02
His footstep echoed quietly after him as he made his way to his sister's chambers. Viserys climbed the stairs with quick long strides, one arm holding the soft fabric of Daenerys' dress. A fine gift from their host, worthy of their lineage, it was a pity it would be wasted in a savage that had no appreciation for such a delicacy.
"Your grace," The guards stationed outside of his sister's room greeted him with a nod before stepping aside and letting him in.
The guards had been a new addition, one Illyrio had insisted on after Daenerys' multiple scaping attempts. She was unrecognizable as of late, she no longer shied under his gaze and refused to speak to him with respect, instead, his sister would met his eyes defiantly and would spat her words at him, short answers filled with venom were thrown at him as if they were knives. Fury stirred within him as she did so, the dragon in him poised to strike away her insolence and he would've of, had it no been for Illyrio's interference.
The magister usually stayed away from commenting on his disciplinary methods but with the wake of Daenerys' wedding fast approaching he couldn't allow, who he considered to be one of Viserys' greatest assets, to be damaged while they were so close of starting his campaign to reclaim his birthright.
"A pretty face adds value." The man had reasoned and both Targaryens scoffed at him.
"I do not see why a savage like the Khal would care about a few bruises." He looked at his sister, her fiery gaze set on him and he grinned, "As long as the important parts are still intact." He commented casually, looking her down and she resisted the urge to cover her body. Instead, she looked down in defeat.
Her scaping attempts had stopped shortly after that.
His sister was out by the balcony, gaze set in the horizon as the slaves readied her bath. Steam rose into the air as bucket after bucket of hot water were dumped into the large bath, a flowery smell rising from it.
Not for the first time, Daenerys stared out of the large window in her room, wishing more than anything she could leave this place. From her spot, in didn't looked like a big of a distance from the Bay. She could wait until nightfall and sneak out into one of the many ships lingering by the port and sail into the unknown and die by mysterious causes. She had contemplated running away many times but her Valyrian looks were a dead give away of her true identity and even if she managed to dye her hair, that would only turn her into a pretty woman with dyed hair. She wouldn't make it far on her own and if she managed it somehow, it wouldn't be unscathed and then what? She did no possessed any ability that could be of use for her survival, she had only held a bow once and even then, she was mediocre at best. Her college degree was useless here and none of her hobbies could be profitable without investment.
The talks about her upcoming marriage were the only topic of discussion between the Magister and Viserys, the candidate had yet to be decided but Daenerys already knew who would be the winner.
A deep sigh left her lips as she moved away from the window. Daydreaming didn't do her any good, she was stuck here wether she liked it or not.
Hearing her brother's footsteps, she turned just as he came to a stop by her side. His smile was unnerving, too cheery for someone who was about to sell his only sister for an army.
She was disgusted, but instead of voicing her true feelings she turned her attention to what he was holding.
He held up the dress, "A gift from the Magister Illyrio," he explained, eyes shining, "You shall be covered in gold and jewels as well. You must look like a princess today." He reminded her.
"I will." She nodded, taking the gown from his hands, "After all, it's my duty as your sister to help secure your claim to the the iron throne." She said, hoping she was a better actress now than in high school.
"One cannot claim whats already theirs." He practically hissed.
Ah, she had messed up yet she felt no fear of his reaction, Daenerys was much to valuable for his cause right now, he couldn't release the dragon's wrath on her and risk ruining her before the wedding.
Sadly, that didn't stop him from being rough, his long fingers circled her neck, his thumb caressing her pulse point, enjoying how fast and erratic it beat under his touch. His eyes searched hers, staring into them for a long moment before he released her, his left hand giving her a firm squeeze in the arm as a last warning.
She breathed deeply, trying to regain her compusure, "Of course, brother. I simply meant that I would do anything in my power to see you back home, sitting on the throne like the king you were born to be." She lied smoothly as if placating a child. It was easier to play pretend, follow the Magister example and whisper honeyed words to Viserys to keep him happy until she could formulate an scape plan that went beyond "leave the house, dye hair and run as far as you can." She wasn't that dumb, well, not anymore. Being a woman was already dangerous enough back in her reality, but here, being a woman and the last one from an almost extinct lineage at that, it was a death sentence.
And to top it all off it was only a matter of time before Robert Baratheon started to sent assassins her way because apparently a young woman was too much of a threat to his monarchy.
Pleased by her answer and unaware of her inner musings, Viserys smiled at her, making her skin crawl as he inspected her body carefully. "Yes, you should do just fine." One hand reached up to her chest and as swiftly as she could she grabbed his wrist firmly.
"I'm soon to be a married woman. You cannot keep taking such liberties with me." Her voice shook at the same time she met his gaze.
His snarky grin only widened as he looked her down, "Look at you, already talking like a married woman."
It wasn't said like a compliment.
He retracted his hand and she let him go, "Don't take long. You wouldn't want to leave your future husband waiting now, would you?"
"It would be rude." She agreed stiffly, body tense.
He said nothing, but the smile remained, his mood still high he made his way out, giving her one last look, his face suddenly darkened by shadows, he nodded.
She understood the silent threat, she wasn't allowed to fail, not like she had much of a choice though. She was stuck here until whatever force brought her into this fictional world got bored of her messing up the plot and decided to send her back. But until then, she had to stay alive, which proved to be a challenging task already and she haven't even set foot outside.
Why had she been placed into Dany's body instead of some background character? Gosh, she was already stressed and terrified by the future and all of the hardships she had yet to endure.
"Your bath is ready," one of the servants called from behind her as another came to collect the dress from her.
She was guided into the large tub and helped out of her robe before she sat down, hot water releasing her knotted muscle as she let out a sigh. A rough hand slid down her shoulder and she tensed involuntary, the fragrant smells of flowers itched her nose as the woman worked diligently in cleaning her body.
She tried not to think too much about it, she already felt weird inhabiting Daenerys' body, being touched by strangers during such a private time made her uncomfortable, even if she was aware they were just doing their job.
Despite her initial reservations, she was able to relax under the woman's touch, almost forgetting where she was, it was easy to believe she was back home, enjoying a day being pampered in a spa.
She sunk deeper into the water and came to the realization she wasn't mean to be trotting in the middle of the dessert under the blazing sun, following after the caravan not knowing where her next bath or proper meal would be. Fictional Daenerys' abilities to adapt and succeed in such an environment was one of the qualities she admired the most about her both in the books and the TV series, excluding her final moments, she was an exceptional woman that deserved more than what she got in the end.
However, she possessed none of those qualities and she doubted she would be able fair any better. Her diplomatic skills and quick wit were lacking to put it kindly. She would end up with a blade to her throat before she could even seal a deal.
She was regretting her choice of pursuing an art's degree.
Her lamentations were cut short as the servants, not so subtly, let her know it was time to leave the water. They patted dry her body before offering her robe back and motioned her to sit down in front of a vanity.
She avoided her reflection as must as she could, opting to inspect the vanity. Glass bottles of all sizes and shapes sat to her left and she grabbed a tall one, filled with an amber liquid.
"Oh," that was very nice, like anything she had ever smelled before, "What is this? It smells wonderful." She asked taking another sniff.
The one working on her hair stopped mid braid, brows furrowed, "It's spiced vanilla. From Dorne." She explained and resumed her work, brushing her long locks into behind her back and braiding two pieces in each side of her head.
The woman took a step back as Daenerys dabbed some of the perfume in her pulse points, her actions slow and calculated, she smiled at her reflection an unreadable expression in her eyes. She bore the mark of his fingers imprinted onto the soft flesh of her arms and neck, a reminder to never test Viserys' unstable temperament.
She turned to the woman, "Did you do as I requested?"
She nodded and Daenerys raised from her spot, the robe was removed from her and she stood there naked and exposed until she was helped into her wedding dress. She hated to admit that she had never felt anything like it, so smooth and rich against her skin and it would most likely end up ripped to shreds and forgotten in some unknown location.
"Let the show begin." She clapped her hands behind her back, fixing her posture and ignored the shared looks the servants gave each other at her odd choice of words. Daenerys took a deep breath before opening the door and sealing her fate.
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