Chapter 105: How Can a Good Queen Not Keep a Mad Dog?

Dany looked at Cleon and asked, "Were you the first to revolt inside the pyramid?"

Cleon grinned and pulled out a piece of parchment from his belt. "I found this."

"You can read?"

"I've been a slave since childhood. I can't read, but scholars can. With a knife at their throat, they'll say and do anything."

He pointed to the burly slaves behind him and continued, "Through the window, I saw your army and dragons outside the city. So, I gathered the kitchen hands, answered the Mother of Dragons' call, and we hacked the guards of Grazdan's family to death with cleavers and butcher knives."

Dany nodded and said, "I will grant freedom to all slaves and reward those who made significant contributions to the uprising. Since you are the first to ask for a reward, you will be the first to receive one. Tell me, what do you want? Don't hesitate. You are a free man now, and you have the right to express your desires freely."

"Really?" Cleon's eyes lit up with excitement.

"Of course."

After a moment of contemplation, the butcher asked, "Your Majesty, will you march north next to liberate Yunkai and Meereen? Will you eventually return to Westeros?"

"That is very likely."

Cleon's eyes gleamed. "I am willing to swear loyalty to Queen Daenerys, just like the dukes of Westeros. I want to govern a land in your name."

In other words, he wanted Astapor.

At first glance, this demand seemed outrageous, but in this world, it was quite in line with the established political order—especially Westerosi customs.

Among the Seven Kingdoms, the territory directly ruled by House Targaryen was the smallest. In terms of wealth, it did not compare to the Reach, the Riverlands, or the Vale. The seven great lords, including the Greyjoys of the Iron Islands, all enjoyed a high degree of autonomy within their domains.

It was not uncommon for lords to lead their bannermen in rebellion against the crown. In most cases, the lesser lords and common folk were far more loyal to their local liege than to the king on the Iron Throne—unless the king had dragons.

In a world dominated by feudalism, if Dany left Astapor and Slaver's Bay, it was almost inevitable that she would have to appoint a few dukes or even kings to govern the liberated cities.

That was why, even though Ser Barristan and Jorah looked grim, neither of them loudly rebuked Cleon.

"Cleon, you have ambition, and that's a good thing," Dany praised him before continuing, "But you must understand that below a duke, there are marquesses, counts, barons, knights, and freemen."

She paused, giving him a moment to absorb the implications before adding with a smile, "If you wish to climb to the top of the pyramid, you must take each step carefully. Of course, there's also the option of soaring straight to the top—like me. I have dragons. I can fly over any obstacle on the ground."

Cleon's expression darkened. He stiffly asked, "So I can only become a knight?"

Barristan's face grew even colder. He let out a sharp snort and advised Dany, "Your Highness, in Westeros, a knight is more than just a title. It represents honor and noble virtues. You must choose carefully."

Cleon's eyes flickered toward the old knight, a trace of killing intent flashing through them.

Even Dany, though inexperienced, noticed it—let alone battle-hardened warriors like Barristan and Jorah.

This butcher was dangerous.

"Cleon, don't blame Ser Barristan for being blunt. I can declare that, as the first slave to rise up in the pyramid, you have shown noble character worthy of knighthood.

But a knight must also possess knightly skills—the ability to fight in armor and on horseback. Here's my offer: If you successfully take the Great Pyramid, proving your merit, I will grant you the title of 'Ser'—a half-rank above an ordinary knight. Do you accept?"

Cleon's stiff expression finally broke into a grin. He shouted, "Ser Cleon gladly accepts!"

In a way, Cleon's request for a title had actually helped Dany tremendously.

By breaking down Astapor's existing power structure, he had unwittingly assisted her in establishing a new, Westerosi-style political order centered around Queen Daenerys.

In other words, Cleon had accidentally kicked off her first real political reform.

Of course, it wouldn't be a perfect replication of the Westerosi feudal system—Dany would undoubtedly incorporate some elements from her own unique vision.

Later, Dany led Cleon to the wooden platform at the center of Punishment Square.

The bodies of executed slaves still hung there. Under the scorching sun, green flies and fat white maggots wriggled through rotting flesh. Some of the half-dead slaves twitched involuntarily. The putrid stench of decay mixed with the aura of sin and violence filled the air.

Dany fought back her nausea, maintaining a composed expression as she addressed the crowd of gathered slaves and freedmen.

"Do you see this? This is what it means to be a slave—your fate out of your hands, your dignity stripped away, no right to dream or aspire. This is the world we must destroy."

She continued, "In this uprising, Cleon the Butcher was among the first to answer my call. His heart still longed for freedom, and so he made the righteous choice—to abolish slavery.

He has set an example for all slaves still shackled in body and spirit.

Not only has he freed his own soul, but he has also liberated the Great Pyramid. Under his leadership, 2,000 slaves overthrew the ruling slaver family of Astapor.

And so, when he asked me for a title, I granted it.

Now, before all of you, Ser Cleon shall become the first man to rise from slavery to nobility in a single day."

A hush fell over the gathered ten thousand slaves. Their gazes were filled with complex emotions as they watched Cleon excitedly waving to the crowd.

Dany leaned in and quietly asked, "Do you know the ceremony for knighthood?"

"I know a little."

"Good."

Dany straightened her posture and raised her voice.

"Cleon!"

The butcher hesitated for a moment before dropping to his knees, his face flushed with excitement. "I swear fealty to Queen Daenerys!"

With a sharp ring, Dany drew her longsword and placed its tip lightly on Cleon's shoulder.

"Do you vow to dedicate your life to the cause of freeing slaves?"

Something felt off—this wasn't the oath the scholars had told him about.

Cleon hesitated for just a brief moment, but then he felt the tip of the blade pricking his neck. With a shiver, he snapped back to reality and, seeing Dany's expectant gaze, he hurriedly shouted, "I swear it!"

Dany shifted the blade pressed against his neck slightly to the side and smiled. "Are you willing to become the vanguard of the slave liberation movement?"

"I am willing!"

MMP, is my neck bleeding?

That hurts!

So this is what the sword on the shoulder is really for during a Westerosi noble's oath-taking...

"Are you willing to be a representative of the slave rebellion?" Dany asked again.

"I am willing."

"Very well, I understand your determination, Ser." Dany moved the blood-streaked tip of her sword to his other shoulder and solemnly announced, "I now grant you the title of 'Ser Breaker of Chains.' You may also take 'Breaker of Chains' as your surname.

Take your butcher's knife and sever the shackles of the slaves beneath the talons of the Harpy, my Ser Breaker of Chains, Cleon!"

The Ghiscari called themselves the "Sons of the Harpy," and Astapor's emblem was a harpy clutching broken chains in its claws.

As for his surname—Cleon's family had been slaves for generations and had no last name. Using his title as his surname was part of Dany's original plan.

"I, Cleon Breaker-of-Chains, swear in the name of my new title that I will dedicate my life to upholding this oath!" Cleon's thick lips stretched into a wide grin.

Truthfully, though he had asked Dany for the title of Duke of Astapor, he hadn't held high expectations.

After all, the one ruling Astapor now was Queen Daenerys, who possessed both Unsullied and dragons, and Yunkai and Meereen were still yet to be conquered.

What he truly desired was simply to rise above the rest. As the only knight among the former slaves, he believed that, at this moment, his status was second only to Queen Daenerys herself.

He had achieved his goal. He was truly delighted and, for now, fully satisfied.

"Cheer for Ser Breaker of Chains!" Dany sheathed her sword and led the applause.

"Long live Queen Daenerys!"

"Long live the Mother of Dragons!"

"Ser Breaker of Chains! Ser Breaker of Chains!"

Below, the crowd erupted into a cacophony of cheers, claps, stomping feet, and the rattling of chains.

After a while, Dany raised her hands to quiet them. She then pointed to the crucified corpses and said to Cleon, "Ser Breaker of Chains, free them from their bonds."

"As you command!"

Amidst the roaring crowd, the blood rushing through his veins, the butcher-turned-knight drew his slaughtering knife and swiftly severed the ropes and nails binding the wrists, ankles, and necks of the crucified slaves.

His skill with the blade was remarkable—he truly lived up to his reputation as the finest butcher in Astapor!

Dany knelt on one knee and personally removed the collars from the slaves' necks. With each collar she unfastened, she raised it high above her head for all to see before tossing it to the ground. In a firm voice, she proclaimed, "I declare you free! You return to the realm of the gods as free men and women."

One after another, she freed the corpses, her once-pristine hands now smeared with blood, rotting flesh, and even a few plump maggots.

"Mother of Dragons! Mother of Dragons!"

"Mhysa! Mhysa! Mhysa!"

The slaves below were moved to tears, their cries of "Mother of Dragons" gradually shifting to "Mhysa"—a word that meant "Mother" in the ancient Ghiscari tongue.

The overwhelming fervor of the moment, originally meant as a mere symbolic gesture, touched even Dany herself.

Sigh... I can't just focus on ruling the world and building an eternal golden dynasty. I should also bring something better to this world.

Abolishing slavery—that is one of my goals!

At that moment, Dany's conviction solidified into an unshakable belief.

She patted the newly anointed knight's shoulder and ordered, "Ser Cleon, I now assign you a glorious task—lead your former kitchen comrades and go to the pyramids to accept the surrender of their inhabitants. You need not fight yourself. You may recruit a hundred men as your knightly guard."

Cleon glanced at his bloodstained and dirt-covered shoulder, his lips twitching slightly. He stiffened his body and said, "As you command!"

"Ser, you must understand—titles are earned through merit," Dany said, her words carrying a deeper meaning.

The implication was obvious. Cleon's eyes lit up with excitement. "I will complete the task!"

Having delegated the dirty and grueling work to the ambitious Ser Breaker of Chains, Dany continued her own grand performance.

She first delivered an impassioned speech, expressing her deep hatred of slavery and heartfelt sympathy for those in bondage.

Then, just as she had done with the Dothraki and the Unsullied before, she made one thing clear: those who wished to shed their slave identity had to fight for it themselves.

The rebellious slaves were separated from the rest of Astapor's people by the Unsullied guards.

Those who had risen up on the battlefield had already paid the price in blood. As Dany walked past them one by one, the Unsullied unfastened their chains and collars.

She proclaimed loudly, "You have won your freedom with your own hands and courage."

Excluding the two thousand who had died in battle, roughly five thousand rebel slaves had survived and were now gathered here.

In addition, after the Unsullied had announced Dany's policies throughout the city, another ten to twenty thousand bystander slaves had gathered in the Plaza of Pride—their masters no longer dared to restrain them.

For these people, who had done nothing and merely waited to reap the rewards, Dany did not punish them. She only required them to do what the Unsullied had done the day before—shout, "I want freedom."

Nearly everyone did.

Nearly.

Because there were still some who refused to become free.

(End of Chapter)

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