village, walked by suddenly she would began talking as rough as could be. "How are you today?" became, "'ow ar' ya's taday?". You know? And as soon as he was gone she'd get this smug little smile on her face." Edd nodded towards Ygritte. "She's the same way. Rahne too. Not quite sure on Tormund… he's a harder nut to figure out. Might be hiding his true self, might not. All I know is that you shouldn't underestimate any of them."
"Believe me, I get it," Benjen said. "And you're right… the Free Folk are smarter than most give them credit for. There are people below the Neck who believe that they are little more than grunting animals that figured out how to walk on two legs. Not understanding just how cunning you have to be to survive the Lands of Always Winter."
"Not that any of us are going to survive it when Thanos comes," Edd commented.
"Always a pleasure," Benjen said with a light scoff, Edd smirking slightly before ambling off. Benjen leaned against the railing, watching as the waters passed him by, and after a moment felt someone come and join him. "How were the waters?"
"Refreshing," Steve stated with a smile. "It reminded me of my childhood. Me and the other boys would go down to the docks and swim amongst the boats, diving under them to see how many we could pass before we had to come up for air. I was never able to get past one or two but Bucky? He was-"
Steve paused.
"Well, I suppose that doesn't matter now," he said with a far more flinty voice.
"Tell me about him," Benjen said.
"Bucky… he's powerful now. Whatever the Red Skull did to him it made him on par with me. But unlike me he has no problem going all out. I have to be careful if I'm fighting around normal people… not against them, just around them. A punch can send shockwaves out if I'm not careful, sending people flying through the air. If I stomp my foot too hard on this boat I could sink us. Bucky… Bucky can do all that and he wouldn't care that he was. We'll have to be careful when we are fighting him. Make sure that we keep people away. Otherwise he'll use them."
"Right," Benjen stated. "But I wasn't talking about that."
"Oh?"
"Tell me about Bucky. Not the Winter Soldier. Buck. I want to know about Captain Westeros' friend."
Steve let out a groan at that. "The guys would never let it go if they heard people calling me that! Say I was some Essosi Monkey trained to dance while someone beat a drum." Benjen smiled at that but made no room to speak, allowing Steve the time he needed. "Bucky was my first friend. My best friend. We knew each other since we were babes, playing on the floor while our mothers prepared whatever had been caught in the harbor. His home was as much mine as my own home, with a bed roll that was mine tied up next to his. He was always faster than me… stronger too. But he didn't mind that he had to wait for me to catch up. Many times he wouldn't even wait, choosing to go back for me. Always laughed about it when I complained. 'Just means I get to do it twice!'." Steve smiled at that, clearing thinking of at least one time in particular that had happened. "We got into trouble like any pair of scamps but it was worth the punishments in order to be at his side."
His smile fell and he began to pick at the rail with his fingernail.
"When the Casterlys took my mother my father sent my brother to the countryside for his protection. He knew that what he was going to attempt… if he were caught the Casterlys would wipe our family from the face of the earth. I went with Bucky and his father took us sailing. We traveled the coast for nearly a month and Bucky did all he could to get me to forget what had happened. I only learned later, when we were at the Wall, that it was for as much Bucky's benefit as my own; my father caught him the night after with a sword in his hand and drunk on rage, rallying the people to storm the castle. They would have been slaughtered… it was maybe 20 boys and a few drunken sailors who heeded him. But Bucky didn't care. He told me as much. He would have been happy to die if it had saved my mother. She was as much his mother as she was mine."
"I'm sorry," Benjen said. "I had no part in it… I dare say no one in House Stark did… but I want to say it nonetheless."
"And its appreciated," Steve said softly before continuing his tale. "When we returned and found that your ancestor Edwick Stark had declared my father King after King Caster Casterly I was naturally startled. I was suddenly a prince."
"I keep forgetting that," Benjen admitted. "Or I guess it never really occurred to me that you were Prince Steve Rogers."
Steve waved his hand dismissively. "And I appreciate it. When I arrived Bucky made a grand show in front of everyone of throwing me down in the mud and wrestling me. We were covered head to toe and everyone was staring at us in shock. And when I was pinned he looked at my father and asked if he had anything to say. He simply commented I needed to work on my form."
"That was smart of Bucky," Benjen stated. "Your people had just come from being controlled by a vile and cruel man… I imagine King Caster's sons were protected at all costs."
"They were. Two of them always complained that it was a crime that they had to breathe the same air as the rest of us, wishing that they could have some sort of bubble around their heads so that the foul air of the common people wouldn't touch the insides of their noses."
Benjen nodded. "I've met people like that. Heard of them too." He stilled his tongue before he mentioned just who he was thinking of but the way Steve's face twitched made clear he'd guessed.
His next words confirmed it.
"The Lannisters."
"Not… all of them," Benjen said, knowing what had happened to Steve's family, the line traced back to his brother, was a sore spot with him. "Jaime Lannister is a vain and arrogant man… but he is still a knight and a damn good one. There are the sons of lords who earn their spurs thanks to their father's money. Ser Jaime earns his through skill." It felt odd to speak kindly of the man, after all he had done, but Benjen was never one to only focus on the good or the bad of a person. He would be frank and true and, well, stark, about them. "I never heard of him raping a girl or taking advantage of the poor. He will be a smug bastard, yes, but some would argue that he's earned that right. He's the best sword in all of Westeros."
"Some of the men mentioned that," Steve admitted. "I do not like the rumors of him and his sister…"
"The queen… aye, I can't defend her. Cersei Lannister is a vain creature too but there is a coldness in her. Ser Jaime, he is a bird with perfectly cared for feathers. It can still hunt but it doesn't mind showing off splashes of color. His sister though… when I went to Harrenhal once-" Steve didn't ask about Harrenhal though Benjen made a note that he should tell him about it, as well as other important places in Westeros, "-I saw a Dornish Knight who kept a great snake upon his shoulders as a pet. It was very smooth in its movements… careful with how it twisted this way and that. But there was a coldness in its eyes… like it knew that at any moment, if it wanted to, it could sink its fangs into the Knight's throat and kill him and there was nothing he could do about it."
"And then there is Lord Tywin," Steve said and for a moment… just a moment… there was a hint of the creature he truly was. "That foul rot that brought down the entire family."
"You won't hear me singing his praises," Benjen agreed. "That man never met a lick of honor he couldn't turn his head away from… or try and twist to his own benefit. He saw power as merely power and did all he could to obtain it. And we see now what that has wrought in his daughter and her children."
"Joffrey," Steve growled low in his voice. "I was wrong about Tywin being King Castor returned. He is the monster reborn. My brother and my father are raging in the afterlife that their line could fall so low as to create such a creature as that." Ice formed on the rail he was leaning on, forcing Benjen to shift. "If it weren't for the threat of the Court I would be sailing for King's Landing to snuff the lad out myself."
Benjen could feel the grief pouring off of Steve and couldn't help but speak up. "It isn't all bad," he stated. "There is the I…. Tyrion." He caught himself in time, knowing that due to Steve's father and his own short stature that the Lord Commander of the Knights of the Dawn wouldn't take too kindly to someone using the epitaph 'The Imp'. "He is a lecherous little man, no one will ever deny that. But he is also witty and clever. I found him good company."
"I suppose there is that," Steve admitted.
"And the Lannisters that aren't directly of Tyywin's family aren't terrible. I have heard good things about Kevan Lannister and his sons." He shrugged. "There is hope for them, I suppose."
"I suppose," Steve said, looking down and finally realizing he'd iced over the rail. He smiled sheepishly and waved his hand, causing the ice to crack and break. "What can we expect in Essos?"
"You would know better than I," Benjen admitted. "I have never left Westeros."
"Neither have I and my knowledge is thousands of years out of date."
Benjen grimaced; he kept forgetting that Steve had been asleep since the War of the Dawn. "Well… I suppose we will learn together then."
"Yes," Steve commented quietly. "I suppose we shall."
~MC~MC~MC~
Daenerys
Upon returning to Meereen Dany had made for her chambers where her handmaidens were waiting and allowed them to help her bathe. Which was needed for once; normally when she flew she burned away any dirt and grime that travel might bring, leaving her skin pinkish like she'd emerged from a warm bath. But walking on foot with Bruce had left her dusty and her handmaidens had been horrified by how filthy her bare feet had become thanks to her only having a robe. It was only because of the earliness of the hour that she and Bruce weren't spotted as they had entered the city proper and the Unsullied that had welcomed her had given her a cloak to drape around her body to hide how little she was wearing. That hadn't pleased the handmaidens though. They had descended on her like a flock of birds spotting scattered corn, ushering her back into her chambers to be scrubbed.
By the time she could enter the small dining chambers where she and her Small Council would break their fast she had been made a bit better though by no means the standard of most queens. But that is what Daenerys wanted; she had no need for flowing gowns and painted faces. Aegon had not needed to wear fine clothes to lead. He had led through this strength and Daenerys did the same. Thus she entered the room in leathers, a small sword on her hip and a basic crown of dull metal upon her head.
"Greetings," she said as Ser Jorah, Ser Barristan, Bruce, and Grey Worm all rose and bowed. Logan, Wade, and Domino remained seated, the former two barely looking up from their food while Domino merely smirked at her and gestured at a seat beside her. Dany shook her head at her antics but took a seat nonetheless. "Eggs," she stated to the servant that walked up to her. "And a bit of ham. Two passion fruits cut as well. Is your grandson any better?"
"He is, Khaalesi," the woman said with a bow. "We hope he will be able to return to his duties soon."
"Take your time," Dany told her. She wanted to tell her that the boy was a child and shouldn't be working at all but it had been Ser Barristan who had stressed to her that for many people they couldn't afford the luxury of having their children simply stay at home. The families need the coin that came from every person. She didn't like it and wishes she could do something about it but understood that it would take years to fix the system and even longer to train the people out of such habits. Perhaps an entire lifetime. So instead she merely said, "it will do him no good if he returns too soon and undoes all his progress ," before turning to her Small Council. "What should we discuss today?"
"There is another piece of food to add to the list," Logan grunted.
Daenerys shot Wade a look. "What now?"
"Nothing and I think I should be allowed to eat sausage links, bananas, and breadsticks once more."
She ignored him and turned to Ser Jorah. "Grapes."
"Grapes?" she asked, confused.
"He took two and dangled them about his head, saying they were like testicles."
Wade chimed in. "I SAID they were like balls and then showed everyone how to properly clean them with your tongue."
Dany took a long breath. Eight seconds in. Eight held. Eight out.
"Grapes are added to the list," she muttered finally, Wade not even bothering to complain or pout. "What else?"
"We continue to received messengers," Domino told her, pulling out a few messages and pushing them towards her, though she kept one for herself. Dany glanced at them as the servant returned with her food, setting it down before her. "Most are from the smaller cities and towns, who never fell under the domain of the Slave Cities. Most offer fealty to you but there are a few that refuse to recognize you as Queen of Dragon's Bay. They await word from 'The true Masters of Astapor, Yunkai, and Meereen' on how to deal with 'the Usurper'."
"They will be waiting a long time for Astapor and Yunkai," Logan grunted and Daenerys nodded her head in agreement at that; she had left both cities in complete ruin, stripped of all their wealth, and either absorbed their citizens into her Khalasar or killed them if they refused to bend the knee. She had refused to leave the cities and the Masters of them behind so they might plot her downfall and it seemed that had been a wise decision.
"Usurper," Daenerys muttered. "Long have I hated that word. It haunted me from the moment I could truly understand what it meant. The Usurper's dogs and his spies and his assassins always hounding me, always chasing me and my brother. It is not pleasant to have that title applied to me." She paused, looking out for the messages. "Do you suppose they chose that word on purpose?"
"I doubt it, your grace," Ser Barristan stated. "From what I have learned many of those villages are small… remote. The Seven Kingdoms are to them what the Seven Heavens or the Seven Hells are to us. They are such a foreign thing that they can not understand them. Nor would they want to."
"How many though called me, 'The Usurper'?" Dany asked.
"Four of them," Domino stated.
"Out of?"
"Six that refused you," Domino stated. "We received yesterday and this morning 19 messages supporting you."
"So not as good as we could have wanted but they aren't rebelling like they probably wished," Bruce said with a bob of his head.
Logan nodded, reaching over and grabbing a tankard of frothy black beer. "Yeah, and to get them in line we just send a few to show them why the old ways aren't the best ways."
Dany's mind however circled back to the term 'Usurper'. 'Four out of the six chose that word. Perhaps it is a coincidence. They simply chose that word because that is what they see me as.' She cut into her eggs, taking a bite as she chewed on more than the bits of yellow and white. 'I must be careful… paranoia is a dangerous thing. It is wise to be cautious but not when it drives you to madness.'
That had doomed her father.
Ser Barristan had, at her command, shared far more about her father and his legacy that she had ever been told before. Viserys had always been… cautious… when it came to discussing their father. She saw that now. He would speak of him as a good king who was betrayed by those that were supposed to be his friend but when it came to his deeds he was always vague. And there wasn't mention of him as a father. No anecdotes about him playing with Viserys or teaching him something. He was just… the king. A good king. And then Viserys would move on. She understood why now, with the information Ser Barristan had shared with her concerning her father. The man had become lost in his paranoia and his delusions, seeing threats all over. He trusted no one, not even his own family, thinking that they were coming to rip him off the Iron Throne. Until his delusions caused the very thing to happen.
So Daenerys understood that she couldn't let paranoia rule her.
And yet…
'Usurper,' she thought to herself as her Small Council discussed the best ways to deal with the small towns and villages that refused to acknowledge her rule. A show of force. Cutting them off from trade routes. Calling in debts. But Dany focused on the message. 'Did they know what it meant when they chose it? Or am I looking too heavily into it? It is silly… it is just a word… yet words have power, all the same. And I can't help but feel that this word was chosen because they knew it would rattle me. Make me compare myself to Baratheon.'
She sighed.
"I do not want to attack the towns if I don't have too," she said when there was a lull in the conversation. "But something must be done. And I don't believe if I tried to call in their debts they would actually pay. But the trade routes do offer a way. The Dothroki have long known that a starving enemy can not mount their horse. We will do the same to them. Send word to every villages and town that has sworn fealty to me that they are to not do trade with any that refuse. Those that have not decided will be given a month more and then they will find themselves locked out." She turned to Bruce. "Can you determine what we can do in order to make up for lost trade? I imagine some that are in rebellion provide goods that the loyal towns need and I will not harm them."
"Of course," Bruce said with a dip of his head.
"Any other messages, Domino?"
The dark skinned woman nodded. "We have received messages from the Free Cities. Many wish to know what you will do with Cain Marko."
Daenerys grimaced at that. "He remains a thorn in our side, does he not?"
"One that is rapidly becoming a sword," Ser Jorah stated. "I have talked with the healers… keeping him drugged so he does not escape his bindings is becoming more and more difficult. They have already been forced to move away from Milk of the Poppy and on to other, stronger medicines, in order to keep him asleep."
She hadn't liked it when the healers had told her that they would need to give what was in all others a lethal dose of Milk of the Poppy to the Juggernaut. She had warned that she didn't want to kill him but they had stated that with his size and what they referred to as his 'mutant ability' had made it so that what should have been fatal instead merely kept him down… and now they were doing triple that dosage.
"I still don't understand why we don't kill the bastard," Logan grunted. "Lop off his head and be done with it." To punctuate his point Logan squeezed his fist, allowing his claws to pop out.
Wade spoke up. "Drama. Would make things really boring if we took the easy route all the time. Chaos knows that if we did that things would be utterly boring people will stop paying attention. Already having too easy of a time with Dany being competent." He glanced at her. "Though if you begin hearing bells going off in your head telling you to burn cities to the ground maybe ignore those? I personally feel that is in character for you but I guess people that want you to be a princess from a fairy tale would get upset."
"…yes Wade," Daenerys said after a moment, not sure what else she could say to that strange comment. So instead she turned to Logan and stated, "Cain Marko is the brother of the current Sealord of Braavos."
Ser Jorah nodded. "Yes. Charlus' mother was the lover of Ormund Baratheon before his marriage to Rhaelle Targaryen. She eventually moved to Braavos where she became the second wife of the Kortis Marko." He looked towards Dany and stated, "But your grace, there is little love-loss between Marko and the Sealord. The Juggernaut was exiled from Braavos due to his attempt on his brother's life."
"That might be," Daenerys stated, "but the fact remains that they share a mother. That means something to people… I should know." She looked down at her meal. "I am the last Targaryen. Should I meet another I would want them to live. Even if they were my enemy." She looked up at him once more. "I will not decide his fate only to anger the Sealord for robbing him of his family. He has agreed to come here, has he not? He will decide."
"Perhaps he will not," a new voice called out and Dany's head snapped up as a figure in green strode into the room.
"Vkitor!" Daenerys exclaimed, a smile on her face as she rose.
"Your grace," he said with a dip of his head.
But Daenerys waved him off. "We both rule, Viktor… it will get tiresome if we both refer to each other as 'your grace'. Do you wish to sit? Have you eaten?"
"I will sit though I have eaten," the masked man said, moving to sit directly across from her.
He was wearing his usual garb that Daenerys was all too familiar with. Armor that covered him from his boots to his finger tips, a dull gray that did not shine in the light but rather allowed him to blend in with shadows. A long cloak of forest green with a hood. A tunic of the same color with a brown belt, a sword hanging from his side. And of course his mask, which covered his entire face save for his eyes and the opening for his mouth; both of which allowed just a glimpse at the scarring that forced him to wear the mask at all times.
Daenerys quickly began to wave her hand about, excited to see her mentor and friend once more. Viktor had found her when she had little and helped her understand the game far better than she would have if she had tried to do it alone. She knew he was a cunning and dangerous man but she was eager to have his council once again. "May I present my Small Council. You already know Ser Jorah and Logan. This is Grey Worm, leader of the Unsullied." The lean warrior merely dipped his head.
"You protector of the Khaalesi?"
"I am with my brothers," Grey Worm stated. "She saved us."
Viktor glanced at her and though he didn't say a word she could see the approval in his eyes. Yet another one of his lessons he had pressed upon her: give a man coin and they are loyal until the coin runs out. Save their lives and they are loyal forever.
"My aide and interpreter Domino."
"Pleasure," Domino said with a smirk.
"Ser Barristan Selmy, Lord Commander of my Queen's Guard, and his friend and my advisor Bruce of Tarth." She didn't mention that Bruce was 'The Hulk'. If Viktor hadn't figured that out already then she would delight in seeing his surprise.
"Selmy," Viktor said. "I know of your family well. Lyonel Selmy was a good man."
"My father," Ser Barristan stated. "Thank you. It is rare to meet those that remember him."
"The curse of time, I suppose," Viktor stated. "You finally found your honor again? Grew tired of bowing to that fat king?"
"Viktor!" Daenerys snapped.
But Ser Barristan nodded. "I did. Though it took his son to make me see he was a disgrace. I have served under several kings… I am hoping under a queen I will find the honor I thought once existed in the world."
"Hmmm," Viktor said, nodding his head. "Perhaps. Perhaps. Though it will require you to complete what you thought you had finished." Rather than explaining that odd comment he looked at Dany and gestured at her final companion.
She grimaced, praying that said companion would behave himself. "And finally Wade Wilson, leader of the Second Sons."
"And several other mercenary groups but whose counting," Wade said with a grin. "So I have to know is your dick also metal-"
Logan, who was seating next to Wade for just that reason, reached over and smacked him hard enough to cause Wade's skull to crack against the table. He fell bonelessly to the ground and Daenerys didn't even bother to look down, instead continuing to eat.
"He is like Logan," she finally said.
"…ah," was all Viktor could say to that,
Daneyers, rather pleased she had managed to leave him speechless, now focused on her Small Council. "I am pleased to introduce Viktor Vondam, the…" She paused. "Did you ever settle on your title?"
"No. I am merely… Doom." He said the word with such power and force, despite not raising his voice, that Daenerys felt as if a earthquake had seized the great pyramid of Meereen.
"Doom, Lord of Latveria."
"I haven't heard of Latveria," Bruce admitted.
"It was once called Qarth," Viktor stated. "But originally it was Latveria and I have returned it to its true form."
"Things are well there?" Dany asked.
"Very well," Viktor stated, a pleasant tone filling his words. "There have been some that have… not been pleased with the changed I have made. But they are far outnumbered by those that have seen that my rule is far better. I have shattered the old ways that had become chains. The past is a wonderful thing but not when it stifles the future. Qarth… the greatest city that ever was… gives way to Latveria… the greatest kingdom there is."
"You won't mind terribly though that I will competed for that title, will you?" Daenerys said with a smirk.
That made Viktor chuckle. "No… I look forward to it. It is so pleasing when two rules can war without shedding blood. Let our battlefield be commerce, infrastructure, and social elevation!"
Daenerys felt a fire burning in her that had nothing to do with her mutilation. "Then let the battle be joined."
"That's all well and good, bub," Logan said, cutting into the conversation, "but I doubt you left your pretty manse just to come here and talk over breakfast with us. So what brought you here?"
"Logan… always to the point," Viktor said. "I suppose you are right though. We should discuss why I am here." He leaned forward, resting his elbows on the table, fingertips pressed together as he looked at her carefully. "It concerns Cain Marko."
"He's contained," Daenerys stated.
"For now, but that is not the concern. The question comes of what will be done with him."
"I have contacted the Sealord of Braavos," Daenerys stated. "He is Marko's family… he will come and collect him."
"Which is the last thing you want," Viktor stated. "You can't be faulted for not knowing but you have reached out to one of the last people you want to be near you."
"What do you mean?" Ser Barristan asked. "The Sealord is known as a good man. Kind, fair, just. He offers sanctuary to the oppress. Has pushed Braavos even further into providing shelter and safe harbor for slaves."
Ser Jorah frowned. "Unless that is cover for something else."
Viktor though shook his head. "It is less the Sealord himself and rather those he surrounds himself with." And at that he looked right at Ser Barristan. "Maelys was not the last."
At once Ser Barristan went ramrod straight. "Yes… I know. But he was the last of the paternal line. The maternal line is not a threat…"
"Is it not?" Viktor asked. "You serve a queen now… she will sit the Iron Throne if you have your way."
"Her grace is different," Ser Barristan said stubbornly.
"Perhaps," Viktor said, not pressing the issue, "but that wasn't what I meant. Maelys was not the last of the paternal line."
"What do you mean?" Ser Jorah asked. "Maelys was, according to all reports, sterile. He bedded thousands of women and never produced an heir."
"It is not Maelys I speak of," Viktor stated. "It is Daemon."
"I'm sorry," Domino said, raising her hand, "but would someone explain to those of us who didn't spend every waking moment studying Targaryen histories just who the fuck Maelys and Daemon and other names that have AE in them are?"
Everyone looked at each other before, due to age and time spent in Westeros, it was silently agreed to allow Ser Barristan to tell the tale.
"After the Dance of the Dragons there came several Targaryen kings of middling quality. Aegon the III, the Dragonbane who ruled well but is not remembered fondly due to his cold nature."
Bruce spoke up. "Watching your mother die to a dragon and believing you failed to save your brother does that to a person."
"Next there was his son, Daeron the Young Dragon. He thought himself the Conqueror Reborn and died trying to wage war against… well… everyone I suppose. Then was Baelor the Blessed, who was either the greatest king Westeros had or the most mad…"
"Mad," Bruce said darkly, his eyes flashing green and a growl that sounded far too much like the Hulk entering his words. Daenerys had heard the tales of his cousin Brienne and the mad Septon that had condemned her to die a slow painful death and understood why Baelor and all his religious furor would annoy the man.
"And then his uncle, Viserys, the Crowned Hand, who died only a year into his reign and thus was prevented from becoming a great king. That… led to Aegon IV. Aegon the Unworthy."
"And," Wade slurred from the floor, coming around, "considering all the horrible things those that came before him did, it should be clear he was a real piece of shit to be the only one to get THAT title."
Ser Barristan nodded and for once no one argued with Wade. "Aegon IV was ruled by his desires. By the end there was no food he did not consume, no garment he did not claim as his own, and no woman he did not force to please him. There are far too many dark deeds to speak of with Aegon IV so I will only focus on the last: upon his death-"
"Rotting while still alive on a couch covered in his own shit!" Wade called out and Daenerys winced at that reminded of her less than pleasing family history. "Don't forget that! They say he had maggots growing in his arms and legs because he was so fat!"
"…quite," Daenerys muttered.
Viktor though merely stared her down. "Wade… you will tell Daenerys all you know of Aegon IV later on. Every vulgar tale." His tone was cold. "You do not become strong by hiding from the failings of your ancestors. You understand them and learn from them."
"…very well," Dany said, hating how he made her feel like a child while also hating that she knew he was right.
Ser Barristan continued on. "Aegon legitimized all of his bastards, allowing them to become House Blackfyre. And for five generations they haunted the Targaryens, waging war after war to claim the throne." He looked hard at Viktor. "And their line is dead."
"It lives," Viktor replied back. "Daemon Blackfyre had a son, hidden from all. He knew that there were plenty who desired his death and thus had the child secreted away. He lives now… Erik Blackfyre, known also as Magneto. He has married your cousin, Ravan Targaryen, and is lifelong friends with the Sealord."
"There… there is another Targaryen?" Dany whispered.
"The daughter of Duncan the Small and Jenny of Oldstones, born the same day as your brother Rhaegar," Viktor stated. "But do not go to her expecting a warm reunion. She is allied with the Blackfyres and works to claim Westeros. And you have invited their old friend the Sealord to Meereen to take possession of Cain Marko." He leaned forward. "Tell me Daenerys… having fought the man once can you imagine what would happen if Marko was swayed to ally himself with the Blackfyres?"
"He wouldn't," Daenerys said at once. "Marko hates his brother."
"The Sealord is said to be able to read the thoughts of men. To alter them from thousands of miles away. He could turn Marko into his puppet. Or worse." Viktor paused. "I am not the only one who is concerned."
"What do you mean?"
"Many in Essos have heard that you hold the Juggernaut. While he betrayed Meereen plenty believe that they would do different and be able to turn him to their cause. The Disputed Lands would finally belong to someone. Volantis could become Valyria born again. Pentos could wage war on Braavos and bring their enemies at last crashing down. Wakanda, the Dothraki Nation, and many others all worry about Marko… and desire him as well." Viktor gestured at himself. "I am merely the first to arrive."
"You want him then?" Logan growled.
Viktor scoffed. "Daenerys says that he is untamable and I know you not to be a liar, my dear. No… I would see him dead right now… but that offers its own threats."
"The Sealord," Dany said, thinking on her promise.
"And others," Ser Jorah stated. "We would be seen as working with their enemies, preventing them from gaining their prize… and they would declare war to regain their honor."
"You walk upon a thin board," Viktor told her. "And on all sides are shattered glass that will tear you apart should you fall. We must tread carefully. It is a puzzle that we must solve."
"We?" Daenerys pressed.
Viktor smirked behind his mask. "It is know that you are an ally of mine… your acts will find me judged. And war is not good for what I have planned. So yes… in this case… we."
"What do you suggest then?" Daenerys asked.
The lord of Latveria leaned back in his chair.
"Bring your enemies together where you can see them… and let them slaughter each other."