A tale: Reborn in Westeros

Chapter 4

Alex van der Meer ~ Astapor

When we returned to the ship, the sun was setting. Daenerys seems quiet as she is thinking about, well, me. Barristan seems to believe I am Aegon, son of Rhaegar. I could be him, but did Rhaegar's child not die in King's Landing at the hands of the Mountain? Whatever the case may be, Daenerys is trying to figure out her way forward. Multiple times, I reassured her that I have no desire for the throne or being king. I hope the message at least landed. Currently, I walk towards her cabin to talk. Daenerys wanted to speak in private with me and I wonder what she will say.

I knock on her door and she calls me in. As I open the door, I see her looking out a small window that allows her to see the city. Daenerys turns to me. She seems a bit worn out and tired. A lot of mysterious and, certainly, unexpected events happened in quick succession. "Alex have a seat," Daenerys says as she sits down herself. I follow suit.

She runs a hand through her hair as she looks for the words to say. "So, you may be Rhaegar's son..." she says after a few moments of silence. "It appears to be the case, Your Grace. Although, I am certainly not Aegon," I say to her. Daenerys nods while sighing.

"I guess so, but this is strange, is it not? You appear out of thin air and suddenly you may be my nephew," Daenerys mumbles. I shrug as I lean back in the chair. "Yeah, it's weird. But does it matter? Like I said, I fully support your claim. And if I need to do something to help your position then I will," I say reassuringly.

Daenerys rubs her temple for a moment. "Alex, if more people recognize you as Aegon or belief you are him. My claim will be weak. They will see you as the rightful king..." she says. "Look, Daenerys, we can figure this out. It will take a long time before you eventually go to Westeros. I saw how you reacted to the people that were slaves here. You want them free, no? So, let's focus on that first. We can figure my body's heritage out later."

Daenerys chuckles. "You're a kind and good man, Alex. I think you are one of the few that saw the Unsullied as people. Not as a tool, or slave, or 'a means to an end'. I respect that," Daenerys says. I smile softly. "Slavery is horrible, Daenerys. My own world has had its dark past with the practice. I saw what we did to our own fellow humans in books and movies. You wouldn't want something like that to exist. It doesn't bring happiness, only despair, and greed," I say.

Daenerys nods in agreement. "I guess all worlds have suffered something similar. It means a great deal that you want to help me. For a long time, I felt like everything rested on my shoulders. The pressure of doing what is right, what is best. I'm glad you're here to lessen that pressure. Does your... foresight offer me any advice on how to achieve the goal? To end slavery?" She asks. "Well, your plan with Drogon will work for Astapor. The Unsullied will follow you, but you'll leave Astapor in poor conditions. It will backfire when you eventually take Meereen," I say. Daenerys nods while thinking. "Hmm, the city will fall into chaos. Is that what you're saying?" I nod in confirmation. "Yes, a despot will rise up and he wants to kill you. I forgot what his name was, but he crowns himself emperor."

"I see, we'll make sure to leave the city with a functioning government and organize a militia to keep the peace. Hopefully, it will make things stable," Daenerys sighs. "Sounds good to me. One other thing, Daenerys. Your dragons, you need to keep them under control. When they're bigger, they will become more dangerous to the lands," I advise her. A frown forms on her face. "I... I will keep that in mind. How long do I have to figure it out?" I shrug. "It only becomes a problem when we reach Meereen. A lot of things happen in that city, but we can talk more about those events when we're actually there."

Daenerys looks at me with eyes that scan me over, trying to place me, I think. "Thank you. I appreciate you're insight, Alex. I feel like we'll become good friends," she says, a smile present. "I hope so, Daenerys. Especially if we are supposedly family, but time will tell I guess." Daenerys stands up and walks to me. "I am sure we will be good friends," she says and places a gentle hand on my shoulder. "Whatever the reason was that brought you here. I'm glad it did. Have a good night, Alex. Sleep well," she says. I reciprocate the gesture and squeeze her shoulder gently. "Thank you, Daenerys. Sweet dreams."