Daenerys

Their discovery of their curious stranger proved to be a temporary boon for the Khalasar. They had moved the camp to surround what Anne had explained was called Raft, a machine that had carried her down to safety after her flying ship was destroyed in the skies above. Daenerys would have struggled to believe such a tale but the presence of the Raft and the sights it had shown her still lingered in her mind. The Raft carried with it a bounty of food and water just enough for everyone in the camp to fill their bellies, even the most skeptical of her people eventually ate and drank their share. It was just what they had needed to survive so many of her people were wasting away but Anne's timely arrival had brought them time.

Daenerys was walking the camp now for the first time in days it was lively, and conversation and songs were being loudly sung, a sound she had not heard since the day they entered the Red Wastes. Her people were gathered around fires happily eating, children were being fed the raised spirits sent a wave of happiness through Daenerys. Even Drogon resting on her shoulders appeared to be in good spirits lazily yawning as he coiled her tail around her neck and wings gripping her gently, the sound of quiet puffing breaths meant he had fallen asleep.

She looked around for Anne but saw no signs of her around the camp. The Dothraki had not warmed to her presence and often spoke in hushed tones while the children would follow from a distance. Jorah and her Bloodriders were guarded around her, Daenerys ordered no harm befall Anne, but she could not blame her defenders for being cautious. They had been betrayed before.

It was then Daenerys heard shouting from one of the tents, she quickened her pace when she saw shadows struggling within the tent reserved for the sick and dying. Rushing inside she saw an unexpected scene, Irri and Jhiqui were wrestling with Anne who was gripping an object tightly in her hand keeping it away from Irri as she reached for it growling and screaming insults in Dothraki.

"Stop this at once!" Daenerys shouted. "Irri, Jhiqui release her!"

Her handmaidens obeyed but they looked furiously, Jhiqui spat at Anne as the woman reeled and sat up.

"Explain yourselves," Daenery said.

Irri pointed accusingly. "She is a maegi, Khaleesi! She was giving Doreah poisons!"

"She touches the dying," Jihqui said. "It is forbidden!"

Daenerys looked over at Doreah, her Lysene handmaiden had fallen ill of wasting disease, she lay on the ground her breathes slow and strained each day growing weaker. They had tried to heal her, but her passing was inevitable, she was too weak to even eat the fresh food. Next to her was one of Anne's boxes sat open, this one marked with objects Daenerys did not recognize as she knelt to examine them. Drogon awakened leaped down from her shoulder and looked toward Anne hissing.

"I was just trying to help her!" Anne said. "I saw she was sick and was going to give her some medicine."

"Not medicine!" Irri said. "It has a blade!"

"It's a syringe!" Anne said. "It pierces the skin to inject the medicine!"

"Speak slower!" Jhiqui said. "Your words make no sense."

Joah entered the tent with his hand on his pommel he frowned as he saw the scene but made no aggressive moves.

"Khalessi?"

Daenerys shook her head. "Anne, is this magic?"

"No," Anne pleaded. "It is not magic, it's medicine. Look let me show you!"

She raised the syringe and Jorah slightly pulled out his sword which made her quickly pull it back.

"Careful girl." He warned. "You will make no threats to Daenerys."

"What is wrong with you people? I just want to help this girl. I might not be a doctor, but I can administer this. Look, Daenerys this is a protein stimulate it contains…tiny machines that will administer nutrients to her stomach that will give her enough strength to digest food again."

"Enough of your spells!" Irri said. "She speaks in madness Khaleesi!"

Daenerys raised a hand for silence. Her eyes met Anne's trying to read her expression, it was an earnest and pleading look. Daenerys looked down at Doreah so lost in her pain she was unaware of the fight around her.

"Please, Daenerys," Annes said. "It will help her; she'll die at this rate!"

Daenerys closed her eyes and sighed.

"I will allow it. Irri, Jhiqui, leave."

Her handmaidens attempted to argue but Daenerys shot a look at Jorah who quietly nodded and ushered them away.

"I will speak with them later," Daenerys said. "But Doreah is their friend, as she is mine. Your…medicine will truly help?"

"I believe so," Anne said. "My medical training had contingencies for starvation."

"More of your strange words…. Very well." Daenerys sighed. "Do it, I will watch you."

Anne nodded slowly moving closer to Doreah. She raised the tool she called a syringe and gently stabbed it into Doreah, her dying handmaiden let out a quiet gasp and coughed but soon relaxed as Anne pushed the contents within her body. After it was empty she slowly pulled out the syringe and placed a bandage where she made entry. Doreah shifted slightly grunting but then seemed to relax letting out a long sigh before her breathing steadily became normal.

"It is done?" Daenerys said.

"Yes, this is all I can do," Anne said. "Make sure she gets some rations soon."

"Come then," Daenerys said. "We should leave this tent."

Anne nodded producing something else from the box which she wiped over her gloved hands before standing to follow Daenerys. As they left the tent Jorah was standing patiently, Irri and Jhiqui having wandered off to calm down. He gave Anne a weary look but said nothing simply following behind as Daenerys and Anne walked together.

"I'm sorry," Anne said. "I didn't mean to start a fight. I just wanted to help that girl…"

"You did nothing wrong," Daenerys said. "But you must be careful. My people consider you a maegi and the last time we had one in our camp, we suffered a betrayal."

"A betrayal?"

"She robbed my husband of his life," Daenerys said. "And killed my son."

Anne looked at Daenerys with a shocked expression, her face shifting from shock, anger and then a look of sadness but Daenerys felt her reaction was stronger than mere empathy.

"I…I see," Anne said. "I'm sorry that happened. But I am not a Maegi, there is no magic where I come from. Just technology."

"Where do you come from?" Daenerys said. "You speak of this…Union of Stars?"

"Interstellar Union," Anne corrected. "It's well…. It's a nation of sorts. A collection of nations that all obey the same laws and government."

Daenerys nodded. "A unified realm. The concept is not unfamiliar to me, my ancestors built such a Kingdom across the sea. My ancestor Aegon the Conqueror united the Seven Kingdoms of Westeros. Who conquered this Union?"

"Conquered? No, no we just…came together." Anne said. "There was a war a long time ago one that nearly destroyed humanity. But we were saved when…Friends from the stars came to help us."

"Friends?"

"It would be…a long story," Anne said. "Hard to explain."

"I see," Daenerys said. "Then if your Interstellar Union is a collection of nations. Which one is your home?"
"My home is a place called the Republic of Mars," Anne said. "Mars is… Well, it's very cold most of the year, there is a great desert that covers most of the world but we live behind great walls that keep us from being harmed by the desert. There are forests, fields of grass, and a great volcano taller than any you could imagine called Olympus Mons. I come from a city called New Macedon, it sits at the bottom of Olympus Mons, when I was a little girl, I used to stare at it and try to see the very top."

Daenerys closed her eyes and tried to imagine this Mars. All she could envision was her brother's stories of Westeros and Old Valyria distant lands she had only known through pictures and words. She tried recalling the images she had seen from the Raft when she opened it. Tall shining towers, thousands of people walking through the streets, horseless carriages, and flying machines.

"This Mars…Is it a peaceful place?"

"Peaceful?" Anne said. "Yeah, I…I guess it was peaceful there. There was no war there, problems sure but nothing like this."

Daenerys nodded. "I would like to build such a place. Without war, without slavery. Once I am Queen, I will have the power to bring that peace."

"Queen?" Anne said. "Of Westeros?"
"Yes," Daenerys said. "It is my birthright and duty as the last of the Targaryens."

"Targaryen," Anne repeated. "That's your family, right? Why are you the last?"

Daenerys looked up at the night sky staring into the stars. She peered at them trying to see if she could see Anne's Mars among them.

"It is like you said. A long story."