Waking up
Davos POV
Her Grace was too kind for this city. Seeing what the butchers and barbers who proclaimed themselves kings did to people were a hardening experience for Shireen and me. People starved on the streets. Children were forced into slavery, and women were raped and beaten regularly in daylight in front of everyone.
After the previous self-proclaimed king was killed, the city went into chaos, with men from every corner proclaiming themselves the city's ruler. We barely had men to keep the city's harbor and center safe. I wanted to leave as soon as possible, but her Grace was too kind. She can't avert her eyes from the evil that has consumed the city.
I blamed the red-haired man. If we had not found him, we would have gone to Queen Daenerys seeking refuge. Shireen could have lived a peaceful life as long as she gave up the crown. Yet this man lying in bed forced us to stay in this god's forgotten city. Maybe I shouldn't have helped him. He didn't deserve Shireen's kindness. All would have been better if he had died before we reached the city.
"His fever is gone. He will wake up at any moment," The healer said.
I didn't know how to pronounce her name. It was a miracle that she spoke in a common tongue. Only a few of the knights with us knew any Valyrian. I was surprised at how well Shireen knew it. It wasn't easy to learn. Yet, what does it matter? It would have been better if she didn't know, then we wouldn't have to stay here.
"You are overthinking, ser Davos," Her Grace knew me well. "Maybe it was fate that we saved this man, fate that brought us to this city."
"Your Grace, I can only stay by your side, no matter what decision you make," I couldn't say that she was wrong in trying to help these people. It would be wrong to leave after what we have seen.
"Thank you for your services, ser Davos," Shireen bowed lightly to me.
"It is my honor to serve you, your Grace."
"Your Grace," A man barged into the room. "An envoy from Yunkai has come. He demands that the city surrender to Yunkai."
"I will meet with the envoy," Shireen walked in front of me.
Sometimes it was hard to see that she was still a girl. When we walked into the meeting room of the palace we stayed, a man was waiting for us. He wore expensive clothes and shiny jewelry. He didn't even stand up as we entered nor greet us. Taking one look at Shireen, he only laughed and turned away with disgust in his eyes.
"I will not waste time with a little girl," The man spoke in a broken common tongue. "Surrender the city to the Wise Masters of Yunkai."
"I do not know what kind of people the Wise Masters are," Shireen replied. "But I don't think they are very wise if they do not even have proper etiquette."
"What a girl, with such a scarred face that even the lowest of the brothels wouldn't take in, know?" The man laughed. "The city belongs to Wise Masters. I only came there to tell you to leave before we force you."
"May I know the esteemed person's name?" Shireen asked.
"What would you do with my name? You bunch of savages need only to leave."
"I see," Shireen replied. "We will leave."
"At least you are not stupid as you are ugly."
I wanted to punch that man in this smug face. He drank the wine as he insulted her Grace. Yet I could do nothing. He was right. This wasn't a place we belonged. It would be better to leave before more bloodshed is spilled. Still, I knew that if Shireen left now, she would blame herself for the rest of her life for what would happen to this city, just like he blames herself for the death of Lord Stark and her father.
"We will leave when we want," Shireen said. "But you, on the other hand, will stay until we want. Seize him."
"You bitch do you know who I am?" The man yelled as the knights grabbed him and dragged him away.
"No, you have not told me, after all," Shireen replied and left.
I followed her, and as we walked further from the meeting room, I could see her shoulders tremble. I hated to see her like this. When every other girl would have broken crying over the words that vile man said, she instead stood tall and proud. But how much more can she take? These despicable men will not stop. Their greed will force them to attack the city. I don't want Shireen to see the bloodshed. She endured enough as it is.
"Your grace, we should return to your chambers," I said when we walked into the room, the red-haired stayed before I even noticed.
"I want to see him," Shireen replied.
"Your Grace, I don't understand why you care so much for him. He is a no friend of you."
"When I see his wounds and scars, I can only imagine how much he had to suffer, yet he is still fighting. You said he should have died long ago, yet he refuses. It gives me strength to believe that if he can still fight after suffering so much, so can I."
I couldn't reply to her, so I kept my silence. It was hard to console her when I was so weak myself. How could I give her strength to go on when she is the one who gives me a reason to fight? I have lost many, just like her. So, I will stay by her side and watch no matter what. Even if we lose and die meaningless death for strangers, so be it.
…
Edmure POV
Voices were everywhere. I felt lighter than before. After so long, I didn't feel splitting pain. Yet I was scared to open my eyes. I was afraid to see that man—a man who took my friend, no, my brother. Anger should have compelled me to open my eyes, yet the fear of what he will do kept them close. I was lost in my darkness.
"When I see his wounds and scars, I can only imagine how much he had to suffer, yet he is still fighting. You said he should have died long ago, yet he refuses. It gives me strength to believe that if he can still fight after suffering so much, so can I."
A young girl's voice broke through all the others. She was right; I had to fight, even if I was afraid, even if it would get hurt. I will have to fight no matter how badly my body is broken. I knew if I didn't kill that bastard, he would kill more people I cared about. I will have to stop him. So, I will set aside the fear and focus on my rage to give me strength.
When I opened my eyes, the first thing I saw was an old lady cleaning my body with a cloth. She had soft hands. Further in the room stood an old man. He had brown hair with some grey showing. His face was weathered by time, yet he held kind eyes while looking at the girl next to him.
The girl was no older than twelve. She had a square face and big ears. What shocked me was the greyscale on the bottom half of her left cheek that went through her neck. I knew only one person that is scarred like this, Shireen Baratheon. I wanted to close my eyes and pretend to be asleep to think about what was happening. Yet I was too late as the old lady saw me and yelled out.
"He is awake."
Shit, I had to think about what to do next. Did they know who I was, and that is why they saved me? What were their plans for me then? I quickly took a look around the room, finding only one window. The doors were too far away. There wasn't anything that could be used as a weapon.
"Don't worry, we won't hurt you," The girl talked to me in Valyrian. "What is your name?"
"My name is Oscar," I replied in Valyrian. If they didn't know who I was, there was no need for me to tell them.
"You spoke in common tongue previously. Are you from Westeros?" The old man asked.
"I was. It was for what felt like an eternity since I was taken away," I didn't know what they knew, but it was better to play along which what they believed to be the truth.
"We found you in the sea. What happened?"
"Storm hit the ship I was on. I used it to escape the ship," I replied.
"Enough with the questions. Let the man rest," The old lady said and shooed away the old man.
Shit, in what kind of shit did I get myself into. To see the daughter of the man I defeated and handed to the King to be killed. And it seems she saved my life. What kind of fate was that? Well, it was better not to look at a gifted horse's teeth. Now I needed to know where I was and how to get back home.
…
Astapor, knowing where I was, only brought more questions. Why was I so far away from home? How long was I on the ship with that madman? Why did he get me into slavers bay? Wasn't his plan to attack Westeros? I didn't understand anything. What should I even do? Should I try to find the madman now, or should I return home and prepare for him?
To return was impossible now. No ship went to Astapor as the port was blocked. The three ships belonging to Queen Shireen won't leave without her, and she had no reason to return to Westeros. I couldn't tell the truth. I didn't know what they would do with me if they knew who I was.
"Ser Oscar, you should be resting," Shireen would come to me every day to check on me.
"I am no knight, your Grace," I replied.
"I saw you kill a dozen men when you could barely stand," Ser Davos was always by her side.
"Killing doesn't make one a knight," I replied. "Everyone can kill, even a starving child if you give him a knife and tell him that you would feed him."
Shireen seemed to listen to my words attentively for whatever reason. I found out that she took it upon herself to protect the city, but chaos still reigned. Food shortage will start to show if nothing is done, and the darkest parts of people will begin to emerge. Soon Yunkai will come to claim the city too. It was a losing battle from the beginning, yet she still refused to give up. Just like her father, she was very stubborn.
"Word is spreading in the city that Yunkai will come to save them," Ser Davos said.
"They will only enslave everyone and sell them off," Shireen grumbled.
"The enslaved people do not revolt against their enslavers. Even when given weapons and trained for war. It takes an external force to break the shackles of slavery, your grace," I said. "These people are already slaves to their desire to live. Chains and shackles would mean nothing to them if they could be fed. It is a losing battle, your grace. I would suggest leaving before it is too late."
"I can't, and I will not," She said stubbornly. "Were you a slave, ser Oscar?"
"I was," I lied. "That's why I suggest leaving. Yunkai has more than five thousand soldiers they can call upon, which does not include the sellswords they can hire."
"We have three hundred men and half a thousand young men wanting to fight for you, your grace," Ser Davos informed us. "We barely can keep peace in the city with these numbers. To defend it against an approaching army is impossible."
"I went from Braavos to Volantis seeking refuge," Shireen said. "Every time they refused to look at me because of the scars on my face, I thought I had no place to go. No one would even think to help me. Yet there were people who begged for my help; if I abandoned them, I would be no better than those who refused me."
"I am sorry, your grace, but there is nothing to be done," Ser Davos held Shireen's shoulder as she started to tremble.
"No, there is something that we can do," I said. "We can fight. Even if we lose, we still can fight."
I didn't know what came to me, but I imagined Elia while looking at Shireen. If I had lost, would she have to travel the world, not knowing if she would find a place to stay ever again? Will she be hunted for her father losing? Part of me felt pity, the other guilty over what happened to Shireen, and she did save my life, so at least I could help her for a bit out of gratitude.
A.N. As always, If you want more, up to five advanced chapters, you can support me on pa treon. com \ ironwolf852