A Call to Monsters

by Fish on Land

A world where magic is shrouded in mystery, dangerous, a problem more often than a solution. What happens when a rather different kind of magic is introduced?

4. Chapter 4: Missandei I

Within the Great Pyramid that dominated Meereen, Missandei of Naath was talking to two dragons.

This was hardly the first time she'd done so. As someone who'd accompanied the dragon queen since the conquest of Astapor, she'd had many opportunities to interact with the dragons. But it was only today that the dragons had begun talking back.

"Where Mother go to!?" Rhaegal snarled, pacing around the room on clawed feet.

"Can't keep waiting here!" Viserion agreed. The cream-scaled dragon was scratching at stone wall with her wing-claws, apparently to relieve frustration. "We go out after her!"

The dragons spoke in a chaotic mix of languages: Dothraki, the Common Tongue and several different dialects of bastard Valyrian. They also applied grammatical rules inconsistently and pronounced words with various accents. It had thus proven difficult for anyone other than Missandei, a trained translator, to understand them.

Others were surprised that they can speak at all… but in hindsight, this makes sense. Her Grace often spoke to her dragons in Valyrian, and they understood that. The dragons have also had many chances to hear other languages during their lives: hatching among a Dothraki khalasar, then visiting Qarth and the cities of Slaver's Bay.

"She should be safe, she's with Drogon," Missandei said. She held out a plate with cutlets of smoked horse meat. "Her loyal riders are looking for them. Why not wait here and have some snacks?"

The two altered dragons grumbled, but they walked over and snatched up the horse meat. Missandei had learned quite early on that they still retained their dietary preferences from before, and the dragons had eaten horse meat frequently during their youngest days.

"Please try not to drop any of it on your clothes," Missandei advised.

Rhaegal tugged at one edge of her leather vest using the claw on one wing. "Easy without this, at all."

"It would be easier to not wear this at all," Missandei corrected politely. "But wearing it is what your mother would want."

Preparing clothes for the dragons had been a challenge. The dragons' massive wings meant that anything with sleeves was impossible, while their tails and scaly legs complicated lower-body garments. They'd eventually settled on a combination of Dothraki-style vests and shortened leggings with holes for the tails.

Getting the dragons to wear the clothes had been another challenge. Having never worn anything in their lives, they disliked having any fabric in contact with their skin. They'd destroyed the first few sets of clothing given to them with a combination of shredding and burning. In the end, Missandei had had to repeatedly emphasise that Daenerys did wear clothes and it might be a good idea to follow her example.

At least they accept it now… Though they'll need to be taught proper eating behaviour too. I doubt Her Grace would want them to keep snatching up food with their mouths.

But… will it be possible to teach them proper eating behaviour? They do not have fingers…

Missandei took in the dragons' appearance. They were both taller than most human women, with Rhaegal having a few inches of height over Viserion. They now had external ears, unlike their previous forms, and each ear consisted of three bony spines spanned by fin-like membrane. Horns poked out through the dragons' untidy hair—Missandei had decided hairstyling wasn't an immediate priority for them. Their teeth were now a human-like mix of incisors, canines and molars, but still jet-black like in their previous forms. Each of their wings consisted of upper and lower limb bones—similar to a human's upper and lower arms—four incredibly long digits with membrane between them, and a free fifth digit resembling a thumb. When their wings were fully spread, they spanned a width twice as great as their own heights. Their legs were covered with scales starting from the knee down, ending in large feet with sharp black talons. Tails grew out from their lower backs and hung down, often swaying in accordance with their owners' moods.

The two dragons were also clearly different. In addition to the differences in colour, Rhaegal was half a head taller than Viserion, and had a wiry build while Viserion was somewhat softer and more feminine.

And… they are also surprisingly beautiful.

The dragons might be crude and lacking any interest in self-care, but their natural looks would turn heads anywhere in the world. Indeed, despite their many inhuman features, Missandei discerned traces of Daenerys in their silky skin, long eyelashes and gorgeous—albeit currently messy—hair.

From all the tales I've heard, the same is true of those demons now in Meereen. Is this some magical quality, which was bestowed to the dragons when they were transformed? Or is it beauty somehow inherited from the Mother of Dragons, making that title more literal?

It is a mystery.

Rhaegal finished her current mouthful. "Grr… Missandei."

"Yes?"

"That thing outside," Rhaegal bared her teeth, "what was it?"

Missandei glanced out the window at the scenery of Meereen, currently obscured by sheets of rain. "This one is not sure. From what Ser Barristan said, she is an ally of sorts. She drove off the armies surrounding Meereen—your mother's enemies."

Viserion hissed. "But… something like it… shouldn't… can't be…"

Missandei took a moment to realise what Viserion was trying to say. "Do you mean 'not fair'?"

"Yes!" Viserion said. She leaped to her feet and waved her wings, apparently to emphasise her point. "Not fair! Shouldn't be!"

"Dragons should be… strongest," Rhaegal said, gnashing her teeth. "Should not… lose… to not-dragon…"

"This one doesn't quite understand, either," Missandei admitted. "Here's more snacks if you'd like."

The dragons quickly consumed everything else on the plate. Missandei went to the door of the room and passed the empty plate to the Unsullied outside, a silent request for it to be refilled.

Though even like this, their appetite is less than it once was. They used to consume entire sheep or goats in one sitting…

While their bellies were a bit fuller, the dragons were still restless. At this rate, they'd be demanding to go after their mother again. Missandei had to find some other distraction.

"Here is something called a 'book'," Missandei said, picking up one such object from a shelf. "It's about…" she checked the title, "the kinds of animals in the world. Would you like this one to read it to you?"

"Books… what's the need?" Rhaegar said. "Paper burns, easy."

"Paper does burn easily, but books can still be very useful," Missandei said. "Information can be written down in them. Other people can get that information, without having to talk to the person who made the book. Your mother likes to read books sometimes. Do you want to try it too?"

"Grr… something mother likes…" Viserion said. She looked closely at the book, then sniffed it. "Fine…"

"Then let's sit over here…"

They sat down together on a large couch, Rhaegal and Viserion on either side of Missandei. The dragon's hard and spiky bodies damaged the couch slightly, but that was minor in the grand scheme of things. At least the dragons knew how to sit now; teaching them that had been yet another challenge for beings who'd previously just rested on their bellies.

We must make quite the odd sight…

Missandei was an eleven-year-old human. The dragons, despite having shrunk from before, were still the size of adult women and thus dwarfed her vertically and—thanks to their wings—horizontally as well. Yet she was the one teaching them.

"So, this is a hrakkar," she pointed at a page with both text and a drawing of the animal in question. "Have you ever seen any before?"

"In the… big grass…" Rhaegal said. "Seen… when flying… But too small to hunt it… back then…"

"That 'big grass' would be the Dothraki sea," Missandei said. "And that's what these two words over here," she pointed at one line on the page, which described the distribution of the species, "mean: 'Dothraki sea'. Can you try to say them too?"

"Dof… Dothrak…" Rhaegar attempted. "Dothraki… sea…"

"Dothra… Dothrahi…" Viserion said. "Dohhh… grr, can't get it right!"

"This one is sure you'll improve with practice," Missandei said reassuringly. "Let's see what else is written about the hrakkar. 'A king of beasts, a white-furred variant of the lion'… That's something this one didn't know before. That means there are these beasts called 'lions', and hrakkars are just lions that are white."

Viserion was visibly confused by this. "If… hakkars… white… then are lions… not white? Are there… green lions?

Missandei smiled. "Perhaps there are. We should keep reading to see if that's the case."

They continued reading through the book, learning about animals that crawled, animals that flew and animals that swam.

I never had any sisters, only brothers. This is just like if I were teaching younger sisters of mine… aside from the relative sizes.

At one point, both dragons abruptly stood up and looked towards the nearest window. Missandei heard low growls.

"What is the matter?" Missandei asked. She couldn't see anything except the rain dripping down the window.

"…Nothing?" Rhaegal said. "But… just smelled…"

"…Imagination?" Viserion said. "It felt like…"

The dragons remained suspicious for another half-minute before reluctantly sitting back down. Missandei resumed reading to them.

Eventually, there was a knock on the door. Missandei went to the door. This time, the dragons followed her out of apparent curiosity.

It was the same Unsullied as before, now with a plate filled with mutton. Missandei expected the dragons to be focused on the food, but they were instead looking at the man bearing it.

"You…" Rhaegal said. "You, at the red city."

"She's referring to Astapor," Missandei explained.

The Unsullied, a Summer Islander who looked to be in his early twenties, blinked. "Yes, I was at Astapor," he said. "All of us Unsullied were trained there. It was where your mother freed us."

Viserion peered at the man. "Where were you?"

After Missandei translated that question, the Unsullied looked amused. "I doubt you would remember… I was one of eight thousand back then, all in identical armour. Still, I certainly remember you, noble dragons. You burned some of the Good Masters, as part of the liberation happening that day. For that, you have my eternal thanks."

"And this one's thanks as well," Missandei said. To the Unsullied, she added, "This one believes you may return to your duties now."

The Unsullied bowed and left. Rhaegal immediately turned her attention to the plate of mutton, but Viserion continued looking at the Unsullied until he turned around a corner and disappeared from view.

"…May this one ask what is on your mind, Viserion?" Missandei said.

"When… look at… male…" Viserion replied, shifting on the spot. "I feel… these weird feelings inside."

"…Do you feel like wanting to be around him more?"

"Hrrm… yes?"

Missandei maintained a level expression as she guided Viserion into enjoying the mutton too. As the two dragons argued with each other over who got the biggest pieces, the young translator found herself in a quandary.

I never expected this… kind of trouble to arise from the dragons.

Missandei might be a young girl, but she wasn't totally ignorant about such matters. When first captured as a slave all those years ago, her captors had initially planned to train her as a bed slave. Only her talent for languages had spared her that fate.

Is it still… mechanically possible… for such encounters to take place? Missandei glanced at the deep scratches Viserion had previously left in stone, and the tears both dragons had left on the couch. And even if it is… would it result in offspring? What would those offspring look like?

While puzzling over this, Missandei heard footsteps again.

Rhaegal looked up. "Smells different, this one."

The new visitor was still an Unsullied, but not any of the ones stationed in the Great Pyramid. Missandei recognised him as from Ser Barristan's retinue. His amber skin and red-tinted hair indicated Ghiscari descent.

"The… special guests have come here, and had dinner. Now they would like to meet the dragons," the Unsullied reported. He glanced at the two dragons. "Is it… safe for this to happen?"

Missandei turned. "Rhaegal, Viserion, the… being who—" saying they had been 'defeated' might cause trouble, "—fought you earlier is here now. Are you alright with meeting her?"

Both dragons began growling. This was something that had barely changed compared to their previous forms. The only change was their growls becoming softer and higher.

"…If you're not, then perhaps we should—"

"No," Rhaegal said. "I mean… we will meet her."

"Are you absolutely certain of this?" Missandei asked. "Your mother wouldn't like it if you started trouble now."

"We won't… start trouble," Viserion said, though the look on her face gave Missandei doubts.

They left the room, followed the Unsullied down a couple of corridors, then began descending numerous flights of stairs.

So many stairs in the Great Pyramid, with its thirty-three levels… Missandei complained internally. I suppose it is useful for keeping one's body fit…

After about ten seconds, Rhaegal complained, "So slow! How humans get anywhere like this!?"

"This one apologises," Missandei said. "You will just need to be patient."

"No, have idea," Viserion said. "Sister, pick up small Missandei. I pick up the male. Go faster this way."

The Ghiscari Unsullied looked nervous—a sign he was one of those regaining their emotions. "Wait, what did you saaaayyy!?"

The dragons picked up the two humans by wrapping their wings around the latter's bodies, then began racing down the stairs, taking five steps, possibly ten steps at a time—Missandei couldn't see due to the wing membrane blocking her view.

This is… we're..!

One part of Missandei wanted to scream in terror for hurtling through a dim, narrow space at such high speed. If the dragons ever lost their balance, they might survive a fall down the stairs, but their passengers likely wouldn't. Yet another part of her felt exhilaration.

S-S-Sometimes… I imagined… Her Grace taking me flying… on dragonback!

I never… expected… it to happen like this!

Whenever the dragons turned to take the next flight of stairs, Missandei was tossed around within Rhaegal's wing. She might already have broken bones if it weren't for that wing being surprisingly soft and elastic. Even with the cushioning of the wing, she still had to struggle to not lose the contents of her stomach.

I won't be able to last… much longer!

After what felt like ten or so flights of stairs, the Unsullied began shouting, "STOP, WE'RE ALMOST THERE, STOPSTOPSTOP!"

The dragons stopped at the bottom of one flight of stairs and set down their cargo.

"Could just said it once," Rhaegal said in an affronted tone, as if she herself hadn't done anything wrong.

Missandei and the Unsullied looked at each other. They had little in common besides being freed slaves, yet at this very moment, their minds were completely aligned.

"Alright…" Missandei gasped, trying to bring her racing heart back under control. "Let us… meet the visitors…"

The two humans took a few more moments to recover, causing more complaining from the dragons. Then they all followed the Unsullied's lead towards one of the Pyramid's guest rooms.

When they entered the guest room, Missandei slowed to a stop. She hadn't met these demons until now, only heard of them second-hand from others.

Missandei's earlier suspicions were confirmed: three of the four demons also showed uncommon beauty, yet in varying ways. One was dressed very conservatively in white and blue garments that covered most of her skin, giving her the elegance of a noblewoman. Another looked similar to the first but her grey dress exposed much of her limbs. The third… was best described as flamboyant, with hair resembling strands of gold, lots of piercings everywhere, large breasts and hips paired with a disconcertingly thin waist, and garments that showed it all off. All of them were staring at the door, probably due to hearing the shouting from just before.

The third almost looks… grotesque. Her waist looks too thin to be healthy, relative to her chest and hips. She's reminiscent of those colourful wasps back in the jungles on Naath.

Of course, Missandei wasn't rude enough to voice those thoughts out loud.

Then there's the fourth… Missandei looked at the giant flower bud… standing on its roots in one corner. According to Ser Barristan, there is a human-like body within those petals. Presumably, that too is supernaturally beautiful.

Aside from beauty, there are a number of differences.

The first three demons had horns, wings and tails like the dragons, but the latter two features were very different. The dragons' wings were enormous and existed in place of arms, while the demons' wings were a third pair of limbs growing out from their lower backs. The dragons' tails were scaly, thick and powerful—Missandei had seen Rhaegal accidentally break a chair leg with a casual swipe—while the demons' tails were smooth-skinned, thin and widened at the tip.

Finally, Missandei noticed that the first three demons had long and pointed ears, decorated with earrings in the case of the blonde one. It was minor compared to everything else, but it was more proof of their inhuman nature.

However, Missandei didn't have time to just observe. The dragons stared intently at one of the demons, who met their gaze without flinching.

"Greetings," Missandei said, remembering her duty. "These are Rhaegal and Viserion," she gestured at each dragon in turn, "children of Queen Daenerys Targaryen."

"I am Wilmarina Noscrim," the first demon said. "These are my daughters: Amelia, Elise and Colette."

Missandei had of course already heard these names from Barristan, along with other information. This was simply her chance to put faces to names. And on that topic—

"Rhaegal, Viserion," Barristan, who was also in the room, said. He was standing rather than sitting like the demons. "It is good to see you are healthy."

"We're not healthy, because of her!" Rhaegal snarled.

Barristan and the others looked both shocked and confused by the mix of languages, so Missandei translated, "She says she is not healthy, because of her. In this context, 'healthy' might be better phrased as 'alright'."

"I will apologise for the involuntary transformation," Wilmarina said calmly.

Now it was the dragons who looked confused, so Missandei had to rephrase this using simpler words. A translator's work was never done.

"In my defence, I was attacked first," Wilmarina said. "I tried to speak to you, but before, you did not listen."

"You came near Mother's nest!" Viserion retorted. Sparks came from her mouth, causing Barristan and the Unsullied to jump, though Missandei was already used to this happening.

"She says that you were the one who came near her mother's nest," Missandei translated.

Amelia, the golden-haired demon, stood up. "She was just trying to help!"

Wilmarina forced Amelia to sit back down using one arm. At the same time, Barristan stepped in between them and the dragons.

"Rhaegal, Viserion, please listen to me," Barristan said. "It's true she suddenly appeared outside Meereen, but she helped us all, including your mother, by driving away our enemies."

Rhaegal and Viserion still didn't look satisfied. The former said, "But, Arstan—"

"Arstan?" Elise, the demon in the grey dress, said. "Isn't your name 'Barristan'?"

"It is… I used to go by the false name of 'Arstan Whitebeard', and it seems Rhaegal remembers that…" Barristan explained. "Returning to the original topic: Rhaegal, Viserion. Lady Wilmarina has just helped Meereen, helped your mother. For that, we should all be grateful to her, not angry."

Missandei wasn't entirely sure how the dragons would respond to this firm rebuke. In the past—including as recently as this morning—they responded to challenges by becoming even angrier.

Yet the two dragons looked chastened by Barristan's words. Either one of them could crush this old knight with ease, even in their smaller forms, but they did not.

Being changed into this state has made them more reasonable… but that's not the only factor, I think. Barristan's air of authority helped him convince the dragons.

"Fine… but what are you?" Rhaegal demanded. "How you defeat us? How you turn us into… this?"

"That is a complicated story," Wilmarina said. She sounded quite tired. "As I already said to Barristan, my daughters and I come from a very different land…"

Missandei listened intently. She'd seen many things despite her short life: the beauty of Naath's jungles, slavers coming from across the sea to capture her and her brothers, people dying like flies, the fall of cities and the rise of dragons. But the demons' world of ubiquitous magic, all-female 'monsters' that could convert others into their own kind, and gods that routinely and obviously affected mortal affairs, was still new to her.

"…Now we find ourselves here," Wilmarina said. "All we want is to go home and reunite with our family. In that sense, we are like you two."

The two dragons took a while to digest this explanation. Eventually, Viserion pointed at Wilmarina using the claw of one wing, as a human might point with a finger.

"You. All of you can fly?"

"All of you can fly?" Missandei translated.

"…I, Amelia and Elise can," Wilmarina said, raising an eyebrow. "Colette cannot. She does not have wings."

"I just meant… three!" Viserion said, sounding annoyed. "Anyway! You say want help, then help us find Mother!"

After that was translated, Barristan said, "Viserion, I'm afraid Lady Wilmarina is quite tired today, after doing a lot of hard work. Tomorrow, perhaps."

The daughters of the demon in question looked indignant at even this date. Missandei decided to smooth things over by adding, "Your mother is with Drogon now. I'm sure she'll be safe even for a few days, or a few weeks."

Though I hope it does not take weeks to find her. Meereen may not last that long.

"You have now learned the truth behind what happened to you," Barristan said. "Do you have any more questions?"

The two dragons looked at each other.

"No," Rhaegal said. "If won't help us find Mother, then no more questions."

The two dragons stormed out of the room. Based on earlier conversation, Missandei suspected they didn't like being around the "not-dragon" who'd defeated them.

Then Missandei moved to go after the dragons, but Barristan put a hand on her shoulder.

"I will see to them now, child. After that encounter, I now have some understanding of how to interact with them. And…" he lowered his voice. "I am sorry for imposing such a difficult duty on you."

"It was not so difficult, Ser Barristan," Missandei replied. "But if it is your will, this one has no objection."

"Then in my place, please continue talking with these demons—or monsters, as they call themselves—and answer any questions they have to the best of your ability. Farewell."

Barristan left. Missandei and the Unsullied of Ghiscari heritage were now alone with the demons.

"Honoured guests, do you require anything else?" Missandei asked. The room had a table already packed with assorted snacks and drinks, but it was only polite to ask.

"Thank you, but this is more than enough," Wilmarina said. "Before this, we were also given a large dinner."

"Wait," Amelia said. "What's your names? Where you two—where are you two from?"

Missandei and the Unsullied shared surprised glances. Neither of them was of high enough status to be asked their names normally.

"This one's name is Missandei, honoured guest. This one comes from Naath, an island across to the south of Meereen."

"I am Razak," the Unsullied said. "I come from… the city of Astapor. It was also part of Slaver's Bay, also to the south."

There was some discomfort in Razak's voice. It might have been due to Astapor having recently been sacked, with all its people dead or driven out. Alternatively, he might have had bitter feelings towards the Red City due to receiving his harsh Unsullied training there. Perhaps it was a mix of both reasons.

"Well, it's nice to meet you both!" Amelia said, smiling brightly.

Missandei and Razak nodded politely.

"Missandei," Wilmarina said. "Before leading us here, Barristan mentioned that you were tending to Prince Quentyn."

"Yes, that was true," Missandei said. "This one gave him water whenever he seemed thirsty, and also milk of the poppy—a medicine to relieve pain."

"W-Wait," Colette said. Missandei found it quite surreal to hear a voice coming from within those petals. "Why do you keep… keep…"

"Why do you keep saying 'this one', not 'I'?" Wilmarina finished.

Missandei opened her mouth to reply, yet no words came out. Even though it should have been an easy question to answer.

"Many slaves, and former slaves, speak in this manner," Razak explained in Missandei's stead. "We are… trained not to see ourselves as people, and so not worthy of 'I'. Some of us have broken that habit, but not all."

The three younger monsters looked horrified.

"How could anyone do that…?" Amelia said, hugging her body with her arms.

"Not even treated as people?" Elise said.

Colette said nothing, just trembling in place.

Missandei had never heard the monsters' language before. It bore a vague resemblance to the Common Tongue spoken by Westerosi. However, it differed in several aspects of pronunciation, to the point that she doubted it had the same root as the Common Tongue.

It would be interesting to try to learn their language… though I can hardly request such a thing from them, especially at a time like this.

"That is the kind of world we're in now," Wilmarina said in High Valyrian. "Do you need some time to rest, girls?"

After some more discussion, the younger monsters decided to stay in the room for now. They now looked at Missandei and Razak with pitying expressions, something that made the former—and probably also the latter—feel uncomfortable.

"This one is in a better situation now, and hopes to break the habit soon," Missandei said, desperately trying to change the subject. "Did you have any further questions?"

"I would like you to finish your answer to my previous question," Wilmarina said. "You were tending to Prince Quentyn, but just now you were accompanying the dragons."

"Yes, this one was tending to him this morning, when Ser Barristan sent Rhaegal and Viserion here with instructions to watch over them," Missandei replied. "Thus this one ceased caring for the prince. For obvious reasons, the two dragons were kept well away from where he is." She looked down at the floor. "To be frank, the change in duties did not matter. Nothing this one did could save the prince…"

"That is not your fault," Wilmarina said softly. "In any case, I have already gone to see him."

Missandei blinked. "But… Prince Quentyn is resting at the very top of the Great Pyramid? And none of us in the pyramid heard any word of you going up there."

"I went out one of the lower windows and then flew up there directly, since there was no time to waste," Wilmarina explained.

Missandei glanced at the monster's wings and recalled that moment when the dragons had stood up warily. Clearly, they'd been able to sense their recent enemy flying outside the pyramid.

"And… from what I found…"

Wilmarina's expression hardened. Missandei could easily guess why.

So even miracles have limits…

"What's his condition, Mother?" Elise asked. "You still haven't said anything about it."

"Prince Quentyn… I've given him a barrier against infection, dulled what remains of his sense of pain, and slowed down his body functions," Wilmarina said. "With my current skills, that's all I can do."

That was met with reactions of disbelief from the younger demons. This confirmed Missandei's suspicion that they were quite innocent in personality.

"But… But you saved all those people out there!" Elise said. "Some of them had practically… turned into skeletons!"

"I could clear them of microbes, and then giving them water to rehydrate helped," Wilmarina replied. "Even then, the worst of them will take weeks to recover. But Quentyn here is a different case. The dragonfire has outright destroyed much of his body. No healing magic—that I'm aware of—can simply replace that. It's possible to redistribute flesh around the body, such as taking a little skin from elsewhere to heal a minor burn. But—"

"But there is not enough of him remaining to redistribute," Missandei concluded sadly. "Not enough to save him."

"But… But…" Amelia said, biting her thumbnail in thought. "Mom, what if we turn him into an incubus!?"

"That still wouldn't work," Wilmarina replied. "Even incubi, and monsters for that matter, have limits to self-recovery. He might well die just from trying to undergo the transformation—I've never heard of any cases of someone being transformed while so injured."

"A-Auntie Mary," Colette said. "If I… If I make a lot of nectar and feed it to him, or maybe cover his body…"

"Thank you for the offer, but it still wouldn't be enough," Wilmarina said. "Even if we combined all of these methods, I don't think it would work—the shortage of flesh is a fundamental barrier." She sighed. "Perhaps if your Auntie Sasha was here, she could do more. But this is my limit."

"I do not think it is anything to be ashamed of, being unable to save Prince Quentyn," Razak said. "Great Demon—"

"Do not call me that," Wilmarina said irritably. "I've heard it enough times today. At most, you can use the title of 'lady' that Barristan uses—and I allow that mainly to not discomfort him."

Razak hesitated. "…Well, Lady Wilmarina, you have already saved the lives of so many. I believe you have more than earned the right to retire for the night."

"But… But that guy is going to die at this rate!" Amelia said.

Razak looked pleadingly at Missandei for an answer. Missandei also had difficulty thinking of an answer.

For the likes of us, death is common, often inevitable. In previous days, as many as a hundred a night were dying in Meereen. We all knew this, but we continued our daily duties as best as possible.

"…There is just one possibility."

All eyes focused on Wilmarina again.

"I wouldn't be able to do it tonight," Wilmarina said quickly. "It may take me several days to perfect the technique. But if it works, it should be able to replace the lost flesh."

The younger demons cheered up visibly. Elise asked, "What is it!?"

"That will also have to wait," Wilmarina said, with a firmness that reminded Missandei of her own long-lost mother. "It's long past the time when you should all be in bed. I see no reason why being in another world should change that."

"Suitable rooms have already been prepared for you, also in the Great Pyramid," Missandei said. "I shall now guide you to them."

Wilmarina made a face. "We'll take those rooms for now. But in future, we will need housing outside this pyramid. I am not here to take the place of your queen, and it won't do for the citizens to see it that way."

"Thank you for your consideration towards Queen Daenerys," Missandei said. "I'll see what can be arranged in future."

"Before bed… can we see this prince first?" Amelia asked.

Wilmarina frowned. "His appearance… is even more horrific than anyone else we've seen today, and I include the dead in that. Are you sure you want to?"

"I must agree," Razak said. "I was present when he was being carried up to the queen's apartments. It…" he paused, clearly looking for a delicate way to word this. "It is a miracle that he has lived this far."

"Y-Yes," Elise said. She lowered her voice. "If we're not able to go home anytime soon, then… it's something we ought to see."

"Th-This time, I do want to see," Colette said.

"…Alright," Wilmarina said with obvious reluctance.

Missandei bowed. "Then we shall now lead you to the prince."

The three seated monsters stood up. Missandei now noticed that Wilmarina was slightly shorter than her two similar daughters. Meanwhile, Colette—who'd been "standing" all along—was shorter than any of the rest, at least in her flower bud form.

Missandei and Razak left the room with the monsters following closely behind. They began ascending the stairs.

"There's a lot of stairs in here…" Amelia commented during the second flight of stairs. "Just how big is this place?"

"The Great Pyramid of Meereen is the largest pyramid in the city," Missandei replied. "It has thirty-three levels, as thirty-three is a sacred number to the gods of Ghis. We are currently on the eighth level, when counting from the bottom and going up."

"Thirty-three!?" Amelia exclaimed. "Do you have to go all the way up and down every day!?"

"Not necessarily," Razak said, a hint of amusement in his voice. "Only those unlucky enough to have duties at the top, they are the ones who must climb all of the stairs up and down."

"And before today, nobody here could fly," Elise said. "This place could really benefit from a… a lift."

Missandei was thinking of asking what the demon meant by that, but Wilmarina pre-empted her. "A lift is a structure that can move up and down inside a building, to carry people between levels quickly and without effort. And, if you are curious, the lifts in our world function using magic, but I have heard of ones that do not use magic as well."

"That would certainly be convenient here," Missandei said. "But as we are using the stairs now, this one will take the time teach you about the layout of the Great Pyramid."

They soon reached the sixteenth level of the pyramid. "This level and the one above it are known as the heart of the Great Pyramid. They have a suite of luxurious rooms. Previously, King Hizdahr resided here."

"King Hizdahr… wasn't he married to your queen?" Amelia asked. "And now he's locked up?"

"Yes," Missandei confirmed. "Ser Barristan was the one to apprehend him. He and many others think the king had tried to poison Queen Daenerys to seize power himself."

The monsters began conversing about this in their own language, no doubt about the mess that was Meereen's leadership.

Some time later, they reached the thirtieth level. "Here are more luxurious rooms. Prince Quentyn and his friends had been staying here, prior to their… misadventure."

Razak snorted at that. "You make it seem an accident, little Missandei. No, those men knew exactly what they were doing."

They climbed two more levels. "This level contains the audience hall. In more peaceful times, the citizens would come to here to see the queen… and receive her judgements…"

"You miss her," Wilmarina said.

Missandei wanted to say something in response, but it took all of her focus just to avoid breaking into tears. She nodded quietly.

"We all do," Razak said solemnly. "All of us whose chains were struck off by her."

Finally, they came to the thirty-third level of the Great Pyramid, where the stairs terminated. There were two doors near the stairs: one grand and carved from rare sandalwood, the other somewhat humbler yet still with a sense of quiet dignity.

"This level contains the queen's apartments," Missandei said. "That door leads to the apartments proper. The other leads to what was once slaves' quarters. Now that the slaves have been freed, it is used by Ser Barristan, who is the queen's bodyguard. As you know, Ser Barristan is not here presently."

"And this Quentyn is in here…" Colette said. Missandei was still curious about just where the flower monster's voice came from. "Why… Why up here? Why not down… down where he was before?"

"Ser Barristan said that he'd crossed the world in the hopes of earning the queen's bed," Missandei replied. "He might as well be granted that… as some small reward for his efforts."

"But that bed will need to be cleaned before the queen returns," Razak said morbidly. "Well… you'll see what I mean."

Razak pulled open the door to the queen's apartments for Missandei and the four monsters to enter.

The queen's apartments were sumptuously furnished, though because of a recent reduction of maintenance, dust was accumulating in places. There were colourful tapestries and gleaming marble statues, but now was not the time to admire them.

They all gathered around the largest bed in the room. This was large enough to comfortably fit three people side by side. At the moment there was only one occupant.

The three younger monsters gasped in surprise. Wilmarina neither made a sound nor changed her expression. Missandei suspected that she had been just as calm when she'd first visited the prince.

"The dragons… did that to him?" Amelia said weakly.

"When he tried to steal them, yes."

Quentyn Martell had not suffered the burns that most people knew of, the superficial sort that only damaged skin. His burns extended into muscle and fat, exposing bone in places. No one who had not been told of his identity could possibly recognise him now. The sheets of the bed were badly stained thanks to touching his exposed body tissue, yet no one was going to complain about that, least of all the bed's absentee owner.

At least he still lives, if only barely, Missandei thought, watching the burned man's chest very carefully. His chest was rising and falling, but so slowly that a casual observer would think he was no longer breathing.

"It's why we were surprised by how much the dragons have changed," Razak said. "Their bodies have changed, of course, but their… the change to their minds is most surprising. Before, they would attack freely, often without warning. Six men were burned when we had to capture Rhaegal and put… her?... in the pit."

"S-Six!?" Colette gasped.

"None of those as badly as this prince," Razak said quickly. "They all survived. And with Viserion, the queen managed to trap her in the pit without any problems. But Drogon…" the Unsullied's eyes narrowed. "We never managed to capture Drogon. Nearly forty were burned in the attempts, and four died."

The younger monsters all looked even more horrified. This confirmed Missandei's suspicion that they were quite innocent in personality.

"That is why we are grateful for your transformation of them," Missandei said. "When the dragons first woke up today, they were certainly angry at first. Yet all it took was words, and the offer of food, to calm them down. Even the amount of food needed was less than before."

"…Were you present when they first woke up?" Wilmarina asked, raising an eyebrow.

"Yes," Missandei said. "For this one has known the dragons for almost a full year. There are some who have known them longer, but for various reasons, they are not in Meereen currently."

"That was incredibly brave. You had no guarantee that they wouldn't hurt you."

Missandei had seen countless horrors in her short life. And if she'd been reduced to a charred wreck by the dragons, barely clinging to life like Quentyn Martell… that would still pale in comparison to some of the things she'd seen.

But she decided not to mention that now. The younger monsters had seen enough horrors today, and she didn't want to add to the pile.

"This one was confident they would not hurt me."

After a few more moments, Wilmarina clapped her hands. "He will not recover from us standing around and watching. I think you girls have been watching long enough," her voice became as firm as iron, "and it is time to go to bed. You've been up non-stop for almost twenty-four hours."

The younger monsters quietly agreed and began moving towards the exit of the room. Missandei could see that they were greatly shaken by the experience.

Innocent indeed… Both in Naath and then in Astapor, I heard stories of wicked demons that lurk in shadows and prey on the unwary. I never expected to see some who are horrified by blood and death, more so than many humans.

Missandei looked at her own body. It was smaller than that of everyone else in the room, and indeed, almost everyone else in the Great Pyramid. Only some of the queen's cupbearers were smaller than her.

Not yet a woman, yet I can endure such sights. I managed to care for the prince for a full day and night.

…What would those on Naath think, if they saw me again?

While keeping these thoughts to herself, Missandei guided the monsters back down the stairs to their rooms. Two Unsullied—Ser Barristan had earlier ordered that only Unsullied be around the monsters—stood guard outside the door. They nodded towards Missandei's group and pulled open the door.

Once here, the younger monsters quickly deposited themselves on soft couches, clearly exhausted both physically and mentally.

"Then it is time for us to part ways," Missandei said. "If you have any requests during the night, you need only tell the Unsullied here at the doors."

"Wait."

Wilmarina, instead of going inside, closed the door. Missandei immediately deduced that she wanted to say something without involving her daughters.

"How would the people of Meereen react if I managed to heal Quentyn?" Wilmarina asked in a low voice. "Generally speaking?"

Missandei swallowed. Even the Unsullied guards showed a slight unease. They all knew what the answer to that question was.

"I would like an honest answer, whatever it is."

"In that case…" Missandei said. "The people of Meereen would not… object to you doing so, this one believes, but only because of the great service you have already done for them. That is generally speaking. Any specific people who could benefit from your healing might object, if you healed the prince instead of them."

Wilmarina considered these words for a moment. "I've heard that he and his companions are hated now, for accidentally releasing the dragons who then burned some of the city. How were they perceived before?"

"Most in Meereen knew little of them, this one believes," Missandei replied. "It was mainly those in the royal court who knew of them. And… most of that category looked down on the three Dornishmen, some even laughing at them. Only the queen and Ser Barristan were kind to them, but the queen still had to refuse Prince Quentyn's suit. And after the dragons escaped… knowledge of the Dornish visitors quickly spread. Often exaggerated, such as claims they released the dragons deliberately."

"I understand. Then I have one question left: what do the three of you believe I should do regarding the prince?"

The two Unsullied blinked in surprise at being explicitly called out. They hesitated to respond.

"This one believes… that if you are able to heal Prince Quentyn," Missandei said, "and if you can do so without neglecting any others, then… then it would be a good idea to. This one believes the queen and Ser Barristan would appreciate your efforts. Of course, the recovered prince and his companions would appreciate it as well."

"…If you desire my honest opinion, then I will say it," one of the Unsullied said. "I believe… it is not necessary to heal the prince. Your great talent in sorcery would serve the world far better if used on anyone in Meereen who hadn't brought their fate on themselves. But if you decide to heal him regardless, I will not object."

The other Unsullied nodded. "Said it better than I could. I agree."

Missandei sensed danger. It was something she'd grown very used to as a slave who had to avoid angering her master.

"…Thank you for your answers." Wilmarina said. "And… you did not know this, so you have done nothing wrong. But in future… do not, ever again, tell me that I am wasting my talents."

The blue-haired monster did not draw her sword, cast any visible magic, or even twist her face in rage. Yet Missandei and the two Unsullied, all of whom had abundant experience with danger, shivered at her ice-cold expression.

The first Unsullied bowed. "I-I am deeply sorry for giving offence! If my life will serve as recompense—"

Wilmarina let out a sigh and relaxed. "I have no need of your life, only that you do your duty in guarding this door. That is all. Farewell."

Without another word, the monster opened the door and went inside. The three humans left outside all slumped in relief.

"I had only heard rumours… about her rout of the army outside," the first Unsullied said in a voice hardly above a whisper. "Do we… know what her reason for that was?"

"This morning, Ser Barristan sent two messengers to this one," Missandei replied in an equally soft voice. "That first messenger passed on orders to receive the two dragons. The second messenger had more information, which Ser Barristan had learned in the intervening time. Apparently… she turned against the Yunkish alliance because of moral objections. Both with the rewards they offered her, and with the task they wished her to do."

"Moral… objections?" the second Unsullied said. "What, does she… does she think like our queen does?"

"She does talk and act much more like a human than… than the demons of the stories," the first Unsullied said. "Her three daughters, even more so."

The second Unsullied furrowed his brows. "But that… big flower?"

"The workings of monster reproduction are another mystery," Missandei said. "This one has heard that there is a human-like body in there, albeit with green skin, but it has only been briefly glimpsed."

"Maybe there's different fathers?" the second Unsullied said. "So the big flower's father is… someone, or something different to the father of the other two—"

He fell silent abruptly. This was presumably due to the aura of undeniable danger emanating from behind the door, one that Missandei could also sense.

"Well, whatever their relationship may be, she's clearly protective of them," the first Unsullied said quickly. "For the sake of Meereen, we must find out more about her and them. So that none of us…" he glared at his partner, "inadvertently cause offence again."

"H-Hey, it was just an idea… and you did it too!"

Had Queen Daenerys been here, Missandei thought she would be proud of these once-broken slave soldiers regaining their individual selves.

I hope Her Grace returns soon.

Missandei walked away. She wandered the Great Pyramid for a while before heading back up to the queen's apartments and sitting next to Quentyn.

Would things have been different if Her Grace had chosen Prince Quentyn instead of Hizdahr zo Loraq? Perhaps she would not have been carried off by Drogon. Perhaps the prince would not have been burned by his foolhardiness.

Missandei watched the prince's chest rise and fall. Over the course of a minute, she counted just a single breath.

…Yet the armies at our walls would have remained. Unless Her Grace could learn to harness the power of dragons, we would still have been at their mercy. And in this different series of events, perhaps the monsters would not have been summoned.

I should focus on what is, not on what may have been. The armies are gone now, many have been saved from the ravages of the pale mare, and the two dragons here are calmer. These are things to celebrate.

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AN: An interesting feature of ASOIAF is that its dragons have black teeth (and black bones). This is not reflected in fanart or the TV adaptations. I decided to include it here even after conversion into monster girls, since it's distinctive. I even went back and edited it into their description in Chapter 2.