Given the previous attack by warlocks calling themselves the Immortals in Qarth, Daenerys found it difficult not to be wary and suspicious of Quaithe's behavior, which seed to take the long way around, beat about the bush, and ultimately seek her blood.
Fortunately, their etings often took place at Daenerys's residence or in open spaces rather than confined environnts like the House of the Undying, which offered her so relief. But even if she believed the masked woman would not take her life, Daenerys had to consider the possibility. If Dragonblood was paid according to the length of the lessons, would the other party slack off and delay teaching Dragonriding?
Accepting such a strange price as bleeding made Daenerys feel as though she were making a deal with the devil, but she had no other choice. The only resistance she could offer was to propose paying half upfront. She demanded that the remaining half be paid only after she had truly mastered Dragonriding and completed the pact with Drogon as described in the To.
---
Daenerys returned from her mories of selling blood for Dragonriding to the Small Council eting.
The process was not important. The outco was that, at the cost of two paynts totaling nearly a bottle of blood, she had almost completely mastered Dragonriding. It turned out Quaithe was a good teacher. With her help, Daenerys quickly completed the soul bond with the Black Dragon, Drogon, transforming from his raiser and mother into his true rider.
And now, the Red Priest Moqorro had not only accurately recounted her experiences in Asshai but had also revealed even more between the lines.
The person who provided Dragonriding had presumptuously made a demand they should not have, and she had paid an undue price for sothing that should have belonged to her, for a service she should have received. What did this an? Could it be that Quaithe's offering of lost Valyrian knowledge was not entirely out of enthusiasm, but entrusted by soone? Or even that soone had already paid for the To, and her demanding blood was rely an impulse and an extra condition?
As for her constant worry that the other party would kidnap and confine her to obtain a continuous supply of Dragonblood, was it perhaps because of the reverence for the Lord of Light's prophecy ntioned by this black-robed priest that they had never dared carry it out?
The Queen was filled with confusion and suspicion, but ultimately suppressed the urge to question further. She knew the Small Council was not a good place to interpret divine ssages. If she beca too engrossed in the story Moqorro was telling, too fascinated by the ssages conveyed in the flas from the Red Priest, she could easily be led by the nose and beco a ruler kneeling at the feet of religious power, her authority hollowed out by faith.
Moqorro had proven he was not a charlatan. What she should do now was show respect for his counsel.
...
"Very well, I will return to Westeros to fulfill my duties," Daenerys said, lifting her chin slightly and quickly regaining her composure. "But not imdiately, rather as soon as possible." She was, after all, the Queen of ereen and had the authority and right to make the final decision. "Making slavery disappear quickly from the world may be a pipe dream, and I must set that aside for now. But at least in Slaver's Bay, in the three cities I have already set foot in, Astapor, Yunkai, and ereen, good order and normal production and life must be restored. I will not allow those who call liberator and mother to live harder lives after gaining freedom than before I broke their chains. This is my bottom line, and it will be the only issue my loyal people should focus on resolving from now until I set sail back to Westeros."
Excellent. Although the starting point was different, if she could settle Slaver's Bay before setting sail for the counterattack, everything from the quantity and quality of the army she could bring back to the Seven Kingdoms to weapons, equipnt, and logistics would take a great step in a positive direction. Even if Daenerys planned to leave imdiately, Littlefinger would advise her to clean up the ss a bit before departing. Her bringing this up herself saved Petyr a lot of effort.
"A wise decision, Your Majesty, but I must present to you the true situation ereen is currently facing. We are surrounded by enemies and troubles," the Queen's Hand said, sitting up straight and speaking in a calm but clear tone. "Your Majesty's hatred of slavery stems from kindness and benevolence, but the fierce attitude displayed is seen as unreasonable madness and chaos by many power holders on this continent. Your actions in Slaver's Bay have touched the nerves and interests of countless people. The slave trade is not just the livelihood of a few selling points in Slaver's Bay. It is also the channel for the Dothraki to deal with war captives, a source for obtaining daily necessities, and it affects the balance of worldwide mariti trade."
Seeing the Queen's Hand signal him, the Unsullied commander Grey Worm, who had already briefly spoken with him before the eting, began reporting the latest military situation. "It was expected that Yunkai and Astapor, which they captured, would declare war on us. It is also reasonable that Tolos, Elyria, and Ghis, as slave cities, would successively join the war. The good news is that these neighbors right next to us have already been repelled by the Unsullied in the recent great battle. They are severely weakened and will not be able to pose a threat again in the short term. The bad news is, the opponents we have defeated are only a weaker portion of those who have declared war on us."
Missandei quickly picked up, pointing to the map spread out on the table. "Inside the harbor, the recently arrived invincible fleet of Volantis has blockaded the port, preventing us from obtaining resources and supplies by sea. Ten miles west of the city, the first batch of Volantis land forces who arrived by ship have set up camp on the shore, with deep trenches and high ramparts, and have already joined forces with the New Ghis army, waiting for rcenaries from all over Essos to arrive to further strengthen their forces, while also threatening the farrs working outside our city walls. Furthermore, our enemies have also inford the Dothraki of what you have done in Slaver's Bay, attempting to win over all the khalasars to oppose you, Your Majesty."
"Whether it is the Free Cities led by Volantis or the mounted warriors of the Great Grass Sea, their strength is far beyond what Yunkai can match. Fortunately, the Free Cities are thousands of miles away and cannot reach us quickly, while the Dothraki are made up of independent khalasars of various sizes. Although their overall strength is formidable, it is impossible for them to be unified under command and mobilized to attack us," Petyr said with a solemn expression. "However, the threat does not only co from the enemies. The plague within ereen has not been completely eradicated, and like our enemies, we cannot exert our full strength. The situation remains severe. If Your Majesty wishes to quickly resolve the chaos and return to Westeros, you must at least first accomplish the following goals."
He held up three fingers. "First, we need to defeat the large fleet in the bay, the Volantis land forces on shore, and the New Ghis army with minimal cost, eliminating the external threats to ereen, and incidentally capture enough ships and sailors to lay the foundation for the return voyage. Second, whether by peaceful or military ans, we must sohow subdue Yunkai and Astapor to achieve Your Majesty's goal of establishing stability and order on the eastern coast of Slaver's Bay. Preparing with three cities together will inevitably provide more and better personnel and supplies than ereen alone. Third, deal with the plague and the restless new nobles before departing. Whether it is disease or ambitious individuals, there can be countless solutions while Your Majesty is still in ereen, but if you set sail with hidden dangers, an outbreak of plague or a fire in the backyard while the fleet is at sea will be a disaster."
"I would like to add sothing. We also need to negotiate with the enemies. The Volantis fleet and the New Ghis army are just their extended tentacles. Cutting them off will certainly cause the enemy pain, but it will not be a crippling blow. Ultimately, a peace agreent secured through a combination of coercion and inducent is needed to give ereen more ti to breathe and recover. And the Dothraki are the most troubleso of all. If they drive captives to Slaver's Bay but find no buyers, they will surely vent their anger upon Your Majesty. Even if these mounted warriors cannot breach the city, they can easily force a halt to all our planting and production outside the city."
Missandei's addition was quite valuable, and Petyr nodded in approval. anwhile, Daenerys, seated at the head of the table, furrowed her brow. The problems to be solved were far more nurous than imagined, and clearly could not all be resolved by blood and fire. This was only stating the most critical points. She understood that more detailed difficulties and troubles were hidden beneath the surface.
"Regarding the enemies, I will let everyone see the results of Dragonriding," the Queen said coldly, her tone filled with killing intent. "As for the negotiations with Volantis and Ghis, and the plan for dealing with the Dothraki who co to sell captives, I believe my Hand will handle them for . As for the plague, Lord Moqorro, the Lord of Light is all-powerful. Surely he can help ereen deal with this re disease?"
"The Queen has given her command. As Your Majesty's most loyal friend, I will naturally give my full assistance," the dark-skinned priest nodded. "I will do my best, but whether the Pale Mare can ultimately be eliminated depends on the will of the Lord of Light."
"I will take that as your guarantee that it can be resolved," Daenerys said, having sowhat grasped the pattern in this typical charlatan's speech. After giving him a deep look, she turned to Littlefinger. "Petyr, what about your end?"
"Negotiations and the Dothraki, I will find a way," Petyr advised with so unease. "But I still hope Your Majesty will heed my counsel. It is best to use a weapon like a dragon, the ultimate weapon, sparingly. Putting aside the danger for a mont, if the news that you can control a dragon reaches Westeros too early, you will lose a major trump card when the final battle for the Iron Throne cos."
"If I do not use it now, and I do not use it then, must I wait until all my soldiers are dead before bringing it out?" Daenerys was unmoved. "Powerful weapons should be used decisively. We will quickly resolve all issues in Slaver's Bay and set off before the news reaches Westeros. By the ti the usurpers' lackeys get the information and start preparing to deal with dragons, I will already be appearing above their heads riding Drogon. Go assemble my navy and army. Ti waits for no one. We will launch the attack at sunset."
(To be continued.)
***
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