( ACT III; the dawn of the dragon. )
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chapter six: farewell, noble knight.

HIS skin had already grown cold to the touch by the time Queen Raina had ever so gently pulled his had into hers, her heart lunching in her throat and tears blurring her vision.

Barristan Selmy lied on a stone table within the chamber of the pyramid they gathered in, his stiff body littered with wounds and clothing sodden with sticky, drying blood.

His own or another's, the queen was not sure, but she forced herself to brush away the tears beginning to roll down her cheeks as she gazed down at him. The emotions swirling inside her were almost too much to bear.

"Farewell, noble knight," Raina mumbled. The words were seemingly sticky on her tongue.

Grief, regret, rage. They were going to consume her. Twist her into a version of herself she'd never imagine might be possible. Someone who might commit atrocities for those she loves. A woman Jon would only know as a stranger.

She missed him dearly. And wanted him now more than ever to soothe her pain with the brotherly love she could get from no one but him.

Now that Robb was gone, Bran and Rickon too.

Selmy's features were neutral as if peacefully sleeping, which she wished were the reality. Yet, the knight that had protected her when she remained prisoner in the Red Keep, counseled her, and been there for her through many trials and tribulations lied slain at the hands of the Sons of the Harpy. 

An unceremonious death for a man of such noble stock she prayed Vaegon might become one day.

Another one she held dear, lost to the rebels she was ready to purge from Mereen in whatever manner necessary.

Daenerys gently embraced Raina from behind, offering her touch for comfort as the dark haired queen endured her grief. A gentle presence from her beloved to soothe the pit growing inside of her.

"He was there for me through it all," Raina mumbled half to herself, half to her lover as Dany rested her head next to hers on Raina's shoulder. "He protected me where he could, cried in outrage when Joffrey wanted to use me as a play thing in front of the entire court. It was my turn to protect him."

Selmy had been as close to a grandsire that Raina had ever had. Though old enough to actually be her grandsire, she felt she had developed a familial bond with the man during her time in the Red Keep snd even here, in Essos.

By the way he'd treated her, protected her, and helped her maintain hope of escaping that place, she believed he felt the same. Even if they'd never verbally spoke of it. Cried outrage in the Red Keep's throne room with no fear of retribution from Joffrey. His gentle hand and soft words to ease her broken heart and spirit.

"He was a valiant knight and a good man," Daenerys murmured to Raina, her words soft and gentle. "He knew the risks he would be taking by joining our company. I don't doubt he was willing to give his life for us. For you."

Vaegon was a crossed the room, speaking with the distressed Missandei in hushed voices. Grey Worm had been gravely wounded, albeit not meeting the fate the knight did, gods be good. The translator was rightfully distraught over his condition. He remained in recovery somewhere else in the pyramid.

"How many must we lose, Dany?" Raina mumbled, her mouth dry and tears hot as she continued to look down at Selmy. "Jorah to betrayal, Selmy to rebels, Daario to his own ambitions and Vaegon's rage. We are losing our advisors. Those within our circle."

Dany lowered a hand over Raina's belly much in the way that Vaegon had begun to do, as if making a wordless promise of protection and safety. For the babe, for her.

"We have each other," Dany promised. "You, me, Vae. We will persevere through these trials. And we will mourn our dead. They will not have been lost in vain."

So soon after such pleasant events, the wedding of the three of them and a plan to stregnthen their hold over Mereen. Seemingly bound to unfold well, only to be struck with tragedy.

To Raina, it seemed as if misfortune lurked around every corner. Ready to strike anytime they thought they were finally getting ahead. It almost appeared they were bound to face tribulations endlessly.

Before the attack, Dany had 'married' Hizdahr in a ceremony that had been quick and with no real sincerity in all truth. She didn't bother giving a hint of a night in a marriage bed to her husband by law, not when she would be in Vaegon's that very night.

Raina and Vaegon had attended the small ceremony in their finest clothing, playing the part that was required of them as the reigning Queen and King of Mereen in the eyes of all who weren't of their remaining inner circle.

Yet, the alliance had been formed nonetheless, and the opening day of the fighting pits would commence on the morrow. The publicity they needed to fight back against the rebels that were causing so much suffering as this.

Raina didn't believe it was worth it anymore. That they should abandon all diplomacy simply unleash the Unsullied and Second Sons to purge the city. Perhaps even the dragons.

Vaegon's tall presence drew the attention of the two women as he made his way over to where they still stood near Selmy's body. He stopped at the stone table, standing over the area where the deceased knight's head lied. The king looked down with a gaze as hard as stone, yet Raina knew him enough to know he was fighting a storm inside, as he often was. The slump in his shoulders told her enough.

Vaegon never seemed to catch a break.

"He was everything I admired in an advisor," Vaegon murmured, his voice hoarse. Raina thought she had heard him screaming in rage earlier upon the news that Grey Worm and Selmy had been ambushed, the latter succumbing to his injuries before the remaining Unsullied could even get them back to the pyramid. "His tales of Rhaegar and his charity inspired me."

Her husband's grief was enough to ignite the wrath she felt inside, a place she 'd been balancing between since the moment they'd learned of the tragedy.

"Perhaps I will take to dragon-back," Raina growled, rage washing over her. She spat her words as she bit the inside of her cheek, cheeks growing hot. She said the words as if she ever done it in the first place. "And wipe these rebels from the city. They will pay us our life debts with fire and agony."

"You will do no such thing," Vaegon quickly retorted, shooting his violet eyes her way. "None of us have ridden yet."

Their gazes met, Raina's expression hardening into something of angry contempt toward her husband. Yet, Vaegon held his command strong. Two great forces butting heads. He knew she was suffering, but their next moves would be crucial in how they dealt with the rebels.

"As much as I would like to do the same," he sighed heavily. "We have a very tedious situation at hand. And you are with child, no less."

Raina subconsciously looked to her belly, that of which Dany still cupped lovingly. With all the control she had left, she forced herself to calm.

"Then what will we do?" Dany asked, gently pulling away from Raina to stand between them both at the corner of the stone table. "Continue on as if your reign has not been slighted?"

Vaegon sighed, pinching the bridge of his nose. "We will attend the opening of the pits in two days time as if this loss did not affect us. You will sit at Hizdahr's side as his wife and play your part. And we will present ourselves as a strong front, unaffected."

As if speaking his name had magically brought on his appearance, the nobleman entered the room with an air of caution in his movements. He remained a healthy distance away from the three.

Rightfully so, Raina thought.

"Your Grace," he greeted cautiously to Vaegon. He dark eyes looked to where Selmy's body lie still before looking back to Vaegon. "I came to pay my respects and offer my condolences on the loss of your advisor." His eyes linger on Daenerys momentarily before finding a place suitable to stand among them.

"Thank you," was all Vaegon had to say on the matter, his violet eyes trained on the ground.

"I also wished to offer my advice on your next course of action, if you wish it of me," Hizdahr said.

Vaegon waved his hand silently as approval to speak. Raina and Dany remained quiet, the former still holding Selmy's limp hand in her own.

"I believe that, with the recent attack, it would be wise to pull back your forces to the pyramid and it's base. It would be safer," he gestured to Raina, to her slowly growing bump. "As well as help you send out your forces as necessary with little to no chances of facing another surprise attack."

"They would be foolish to strike so close to the pyramid," Dany seethed where she stood.

"I have other plans," Vaegon muttered while crossing his arms. "We will see how loyal the houses of this city are to their vigilantes."

DAENERYS watched silently as Unsullied spears herded the cowering crowd of Mereneese nobles toward the two dragons in the prarie outside of Mereen. Missandei stood at her side, quiet as well, still worried sick over Greyworm. Raina remained back at the pyramid at the order of Vaegon, much to her disagreement, where she rested.

Drokar and Haelyx watched with keen, hungry eyes, there fangs bared at the terrified nobles as they tried fighting one another to get away from an imminent and fiery death waiting before them.

"Good parents do not give up on their children," Vaegon stated loudly in bastard Valyrian from where he stood at a short distance behind the dragons, visible between the two from where Daenerys stood. His voice commanded respect.

With a signel of his hand, the Unsullied hunker down, constricting on the crowd  with their spears as the circle shrinks more. The dragons respond with hisses, frills splaying and swaying in the gentle breeze wafting over the prairie. Another signal of the king's hand had a terrified noble thrusted forward onto the grass by the hand of an Unsullied.

He was immediately enveloped in dragon fire, thrashing as he is consumed. The dragons were quick to begin consuming him, ravenously tearing and shredding with their terrible fangs. Shredding viscera and sinew forced her eyes to advert and the smell of burning flesh met her senses. She sneered.

"Our children are indeed wild. Keen for chaos while they view the world as their domain."

The Unsullied converge more, spear tips jabbing sides and backs. Some of nobles howl in pain while simultaneously cowering in fear.

"Because it is. You all would do best to remember that."

Drokar lowered his big head to become level with the crowd, hot breath blowing into the faces of the closest nobles. Blood tinted saliva dripped from the dragon's bared fangs, his crimson eyes glossed with determined hunger.

"Alas, as we will never give up on our children, their nature is still what it is," he crossed his arms casually, head tilting. "Wild. And free willed. I think we will let the them determine the innocence of you all."

In a quick and deadly snatch, Haelyx engulfed a nobleman in a blink of an eye. Daenerys winced at the sound of crunching bone and half lived screams of agony. She shared a look with Missandei, who's nose was scrunched in disgust.

"Remember our children when you consider supporting and harboring the Son's of the Harpy." Vaegon said in a way the drew Daenerys' attention to him.

A smirk graced his lips as if he were enjoying what he saw, what he was doing by letting the dragons pick off a few nobles. Perhaps he was, she thought, but surely he wouldn't let it persist?

"Uh– uh– uh." The king said as if disciplining literal children.

As quickly as Vaegon rose a hand did the Unsullied systematically halt their advance, taking steps away. The crowd bled toward them, the nobles still trying their best to get away from the dragons and what remained of those that had been burned or feasted upon.

"I wouldn't want to over feed them."

Daenerys watched as the Unsullied half herded, half lead the crowd away. Her gazed lingered on their stumbling as she began to make her way over to Vaegon and the dragons, Missandei following but staying a healthy distance.

Drokar's demeanor changed, the crimson and charcoal dragon emitting a growling chirp to his bonded human. Daenerys ran her hand over his extended snout as she looked to Vaegon. She tried her best to ignore the dragon's unfinished meals.

"Do you think this is what our ancestors once did?" She gestured to the mess around them, to the dragons. "Tortured their enemies with the fear of a fiery death?"

It was what their house was known for. Fire and blood and everything with which those words promised.

Vaegon shrugged as he extended a hand to her. She took it and he pulled her close against him until their bodies were pressed against one another. Embraced her as if they hadn't just witnessed a gruesome display committed at his behest.

He looked down at her with a slight smirk tugging at a corner of his lips. The sun illuminated his violet eyes, making them appear lilac.

"I know they did. Historical accounts gave me more than enough of an understanding of the might our house once possessed," he told her.

She didn't smile at his reminiscement of times long passed they never were present for. Such long studied history of their ancestors, at their prime only with dragons. But she leaned into his embrace nonetheless.

"And believe me, Dany, it will no longer remain in history. I've promised you this before and I will once again. The world will soon be forced to live with dragons in its midst once more."

She smiled at that.