( ACT II; the age of the dragon. )
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chapter 5: on the road.

NEARLY a fortnight passes since the sack of Astapor, with the Unsullied army still on a steady trek toward Yunkai. Ser Jorah aided Vaegon in managing his army with the guidance of Ser Barristan as well. Their journey to the next slaver city was running smoothly and with the help of the riches acquired from Astapor, there was leeway for acquiring supplies for the Unsullied, as well as better living accommodations for the Targaryen's and their advisors. Luckily, Jorah was given a tent of his own, kindly set up by a few of the Unsullied.

It is evening when once the army has been halted for the night to recuperate for the next day. Jorah finds himself outside his tent, enjoying some sweet wine from a skin. He looks to the distance, where the sun is setting. It displays a beautiful array of pinks and oranges in the sky. In his peripheral vision, Jorah sees Selmy make an appearance, likely to offer some company.

"I must admit, Vaegon is doing very well with his new army," Selmy states as he takes a seat on a rock near Jorah, who offers his wineskin to the older knight. "He's already proving to be a wise Commander. With our help, of course."

"It's obvious he took after Rhaegar," Jorah replied as Selmy took a swig from the skin. "Luckily his other brother never got close to commanding an army."

"Of all the kings that have sat on the throne in my lifetime, I am hoping that Vaegon will be able to make up for their faults," Selmy sighed. "The Seven Kingdoms has suffered enough from lazy and mad kings. Robert Baratheon was a good man and a good warrior, but a terrible ruler. The Mad King left his legacy apparent in many noble family's. I lament for the time I've wasted in my life defending kings who didn't deserve it."

"How many years did you waste?" Jorah asks.

Selmy sighs as he recalls his past. "I spent seventeen years defending Robert, and Vaegon's father before that. A man of honor keeps his vows no matter what, whether he's serving a drunkard or a lunatic. I've wasted many years serving men who didn't deserve it. Before I die, I want to know what it's like to serve with pride. In a king, I believe in."

"If there is anyone that could provide you with that peace, I believe it to be Vaegon," Jorah tells him. "I believe in him."

"As long as he has good men advising him, he will be a wonderful king," Barristan agrees. "We can only hope and pray he does not turn into his father. But when he returns to the Seven Kingdoms, it might not serve him to be seen with you at his side."

Jorah is reminded of his past mistakes of selling into slavery to appease his ex-wife. He may never be able to rid himself of his past, but he was making an effort to do better with the Targaryen's. "I may never be rid of the moral taint of selling slaves," he admits. "But I will try to make up for it by putting a good king on the Iron Throne."

Thinking back to King's Landing and the Red Keep, his fear of Vaegon discovering his prior loyalty to Robert Baratheon and his betrayal bubbles just under the service. If Selmy was in charge of protecting Robert, did he know anything about Jorah's role as a spy?

"When the Small Council discussed assassinating Vaegon and Daenerys, did anyone speak against it?" Jorah asks. Trying his best to be subtle with his questions, he fears Barristan may know of his involvement with King Robert. Jorah's report of Daenerys' pregnancy and Vaegon's climb to succession was what made Robert demand their assassination in the first place. "The Lord Commander of the Kingsgaurd traditionally holds a seat on the Small Council."

Barristan sighs. "As a former Kingsgaurd under Aerys Tagaryen and one who killed several of Robert's friends, he never quite trusted me. He didn't mind keeping me in the position as his guard, but left me out of the Small Council meetings."

Much to Jorah's relief, Barristan was not present for any of the council meetings, proving he couldn't have learned of Jorah's involvement with the spying of Vaegon and Daenerys. The Mormont prayed that Vaegon would never discover the truth. He'd grown to care for the young Targaryen man, with his feelings towards Daenerys growing in a much different way.

"Fortunately, Robert's intentions never came to fruition," Jorah says, the lingering thought of his secret still on his mind.

"From what I know, Ned Stark protested against such plans," Selmy remarks. "He couldn't find a reason to object the demise of Vaegon, but he pleaded that Daenerys was just a young woman and no threat."

"He's dead now," Jorah sighed. He'd held a confusing resentment toward the Stark for he had been the one to arrest and sentence Jorah for his crimes, yet he'd been honorable in his intentions. "If only he knew that the children of the Mad King would come to take back Westeros with dragons."

"That will one day become beasts of terror," Selmy agrees. "If they become anything like their ancestor Balerion the Black Dread, there won't be a force in the Seven Kingdoms that could face Vaegon and Daenerys."

"As long as they work together," Jorah says. His conversation with Vaegom discussing who his queen will be once he takes back the Iron Throne had caused Jorah to grow concerned. There was no guarantee Daenerys would accept a different woman in place of where she was meant to be.

"If they don't, we may see another Dance of Dragons," Selmy pointed out. "A civil war like that would rip apart their House for good."

Jorah imagined Vaegon on the back of a full-grown Rhaellor, with Daenerys on Drokar. It was a terrifying thought of them ripping each other apart in the sky, carrying out an airborne battle.

"We will need to work together to maintain a balance between them both," Jorah says. "We may be the only guiding force that keeps them from clashing together one day."

♜

IT is morning when Daenerys and her new companion Missandei meet with the assembled officers of the Unsullied. With Vaegon delegating the task to her, she was to determine ahead of the entire Unsullied to act as their commander. They hoped that an Unsullied individual could head the army and make it work more efficiently.

In the main tent where Daenerys and Vaegon shared a makeshift throne made up of carpets and an intricately crafted throne-like chair, the officers of the Unsullied appear to her upon request.

With Drokar, Rhaellor, and Haelyx perched over her head on the back of the throne, the dragons went back and forth over a piece of meat. They snarled at each other, the pearlescent Haelyx fending off his siblings as he vied for any piece of meat he could get, showing his dominance with the flaring of his frills.

The Unsullied appear, stopping just before Daenerys to receive orders.

In Low Valyrian, she speaks. "Good morning, men. You are here as free men, no longer slaves. You can make your own choices," she tells them. "King Vaegon wishes that you pick one among you to be the leader of all the Unsullied."

After a few moments, they part ranks and one of the eunuchs step forward, standing rigid and composed. Daenerys asks for him to remove his helmet and tell her his name.

In Low Valyrian, he respectfully tells Daenerys that his name is Grey Worm. Confused, Daenerys looks to Missandei for an explanation.

"When the slave-masters castrate slave-boys to train them as Unsullied, they force a new slave-name that is meant to be demeaning," the Naathi woman tells the Khaleesi. "Usually, it is a combination of a color and a kind of vermin such as 'Red Flea', 'Black Bat, 'Grey Worm'. It is used to enforce the mentality that the Unsullied that they are worthless, expendable vermin."

Daenerys sneers at the explanation, disgusted and bothered by the thought. She looks back to the Unsullied once more.

"All Unsullied must choose their names as free men, or reclaim the names their parents gave them."

"I will remain as Grey Worm," he tells her. He goes on to explain that his original name is accursed because it was the name he had when he was taken as a slave. "Grey Worm is a lucky name that I will bear with pride because it is the name I had when I was set free by House Targaryen."

Touched by his loyalty to their House, Daenerys nods in understanding. "Then you shall be Grey Worm."

With a respectful bow, the Unsullied depart from the presence of Daenerys, leaving her in the company of Missandei.

"You have done a great thing freeing the Unsullied," Missandei tells Daenerys. "They may never live their lives as they were truly meant to, but you have allowed them to try."

Daenerys is appreciative of her praise. "We have tried our best to free as many slaves as we can along our journey through Slaver's Bay," she tells the Naathi woman. "I've done my best to convince Vaegon of the importance of it. I think it has worked."

"If I may speak freely, Your Grace," Missandei asks.

Daenerys looked at her slightly confused. "Of course."

"I've... heard conversations between Ser Jorah and Ser Barristan," she says. "Is it true that you and Vaegon are more than meets the eye?"

Daenerys has no shame of it and understands Missandei wouldn't know of their Valyrian blood and customs.

"We are. Sometimes. It often depends, I'm afraid," she tells her. "Our bloodline is... quite different than the average person."

"I've heard the Valyrians were different than the rest of the world," Missandei agrees. She looks to the dragons, who are still perched behind them. "You have the love of dragons. That is proof enough of your connection to magic."

Daenerys glances back to Drokar, who purrs in acknowledgment. She giggles to herself.

"I once dreamed of dragons as a child," she tells Missandei. "I never got to see the skulls of the legendary mounts of my ancestors, like Vaegon. But now, we've brought life into them and brought back the true power of our name."

"Do you not fear they might grow to large one day?" Missandei asked. "Will they grow to large to control?"

Daenerys thought on it, the fear of their dragons becoming unstoppable and running what they manage to create in Westeros once they take it back.

"Dragons are not slaves," she tells Missandei. "We must earn their loyalty."