Chapter 20: Chapter 19
Daenerys Targaryen. Pentos.
I stood at the railing of the balcony in Illyrio's mansion and looked out over the city.
Lord Solomon had left Pentos, as reported by a messenger from his friend who is also a magister, and who controls the entire city, even if officially four people, counting the prince, do.
Of course, the teacher threw her hands up in the air at this and snorted loudly, showing her obvious displeasure. Fortunately, Shiro managed to calm her down, which I'm really glad about. When a teacher is teaching a lesson in such a state, she becomes much more strict and aggressive. She even threw an inkwell at me once when she noticed my mistake, which was very minor.
Shiro is much more calm and obliging in this regard. Even when I made a mistake, he would just smile and explain it all over again, in a measured and kind tone. Though, at times, Shiro had a tendency to deviate from the lesson. And to be honest, his stories were a head more interesting than those very lessons. Especially physics, which I disliked.
Sometimes he would talk about his religion, which he follows and which I had never heard of. Instead of the Seven, Red, Many-Faced and so on gods, there was only one. One and all-powerful. He created the earth, the sky, life, and everything around us.
The most interesting thing was that the god Shiro believed in preferred inaction. That is, he valued the freedom of choice that all living beings have, and therefore left fate in their hands. It went against what the red priestesses preached, but I'd never been much into religion.
And in one of those stories he mentioned Lord Solomon's presence, which was odd. His stories were either legends or events from a very long time ago, and Lord Solomon was alive and quite young.
When I asked him how old he was and who he was, Shiro smiled enigmatically and didn't answer. The only thing he said about it was that only Lord Solomon himself could share it. To that, I only pouted, which only irritated Shiro.
Really, I have an inkling. In any conversation where Lord Solomon's name came up, I felt deep respect and even adoration. At first, I thought Lord Solomon was the god Shiro was talking about, which sounded pretty logical given his inhuman appearance, aura, and strength. But in one of the stories, Shiro clearly separated their personalities. Perhaps that would come to light later.
- He's almost here, Princess," a female voice sounded behind me, "Lady Semiramis and Lord Shiro are already waiting for you at the exit.
- Good," I nodded and began to change.
Behind me was the red priestess who had accompanied Lord Solomon while he was in Pentos, as she herself had explained to me. Fina now serves me, which was decided by the red temple and approved by me.
The red men are fanatics, which rules out the possibility of betrayal. True, their loyalty is to Lord Solomon, not to me. But he sees some value in me that I do not. I have no army, no lands, no money, just purpose and ambition. And I have no idea why he's helping me. Well, not him, but the teacher and Shiro he brought in.
They are good teachers, yes, but I need military power. Right now, I only have three people I can trust. And that will definitely not be enough to regain the throne.
There is also the matter of my relative. He mentioned one, but he didn't tell me who it was, or where it was. And I'm wondering, is there really only one? Could there be more?
But all that can be put aside for later and focus on the case. My "husband" has arrived, the Khal to whom my brother promised to hand me over as a bargaining chip. And I must decide what to do with him.
I can't just send him away. Or rather, to pass up such an opportunity would be the decision of a "feeble-minded idiot," as my teacher liked to put it. He has an army. Huge and well-armed.
I realize that Westeros is very different from Essos. This can include: climate, equipment, geographical location, flora and fauna, and a host of other factors. But the main problem is ships and castles.
The Dothraki have no siege weapons, no navigators. They know nothing about shipbuilding, sieges, or naval combat. They are nomadic peoples traveling all over Essos who have not the slightest need to engage in such things. At least not by sea.
Oh, and their horse-based religion discourages all of them. According to their superstitions, sea water is poison, as their sacred animals cannot drink it.
They see no need for siege training, as they have enough food and gold as it is. And capturing a city only makes sense if you want to settle in it and use its resources.
But there's one but...
There's a lot of them.
And to miss such an opportunity, although not ideal, I really would be a weak-minded idiot. The only thing left to do is to get them on my side, which will be very difficult.
Khalasar, the Dothraki community, is commanded by a man. Strong, fearless and calm. That means a woman cannot lead them. You'll have to improvise on the spot.
Thankfully, the teacher used magic on me so I could speak their language safely. She called it "the only indulgence she would allow," which I was truly grateful for. Otherwise, I would have needed a translator.
Illyrio departed on business. Magister Halon had called him in to discuss some city matters. Not that it concerns me in any way.
I know for a fact that the teacher and Shiro would only remain silent and observe my actions. Especially the teacher who has been practicing my communication skills. And if I disappoint her... Just from that thought alone, goosebumps ran through my body.
- Come on, Fina. I'm ready. - I said and headed for the villa doors, and the priestess followed me.
It's time to put what I've learned to the test.
-0-
Shiro Kotomine. Pentos.
Semi and I stood near the villa exit and waited for the princess. The Queen of Assyria leaned against the wall and silently watched the clouds in the window. I preferred to reminisce, as a lot had happened.
This world was... interesting.
When I was called here, and when the information came into my brain, I was intrigued. And not just the one about this world, but who exactly did the summoning.
King Solomon.
Someone who had personally spoken to the Almighty and received his grace. He didn't know how he got here, but he knew why. This world was in danger, and the King of Magic needed to prevent that from happening.
Another very pleasant surprise was that Semi, the Queen of Assyria, with whom I fought the Great Holy Grail War, was also summoned with me.
And with whom I had fallen in love.
Upon arrival, she looked arrogant and displeased, maintaining her usual scowl. But later, when she saw and recognized me, it slowly softened, revealing a genuine smile of joy. The same joy was experienced by me, realizing that she too had retained the memories.
The Priest and the Queen. Light and Poison... A funny combination.
Later, King Solomon entrusted us to train the princess of the deposed royal family. To this, Semi snorted loudly and wondered why she should be doing this. But I managed to persuade her to follow orders, since Grand Caster is our Master after all. And there was really nothing to do.
The Princess, by the way, had a pleasant personality. She was not pompous or vain, but polite and studious, though partly lazy.
Daenerys Targaryen. That was the name of the princess who had been trained by two Servants.
At first she had a hard time with all these modern terms and sciences, but later on her training went like clockwork. She absorbed the contents of the lessons like a sponge, though not all of them. Expectedly, her least favorite subject was physics. Well, if she could regain the throne for her family, she would hardly need that science. The main emphasis was on math and economics. The princess spent almost half of her time on them.
In short, I was pleased with her. So was Semi, who doesn't show it.
She acted like a strict teacher who didn't tolerate mistakes, but still gave some indulgences when that happened. I don't know why, but sometimes her eyes would light up seeing the princess behind her studies.
It's safe to say that Seven's teacher is a good one. The presentation of the material is clear to understand and easy to digest. And this is a skill that not all mentors have even in modern times.
Maybe we should open a school when this is over. I can already imagine how the children are afraid to squeak in her presence.
A dreamy smile appeared on my face at that thought. And, of course, Semi noticed it.
- What's the matter, Shiro? Did you have a stupid thought in your head again?
- Just thinking about the future. - I answered easily.
- The future? You could have asked the ring bearer about it when he was still here, of course. His Clairvoyance would have given you an answer, but he just walked away, deciding to dump it all on us. - She snorted and crossed her arms over her chest.
- You seem so... enthusiastic about teaching the princess. Maybe we should open a school.
- And teach the little brats who only know how to eat, sleep, and go to the bathroom? Who do you think I am?
- Just... If we have kids..." I mumbled thoughtfully, and Semi froze for a few moments. Her eyes widened in surprise, and a tiny blush appeared on her cheeks, which was quite visible against her pale skin. But she recovered quickly, returning the usual frown to her face. For a second I wondered if my imagination was playing out.
- Children? Don't be ridiculous, Shiro," Semi said, "We're Servants, and we can't conceive them. Besides, how can you imagine me as a mother?
- I am the Ruler, Semi. King Solomon has True Magic in his skills, which means he can bring us back to life," I said, and Semi turned her head away. "And you didn't deny my idea, but you were worried about being a good mother, weren't you?
At my words she remained silent and hid her face, but I could see the blush on her cheeks.
I shook my head and smiled.
Who would have thought that the eternally frowning queen of Assyria could be embarrassed.
The next moment, my hearing picked up the footsteps of two people walking toward us. I turned my head and saw the princess with a pensive expression and Fina following her. They stopped near the door and Daenerys looked at me with Seven.
- Are you ready, princess? - I asked.
- I... I don't know... - she mumbled - I know I need his men, but I don't know how to get them. I just don't have any ideas.
- Hmph," Semi snorted, "The Dothraki respect strength. You can't solve this with persuasion, but you already have the tool, all that's left is to realize it. Use your head, girl.
- Your advice is very vague, teacher. - complained the princess and pouted.
- Does that sound like it's my problem? - Assassin rolled her eyes.
The princess sighed tiredly and looked at me for support. I only smiled slyly in response, since I had nothing to say. Daenerys then turned to Fina.
- I don't understand Lady Semiramis either, Princess. You'll have to figure it out for yourself. - Fina shrugged.
- Okay," Daenerys muttered and, adjusting her dress and hair, put her hands on the doors, "Then let's get started. I'm going to rely on luck.
- A rash choice, but at least it's something. - Semi said one last time.
- I think so too. - The princess nodded and opened the doors.
Well, with God.
-0-
Jon Snow. Wolfswood.
Ghost and I followed the free woman in silence. She led us somewhere to the left side of the wall, where the Twilight Tower should have been. Her steps were sure and cautious, and her eyes followed every movement.
Thankfully, she wasn't aiming an arrow at me. She was probably resigned to the fact that I could defeat her without taking her life. By the way, what did the wildling call her? "Mara," I think. We've been walking for a long time now, not saying a word, not even when we paused. And this silence was uncomfortable. And the loose woman looked relatively well-groomed.
- So... your name is "Mara", right? - I decided to start a conversation, so I asked.
- Trying to get up my skirt, admirer? - She answered with a question without turning her head - Though you have a pretty face, I don't like you.
- That's... expected... But I just wanted to talk. We've been traveling together for quite some time now, and maybe we could be friends?
At my words, she stopped abruptly and looked at me like I was an idiot. The ghost did not distinguish himself, either, and gave me about the same look.
My eyebrow twitched.
Why are you looking at me like that? I'm not weird, am I?
- You didn't get hit on the head, did you? - She looked me over from head to toe, making me want to throw snow at her - You're not an idiot, are you, fan?
- No," I said with a raised eyebrow, "Jon Snow, by the way, not a 'groupie'. Nice to meet you.
- Yeah, whatever, idiot. - She waved me off and turned around and walked on.
I looked at her and wondered.
Maybe I should really refresh her face with a handful of snow.
- Woof. - The Ghost spoke up and followed her with a nonchalant glance at me.
Whose side are you on, damn it?!
-0-
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