End of Games

Chapter 16

The Unsullied Pyramid
Missandei:

Who would have ever thought that a slave girl could become the advisor of the ruler of a slaver city and help him reshape it in his image and call one of the topmost bedrooms of the biggest pyramid in the city her own? Not me. But this is where I am in life right now.

'Many things can change in a day,' I think, looking at Astapor from the window of my new big bedroom after packing away what little I owned, including books I do not own but Weapon brought. 'And many more will change in a week.'

I hope one more thing will change, that Mossador will become more like Boyd. Not change bodies, but become more open and expressive. Talking about Boyd, perhaps it's time I return to the war room. I have packed my things away, refreshed myself and changed my dress and set my hair free. I feel good and ready to…

A knock at my bedroom door, it feels so good to call it my bedroom door, attracts my attention. I know the knock from last night, so I hurry once again to open it.

I'm greeted by the sight of the new ruler of Astapor, and he looks… pleasantly surprised, like he likes what he sees, like a man. His eyes take me in like a normal man's, there's interest in them, lust.

I link my hands together in a nervous gesture and look down, shy and taken aback. I didn't know the Unsullied could be interested in a woman's body like real men. But Alpha Boyd is unlike any Unsullied I've seen, isn't he? Or is it Boyd Alpha? No. Alpha Boyd sounds better.

"Um, uh, sorry," he apologizes with a clearing of the throat, abashed. "I, uh, are you busy?"

Am I busy? No. It feels good knowing that I can get an Unsullied this tongue-tied. I think this is the first time I take pride in my body and the effect it has on men. I feel powerful. I like the feeling.

"No," I shake my head. "I'm not busy, Al-Boyd."

Using Alpha makes me feel a little less powerful, so I use Boyd, which feels more personal and affirming. And I remember that he asked me to call him Boyd in private, didn't he?

"Are you sure?" He asks.

"I'm sure."

"Alright. Could you please write me a list of the remaining influential people in the city, like the Green Grace. I think it would be a good idea to pay them a visit and feel them out. I just came from the Temple of the Graces and the visit was informative and productive, it even got us gifts."

This is a great idea. He has great ideas.

"Ask Mossador to assist you when he gets back," he adds.

What did I say? He has great ideas. I go to the war room with a little spring in my step, oh, how I've always wanted to say that I have a spring in my step, but Boyd doesn't come with me.
~
The Temple of the Graces
Green Grace:

Shocked and terrified silence meets the news that the Unsullied have freed themselves by killing all their masters, including the Good Masters, and claimed Astapor for themselves when I inform the heads of the Blue, Red, White, Pink, Gold and Purple Graces after Alpha leaves the Temple. And I'm yet to inform them about Alpha and at least his guard being strong enough to lift and carry the gift chests on their own like they weighed nothing. I, myself, am shocked and terrified as well.

There are many Unsullied in Astapor, thousands that serve as city, household and personal guards, and then there are those in the Barracks that the Good Masters were yet to sell. And seeing as they have declared all slavers their enemies, and that they also freed other slaves and there are more slaves in Astapor than free people… our fear is warranted.

"I understand your fear, sisters," I tell my fellow Graces. "I, myself, am afraid. But their leader knows that the city needs our skills. We just have to prove our skills's worth by saving the lives of the sla-people he brought to our doors."

"We don't have to prove anything!" Says the head of the Gold Graces. "We need only send a message to the Great Masters and the Wise Masters, and mayhaps hire…"

"What did Alpha say, Pink Grace?" I interrupt with a question directed at the head of the Pink Graces. "I think he said, 'Your skills and that of your fellow Graces are vital to the city, but weeds have to be rooted out with extreme prejudice.' Correct me if I'm wrong."

"You're not wrong, Your Benevolence," she replies. "He said that word-for-word."

"Green Grace would have had a good laugh at that," the head of the Purple Grace comments with a bittersweet small smile.

"I told him that she would have liked that and that we were close and she was my mentor," I inform her with a bittersweet smile of my own. "And he had her body returned to us as a result, as a gesture of his good faith. We already saw his extreme prejudice last night, and it was pinpointed at slave masters and those associated with slavery. Let us try not to see it pinpointed at us, Gold Grace. The new ruler of Astapor has declared all slavers Astapor's enemies and those who associate with them weeds to be rooted out with extreme prejudice.

"I know that I'm not officially the new Green Grace yet, but as Green Grace-in-waiting, I forbid all Graces of the Temple of the Graces in Astapor from associating themselves and the Temple with enemies of Astapor. Any Grace who dares do so will be disowned by the Temple of the Graces in Astapor for endangering her fellow Graces's lives and I will personally drag her to Alpha. Am I understood, Graces?"

"You're understood, Your Benevolence!" Reluctant some may be, they all answer.

"Then you understand why when we leave this room, all seven of us are going to remove every banner with the harpy on it while our fellow Graces are going to remove every harpy figurine in the Temple and put them in the vault until we decide what to do with them."

They don't understand and they understandably protest, but the Pink Grace does and she helps me make them understand.

"The Unsullied see the harpy as the symbol of their enslavement," she explains.

"It is the symbol of our gods and people!" The head of the Purple Graces responds defensively.

"Do you want us to die for a symbol, Purple Grace?" the head of the Red Graces asks. "Do you personally want to sacrifice your life for it?"

"You're more than willing to 'sacrifice' your body for your faith, why not its symbol?"

"Purple Grace!" The head of the White Graces admonishes, uncomfortable.

Red Grace stands up calmly and gestures at herself, looking at Purple Grace, "Do you see this beautiful red dress? Do you see this sexy body? How about this charming face? They are the symbol of our people and my faith in our gods. Men and women see the gods every night because of them and my 'sacrifice,' not the harpy. Go ahead and die for the harpy, the Red Graces will mourn your death and inability to adapt during the day, and get fucked, and enjoy being fucked, during the night."

"Do you have to be so vulgar, Red Grace?" The head of the Blue Graces asks, uncomfortable and blushing like all of us as Red Grace sits down.

"I'm a whore, Blue Grace. What we, Red Graces, do is vulgar to some people, but a grace to others. Where do you stand on this harpy matter?"

"Before I get to that, I'm curious about this Unsullied that knows about healing. I heard that he carried the chests himself like they weren't filled with gold and silver. Is it true, Your Benevolence?"

Everyone looks at me.

"Yes, it's true, Blue Grace," I confirm. "But he carried two of the chests while one of his guards carried the other two, not that makes a difference. The Unsullied aren't known for their strength, but those two… I fear they're not the only ones."

"Unsullied with the strength of real men?" This troubles Gold Grace.

"Alpha said that they're unlike anything the
world has ever seen, I'm inclined to believe him. He's not only abnormally strong and commands all the Unsullied in Astapor, he's also diplomatic and strategic outside battle. I'm certain the harpy matter is another test."

"I agree with you, Your Benevolence," Pink Grace concurs. "It's certainly a test. The good news is that there are twenty-five percent less Unsullied in the Temple since the meeting."

"Really?" Is this another gesture of good faith from him?

"Yes, Your Benevolence. I've been receiving regular updates on their numbers in the Temple."

"Perhaps he believed me when I told him that he can trust us to keep the peace and not incite rebellion."

"That, and mayhaps the promise of a walk in the garden."

"The promise of a walk in the garden?" White Grace asks curiously.

"Before Alpha left, he said that he wished I could show him around the garden," I explain. "He found it beautiful and liked how it smells. I invited him to visit for a walk in it."

"I must meet this Unsullied," Red Grace says with great interest.

"He isn't a man, Red Grace," Gold Grace reminds her.

"Give me a night with him and I'll make him feel like one and he'll visit my quarters regularly."

"How would you do that?" I ask curiously, and stop myself from leaning towards her.

"Your Benevolence…!"

"Is a wise young woman who now must lead us through this sudden change in power, Purple Grace," Red Grace reasons. "And the Unsullied have very few weaknesses. She must be made aware of everything that can ensure our survival."

"At what cost?!"

"At any cost necessary!" I interject, displaying a brave face when I'm anything but, standing up. "Did you know that there are more slaves in the city than there are free people? Are you aware of our reality, sister? Yunkai and Meereen are far away and they aren't truly our allies and they have no obligation to aid us, especially against the thousands upon thousands of Unsullied who hold the city and appear stronger than two men put together.

"Don't tell me about hiring sellswords because they aren't trustworthy, they'll run away at the first sight of the Unsullied's numbers, new strength and glowing eyes. And do you truly think the Unsullied didn't plan for our every possible reactions? Do you think they just decided to take over Astapor overnight without making plans to hold it? Wake up, sisters! Change is here!"

I pour myself a glass of water and drink deep to calm myself.

"Their leader sent those slaves to us," I continue after a few breaths, calmer. "He gave us a test and we almost failed it. If we weren't the first on his list of personal visits, we may have failed and doomed ourselves."

"He came here before any other place?" White Grace asks, surprised.

"Yes," I sit again, feeling tired.

I wasn't able to sleep after what happened last night. I couldn't. I had to prepare myself to assume leadership in the wake of my mentors death.

"And he sent those slaves to us to save," Blue Graces says thoughtfully. "As a test."

"Am I the only one who thinks that he wants us as allies?" Red Grace asks.

"No," Pink Grace replies. "He intends to rule Astapor, not destroy it. But he can't do that with just the Unsullied."

"He needs us," Purple Grace says in realization.

"He needs our skills," Gold Grace narrows it down.

Old people are so slow.

"He does," I say, sitting back in my chair. "But he will not let this need cloud his judgment. If we become weeds by inciting rebellion or associating with those he declared enemies of Astapor, he will act accordingly. He needs peace and stability in the city more than he needs us, he can find some other way to fill the void we leave, like the slaves he freed. And he already showed interest in gardens and he knows a thing or two about healing."

"It's like he knew we were going to have this conversation," this is the White Grace.

"I'm sure he did," Pink Grace replies. "Who knows how long the Unsullied have been spying on us for him? We always had them around, even in important meetings."

"You just made me realize that the Unsullied make good spies," Red Graces says thoughtfully. "Admittedly better than Red Graces. At least until now."

"What now?" Blue Grace asks.

"Now you tell me whether I have your full support or not," I respond.

"You certainly have my full support, Your Benevolence," Red Grace quickly gives me her support.

"Mine as well," Pink Grace is next.

"Mine too," Blue Grace follows.

"You have my full support," White Grace.

We look at Gold Grace and Purple Grace.

"I don't like this," Purple Grace says. "The harpy is the symbol of our people, our history."

"We must become that symbol now, sister," Red Grace replies gently, seeing how hard it is for Purple Grace to accept this. "For our future and that of our people."

Purple Grace shakes her head, looking at the seven banners with our respective colors and the harpy on them on the walls.

"I can't," she says, and holds in a sob. "I can't do it. You're too young to understand."

"I understand, old friend," Gold Grace responds, holding her hand. "So much of our culture as Ghiscari people has been forgotten, including our mother tongue. We speak the tongue of the people responsible for this today as evidence of our great loss. But our ancestors had to make great sacrifices so that our people could survive, and now we must follow in their footsteps. I like what Red Grace said; we must become the symbol of our people now, for our history, our present, and our future."

Purple Grace looks at her for a moment before looking at us one by one, ending with me.

"Many Graces will not accept this," she warns darkly. "Some of them will do what you've forbid. The harpy and slavery are important parts of our people's identity. Are you ready to handle the internal rebellion?"

How do I answer this question after hearing what Gold Grace said? It's not just about being old, it's deeper than that. I understand her now.

"You tell me, sister," I reply after a moment. "I need your support to keep our sisters united, but I'm not going to force it out of you. The future of our people rests in all of our hands, whatever it shall be."

My reply surprises her, and I feel a little proud. No. I'm lying. Not a little.

"The future of our people rests in all of our hands," she repeats what I said. "Whatever it shall be. If you need all of our support to keep our sisters united, you have my full support, then, Your Benevolence."

I release a breath I wasn't aware I held in relief, but…

"Gold Grace," I shift the focus to the last Grace left to give me her support.

"Will you truly disown and personally drag a Grace that defies you to the Unsullied?" She asks, serious.

"A Grace that defies me by doing what exactly, Gold Grace?"

She narrows her eyes at me, but answers, "By endangering her fellow Graces's lives."

"What happens to a branch that no longer bears healthy fruits, sisters?" I ask everyone.

Pink Grace smiles, and says, "It is cut off."

Red Grace, "And thrown into the fire."

"To provide warmth for the village!" Every Grace, including myself, completes in honor of the late Green Grace.

"She is no more," Gold Graces says mournfully after a moment of silence, but adds proudly. "But her wisdom remains. You have my full support, Your Benevolence."

"Thank you, sisters. I'm ready now, Purple Grace."
~
The Unsullied Pyramid
Missandei:

To be so near and yet so far away from my brother is torture. I've had better interactions with Mast-Kraznys than with my own brother. At least Mas-Kraznys had some personality and showed some emotions. Mossador is just… Before he almost killed me, I was happy and thought that we would connect, and then he tried to almost killed me. I thought that we could start afresh while we work on the list, but he feels like any other Unsullied, aside from Boyd. Why can't Mossador be more like Boyd, even just a little?

I move my focus away from these thoughts and focus on the list, which keeps getting shorter because Mossador keeps telling me that the Unsullied killed the people I included on it.

"I'm surprised that you didn't kill the Green Grace and her Graces," I tell him.

"We killed her too," he tells me plainly, and I'm not truly surprised. "And some of her Graces."

"Of course, you did," I must admit, I'm annoyed.

I'm scratching out most of the people I wrote down and they're many. In most cases, the Unsullied killed all members of slaver families, and they were many, more than a hundred. I do not mourn their deaths, but…

"Is everything OK?" Boyd's voice startles me, and I remember myself.

"Everything is fine, Master," I quickly reply, making myself appear as small as possible and dare not look at him. "This One…"

"Missandei," Boyd interrupts me softly and moves to place his hand on my shoulder and I flinch and he pulls it back and takes a few steps back. "Sorry. I'm sorry. I'm not going to hurt you. I'm not Kraznys, and I'm not your master and you're not a slave."

I remember, but I've been a slave for most of my life, it's all I know. I realize that Mossador has been an Unsullied for most of his life and it's all he knows too. This is how we connect… Perhaps we're making a list of the wrong people to visit.

"You know what? The list can wait," Boyd says. "Take the rest of the day off. Do you have a friend you can talk to?"

He's certainly not Maste-Kraznys or my new master, and I'm not a slave anymore.

"I don't have a friend, Alpha," I reply, not feeling confident enough to use his other name. "But I do have an idea about the list. Perhaps it would be better to focus on the slaves you freed and visit them and the servants instead. They, like me, have certain talents and skills that can help you get Astapor up and running within a week. There are field hands, craftsmen, sailors, scribes, tutors and even healers among the slaves, to name a few.

"And there are servants that know the ins and outs of the city better than even the masters did, and they can continue doing their duties as usual, but for you. Even the bed slaves and barmaids can help! They make the best spies and they can keep you informed about everything in the city. Alpha, you have everything you need in household servants and skilled slaves to rule Astapor. You need only unite us as you did the Unsullied."