A War of Fate and Prophecy

Chapter Fifteen

Alyssays had woken from her dreams and gone to find Daenerys to share her vision, but she had entered her sister's chambers to find that Daario and Grey Worm had been busy last night. They had captured one of the members of the Sons of the Harpy.

Mossador was speaking as she slipped into the room. "Sons of the Harpy, they want to put a collar back on my neck. On all of our necks. Please, Your Grace, you must kill him." The freedman begs Daenerys.

"It would send a message." Dany looks to her sister for her opinion.

Barristan interjects "I think you should exercise restraint, Your Grace."

"Why?" Dany questions.

"For one thing, he may have valuable information." The knight suggests.

Daario scoffs. "The Son of the Harpy has no more valuable information."

"How do you know that?" Barristan asks.

"Because I questioned him." Daario brags and Aly rolls her eyes at his arrogance.

"And the information you did get, he is young and poor." Hizdahr asks.

"He is born free." Mossador objects.

Hizdahr asks. "Why should he want to bring back slavery? What did it do for him?"

"Perhaps the only thing that gave him pride was knowing that there was someone lower than he was." Daenerys muses.

Mossador scoffs "They pay him. Great families afraid to do a thing. They pay poor man to do it for them."

"And how do you know this?" Hizdahr asks with doubt in his voice.

"Everyone knows this." Mossador replies angrily.

"I don't know it, and I'm the head of a great family." Hizdahr replies.

"We do not know what this man did or didn't do." Barristan reminds them and looks to Daenerys. "Give him a trial, at least. A fair trial. Show all of the citizens of Meereen that you are better than those who would depose. Teach them a better way."

Mossador looks at Ser Barristan "I do not know the place from where Old Ser comes. Things maybe are different there, I hope. But here, in Meereen, before Daenerys and Alyssays Targaryen, they own us. So we learn much about them or we do not live long. They teach me what they are. Mercy, fair trial: these mean nothing to them. All they understand is blood!"

They all look to Daenerys.

"Thank you all for your counsel." she tells then dismissing them.

Everyone gets up from the table and exits the room as Aly walks towards Daenerys. Except Ser Barristan. "Your Graces, a word, please, I beg you."

Dany and Aly exchange a look and then nod.

"About what?" Daenerys prompts.

"About your father. About the Mad King." Aly can hear in his voice that he knows he is broaching a dangerous topic.

"The Mad King?" Dany scoffs. "You're here to remind me of my enemies' lies? Consider me reminded." She tells him with anger lacing her voice.

Barristan stands his ground however, "Your Grace, I served in his Kingsguard. I was at his side from the first. Your enemies did not lie."

Dany looks at Aly, her face is calm and she gives her sister a nod, they should listen. "Go on."

Barristan begins. "When the people rose in revolt against him, your father set their towns and castles aflame. He murdered sons in front of their fathers. He burned men alive with Wildfire, and laughed as they screamed. And his efforts to stamp out dissent led to rebellion that killed every Targaryen. Except two."