Game of Thrones: Holy Flame King

Sleep had never been so difficult for Daenerys.

She closed her eyes and tried to think back to home, to Dragonstone and King's Landing, and the other places Viserys had mentioned, friendlier places than this.

But thoughts kept drifting uncontrollably back to Slaver's Bay.

She felt like a small boat caught in a storm, unable to control herself, and in danger of capsizing at any moment.

Time has become extraordinarily long.

Daenerys didn't know how long it had passed, and how long it would be until dawn.

She put on a silk dress, put on sandals, and went out to the balcony.

The breeze in the middle of the night is slightly cool, leaning on the hard brick wall, staring at the city below.

Under the cold brilliance of the silver moon, thousands of roofs stretched endlessly in sight.

Under these roofs, how many hungry children howled, how many angry nobles plotted, how many disaffected commoners cursed and hated?

The cold roof covered everything, and she couldn't see anything.

She could kill all the nobles of Meereen, and the Sons of the Harpy would disappear, but what good would that do but prove her madness and brutality?

Killing cannot fill a hungry stomach, nor can it exchange for the love of the people.

Daenerys finally understood what Caesar said at the beginning, and also realized that she thought everything too simply.

Thinking of this, thoughts suddenly surged like a tide.

She suddenly missed Caesar terribly, his black hair and black eyes, his strong arms, his kiss that tasted like persimmon wine, and his calmness and confidence that seemed to solve all the problems in the world.

If only he was around...

In a daze, Daenerys fell asleep on the balcony.

In the dream, she married Caesar, and the two lived a simple and ordinary life in the mansion with the red door in Braavos...

A rustling sound woke her up from her dream.

Daenerys sat up straight reflexively: "Missandei? Jiki?"

She called the maid's name, but there was no answer.

"They're asleep." A woman's voice answered.

Daenerys looked around, and saw a woman wearing a dark red wooden lacquered mask standing in the moonlight.

She immediately recognized that this was the mysterious Shadowbinder who prophesied to herself in Qarth.

"Are you a quai lizard? Am I dreaming?"

"You are not dreaming." Quai Li shook his head slowly.

Daenerys frowned: "Then how did you come in? The guards didn't stop you?"

"I'm going through another path, a path that your guards will never discover." Quai Li said.

"As long as I shout, the guards will come and arrest you immediately."

"No." Quai Li didn't panic at all, and shook his head slowly, "They'll just tell you that there's no one else here."

Daenerys was dubious: "Then what are you doing here?"

"Listen to me, Daenerys Targaryen." Quai Li's tone became serious, "The glass candle is lit, and the Harpy has opened her eyes. The sea monster, the black flame, the son of the sun, the two-headed eagle will come, but they will also bring destruction and disaster..."

"Is the double-headed eagle Caesar?" Daenerys remembered Caesar's family coat of arms, with a hint of expectation in her tone, "Will he come to Meereen?"

"Yes." Quail Lizard's figure suddenly began to flicker, and his voice became intermittent, "The footsteps of fate are approaching...Daenerys...you are still ignorant..."

Daenerys was a little angry: "Are you teaching me?"

"I'm... showing the way..."

The lizard's voice became muffled, and Daenerys found the ruby ​​bracelet on her wrist was heating up.

This is a gift from Caesar.

Rubies are luck and protection, she remembered him saying.

"I remember what you told me in Qarth," Daenerys said. "To go north, you must go south. To reach the West, you must go east. To go forward, you must go back. To light , you must pass through the shadows."

After a pause, she said again: "What does this mean? Make it clear! I hate riddles."

"Ordinary people...can't tell...fate..." Quai Li intermittently said, "...fate is not a riddle...it...is the riddle itself..."

"If you're talking about things I don't understand, what's the use to me?" Daenerys was a little annoyed, the temperature of the ruby ​​in her hand was still rising, and it was actually hot.

"You will understand..." Quirk's face slowly disappeared in the air, "Dani...remember the Immortal...remember who you are..."

"I am the blood of the dragon." Daenerys said, "The Immortals are a bunch of liars!"

"Remember you... Dani... the dragon... you know..." Quai Li's voice became weaker and weaker until it disappeared completely:

"Your Majesty?" Missandei stood at the door of the bedroom, holding a lantern, "Who are you talking to?"

Daenerys was startled, only to find that the Quail Lizard had disappeared, as if it had never appeared.

And the ruby ​​on the wrist also stopped heating.

Is it hallucination?

Daenerys remembered Caesar saying that she had the blood of the Mad King in her body, and Ser Barristan had warned her that there was a gene of madness in the Targaryen blood.

Am I crazy too?

Daenerys felt like she was really going crazy.

"I'm praying." She said to the maid, "It's almost dawn, let's prepare breakfast."

"Okay, I'll prepare it for you right away."

Soon, the maids brought a hearty breakfast, but Daenerys had no appetite.

She forced herself to eat something.

Ser Jorah reports that a band of sellswords from Yunkai has volunteered to serve the Dragon Queen.

"Bring them up." Daenerys said forcefully.

Soon, the mercenaries were taken to the garden.

There were a dozen of them, all from Westeros, and the familiar faces and language made Daenerys feel kind.

"Anyone who is willing to fight for me, I will give them my blessing." Daenerys smiled and accepted the offer of the group of mercenaries.

Everyone saluted and thanked, and then left.

However, two Dornishmen remained.

"What else do you need?" Daenerys asked.

"Your Majesty, I want to ask for your forgiveness, because we deceived you." A short black-haired boy said.

"Cheated what?" Daenerys asked.

"We did not come of our own free will, but the Tattered Prince of the Windblown Brigade sent us to join your army."

"Did he send you as spies?" Daenerys pursed her lips.

"I don't know, he just said that someone will contact us." Quentin Martell said, "Also, we also concealed our identities."

As he spoke, he bent down and unbuttoned his boots, and pulled out a roll of yellowed parchment.

Ser Jorah took it, and passed it to the Queen.

"What is this? A letter?" Daenerys slowly opened it, first looking at the signature on it.

When the name of Sir William Darry appeared, her eyes froze suddenly.

She read it carefully, and then again.

Seeing this, Jorah couldn't help asking: "Your Majesty, can you tell us what is written on it?"

"This is a secret agreement," Daenerys said, "Ser William Darry signed it for my brother and sister when I was a little girl in Braavos, and Prince Oberyn Martell signed it for Dorne. Signed, witnessed by the Aquaman of Braavos.

It says, an alliance made by marriage, that my brother Viserys shall wed Prince Doran's daughter Arianne, and in return the Dorneians will support us in overthrowing the usurpers and taking back the Iron Throne. "

"But Viserys is dead," Jorah said.

"Yes." Daenerys sighed, "If my brother had known that there was a Dorne princess waiting for him, maybe he wouldn't have been driven mad by the endless pressure and ridicule..."

Quentin said: "Although His Majesty Viserys is dead, my father is still willing to support your cause."

"Father?"

"Yes." Quentin knelt down on one knee, "Your Majesty, it is a great honor. I am the eldest son of Prince Doran, Quentin Martell, Prince of Dorne, and your most loyal servant. If you wish, I will In place of my sister, I will conclude a marriage contract with you and continue this secret agreement."

Ser Jorah smiled contemptuously:

"I heard that Prince Doran himself is dead, and Dorne is in a mess now. What strength do you have to support His Majesty's cause?"

Quentin's face darkened when he heard the words, but he hesitated and couldn't speak.

"Jorah, don't be rude," Daenerys said. "When the Reaver took my father's throne, Sunspear remained loyal to House Targaryen. For that, I am grateful."

Quentin immediately beamed with joy: "So you promised to marry me?"

Daenerys felt that direct rejection might hurt the hearts of allies, so she said:

"I need to think about it."

Quentin heard the perfunctory in the other party's tone, and the smile on his face disappeared immediately. He hesitated to say something more, but he heard hurried footsteps behind him.

Daenerys also looked up, and saw Dario Naharis, the leader of the Stormcrows, walking in covered in blood.

"Daario, how did you do this?"

"It's not my blood, Your Majesty." Dario laughed, "It's the blood of the Yunkai'i. I wanted to bring their heads back as gifts for you, but unfortunately there are too many heads. I can't hold it."

Sir Jorah curled his lips disapprovingly, as if he had seen through the nature of this bragging mercenary:

"Brave. Are the Yunkai'i beyond Meereen?"

"Come on, I met them thirty miles south of the city. The hills are full of Yunkai sergeants, and six mercenary regiments they hired. Not only that, but they are also supported by three new Ghis legions , there are ten elephants in full armor, plus a legion of Taurus.

Also, according to the captives, Qarth and Valentis were about to send troops to Meereen, and the Dothraki also came roaring from the north. "

As Daario spoke, drops of bright red blood continued to drip onto the marble floor.

When he finished speaking, the audience was silent.

Daenerys forced herself to calm down, but her hands were still trembling uncontrollably:

"Why do we have so many enemies?"

"Because slaves are the cornerstone that supports the operation of the civilized world." The green maiden who had been silent all this time suddenly said leisurely, "And you, Your Majesty the Queen, have shaken this cornerstone."

Daenerys wanted to say something, but couldn't.

At this moment, another Unsullied walked in quickly.

"Any more bad news?" Daenerys asked a little self-destructively.

"Your Majesty the Queen." The Unsullied bowed and saluted, "Her Majesty Caesar landed on the top of the Great Pyramid riding a white dragon."

This is good news! Daenerys felt her heart beating wildly, and she stood up abruptly:

"Quick! Take me to see him!"