AN: One of the starting events of this fanfic is dragons getting turned into monster girls, but it's taken me until now to actually give a dragon POV.
Viserion flew through the sky at a relaxed pace. She could see white clouds around her and the shimmering blue sea far below. She could feel the warmth of the morning sunlight and the cool air rushing past her skin.
No matter how many times she did it, flying remained an incredible experience. It was better than eating a good meal, relaxing in a warm bath or snuggling with family.
But is it better than sex?
I wish Mother would let us be free. She gets to have sex whenever she wants, why do we have to hold back just because we're monsters?
Since there was almost nobody around to complain, Viserion let out a scream of frustration.
"Hey, what's the matter!?" called out Rhaegal, who was beside Viserion.
"Nothing!" Viserion shouted back. "I'm just annoyed by something!"
"If it's not about the mission, then forget it for now!" Rhaegal said. "We can't get distracted!"
"Yes, Mother…"
The two dragons, one bright yellow and the other dazzling green, continued their flight over the sea for several minutes. Sometimes seabirds would notice them and fly away in a panic.
Eventually, land came into view. Soon after that, the outline of a familiar city came into view.
"We're at Yunkai!" Viserion said.
"It's been a long time!" Rhaegal said.
The last time Viserion had seen those yellow brick buildings, she'd still been smaller than a human, still been a mere beast unable to speak. She hadn't contributed anything to Mother's victory over the city, unless one counted her helping to scare an envoy.
This time is different. This time… we have to take this city, and make sure it stays taken.
Viserion and Rhaegal passed over the outer walls of Yunkai. Instead of descending to land somewhere, they remained at a high altitude. At this altitude, it would be difficult for humans to see them clearly, but their own keen eyes could still pick up many details on the ground below.
The first thing Viserion noticed was that Yunkai was in bad shape. The streets were lined with beggars and stained with rubbish, faeces, sometimes even corpses. The markets were poor in both customers and the variety of goods on sale. Even some of the buildings were crumbling—however, from what she'd heard before going on this mission, Yunkai had been crumbling even when her mother had first visited.
It's as bad as Meereen was before… Viserion thought. That triggered a pang of guilt: the rampages of herself and her sisters were one reason Meereen used to be in such poor shape. Us conquering this place will actually improve it.
The second thing she noticed was the arsenal of scorpions. There had to be hundreds of the weapons lining the upper terraces of Yunkai's pyramids.
"They're prepared for us," Rhaegal commented.
Viserion snickered. "Not prepared very well, though."
Many of the scorpions in Yunkai were shoddy, apparent even from this high altitude. Many had fraying ropes, or the wooden components were fitted together improperly. Clearly, the Yunkish had built these in a hurry.
They're not like the ones on the Volantene fleet… and even those better-made ones couldn't hit us.
Moreover, none of the scorpions were currently manned. There were just a few sentries on the pyramids, and from the way they were sitting down not even bothering to watch the sky, they were clearly too bored to do their jobs properly.
The third thing Viserion noticed were the numerous slaves. Most were doing various forms of labour despite the heat. A few were instead strung up on crucifixes, serving as dead—or sometimes still-living—reminders of the price of disobedience.
Viserion had seen slaves many times throughout her life: in Qarth, Astapor, Yunkai and Meereen. And even before she'd hatched, her egg had been among a Dothraki khalasar and kept by a magister in Pentos; no doubt it had been handled by slaves more than once.
But thanks to Mother, there's no more slaves in Meereen, and will never be ever again. Time to end that practice here as well.
Viserion and Rhaegal silently exchanged glances, then descended towards Yunkai.
"Here we go!" "Can't let Mother down!"
With wings drawn in, they hurtled towards the city faster than swooping falcons. The buildings and humans grew and grew in her field of vision. Soon, she could make out the faces of individual humans.
Some of those humans began looking up in curiosity. But it was already too late to stop the dragons' assault.
Viserion changed direction as she neared one of the larger pyramids, flying horizontally instead of vertically. She opened her mouth and released her inner flames, setting fire to an entire line of scorpions.
That was when the screams began. Viserion was carefully scanning everything in her path, so she was sure the screams came from humans watching her as opposed to humans she was burning by accident.
Viserion continued flying around the pyramid, creating a square ring of bright yellow flame that would be visible almost everywhere else in Yunkai.
That should be a good first impression. Also...
Viserion looked at the ground around the base of the pyramid. When she found a spot empty of any humans, she flew over to one burning scorpion and kicked it hard with both legs. The scorpion snapped clean of its base and tumbled roughly down the uneven sides of the pyramid, eventually reaching the empty spot on the ground as a cloud of fiery debris.
That… I thought it would land in one piece. Would've been more impressive that way. This'll have to do.
Not too far away was another large pyramid that had been partially set alight, with Rhaegal flying above it. The green dragon nodded towards Viserion, signalling that they ought to progress to the next part of the plan.
Viserion and Rhaegal flew up to the apices of the pyramids they'd just set fire to. In Yunkai, just as in Meereen, the masters lived at the top.
Once she reached the apex, Viserion burst in through a window. For the second time today, she heard humans scream because of something she'd done.
Still not as luxurious as Mother's lair, though.
The interior of the pyramid was lavishly furnished, with purple curtains, soft-looking carpet and a golden chandelier hanging from the ceiling.
Viserion walked through the masters' apartments until she found the occupants: a human man and woman, trembling in fear underneath their massive bed.
"You may relax, I'm not here to eat you," Viserion called out.
There were yelps of fear, followed by silence. Perhaps the humans thought Viserion would eventually forget about them and leave.
"This will be rather silly if you stay down there…" Viserion pressed one wing-claw to the silver necklace she was wearing. "Mother, you can talk now."
"Thank you, Rhaegal," said Mother's voice, coming from the necklace.
There were gasps of surprise from under the bed. Viserion heard the woman say, "The dragon queen is here!?"
"I am not here in person, my daughter has merely brought a magical device that can convey my voice to you," Mother explained.
"Mother, they're hiding under the bed," Viserion said. "Want me to drag them ou—"
"That won't be necessary, Rhaegal," Mother said quickly. Her voice then became hard. "Now, Wise Masters of Yunkai. What you have experienced today is merely a warning. Some of my advisers believe that even this is being too soft, and that I should be making an example of your city."
Viserion couldn't see the Wise Masters under the bed, nor did they make any sound beyond panicked breaths, but she could suddenly smell the stench of urine.
"But I opted not to listen to them, and this is the result. If you value your lives, then take this warning and leave. Leave Yunkai with whatever you can carry, do not return, and do not plot revenge against me. Should you fail at any of these…"
Viserion scratched the floor using the claws of one foot, leaving five large gashes in the carpet and the underlying stone. Due to where they were hiding, the Wise Masters would be able to see this.
"...You will know the meaning of fire and blood," Mother finished. "The choice is yours. You have one day to decide."
That was the end of Mother's speech. To give it even more weight, Viserion dropped to the floor and smiled at the two humans under the bed.
"GAAAAH!" "S-STAY AWAY!"
"Just thought I'd let you see my face," Viserion said, still smiling widely. "If you don't want to see it again, then please leave Yunkai before tomorrow morning. Understood?"
Before waiting for a reply, Viserion got back to her feet and began heading back to the broken window. She could have broken out via a different window, but she had now learned not to cause unnecessary damage.
She had almost reached the broken window when more humans came running up behind her.
"Intruder!" "Eliminate it!" "Protect the masters!"
Viserion turned to see four armoured humans—Unsullied based on their spiked caps. They charged at her with spears thrust forward.
There was no need to bother fighting them. Viserion could simply have jumped out through the window. That would have been the proper thing to do.
"Four of you, just for me?" Viserion said, giggling.
The dragon walked calmly towards the Unsullied. She knocked their spears away with controlled strikes of her wings and tail, then wrapped her wings around two Unsullied and pulled them to her body.
"I'm deeply flattered!" Viserion licked her lips. "But I would prefer that you used a different kind of spear…"
The Unsullied all glared coldly at Viserion—or at least appeared to. But she noticed a slight wavering in their eyes.
Everyone thinks they don't have any desires… but I know better than that. They just need to see the right woman… Viserion fondly remembered the many moments she'd teased Unsullied in the Great Pyramid to watch their reactions. Ah, but I have to get back to the plan.
Viserion released the two Unsullied she'd been holding and returned to the window. Right before jumping out, she winked and said, "I hope your masters decide to flee. But if they don't, you could always abandon them and come to Meereen!"
Then the dragon jumped out and flew off towards another pyramid.
Being a monster is so fun! I could never go back to just being a simple beast!
Viserion flew to another pyramid in the west half of Yunkai—she had been assigned to this half and Rhaegal to the east half, to ensure they wouldn't overlap in their targets. Once that was done, she moved on to a third, then a fourth.
Sometimes she had to fight through guards to get to the Wise Masters. Sometimes she encountered children along with their parents—in those cases, she acted much more gently than usual.
During one of her inter-pyramid flights, Viserion began to be targeted by scorpion bolts. She dodged the projectiles with contemptuous ease.
Really, these are more of a threat to their fellow humans than to me. With all the bolts they're shooting around, they're more likely to hit some bystander than—
Viserion felt a powerful impact in her left wing, knocking her into a wild, tumbling trajectory. She looked in shock at the bolt piercing through her wing membrane.
"It hit…?" Viserion said out loud. "One of them actually hit!?"
The old Viserion would have been too clumsy to remove a bolt impaling her wing. Additionally, the old Viserion would have panicked at the unexpected injury.
The new Viserion had fought against Wilmarina Noscrim. That had been vastly more terrifying than this.
"I'm not… letting Mother… down!"
Viserion transformed her right wing into an arm and yanked out the scorpion bolt, ignoring the resulting burst of pain. She then changed her right arm back and resumed flapping with both wings.
Then Viserion began searching for the scorpion which had launched that bolt. She found it soon enough and began flying towards it, changing direction several times to avoid presenting an easy target.
One bolt hurtled past Viserion. The scorpion operator had no time to load a second before he and his weapon were consumed in golden flames.
That's done! Now to find more Wise Masters…
Viserion continued flying around the west half of Yunkai. She paused when she noticed a green figure approaching.
"What happened, Viserion!?" Rhaegal asked when she came close enough. "Did you let down your guard!?"
Viserion was too embarrassed to answer that question. She instead said, "I can still fly without problems! Let's finish the mission!"
"If you go around like that, it'll ruin Mother's message! Think, Viserion!"
Viserion grimaced, but she could see her sister's point. The idea behind today's attack on Yunkai was to portray the dragons as an unstoppable force, one the Wise Masters could never defeat. Talking to them while injured would undermine this.
"Both of us have warned several masters… let's end this early and retreat!" Rhaegal said.
Unable to come up with any counterargument, Viserion followed Rhaegal out of Yunkai. On their way out, they ignited three more of the pyramids.
They landed in a hilly region to Yunkai's east. Here, Rhaegal peered at Viserion's wound.
"Nothing serious… but it shouldn't have happened in the first place! If anyone saw you wounded—"
"I killed the one who shot me, so there's no need for concern," Viserion grumbled. "And I stayed flying for the entire time afterwards. No human could have seen me clearly."
Rhaegal shook her head and touched her necklace with a wing-claw. "I'm still telling Mother about what's happened."
To Viserion's consternation, her sister did just that. And Mother's concern for Viserion's health was far more painful than Rhaegal's reaction.
After several minutes of excessive fussing, Mother said, "Do not blame yourself, Viserion. These things happen in the chaos of battle. Now, if you can manage the distance, please fly to the ships promptly. They can bring you back—"
"There's no need, I can fly all the way back to Meereen!" Viserion insisted. "It's just one small hole, you don't need to worry so much, Mother!"
"Viserion, you shouldn't overexert yourself."
"Mother, I actually agree with her here," Rhaegal said. "The hole in her wing is quite small, I'm sure she could fly back home despite it. We've been hurt much worse than this before."
"That's right, we don't need to change the plan at all!" Viserion added.
"Alright. If you're sure about this, then I'll await your return to Meereen. Please take care."
The communication ended there. Viserion let out a sigh of frustration.
"I'm sorry if I was a little too harsh earlier," Rhaegal said. "But it needed to be said, we couldn't have stayed in Yunkai after you were hurt."
"I understand all that, no need for more reminders…"
They began flying towards the northeast. Meereen was not even sixty leagues away from Yunkai, and the two dragons covered that distance in under two hours.
That said, Viserion's left wing ached more and more as the flight went on. The cool air blowing through the hole felt sharp and vicious, not at all how she'd felt earlier in the morning.
When they alighted on the Great Pyramid's apex, Mother hurried to Viserion's side.
"After hearing you'd been shot by a scorpion, I feared the worst…" Mother said, gingerly touching the hole left in Viserion's wing. "I will call the Royal Sorceress here at once."
"I don't need her help!" Viserion said. "It's a small hole, it'll heal on its own in a few days!"
"But the next part of the plan is tomorrow," Drogon said. She hadn't come for today's mission due to remaining in Meereen to guard their mother. "Do you plan on sitting that out?"
"Grr… fine, call her here."
The call was made via a telepathic bracelet in Mother's possession, one that was linked to—among others—a counterpart owned by Wilmarina Noscrim.
"She will be here in a few minutes," Mother said. "Viserion, I'm afraid I must leave for my duties. Please sit down, avoid exerting yourself—"
"I'll be fine," Viserion said, rolling her eyes. "I'm not a hatchling anymore, Mother!"
"You are less than two years old, Viserion," Mother said, not faltering in the slightest. "I am hardly old myself, but I know the importance of not being reckless."
Rhaegal wrapped one wing tightly around Viserion. "I'll watch over her, Mother, so you don't need to worry."
Mother and Drogon left. Once they were gone, Viserion threw off Rhaegal's wing.
"I made a mistake, I admit that," Viserion said. "But I won't repeat it."
"I hope not..."
Wilmarina Noscrim soon arrived at the Great Pyramid. Both dragons became very quiet at this point—talking to the succubus was always uncomfortable for them.
But once she finished healing the hole, Viserion couldn't hold back any longer.
"Pardon me if this is rude…" Viserion said, using all the formality that she'd been taught. "But five days ago, my sister encountered some of your Unsullied guards."
Rhaegal looked alarmed. "W-Wait, there's no need to ask about that!"
"You're curious about this too!" Viserion snapped. She turned back to Wilmarina and resumed speaking formally. "And, something that caught her attention, your guards were emitting mana. They said that you'd given them some sort of magic to help them fight. But when we discussed it later, we remembered something you'd said… that incubi are men who've been marked by monsters' mana."
Wilmarina grimaced. "Well… I suppose I can tell your mother that her daughters have become quite intelligent indeed."
"So we're right!" Viserion said. "So you did turn them into incubi—"
Suddenly, Wilmarina's gaze turned cold. Viserion felt her heart stop within her chest.
Rhaegal pushed Viserion down so that her head hit the ground, then prostrated herself as well. "I-I'm sorry for my sister's stupid words! She didn't mean to imply anything!"
"...Take care that it does not happen again."
Viserion trembled on the floor. She was too terrified to care about Rhaegal holding her down.
"You may rise," Wilmarina said. Once Viserion and Rhaegal were standing again, she continued, "You deduced correctly. The six that Rhaegal met were turned into incubi by one of my daughters. This was out of necessity… you know about the Fiery Hand using poison in their attack, correct?"
Viserion and Rhaegal growled. They knew about this quite well, and it was infuriating to them, who believed in fighting one's enemies directly.
"The ones who attacked my manse used weapons tipped with poison. Some of the guards were poisoned in the process, so my daughter turned them into incubi to save them. That is all."
Viserion wondered if there was more to the story than that. However, she wasn't brave enough to ask for further details.
"If that is all, then I will take my leave."
Wilmarina flew out from the Great Pyramid. Only when she was no longer in sight did Viserion breathe a sigh of relief.
"You idiot!" Rhaegal said, slapping Viserion on the back of the head. "What would you have done if she'd become truly angry!?"
"She's not that easy to anger, so I took a risk," Viserion retorted. "And besides, now we've confirmed our theory!"
"But this doesn't help us in any way…"
"You're the one being an idiot!" Viserion said, poking her sister in the chest with a wing-claw. "Remember what she told us before!? We monsters have lust far greater than humans, and just look at Mother for what humans can be like!"
This was an argument the two dragons had had several times before. And just like before, Rhaegal remained stubborn.
"I remember it all," Rhaegal said. "But we mustn't do anything irresponsible! We can't let Mother down again!"
"Then we can just tell Mother in advance," Viserion said. "I'm sure she'd agree. Don't forget, we'd become much more powerful if we were mated! And our mates would become more powerful as incubi—we'd all be able to help Mother more effectively! We wouldn't need to think up such complicated plans, or spend so much time preparing! We could conquer the world, just like the Valyrians of old!"
Well, not precisely like the Valyrians of old. Theirs had truly been an empire built on fire and blood, killing those who would not submit and enslaving many of the ones who did, working the latter to death for the sake of Valyrian prosperity. What Viserion and her family had in mind was something far less violent and far more pleasant.
"We can turn Mother into one of us too… oh, it would be so wonderful, her being able to fly around with us!"
"And what about when other humans see this, and want to become monsters and incubi as well?"
"Then we can just turn them as well! Mother's empire is going to be unstoppable!"
"And when there's no more males being born… what then?"
Viserion felt like her entire body had just been dropped into ice-cold water. She glared at Rhaegal. It was the first time her sister had brought up this counterargument… and to Viserion's annoyance, she couldn't think of any way to refute it.
We could keep our blessing limited to a few, like how nobility is a privilege… but that wouldn't be fair, would it? And if any monster or incubus made a mistake, they could easily spread it to others…
Argh, why does this have to prevent us from having sons!?
Well, I guess all magic has its costs… The magic that Mother hatched us with needed human sacrifices… The magic of these monsters is more convenient in many ways, but it still has its costs…
"Fine, you win this time," Viserion said. "But you can't deny that you wish things were different, that you could actually be with him?"
Rhaegal blushed, then hid her face behind her wings. "I-It's not like that! I'm only interested in the work he does! Th-That's all!"
"Nobody thinks that's all there is," Viserion said smugly. "Not me, not Mother, not Barristan, not even Hizdahr! And, when I talked to Irri and Jhiqui about it, they were saying you'd probably break the rule before I did!"
"I… It's not like that… ahhh, I've had enough of this!"
Rhaegal flew away from the Great Pyramid and began circling in the sky. Meanwhile, Viserion sat down and helped herself to some spiced chicken treats—she'd need plenty of energy for the next step of Yunkai's conquest.
I wonder when she's going to break the rule and jump on that gardener? If she does, that'd set a precedent, let me do what I want.
...Just need to actually pick someone, first. There's so many handsome men around, but none of them really catches my eye...
When she'd filled her stomach, Viserion began roaming the Great Pyramid. She watched various servants at their work. She watched, for a few minutes, her mother and father-in-law at a court session.
He's still not worthy of her, Viserion thought, not for the first time. If it wasn't for the political consequences, she should just drop him and find a mate she actually likes.
In the late afternoon, Viserion decided to go for a pre-dinner bath. She could have done this in her private bathroom but she preferred a different location.
Viserion stepped into the public female baths on the fourth floor of the Great Pyramid. This was used by servants and lower-ranking courtiers. And when they saw the dragon join them, they buzzed with surprise and delight.
"Princess Viserion, you're here again!"
"You honour us with your presence!"
Viserion smiled as she undressed. Basking in the attention of others was one of her favourite hobbies.
She then moved to the warm room, or tepidarium to use the Ghiscari word for it. This was filled with warm air to prepare bathers for what came next. The humans in the room were sweating, but Viserion hardly even noticed the increased temperature. She therefore advanced quickly to the next room.
Next came the hot room or caldarium. Half of the floor area in this room was taken up by a rectangular pool of hot water. This water had, for centuries of history, been heated by an underfloor furnace kept fed by slave labour. After Viserion's mother had taken over, the slaves had been given a daily wage as well as slightly less arduous hours, but their job had still been harsh. After the monsters had arrived, the furnace had been replaced by a magical heating device, which only needed one of the dragons to recharge its mana every few days.
Viserion lowered her body into the water. It only felt lukewarm—her draconic body could have comfortably bathed even in boiling water—but that was the small price she paid for using this public bath. She was immediately surrounded by admiring humans.
"I still can't believe how soft your skin is, princess!" said one woman.
"I never had skin like that, even when I was still young…" said another woman, this one old enough to have wrinkles.
"Well, I have my mother to thank for this!" Viserion said.
There was a trio girls a little distance away. They'd been splashing around in the bath originally, only to stop when Viserion entered.
Viserion flexed her tail, splashing water at the girls. They recoiled while squealing, but soon recovered and began splashing water back at her.
"Please don't encourage them, Princess Viserion," said one of the women, though she had a smile on her face.
"Being fair to myself, I am younger than them," Viserion said jokingly. "I think I still have the right to play around."
More than one woman glanced down at Viserion's chest. Some then glanced at their own chests.
Sometimes I wish we could just spread monsterisation freely, Viserion thought. Then everyone could look however they wanted…
Viserion remained in the hot room for ten minutes. During this time, several women asked and were allowed to help wash her body. Their help was quite appreciated, since with her wings and tail, Viserion had a lot of area that needed washing.
Once she was done, Viserion moved to the cold room or frigidarium. This also had a pool of water, but in this case the water was chilled via magic. In the past, the water had simply been left unheated.
Viserion submerged herself in the pool. This was extremely uncomfortable for a dragon, but she forced herself to remain inside for a quarter of an hour.
I don't know if I'll ever have to fight that succubus… but in case I do, I should make sure I can withstand the cold!
After her stint in the cold room, a now-shivering Viserion went back to the first room to wipe herself dry and redress herself. She said farewell to those humans still in the bath and then left.
Mingling with humans had another purpose beyond just satisfying her thirst for attention. Viserion and her sisters had previously terrorised the humans of Meereen, back when they were still savage beasts.
I'm glad to be a monster now, Viserion thought, shuddering at the memory. I never want to go back to that kind of life...
By mingling with the humans now, Viserion hoped to soothe their feelings towards her family. It was an idea she'd taken from her own mother's behaviour: according to Barristan, Hizdahr and several others, Daenerys interacted with smallfolk far more closely than most monarchs.
Shortly after her bath, Viserion rejoined her family for dinner. This was always an enjoyable affair, and even Hizdahr's presence didn't detract from that.
The three dragons didn't eat as much during dinner as they normally would. They needed to be up and flying before dawn tomorrow, so a heavy stomach was out of the question.
After dinner, they went over the plan one last time, just to make sure no one had forgotten any details. Then they went to bed.
Tonight, as with most nights recently, the three dragons all slept while snuggling with their mother. Hizdahr slept in a separate bed in a separate room—starting a fortnight ago, he and Mother had decided to give up the pretence of being a couple, since they didn't like each other anyway.
Being with her family was extremely comforting, just like those early days when the dragons had been mere hatchlings, small enough for Mother to embrace them as they all slept.
It had an additional benefit for Viserion. Now that she was a monster, nights spent alone usually had her thinking about one of the men she'd met during the day. When alone, it was rare for her to fall asleep before midnight.
Viserion had a pleasant dream, one in which she, her sisters and their mother all had mates. The faces of these imaginary mates fluctuated. At one point Viserion's mate looked like an Unsullied she often spied on as he trained. At another point her mate looked like a Brazen Beast who looked surprisingly handsome behind his mask.
But like all good things, the dream came to an end. In this case, it was ended by Barristan's abrupt voice: "—gies, but it is time!"
Viserion opened her eyes blearily.
If only that dream lasted… even a few minutes longer…
But she remembered her duty, and so she got out of bed and prepared for the long flight ahead.
It took just a few minutes for everyone to be fully prepared. Then the three dragons took off from the Great Pyramid, Drogon carrying Daenerys on her back—something that annoyed Viserion and Rhaegal, but it was simple fact that Drogon was the biggest and strongest of the dragons, making her best-suited to carrying a passenger over long distances.
"Farewell!" Barristan called out as they flew away. "I hope that you return to Meereen soon!"
Barristan had wanted to come along as well, Viserion knew. But the old knight was getting too old for an hours-long flight. Mother had instead asked him to remain behind in Meereen and keep an eye on affairs, as one of the few she trusted.
They flew southwest through the night sky for roughly an hour and a half. By the end, Viserion could faintly glimpse the light of the rising sun on the eastern horizon.
Eventually, they spotted a small fleet of ten ships on the sea below, all flying the Targaryen flag of a three-headed dragon. These ships had set sail two days ago and then anchored a short distance away from Yunkai.
The dragons landed on the flagship of the fleet. Daenerys got down from Drogon's back and met the ship's captain, who had been awaiting their arrival on the deck.
"Greetings, Captain Azzon. Is all well here?"
The captain dropped to one knee. "Aye, Your Grace," he said. "The men are all well-rested, made sure of that myself. They can go into Yunkai as soon as we get the signal."
"Good, good. That should not take too long…"
During the conversation, Viserion looked around at the few sailors who were on night duty. Whenever one of them met her gaze, he blushed and looked away. It made Viserion laugh internally.
Then Daenerys addressed the dragons again. "Alright, I will wait on this ship. And… yes, I've just decided to change the plan. Rhaegal, Drogon, you two will subdue Yunkai. Viserion, you will stay here as my guard."
That led to surprised reactions from two dragons: Viserion with "WHAT!?" and Drogon with "A-Are you sure, Mother?"
"I am sure," Mother said. "Viserion, you were injured yesterday, and while I am confident in the Royal Sorceress' skills, you ought to rest today." From the tone of her voice, she likely wished Viserion could have stayed back in Meereen. "And I do need one of you with me. Even if these ships are crewed by my loyal subordinates, you girls are inherently more reliable for my protection."
"I understand the logic…" Viserion said through gritted teeth.
"Then we will depart, Mother," Rhaegal said, spreading her wings again.
"When we're done, Yunkai will be completely pacified," Drogon promised.
"Farewell, and may the fortunes of war be with you."
Viserion watched her sisters take flight and head for Yunkai, all the while feeling bitter about being left behind.
"Now, Your Graces," Captain Azzon said. "I've got a cabin for you, won't be as comfortable as you're used to—"
"I am sure it will serve," Mother said.
Viserion and her mother followed the ship's captain to a cabin in the poop deck of the ship. This had clean surfaces and quality furniture, including a proper bed.
"Viserion, do you need to rest?" Mother asked, gesturing towards the bed.
The question made Viserion roll her eyes. To make a point, she picked up her mother using her once-injured wing.
"Again, I'm perfectly fine, Mother! I've taken worse injuries than this scuffling with my sisters!"
"I'm glad to hear that, although I hope you'll rest regardless. But there was another thing I wanted to talk to you about."
Viserion put her mother down. She was still amazed at how light the human was.
"Viserion… I heard from Rhaegal about your discussion yesterday."
That made Viserion wince. Talking to Rhaegal about the topic of mates was merely annoying due to Rhaegal never giving in. Talking to Mother about this topic was incredibly uncomfortable.
"I know that you're a young woman, and you have desires," Daenerys said. "I feel frustrated quite often, and I'm a human instead of a monster! But… and I regret that I must tell you this…"
"I'm a monster, and a princess, and there would be consequences if I lay with anyone," Viserion said in a long-suffering tone. "I understand all that. But it just… it just isn't fair! All the humans get to mate however they please, but we can't!" She felt the urge to kick something but suppressed it—damaging the property of others was impolite. "And our guests don't have to follow the same rule! Did Rhaegal tell you about the incubi they have now!?"
"Please keep your voice down," Mother said firmly. "And yes, she did tell me. However, anything that happens in that manse is a well-kept secret. Most of its residents rarely or never leave. Would you be willing to do the same?"
Viserion was not. Being unable to speak to whoever she pleased, unable to fly in the open air as she pleased, would be incredibly stifling.
"That said, there might be ways around it for you and your sisters," Mother continued. "I wonder… if we search through the ranks of the Unsullied, I'm sure we could find one who'd agree to live permanently in your personal rooms, as your consort, and never leave." She smirked. "For quite a few men, living with a beauty like you would be a dream come true, more than enough to offset the loss of freedom."
It was a tempting prospect. Viserion had learned that there were countless sorts of humans in the world. Even within the Great Pyramid alone, she'd overheard many men fantasising about laying with her or her sisters. But after a few seconds of thought, she shook her head.
"No. I want a mate who I can go outside with, who I can point to and boast, 'He's mine.' I couldn't go along with that. But thank you for the suggestion, Mother."
"I knew you'd say that," Mother said. She touched a lock of Viserion's golden hair. "It's ironic. Your beauty makes mine pale in comparison. Normally, I'd be dealing with hundreds of requests for your hand…"
"Don't put yourself down, I only look like this because of you! Didn't that succubus mention that before? And…" Viserion fidgeted bashfully. "Mother, if you would like… I could share my mana with you, make you into a dragon too."
"I'm thankful for that suggestion," Mother said, smiling. "But as a queen of a nation of humans, I face even greater scrutiny than you. And if I could no longer bear sons, that would limit my options considerably."
A shadow passed over Mother's face. Having children was always a sore point for her. For over a year, she'd thought herself infertile due to a curse from a maegi. Recently, Wilmarina had healed the damage to her womb…
...and also suggested that Mother ask a midwife or two about the effects of age on childbearing. Mother had sent out servants to do just that. And according to the midwives they'd asked, it was a bad idea to give birth prior to the age of twenty—some midwives recommended an even older age. Young childbirth increased the risk of complications for both mother and child.
And Mother was… thirteen when she conceived, fourteen when she gave birth…
That night, Mother had cried herself to sleep. Though she'd put on her usual queenly mask starting from the very next morning.
"Adoption might be a way around that, letting me continue to have a successor…" Mother wondered out loud. "It's something to think about. Moving to a different topic: Viserion, I have no handmaids here on this ship, so would you like to take care of my hair?"
"Yes, I would!"
Viserion transformed her wings into arms and cheerfully began braiding her mother's hair in the Dothraki style. Delicate tasks like this used to be tricky for her, but extensive practice had made her no less skilful than a human handmaiden.
Time passed. After Viserion was done with Mother's hair, Mother returned the favour. Then Mother began reading a book while Viserion had an early breakfast—fresh sea bass caught by the ship's crew and grilled using dragonfire.
During this, they occasionally received telepathic updates from Rhaegal and Drogon. It turned out that some of the Wise Masters of Yunkai had been not so wise after all, staying in the city despite yesterday's warning. They were trying to fight back, but their scorpions were hopelessly inaccurate in the darkness of early morning.
The sun had begun rising when they received the message: "All done, Mother! The last master has been burnt out!"
"Thank you for your efforts, Drogon, Rhaegal," Daenerys said warmly into her necklace. "Then it is time for me to join you."
Mother left the cabin and, with a curt series of orders, got the fleet moving towards Yunkai.
Viserion left the cabin as well and looked towards the east. In the distance, she could see several trails of smoke rising into the sky.
The fleet took over an hour to reach Yunkai. Another reminder of why flying was the best method of travel.
As Yunkai came into view, Viserion saw that four of the pyramids had been extensively burned.
More of them resisted than expected… did they really think they could win against dragons?
But maybe a home is just that valuable. Mother wants to return to her home in Westros—Westeros, and she doesn't even remember it...
The ten ships pulled up to Yunkai's docks and humans began disembarking. About half were soldiers but the rest were bureaucrats of various kinds, here to help Mother organise the addition of Yunkai to her empire.
Rhaegal and Drogon were waiting at the docks. They were watching over a crowd of humans in expensive but also dirty and ragged clothing. These humans ranged in age from grey-haired elders down to infants.
"These are the Wise Masters who did not take our warning and flee," Rhaegal explained. "We captured them for your judgement, Mother."
"These are the ones who're still alive," Drogon added. "A few picked up weapons and tried to fight. We decided to kill them as an example to the rest."
The Wise Masters cowered in fear. Some threw themselves on the ground and began pleading.
"Have mercy, o great and noble Mother of Dragons!"
"We swear eternal allegiance to your cause!"
"Please… Please at least spare my children!"
"I gave you all ample warning, and you chose to ignore it!" Mother said in her queenly voice. Viserion was always amazed by how she could produce such volume with her small body. "This was after your failed war against Meereen! By the laws of gods and men, I have no obligation to be merciful!"
The humans cowered even more. Many of the children began crying, a sound that tugged at Viserion's heartstrings.
"However, not all of you would have had the right to choose!" Mother continued. "So this is my decision: the heads of each house will be given a quick death, while the rest of you will be exiled from Yunkai! You will be given wagons with food, clothing and basic tools, but no more!"
A few of the humans looked furious despite their terror. They clearly had no idea how to survive when deprived of their homes, fortunes and slaves.
Though Viserion didn't look down on them for that. The daughters of Meereen's Royal Sorceress were much the same, after all, minus the dependency on slaves.
"You have ten minutes to say your farewells! That is the extent of my mercy!"
There were scattered words of gratitude from the Wise Masters. Then they began hugging each other and exchanging tearful words. Meanwhile, Mother had her subordinates organise the wagons of supplies.
Viserion glanced at the humans a bit further out, the common people of Yunkai. They watched the proceedings with uncertain expressions. Many were emaciated and in ragged clothing, something she could see more clearly now that she was on the ground instead of in the air.
Eventually, the ten minutes of grace were over. Parents let go of their weeping children, brothers parted from their sisters, and four Wise Masters moved away from the rest.
"The others do not need to see this," Mother said quietly.
Mother's soldiers led the majority of the Wise Masters away from the chosen four. More than one had to be physically dragged away.
...I wish it didn't have to be this way…
Viserion glanced in Rhaegal's direction. Her green sister had a wing-claw to her telepathic bracelet and was now using its silent function.
This is more merciful than usual in war, Viserion replied. After declaring war on someone, and losing, it's not unusual for entire families to be killed—like what nearly happened to Mother. And with no warning given.
I know. Still… I hope this ends soon.
Eventually, only the four Wise Masters who were house heads remained. They looked utterly terrified but none made any attempt to flee.
"Do you have any last words?" Mother asked.
"I go now to meet the Whisperer," said a fierce-looking man. "I hope to see you there soon, too, foul sorceress!"
Drogon took a step towards the man. Mother stopped her with one raised hand.
"I am grateful for the mercy you have shown, last of the Valyrians," said a woman whose cheeks were covered in dried tears.
"If it were at all possible, I would try to persuade you to spare my life," said a man who looked so scared, it was a wonder he was still standing. "As that isn't possible… I ask only that you make it quick."
"Empires rise, and empires fall," said an elderly man who was leaning against a cane. "That is our fate today. Soon your time will come as well, Mother of Dragons."
When the Wise Masters had all had a chance to speak, Daenerys nodded towards her soldiers. Four soldiers took out daggers, grasped the Wise Masters by the head and then slit their throats. From the amount of blood that gushed out, all four had managed to sever the arteries.
"Mount their bodies for a few days, to serve as an example of the price of resistance," Mother said. "And, to show the people of Yunkai the benefits of being under my flag…"
Crates and barrels were unloaded from the Meereenese fleet, with the dragons helping in order to speed up the process. These were filled with flour, cheese, smoked fish and dried fruit—not enough to feed an entire city, but still a welcome gift for the starving.
There was a little hesitation among the Yunkish first. Perhaps they feared Mother would try casting a spell on them using enchanted food, like in certain stories. But once one emaciated beggar took a wedge of cheese, that opened the floodgates for others to rush in.
That's Yunkai done, Viserion thought. But that still leaves New Ghis, Tolos, Elyria, Mantarys… and Volantis.
Hopefully those don't take too long. I want to spend less time fighting, more time looking for a mate!
AN: The design of the public baths is based on the baths of Ancient Rome, which Ghiscari culture is partly inspired by. It's not a 100% replica, though.