Elise looked out the window. While it was obscured by clouds, she could still see the sun as a bright spot through the grey. And the sun was now fairly high in the sky, suggesting it was now mid-morning.

Time to check on the growth of my cultures…

It was the morning after that eventful first day. Elise was still in the luxurious guest rooms on the thirtieth level of the Great Pyramid, along with her sisters. Her mother had gone out to heal the remaining humans with terminal illnesses, though not before setting up several defensive enchantments on the guest rooms, and warning the younger monsters not to leave for any reason.

Mother worries too much. This city is almost entirely humans, other than those two dragons, and even they've calmed down now. There's not really any threat to us.

Elise remembered the lifeless, bloody sacrifices in that pavilion, and she shuddered.

Just threats to the humans here… Really, how can anyone do such a thing to other people? Even children… even babies…

She wasn't sure how long she remained like that, quiet and still. Eventually, she snapped herself out with the reminder that standing still wouldn't help anyone.

Elise walked to her improvised culture room, an inner room with no windows. In the dark space were over thirty ceramic trays, each full of decay and growth happening simultaneously.

Now, how are they doing? Elise bent down and stuck a finger in one tray. This culture is decomposing its substrate faster than expected… but its growth is also less than expected.

The servants in the Great Pyramid had been instructed to grant any requests from their monstrous guests. They had certainly been surprised at Elise's request to bring samples of decaying matter—ranging from stale food to faeces of humans and animals—and mould of all kinds.

Elise tested another culture. This one… hrm. Its decomposition rate and growth rate are both less than expected. It's not a very healthy one. Still, it might have one or two other useful traits, which could be copied in more successful cultures.

Prior to coming to this strange world, Elise had studied the physiology of fungi that grew in the wilderness of Lescatie. That didn't perfectly prepare her for her current task: basic research was different to applied research, and wild organisms were different from those associated with civilisation. Still, she was better prepared for her current task than anyone else in Meereen, and quite possibly this continent.

What about this one? Oh, it's doing well in decomposition and growth!

…But that doesn't mean it's a success just yet. This culture might not produce useful products.

Lescatie, like other successful monster realms, had a circular economy, where wastes were processed into either new materials or into harmless substances that could be released into the environment. This was achieved in part using magically modified fungi, taking the natural decomposing ability and enhancing it to handle all the wastes of a modern magical civilisation.

With better sanitation, these people won't get sick so often. And any products I can make from this will help them in other ways.

Just need to do lots of experiments first… Don't want to make something pathogenic…

Elise continued her work. When she was done checking the condition of the cultures, she began planning the next round of modifications to try.

While the succubus was lost in thought, she heard a call.

"Mom's back!"

Elise left the culture room and made her way towards the entrance. Here she found her twin sister and her mother, as well as two particular guests.

"You're done, time to go now!" Rhaegal growled.

"Mother and Drogon out there!" Viserion snarled.

Elise found the dragons to be somewhat more comprehensible than yesterday, even if she still needed to make use of context to understand them.

"As I've said three times already, I will help you find your family again," Wilmarina said. "I just need a few minutes to tell my family first."

The two dragons didn't look satisfied by this response at all. They didn't press further, however, probably because Elise's mother had previously defeated them in combat, and that was with them in their primordial monstrous forms.

Elise shared a nervous glance with Amelia. While the two of them had known dragon monsters before, these were as civilised and peaceful as most people in Lescatie. The constant aggression of the two dragons in Meereen was… it was unsettling.

Wilmarina closed the entrance door and let out a sigh. At that moment, a different door opened, one to Elise's right.

"Y-You're going now, Auntie Mary?" Colette asked, peeking her head through the doorway.

"Yes," Wilmarina confirmed. "I've finished healing the Meereenese who need it most. I've also purified the city's wells, so there should be fewer new cases. Now I need to fly out and bring back this city's queen. But before that, how have you been faring in my absence?"

"I've made a good start to my research," Elise said. "There's quite a diversity of fungi here in Meereen, giving me lots of options. My first experiment should be done by noon, and then I can start my second."

"I've made a start too, Auntie Mary," Colette said. She still didn't come fully into the entrance room, presumably afraid the dragons might barge in at any moment. "I brought down cuttings, from the plants in the garden at the top of this pyramid. I've been looking at them, and I have ideas on how to, to improve them…"

"That's excellent news," Wilmarina said. "But don't feel you have to rush. I know you want to help these humans as soon as possible, but it should only be with well-tested ideas."

Then it was Amelia's turn to speak, and she flinched at becoming the focus of attention.

Oh… this might be a problem.

Elise's twin sister had always lived a carefree life, paying little attention to most of her subjects in school, fashion being the sole exception. And her current job wasn't very applicable for helping Meereen now.

I don't think it'd help if Amelia started selling pictures of herself in various poses and outfits. First of all, Meereen doesn't have the infrastructure for making and distributing pictures like that. Second, it'd cause a lot of social disruption. Third, Mother would absolutely blow her top!

"I've—I've done things too!" Amelia said. "I know you think I'm useless, but after refitting all the clothes we need, and escorting Colette to the garden and back, I've been talking to the guards at the door, learning more about this place, and their language!"

Wilmarina blinked. "That… is useful."

Amelia rolled her eyes. "Obviously I wasn't just going to laze around, Mom. I want to make a difference too, no matter what you think of me!"

"What I think of you is only—"

"N-No fighting!" Colette said, waving her hands and ivy around.

That calmed down the two succubi. Wilmarina said, "Amelia, I'm sorry… I should not have assumed."

There was a rapid series of loud knocks on the door, as if trying to break it down. Elise heard the Unsullied guards on the other side calling for patience.

"I must go now," Wilmarina said, sounding reluctant. She bent down and picked up two satchels lying near the door. "I'll keep in touch with you three via bracelets. You can also share what I tell you with trusted individuals, such as Barristan Selmy, and once I come across the queen, I plan to let her speak directly through the bracelets. That should help calm things in Meereen until the queen returns in person."

Wilmarina held out her arms and hugged Amelia, then Elise, then Colette, also kissing each one on the cheek.

"This is farewell for now. It shouldn't be more than a few days before I return." Wilmarina patted the satchels, which Elise knew to contain travelling rations and also possessions of Queen Daenerys. "Until then, do not leave these rooms. Can you promise me that?"

The three monsters agreed. Colette said, "Th-Then, can you at least let us see you off?"

"Of course. Though that would mean… letting them inside."

Wilmarina opened the door and allowed the two dragons to enter. She quickly suggested that they begin their flight from one of the windows here.

"Grr… makes no difference," Rhaegal said. She looked at Colette, who was valiantly trying not to retreat into her petals. "That one… how does…" The dragon seemed to be thinking of the right words. "How does flower move around?"

"That is something that can be explained later," Wilmarina replied. "Right now, we ought to be looking for your mother."

"And that's not fair!" Viserion said, stamping a foot on the floor. "Why only Rhaegal go!? Why can't Viserion go too!?"

"Because, as Barristan, Missandei and others have told you many, many times," Wilmarina said, no longer trying to hide her exasperation, "one of you must stay behind to protect your mother's 'nest'."

Viserion kept protesting and stamping her feet, causing damage to the purple carpet that covered the floor. She eventually relented, but she still looked upset at having to stay behind.

She's taller than I am, has the looks and general intelligence of a teenager… but her temper is that of a child.

"Then it is time to go," Wilmarina said, walking over to a window and opening it.

"Lost in fight before," Rhaegal said. She slapped a wing against her chest. "Won't lose in flying!"

"We shall see."

A succubus and a dragon jumped from the window and spread their wings. They moved away from the Great Pyramid and rose up, up, up into the still-raining sky.

This weather's not the best for flying… but I guess they don't want to delay at all.

Elise watched her mother and Rhaegal fly until they were no more than tiny specks. Soon, even those specks were completely obscured by the rain.

Amelia, Colette and Viserion naturally watched as well through the window. Even the dragon looked sombre now.

"…Mother, yours," Viserion said. "Can find Viserion's mother fast?"

"Yes," Elise said. She considered which words of High Valyrian to say next. "I'm sure she explained it to you already, but… there's magic to find someone using the… things that belonged to them, that they used a lot. Whenever someone uses a thing, like putting on clothing to wear, there's a magical… link between them that stays for some time."

Viserion grimaced. "Old monster explained… showed, also… still don't get it…"

"You just need more practice," Amelia said. "Anyway, let's close this window before more rain gets in and messes up the carpet."

They closed the window, though not without each of them looking out for one last time.

"So, what do you want to do now, Viserion?" Amelia asked.

Viserion looked down at herself. It was clear that she was still getting used to her drastically altered appearance.

That's something none of us have any experience with, Elise thought. Our mothers weren't always monsters, but they were humans before, so the change wasn't so drastic. Being changed from gigantic, barely-sapient animals into monsters… it must be jarring.

"…Go to Missandei again," Viserion said eventually. "Want to… Want to learn more."

"That sounds like a good idea," Elise said. "You can come back anytime if you'd like to talk to us."

Viserion walked out of the guest rooms. Elise was about to close the door after the dragon's departure, but then she saw the two Unsullied outside.

They have to stand there, for hours on end…

Elise quickly checked her own clothing. She was wearing a light green dress today, one of the outfits her twin sister had prepared in the morning. It had originally been a dress designed for humans, and Amelia had added holes for wings and tail, as well as adjusting the proportions to match Elise's figure.

No matter what I have on, I won't be a match for Amelia… Elise thought. But then, this isn't a field where I'm competing with her.

"Excuse me," Elise called out, causing the two men to turn their heads. "You've been out there for a long time. Why don't you take a break inside?"

"Our duty is to guard you, Lady Elise," an Unsullied said. This one had pale skin, fair hair and grey eyes. "My apologies, but we must decline."

Elise was hardly nobility—her mother had been born as such, but then firmly rejected that background. The only thing Elise had inherited from the former House Noscrim was the surname.

"If your job is to serve us, then this is an order: please come in here for a break. My mother has… guarded? No, protected this place using magic, so there will be no danger."

The other Unsullied, a dark-skinned man with a bald head and brown eyes, looked uncertain. "But… Ser Barristan ordered us specifically to stand guard here."

"You can guard us inside. I'll speak to him if he asks. Please, you can come in."

After a few more moments of hesitation, the Unsullied agreed. They followed Elise inside and she closed the door behind them. With the enchantments her mother had set up, it would take dragonfire or something similarly powerful to breach this door.

Amelia shot a knowing look at Elise. The latter could guess what the former was thinking: Didn't Mom tell you not to do stuff like this?

Ignoring her twin's disapproval, Elise said to the two humans, "First of all, what are your names? You might have told Amelia before, but I haven't heard them."

The pale Unsullied introduced himself as Rego from the Free City of Pentos, the dark Unsullied as Quhuru of the Summer Isles. They did not sit down or put down the spears they carried, not even when Elise insisted.

"We must not falter in our duty," Rego said. "If we were to sit or lay down our weapons, we would be delayed in responding to a threat."

"Just why are you so devoted to your duty?" Elise asked.

Rego and Quhuru exchanged glances.

"You don't have to say it if you don't want to," Amelia said.

Quhuru shook his head. "We are willing to say it. It's just… the tale may be too much for your ears."

These two Unsullied knew that the succubus twins had seen the battlefield outside Meereen, as well as the epidemic within its walls. To still think their history would be too gruesome to tell… just what had they gone through?

Elise and Amelia exchanged glances as well. Their personalities were quite different, but at this moment they were in sync. They didn't want to be ignorant of the world they were in now.

"…Yes, please tell us," Elise said.

"Go ahead," Amelia said. "Think of it like… like another way to teach us your language."

And so the Unsullied began their tale. They began by talking about their individual backgrounds. Rego's birthplace of Pentos was on the west coast of Essos, and it was a city of commerce where magisters—wealthy merchants—held de facto power. Quhuru's birthplace of the Summer Isles were in the tropical sea to the southwest, with each island being ruled by a prince or princess.

The two men had entered the slave trade by different means, though both were still boys when it happened. Quhuru had been on a ship that was attacked by a slaver ship. As for Rego… he'd been the fourth son of his family, an "unnecessary mouth" in his words, so his parents had sold him to slavery—technically outlawed in Pentos, but usually overlooked.

S-Sold by his parents!? How could anyone do that to their child!?

Well, there's Colette's grandmother… she abused Aunt Mersé to the point of taking out one eye, then abandoned her and Aunt Mersé's father…

Still… to actually sell off a child, like mere merchandise…

"Unsullied creation begins with the removal of… that which makes a man, a man," Rego said. "That part of us is cut away, then burned at an altar."

"It is for this reason that we Unsullied, now, can be trusted with guarding you," Quhuru added. "We do not have the desires of true men, so we cannot be distracted by your beauty."

It was already horrifying enough. Yet the tale was still far from over.

"Then, while still children, we began harsh training," Rego said. "Running while carrying heavy packs, climbing steep hills in the dark of night, walking across burning coals…"

"Burning what!?" Amelia exclaimed.

"Black rocks, which burn as wood burns," Quhuru explained. "That training was to sharpen our discipline—if we walked too slowly or too quickly, we would burn our feet. And those who failed any training were culled—removed from the recruits."

"How does that any of that help in making good soldiers?" Elise moaned. "Our mother never did anything like that! And she didn't start that young!"

Rego bowed his head. "I'm not sure about the training of monsters. But for humans, this level of training is not uncommon. Ser Barristan has said that knights do similar things… though they are not culled for failing."

"Squires," Quhuru corrected. "Ser Barristan calls knights-in-training 'squires'."

"Well, whatever they're called, they do similar training," Rego said. "It's just that they're not culled, and they don't have to do the… tests."

"Tests?" Elise said. "What tests?"

The two Unsullied looked even more uncomfortable.

"This is… even worse than what we have already said," Rego said. "Are you truly certain you want to know?"

Elise and Amelia then had to repeat their consent half a dozen times before the Unsullied relented. Even then, their words were slower, more halting. And they now avoided any eye contact with the succubus twins.

"The first test was to raise a puppy, a young dog, for a year," Rego said. "Then we were required… to strangle it to death… Any boy who… couldn't bring himself to do it… was killed… and fed to the dogs who weren't killed…"

That sent a chill down Elise's test. She could understand killing in the cycle of life, as well as killing livestock for food. But killing animals purely for some sick, twisted test was beyond the pale.

"And the second test… so that we earn our spiked Unsullied caps…" Quhuru said. "Was to go to the slave markets… find a slave who recently birthed a baby…" He grit his teeth. "Kill… the baby… then pay for the loss… pay the mother's owner… for the loss…"

Last night, Elise had had a nightmare. She'd dreamed of those sorcerers killing their human sacrifices, drawing blood from the elders, then the young adults, then the children, and finally the screaming, sobbing babies. Only the presence of family when she woke up had allowed her to suppress it and act normal.

Hearing these words brought the nightmare back to the front of her mind… only this time, she imagined Rego and Quhuru doing the grisly work. The two men had hands soaked to the elbow in crimson blood, and their faces were emotionless as Unsullied usually were.

"…There are about eight thousand Unsullied in Meereen now," Rego said quietly. "Made using eight thousand puppies, eight thousand babies, and… over twenty thousand boys, including the ones who failed in training, and were culled…"

Quhuru bowed his head. "Perhaps our presence now unsettles you. If you wish, we can speak with Ser Barristan. He may be willing to assign you guards that are not—"

Elise stepped forward and hugged the two men, causing them to gasp. A few seconds later, she felt warm hands brush against her arms, suggesting that Amelia had begun hugging them from behind.

"That's not it…" Elise said. "It's not… all this… it's not your fault! It was never your fault!"

The Unsullied blubbered incoherently. Having been trained since boyhood to be soldiers—no, living weapons, they wouldn't have been hugged like this for over a decade at the very least.

"L-L-Ladies…" Quhuru managed eventually. "You should not… this is not…"

"Proper!" Rego said. He seemed to want to push the succubi away while fearing to hurt them. "Not proper!"

"Maybe we should let go now, sis," Amelia said. "Just to make them feel better."

Elise wanted to keep going—not out of carnal desire, as was stereotypical for monsters, but because she wanted to keep showing these men they weren't just weapons, that they deserved to be loved. But she'd been raised to always respect the wishes of others, and so she took her arms away and stepped back.

The Unsullied showed a novel emotion now. Previously, they'd shown anxiety and guilt and similar emotions on their faces. Now, they were both blushing in clear embarrassment.

"Th-Thank you…" Rego said, keeping his eyes glued to the floor. "For that…"

Amelia walked around to Elise's side again. "It looked like you really needed that. So…" she rubbed her arms uneasily, clearly thinking about the Unsullied's past, "you told us how you became… Unsullied. But what about your lives before? You have to have some happy memories from then, right?"

"Well… a few," Quhuru said. "I do remember the greenery of the Summer Isles. It's a very different place from Slaver's Bay, with many trees and shrubs, and flowers of a thousand different colours."

"It sounds beautiful," Elise said. "Pardon me, what do 'greenery' and 'shrubs' mean?"

The conversation went on for a while, with Elise and Amelia learning more about this world. The former also learned more of the languages of this world, both Valyrian as well as a few words of the Summer Islander tongue. They were eventually able to get the two Unsullied to sit down, though the men still kept their spears close.

"…good place for trade, so Pentos gets ships from all over the world," Rego said. "From the other Free Cities, from Slaver's Bay, from Qarth, sometimes even from Asshai and Yi-Ti in the far east. Also ships from Westeros, or 'Sunset Kingdoms' as many Essosi call it. I used to sneak off to go to the docks and watch the ships, and their sailors, and all the different kinds of cargo they had." He smiled slightly, an expression that made Elise's heart flutter. "Once, I stole a pinch of this rare spice, from Qarth I think. Tried it… didn't actually taste that good."

"Spices are meant to be put on food, you fool," Quhuru said.

Elise found the current atmosphere to be uplifting. These two men had gone through horrors that no one should ever have to experience. But those horrors had not broken them completely. They were still people, deep down, and being freed from slavery was allowing them to start enjoying life again.

At one point, Elise went to another room to fetch a box of candied fruits, one of various luxurious snacks lying around. She took one and held out the box. "Do you want to try some?"

Rego shook his head. "Speaking honestly, I would like to try it…"

"But those foodstuffs are meant for you," Quhuru said. "Men of our rank do not deserve to taste—them!?"

Elise took out a candied fruit—one made from apple, to be specific—and shoved it into Quhuru's hand. She quickly did the same to Rego with a candied peach.

"If these are for us, then it's also our choice to give them to others," Elise said. She smiled widely.

The two men jumped in their seats and looked away, Rego also trying to cover his blush with his empty hand.

C-Cute…

Never got to see inexperienced men before… none in Lescatie, and they're rare in other monster realms as well.

If this keeps up… I may need to excuse myself from the room…

The Unsullied eventually began eating their candied fruits. Though hesitant at first, they soon were eating with relish, savouring every bite. They clearly hadn't been able to taste such luxuries for a long time, if ever.

…And seeing men enjoying themselves caused Elise to shiver in her seat. Amelia slapped her tail using her own tail a few times, but that only partly dampened Elise's feelings.

"So, you've told us a lot about yourselves," Amelia said. "Now it's our turn to let you know about us."

Rego and Quhuru straightened up. They were clearly curious about what monsters were like, yet too polite to ask.

"You've definitely been wondering about Colette," Amelia said, gesturing towards the inner rooms where the alraune was now—she hadn't shown her face ever since Elise brought in the Unsullied. "About why she's so different from us. We're sisters, but the truth is we only have the same father. Our mothers aren't the same. What do you call that?"

Rego blinked. "Half… sisters, I think. Then that means… her mother would be a stepmother to you, and your mother, Lady Wilmarina, would be stepmother to her. But wait… when you talked to us this morning, you mentioned she is a few years younger. How…?"

"Both our mother and Colette's are married to the one man," Elise explained. "As are four other women. Is that unusual here?"

"I-I-It is not common, but it does… happen," Quhuru said. "Usually wealthy men, they might have one wife and multiple concubines… ah, those are women with a lower status than the proper wife."

"Well, all of the mothers in our family are equal," Amelia said firmly.

"And… are the others… like your mother?" Rego asked. He sounded like he couldn't believe it.

"They're all monsters, if that's what you mean," Elise replied. "Most of them were once heroes… that would be a position like the knights of Westeros, I think. One is a princess of the country we live in."

"…Your father must be quite the impressive man, to be joined in matrimony to women of such status," Quhuru said with wide eyes.

That made Elise and Amelia giggle. Their father was impressive in some ways at least, being the main reason their huge family could stay together without any real fights. He was also impressive for being able to satisfy six powerful monsters in bed, night after night. But that probably wasn't what the two Unsullied were thinking.

"You could say that," Elise said. "For us, though, he's just a loving father—"

Then Amelia jumped in her seat and grabbed one of her gold bracelets—the left one which was enchanted for telepathy, unlike the right one which was pure decoration.

"It's Mom!"

Amelia pressed one of the gemstones on the bracelet, causing a voice to begin emanating.

"—alright?" Elise's mother asked.

"Yeah, yeah, we're all doing fine!" Amelia replied.

The two Unsullied looked at the bracelet with awed expressions. They were among a few who'd been told the monsters had a long-distance method of communication, but this would be their first experience of it.

"What about you, Mother?" Elise asked. "Did you already find the queen?"

"No, but it's a different type of good news," Wilmarina said. "There were ships upriver from Meereen, blockading it."

"Wait, what's 'blockading'?" Amelia wondered.

"It's a military term, setting up forces outside a location to block trade," Rego explained.

"That voice… aren't you one of the guards from the morning shift?" Wilmarina asked, her tone becoming hard.

"I invited the guards in, Mother!" Elise said. "Anyway, have you removed that blockade now? Is that the good news?"

"Yes," Wilmarina said. "Rhaegal and I forced the ships' crews to all get off. Tell Barristan to send ships with plenty of sailors upriver to retrieve the now-empty ships. They should be useful, since one of the city's current problems is a shortage of ships."

"We'll certainly do that," Quhuru said, saluting towards the bracelet. "Your good work is again appreciated, Lady Wilmarina, and Rhaegal!"

There was a growl through the bracelet. Elise supposed it was Rhaegal's acceptance of the thanks.

"My tracking spell is pointing us in a particular direction," Wilmarina said. "I expect we'll find the queen by tomorrow by the latest. Farewell, and stay safe."

The call ended there.

"The blockade ships not just being defeated, but emptied so they can be taken…" Rego mused. "It would've been impossible with the dragons in their previous forms."

"Not impossible, a skilled rider might burn one ship as a warning for the others to surrender," Quhuru suggested. "But it's certainly much more precise than expected."

"Those two are monsters now," Amelia said. "They can be just as careful as you or me… well, can be."

"Since they've been acting like animals for years, they'll probably need more time to learn…" Elise said.

The conversation continued for a while longer, but eventually the Unsullied stood up.

"My apologies, but we must return to our duties," Rego said.

"Thank you for… all the kindness you've shown us today," Quhuru added.

The two humans left the room again. Once they were gone, Amelia shot another look at Elise.

"…Didn't say this before, because those two did deserve a break. But Mom told us not to get too close to any humans."

"I know… but these are humans Mother trusts, enough to guard us!" Elise protested. "And by speaking to them, we learned much more about this world! It's something with only benefits and no downsides!"

"Yeah, but you don't want to stop at just talking, right?"

Elise had no retort for that. There was no hiding the obvious from her own family.

"…Please don't tell Mother."

"I won't," Amelia said. "What, did you really think I would? It'd be different if, I don't know, you planned to go into the city and fuck random guys, but these are guys even Mom trusts. Uh… I guess she trusts them because she doesn't expect them to be interested in you, me or Colette. Anyway! I think you're right, there's only benefits and no downsides."

Elise breathed a sigh of relief. "Thank you. Thank you so much. I owe you for this."

They went deeper into the guest rooms to check on Colette. They found the alraune in a sun-filled room with numerous plant cuttings in flowerpots.

"Sorry about going away just then," Colette said, looking up from her work. "Did the humans say anything interesting?"

Elise and Amelia brought their half-sister up to date. They skimped on the details of the Unsullied training process, but even the little they did say made Colette tremble.

Once Colette calmed down, they began talking about her own experiments with the plants. Colette had here cuttings from an apple tree, a pear tree, a persimmon tree, several kinds of citrus trees and several kinds of berry vines. Like Elise, she was still in an exploratory stage, analysing these plants and testing how they'd react to various changes.

"I don't think I can ever bring these to the level of the crop plants back home," Colette said, touching the foliage of the apple tree cutting with her fingers. "Some of those can be picked one day and fully regrow by the next day. But after enough experiments, I should be able to increase yield fivefold… or at least threefold."

"That would still be an excellent result!" Elise said. "The crop varieties back home were developed over many years by masters of nature magic. You shouldn't worry about not being able to match them."

"…I've got to do more too," Amelia said, hanging her head. "Already finished all the clothes. I could try talking to our guards more, but eventually I'll run out of things to learn…"

"Y-You don't have to feel like a failure," Colette said.

Elise winced. Due to spending so much time in her room, Colette wasn't very good with social skills like speaking tactfully.

"I-I-I mean, I just mean that none of this is your fault!" Colette added quickly. "If you want to do something else… um… the humans here have barely any magic! What if… What if you try making some basic magic items? Even those could be very helpful to them!"

Amelia cupped her chin. "Hmm… yeah, that might work. This morning, one of the things I learned is they have a lot of trouble keeping food fresh. They have to dry or salt or smoke or pickle food to keep it for a long time… so maybe…"

Amelia rattled off half a dozen suggestions. Elise and Colette shot down five of them for being too complicated relative to their effectiveness. Complicated magic both took more time to perform—making it unsuited for mass production—and required more upkeep. That left one idea that was simple—almost absurdly so—but should still work well to preserve food.

Noon arrived. Lunch was brought up to the guest rooms by servants—for security reasons, it was given to the Unsullied guards to pass on to the monsters.

One of the dishes was a plate piled high with a kind of greasy pork dish. Amelia ate more than half of this by herself.

Mother would certainly stop her if she was here… Elise thought. But I can start repaying my debt by keeping this secret.

Among the dessert options was a bowl of honey-coated locusts. Elise tried one, but it proved too spicy for her taste. Colette enjoyed the locusts, however. Elise contented herself with a fruit salad.

After finishing lunch, the three sisters went their separate ways again.

Elise spent the afternoon finishing her first experiment and starting a second one. For this experiment, she chose those cultures that had shown promise and repeated their mutations across a larger sample size, filling sixty-four trays with substrate and fungal spawn.

During free periods in the afternoon, Elise checked on her two sisters. Colette had also progressed to her second experiment. Amelia had enchanted six pots as a practice run.

"This is…" Elise looked at the runes carved on the inside of one pot, near the rim. "The pattern looks mostly correct." She ran her finger along the runes. "But based on the reaction when I put a little mana in, this wouldn't work properly for stopping air flow."

"By Lilith's tits—!" Amelia cursed. "I thought I did that perfectly! Ugh, guess that's what happens when I haven't done this for years, not since I learned it all the way back in school…"

Elise found two more pots to be similarly flawed. For the remaining three pots, the enchantment was effective for its purpose. However, these had a different issue.

"The enchantments on these three would be unstable," Elise said. "I don't think they'd last longer than… a few weeks? Amelia, you should try carving the runes more slowly and carefully, so you'll make fewer mistakes."

Despite grumbling at these words, Amelia picked up a crafting knife and started work on a blank pot, one of twenty piled up in the room. The knife wouldn't normally penetrate well into the ceramic of the pots, so Amelia was applying a softening magic on the pot as she carved.

Mother might often think of her as having few useful skills. But her dexterity is quite good, probably because of her skill in fashion. She could make most of her outfits back home, after all.

Now, back to my own work.

The three sisters continued until the sun went down and dinner was brought to their rooms. They'd been hoping for more news from Wilmarina, but there was none.

After dinner, Elise checked on what was now her third experiment—magically modified organisms could proliferate quickly, so each experiment took merely a few hours. Seeing good results, she decided to add more substrate and leave the cultures growing overnight.

Elise and her sisters eventually gathered in one bedroom and called their mother.

Daenerys is further away than I expected… Wilmarina said. She was using telepathy, possibly to avoid annoying her travelling companion by speaking aloud. Rhaegal and I have made camp for the night. But we still have Daenerys' signature, and I'm confident we'll find her tomorrow. Are you three doing well?

We've been staying indoors all day, what did you think could happen, Mom!? Amelia said, rolling her eyes even though her mother couldn't see it.

We're making good progress in our research. Elise said. Amelia has also started on something new…

They continued chatting for a few minutes. Eventually, they said their goodbyes, ended the call and retired for the night.

That night, Elise had another dream. This wasn't a terrifying nightmare like before. Rather, it was an extremely pleasant dream…

…the only issue came the next day, when Elise found it hard to look any of the Unsullied in the eye.

On the second day, Elise and her sisters called their mother in their morning and learned that she was on the wing again. Afterwards, they went off to their different projects.

We're starting to settle into a routine…

Just how long will we be here for? How long will it take for Aunt Mimil to open a portal to us? It would be faster if she collaborates with one of the Sabbaths… but even then, it won't be an easy task.

In late morning, Elise had a thought. A rather morbid thought, one inspired by her current research involving decomposition. No matter how hard she tried, she couldn't settle down without getting an answer.

Yet she was still felt too awkward to talk to the Unsullied guards. She therefore asked her sister to do it in her stead.

"…Well, turns out they all got burned," Amelia said when she returned.

Though quite a lot had happened prior to that. During the first day Elise had been in this world, Barristan had sent out many soldiers to clean up the battlefield outside Meereen. These soldiers had scavenged food, weapons, armour and other useful objects, then piled up the dead bodies and burned them in mass pyres. There had been no attempt at any funeral rites.

And… they even finished off… the ones who weren't yet dead? Elise thought with horror. They'd been injured in the chaos, but some of them might have been saved, if they'd received care…

Yet no one had considered it. Meereen had enough problems with its own citizens' health, so caring for its injured enemies had been completely unthinkable.

I understand why… but still…

Did those people out there have families? People who'll now grieve for loved ones who never return?

There was no changing it now. Elise had to focus her efforts on helping those who still lived.

War… is a terrible thing. I now understand why our mother and aunts don't like to talk of their experiences…

With a heavy heart, Elise returned to her research. But during that and the following lunch, she was just going through the motions. She experienced neither the joy of advancing science nor the flavour of good food.

Her spirits did lift a bit at the end of lunch, when Amelia showed off her latest run of pots.

"These ones… should be able to function for a few years, at least," Elise said, peering into one pot. "Let's put some of this cooked food inside now. We can take it out of one pot tomorrow. Then from another pot the next day."

Amelia got the idea. "And from other pots after even more time, then we'll know exactly how long this keeps the food!"

"I'm sure these will work," Colette said. She looked embarrassed. "My own work isn't progressing as quickly…"

Amelia slapped Colette on the back. "I'm sure yours'll turn out even better! Just keep at it, and soon these humans will have stacks of tasty food on their tables!"

"Yes, don't worry if it feels slow at first," Elise said. "Every experiment you do brings you one step closer towards your goal, try thinking of it that way."

They chatted for a few more moments, then resumed their respective projects. Elise continued thinking about what she'd learned in the morning, even as she didn't allow it to affect her work.

In late afternoon, Elise heard a distant sound that made her look up from her fungal cultures.

What was that? It sounded like a voice… and it sounded like… the queen's name?

Elise left her culture room. She discovered Amelia and Colette had heard the voice as well.

"That was from… below, wasn't it?" Colette said.

It wasn't practical for them to go down to the pyramid's ground floor. Instead, they went to an external door that let out onto a terrace. As it was still raining, they quickly cast spells to repel water from their bodies. They walked to the edge of this terrace and peered below.

Outside one of the exits of the Great Pyramid was a struggle. A human man was being pinned to the ground by three different guards. Despite all the weight on top of him, he seemed to still be trying to rise up. There were also two children standing nearby, a boy and a girl.

Elise formed a circle with two of her fingers, held this circle in front of her right eye and chanted, "Extend my perception, Farsight!"

The view through the circle was magnified, allowing Elise to see more detail. The man being pinned down looked middle-aged, with wrinkles on his face and balding black hair. He wore dirty-looking metal armour.

She also realised that the "children" nearby weren't that. Their heads were too large and their limbs were too short.

This world has dwarves too? But they look somewhat different…

The man struggled furiously. He shouted "DAENERYS! JUST TELL ME, WHERE HAS SHE GONE!" so loudly that Elise heard it even from this distance.

"That is not your business, traitor!" a guard retorted.

Eventually, more guards emerged from the pyramid. There appeared to be a discussion, then the armoured man and the two dwarves were taken inside the pyramid.

"…What was that?" Amelia said, lowering her fingers from her own face. "Who were they?"

"I didn't recognise any of them," Colette said. "Let's ask…"

They hurried back inside and went to their personal guards—well, Elise and Amelia did. One of the Unsullied agreed to go off to gather information.

Half an hour later, he returned with a panting Barristan.

"My apologies that you had to see such a thing…" the old knight said.

"Forget about that, just what happened down there?" Amelia asked.

"Wait, please sit down first, Ser Barristan," Elise said.

They led the knight in, had him sit down on a chair and gave him a cup of water. Barristan tried to decline the water, so Elise had to force it into his hands.

"Thank you for your generosity…" Barristan sipped the water. "Now, then. Of the three you saw, the normal-sized man is Jorah Mormont, the dwarf man as Tyrion Lannister, and the dwarf woman… she introduced herself as 'Penny'."

Hearing those names left Elise just as in the dark as before. Knowing that Barristan would soon explain them, she asked about a different topic.

"Just… what are dwarves in this world?"

"They are people born with a particular illness, which stunts their growth," Barristan said. "Though some claim it is a curse instead of an illness. They are often looked down on by people of regular size."

"That's pretty different from where we come from," Amelia said. "Our dwarves are basically a… clan? Of people. They're all that small, it's normal for them."

"But why were they trying to get in here?" Colette asked.

"To explain that, I should start with that normal-sized man, Jorah," Barristan said with a grimace. "Jorah is… he was once a member of Queen Daenerys' inner circle, similar to Grey Worm and myself. But he was also a spy for Her Grace's enemy, the—now-deceased—King Robert. He seemingly had a change of heart and began serving her willingly. But when the truth was revealed, he refused to beg for forgiveness, behaving as if Her Grace ought to keep him in her service, as though it was a law of the universe. Thus, he was exiled from Meereen… until now."

Elise thought back to what she'd just seen and heard of Jorah. It was hard to imagine him as ever being unfaithful to the queen. If anything, his determination to return to her sounded romantic.

"Now for the male dwarf, Tyrion," Barristan said. "He is of House Lannister, one of the highest noble families in Westeros, and certainly the richest. Due to…" his eyes narrowed, "committing certain crimes, he decided to flee across the Narrow Sea to Essos. On this continent, he happened across Jorah, who decided to bring him to Queen Daenerys as a sort of recompense for his past actions." Seeing the sisters' confusion, he added, "To make up for his past actions, to make it so the queen might forgive him for his past actions."

"Why would the queen care so much about this… Tyrion Lannister?" Elise asked. "Is it because of his family's status and riches?"

Barristan shook his head. "It is more because her family is mortal enemies with House Lannister, due to their actions in Robert's Rebellion. Tywin, Tyrion's father, led the assault on the capital city, while Jaime, Tyrion's brother, slew King Aerys the Second, Daenerys' father. Ah, and to clarify, Tyrion himself had no role in the rebellion. He was but a child at the time."

"Th-Then… why would Mormont bring him…?" Colette asked.

"A good question, Lady Colette," Barristan said. "Jorah Mormont is a desperate man, desperate for anything that might bring him back into the queen's good graces. Well, she is currently still absent, so I have decided to lock him in the dungeons until she returns to offer judgement."

Kidnapping someone, trying to fight his way into the pyramid… he definitely sounds desperate. Does he just want to be her follower again, out of loyalty? Or does he…?

"As for the two dwarves, I have placed them in comfortable rooms for now," Barristan said. "I do not think Tyrion Lannister has hostile intent, and even if he does, he would not be able to overpower his guards. Penny, as far as I can tell, is an innocent, though I do not yet know the details behind her travelling with the other two. That is all I know thus far." Barristan stood up. "I have others speaking to all three right now. Once we know more, I shall see that you are informed."

Elise and Amelia thanked the knight, who left the room.

"This is getting even more complicated…" Amelia groaned, rubbing her temples. "Seriously, more people who want a piece of the queen? What's next, she's got some long-lost brother too? Or maybe we'll get more strangers sailing from overseas wanting to marry her."

"I guess that's the price of having a position of power…" Elise said.

"I hope Auntie Mary brings her back soon," Colette said. "The queen, I mean."

"It seems everyone does…"

AN: I wondered whether I was making the Unsullied too emotional. However, canon has things like an Unsullied frequenting brothels (for the platonic service of being hugged), and that happens months before the time of this story. I feel they've had enough time as free men to regain emotion, especially if they're put in situations they weren't trained for, as happens in this chapter.