Chapter 11: The Queen of Mereen

"I am sorry I didn't hear that correctly lord Tyrion. Please repeat yourself." said Daenerys, glaring coldly at her advisor who gulped and took a step back.

She hid a smile at the reaction she garnered and waited for Tyrion to speak up as she relaxed into her throne. She was bursting with energy after what she did to her enemies so she wanted to get this over with quickly.

"I ask your forgiveness, your grace. It seems I have misplaced your dragon." said Tyrion,as the youngest son of Tywin Lannister looked down to the floor not quite capable of holding the gaze of his queen.

"Taking into account of your guilty appearance and the genuine fear lurking behind those mismatched eyes it is a safe bet to assume you are not speaking of a wooden toy or a dragon likeness made out of gold or silver. Isn't that right, Lord Tyrion?"

"I am afraid so your grace."

"I feared as much. Tell me lord Tyrion did I not bind Viserion and Rhaegal beneath the pyramid myself?"

"You did your grace."

"And you had the audacity of marching into the lair of dragons and releasing them. Tell me my lord who are you?"

"Your grace?" Tyrion raised his head to look at her in confusion.

"I asked a simple enough question, my lord. Who are you?"

"I am Tyrion Lannister, your grace."

"So you are aware that you belong to house Lannister and not House Targaryen?" Daenerys asked and was answered with an uneasy nod.

"Then what makes you think that you can make decisions about my dragons? When I took you into my service I gave you the post of an advisor. Does this position imply dragon keeping, my lord?" Daenerys asked and the court was silent and observing the debacle that was going on.

"Forgive me, your grace. In your absence, the dragons were barely eating anything and I thought being free of the chains might help put the dragons at ease." said Tyrion as he took a knee on the floor with his head bowed.

"Instead all you can show for that ill-thought decision is a missing dragon—my missing dragon. Do you know the current whereabouts of Rhaegal?"

"Your grace, forgive me for speaking out of turn. The last known sighting of your dragon was at the edge of the Rhoyne River. It is most likely that Rhaegal is nesting in one of the hills of Andalos or even the hills of Norvos." said Varys, with a shallow bow and Daenerys gave the bald man a curious look.

"I'm sorry, my lord. It seems I am at a disadvantage. Who are you exactly?"

"My name is Varys, your grace. I served as Master of Whispers in your father's court."

"Not just in Aerys Targaryen's court now is it? You served Robert Baratheon, Joffrey Baratheon and Tommen Baratheon. You are also the one that sent assassins after her grace since she was a babe." Ser Jorah growled down from her side at the eunuch not at all happy to see his former employer.

"Unfortunately that is true your grace. But, despite all the assassins Robert sent after you and your late brother I ensured Ser Willam Darry was kept well informed of them. Even after the good knight died my agents ensured your safety." said Varys not at all bothered by the bear's hostility.

"I see." Daenerys hummed casting a sceptical look at the former master of whispers.

"Your grace, Lord Varys has been instrumental in suppressing the Sons of Harpy. You will be happy to note that many of them have been taken off the streets, no longer able to plague the good people of Mereen." Tyrion interjected which earned him a small glare from Dany but she threw a curious look at Missandei and Ser Barristan. Seeing them both nod in confirmation she let out a sigh.

"Very well then. For your services rendered in ridding Mereen of the outlaws known as the Sons of Harpy, I thank you, Lord Varys. You may choose to stay by my side and sit on my council if you so desire. But know that you will be watched and a hint of treason will forfeit your life. There shall be no mercy or second chances for you as you are essentially an unknown element." Daenerys warned the bald man who nodded respectfully and looked imploringly at Tyrion.

"Your grace there is a matter of grave concern that we must discuss but it can be addressed with a fresh mind and after you are well-rested. But we all are curious to know about your plans for the captured ships and our defeated enemies beyond the gates of this city." said Tyrion looking expectantly at the queen.

"How many ships have we captured so far?" Daenerys asked restraining her urge to question Tyrion about whatever he was holding back.

"So far, we have captured a hundred and two ships, your grace. Some of them will need a new crew and some refitting most of them remain intact. The ring of fire that you created around the Volantine fleet saw to their peaceful surrender. A few ships tried to break off and flee despite the Dragonfire burning in the seas but they met a fiery end." Grey Worm reported in his usual gruff voice but she noticed that he had improved his Common Tongue. Perhaps Missandei was far more successful than she thought.

"What about the crew of these captured ships?"

"All of them are being moved to one of the larger pyramids we captured from the slave masters your grace." Ser Barristan answered, making Dany hum thoughtfully.

"Interrogate the prisoners and learn all about who hired them in Volantis. I want their names and if possible learn everything about the defences of Volantis." Daenerys ordered making many in her council to look at her wearily.

"Your grace, are you planning to retaliate?" Tyrion was the one to ask the question that was burning in everyone's mind.

"Of course. An attack on Mereen merits an attack on Volantis. They started this war but I will be the one to finish it. But first, send emissaries to the Tattered Prince and invite him to the city to settle the terms of his surrender. Tell him that there are more than twenty thousand Dothraki warriors to his back for him to worry about if he intends to flee. He will either meet me to discuss peace or he will court death. Let him choose." Daenerys stood from her throne making others to keep their opinions to themselves.

"I am tired and I need my rest. I expect the message to be sent as quickly as possible and I will give the sellsword prince till noon tomorrow. After that, it will be war." Said Dany and she was about to take her leave but Tyrion's voice made her pause.

"Your grace I am truly sorry for what happened with Rhaegal."

"You need not worry, my lord. I know where my child is and he is exactly where he ought to be but make sure that you stop playing your tricks with my children." Dany cast one small glare at the dwarf making said dwarf gulp but nod fervently. Seemingly satisfied with his response Dany walked away from the throne room closely followed by Missandei.

The next day saw a well-rested Dany comfortably leaning back in an ornate chair with her main council taking their respective seats on either side of the table. She was of course at the head of the table with Missandei sitting to her immediate left and Ser Barristan to her immediate right. Grey Worm sat beside the Lord Commander of her Queensguard as did Daario Naharis. Tyrion and Varys were sitting next to Missandei and Dany had to really quell the urge to kill her new spymaster.

She has been informed earlier today about the Blackfyre plot and she was not happy. She had learned the brief history of House Blackfyre since its formation from Ser Barristan. The old knight was the one to also counsel her to show restraint in the case of Varys and Tyrion also threw in his support for the eunuch. For the time being, Ser Barristan's appeal had stayed her hand. As the Lord Commander pointed out, Varys had come clean with her regarding the plot and it was within her power to forgive. She would forgive but not forget. The eunuch has earned two unsullied guards that would shadow him everywhere except the privy.

The revelation of the Blackfyre plot has only hastened her need to sail to Westeros as soon as possible. Her nephew would inevitably come in contact with Aegon and there was a chance that he would bend the knee thinking Aegon as his elder sibling. She couldn't allow that to happen but first, she had to settle matters here in Mereen. That thought made her look at the opposite end of the table where the Tattered Prince sat by his lonesome. The sellsword leader of Windblown had decided to meet with her himself without any companions.

The man had courage if nothing else, Dany noted.

"So you want me to march all the way back and put Yunkai and Astapor to siege?" the Tattered Prince inquired with a raised eyebrow and she decided she disliked looking at the gauntly looking man. It took a lot of effort not to simply execute this fool who had dared to siege her city and brought chaos to Astapor and Yunkai.

"Are you deaf? I told you that already. You will march your sellsword company accompanied by the Second Sons under Daario Naharis and restore order to Yunkai and Astapor. You will kill all the slave masters and mount their heads on a spike. The Red Priests that will accompany you to the city will see to it that a new council will be formed to govern the two cities. When that is over you may seek me out once again in Westeros. If I am satisfied with your work in restoring order to the two free cities I will ensure that you reign as Prince of Pentos. Is that clear enough for you to understand?"

"And if I don't wish to comply to these terms?" the Tattered Prince asked.

"If you don't comply I will destroy you and your men outside the city gates. If any of you somehow manage to escape I will put a lucrative price on all of your heads along with an offer of lordship and lands in Westeros. As you can guess, I intend to make your life as difficult as possible for all the troubles you have brought me."

"If I fail to restore Yunkai and Astapor despite my best efforts. What then?"

"Then we all will realize that you don't deserve to be a Prince of Pentos and I will personally ensure that you never even set eyes on that city in your lifetime."

That made the Tattered Prince twitch in his seat.

"You drive a hard bargain Mother of Dragons." said the Tattered Prince with a frown.

"You should have chosen your enemies wisely then. A lesson I am sure you have learned very well." Dany swiftly retaliated and their conversation came to a close. In the end, the Tattered Prince had no other choice than to accept the terms she offered.

After the Tattered Prince left the council chambers Daenerys addressed her council.

"Can the Volantine fleet transport the Unsullied swiftly through the sea?" Dany asked her council.

"The ships that we have cannot house all the Unsullied, your grace. Even if we replace some of the crew with Unsullied soldiers there will not be enough room for all of them." Tyrion answered after he took a moment to think.

"Either we need more ships or I will be forced to leave a portion of the Unsullied here in Mereen." Dany mused not at all happy with making such a choice.

"Perhaps there is a simpler solution your grace, may I?" Varys looked imploringly at her and she nodded albeit reluctantly.

"While the slave masters of Volantis supported your enemies there were other supporters from New Ghis as well. A few of them toil away in the dark cells beneath the pyramids and we can use them to strike a deal with New Ghis for more ships. Perhaps offering them a fifty-year time period to abolish slavery in return for fifty or more ships fully crewed and supplied will be of benefit."

"They are slavers. They will not honour such a pact, your grace." Grey Worm objected to Varys's plan and scowled at the bald spymaster.

"They most certainly will not." Varys agreed with Grey Worm. "But her grace cannot wage war with every slave city. Volantis is an exception as that city is absolutely necessary for her grace if she wishes to sail to Westeros. Asking for those ships will also ensure that the slaves in those ships will have better prospects under the queen's command."

"Lord Varys gives good counsel my queen. No matter how much power you accumulate you can't force everyone to follow your way of thinking. Sometimes we have to let the course of time deal with our enemies. With Mereen, Astapor and Yunkai abolishing the slave trade New Ghis will find itself at peril soon enough. Taking their ships away will only accelerate in killing off the slave trade especially if you are planning to take Volantis in the near future. While results will be delayed I can assure you that New Ghis won't be selling any slaves well within thirty years from now." said Tyrion

Daenerys thought about the advice she was given and seeing Ser Barristan and the other council members supported the plan she reluctantly agreed.

"Since you are the one that came up with the plan you will be the one to execute it lord Varys." she said to the spymaster who merely bowed differentially.

"That still leaves the twenty thousand Dothraki, three thousand men under Ser Barristan, another three thousand of the Second Sons and the few hundred Dothraki that followed you from the beginning, your grace. All of our forces will have to sail for Westeros at some point." Daario pointed out.

"The Dothraki will ride their horses to Volantis but they won't be sailing to Westeros. Neither will the men under Ser Barristan or the Second Sons." said Dany and this shocked many in the council. Before they could object to her decision she moved on.

"The men under Ser Barristan will stay in Mereen and serve the city. They are charged with protecting the people of this city and their freedom. I will not have them fight and die for me in Westeros."

"A wise decision your grace. They are good soldiers and they will ensure peace in the city in your absence." Ser Barristan immediately supported her decision.

"That was my thought as well Ser. As for the Dothraki, I believe the lords of Westeros will not be overly fond of seeing their lands get trampled by the 'scourge of Essos'. The Dothraki build no castles, do not trade or exchange coins. All they do is fight and take what the others build by force and violence. I don't want to unleash that level of violence on the smallfolk of Westeros. My war is with the lords of Westeros and I don't want needless destruction to befall the vast majority of the populace who have no say in the governing of the Seven Kingdoms." said Dany and Ser Barristan was looking quite proudly at her which only reinforced her course of action.

"I wanted to broach this subject with you your grace and I am glad to see that you have thought of the plight of the smallfolk. Often it is the innocents who pay a steep price in war and anything we can do to minimize that should be done." Ser Barristan nodded approvingly at her decision.

"While I wouldn't completely agree with your decision to weaken yourself I must also acknowledge that keeping the Dothraki here is a politically smart move. My sister will predictably appeal to the lords of Westeros to fight against you on the account of your foreign army. The Dothraki are seen as savages in Westeros and even enemies of house Lannister will rise against you. Although I must warn you the Unsullied will also garner a similar reaction which renders your action to hold back the Dothraki moot." Tyrion chipped in.

"The Unsullied are a powerful force your grace but they alone cannot win you the throne of Westeros. You need your horses to break the armies that oppose you and even your dragons will not be effective without the horses to ride down the enemies that try to flee." said Daario, not at all happy from the look on his face.

"I will have horses but they will be Westerosi, not Essosi." she declared which was met with confused stares.

"I am not sure we follow your grace." said Tyrion looking very confused.

"I intend to join my army and dragons with my nephew who will have the horses that we need." said Dany

"Your grace, Aegon Targaryen is not actually a Targaryen much less your nephew." said Tyrion slow and precise as if she hadn't understood that fact.

"I know. I was not speaking of the false dragon. I am talking about Prince Daeron Targaryen, the son of my late brother Rhaegar and his second wife Lyanna Stark. You have already seen him once, Lord Tyrion, in Winterfell. You travelled with him to the Wall and since then he has served as the Lord Commander of the Night's Watch. Now, he has gathered the Northern lords to march against the Boltons. Already, two battles have been fought and he won them both decisively."

This new revelation especially coming from her had shocked her council into silence.

"So the dragon…" Tyrion trailed off as he suddenly connected the dots.

"Yes lord Tyrion. You just armed my nephew with Rhaegal." said Daenerys with a bland tone.

"Oh fuck!"