91
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114 AC
Tyrosh
Daeron Nymeros Martell
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""It means you can go wherever you want."" Crouching beside the head of my dragon I watch a small girl that looks around eight years old draw on the ground with some kind of chalky substance.
""How do I go wherever I want?"" She asks while drawing myself and my dragon with her utmost concentration while rubbing her neck with her free hand.
""You just go... admittedly you will need some currency and also a way to defend yourself, but you are free, and free is good."" She looks up at me with confused eyes as I look at the tan lines on her neck where her collar once was.
""I don't know what that means."" She frowns as if she is frustrated and I reach out and ruffle her hair.
""Which part?"" I can't help but feel sad knowing in the coming days some people will no doubt starve after being set free.
It happened in Lys even with the way I left a 'shadow' of slavery so people still had some form of employment to get paid. I know it's just a fact of gutting the way a Free City works, they are supported by the backs of slaves, and taking that away hurts the 'system'.
""Currency and Free being good."" She seems to calm down before returning to her drawing while sticking part of her tongue out as she focuses with a single closed eye.
""Currency just means coins."" Pursing my lips I debate how to explain to a malnourished ex-slave child what freedom really is.
Shaking my head I once more curse myself for starting this conversation, I can't help but want to reach out and help when I see someone her age look so pitiful. I no doubt am responsible for children her age and younger falling dead in an alley or even worse fates. But to see the girl's face when her collar was taken off and taken away from her and she panicked trying to get it back...
""I got an idea."" I smile as I stand up straight and pat the jaw of my partner which earns me a lazy green eye opening up. ""Let's take a quick trip around the city."" I pat his jaw once more before turning and snatching up the child that weighs less than my food pack.
""I was not done."" She grunts as I set her on my hip and head for the ropes to climb up my mount.
""You can finish it later, now is the time to learn what freedom is."" She nods against my shoulder as I slowly grab the rope and try my best to start the climb up the side of the dragon. ""Hold on."" I crinkle my nose not trusting her to be able to hold up her own weight but I will just be careful.
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114 AC
Tyrosh
Lewyn Nymeros Martell
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""So anyway... this is Narhia and she will be eating with us tonight."" I look at the little girl my Brother dropped off in a chair at the table and tilt my head.
""Left on the street?"" I ask knowing the answer and seeing a single nod from Daeron I sigh. ""We passed out food and prepared to sail some of the ex-slaves to Bloodstone but there will still be... unlucky ones."" Daeron does not respond and instead starts stacking food on the girl's plate with a smile on his face as she looks at it wide-eyed.
"What are you going to do with her?" Laenor asks before he sips some of the wine we were gifted by the Archon of Tyrosh... or rather the new Lord of Tyrosh.
"The Water Gardens could use another pool cleaner." He shrugs as he turns to start feeding himself seeing the girl manage on her own. "Tell me about how the meeting went." He stacks a plate equally as high as the one he gave the girl before taking a bite of the juicy lemon-soaked chicken and crinkles his nose at the sourness.
"It went well, as expected he accepted all conditions while putting forward some of his own but they were all within reason and what we expected." I lean back as I look up at the ceiling. "It went almost perfectly except for the small riot that broke out... but that was dealt with." My thoughts drift to Myr and I wonder how Prince Daemon is doing with the last of the three Daughters. "Think Prince Daemon is having any troubles?" I ask aloud curiously but don't look away from the painted ceiling.
""What is he saying?"" I hear the little girl mutter with a mouthful of food.
""We don't speak with full mouths at the table."" Daeron responds quickly with humor in his tone.
""So I can speak with a full mouth, not at the table?"" I shake my head knowing exactly how my Brother will lead this girl astray from the 'right path'.
""Yes."" Laenor chuckles as he reaches for another serving and I look away from the painting of a sunrise and lock eyes with my Brother.
"Daemon will be fine." He replies confidently before stabbing at some of his vegetables with a knife. "...I hope." He mutters as he lifts the greens to his mouth and eats them with just as sour a look as when he ate the lemon chicken.
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114 AC
Myr
Daemon Targaryen
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"I thought you said the Red priests would be able to handle things once I took the city!" I look out the window of my new manse and see a giant fire burning a part of the city I left untouched.
"They are." Melisandre responds evenly as she approaches the window beside me and I scoff at her.
"Does that look under control?" I raise a brow at her as I lock eyes with her and her ruby red eyes shimmer as she smiles.
"It will be soon." I shake my head and head for the cup of wine I poured moments ago before spotting the giant roaring flames.
"That does not look like it." She approaches me from behind and I carefully observe her but she only embraces me from behind.
"We did not have time to prepare food for the soon-to-be free slaves and the ones that got abandoned by their Masters after the new laws were announced need something to stuff their bellies with." I look toward the flames once more and notice they are burning a very expensive-looking manse.
"You have them slaying the rich to feed the poor?" I ask not really sure how to feel about that, I need the rich to trade with other rich people in other free cities and ports so that I will get taxes.
"Things will be fine, a few of the overfed people will just need to learn to spare some scraps for the now free men and women of their city. We spoke of needing to make examples and you did that with your blood wyrm but the job won't be done until things balance out." I hum while getting lost in thought about how I will manage this new city now that I see how it will actually be.
It's one thing to look at a map and plan, it's another to have the city in my grasp and now the starving and homeless people are my responsibility. I could simply let the weak die and the strong will thrive, but I also made a deal with Daeron and Rhaenyra and I am not one to fall through on my end of a deal.
I will handle this, things will go my way soon enough and I just need to get things started before my new friends will lift some of this heavy weight from my shoulders.
...I might need to do something about the Red Priests though if they keep burning down the nice mansions, can't have Myr looking like a charred corpse.
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114 AC
Kingslanding
Viserys Targaryen
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Watching my Son Aenar play with the small wooden dragon he was given I can't help but smile at how entertained he is. Even when I have just been given another message informing me about the war that has sparked up once more in Essos I still can smile seeing youthful innocence. I really would like if Rhaenyra brought Aegon and his Sisters to Kingslanding so I could spend some time with them as well...
Looking at the report of the movements to the southeast I pursed my lips wondering how different I would have turned out if I had an opportunity like this in my youth. It is hard not to draw comparisons between Daeron and myself when we both bonded with large black dragons. I do not feel like I would be the same as Daeron given the opportunity, I suppose I would make vastly different choices and might would have avoided what he did in Lys altogether.
...but the draw of the great crucible of war calls to me.
If Balerion lived to this day I do not think I would be able to deny it.
But luckily or unluckily my bond passed away and will never unleash his hellishly hot flames upon anyone ever again. I do not know if Balerion would love or hate the legacy he has left, one of death and destruction, but I certainly know he would have enjoyed the flight.
"-our Grace?" I shake my head and turn to my left and spot Otto looking at me with concern.
"Yes?" I ask while feeling a sting in my arm and wondering if Daeron will get my request soon to fly over and check if his 'healing' can do anything for me.
"I asked if you wanted to eat alone or if we could discuss further about the dispute in the Westerlands." I blink in confusion before I spot the table on the other side of the room full of freshly served plates and I can't help but shake my head at myself.
War might be too far out of my reach if I can't even notice someone bringing in a full spread of food... I did not even notice Aenar being picked up by his Mother.
"I will eat alone this evening, let's meet once more after I break my fast in the morning." He dips his head and turns slowly to head for the door while Alicent bounces Aenar on her hip not far from the door.
Standing up myself to make sure I eat while the food is still hot I feel a tinge of pain and chew my lip while I head for the table. My thoughts once more travel to the healing ability I have seen Daeron show and I can't help but pray that it will work for me as well. After the long talk with Daeron, I feel we have grown closer as Good Son and Good Father and he would head over to check on my wound.
...though I know he is also conflicted on the situation with Aemma and Alicent and he holds it against me, not that I blame him.
I blame myself as well.