Kapitel 165: -Chapter 157-

-POV MC-

'Jorah Mormont, it's so sad that you have to die this way, but unfortunately for you, I am not someone who easily forgets and forgives. Once someone crosses the line, they must face the consequences of my anger,' I thought, looking at the man in front of me.

A small amused smile appeared on my face before I said:

"You come with the head of one of my allies as a gift. Jorah Mormont, you are truly a pitiful man. I pity the members of House Mormont for having a multiple traitor, slaver, and hypocrite like you as a relative."

"I have never betrayed anyone," said Jorah, his disguise beginning to crack slightly.

"How did Daenerys take the fact that you were commissioned by Robert Baratheon?"

He was about to speak in his defense, but I said:

"What a question! By your presence, I imagine you are the sacrificial lamb she is using to declare war on me. It's rather clever on her part, she must suspect that in the event of war, I would attack, and she is surely counting on that to defeat me. But unfortunately for her, such little tricks are worthless."

He frowned without saying anything, and I finished by saying:

"Return to her and tell her she is welcome as a Princess, but as long as she continues to have whims about what does not belong to her — and I am talking about the sovereignty of the cities of Meereen, Yunkai, and Astapor — she will find no support in Westeros. I hereby announce that anyone who aids her will be recognized as a traitor to the Empire and will be judged by the crown."

"You are afraid of her, you are afraid of her power," said Jorah Mormont, seeing that his disguise and the mask he wore had been brutally torn off.

I burst out laughing, genuinely amused by his words, and then I said:

"Yes, it's true, I am frightened by the stupidity of a girl who thinks she can govern simply because she owns a dragon and can break the traditions and history of a people she doesn't know."

I could feel the knight's anger, whose strength was beginning to wane, but he said nothing more before bowing and leaving.

I watched his back for a long time until I was interrupted by Kinvara who said:

"I recognize Benerro's methods well."

I raised my eyebrows, and then she said:

"Benerro is the high priest of Volantis. Our order has fractured into two factions, Benerro's and mine. I am the High Priestess, practically all the priestesses are under my authority while practically all the red priests are under Benerro's authority, and he has brought all his followers to join Daenerys."

'Hence the rapid reconquest of Meereen,' I thought, now understanding how she had managed to land back on her feet so easily.

The fact that she had been able to reconquer Meereen in such a short time had really surprised me.

I even wondered several times if I was making a mistake by letting her live.

Who knows, maybe she had evolved and become a worthy adversary, but now I understand that she is identical to the OG Daenerys.

She has nothing special except a certain charm that would make men throw themselves onto the tips of a lance.

"Don't worry, she can't do anything against you, Azor Ahai."

"I'm not afraid of her, I just regret that she is so stubborn," I said before turning around and playing my role as host while nodding to Connor who remained in a corner.

'It's sad, but your story ends here and now, Jorah Mormont,' I thought while smiling at one of the representatives of the Rogare Bank.

---

-2 months later-

-4th day of the 2nd moon of the year 300 AC-

-POV Daenerys Targaryen-

"We have not received any news of Jorah Mormont even though it has been over two months since the Seven Kingdoms changed their name to become the Empire of Westeros," I said, annoyed because under the good advice of Tyrion Lannister, Illyrio Mopatis, and Benerro, I had agreed to let Ser Jorah serve as bait to probe my nephew. But not only did that serve no purpose, but in addition to that, we lost track of Ser Jorah.

"We are doing our best to find out what happened to him, but he doesn't seem to want us to find him. You may have to face the fact that he betrayed your majesty or that he died at sea," said Illyrio Mopatis cautiously.

I wanted to shout that it was impossible, but Jorah's betrayal kept me from opening my mouth to defend him.

I simply gestured for everyone to leave before returning to my chambers.

I did not have the desire or patience to open the court to the people's pleas today. I just wanted Ser Jorah to be found.

It had been so long since he left me that I ended up thinking long and carefully about the reasons that pushed him to betray me.

Thinking it through properly, I ended up forgiving him in my heart.

From the moment he saved me from the poison sent by the usurper, he protected me with unwavering loyalty.

He had always been good counsel and unlike Illyrio Mopatis, Benerro, and Tyrion Lannister, I knew perfectly well that he did it neither out of revenge nor with an objective in mind.

Simply because he believed in me, he believed I would be a good queen and he loved me.

I wanted nothing more than for him to come back to me, even if I had ordered him to complete this mission and then disappear from my sight forever.

Remembering his last words was like a torment for me.

-Beginning of the Flashback-

"I didn't want to believe it, but it seems that what the gnome said was completely justified. You were actually Robert Baratheon's puppet and who knows how many other people," I said, still shocked by the revelations recently made to me by Illyrio Mopatis, Tyrion Lannister, and the High Priest Benerro.

"Your Majesty," he said, trying to justify himself.

"SILENCE! I no longer want to hear a traitorous word from your mouth. I was ready to exile you, but the High Priest Benerro suggested that I give you a second chance because of your exceptional services thereafter," I said, gritting my teeth, not wanting to see this traitor more than necessary.

"I will do whatever you want to redeem myself," he said, kneeling.

-End of the Flashback-

'Although I was angry with him, I could never want his death after all he did for me. I hope he is still alive and well. Even if my nephew is angry with me, he wouldn't risk making me angry by killing Ser Jorah. Tyrion Lannister himself said he wanted to make me his wife,' I thought as I entered my chambers and froze upon seeing an open chest resting prominently on my bed.

Approaching the box slowly, though a feeling of terror began to rise in me, I took my courage in both hands and moved forward to inspect the contents of the box.

I brought my hands to my mouth to stifle the scream that was about to escape as I saw Ser Jorah's blue eyes staring at me.

I stood there staring at the decapitated head of my most faithful knight, and then after a few minutes, I noticed a note which I read.

---

Princess Daenerys,

Congratulations, it seems that now you have taken on the title of Queen in addition to committing an act of rebellion against your kingdom and your house. It is a personal affront to me.

I particularly appreciated the gift you gave me upon my accession to the imperial throne of Westeros, so I wanted to give you a similar gift.

I hope you appreciate the fact that I thought to have Ser Jorah's head preserved in coolers so that it would not rot.

Please, do not feel the need to thank me, it was a pleasure to please you.

Emperor Aegon I

---

'I will kill him. I will kill everyone he loves. I will destroy everything that makes him happy. I swear to avenge him,' I thought, crushing the letter and feeling my nails pierce my skin with the strength of the hatred I felt towards my cruel nephew.

---

-POV Tyrion Lannister-

"The queen is furious. We may have crossed a line we shouldn't have," I said, swirling the wine in my goblet.

"You think?" said the High Priest Benerro in a calm tone.

"I am almost sure of it. The queen is certainly young, perhaps somewhat impressionable, but I have realized these past few months that she is far from stupid. In my humble opinion, she is actually very intelligent," I said.

"I know she is not stupid, but all that interests me is that my lord's will be done. And for that, she must return to take the throne of her ancestors from the hands of this impostor to fight and defend humans from the servants of the Great Other," he said in a tone filled with justice, genuinely seeming concerned about the future of this world.

I frowned, and then I said vehemently: "Do you think she will still want to fight when she realizes that you manipulated her to achieve your goals?"

"Are you talking about her or yourself?" said the High Priest Benerro.

"You blackmailed me," I said, finally releasing the resentment I had felt since he forced me to hand over the letter Aegon had given me as leverage against Jorah Mormont, although I still had to try to become his friend first and foremost.

"As your king ordered you… Well no, now he is emperor," he said, laughing alone at his joke.

He continued saying: "You killedfor him, manipulated for him, and now all he offers you in return is exile. Do you really think it's a good choice to become his slave for the rest of your life when you could become the Hand of the Queen and the Lord of House Lannister, the richest house in the Kingdom?"

I did not answer his question but instead asked:

"How did you know about Tysha?"

"It was I who told him," said a man I recognized as Ydriss.

"Weren't you a man of Illyrio Mopatis?" I said because it was the most logical answer.

"A man of Illyrio Mopatis?! As if that pig could be worthy of receiving my loyalty," said Ydriss, looking offended that I could even think that.

"Ydriss, Illyrio is now one of Azor Ahai's supporters. Shouldn't we be more respectful?" said Benerro.

"I ask for your forgiveness, Father," said Ydriss, to my great surprise, addressing Benerro as his father.

"It's nothing," said Benerro before continuing:

"Ydriss is one of the many orphans I have taken in and helped out of the streets of Volantis. Today, he heads an important spy network worldwide and sometimes helps me when it comes to the safety of our order and the world in general," he said, seeing that I was searching for similar traits between the two men who did not seem to be related by blood.

"You have pushed me to betray the emperor at every step so that I could only be in the service of Daenerys Targaryen," I said, finally understanding why I had felt like a puppet being used for some time.

"You will see that you won't regret it; it is the best choice for you," said Benerro with a kind smile.

"Tysha, where is she?" I asked, seeing that I would get nothing more from him.

A frown appeared for a fraction of a second on Ydriss's face, but Benerro said:

"We have placed her in a safe location with your son Tyland, and we will lead you to them once you have completed your mission, which is to make Azor Ahai the Empress of Westeros."

"Very well. At this point, I don't have much choice in the matter," I said, conceding to make Daenerys the queen.

'I don't have a choice, but I must not completely go against Aegon. I have to find a way to play both sides to save my skin, that of Tysha, and our son,' I thought, impatient to see her and apologize to her after so many years.