章 2215: 10
Chapter 10: The Conquest Begins
Summary:
An urgent small council meeting is called
Jon and Dany continue their conquest of Essos
Notes:
(See the end of the chapter for notes.)
Chapter Text
The Spider
Varys was pleased with himself. He had successfully used the squabbling between the Lions to further his interests. Tyrion was a smart man and it was only due to his stature that most people ignored his true worth. Still, this would be Westeros's loss and his gain. Tyrion possessed valuable knowledge about Westeros , its political state and he would add some legitimacy to their cause. Better yet, thanks to his friend Lord Baelish, a civil war was about to break out. Lord Stark had figured out that Baelish was behind the death of Jon Arryn and soon the King would know too. Baelish had been informed of this and then he had promptly fled to the Vale with Lysa Arryn. He had heard that the Eyrie was a difficult castle to conquer but Robert Baratheon would turn over every stone in order to get justice for Jon Arryn. Littlefinger would die, he was sure of it.
It was the early morning of the dawn but Varys did not let that deter him, he had a meeting to attend. He left the Red Keep through another one of the secret passageways, which led to a brothel. This was one of the more upscale brothels and this room was the most expensive. It was usually empty at this time and this morning proved no different. He exited and headed out onto the cobbled streets, navigating the empty streets quickly. He headed for the tavern where the meeting would take place. The morning breeze was cool on his skin, and so he pulled his robe tightly around him. He had also decided to wear a disguise, it would not do to be spotted this close to the finish.
The tavern was quiet, frequented only be sailors from Essos who usually only spent a short amount of time in King's Landing. He pushed open the door of the tavern and spotted his friend sitting at an old wooden table. It was early in the morning and the cook was busy bustling around starting to prepare breakfast, which would most likely be a bowl of brown mush.
"Good morning my friend," he said quickly as he sat down opposite him "I trust that our cargo has safely boarded the ship?"
"Yes, although why we would want half a man is beyond me. He could be a spy,"
"Doubtful, the man hates his family and he has good reason to. He recently overheard of their plot to kill him,"
"Kinslaying, a disgusting business," his friend muttered darkly as he sipped his drink.
"Yes, but their loss is our gain. He is smart, when he's sober. We need smart people on our side especially now that we have lost the girl. What happened?"
"The boy acted as expected. He jumped at the chance to have his path to the throne cleared. Our men would have conducted the attack, they would have come back to Pentos and we would have sold her off to Drogo as planned but now…"
"They're dead," Varys finished. It was a massive blow. Their plan was to have Daenerys invade with Drogo and to distract the realm, paving the way for their chosen challenger to enter and emerge victorious. Now that plan was destroyed, and they needed a new one.
"So old friend, what do you propose we do, we have been working on this for too long to give up now. I have put so much into this, we have put so much into this. I promised her, I promised I would do this for her," he whispered. They paused for a moment, the innkeeper had walked over and offered them breakfast. To avoid suspicion, Varys ordered something small, he had no intention of eating it but he had to be cautious.
"We wait. We wait and be patient. We have planned and waited for over 20 years, what is a few more months?" Varys asked "Soon there will be war. The Lion, the Wolf and the Stag will be participating to destroy the Mockingbird. All will lose men. We wait for them to bleed and weaken themselves before we strike. Then, a few of my little birds will inform Lord Stark about the other investigation conducted by the previous Hand before his death, and soon the Lion, the Wolf and the Stag will be at each other's throats. Then we strike,"
His friend eyed him carefully.
"We will need allies, even if this civil war is as devastating as you hope, we will need more allies. The Golden Company alone will not be enough,"
Varys nodded slowly. "The Dornish may rally behind him, they have plenty of reasons to want to overthrow the current regime, but we must be careful in how much we tell them,"
"I agree, task your little birds with gathering information in Dorne, we need to be prepared," He stood up then,
"I should get back to my ship, I kept our new friend in that box all night, he is probably rather miserable by now,"
Varys gave a chuckle as he stood.
"I will see you soon my friend, we will be successful, I know it," they shook hands firmly and they left the tavern.
Varys looked both ways down the street before turning and heading back towards the Red Keep, he made sure to take a different path, just to ensure he would not be spotted. He was not especially worried, Cersei's spies reported to him and with Baelish gone there was no real need to worry. Still, old habits die hard.
The Hand of the King
Ned Stark did not sleep well that night, he had tossed and turned and had only managed a few short moments of sleep. He had allowed Baelish to slip through his fingers and worse still, the man had made an attempt on his daughters. Perhaps, he had tried to take them in order to use them as hostages, whatever he had planned, he was thankful that he had the foresight to assign men to watch their doors, he would have never been able to forgive himself if he had lost his children.
Today would be another long day, he knew immediately. He would have to call a small council meeting and let them all know about Baelish. Robert would have to be there, Jon Arryn was like a father to him. Robert would see red and it would be like the Greyjoy rebellion but worse, much worse. Balon Greyjoy may have been foolish enough to incite a rebellion, but there was no personal animosity between them. As a result of that, Robert showed mercy to Balon by allowing Ned to take his last son to Winterfell as a hostage.
Baelish would not be afforded that luxury. He had no children to use as hostages to ensure his good behaviour, he would die and Ned was not going to miss him.
He rolled out of bed onto the cold floor. He crossed to his wardrobe and began to slowly dress himself. As he dressed, he focused on the other tasks that he would have to perform now that war was upon them. He would need to send a raven to Winterfell, informing Catelyn and Robb of the latest developments. Catelyn would want the girls back in Winterfell and he would happily send them. Sansa would likely hate him for it, and perhaps Arya would as well, but it was for their own safety. They would have to accept it. Ned was not sure how Cat would handle the news of her sister's adultery, he would have to ask his son. Robb would have to ride to war with him. He was old enough and he could hardly deny him, otherwise it would make him look weak in front of the bannermen, he would have to lead one day.
He could scarcely believe it, his own son would soon be leading men in battle. The thought filled him with pride. Ned could only hope that he led from afar. Certain men like Robert preferred to lead amongst their men, but those men also tended to find themselves dead on the battlefield. The Greyjoy boy would likely come as well, he would hardly stay away from a fight. Jon should have been there with them he realised, they had been very close growing up. Instead Jon was in Essos, fighting for some no name magister to protect his riches. Instead, he should have been here, helping to fight for justice. He should never have told him.
No, he was right to tell him but was wrong in allowing him to leave. He allowed him to leave, believing in some foolish fantasy where he would meet his family and live happily ever after, it was foolish and Ned should have known better. He should have done better.
He was interrupted from his thoughts by a knock on his door, it must have been his steward, although it was still rather early. He opened the door and was surprised to see Lancel Lannister, the King's squire. He looked tired, like he had been dragged out of his bed early. He raised his eye inquisitively and waited for the boy to speak.
"Lord Hand, the King has called an urgent small council meeting," he said meekly.
"The King? At this time?" he said in disbelief and the boy quickly nodded his head and left.
What possible urgent news could they have found overnight that would require a small council meeting first thing in the morning? Surely it was not about Baelish, he had only discovered the truth late last night. He quickly donned his tunic, fixed the pin to his chest and then left for the small council chambers.
When he arrived, he was surprised to see that he was the last one there. Renly looked barely awake, Stannis was grim faced and tight lipped as usual, Barristan looked impassive, Varys had the same smug look on his face and Pycelle had huddled his robes so tightly around himself he could barely see his face. He looked towards Baelish's seat which was empty, then he looked to the King who was grinning from ear to ear with glee.
"They're dead, Ned," he said happily.
"Who is dead?" he replied stupidly.
"The dragonspawn are dead," his eyes were flicking back and forth, barely able to contain his excitement.
"The Targaryen children?" he asked and Robert quickly nodded "How?"
"Dead at sea. My informant tells me that they were sailing from Volantis to Astapor to purchase Unsullied when they came upon a terrible storm. Many on the ship perished, only a few managed to survive. The Targaryen children were not amongst them," Varys offered.
"How did your informant manage to get close to the Targaryen children?" He asked, hoping Varys was wrong.
"He was one of three sellswords hired by a magister to guard them. Alongside an Essosi man, and a northern lad with a strange animal companion. He said it was some sort of wolf," Ned's blood ran cold, surely this could not have been Jon. Surely, he was working for some other magister. He had known the Targaryen children were in Pentos and in the back of his mind, realistically he had thought that he would find them, watch them from afar. He had not expected this, he had not expected him to get this close to them, this quickly.
"Who is your source, can he be trusted?" Ned replied cautiously. It would not do to spoil Robert's mood.
"Ser Jorah Mormont, I believe you know him,"
"Aye, he's a craven. He sold slaves on these lands and then he fled the King's justice, how do we not know he is not making up these words for a royal pardon?" Ned was asking Varys these questions, but he knew that he was also talking to himself. Jon could not die, not like this. It was the Targaryen's again, Rhaegar had taken his sister, now they had taken her son as well.
"My Lord, there have been several reports from the east detailing this storm. I have no doubts about its legitimacy," Varys responded.
"Ned who cares! They're dead! The biggest threat to my crown is gone," he laughed. "Drowned at sea, how fitting. The last dragons defeated by a simple summer storm," he reached for his cup of wine and took a long gulp,
"Those idiots and priests keep talking about how their comets are a sign from the gods. They were wrong, the comet is a sign that the dragons are GONE!" he shouted happily "This calls for a celebration, we need to throw a tourney!" the King proclaimed.
"Your grace, we cannot afford it," Stannis said quickly.
"Nonsense, summon Littlefinger. He's always been able to conjure gold out of thin air, I'm sure he can do it again," he said as he took another drink. Ned looked around the table, Renly still looked half asleep, Stannis looked completely unfazed by the absence of Littlefinger and Varys had a sickly sweet smile on his face. The spider knew, he quickly realised. Ned turned towards the King, took a calming breath before speaking,
"Your grace, Lord Baelish has fled the capital,"
"Why?" he asked as he peered at him over the top of his cup.
"I was going to arrest him for the murder of Jon Arryn," he said and the room fell silent. He stared at Robert and he could almost see the gears working in his head as he comprehended the words.
"He murdered Jon Arryn?" he asked quietly as he set the cup down with such delicacy Ned could have sworn it was about to explode.
"Yes, I went to his chambers last night to arrest him but he must have been informed that I was coming for him. When we arrived at his chambers, we found that the place was a mess, for he had packed in a hurry. He also took Lysa Arryn with him, we believe they are headed for the Vale,"
"He murdered Jon and you're coming to me with this NOW!" he yelled. He picked up his cup and threw it all the way across the room and into the wall. The cup shattered into tiny little pieces. "You should have come to me last night!. I would have had the entire city watch looking for him! The Red Keep would have been sealed, we would have found the rat! I would have found the bastard myself if I had to!"
"As soon as I realised that it was him, I went to arrest him. He already knew I was coming for him, he was already gone,"
"How? How could he have known? He must still be here," he seethed.
"Your grace, Lord Baelish had an impressive network of spies. Perhaps during his investigation, one of his spies saw Lord Stark and informed Baelish," Varys said sweetly. Ned narrowed his eyes at him, trying to read between the lines.
"Where is he now? The Vale?"
Ned nodded. "I sent my men to the harbour, they said a man matching his description was headed to Gulltown,"
"Ned, send a raven to your son, raise your banners. Renly you go back to Storms End, Stannis you take the royal fleet and blockade Gulltown. Baelish is a fool, he should have fled across the narrow sea,"
"Your grace, the Eyrie is an impregnable castle, we would lose thousands trying to take it," Renly said immediately.
Robert turned to him. "I don't care how many men we lose. Jon Arryn was like a father to me. I will get justice for him,"
"But brother,"
"Enough! Call your fucking banners," Robert yelled as he slammed his fist into the table. Staring daggers at Renly. Renly looked up at his older brother and then obediently nodded his head.
"Before we rush out to war, Lord Stark could you explain how you concluded that Baelish was responsible for the murder?" Stannis asked. Ned was not surprised. Stannis was a just man.
"Jon Arryn was a healthy man and the Grand Maester can attest to it. He rarely became ill until he was suddenly struck down by a stomach affliction from which he never recovered. That stomach affliction was a poison, tears of Lys to be exact,"
"A very rare poison that is very difficult to obtain," Pycelle objected.
"Yet Jon's symptoms were the same as those you would expect if a person had been subjected to tears of Lys, isn't that so?" and Pycelle nodded reluctantly.
"Why would Baelish want to poison Jon Arryn?" Renly asked quickly,
"I believe Baelish was having a secret affair with his wife, Lysa. I also believe that the boy Robin Arryn, comes from Baelish's seed. Not Jon's," Ned told the council.
"That is quite the allegation, Lord Stark," Varys said,
"It is but there is evidence. Baelish and Lysa grew up together in Riverrun. Baelish even took her maidenhead, something that Jon was aware of before marriage. Hoster gave her moon tea to avoid a pregnancy which is something Ser Brynden Tully can attest the facts. He told me this a few days ago," he looked at the council before continuing, "Lysa put the poison in his food, she came back to the capital a few days ago because Baelish instructed her to. She tried to persuade me to work with Baelish, no doubt to help him cover his tracks. My Lords, if they were not working together, why would he flee to Gulltown and the Vale? Surely he would have fled to Essos where our armies cannot reach him?"
"Lord Stark raises good points. I believe he is correct, and the timing of Lord Baelish's flight is suspicious," Ser Barristan said. "I agree, we need to find Baelish and bring him here for a trial"
"A trial?" Robert scoffed. "Fuck a trial. He will die,"
"The Riverlands could be an issue, we would have to march our troops through it to reach the highroad," Stannis said quickly.
"The Riverlands won't dare rise up to stop us. They're completely surrounded. Robb Stark bringing his army down from the North, we will ride up from the south, the Vale is in the east and Tywin Lannister will come from the west," Robert said angrily.
Ned groaned in frustration. He did not want to have to deal with Tywin Lannister but he could hardly argue against this without sounding petty.
"Still, Hoster will want information on our intentions. This is his daughter and we are accusing her of adultery and conspiracy to murder, he will not be happy, it dishonours his house," Ned pointed out.
"Perhaps, we should tell him that Baelish kidnapped her, that way he would join our cause," Varys offered.
"That would be a lie, Lord Varys and I refuse to operate that way," Ned said firmly. He hated lies, especially after Jon. His lies had forced Jon away, all the way to Pentos where he had met his family and his family had gotten him killed.
"Damn you and your honour Ned, this is for Jon Arryn, he was a father to us!" Robert said angrily.
"We should tell him the truth, if we lie and he finds out later it will cause more problems," Ned said evenly. Robert stared at him angrily.
"Fine, if you want to tell him the truth, fine. You can tell him yourself and if he raises his banners against us, you will be leading the army to face him," he took another drink of his wine.
"Stannis, I want you to leave today for Dragonstone. The sooner we set up that blockade the better. I do not want a single ship entering Gulltown,"
"You intend to starve them out?" Renly asked.
"Yes. How long will the people stand behind their lord if he cannot feed them? If the people are against them, then they'll be more likely to help us," Robert replied quickly. "I grew up in the Vale, that fortress is damn impregnable, we will need every man that can help us. I'm sure the common folk will aid us when they learn the truth,"
"The common folk can't help us," Renly said shaking his head.
"Do you remember the battle of the Bells?" Ned asked with a small smile.
Renly shook his head but Robert laughed "Of course I do, Ned, Renly wouldn't remember he was only a young lad. After Randyll Tarly defeated me at Ashford I went North, to join up with this fool," he said pointing at him. "I had my wounds treated in the Stoney Sept and that is where Connington found me. His host descended onto the city and they searched for me everywhere, even in the sewers. They never found me, the common folk hid me, moved me from place to place and he never found me. I even stayed in a brothel, gods that was a fun night," he smiled wistfully at the memory.
"The point is that the common folk are very important. If they're not on your side, it's much more difficult to win," he told Renly. "Now if you're finished with your stupid questions, go send a raven to Storms End and rally the lords. Then bring them back here so we can march,"
Renly stood and then left the small council chamber. "That goes for the rest of you all. Where is my squire?" He looked around for the Lannister boy. "God damn it that boy is useless, someone find him and tell him to fetch Tywin Lannister, I will need to speak to him as well,"
Ned watched as the room slowly emptied, each lord going out to pass on the message that they were readying for war. He lingered until last, he wanted to speak to Robert in private. When they were alone, he finally spoke,
"Robert, he sent men to attack my girls. I think he wanted to capture them and use them as hostages. One of my men died protecting them, another was seriously injured. While we're at war, I want them to go back North to be with their mother. The capital will be empty and I would worry for them if I'm not there to protect them,"
Robert nodded slowly. "Very well, send them North, Ned. I understand how important your family is to you,"
Ned nodded his thanks and left the room. His mind was buzzing with all the information. They were heading out to war as expected, but that had only been a distraction, suppressing the information about Jon's death.
It was his own fault, he realised. If he had never told Jon the truth he would still be here, he would not have been so drawn to find his family. He would have only had the knowledge that he had grown up with, that the Targaryens raped his aunt and killed his uncle and grandfather. He would have stayed clear of them then. Instead, he had told Jon the truth and he had been drawn towards them like a moth to a flame.
No, it was not his fault, that the Targaryens were a naturally destructive family. They were dragonlords and dragons planted no trees. They had nearly wiped out their own house at Summerhall and the rebellion sealed their fate. Jon's death was on their hands, not his. Lyanna's death was on their hands he told himself. He had to hold onto this, it could not have been his fault. He made a promise to her, to protect him and he had fulfilled that promise to the best of his abilities. No it was not his fault, it was the Targaryens, he repeated to himself firmly.
Without really noticing it, he had arrived back in his chamber in the Tower of the Hand. He instinctively looked out of the window and into the sky. The comet's trail was fading. Almost gone. Just like the Targaryens were gone, he reminded himself.
He sent for his steward and told them to bring his girls to him. He would have to tell them the truth now. As he waited for them to arrive, he sat behind his desk and poured himself some wine. His fingers idly played with the rim of the cup whilst he waited. The door opened and his girls entered, flanked by the men that had been assigned to guard them day and night. He motioned for them to take seats in the chairs opposite him.
"Father, what's going on, why did those men try to attack us last night?" Arya asked immediately,
"I believe those men had been sent to capture you," Ned answered.
"Why would anyone want to abduct us?" Sansa asked,
"It doesn't matter why, it is a long story. What matters is that right now, I will be sending you back to Winterfell. You will sail to White Harbour and then ride back to Winterfell until this is all over," and he braced himself for the inevitable barrage of questions.
"But father I can't leave! What about Joffrey? I'm supposed to marry him. I'm going to have his babies! What if he forgets about me? You can't let that happen! He will protect me! I know he will please father let me stay?" Sansa pleaded.
"Shut up about your stupid Joffrey. Until what is over father?" Arya asked.
"War. War is about to be upon us. I will have to leave the capital to lead the Northern forces. There has already been one attack on you girls, you will return to the North,"
"But father what about Joffrey?" Sansa asked desperately.
"When this is all over, we will return to the south," he said in a tired voice. If he could have it his way, after this war was over, he would stay in the North. He had achieved what he set out to achieve, he had successfully investigated the murder of Jon Arryn and he had enough of these southern games for one lifetime. His place was in the north.
He looked up at Sansa and saw that she was very upset, she opened her mouth to speak,
"No more Sansa, my word is final," He was tired of this argument.
"Father, what about my water dancing lessons with Syrio Forel? I can't leave them now, I'm getting so much better,"
"Syrio can come with us if he wishes," he replied with a shrug of his shoulders. Truthfully, he didn't care what Syrio did. There were plenty of capable teachers in the north.
"That's not fair! Why does she get to keep her lessons but I can't stay with Joffrey!" Sansa shrieked.
"Sansa enough! It is only a temporary separation. Your mother and I had to deal with many such separations. It is a part of life, it is not the end of the world!" he shouted. He looked up to see that Sansa had tears in her eyes and he realised that he had gone too far.
"I'm sorry for shouting girls, truly I am, please forgive me," he said quietly. He looked up at Arya and he realised that he had to tell her.
"There is something else I need to tell you girls, something about Jon," he said quietly and he ran his hair through.
"Father what happened is he ok? Did he send a letter? Can I see it?" Arya asked quickly. Ned could feel the tears forming and he had to fight to keep his voice level.
"Arya, Jon is dead," and he watched with a heavy heart as his daughter's eyes slowly filled with tears.
The Mother of Dragons
Ok, repeat after me "zaldrīzo ānogar," she said in a loud clear voice.
"zaldrīzo ānogar," he replied in his gruff northern accent which made her laugh.
"What's so funny?"
"It's your accent, you make the words sound all funny," she laughed. He started to pout which she found adorable, she leaned in and kissed him softly. Her fingers traced circles on his chest and he pulled her closer to deepen the kiss but she broke apart.
"Careful now, don't start what you can't finish," she teased.
"I can go again right now, if I wanted to" he protested, and she gave him a questioning look and lifted the thin covers to look at his flaccid cock. "Ok, maybe not right now, but soon," and they both laughed as she gently pushed him away.
"You wore me out," he protested "You kept me up all night again,"
"No, you kept me up all night," and she pulled him in for a kiss, running her fingers through his soft curly hair. He ended the kiss and slowly pulled apart. She stared at his face, those grey eyes, happy and full of life. His lips curved upwards in a smile and she felt warm inside. She was so happy that Jon was in her life, she wasn't sure she could do this on her own, she needed his strength and his council.
They laid in bed after another night of lovemaking. She must have dozed off briefly in the soft fur bed because she was awoken when she felt Jon licking her with his tongue. Over the past month or so, she had started to learn the intricacies of her lover's body and his talents. He was a quick learner and they had plenty of time to practice. His hands had started to drift lower and lower and she quickly stopped him, pulling his hand up to cup her face.
"No no no no no, not until you finish your lesson," she said firmly which drew another pout and she gave him another quick kiss.
"You have to say it slower ok? Pay attention to which sounds I emphasise, zaldrīzo ānogar," and she made sure to break down each word as much as she could to help him.
"zaldrīzo ānogar" he said in a slightly slower voice.
"See, that was better," she said even though it wasn't. "Do you know what it means?"
"It means, blood of the dragon," he said quickly. He had the ability to understand Valyrian, but his pronunciation was terrible, which is why she was trying to teach him.
"Who told you what it means?" he asked.
"It was one of the first phrases in high Valyrian that I learned. Viserys made sure that I knew it. He made sure I knew who I was," the memory of her brother made her shudder. If she closed her eyes she still remembered seeing him in chains, she remembered the smells of the room. She buried her face into his chest to try and block out the memory.
"Don't worry about him, he can't hurt us anymore," he said softly as he stroked her hair. His touch helped her to relax,
"I know, but for so long, he was the only family I had. He didn't deserve to die like that," she said quietly. He gently pulled apart and cupped her chin so that she was looking at him.
"I know, we're still family and I will never leave you. I will never let another person hurt you, I promise,"
She snuggled safely in his arms, she felt loved and safe, a feeling she had not felt before. She closed her eyes and just listened to his soft gentle breathing.
After they had sailed from Valyria, they arrived in Astapor and had acquired the Unsullied. They were prepared to negotiate in good faith and pay for the Unsullied, but the master, Kraznys had called her a Valyrian slut one too many times. She had offered him Anogar, the biggest dragon and then they betrayed him. They had sacked the city and then proceeded onto Yunkai, and were currently camped outside the city walls. Today, they would meet with the sellsword companies who had been hired to defend Yunkai.
She pulled away slightly and looked at Jon's face. He had his eyes closed and it looked like he was concentrating on something. She watched closely as slowly, his hair turned from raven to silver.
"You're getting much better at that, you're not angry when you do it now," she said quietly and his eyes flew open and he smiled softly.
"Thank you, I like to practice. Soon I'll be able to master it," he said "What do you prefer?"
"What do you mean?" she asked puzzled.
"Do you prefer my Stark features or my Targaryen features?"
She studied his face closely. She studied the shape of his eyebrows which had become platinum blonde just like hers. The shape of his nostrils as they moved with each breath he took, and the curve of his lips as he was waiting for her answer.
"Truthfully, I don't think there is that much difference. It's only your eyes and your hair that are different. You're still the same Jon, that's all that matters to me," he opened his mouth to protest but she quickly pushed her finger to his lips.
"When it is just the two of us, when we're alone in this bed, I prefer Jon, you're my Jon and I'm your Dany. I like it when you look like a Stark here, but when we're out there, when we have to be King and Queen, I think it would be better if you looked like a Targaryen. It makes it clear that we are together, and that we are a force,"
He nodded slowly.
"I haven't mastered it yet, sometimes it changes back without me noticing on its own,"
"In time, you'll master it Jon, you've made so much progress already,"
"We have some more time before we need to get up," he said as he slowly traced his finger down her chest, right in between her breasts.
"If you say It properly, then maybe we can play, but only if you say it properly," she teased as she dragged his hand up again.
"zaldrīzo ānogar," she said slowly,
"zaldrīzo ānogar," he tried again, scrunching up his face as he concentrated. He was getting slowly better, but then Dany had a wicked idea.
She kissed him softly and then rolled him over onto his back. She slid down his body placing wet kisses along his stomach and then she captured his soft cock between her lips. She had learned that he liked this and she even had a few ideas of things she wanted to try with her tongue. She looked up at him and saw his eyes were dark and focused completely on her. She gave him a quick wink before going to work. As she licked and sucked, she felt him harden quickly. Once, she was satisfied that he was ready she slowly got up and slid his length inside her completely and she gave a soft moan. She closed her eyes and took a few moments to adjust to the feeling of being filled. When she opened her eyes, she saw that he was looking at her intensely. His eyes were dark bottomless pits
"Jon," she said softly. "You have to say it slowly. Like this,"
"zaldrīzo" she said as she slowly lifted herself up so only the tip of his cock was still in her.
"ānogar" and she slowly lowered herself until his cock was fully inside of her again. She repeated this slow tease a few times before he reached out and roughly grabbed her by the hips, trying to force her down to increase the pace.
"No," she said firmly. "Do not presume to touch me. Say it properly," She saw something flash in his eyes then, was it fear? Anger? Lust? She didn't spend long thinking on it because she grabbed his hands and leaned forward to pin them behind his head. As she leaned forward to do this, he leaned upwards and lightly grabbed her nipple in his mouth, sucking it and biting it gently, causing her to whimper slightly.
She quickly sat back and glared at him. He had a cheeky grin on his face, he knew the effect he had on her. She pinched his nipple and then resumed her slow pace on his cock, this time raking her fingers and nails down his chest, marking him. She was satisfied when she saw his eyes close and he started to bite his lip as he fought hard not to touch her.
"Gods woman, are you trying to kill me?" he murmured.
"Say it properly," she repeated as she repeated her slow movements up and down his cock. She even started to roll her hips from side to side, though she was doing this for her own pleasure. She loved the feeling of his cock moving around inside her and she slowly felt that familiar warm feeling spread from low within her stomach. She closed her eyes and tried to block out that feeling, she wanted to continue her torture for just a little while longer. Without noticing it, her fingers had found his nipples. Her hands moved automatically and as she slowly traced them. Then, when he said the word wrong again she pinched his nipples, causing him to buck his hips involuntarily, filling her with his cock again. She let out a loud moan of pleasure and she realised she couldn't wait much longer.
"Say it properly," she half begged half moaned.
Finally, he said it right, or maybe he didn't but she didn't care anymore. She slammed down with all her weight and rode him like a mad woman, desperately chasing that elusive pleasure. She pushed her hands onto his chest as he grabbed her ass, holding onto it as she rode him. She felt that warm feeling spreading from inside her stomach and out around her body, completely taking over her senses. She closed her eyes as this happened and for the briefest of moments she wondered if he was inside of her or if she was inside of him.
After the wave of pleasure washed over her, she gently lay down on his sweaty chest as she felt him slow down. He knew her body so well at this point that he did this automatically.
"You are an evil, evil woman," he said softly. She knew he was joking but the words still stung a little. She had heard stories of her father from Rhaegar. He was not a good man, she did not want to be evil like him.
"Teaching you gets boring sometimes I have to make it interesting for me," she said lightly as she listened to his heart pound inside his chest. She felt something hard and wet against her thighs and she realised that he hadn't finished. She slowly moved down his body until she was between his legs
She gave one long slow lick before she took his cock in her mouth. She reached for his hand and guided it to her head. She let him control the pace, she had teased him enough for one day.
He slowly ran his fingers through her dishevelled hair and let out a content sigh of pleasure. She relaxed her jaw and allowed him to take his time. With each bob, she took more of his cock into her mouth. Soon, she felt the hand on her head move faster and she knew he was close. Dany usually had him spill inside her, but she had always wanted to taste him. She felt his hips and his cock jerk as his body tensed and then she felt him release into her mouth. She looked into his eyes and then she swallowed it all. She scooted up then bed and propped herself up on one elbow and traced a bead of sweat with her finger.
"Would an evil woman have done that?" She asked innocently as he caught his breath. She smiled as he slowly opened his eyes and looked at her.
"If you're an evil woman then I must be an evil man because I can't get enough of you," he said breathlessly as he pulled her in for a long, deep kiss.
After they had finally left their bed that morning, their breakfast was brought to them in their tent by Missandei, a freed slave who was quickly becoming a friend as well as her handmaiden. They frequently spent their evenings together, she would teach her some languages, mostly Ghiscari and some Dothraki. Daenerys had heard stories about the horse lords, she knew that they frequently captured slaves and sold them to the slavers in Slaver's Bay. She would destroy the Dothraki if they ever gave her a chance. Dany enjoyed getting to know the girl, it was good to have another girl of her age around. Jon was amazing, but there were certain things that he just couldn't understand.
The climate was hot and she decided to wear a more open style of dress that was popular in this part of Essos. This pale blue dress had two thin straps along her shoulders. Apart from that, it left a large part of her back and sides were exposed. She didn't mind, the sun was hot and it would be good to feel the cool breeze on her skin.
Jon was out meeting with some of the freedmen. A few of the freedmen had good knowledge of Essos and Slaver's Bay in particular and Jon spent a lot of time learning everything he could from them. She then went outside to check on the dragons, their growth was truly incredible. It had only been a month or so but they were already around the size of a large horse, that special pool was clearly very effective. Daenerys felt rather bittersweet about this. While their quick growth was a boon for their cause, as soon they would be big enough to ride and they could take back Westeros. On the other hand, she had missed the time after they were born, when they would feed the dragons pieces of blackened meat by hand, when they would crawl around their ankles and sit on their shoulders. It was like being a mother she realised, it was a feeling she enjoyed.
Would Jon want kids? She had never really asked and perhaps it was even too late to avoid. She knew there ways to avoid this happening, but she had been too preoccupied at the time to think of them. Almost instinctively, she ran her hand over her stomach, perhaps there was a little life growing inside of her as she stood there.
As if on cue, she heard a loud roar overhead. Anogar was flying overhead, just checking in before he flew off somewhere to hunt most likely. Anogar was definitely the leader of the trio, he had been the first to leave and hunt and he was also the boldest. Jon's dragon was of a similar size, but Vedros did not often impose her will. Vedros was usually content to stand back and only step in when necessary, much like Jon, she realised. She sadly watched as he flew further away, she then turned and headed back to their tent. The sellsword captains would arrive soon.
At the last moment, she had an idea. She entered the tent and told everyone that the meeting place would now change. They would not meet the captains inside their tent, it was a place for her and Jon only. Instead they would meet outside, on a mountain overlooking her camp. Ghost appeared silently from behind a tent and walked alongside her. She reached the cliff and sat on a rock to wait. As she waited, she gently stroked his fur. Jon arrived soon after, looking very Stark. He brought with him a wagon of their riches to use as incentive for the sellswords.
Sellswords were loyal to only two things: gold and winning. Jon had suggested offering them some of their gold to get them to change sides and fight for them. They could sack Yunkai using their Unsullied, but neither of them had been willing to risk losing so many troops so soon after acquiring them.
From this new meeting place, she could look at the city of Yunkai. Where Astapor had been built with red brick, Yunkai had been built out of yellow. The walls and guard towers had not been maintained well and they were crumbling. High above the city walls loomed the great pyramids where the masters lived, the pyramids were slightly bigger than those in Astapor, and like everything else in the city, they too were made from the same yellow brick. She knew that the city trained and sold bed slaves. She remembered being alone in Euron's cabin, it was not a feeling she wanted to experience again. She vowed that no woman should ever have to feel that way. She would have this city and free its slaves.
Soon, the first sellsword company arrived, the Second Sons, led by a man known as Mero. He was a tall ugly man with pale green eyes and a red bushy beard. He was a brutish man and Daenerys did not like him. They spent several minutes trading insults with him before Jon decided to send him away, with a wagon of their wine to drink as a token of their good faith. When he was gone she angrily turned to him,
"That man insulted me,"
"I gathered," he said quickly.
"And yet you give him some of our finest wine as a token of good faith? Why would you do that?"
"I spoke to some of the men around the camp. There's a freedman, named Qavo who is pretty informed in these matters. He said that Mero is known as the Titan's Bastard. He is not liked by his men as he has made it difficult for the Second Sons to acquire work. He stays in power due to support from key commanders in the company,"
"How does that help us now?" she asked frustrated.
"He will take our wine, perhaps he will share it with his supporters as well. I plan to lead a small group of men through his camp at night and kill him and his followers silently while they are drunk and passed out from the wine, they will not be able to offer much resistance. Then perhaps tomorrow, they will select a new leader who would be more receptive to our offer,"
She nodded slowly. It was a good plan, devious in fact but she quickly spotted a flaw.
"You will not go, you would stand out too much. It is too dangerous," she said firmly.
"I have to lead the men, it is my plan after all," he said quickly.
"No, you will not. You don't even speak their language, you would slow them down," she said as she crossed over to stand in front of him. Without noticing it, she had brought one hand down to cover her stomach protectively. She quickly dropped it, there was nothing there to protect.
Jon looked at her before nodding his head slowly, agreeing with her on this one. As they were having their discussion, they had not noticed the second company arrive, 'The Stormcrows'. They were led by a blue bearded Tyroshi which was odd as she had learned that this company was led by three captains. Daenerys immediately tensed, after her experience on the boat, she had developed a small distrust towards Tyroshis. The man walked cockily towards them, as if he was greeting old friends. In his left hand, he clutched a large bag that was dripping slightly, Dany couldn't help but be curious of its contents. She observed his clothes, they were also brightly coloured, he looked like a bit of a fool, she thought to herself.
When he arrived he dropped to his knees in front of her and looked up at her. His eyes were gleaming and she could see the sweat shining on his forehead.
"Queen Daenerys Targaryen," he began his voice soft and tempting "I have heard tales of your beauty, but I can say that they were not accurate. You are much more beautiful in person,"
"Rise," she said quickly. She did not know this man's name and yet he was on his knees already.
"I am Captain Daario Naharis of the Stormcrows,"
"I thought that the Stormcrows had three leaders?" Jon asked quickly but Daario ignored him.
"I have come to enter your service, the Stormcrows and myself," he added after a pause, his lips curving upwards into a tempting smile. Daenerys took a step backwards away from him.
"Rise, Captain Naharis," she repeated and he slowly stood. He towered over her, and he was likely taller than Jon too, she realised. She glanced back at him and she noticed that his hair was slowly changing. The platinum was starting to come in at his roots. Was he jealous? She felt a rush of love rush through her, no one had ever been jealous for her before.
"As I asked earlier, I was told that the Stormcrows have three captains," Jon stepped forward and gestured around. "Where are the others?"
"I heard you the first time, but I only answer to the Queen, not some greenboy who couldn't tell the difference between his own elbow and a woman's breast," he said with a smirk. The smirk quickly vanished and Dany realised that Jon must have finished his transformation, she glanced back and saw that she was correct.
She quickly turned towards the cliff when she heard a roar. Vedros had appeared and was slowly rising up above their meeting, Smoke tendrils escaping the corner of her mouth. Daario turned around at the noise and she laughed at the horrified expression on his face. She quickly stopped laughing as she saw Vedros's mouth open, and she saw the molten flame building deep down her throat.
"The Queen also has a King. Me," Jon stepped forward and roughly spun Daario around to face him. "I am King Aegon Targaryen, and you answer to me, if you ever forget this fact, Vedros will quickly make sure it is the last thing you ever forget," and with that, Vedros released a quick blast of orange and yellow flame at Daario's feet causing the bottoms of his clothes to become aflame. She watched amused as he quickly worked to extinguish his clothes before quickly scrambling to his feet.
Daenerys was impressed at Jon's control over his dragon. He seemed to have a connection with Vedros in his mind. She realised that this meeting was almost at its end.
"Captain Naharis, what is in the bag?" she asked before he left.
At the sound of his name, he quickly turned around to face her. For a moment, his cocksure grin returned but then his eyes flicked over her shoulder towards Jon and his smile faded. He emptied the bag onto the floor and Daenerys saw two heads roll out
"These are the other two leaders of the Stormcrows, I killed them to prove that I am serious about joining you,"
Jon scoffed.
"These could be any two men. How do we know that you aren't going to betray us, you hardly look like the trustworthy type," he asked.
Daario gave a non-committed shrug of his shoulders. Whatever he had come to this meeting expecting, he had clearly not received it.
"Don't believe me, that's fine, but those are my former captains. The Stormcrows are yours, your grace, if you would have them," and he looked desperately into her eyes as he said the last part.
Daenerys slowly nodded, an idea forming in her mind.
"I will," and his eyes lit up happily and she heard Jon give a sharp intake of breath. She quickly reached behind and grabbed his hand to pull him alongside her.
"Meet us here back at sundown, we will have instructions for you. Bring ten of your best men," she said firmly. He opened his mouth to speak, but Daenerys had heard enough of him.
"Go," she commanded, and she could have sworn that he skipped away in happiness. When he left, she turned to face Jon who looked angry. Very angry
"What was that about," he asked immediately "I was not happy with the way he looked at you, it was as if he was imagining you naked, he can't do that, that's unacceptable,"
Deciding to tease him a little she smiled playfully.
"Why is it unacceptable, your grace?" she purred.
"Because you are mine," he said in a low voice and she felt that feeling return. "No one else gets to look at you like that, I should have ripped out his eyes," he continued
"Is my King jealous?" she asked softly and she got a growl in response. "My King has nothing to be worried about. I am his, just like he is mine," she looked up into his eyes as she said this, making sure that he understood how serious she was. She stared into his purple eyes and she watched as they slowly turned back to grey.
"Then why did you have him join with us?"
"It was your idea, he will lead the men into the Second Sons camp. This way, we lose none of our own men, and it serves as a test of his loyalty,"
Jon opened his mouth to speak. "I know, I came up with the plan on the spot, I didn't mean for it to come across that way. I'm sorry," she said softly. He grabbed her and pulled her into his arms. Daenerys buried her head into his chest, he smelt of sweat and of dirt but it didn't matter to her. He still smelled like Jon, and it still smelled like home.
"Do we have to meet the last sellsword company?" she asked softly. The last company was a group known as the Windblown, a group that had around two thousand men, but Dany didn't want to meet him. She had suffered enough confrontation for one day.
"We should at least meet with him, who knows what he has to say. We have nothing to lose," Jon pointed out and she regretfully conceded. She put her Queenly mask on and stood beside him as they were waited.
After a few moments, the leader of the Windblown arrived, Jon had told her that he went by the name of the Tattered Prince. His company had a feared reputation and he treated deserters harshly. If a deserter was caught, he would frequently chop off a foot, so that they would never run again. The unlucky ones were tortured, badly. He had fought wars all across the disputed lands and left a trail of horror in his wake, butchered and mutilated bodies and burnt villages. Some men said that he was a disgraced exile knight, other men said that he was a former merchant prince of Pentos. Others said that he had come straight from the deepest hell to cause destruction.
They watched as the old man appeared on his old grey warhorse. He sat up straight and tall in his saddle and his face was scarred and worn down by the weather. His grey hair was long and ran down his shoulders. His clothes looked like they were expensive once, but they had not been washed in years. He rode up towards them and slowly dismounted. Caraxes appeared overhead and roared loudly but the man was unfazed, he continued his slow precise walk forward. She could hear his boots crunch the dirt as he walked, the sound was loud and almost seemed to echo. Jon slowly took a half step forward and across, partially shielding her from him but Daenerys moved forward on her own, they would face this man together, she vowed to herself. The man stopped a few paces in front of them and watched them both. He raised one eyebrow in surprise and she turned to realise that Jon had turned his hair platinum once again and his hand was almost lazily brushing along the pommel of his Valyrian steel sword.
"Queen Daenerys and?"
"King Aegon Targaryen," Jon said immediately.
The man raised his eyebrow in surprise but chose not to comment on this.
"King Aegon and Queen Daenerys. I am the man known as the Tattered Prince," he spoke in a loud clear voice. His men would have no trouble hearing his commands on the battlefield, she concluded.
"I have come to offer my Windblown into your service. All two thousand of my men will fight for you and your cause,"
"What do you want in return?" Jon asked.
The man observed him. Looking him up and down, measuring him up like a piece of meat, he did the same to her. It was as if he was judging them, whether or not they were able to give him what he wants. Daenerys felt uneasy. From above she heard Anogar roar, Vedros and Caraxes joined in too, all the dragons seemed to sense her unease around this man, even Ghost had started to bare his teeth at this man. He was completely undeterred by the display and continued his observation. After a few short moments, satisfied with what he saw, he smiled maliciously.
"Pentos," he whispered and Daenerys immediately felt her unease return.
"A whole city? That's far too much," Jon said immediately, but Daenerys mind was on other things. Illyrio was in Pentos and he had always been kind to her. Until he betrayed them by giving those sellswords to Viserys. Because of him, she had lost her brother and she had nearly lost Jon. The person that mattered most to her in the world.
"It is not too much to ask for. You have dragons, the city is poorly defended and will surrender to you easily. All I ask is that you put me in charge and I will rule it in your names,"
"And what will you do with it?" Jon asked but the man just cocked his head, smiled and gave a shrug of his shoulders. Jon turned towards her and waited for her decision, he knew that this decision meant more to her. He had a concerned look on his face.
Could she give an entire city to this man? So, he could turn it into his playground. She had heard stories about this man, the city would not be in good hands. Illyrio had wronged her but the other citizens had not done anything to her, her hand went to her stomach, she did not like this feeling. She thought back to what Jon said to her, was she evil for even considering this? Giving an entire city to a stranger just to punish one man? Above she heard Anogar give an angry roar. The dragon in her agreed, Illyrio should be punished. She made up her mind.
"No," Jon said firmly and she saw a brief flash of anger in his eyes. "You will have to ask for something else,"
"Very well, but my price will not change. I will not fight against you now but we will meet again. My forces will be leaving the bay for now," he said as he got into horse and slowly rode away. The dragons hissed and screeched at him as he left. When he was gone, Dany quickly headed back to their tent. She pushed the flap open then lay down on the bed. She ran her fingers through the soft fur and tried to calm herself.
"Are you ok?" She heard Jon ask as soon as he entered the tent. "You look pale," and he sat down on the bed beside her. She looked up at his face and gave a weak smile.
"I'm fine. It must have been something I ate," she said and she decided to sit up. "Hold me please?"
He silently agreed and slid behind her and she leaned back into his arms and closed her eyes. It was only mid-afternoon but she felt ready to retire for the day, content to just stay in his arms. His body was warm and she could feel her eyelids beginning to feel heavy
She must have fallen asleep because when she next opened her eyes she was lying on the bed and Jon was gone. She quickly pushed up on the bed and looked around for him but he was nowhere to be seen, only Ghost was in the tent with her. As she sat up Ghost woke up and stared at her, she had forgotten how intense those ruby red eyes were. Ghost slowly walked forward and pushed his nose into her hand and she gently stroked his fur.
"You know something don't you," she said softly "you always know,"
She didn't get to find out what Ghost knew because Jon pushed open the flap to the tent. He looked surprised to see her awake.
"Where did you go?" She asked immediately.
"It's nearly nightfall. I gave Daario the instructions. The attack will begin soon. We have a good plan but I won't bore you with the specifics,"
She nodded slowly.
"Jon," she said nervously "I wanted to give him Pentos, to punish Illyrio for betraying us, does that make me evil or mad? Like my father?" She remembered what Jon had told her about his visions. She did not want to be remembered as an evil Queen, she wanted to do good in the world.
"No, you're not evil or mad. Far from it," he quickly crossed over to her and sat next to her, "It is normal to want revenge after what Illyrio did to us but you did not give him what he wanted. You showed restraint, if you were truly mad you would not have done so," he said firmly.
"Remember what I said Dany, sometimes we will have to cause destruction to do long term good. Just like Aegon the Conqueror. Remember that." He grasped her hand firmly and she stared into his grey eyes. "Look at what we're doing here. We're sacking cities but we're doing it to free slaves, thousands if not millions of lives will be better in the long term because of this,"
She felt reassured and she was once again thankful that she had Jon. She felt him tuck a strand of hair behind her ear that had gone loose from her braid. He looked concerned and she realised that she didn't reply to him.
"Thank you Jon, for the reassurance," and he smiled softly.
She slowly leaned and kissed him. When her lips touched his she felt the love wash over her. The feeling cascaded all over her like a wave, spreading all around her body. It pushed all the thoughts of revenge, madness or Pentos out of her mind. Somewhere in the background, a battle was likely raging not far from their camp but Daenerys didn't care. In that moment it was just her and Jon. After they made slow gentle love, she laid there in his arms and listened to his soft slow breathing. Jon was tracing fingers over her stomach. As she watched his fingers she could have sworn her stomach had a slight swell. She quickly dismissed it. She was just imagining things.
Notes:
https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSeT08SkDKcO1Td2CPL9hLRHZzX61jZNus1ZlhonC5VUhSPwjA/viewform go vote for your favourite stories and stuff
As always thanks to GOT88 for the help provided with this story.
This is the longest chapter so far, just over 10k words. 11 is slightly longer and 12 is huge. The Next chapter will be out in 3 days...so Saturday 6th. It's called "The Dragon has three heads"
Some of you guys said you wouldn't mind more sex...so yeah...
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