Daenerys was not sure how she liked Myr. It was a walled city on the fertile heel of Essos, where the Valyrian Dragonroad connected it to the Sea of Myrth. Temples and Shrines of many gods could be found along the waterfronts and streets, with people flocking to them to worship the deities they represented. It was also considered among the most advanced of the Free Cities and was known for its arts and learning.
But it was also a Slaver City, filled with slaves who were made to work and bring riches to their masters and the city, riches they could never have.
It was also one of the cities Daenerys and Viserys visited many years ago while they were on the run from Robert Baratheon.
And now she was back again, though she hardly remembered her time here.
Viserys on the other hand did remember, and it made him fidgety and nervous.
"If this is a trap eunuch I will have your throats slit and your body fucked by dogs!" the exiled Prince seethed.
"I can assure you, my Prince, this is no trick. What we gain here will help you return House Targaryen to its former glory. Your nephew would be free as well and you may help him as he sits on the Throne and rules as his father would have, as his grandfather had."
Viserys inhaled deeply before he returned to pacing about.
"My brother never had much luck when it came to having children who shared his coloring. Rhaenys was Dornish looking as well. Aegon was young but his skin had something of a tan to it as well."
On the day Varys had appeared at Magister Illyrio's manse, it had been utter chaos. It was lucky the Magister had been able to calm her brother because Daenerys was not certain whether varys could have walked away with his life if Viserys had no one to stop him from trying to skewer him. Varys coming had caught Daenerys by surprise as well. She was not part of whatever planning Robert and his men did, so it wasn't a surprise that she was caught off guard.
After Illyrio had told Viserys that varys was the reason they were here and that Verys had been the one secretly flaming the Targaryen support in Westeros, Viserys had calmed enough to listen.
Which was when Varys revealed the secret about Jon Snow.
There was obvious disbelief, but in the end, Varys had enough to prove to viserys that Jon was Rhaegar's son. Somehow the man had procured a document of marriage between Lyanna Stark and Rhaegar. The Spider would not say how he got it, but Daenerys knew that it did not come through any easy means.
Which terrified Daenerys. The Spider had many connections, spread all across the continent. Like smaller spiders on a giant web that brought him information.
Viserys' shock and denial at the start did not surprise Daenerys. What surprised the girl was how willingly Viserys had agreed that Rhaegar's son should be the one to sit on the throne. It made no sense to Daenerys why her brother would just agree to it, why after fighting for so many years he'd simply bow his head and let Rhaegar's son come first. It did not make sense to Daenerys. But that did not matter, because as senseless as it was to Daenerys, Viserys had agreed and was ready to support his nephew no matter what.
"How long must we wait here in Myr? Why are we even here to begin with?" Viserys asked.
"As I said before, my Prince, we are to meet some very powerful friends here. Friends who could not meet in Westeros for obvious reasons. Myr has sailed the Narrow Sea for hundreds of years, so it would not be a surprise if people from Westeros were to visit Myr as well. These are men who have waited for the Targaryens to come back into power for years. They have yearned for it and are ready to give their blood for it."
Viserys gave a small grunt and returned to pacing in silence.
Daenerys threw varys a look, but the Spider only smiled.
"Once we get my nephew back, Dany will marry him. It was good of you to stop me from marrying you off to that savage sister. Very well done" Viserys said, and Daenerys only inclined her head. Viserys did not mean it as a compliment, merely spouting what was on his mind.
The curtains fluttered and all three sets of eyes moved to the young slave who'd just entered. He was but a child, no older than the Bran Daenerys had met in the viewing hall.
The child inclined his head and Varys' smile grew ever so slightly.
"They have gathered, my Prince, my Princess. Let us go meet them now" the Spider spoke serenely.
"Finally" Viserys muttered and pulled the hood over his head. Daenerys did the same but without the comment. To Viserys they were still fugitives and the Spider was here to make sure the spies working to fell them were doing their jobs. To be seen would spell a disaster and Viserys would lose his hold in Westeros. That was what Viserys thought since he did not see what Daenerys and many others had seen. He did not know that Robert Baratheon was no longer hunting them.
-x-
The streets of Myr were clean but littered with stalls of carpets and lace, glasses and lenses, and even telescopes. Myr was known for its glass and lenses the most, the most famous being the Myrish Eyes. There were also stalls of Pale Green Nectar Wine, Screens, Blankets, Mirrors and Tapestries.
"Once we take the throne, we'll have tapestries imported from here, custom-made so they can depict the story of House Targaryen, how a usurper made us suffer, and how our poor nephew has been kept in a cage up North."
Daenerys wanted to correct Viserys on that but chose not to. Jon Snow was kept in anything but a cage. Maybe his emotional growth was stunted because of his aunt, but he was living in anything but a cage.
Viserys stopped suddenly and with his stopped Daenerys.
"Look," he said softly, picking up a miniature dragon made of stone. "Did you know that Viserys the First had a model of ancient Valyria built when he was alive? It was lost during the Dance. Maybe once we return home, I start a model of one myself. Maybe the old sketches of Old Valyria were still there in Dragonstone."
"Maybe" Daenerys muttered. He almost looked child-like right now, so full of hope, youth, and an odd kind of innocence. It almost tugged at Daenerys' heart.
"My Prince we must not loiter" Varys spoke, making Viserys jump and almost drop the miniature model. Somehow the eunuch had changed his voice. Even the way he dressed completely changed his structure. He was in a mummer's troupe once, perhaps it was something he'd picked up on while with them.
Viserys put the figure back down and continued walking, following Varys closely while Daenerys stuck close to him. But her eyes took in everything.
Which was how she'd noticed the white sail of the ship that was sailing out as the trio had gotten close to the harbor. The twin crows carrying a crown over a red eye with a black pupil sent a shiver down Daenerys' spine.
"How much longer do we need to walk?" Viserys hissed.
"A little more, my Prince. The place isn't exactly secluded, but it would give us the privacy that we desire" Varys explained with a smile.
Daenerys did not understand how a non-secluded place could offer them privacy, not until she saw where the Spider was taking them.
A Temple of the red god R'hllor.
Daenerys froze on the spot, her eyes wide and heart racing. The Spider couldn't be stupid enough to trust these people, these pyrophilic maniacs…
"Daenerys stop wasting time" Viserys grasped her by the arm and dragged her in when she would not move.
It was as if the priests and priestesses were waiting for them. They all stood and watched, whispering amongst themselves. They all sounded excited.
"And so here you arrive" A dark-skinned man with tattoos over his left eye spoke with a smile. "All is ready for that."
"Then let us waste no more time" Varys lowered his hood with a smile.
"Where are they?" Viserys asked, a tad impatient.
Varys turned to him and the colour drained from Viserys' face.
Even Daenerys flinched at the coldness in Varys' eyes and the mirthlessness of the smile on his lips.
Two priests came up from behind and grabbed Viserys by his arms, while a Priestess gently pried Daenerys away from him.
"Unhand me!" Viserys kicked and screamed, but the priests did not let him go.
"You need not panic, this is for the good of House Targaryen," Varys said with the same smile. "You should rejoice, for your sacrifice would pave the way for the world to live on and for House Targaryen to regain their former glory."
Daenerys snatched her arm from the priestess and rushed to varys, while the priests took Viserys to what looked like a prepared alter.
"What are you playing at Spider?" the girl spat.
Varys' answer was to motion two slaves to come forward.
They came forward with a crate, which they opened to reveal three eggs.
"Illyrio had told you that he bought them from the Shadowlands of Asshai. Or well, he would have told you that" Varys spoke, his voice filled with a strange kind of boldness that made Daenerys' skin prickle. "But truth be told these belonged to my sister, and our mother before her, and her father before her. A family heirloom if you will. They were Targaryen too after all, dragon eggs were for Targaryens."
"What? You-"
"I would have thought you'd figured it out by now, Princess. I'm sure Jon Snow has figured it out. Or rather, Jon Stark. I hear Robert's naturalized him. Not a bad idea. A shame he took the Stark name and not the Targaryen. But it was probably for the best."
Daenerys' head spun, but her eyes were fixated on the eggs, one black, one cream, and one bronze. Those were her eggs. Her children would hatch from them.
"But- It's too early" Daenerys swallowed. "And we don't know how they hatched before!"
"We do," Varys said simply. "King's blood is a powerful thing, Princess. There is a reason why all blood magic years for it. It was why I was bought at such a high price all those years ago. Viserys would be the sacrifice that brings the dragons back and saves us all. You know this is the only way we have, the only proper way."
Daenerys bit her cheeks, watching as her brother was tied to the post. His shirt had been removed and he was sobbing. The priests were cutting sigils on his body, making him bleed openly.
"But the comet-"
"Won't be here for a while. But we have other ways to replicate its effects. There is a reason why I chose a R'hllor Temple for this."
"Leave it to us, Princess. The Lord of Light shall bring you back Dragons to fight he who dwells in the darkness. The Great Other shall stand no chance against the absolute champions of the light!"
Daenerys noticed Varys roll his eyes.
"Do I enter the flames as well?" Daenerys asked.
"You do. But not before you are protected from the flames" Varys cleared his throat and another set of servants, four this time, brought a crate forward. They placed it on the ground and removed one side of it. From inside a mad-looking old man stumbled out, wincing at the brightness in the chambers.
Varys procured a parchment from his sleeve and stepped towards the man, who flinched at the sight of him.
"You will recite that spell for the Princess" he held the parchment out to the man.
"Will I be free if I do?" the man spoke slowly. To Daenerys, it felt as if the man had not spoken in a long time with how much he slurred his words.
"Recite the spell" Varys hissed, and the man flinched again.
"What is that spell?" Daenerys asked, stepping forward to stand with the eunuch.
"The one the Maegi recited when she was being burned with the Khal" Varys explained.
"And you just knew the spell?" the Princess questioned.
"I read it off the Maegi's lips and memorized it. One of the many talents I possess" the Spider smirked.
"And are you certain that this spell is correct? That you have not made some mistake?"
"I am certain. I would not play with the life of the woman who deserves to be on the Throne the most."
Daenerys stared at Varys, hard.
Varys' smile turned warmer now.
"The realm would not accept a Queen now any more than it did when Rhaenyra Targaryen was named heir. But that does not mean you can't sit on the throne in all but physically sitting the Throne. A woman's allure is something not even the cruelest of men can avoid."
"Do you mean to have me seduce Robert Baratheon?" Daenerys scoffed. "He may no longer wish me dead, but he would sooner bed his whore of a Lannister wife than marry me."
"It is not Robert who you shall seduce" Varys smirked. "There is his heir."
"His brothers? One is married and the other is not someone who would find me interesting in the least."
"Stannis Baratheon is dead, and Renly Baratheon is all but ready to abdicate his position as heir. Robert will name a new heir, one that was born from the woman he loved and raised by the man he loves as a brother."
"Jon? He will name Jon his heir?"
"He will eventually. It is not important now. Robert is doing well as King, but he is not immortal. He will die one day and Jon will follow him to the throne. I will make sure of that, not that I need to do much to convince Robert to do so."
"But will Jon do it?"
"He will because he must. Jon Stark will see reason and he will accept. That is the kind of person he is."
Daenerys nodded, but she did not find much confidence in the plan. But her focus now was on her eggs, which were placed at Visery's feet.
The old haggard man began reciting the spell of the parchment and the priests began chanting their own spell. Suddenly Daenerys could feel the air around her vibrate, could feel her skin begin to feel as if it was being surrounded by something warm.
"The Red Priests are replicating the effects of the Red Comet with that spell. A powerful spell I will say" Varys explained.
"How powerful?" Daenerys asked.
"One that exacts a heavy toll," Varys answered.
Daenerys said no more.
The old man was finished reciting the spell and Varys encouraged Daenerys to move forward. Daenerys walked towards her brother, who was tied, bleeding, and sobbing. She took the torch from one of the stands in her hand and stared her brother in the face.
"I'm sorry" she whispered and thrust it at Viserys' feet.
The fire spread fast, and Viserys' screams echoed. A rising heat puffed at Daenerys' face and she stepped back from surprise. The Priests recited their spell in a shrill ululating voice as if they were singing. She could smell the odor of burning flesh as the 'pyre' roared, drowning out the sound of the Priests. Sweat ran down the back of her neck, down the side of her face, and the curve of her back. The flames looked beautiful, the most beautiful thing Daenerys had ever seen.
And then there was a crack, loud and sharp as thunder. The smoke stirred and whirled around her. Viserys' screams had stopped. Daenerys stepped into the flames and embraced them as if she were embracing a loved one.
The second crack was so loud and sharp that it could have broken the world into pieces.
When the fire died, at last, Daenerys was sitting on the cooling ground amidst the ashes and bits of glowing ember from what was her brother and the post he was tied to. She was naked, covered in soot, her clothes turned to ash, and her hair matted with the same soot that covered her body.
Yet she was unhurt.
The cream and gold dragon was wrapped around her left arm, and the green and bronze on around her right arm. The black and scarlet beats were draped across her shoulders, its long sinuous neck coiled around her chin.
As Daenerys Targaryen rose to her feet, the black one hissed, pale smoke venting from its mouth and nostrils. The other two uncoiled just enough and unfolded their wings. All three dragons cried in unison, and for the first time in hundreds of years, the night came alive with the music of dragons, surrounded by the corpses of the Priests who now lay dead, their lives forsaken to bring forth this miracle.