AN: Sorry about the delay. I had things to do on Saturday, Sunday and even Monday too, on top of having work on Monday. But here's a long chapter to make up for it.
"Are you alright, Mother? Are you absolutely sure?"
"Yes. The telepathy is still working perfectly."
Wilmarina was having this whispered conversation just outside the entrance to the audience hall. She was surrounded by her daughters and stepdaughter—and Colette was once again hiding within her petals.
At this moment, Wilmarina did not see the surroundings through her own eyes, but through the eyes of Elise, thanks to a telepathic link that allowed the two succubi to share visual information. It was a bit disconcerting to see herself every now and then.
I still lack my sense of touch, and borrowing another's would be less useful compared to borrowing sight… I'll simply have to manage without.
Lacking a sense of touch made a surprising variety of everyday actions more difficult. She had to think carefully about how much force she put in when walking or holding objects.
Right now, I can see Elise holding my arm… but I can't feel it at all…
"Let's go in," Wilmarina said. "We mustn't keep them waiting."
They passed through an archway and into the audience hall.
The Great Pyramid's audience hall was extremely spacious, to the point that even untransformed dragons could have fit inside. The tiles, the walls and the pillars holding up the ceiling were all composed of purple marble—it seemed that even in this world, purple was associated with royalty. Lighting was provided by countless candles.
Wilmarina's group walked slowly across the hall. There were dozens of guards in the hall, lightly armoured and wielding spears or curved swords.
They would be no threat normally, but in my current state… I can't rely on Elise's sight if a fight breaks out. Her mind would become too chaotic to transmit information properly.
Also in the hall were nobles, garbed in silk tokars of a dozen different colours, and freedmen, with more humble clothing. They bowed respectfully towards Wilmarina's group and threw out countless flattering words.
"Thank you for all you have done for Meereen! It is as if goddesses descended from the heavens—"
"If there is anything we can do to repay you—"
"Your beauty, it is as if four suns have entered this dim place—"
"I plan to name my next daughter after you, if you don't mind!"
This reminds me far too much of the former Senate of Lescatie… No doubt they are already planning how to make use of us.
They came to the end of the hall. In the middle were two thrones of gilded wood with backs shaped like snarling dragons. Daenerys sat in the left throne, Hizdahr in the right, both now wearing crowns of gold and silver intertwined. Standing next to Daenerys were the three dragons, who looked uneasy—whether that was due to being in this environment or due to seeing Wilmarina again was unclear. Standing next to Hizdahr were Barristan and Missandei.
"You stand before Daenerys Targaryen, Mother of Dragons, Queen of Meereen, and Hizdahr zo Loraq, Fourteenth of That Noble Name, King of Meereen," Missandei announced.
Hizdahr showed the faintest of faint discomfort when Missandei spoke. Wilmarina guessed that, as a noble from a prestigious bloodline, he didn't like having a foreign ex-slave as his and Daenerys' herald.
In a similar way, Daenerys looked slightly uneasy with her throne, shifting position every now and then. According to what Barristan had said earlier, Daenerys had previously sat on a bench of ebony when holding court.
It seems they've both come to some compromises…
"It heartens me to see you both returned to your thrones," Wilmarina said formally.
That caused a bit of a stir among the watching crowd. The strongest reaction came from a bald man standing a little away from the thrones, who glared at Wilmarina with quiet fury.
Certain elements of the court loathe Hizdahr and never wanted him to be Daenerys' king consort. By affirming his position as well, I've spat on their wishes…
"Something that would never have occurred without your assistance," Daenerys said. Gone was the confused and nervous girl who Wilmarina had first seen in the Dothraki sea. Now, she had donned the mask of a queen. "And of course, that is neither the first nor last service you have performed for us and our people."
"Such services must be met with appropriate reward," Hizdahr said. "We will grant you anything within our power."
Almost everyone present tensed. The only exceptions were the Unsullied and the dragons, for different reasons.
"As I have said before, the greatest desires of myself and my daughters is to return home, to the rest of our family, through our own methods," Wilmarina said. "We would ask for your continued hospitality until that time comes."
"You will have the finest hospitality Meereen can offer," Daenerys vowed. "But is that all? Do you have no other desires?"
"Well, in that case, I have one question: what is the average income received by one of your top advisors?"
Daenerys blinked, though Wilmarina knew this wasn't out of genuine surprise. She turned her head slightly to the right. "Reznak. Kindly answer that question."
A small and bald Ghiscari man stepped forward. He wore a maroon tokar with a golden fringe. And he was doused in so much perfume that Wilmarina could smell it from over ten paces away.
"Certainly, my great queen," Reznak mo Reznak said. "Lady Wilmarina, the average income for an advisor would be approximately five thousand, one hundred honors in a year."
"And what is the value of an honor?" Wilmarina asked. "Explain it using several examples."
"Well… two hundred honours would suffice to pay a servant for a year, a servant of considerable skill at that," Reznak said, stroking his beard. "For a smaller-scale example, a typical meal for a noble family would cost twenty to thirty honours. For a larger-scale example, a typical manse for nobility would cost hundreds of thousands of honors."
"I see. Then until our return home, I would request… to use a simple round number… an annual income of fifty thousand honors."
For anyone else meeting royalty, requesting almost ten times the average income of a top advisor would be outrageous. It might well result in the requester being executed on the spot for their insolence.
Here and now, it caused the crowd to whisper to one another. "Is that enough?" was among the more common lines.
"…That is a fair request," Hizdahr said. The surprise on his face looked entirely genuine, though Wilmarina knew it was just an act. "We may certainly grant that. But is that the limit of your desire? For your services, you easily merit lands, titles…"
"There would be no meaning in holding lands or permanent titles when we plan to leave," Wilmarina said. "Though before that point, I will accept a temporary title from you, to make my position in your society clear."
"If you are truly content with a temporary title, then I declare that you are now Royal Sorceress of Meereen," Daenerys said. "For all affairs of a supernatural nature, you will have sole authority."
"Is such a title common here?" Wilmarina asked.
"Not at all," Hizdahr said with a shake of a head. "Perhaps you have seen it already, but none of our sorcerers, maegi, warlocks and the like can lift a candle to you in magic. Some are mere charlatans, using mummer's tricks to put on the appearance of true magic. No sane ruler would make a sorcerer one of their advisors… and on the rare occasions a foolish ruler does that, they re often deposed in short order."
Wilmarina imagined one of these foolish rulers throwing money at their court sorcerer and neglecting other matters. This brought the resentment of the king's other advisors, eventually leading to rebellion.
"I accept that title. And, returning to the issue of this income, how would this be paid? It would be impractical for it to all be in the form of coin."
"That will not be a problem, Royal Sorceress Wilmarina," Reznak said obsequiously.
Wilmarina groaned internally. She'd gotten tired of sycophants calling her by fancy titles by the time she'd turned twelve.
"The vast majority—the exact amount being up to negotiation—would be in the form of ink written on paper. You would be able to receive your income and perform transactions without moving piles of gold back and forth. Of course, you would still receive some in the form of coin as well, for any small-scale transactions you wish to perform in person. And that is not all." Reznak gestured with a hand. "I will assign my most competent of clerks to your household exclusively, to handle all matters of money on your behalf. He will ensure you need spare no attention to your well-earned fortune."
A dark-haired man in a blue tunic stepped forward. With a tremor of nervousness in his voice, he said, "I will serve to the best of my ability, R-Royal Sorceress."
I have little desire for more strangers around the girls… still, I don't have the time to handle this all myself, nor the knowledge of how this world's economy works. I'll just need to make sure he is trustworthy, and have the Unsullied keep an eye on him until then.
And with money, I can partially make up for my current state of weakness. I already have one or two ideas…
"I accept, then," Wilmarina said. "Here is the last of my requests: for my family to move to a freestanding building at ground level. It will need plenty of internal space. I would ask the help of your subordinates in moving our belongings out. And, before you ask, this is not out of any particular failing with our current accommodation."
That led to some discussion, with the two royals trying to convince Wilmarina to stay in the Great Pyramid, suggesting all manner of ways to make their stay more comfortable. Wilmarina went along with the act for a while before giving a steadfast "no".
"Then you may have a well-furnished manse in the city," Daenerys said. "Reznak, see to it."
The seneschal bowed deeply. "You will have your manse before the end of today, I promise you that, Royal Sorceress."
"That is the end of my requests," Wilmarina said. "Now there is another service I would like to propose."
That caused yet another stir in the audience hall. Wilmarina waited for it to die down before continuing.
"From the recent battle with the Ironborn, I learned that there is magic here for seeing events at a great distance. In my tongue, this is known as 'scrying'. Such magic is, as you can imagine, a great threat to your security."
Daenerys gripped the arms of her throne. "Do you propose to defend us against this magic?"
Not just against scrying, but it would take time to explain the other defensive enchantments I'm planning. For those with minimal experience with magic, they wouldn't understand unless they see those other defences be… tested.
"Yes, but it would require carving certain patterns into the walls of your city, at all four gates. I did not consider this before, partly because there were more pressing concerns, and partly because the people of Meereen might have mistaken this for some malicious spell."
"You may rest assured, not a soul in Meereen will think that now," Daenerys said. "All who stand in this hall now, hear this decree and convey it to the rest of the city: the Royal Sorceress will be working to shore up our defences, and she is not to be interfered with."
"It seems there is no end to the miraculous services you provide," Hizdahr quipped. "Now, our new Royal Sorceress has already made her desires clear. But if it is not too bold of me… Ladies Amelia, Elise, Colette. Do any of you have requests?"
The three younger monsters froze as they became the focus of attention. Amelia was the first to recover.
"Well… here's mine, Your Graces," the blonde succubus said. She wasn't dressed as skimpily as when they'd first come to this world, for which Wilmarina was grateful. "From talking to people here, I heard that there's many poor people out in the city, in the poor areas. Many used to be… slaves… who were freed when you came, but now they've got no work, and no income. So… this isn't exactly a request, but an offer from me. I'd like the Great Masters to help these ex-slaves, and pay them properly, in return for this."
Amelia brought a hand up to her face and swept in downwards. Her blonde-dyed hair changed to a gleaming silver, and her blue eyes to purple. She now looked like the more glamorous sister of the queen.
While the crowd gasped in awe, Amelia repeated the process. She changed to the amber skin and red-black hair of the Ghiscari, the brown skin and black hair of the Naathi, and half a dozen other appearances. Finally she returned to her own.
"I can change, with magic, what a person looks like. I can also do many things with clothes—that dress Viserion there has is my work. I know that many of you must be interested in looking good, so if you're interested, please ask for my services."
This speech was something Amelia had spent hours rehearsing, to make sure she'd get it right in a foreign language. Wilmarina was, for once, truly proud of her.
Many of the watching nobles were now shouting. One declared that they'd take in a hundred ex-slaves, another that they'd take in two hundred. Eventually, the situation was settled by a decree that all requests for Amelia's magic would be organised through the crown.
Then it was Elise's turn.
"A-Alright, then here's what I have to say." Elise took a deep breath. "Colette and I, we've been developing certain magics to help Meereen further economically. Some of them will take more days to implement. But there's one which can likely be implemented… tomorrow?"
"…You wish to help Meereen even further," Daenerys said. "What do you desire in return for this? I insist, such generosity must not go unrewarded."
"Th-That's not really necessary," Elise said quickly. "As for what we want in return…"
Elise's eyes flicked towards some of the men in the audience hall. Since Wilmarina was sharing her vision, she noticed this instantly, and she squeezed Elise's hand.
"J-Just the same as what Amelia asked for, to give the ex-slaves proper work! And… the assistance of your people for implementing our ideas, when necessary."
"You will of course be granted that," Hizdahr said. "And, in light of these additional services, I believe the monetary reward is insufficient. I propose that your annual income instead be a hundred thousand honors a year, not a paltry fifty thousand."
"I second that proposal," Daenerys said.
Wilmarina suppressed a sigh. "If you are willing to pay that amount, then we will accept."
There was some more formalities after that, but eventually Wilmarina's family finished their business with the royals. They moved away from the thrones and took up a new position at the side of the hall.
The next to come before the royals was a human man. He also triggered a stir among the crowd, and not of the polite kind. There was much mocking laughter concealed behind raised hands.
"Tyrion, of the House Lannister of Westeros," Daenerys said. "Just what brings you all the way to this far-flung city of Essos?"
Wilmarina knew that Daenerys already knew much of this, from conversing with Tyrion via telepathy bracelet. This conversation was more for the benefit of the rest of the court.
"Well, Westeros would not have me any longer," Tyrion said flippantly. "I was never accepted by my father or sister, for reasons you can likely guess. Then, one day, my kindly nephew was getting married."
"The so-called King Joffrey?"
"Indeed, but he is no longer king. 'Tis rather difficult for a corpse to sit a throne, you see."
The mockery of the crowd was replaced with shock and confusion. Here in Meereen, news from Westeros would take a very long time to arrive.
"The Sunset Kingdoms are without a ruler now?"
"Surely he would have had an heir!"
"But if those kingdoms are now unstable, does that mean the queen will…?"
"How did he die?" Hizdahr asked, cutting through the chatter. "He, from what I'd heard, was a healthy boy who had yet to even reach manhood."
"Poison," Tyrion said bluntly. "I was accused of being the poisoner. I tell you now that I am innocent of this charge… though my next words make it quite pointless. My father was perfectly alright with my being executed for the charge of regicide. So… as he sat on the privy, I put a crossbow bolt in him, then fled to Essos."
Now Tyrion became the target of disgusted and contemptuous looks. Murmurs of "kinslayer" and "treacherous dwarf" filled the room.
That is an interesting coincidence… Granted, our situations are not identical. It wouldn't quite be accurate to call me a kinslayer, merely… adjacent to that.
Wilmarina thought back to a fateful confrontation from three decades ago, when she'd been freshly turned into a succubus, when she still had idealistic goals like making Lescatie a better place.
"Wilmarina!? You… have been corrupted!?"
"If that's how you wish to call it, Father. But I feel my mind hasn't changed, despite the changes to my body."
"Hasn't changed…? You are—were a hero! It is your duty to slay monsters in defence of—"
"—of humanity, Father? Then why are we heroes used as pawns in your political games, competing against other humans? And why… WHY DID YOU HURT THEM!? WHY DID YOU HURT ELT AND FRAN!?"
"Elt? That servants' son? Wilmarina, you still… and just for that reason, you would do this!?"
"There are several reasons, but I admit, he and Fran are among the most important. But more importantly, this world of corruption you built ends today! No more will—"
"…In short, the king of Westeros and his Hand are now dead, the latter by your action," Daenerys said, bringing Wilmarina back to the present. "Who rules Westeros now?"
"Officially my younger nephew, Tommen," Tyrion said. "Unofficially it would be my sweet sister speaking through him. I might add, she was never trained to lead in such a way. If you hear any other recent news from Westeros, I suspect it will be rather… dire."
"This is good news for me… but that still leaves the question of why you would come here, rather than hiding in some other part of Essos."
"Even most of Essos is not safe, thanks to a bounty my sister put on my head—can't imagine why. Quite a large bounty, for it is a lordship in Westeros. More than one dwarf has been killed in the hopes of obtaining that bounty. For my safety, I could only come to the one ruler who would not value it."
"It's not quite accurate to say I would not value it. Isimply have my sights on a far greater title. Should Cersei Lannister be willing to exchange her position for mine, I would gladly hand you to her."
Tyrion showed no sign of fear at this. Either he was good at concealing his fear or he was confident Cersei would never take such an offer.
The rest of the court also showed no fear at Daenerys' words. They probably assumed, even if they'd never met Cersei before, that she wouldn't give up power over a continent just to retrieve one dwarf.
"I should note, too, I did not come to Meereen just for my own safety," Tyrion said. "I have also come to offer you my service, to aid you in your conquest of Westeros."
That led to a chorus of mocking laughter, no longer concealed in any way.
"What can a kinslaying dwarf offer the Mother of Dragons?"
"Entertainment, perhaps? His joust in the pit was amusing!"
Tyrion kept up a mask of casual humour. Still, Wilmarina sensed pain and resentment behind that mask.
"What skills can you offer, Tyrion of House Lannister?"
This question from Wilmarina caused the crowd to fall silent immediately.
"My body may be stunted, but my mind is without equal," Tyrion said, a hint of gratitude in his voice. "I have read more books than a typical man has eaten meals. My father once granted me authority over Casterly Rock's infrastructure, and I improved its functioning—ah, Casterly Rock is the seat of my family, for those unaware. I served as Hand of the King to Joffrey for some months, keeping his city running despite the multiple armies that threatened it—"
"Boasting of your services to my late enemies is hardly persuasive," Daenerys said coolly. "That said, you have given useful information, regarding the Ironborn and the current state of Westeros. Very well, Tyrion Lannister. I grant you permission to stay in my city, and a place here in the court as an advisor on affairs of Westeros."
Hizdahr simply nodded slightly. He didn't seem to care much one way or the other what happened to this foreign visitor.
Tyrion dropped to one knee and bowed his head. "I swear I shall serve you loyally, Your Grace."
"Also, I decree that word be spread of his presence here," Daenerys announced. "That should stop, or at least reduce, the murder of unrelated dwarves by unscrupulous bounty hunters. If Queen Cersei desires her brother back, she is welcome to negotiate with me. That is all."
Then Tyrion walked off to the side as well. Many of the courtiers still looked at him contemptuously. But none dared object, not when both Wilmarina and Daenerys had approved of him.
Colette tugged on Wilmarina's tail from behind. "Auntie Mary…" she whispered, "why do they look down on dwarves so much? It's not their fault they're born that way."
"In this world, it's normal to look down on those less capable than average," Wilmarina whispered back. "It's another thing we can work to change."
Then another man approached the two thrones. He was balding and had a brand on his cheek.
"…Jorah of House Mormont," Daenerys said. "The last time you were in Meereen, I exiled you on pain of death."
"Aye," Jorah said, already kneeling. "You had every right to do that. Should you demand my execution now, I will accept it. But I must say this: my loyalty to you now is unwavering. I will slay any enemy of yours, protect you from any threat, give my life for you."
"You swore such an oath before. You also supplied information on me to the Usurper, another late enemy… but, I'll grant you, that was before your oath. And today, you did prove your loyalty against the Ironborn."
Daenerys remained silent for a few moments. Even Hizdahr, next to her, seemed uncertain of what she'd say next. The dragons looked tense for the first time so far—Jorah being a familiar figure to them.
"I accept you back into my service, but not in your former position. You will have no place in my court. You will only serve in my army, with command over a hundred men."
There was some snickering at Jorah being given a position lower than that of a dwarf. The man himself seemed to care not one bit.
"I cannot thank you enough, Your Grace," Jorah said. "I shall never fail you again."
Daenerys ordered two of her guards to take Jorah away. Even as he was led out of the audience hall, there was a spring in his step.
He is certainly loyal, I'll grant him that.
But his desire for Daenerys is not at all appropriate. From what Daenerys told me in the Dothraki sea, she was thirteen when he first showed signs of it.
That reminded Wilmarina of her own teenage years, when her father had begun showing her to other aristocrats. Even though she had yet to fully mature, she'd noticed some of them looking at her for longer than was strictly polite. Some had been three or four times her age.
And there was even a time he forced a kiss on her… She has been exploited for far too long. At least now, she has three more tractable dragons to protect her, as well as many others.
With Jorah gone, it was time for the more routine supplicants to begin approaching the royals.
Though Wilmarina's group didn't stick around to see it, instead leaving for a well-deserved rest. They were allowed to do so, though the king and queen asked that they attend the celebratory feast tonight. Numerous people asked to accompany them, no doubt to brown-nose some more, but Wilmarina refused them all, wanting some time with just family. She'd had too little of that in the past few days.
When they began heading down the stairs, Colette said, "That was nerve-wracking! And I didn't even have to say anything…"
"You used to go through events like that, Mom?" Amelia asked.
"There were some differences in the details," Wilmarina said. "I will say that Queen Daenerys and King Hizdahr's rule seems more competent than what Lescatie had in its final days."
"Still, it makes me uneasy, knowing they don't truly love each other," Elise said. "How can they function like that? Won't it be bad for Meereen if their leaders are just pretending to be wife and husband?"
"I know this is different from our world," Wilmarina said. "Still, it is how society works here. Many marriages between nobility or royalty are purely transactional."
"Didn't Dany—" Amelia had started using this nickname for the queen when in private, "—have this other guy she actually liked? What was his name?"
Then, still on the stairs, they encountered a strange man.
"…Daario Naharis," Wilmarina said, now using Valyrian.
The man grinned. He had long brown hair, a moustache and a beard, the latter cut in three prongs. His eyes were a deep blue that almost appeared purple. His muscled body was that of a warrior. He currently wore a brown tunic and leggings, with a grey cloak on top.
"So you recognise me, demon who has captured the heart of Meereen," Daario said. His smooth voice gave the impression of someone very experienced at talking to women. "And here I feared I might have to introduce myself."
"Yes, I'd heard that you normally dye your hair and wear ornate clothing," Wilmarina said. "Why have you disguised yourself, and not shown your face until now, sellsword captain? The queen surely misses you."
"I thought to, but even for a man such as I, there was danger," Daario replied without a lick of shame. "The Sons of the Harpy still lurk in the shadows of Meereen. To ensure I could meet my sweet queen, I needed to make use of the shadows too."
Daario looked around at Wilmarina's daughters. Amelia just smiled back politely, Colette stayed within her petals… and Elise shuddered, which meant Wilmarina's vision shuddered as well.
"I'd glimpsed you all from afar, but your beauty is even more dazzling at this close distance," Daario said.
"O-Oh, it's nothing much…" Elise said, flustered. "Only Amelia really works on her appearance… the rest of us would just be average at home…"
"Your home is a place where such beauty is average?" Daario said, raising an eyebrow. "I would like to see it for myself… unless I am asking for too much?"
Before Daario could use any more of his charms, Wilmarina cut him off.
"I heard that you are a skilled warrior, and that was how you earned your position."
"Indeed!" Daario reached beneath his cloak and drew two blades, both with gilded hilts shaped like nude women. "Each of my ladies has taken over a hundred lives, and I've killed even more using… other…"
The atmosphere had changed rapidly. Even Elise was now shying away from Daario.
"Thank you for your tale," Wilmarina said. "Now, if you'll excuse us, we plan to go to our rooms to rest. I would suggest that you go to the queen now."
"I… I apologise if I have offended you, but—"
"As I said, you ought to go to the queen now. Or shall we go to her in your stead, tell her that her former paramour has set his sights on others?"
"Y-You have misunderstood me!" Daario said, now in a panic. "I only hoped to introduce myself, I did not mean anything by it!"
Steps of others approaching could now be heard, from both above and below on the staircase. Daario looked around frantically but there was nowhere to escape.
"I… I truly did not mean to offend…"
"What you meant is irrelevant," Wilmarina said. "It's simply that my daughters and I do not care for men who boast of killing. Your little scheme to find a new patron was doomed to fail."
Guards arrived from the stairs above, and a few seconds later from the stairs below.
"Is something wrong, Royal Sorceress!?"
"Who is he!?"
"Wait, I recognise him… even if his hair's not blue, that's Naharis!"
"We encountered Daario Naharis here, and he spoke to us," Wilmarina said. "Kindly bring him to the queen and tell her this."
Numerous men began glaring at the sellsword.
In the next instant, Daario moved. Wilmarina swept her free arm horizontally—if Daario dared to go for her or her daughters, then this attack would knock him back and possibly break his bones.
Except Daario had different plans. He charged towards the two men lower than him on the staircase, knocking them over and running past. And the men he'd knocked over began tumbling down the stairs with loud cracking sounds.
Wilmarina's vision became a blur with countless colours merging into one. Furthermore, because she'd swung her arm and hit nothing, she lost her balance.
Guh… Elise is panicking… then I must settle this myself!
Even without vision, Wilmarina could still "see" the mana signatures of everyone present. She could also make out the faint signatures of the microbes that covered every surface, giving her a low-resolution picture of her surroundings. That allowed her to regain her balance. Had she not done so, she would have dragged Elise down as she collapsed.
The guards from higher up on the staircase ran past and grabbed their fellows, stopping them from tumbling further.
"Sorry for this!" said a soldier who looked like one of the freedmen. "Just—we'll catch him, so just wait here!"
Then those guards ran off, leaving their injured fellows behind.
"W-W-What do we do!?" Colette stammered. "He's running—and—and they're hurt!"
Elise was hyperventilating. "We have to heal them… but we can't… and Mother's…"
Wilmarina clenched her fists. Something she had yet to reveal to anyone outside her family was that her magic was drastically weakened. When she'd used it to hold off the Lord's flames, she'd overexerted herself, much like a muscle could be torn through excessive strain. Healing injuries like this would be impossible for her.
I was hoping to recover in a few days… but this has happened!
First, Wilmarina reached out with hands and tail to grasp the three other monsters. "It's alright, they're still alive!" she said reassuringly.
Next, Wilmarina examined the auras of the two men in more detail. While she no longer had the ability to cast spells, she could still diagnose them to some extent this way.
Comparing this with past experience with auras of the injured, they have several cracked or fractured bones. Probably some scraped skin as well from tumbling down the stairs. But they're certainly still alive.
The issue is that one has broken his neck. In this world, that is likely to mean being crippled for life.
More guards came running moments later. "Hey! Do you need any help, Royal Sorceress!?"
Wilmarina thought carefully about what she could say without giving away crucial information.
"I am still tired from this morning's events, so I cannot fully heal these two men, but there is something my daughters can do… First, I order you to seal off this staircase so no one else enters."
The new guards snapped to obey. Meanwhile, Wilmarina spoke quietly to the girls in their native language.
"Please listen. I can't heal them now, but with your magical skills, you can heal them if you follow my instructions exactly. I believe you can do it."
Colette was still trembling—she wouldn't be able to do this with strangers present. Elise nervously volunteered to try, but then Amelia cut in.
"Let me do it! I've got experience working with the body—not the same kind of experience, but it's close enough! Right…?"
Wilmarina nodded. "Then let's do this together."
Wilmarina and Amelia went down the steps hand-in-hand, the former now borrowing the latter's sight. They kneeled in front of one of the injured guards, one who wore a bull mask that signified he was a Brazen Beast. Amelia gulped when she saw the fragment of bone sticking out of a leg, and that was only the most visible sign of injury, not the most serious.
Working with the injured isn't easy… it took me months of training before I was accustomed to it.
"Close your eyes," Wilmarina advised. "That will make the following easier—yes, well done. Also… Elise, please cast a silencing spell over us."
After a moment's hesitation, Elise obeyed. They could no longer hear the gasps and moans of the injured men. This, together with a lack of visual stimuli, would help Amelia focus.
Now, you should be able to feel the faint essence coming from his body, Wilmarina continued via the telepathic link. Can you tell where his neck is?
Yeah, Mom!
Then imagine the bones within. Just a few inches below the surface, hard and rigid unlike everything else. And inside them should be—a long thread, just think of it as a long thread.
Amelia swallowed. She must know perfectly well that the spinal cord was more than just inanimate thread.
I… I can see it. Well, not see it, but I know where it is!
Good, good. You're skilled with threads, so tell me, is it damaged in any way?
It's… a bit torn on one side? And the… thing around it…
The casing, just think of it like that. The casing is damaged as well, I'm aware. But you can fix that as well. It's mostly made up of a mineral, or rock in other words. When you were younger, putting a broken rock back together was one of your tests in school, wasn't it?
Sure, but that rock wasn't actually bo—
The casing here is rock. That is all you need to know. You can put it back together, and fix the thread within too. Here…
Wilmarina gently—at least she hoped it was gentle—moved Amelia's hand to just above the man's neck. She curled the fingers so they matched the curvature of the spine within.
The thread in the centre, and the rock casing around it. Those are the only two things you need to worry about. You can fix them, I'm sure of it.
Amelia took a deep breath. A moment later, Wilmarina felt mana flowing out of her hands in the form of a spell.
The aura of the man shifted slightly. Now, he still had injuries on most of his body, but his neck was in its proper state again.
Excellent work, Wilmarina thought, hugging her elder daughter with both arms and wings.
Amelia laughed weakly. Just a thread, right? Just a thread…
Yes. Now, keep your eyes closed.
Wilmarina proceeded to the cracked and fractured bones. She used her hands to realign the ends of fractured bones, moving slowly and cautiously due to her own lack of touch, then had Amelia heal them in a similar manner to before. There were also torn muscles and a fair amount of scraped-off skin, but she decided to leave those for now—it wasn't a good idea for a novice healer to try healing everything.
Once they were finished, they moved on to heal the other guard, who wore a mask shaped like a serpent's head.
He's luckier, his worst injuries are breaking one arm and spraining an ankle. He could heal this much on his own, potentially. It's a reminder of the stochastic nature of injuries—two fairly similar men suffered the same fate, yet suffered quite different levels of injury.
At the end of the healing, the man staggered to his feet. His mouth opened and closed silently for a few seconds, to his confusion, and then Elise released the silencing spell.
"—ank you!" the man gasped. "Thank you so much!"
"I-I-It was nothing!" Amelia replied bashfully. "Just doing what anyone should do!"
"You and your companion should rest for a few days," Wilmarina advised.
With that emergency healing done, Wilmarina's family proceeded back to their guest rooms, now escorted by twenty guards—more had gathered around the top and bottom of the stairs during the healing.
A few minutes later, Wilmarina and the girls were safely in their rooms again. Wilmarina pulled them all into a hug.
"I'm sorry you all had to go through that…"
"I'm sorry for being so useless!" Elise sobbed into Wilmarina's shoulder.
"You were not useless," Wilmarina said firmly. "Nor were you, Colette. Most people would hesitate in that situation, it's perfectly normal."
It took some more soothing and reassuring before the succubus and alraune calmed down. Then they and Wilmarina congratulated Amelia on saving a man from a lifetime of disability.
"Still can't believe I really did that…" Amelia said, looking at her hands in disbelief. "And I shouldn't have had to! Why did that… that asshole push them down!"
"Really, just what did Daenerys ever see in him!" Elise said. "A man who… who casually admits to being a killer!"
"D-Do you think they'll catch him?" Colette asked.
They sat down. Elise quickly poured out drinks for the others.
"The guards we saw will raise the alarm," Wilmarina said. "I doubt this Daario will make it out of the Great Pyramid, let alone the city."
"Before, he was hitting on us…" Amelia said in between sips of her milk. "I can't believe that guy! He never loved Dany at all! He just goes after any hot girl!"
"While that was a reason, I'm sure that power is a more important reason for him," Wilmarina said. "From the tale Barristan told, Daario first seduced Daenerys when she was already leader of an army of thousands, and mother to the only three dragons in this world. He sought power from being associated with her, just as much as he sought her body."
"And… then we came," Colette said. She had yet to touch her water. "Auntie Mary can even defeat dragons, and all of us have more magic than the humans in this world… So he… switched targets…"
"I let down my guard, having us go down without an escort at first," Wilmarina said. "I won't make that mistake in future. Until my magic returns…"
And that brought a fearful possibility to Wilmarina's mind: her magic never returning, much like a permanent injury to one's body. With that and her loss of two senses, she'd be far more vulnerable. Her daughters would be far more vulnerable.
"…we should avoid going outside except when strictly necessary."
Colette lowered her head. "I'm sorry… this is all my fault."
"Colette, as I already said, nobody could have expected—"
"It is!" Colette said, abruptly standing up in her flower. "If I hadn't done that experiment, we wouldn't be here, and you wouldn't have been hurt like this, Auntie Mary!"
Wilmarina flinched. "My condition isn't that severe, I assure you."
"But what about that man!? Auntie Mary, if you were healthy, you could have caught him yourself! And you could've healed the other two men yourself!"
That was undeniable. Earlier in the day, Wilmarina had reassured her daughters that her spiritual injury would not be a problem. However, Daario's escape had brought the issue back to the fore.
"Wait, Colette, that's not the right way to think of this."
These words came from Amelia. She was looking at her half-sister with a resolute expression.
"If you think it's your fault that we ended up in this place… then it's also because of you that Meereen is saved. There's hundreds—no, thousands of humans who're only alive because of you! Like—" she stood up as well and began gesturing wildly, "just think about everything that's happened. These humans were surrounded by an army, lots of them were really sick, some didn't have enough to eat, they had two wild dragons flying around, and just today, pirates attacked! 'Thousands' is really underestimating it—Colette, it's because of you all these humans were saved!"
Colette opened and closed her mouth, but she could give no response. For it was also undeniable that many only lived now because of their family being summoned to this world.
Well, the humans of the Yunkai alliance suffered losses, as did the Iron Fleet… but those losses still pale in comparison to what would have happened if Meereen were sacked. In that case, deaths would likely have been in the tens of thousands, while many of the survivors would be enslaved.
"Thank you for that, Amelia," Wilmarina said. "Colette, if necessary, I can call a few of the humans here. Perhaps hearing their stories will help you understand just how many are better off because we are here."
Colette sniffed. "No, that won't be necessary… Still, I wish we had Auntie Sasha here."
"As do we all…"
At around noon, Wilmarina had been discussing her condition with her daughters. While her magic overload would probably take a few days to recover from, a week at most, the damage to her spirit was another matter. It would take a healer of Sasha's calibre to heal this.
I can't admit it to the girls… but I'm scared as well. Even in this building filled with friendly forces, we came in contact with an enemy.
And he is far from the only threat. The Sons of the Harpy are still at large, and I currently lack the means to hunt them down. If they see me as too aligned with Daenerys, they may turn their knives towards my family…
They remained in the guest rooms for hours. They'd originally planned to attend a feast celebrating the queen's return to Meereen, but there was no chance of doing that now. To keep the girls' minds off of recent events, Wilmarina asked about the current state of their research.
In late afternoon, there was a knock on the door. "Royal Sorceress," said one of the Unsullied standing guard outside. "A Brazen Beast has come, claiming to have been healed by you earlier."
Wilmarina opened the door. She wasn't able to see the man on the other side, as she wasn't currently borrowing another's sight, but she could perceive his mana easily enough.
"R-Royal Sorceress Wilmarina, we came here to thank you, for what you did," the Brazen Beast said. "And your daughter as well, is she still here?"
"Yes, I shall pass on your thanks to her," Wilmarina said. "But I would listen to the rest of what you have to say here. You came here with another purpose, didn't you?"
The Brazen Beast flinched.
"Y-Yes," the Brazen Beast said. "But first…"
He shifted his head from side to side. Wilmarina couldn't see his expression—his serpent mask would prevent that even if her eyes were functional. But she understood his meaning.
"I trust these Unsullied enough to leave them near my daughters while I am absent."
"Th-Then… please listen to this," the Brazen Beast said. "A rumour going around our group is…"
Wilmarina listened intently. Even the two Unsullied reacted by turning their heads towards the two visitors.
"…Why did you not tell this to the queen?" one Unsullied asked.
"We have no proof, understand!?" the Brazen Beast said. "None whatsoever! It's just whispers in our barrack rooms! We couldn't accuse him with just that!"
"I understand," Wilmarina said. "Thank you for this information. I would suggest you go back to your home for now, so you don't accidentally alert anyone with unusual behaviour. If asked, say that I told you—both of you—to rest to fully recover from your injuries. No one will question my words."
The Brazen Beast bowed and then left.
"Will you bring this to the queen and king's attention?" an Unsullied asked.
"…Yes," Wilmarina said, her mind running through a dozen different plans. "But I'll need to gather evidence first. For now, do not speak a word of this to anyone else."
Wilmarina went back inside and found one of her daughters.
"Elise? Sorry, I know you're already very busy—"
"It's alright, Mother!" her younger daughter said insistently. "I can do whatever you ask of me!"
That made Wilmarina feel a fresh pang of guilt. Elise was so eager to help because of her mother being currently weakened. In short, it was Wilmarina's mistake that was increasing the workload for her family.
"Well, Elise, you studied general biology in school, didn't you? I skim-read your subject material once, and it mentioned that one spell used when studying animals is…"
After some more discussion, a beetle was called up to a window of the guest rooms. At the window, this beetle was given a certain spell and then sent off towards its target.
The beetle reached and landed on its target's clothes a minute later. There was no sign he'd noticed.
"This is all you need to do, Elise. I'll take over from here."
"Alright. But just call if you need anything else!"
Wilmarina was now alone in a room. She began listening to the sounds being transmitted from the beetle directly to her ears.
For over an hour, she listened to the target walk around, eat an afternoon snack and take part in mostly irrelevant conversations. Such was the drudgery of performing surveillance. Wilmarina didn't remain still during this time, instead walking around and handling various objects, so as to gain more experience with her new condition.
At one point, she heard something that filled her with fury.
"Say, which of 'em would you pick to fuck, if you had the chance?"
"Oh, I'd go for the mother! She looks cold, but I'm sure she'd warm up real quick in my hands…"
"I'd go for the other blue-haired one. I get the feeling she's lewder than she looks."
"Me, I'd go for the blonde one. I'm sure she's got plenty o' experience, I like that in a girl."
"Really, Zal!? Between all your fat and her tiny waist, you might snap her in half if you tried!"
Wilmarina picked up a metal goblet and began crushing it into a ball. Her strength hadn't been diminished by this morning's events.
"Quiet," the target said. "It's acceptable to have some fantasies, but don't let them interfere with your duties. Think of them as having status equal to or higher than royalty. Do something foolish and your head is forfeit."
"Yeah, we know…"
After that was more walking around and more irrelevant conversations. On her own end, Wilmarina heard a knock on the door and Amelia asking if she wanted dinner, which had been brought to the guest rooms, but Wilmarina refused.
The surveillance continued. There was another knock, so Wilmarina decided to accept a platter of food so she could eat as she listened.
It's fortunate I can still enjoy food equally well. This curse doesn't affect the sensation in my tongue, since I kept the effects to the surface of my body. If it did, I'd have difficulty even speaking…
Only after Wilmarina was finished eating did she hear what she was after.
"…didn't work last time," said another man.
"We must try again," said the target. "At the moment, Meereen has yet to fully settle down. That leaves opportunities…"
Wilmarina listened intently, committing each and every word to memory.
Once the conversation was finished, the target walked off to a new location. As she listened to the target walking up the stairs of a pyramid, Wilmarina reviewed what she'd heard.
At home, this might suffice as evidence. But here, I cannot count on the locals trusting evidence gathered by magic, not even with how much they trust us now. And if I reveal the method, that could cause dangerous paranoia… Furthermore, any public trial would have wider consequences, with who the culprit is.
Wilmarina rejoined her daughters. They were almost about to bathe when there was another knock on the door.
"It is I, my new Royal Sorceress."
Daenerys entered the room, escorted by Barristan and six Unsullied. She bowed her head in apology. Now that she was no longer in public view, she looked far more like the sixteen-year-old girl she was, instead of a mighty queen.
"Daario has been captured now," Daenerys said. "I thought you deserved to hear this from my lips. And… Jorah has dealt with him."
Something that Jorah found very satisfying, Wilmarina suspected.
"This should never have occurred," Daenerys continued. "If there is any compensation I can offer…"
"You bear no fault, Daenerys," Wilmarina said. "None of us expected him to sneak in."
"But I certainly bear fault," Barristan said. "The security of the Great Pyramid is my responsibility. To let a man like him sneak in, and even meet you on the stairs, it is an irredeemable mistake on my part."
"Hundreds of people entered the pyramid today, for your court session," Wilmarina said. "It would have been trivial for him to blend in amongst them. And he would already know the layout of the pyramid, helping him move about unnoticed."
Daenerys sighed. "So magnanimous of you, to excuse our failures… once again, I must ask: are you certain you don't want to take my crown as queen of Meereen?"
"Once again, I must answer: no," Wilmarina said, letting irritation creep into her tone. "You have taken this city, so it is your responsibility to keep it safe and prosperous. If you can't manage that, you have no right to queenship of an even greater territory."
There was a flash of anger in Daenerys' eyes, but it was soon replaced by resignation. She already knew one of the harshest principles of being a leader: it was an everlasting burden. The larger one's domain, the larger the burden.
"I do not dispute your point," Barristan said gently. "But if Meereen had another ruler, one capable of keeping it safe and prosperous with ease, then my queen could depart for Westeros without any regrets."
"Even aside from my lack of any desire to, I lack the skillset for being a queen."
That caused everyone else to stare at Wilmarina in shock.
"If you were to go out at this very moment, you would find no shortage of people to disagree with you!" Daenerys said.
"And they would all be wrong," Wilmarina said firmly. "There are stories of great warriors, healers, priests… individuals who can do great deeds, and that is proof that they can be great leaders… But life is not a story. Leadership is a skill of its own, and one I do not possess in any great quantity."
"…Very well," Daenerys said. "I will not ask this again. But there is still the matter of Daario. Do you not desire any compensation for…" she scowled, "having to suffer his presence?"
"Only this: have you arranged our new accommodation yet?"
"Yes, we've not forgotten that. Reznak has been working on that as a priority, and he's found a manse just north from this Great Pyramid that should fit your requirements."
"Wait, how'd you get this in just hours?" Amelia asked. "Um, Your Grace."
"It previously belonged to a wealthy merchant," Daenerys explained. "As it happened, his only daughter had fallen victim to the bloody flux… and your mother saved said daughter. He readily agreed to sell his manse to the crown, and so I can now offer it to you four, as well as your retinue."
"Then we will move there at once," Wilmarina said. "We will need the assistance of your subordinates in moving everything."
"I can arrange that, but are you certain?" Daenerys said. "If you desire security, surely you'd be more secure high up in my pyramid, with my soldiers all around you."
"Due to the laws of magic, having a private residence would allow greater security," Wilmarina said. She left it at that.
Over ten additional Unsullied soon arrived for the task of carrying everything out: the clothes Amelia had modified and the pots she'd made, Colette's plant cuttings and Elise's cultures. It all went down numerous flights of stairs and then out of the pyramid.
While her daughters guided the Unsullied in picking everything up, Wilmarina spoke to Daenerys and Barristan alone.
"…I will not disclose how I learned of this," she said once she'd recounted the incriminating conversation. "All I ask is that you use this information carefully, not rashly."
"Oh, I will," Daenerys said quietly. "My younger self might have given into emotion, but… I've seen the consequences of that now. I won't betray your expectations."
"Nor will I," Barristan vowed. "Though such words may have little weight from me…"
Then Wilmarina and her family stepped out of the Great Pyramid to head to their new manse.
My current state makes it difficult to even tell the time of day… I can no longer see the dimmed light or feel the cooler air. If I wasn't told that it is now night, the only way I could tell would be by perceiving nocturnal animals instead of diurnal ones.
This was a two-storey building with five bedrooms, an internal bathhouse, a well-equipped kitchen, a dining room that could seat thirty, and quarters for servants… formerly quarters for slaves. The outside of the manse was painted brightly in green and blue, which shone faintly in the moonlight. Two gilded statues, apparently modelled after legendary heroes, stood on either side of the path leading to the front door.
The belongings were carried into the manse and set down. Some of the Unsullied left, while others remained, taking up residence in the old servants' quarters. The clerk, who Wilmarina learned was called Miklaz, moved in as well. None of the servants who'd served the former owner were here, at Wilmarina's request.
"We will put our lives on the line to protect you and your daughters," vowed one Unsullied—Wilmarina recalled that he was called "Rego".
"For now, I ask you to do the following."
At Wilmarina's instructions, the Unsullied locked all the windows then jammed the locks so the windows could no longer be opened. They similarly secured the manse's back and side doors, leaving the front door as the only way in or out of the building.
Wilmarina also had her daughters carve runes around the building, on the inner surfaces of the exterior walls. This created an invisible bubble of magic around the building, giving protection against both physical and magical attacks. The front door received an especially dense assortment of runes, such that even a raging dragon would need time to break it down. Another effect of all these enchantments was that any person who entered and wasn't on a short list of permitted individuals would trigger an alarm.
This much protection would not be possible for those guest rooms, which we could never have a strong attachment to, and which are part of a larger building frequented by thousands of other people. Only by having this private residence, one uniquely owned by us, can some of these enchantments be properly anchored.
As for the protection I planned for the city, that will have to wait for tomorrow. For now, I can be assured that no strangers will be scrying my family.
"Are you comfortable with this?" Wilmarina asked at one point.
"Yes, this building has much more space, perfect for the final experiments of Colette and I!" Elise said. "And being on the ground will make it much more convenient for people to visit us."
That gave Wilmarina pause. After what happened with Daario, she was tempted to rescind Amelia's earlier offer of cosmetic magic to the nobility of Meereen. After all, it would mean her daughter coming into contact with strangers on a regular basis. Even with guards, it would be a risk.
But allowing her to go through with this would win us the goodwill of the Great Masters, reducing the potential threats to us… It's a tradeoff.
The girls were eventually able to add the runes without further instruction from Wilmarina. This allowed the succubus to speak to someone else.
"R-Royal Sorceress, you have already been given your first payment," said Miklaz, the dark-haired clerk. "It is half a year's advance amount, fifty thousand honors. Do you wish to purchase any goods, or hire any servants tonight?"
Miklaz was filled with uncertainty over his new role, which was to be expected. Additionally, Wilmarina hadn't noticed any hint of desire from him towards herself or the girls. That was something to note for the future.
"Not tonight," Wilmarina said. "Instead, I would ask you to go over the account with me tomorrow morning. I plan to get at least a basic understanding of finances in this society."
"Yes! Understood!"
Once everything was settled, Wilmarina and the girls went for a bath. She let them help wash her body so they'd feel more useful.
Afterwards, Wilmarina felt the urge to end the plotting of a certain schemer tonight. However, she couldn't do it. Her blindness, insensitivity and magic overload weren't the main reasons for this.
She was just too tired. She'd taken a nap earlier in the day, at the girls' insistence, but that only softened the accumulated fatigue of days of non-stop work.
So she instead fell into bed and relaxed in the arms of the younger monsters.
Elt… Fran… Mersé, Sasha, Primera, Mimil… all of the children… are you making progress on finding us…?
Please… come sooner rather than later… I fear… I can't keep protecting the girls alone…
There was one more reason she hesitated to act. One that wasn't a matter of capability.
Whenever I close my eyes… I sometimes see them.
A crossbowman who hadn't let fear override his training, who'd loosed a bolt at a much stronger enemy. A captain of what appeared to be a mercenary company, barking orders at his men to form up. A lord and the three bedslaves he'd been having fun with in his tent, right up until it was set alight. A group of fresh-faced soldiers, possibly around the same age as Colette, crushed under a toppled trebuchet.
And then there were the children—scrawny boys and girls, presumably birthed by camp followers and following the army around since they had no other path in life. Oh, she hadn't hurt any of them deliberately, but battlefields were always chaotic. She had no doubt that many of them had been trampled in the panicked rout. She had no doubt that many small corpses had been tossed onto funeral pyres afterwards.
Less than would have died, if they'd sacked the city… Less than would have suffered in slavery, if they'd sacked the city… many times over
It's easy to think of justifications… but they aren't enough to soothe my heart…
Should I have tried using non-lethal means on all of them?
But the energy-sapping effects of demon realm silver weren't permanent. If left alone, people could recover and get back up to continue fighting. Monster culture was filled with stories of warfare without a single death, but that was only possible when the non-lethal side had an overwhelming advantage. Wilmarina had not had such an advantage. And going further by monsterising them would have been even less viable, against such numbers.
If the enemy saw that my attacks left no wounds, and could eventually be recovered from, they would have tried to keep fighting… Only by killing some of them could I rout the rest.
Yet… it's still more than I've killed before, in three and a half decades of fighting… and this morning… I added a few score more to that butcher's total…
Wilmarina suppressed a shiver, just in case any of the girls were still awake. She had to remain a steadfast pillar for them in this strange world.
Everyone I've killed… they must have had dreams, hopes, loved ones, regrets that will now never be resolved…
And they came here, intending to kill or enslave others with the very same things…
But… the younger ones especially, they would simply have followed orders from others. And they might not have understood the true terrors of war…
Still, atrocities committed in innocence are atrocities nonetheless…
A different kind of battle was raging in Wilmarina's mind, one where neither side had an advantage. If she were alone in bed, her body would be tossing and turning restlessly.
It took another hour before the succubus could finally fall asleep. Even then, the battle continued in her dreams.
AN: This chapter was not originally so long. I planned to have another chapter after it to cover the cloak-and-dagger plotting. To speed up the pace and also make things more mysterious for readers, I decided to merge pieces of the planned chapter into this one.