Daenerys
"And you will not consider-"
Daenerys cut Ser Barristan off with a withering stare. "No."
The old man bowed his head. "Of course, your grace, it is your choice. I merely wished to present you all your options and how they might affect you."
"And I understand," Dany said, doing her best not to snap at the old knight; after all, she had told him that she wished for him to advise her so could she truly get mad when he did just that? "But the answer remains no. While it is lovely and I am sure there are many that would appreciate it… no."
With that one of her handmaidens took the beautiful pale pink silk dress that Ser Barristan had been trying to convince her to wear out of the room.
"We will need to ensure the Myrish delegation knows you, at the very least, received their gift. We wouldn't want them offended."
"And why not?" Dany asked as she walked over to the great cabinet that took residence in the left corner of her chambers. "They have offended me."
"It is just a dress, your grace," Ser Barristan said.
"A dress that was woven by the hands of slaves," she retorted. "The cocoons of the silkworms were harvested by slaves. Boiled by slaves. Cleaned and dyed by slaves. Woven by slaves and then cut and stitched by slaves. Every piece of that dress was created by slaves and then the Myrish lords snatched it away and presented it to us as if they themselves had crafted it. I doubt they even commanded it made… they most likely demanded their slaves tell the other slaves that it be made." She shook her head. "My stance on slavery has been made clear to all, Ser Barristan, and still the men of Myr insult me in this way."
She looked back at the knight, seeing him remaining utterly impassive. It was a sign of just how much practice he had when dealing with royalty; he understood that no matter what he was to remain dignified and collected.
'I wonder if he realizes how much that annoyed others,' she thought to herself. 'It would be so much easier to be angry with him for trying to push that dress on me if he were to become angry or bitter. But because he is so respectful he makes me want to give in!' It made her all the more frustrated yet she also knew it was silly to FEEL frustrated over such a thing.
"It is the duty of a ruler to be gracious," Ser Barristan said, clearly trying to keep his voice respectful so he didn't come off as a lecturing parent. Daenerys had made it clear to ALL from Ser Barristan to Ser Jorah to Logan to Doom: she was not looking for a father. She was a woman grown. She needed advisors, not guardians.
"And how would my brother Rhaegar have reacted had he been given a dress?" she asked.
That caused Ser Barristan to smile. "Confusion that he was given such a thing."
If he had thought that it was a joke, her setting him up to make some quip, he was sadly mistaken. "Exactly, Ser Barristan. Because Rhaegar was meant to rule. In fact it would have made more sense to give a gift that was a dress or some fancy jewelry to him as he wasn't a ruler yet. He commanded an army but he was not king. I am the Khalesi of Dragon's Bay… I have no time for such insults."
"It wasn't an insult," Ser Barristan argued again. "They thought-"
"Wrongly," Daenerys said, cutting him off. "They thought wrongly and poorly. They believed me a meek thing that would be entranced by their baubles. But I am a ruler and a warrior, just as much as all Targaryens that came before me. I will not change who I am for anyone simply to make them happy."
It was a warning to him. Stop pressing her on such things and understand she was as she was. She wore leathers and kept weapons at her sides and when they came to Westeros she would not come in a dress but in steel. Aegon the Conqueror hadn't won the Seven Kingdoms by dressing in silk shirts and bedecking himself in jewels. His crown had been black with only a few rubies. His seat one of swords. So too for her.
"Is all well, Daenerys?" Viktor said as he entered, sweeping into the room with his green cloak billowing behind him. He always did manage to cut an impressive sight when he moved about, something Dany was rather envious of. If capes weren't frivolous things to her, thanks to her most likely just burning them away with her flames, she would have considered one for herself.
"Quite fine," she said as Ser Barristan bowed his head and moved to leave; she knew he wouldn't go far, most likely waiting outside the door even though the Unsullied guarded her.
Viktor waited for the door to shut before he spoke. "You must be more understanding towards him. He looks at you and sees the chance for a life he thought gone to return again. A dream suddenly made real. All those that reach the end of their years feel that way."
"Which is understandable," Daenerys stated. "But the past is not the wonderful thing we make it out to be with our lack of clear vision. Jaehaerys the Wise saw the most peaceful time in all the Seven Kingdoms, did he not? The maesters rank him as the greatest of my ancestors."
"Between him and Aegon the First," Viktor stated. "Maekor is a rare favorite from those wishing to court scandal and get attention for themselves. The 'attention getter' in more common terms. And those who believe that the maesters and the Septons should be merged into one will point the Baelor. Aegon the Unlikely for the commoners but we are speaking of the Maesters so yes, usually it is Jahaerys I."
"And yet his actions led to the Dance of the Dragons," she pointed out. "He was unable to raise his children properly. Taxation was heavy and nothing occurred to better the relationship with Dorne. We talk of his glory days but forget that they were surrounded by darkness, gloom, and error." She paused. "The scholars, when they speak of me, will remember how I took the Three Sisters of Slaver's Bay. They won't mention how I wandered in the desert, unable to determine how I would care for my people until you arrived. Or if they do it will be brushed aside, treated as nothing more than an interesting footnote. Perhaps a pretty little tale… they won't speak of the blisters on my heels from constant walking or how my lips bled thanks to the dry air. So too with Ser Barristan and his dreams that I will be some silver queen wearing fine dresses who rules over a summer that never ends. We will be marching on Westeros in the Autumn… as loathed as I am to say it the Starks are right that Winter is Coming. That is not a time for little girls. It is a time for rulers."
Viktor nodded at that. "And ones with clear eyes." He waved his hand. "But we can not concern ourselves with such things at the moment. There are more important matters that lie before us."
"Yes, the delegations," Daenerys stated wearily.
"Do not let others see you so put off by these meetings," Viktor warned her and Daenerys fought the urge to roll her eyes, knowing that doing so would only start him on a different rant. She didn't need to be told yet again about controlling her emotions. "In the end they will serve several great purposes. The Juggernaut must be dealt with."
Daenerys nodded at that. Marko was still imprisoned in his golden trap, though modifications had been made. They had doused him with a year's worth of Milk of the Poppy to put him to sleep so he might be moved to the dungeons and the gold reformed around him so that he might be able to, as disgusting as it was, shit and piss himself. The servants and guards tasked with feeding him had to be careful because when he wasn't spewing insults and threats or trying to bite off their fingers along with the long spoons they used to feed him he was holding in his waste so that he might do it when they arrived; she'd heard that he always laughed when he managed to piss on a man's boots.
'It would be easier to just kill him,' she thought once again. 'But he is too valuable. He is kin to the Sea Lord of Braavos and even if they loathe each other family is still family. And word has it that there are those that claim blood debts against him… ones that will be transferred to me if I steal their honor by killing him.' It was a horribly tangled mess, a knot of many ropes that desperately needed to be unwoven yet she had little idea how she would be able to do so and keep all happy. Thus the delegations… and how they wore her down.
"Who is arriving today?" she asked as she moved towards the door, opening in and strolling out with a confident gait. At once the Unsullied and Ser Baristan moved to follow.
Viktor only waited until they were out the door before moving to walk beside her, something she didn't miss but also didn't comment on. He was, after all, not a servant or a member of her Small Council. Viktor was a ruler in his own right, Lord and Master of Latvaria, and thus was owed the honor and right to walk beside her as an equal.
"According to my spies," and Dany wasn't at all surprised that the man had spies in her city (in fact she would have been bothered if he didn't), "the Braavosi delegation has been slowed by the need to assist with a small village that is suffering from a drought and bandit attacks. They will now be arriving in a week's time, depending if they need to stop and aid more; that is possible, for the Sealord has a kind heart. That leaves only the Myrish, who arrived last night-"
"And have already provided their gift," Daenerys muttered.
"-the Pentosi, a representative of a Smithing Guild, and the Wakandans."
That made Daenerys' brow furrow. "I am… not familiar with the Wakandans."
"Not surprising," Viktor stated. "They keep to themselves, even before the Doom. They saw how the Dragon Lords of Old Valyria hunted for Braavos based only on whispers and legend and dug in deeper than them. There are many that dismiss them as being of little interest. Just poor farmers who barely managed to make an existence in their mountains."
"You don't believe that though."
She could hear the pleased tone in his voice. "No. No I do not. There are… other whispers. Ones that speak of secrets that they cling to fiercely. The Wakadanas are poor, yes, but they are also strong. I have seen them fight and they are as skilled as your Unsullied. Yet I have never heard of a Wakandan being taken as a slave. They never beg for food or supplies. And their lands have never been targeted."
"You said the lands were thought to be poor."
"That doesn't matter to many," he pointed out. "The Garden of Bones is worthless to Latvaria but I still claim it as my own. So too should it be with the Wakandans… and yet their neighbors make no attempts to snatch up them up."
Dany nodded at that. "And the other two? The Guild and the Pentosi?"
"The Guild is something new. The representative seems an odd sort from what I've heard."
He fell silent.
"Viktor," she said, coming to a stop at some stairs. "The Pentosi?"
For the first time since she'd met him the man known as Doom was… off-put.
"They are led by Illyrio Mopatis children."
Dany raised an eyebrow at that, sensing a story.
Viktor narrowed his eyes behind his mask before finally letting out a huff. "I do not wish to speak of it but I can see that you will not let go of the issue. And they are your guests so you deserve to know of them. Mopatis' children were born to him by the bastard daughter of House Mertyns of Mistwood who he had charmed. While Illyrio eventually moved on from her the children she gave him honored her and took her bastard name as their own. They travel with a man known as Benjen the Grimstone… you will know him when you see him… and the last son of a cadet branch of the Northern House Reed."
She waited for him to continue on.
"We have… encountered one another," Viktor admitted. "Meddlers who failed to understand my actions and thought themselves heroes."
"Will you be able to handle being in the same room as them?" Dany asked.
"So long as they do not seek to confront me? Yes. But they will confront me, Daenerys. It will be them to make the first attack. And I will not allow myself to be harmed just to satisfy your guest rights."
"If they truly attack you first them I will stand with you," she informed him. "We are allies, Viktor… your enemies are my enemies." Left unsaid though was 'so long as they truly are enemies I wish to have'.
The rest of the trip to her throne room was a quiet one, with only the soft clanging of Ser Barristan's armor to fill the silence. She arrived to find the rest of her Small Council gathered already, along with representatives of the city and her Khalasar. Walking up the few steps that lead up to the raised platform where the stone chair she had selected to be her throne rested Daenerys sat down before giving a nod to Domino.
"Presenting The Generous Masters of Myr: Onolo Poi, Tunim Myc-"
Daenerys tuned out the names of the Myrish delegates. They, like the ones that had already arrived from Lys and Volantis, were all the same. They paid homage to her, invited her to visit their fair cities, and refused to say a word about what they wanted with the Juggernaut for there was 'time for that later'. No, they would remain in her city until all arrived, eating and drinking her food while muttering under their breath about how she was a fool and destroyer of culture and if only she would allow for slavery to return… or how they wish they could savage her. That was a common thread per the servants who brought back to Dany all that was said by the Masters. And this point if words were cock thrusts every one of her holes would have been plundered a hundred times. As well as he tits, both hands, her feet(?), and one strange man the back of her knees.
Gifts were brought that set her teeth on edge. Cloth. Gems. Perfumes. It didn't matter that she sat on a throne in dark leathers and wore a simple crown on her head they still thought so little of her! She could feel the flames begging to come out, to consume her form and turn her into a being of pure flame so she might show them how wrong they were. But Daenerys tapped down those urges and instead plastered a benign look on her face as they finished up and finally let her be.
'At least these ones did not offer to wed me,' she thought darkly to herself. Of course they weren't actual 'offers'. More they were attempts to get her to submit to them. She was 'such a graceful creature' who 'must be so lonely' and who 'desired companionship'. She heard the words unspoken so easily: you are a stupid girl and need a strong man to take over. They thought of her as one might a child playing pretend.
They never said those words openly in front of her, of course. It was boasted of in tavern halls and mead shops and wine sinks, where a man deep in his cups would forget all his courtly grace and loudly proclaim how he would 'break the dragon bitch' with his mighty cock. More than a few had talked of how their girth was so great that they would render her a 'cum addicted whore' and their length so large that they would bring her the mind altering pleasure of 'striking her womb'.
Dany had laughed at that last one.
Then she'd sent Logan and Wade to, well, have fun as they saw fit.
The boasts had died off after Logan had castrated a man of Volantis and Wade had managed to fuck him in the mouth with his own severed cock.
Domino stepped towards her and whispered. "This one will be more fun."
"What makes you say that?"
But Domino merely smirked, refusing to answer and instead declaring, "Presenting from the Smithing Guild of Essos Ulysses Klaue!"
At once Daenerys knew that this man would be different from her previous meetings. Klaue wore fine leathers and armor much like her other guests but his had clearly been used. The armor had small scratches and dings in the metal and the leather was dust-covered and worn in spots. Cared for, that was clear, but it wasn't for show. He was a man who knew the hardship of travel and prepared for it. Upon his back were several sheaths, the handles of swords and daggers sticking out.
He had a sunburn face, weathered from the wind and the rains blasting into his features as well as the heat of the forge when he wasn't on the road. His hair was trimmed almost impossibly short on the sides of his head while being left long and curly on the top and he had a graying patch on his chin. And of course there was his left arm. He openly displayed the loss of his left hand with a strange prosthetic: four pincer-like pieces with a tube between them.
"Lovely place here, your grace, lovely place," Klaue said after having taken a moment to bend the knee, rising up quickly once she'd motioned for him to stand. "A million issues but that is to be expected. The Meereeni only cared about making things look pretty rather than functional… had slaves to cover the gaps which is stupid. Why not just make it right in the first place?"
Dany found herself amused by the man. "Yes, I have found that in Astapor, Yunkai, and Meereen the answer always is 'more slaves'."
Klaue spat, literally, at that. "Idiots and fools, your grace, idiots and fools." He looked at her and smiled. "Now then, I'm told you have a man trapped in metal here. I'd like to see it."
"I will be arranging visits to the Cain Marko once everyone has arrived."
"I don't care about Marko," Klaue said with a shake of his hand. "I want to see the metal."
"The… metal?" Daenerys asked.
"The gold," Klaue said. "Its true you used gold?" He raised an eyebrow at the word 'gold' and Dany suddenly felt like she had been sized up and found wanting.
"I did," she said in a firmer voice. "from the capstone of this very pyramid."
"Fuck," Klaue growled. "I need to see it then today." When Dany merely stared at him the man scoffed. "Gold is fucking soft metal. People think it is hard and durable just because its heavy but its shit for shields, swords, and restraints. If someone is looking to free that bastard they'd only need a chisel and a good sledge and he'd be fucking loose within a few minutes. We need some good solid steel to keep him wrapped up…" He tugged at his beard with his right hand. "Suppose we could sell that gold… people would pay extra for the gold from the Great Pyramid… and that stopped that bastard's rampage… and it was kissed by your flames and that of dragons…"
Daenerys felt like she'd gone from gracefully dancing to having her feet replaced with clunky wooden boards. "Your concern is… the gold."
Klaue chuckled. "Of course!" he waved at himself. "I am Klaue of the Smithing Guild! What do I give a fuck about the Juggernaut… other than him busting up my wears and the people who might buy them? No… I heard you have him trapped in gold and knew I needed to see it so we could make it BETTER." He waved his hand dismissively. "Fucking hate shoddy work. Take this." He reached behind his back and pulled out a curved blade; Dany was familiar with it, for many of her bloodriders preferred such swords. "One of your Dothraki had this, was boasting about how amazing it was. 'Fit for the Khalesi' he said when he was telling everyone how he'd won it."
He suddenly lashed out with his false hand, striking the blade and causing it to shatter like glass.
"I only paid him what he asked because I didn't want you to get upset at me cheating him… but he'd been robbed the moment he pulled out his coin purse for this dreck." Klaue looked at the slivers of metal before tossing the handle he'd been still holding away and then pulling out a new sword.
Dany's throat seized up.
It was… beautiful.
The same design as the blade Klaue had destroyed but at once she could tell it was the superior. Like seeing a mummur pretending to be some great beauty only for the real lady to walk onto stage and reveal the falseness of the entire performance. The curve flawless. The edge razor sharp. The handle made of fine wood and inlaid with carefully selected black leather.
And the blade…
'I know that metal,' she thought as she looked towards Logan. He pulled his eyes away from her and nodded, lifting a single hand up.
The blade was made from the same metal that Logan's claws were.
"This… is a sword," Klaue said before bowing down and placing the blade on the ground. Brelgo, one of her Bloodriders, moved forward and took the sword and Dany could see he was marveling at its craftsmenship even as he brought it over to her; the poor man looked heartbroken to pass it to her! Dany examined the sword carefully, respectful of its deadliness but also in awe of its style and grace. "Forged from Blood Valyrian, known also as Adamantium. A gift to you, Khalesi, and hopefully proof that what I offer is something you will accept."
"You want us to believe that you would part with such metal?" Bruce of Tarth said, the first of her advisors to speak up.
Klaue merely smiled before reaching behind his back… and drawing out another Adamantium Sword. "It is an interesting thing. I buy Valyrain Steel Daggers and other trinkets for… well… 100,000 gold coins." Those gathered began to murmur at that. "I then forge them into a Sword and I can ask for a million gold coins. But… turn one in Adamantium and I can gain all I ask for and more. Which, in turn, allows me to purchase more Valyrian Steel Daggers and…" he gave a casual shrug. "These are but a fraction of my armory… to be honest they hold little appeal to me anymore. When one learns a secret it is a fine thing to have but it loses its power to hold your interest. Bed the woman of your dreams and you begin seeking out another. Travel to a place you longed to visit and soon you wish to go further. The same is true with metals. I have master Adamantium… I wish to find new things… more powerful things. And thus… my offer to you."
"And what do you offer, Master Klaue?" Dany asked, knowing that there had to be more to what Klaue was offering. A Valaryan Steel Dothraki Blade… with it at her side she at once would be seen as the equal to every ruler in Essos. This was something that wasn't parted with lightly, despite his claims.
"My services," he said with a wide bow. "I will find the perfect metal for you to imprison the Juggernaut with. And I will improve many things here. Make your scorpions fire farther, your gates stronger, and get your blacksmiths to actually craft decent swords and spears. I will be paid, of course, but I also ask in return free reign to examine the stores of metals that the Meereeni have kept locked away."
He paused.
"And… I may ask, from time to time… for your fire."
"My fire?" Dany asked.
Klaue smirked. "I have a theory, your grace. The art of creating new Valyrian Steel disappeared with the Doom. I believe you and your dragons may be able to show the way to rediscover it."
Daenerys' mind raced at that. 'Valyrian Steel. Able to cut through armor like a knife through butter. Able to be swung a thousand times and never lose its edge. Men have given up everything they own, sold their families into slavery and been left without a single copper… and refused to give up their Valyrian Steel Daggers and Swords. If we could rediscover the art of making such things…'
"We accept your offer, Master Klaue," Daenerys stated. "We offer you the temporary position of Royal Blacksmith. Should this alliance prove fruitful we will make it permanent and offer to you a seat as advisor on my Small Council."
Klaue bowed at that. "Thank you, Kkalesi."
There was a lull as Klaue left and Dany looked over her new blade.
"Do not become entranced by your bauble," Viktor said, walking over to her. "It is a fine thing but it is a thing all the same. Just another dress."
"I've never seen a dress kill someone," Daenerys retorted.
"I have!" Wade said helpfully. "One time, at band camp, I… no, wait." He tilted his head. "That was a flute. Well, anyway, I know I've seen someone strangle a person with a dress. It might have been me."
Dany didn't want to know if Wade had been the one to strangle the person or the one being strangled. Honestly with him it could have gone either way. So instead she turned to Viktor and stated, "Klaue brought up good points and offers us advantages. I would rather have him on our side than against us."
"Of course," Viktor stated though she could tell he wasn't in agreement with her.
"What will you name it?" Ser Jorah asked. "Every sword needs a name."
"I will need to consider that," she admitted. "Perhaps it is bad luck to not give it a name at the moment but I do not wish to rush such things." She looked at one of her handmaidens, Isa. "I will need a way to carry this. I can not wear it open as my bloodriders… the edge is too sharp. Please see to it." Isa nodded and took the sword (with a bit of fear, Dany noticed) and hurried off to begin work.
"The next guests have arrived," Domino said and Dany nodded as Ser Jorah and Viktor returned to their seats. "May I present-"
"Rickard…" Viktor growled low a foursome entered.
"-Rickard Reed, Susun Storm, Jon Storm, and Benjen the Grimstone."
The first man to enter was a tall, lanky figure with the features of a highborn which were hidden behind a dark beard. His eyes were sharp, Dany could tell that instantly even from the distance between them, and there was an intelligence there. He looked about the room with the same critical eye as the head of a fish market, looking at the catch to determine the prices that would be placed on the trout and bass. He was a man that, she got the sense, had won friends and allies not easily but had worked for them, battled to claim them, and needed to fight to maintain them every day. Very much Daenerys' opposite in that and in many aspects.
In contrast with that cool and calculating man was the blond figure that walked with a swagger in every step. He was clean shaven and kept his hair short, much like the bearded man but where his was uniform and salted with white at the temps the blond clearly chose to keep his locks shorn because he wanted to show off more of his face. Indeed she could see that he had made up his face and powdered it just as much as most women of high birth did. He smiled, teeth blindingly white, and gave a cocky little wave to the crowd, even having the gall to wink at one woman who blushed and turned her head away. When he spotted Dany he locked eyes with her and she felt… something… flare up in her stomach that she was rather quick to smash down. She was not some simpering maiden who would be done in by pretty eyes. The blond merely smiled back at her, pouting his lips together.
That earned him a smack from the woman beside him. They were similar enough in looks that Dany decided she must be his sister and not his wife (though, considering her own family history, Daenerys realized she shouldn't be so quick to select only one or the other). She was the perfect contrast between the blonde man and the bearded one, able to take the charm that the fawning her brother had and apply it in a far more measured and controlled way. She was one that could dominate a room and also charm it. Yes, she had all the classical things men sought, with her lush blond hair, ample curves, and lean and elegant face, but she wasn't a painting to be admired. Power could sense power and she knew at once that the woman, Susun, was a force to be reckoned with.
And finally there was… well, she couldn't quite tell what the man looked like, other than he must be rather fat, for he wore a thick heavy robe with a hood that swallowed up all his features. Only his feet were visible and he wore the oddest orangish brown shoes that Dany had ever seen-
"Reed?" Bruce suddenly asked and Dany turned to find the man from Tarth had risen from his chair, face utterly pale.
"Bruce?" the bearded man asked and while not losing his color like Bruce she could tell he was stricken.
"BRUCE!" Susun cried out and suddenly Bruce was rushing away from where he was seated with the Small Council, hurrying over and giving Susun a hug, spinning her around.
"Sue!" Bruce exclaimed happily before letting her go and embracing the blond peacock. "Johnny!"
"In the flesh. Which is more than I can say about some of us." He glanced back at the hooded man, who must have been Benjen the Grimstone.
"Eh, watch what your sayin' dere, Hot Head! Okay?"
"Its good to see you Bruce," Reed said with a smile, clapping Bruce on the shoulder. "We thought you were dead."
"I thought you were dead!" Bruce exclaimed. "When… well…"
"It was bad," Sue said, it clear that even though they had gone through all the same trauma they didn't want to share the details amongst themselves. "We thought perhaps the Green Guardian had killed you."
"Green… oh," Bruce trailed off, Dany at once knowing what the foursome were going to say next.
"Yeah!" Johnny said with a laugh. "That thing made even Ben here look like a blushing bride."
"I'll bride yuh!" Ben declared, Johnny laughing and backing away. That clearly settled (even if just for a second) he turned back towards Bruce. "But yeah, we went lookin' fawh yuh only tuh encountuh dat green brute. Wasn't keen on us bein' dere so he decided tuh throw fists."
"If not for Ben we wouldn't have escaped," Sue said.
"Yeah… about that…" Bruce said awkwardly. "The… Green Guy?" He paused and Dany was just able to see Bruce make his eyes go green.
"…of course," Reed said, leaning in to examine Bruce's face. "Add more muscle, darken the skin to emerald… yes…" He rubbed his chin. "Clear as day now. We should have seen it."
"To be fair we were running for our lives," Johnny pointed out.
Bruce just stared at the four. "But I don't understand… how did you escape the Hulk?"
"Because you aren't the only one to undergo a radical transformation thanks to your time in Old Valyria," Viktor stated, reminding everyone that he was still there. "Come now, Benjen, remove that cloak… unless you expect us all to believe you are going to spend all your time hiding."
Ben took a step forward at that. "You're one tuh tawhk about hidin', Doom! How 'bouts I remove dis cloak when yuh take off dat ugly face plate and frayin' green cloak?"
"I see your ability to hold a meaningful conversation remains woeful," Viktor stated dryly. "Come now Rickard, even for you and your low standards you can't find companions with a bit more brains than Grim and your flaming peacock?"
"Oh, you want flaming?" Johnny asked and Dany's eyes went wide when the blonde burst into flames. "We can see how that cloak of yours does-"
"ENOUGH!" Daenerys roared, leaping from her chair and igniting her own form.
Johnny…went ramrod still.
"…okay, so I am thinking of so many things I want us to try out," he said only for Ben to reach out and smack him hard, causing his flames to sputter out. "Hey!"
"Keep your cock in your pants, Johnny! Okay? That's de Queen you're speakin' tuh!"
Viktor huffed at that. "At least Benjen knows decorum."
"Enough," Dany said, shooting Viktor a dark look, making it clear that SHE was in command and didn't want any side deciding that they could talk out of turn. "I will have answers-"
And that's when Reed's head stretched over to her, neck elongating by 10 feet, so he could examine her burning form while remaining where he was standing.
"Fascinating. Very similar to Johnny's flames but different. You don't generate them directly, do you? They come from an outside source but you are able to control and grow them. Is there a limit?" His head began to move to look at her from behind, causing Dany to turn so she could continue facing him. "What are the limits of the flames? We had some reports about a flaming chimera in Qarth but we assumed it was Viktor attempting to replicate Johnny's powers-"
"How about you back off their, bub?" Logan said, rising and popping his claws. "Before I get to see how that stretchy neck of yours does when cut into a thousand pieces."
"Everyone, please!" Bruce called out, raising his hands. "This… this is a good day. A happy day." He smiled as he looked at the newly arrived foursome. "I thought you all dead… you thought me dead. Can't we just… leave it at that?"
"…Aw, doan get all mushy on me, Bruce." Ben said before reaching up and removing his hood. There was a gasp from many gathered as they took in Benjen the Grimstone. Rather than the normal features one would have expected instead they saw a face made of orangish brown stone, with a thick brow and heavy lips. The body was rocky, with thousands of different textured stones making up the face and chest and arms of the man. Only the eyes were clearly human, a deep and soulful blue that spoke of a tender heart under the monstrous exterior. "Befawh yuh say a wawhd I'm still prettiuh than your green butt."
"You will find that your looks will not have you judged here," Bruce said with a smile.
"The title of ugliest goes to me!" Wade said cheerfully. "Which is fine because I have to compensate for having the second biggest dick in all of Essos." He pressed his hand against his mouth and false whispered, "but its only belongs to Gray Worm." He clicked his tongue in the Unsullied in question, Gray Worm not reaction in the slightest.
Ben looked about and realized that other than the brief shock everyone had shown… no one was reacting. No screams. No shouts. No one bellowing and calling him a freak or a monster. It honestly pained Daenerys to see how the stony man looked ready to cry over the fact that he was being treated as, well, normal.
Then he set his jaw and glared right at Viktor. "Still wanna know what dat tin plated bastard is doin's here."
"He is my guest," Daenerys said before Viktor could say a word. "I trust that won't be a problem."
"Not at all," Sue said quickly. "Right Ben? Johnny?"
"Hey, I'm more interested in the queen with the flames," Johnny said, leering at Dany. She narrowed her eyes, refusing to leave her burning form just in case the lecherous man decided to try something funny.
"Heh. Leave it tuh yuh tuh get on de bad side of a woman wit' dragons, Hot Head! Wonduh if dey'll take kindly tuh yuh flirtin' wit' deir mudder."
Sue quickly covered her brother's mouth before he could say another word. "We will be on our best behavior, your grace."
Reed nodded. "Of course. We are here to ensure that the Juggernaut is handled carefully. He is a danger to many."
"Everyone in this room is a danger to many, Rickard," Viktor stated. "The only difference is that some of us know how to handle our power and do not hide away from it… or claim the power is an evil thing."
"No," Reed said, "just those that abuse it."
"Enough," Dany said forcefully. "My servants will show you to your rooms. I would remind you that all in Meereen are free. If I hear you have mistreated anyone, be they high lord or simple street sweep, your punishment will be harsh."
Reed bowed at that. "Of course. While we represent Pentos we don't hold to the same beliefs as many do about the enslavement of man."
She wondered if that was the reason why they had been selected to treat with her. If so then Master Illiyrio had proven to be far smarter than those around him.
When all four left the room and a servant was told to pause the other new arrivals Daenerys finally dropped her flames, looking down in annoyance at the charred remains of her outfit. "I truly need to learn how to preserve these," she muttered even as a servant rushed over and brought her a robe, which she covered herself with before stalking back to her room to quickly change.
Returning as quickly as she could she found her Small Council talking quietly to themselves, all falling silent when she made her presence known. "Well?" she asked.
Logan huffed. "We were just telling Bruce here that we are owed some stories here. But he said he wanted to wait until you showed up." He waved his hand towards the man in question. "She's here now, bub…how do you know those four, Green Jeans?"
Bruce smiled softly. "Rickard Reed is a brilliant man… it is only because he found life in the Citadel far too stifling that he never attempted to earn more than a few links of his chain. When my cousin Brienne's condition became worse he was one of many I sought out for help. While he couldn't cure her he did suggest ways I could help her. He, along with Sue and Johnny and Ben, were the only ones willing to go with me to Old Valyria. It all had to be done in secret, of course… even without the edict in Westeros that none are allowed to step foot in Old Valyria there are plenty who would see such a trip as a death sentence. We hired a crew to get us as close as we could get and then the five of us continued on alone." He rubbed his forearm. "It wasn't easy and… well, honestly I don't want to talk about it too much anymore."
"Then don't," Daenerys said, her tone firm yet also filled with kindness. She remembered their talk, when they had been walking back from watching over her children, and the haunting things that danced in his mind. She had no urge to hear them again, for the nightmares they had brought still plagued her. And she had only heard the stories second hand, not lived them as Bruce had.
He nodded, grateful. "When… well, when I became the Hulk… its all very foggy. But I woke up near Ashai and believed them to have died, killed in Old Valriya like everyone else and I cursed for damning them to that fate. Or… at the very least… I prayed they were dead. Because better dead than to be twisted into one of the Guardians Monsters that now stalk that place." He paused. "But they clearly survived."
"And were altered," Ser Jorah said. "Reed… he is able to stretch his neck?"
"Not just his neck," Viktor replied. His tone was like a cold knife: no give, cutting to the heart of the matter. "His entire body has been gifted with the ability to stretch and twist like saltwater river taffy. He can elongate his fingers and turn them into a net. Stretch out his legs so a single step covers a dozen yard. Wrap his body about a foe like a boa constrictor. It makes fighting him rather difficult."
"You've fought him?" Ser Jorah asked.
Viktor narrowed his eyes. "Rickard is the most… troublesome… of that foursome."
"Okay, that's all well and good," Wade said, cutting in, "but before we get into that dramatic backstory of revenge and hate there is something very important we all need to know." He leaned forward, elbows resting on the table. "Can he stretch out his cock?"
Dany honestly wished she could say she was surprised by that question. She truly wished she could.
"…Daenerys, who is this fool that is about to die at my hands?" Viktor asked coldly.
She shut her eyes. "Viktor, Wade is the captain of every mercenary group that currently serves me. Meaning I must ask you to spare him."
Wade nodded. "Its true. My men love me."
Viktor considered that. "I doubt that assertion."
"I did too," Logan muttered, "but the dumb fucker has enough of them on his side."
"I pay REALLY good," Wade told them.
"Something he has said far too often about many aspects of his life," Domino quipped before looking at Viktor. "What about the others? The rock guy I think is pretty obvious…"
Viktor nodded, clearly pleased they were back to discussing matters that he deemed proper. "Benjen's body is made of very durable stone. It has also increased his strength. Do not think him slow though due to his bulk; he is very quick on his feet. He is even able to swim."
"…how?" Ser Barristan asked.
The lord of Latvaria was silent for a long moment and when he finally spoke it was as if every word was hurting him. "I once asked him. He stated he does not swim. Rather that the… water moves away from him… for fear of being… clobbered."
Dany let that little comment just hang in the air.
"As for the others Johnny-" and it was so weird to hear Viktor use such a cutsey name, "-is much like you, Daenerys. Yet also different. He is able to create his own flames which can consume his body and hurl them at foes. It has granted him flight and made him a terror to many of his enemies."
'I felt those flames,' Dany thought to herself. 'They called to me, much as the fires my children create whisper and sing songs only I can understand.' She should have found it off-putting but it was oddly… comforting. And that was the most disturbing and bothersome thing of all.
"But," Viktor continued on, "it is Susun that you should fear."
"Why is that?" Logan asked.
"She has the ability turn herself invisible."
That made Daenerys pause.
'The ability to be anywhere and one wouldn't realize it,' she thought. 'To slip past the best trained guards and kill your enemies. To make it appear one killed themselves rather than the act being one of murder. To leave and enter at your own choosing…'
"Hmmmpf," Logan said dismissively. "Seein' things ain't all there is, Doom." He tapped his nose. "The Nose Knows."
That… was a bit of relief for Daenerys.
"It is unwise to allow them to remain here," Viktor said. "They are dangerous. And they will not stand with any of your plans. Rickard and his friends… they do not see that sometimes progress is only made through battle. They would allow the status quo to remain forever if it meant not an ounce of upheaval. When they learn you mean to go to Westeros to reclaim your throne they won't be allies. First they will try arguing with you. Plead to your 'better nature'. Then the threats will come. The bribes. Followed by true subterfuge. And finally the full out attacks. Unless you hunger to battle them I suggest you rid yourself of them now."
She wasn't surprised that Viktor had suggested such a thing. But it did make her wonder just what else he wasn't telling her. While it was entirely possible that Rickard and the rest of his group were the meddling annoyances he was trying to make them out to be… Dany had done enough in her life to know there were two sides to every story.
'Growing up I was told horror stories of the Dothroki. How they were savages that ate their own children and slept with their horses and would sweep across entire cities like locust, consuming all they found and leaving nothing in their wake. And while their campaigns can be brutal… they can also show kindness and loyalty.' She thought of Drogo, who had scared her even at the beginning of her marriage, but she had learned he had a softness to him. He had been so happy when he'd learned that she was pregnant with their child and had been so careful with her…
The same applied to herself. She knew that for many in Essos she was a nightmare that they whispered of, praying to never have darken their steps. The Dragon Queen who could become living fire and who left ruined cities in her wake.
'Can the same not be true of Rickard and his friends?' she thought. 'And of course the reverse it true. Viktor has been kind to me… but he is a powerful man with ambition and pride. Only the naïve would think that he could not be cruel… I saw as much with how he dealt with the Pureborn of Qarth as well as the different Merchant Guilds. Is there any chance that he turned Rickard and the others into enemies… and their actions against him were justified?'
So instead of making a decision Dany called out, "Let us continue on. Please show in the next petitioner."
Domino nodded. "Presenting from the Kingdom of Wakanda…"
He had dark skin and a regal bearing to him and he knew just how he presented himself to the world and the affects it had on others. There was a confidence there, bordering on arrogance, as he strolled into the room, his thick-soled boots making barely a sound. He wore a blue shirt with a silver breastplate over the top of it and baggy dark pants that were popular in the Summer Isles for allowing the user protection but also breathability. He had a lean long face with a high forehead, his chin covered in short cut hair and a carefully trimmed mustache draped over his lip. His hair was long and had been braided in a Dothraki style, styled so they pulled up away from his high forehead before falling to the right side of his face.
"…N'Jadaka."