REMEMBER - DAENERYS

𝐗𝐗𝐗𝐕𝐈𝐈𝐈

Fifth Year of the Reign of Daenerys I

Missandei from Nath was now one of the most powerful women in the realm, second only to Queen Daenerys Targaryen herself. She held the most powerful title granted by a king or queen: she was the Queen's Hand, a counselor with almost limitless powers, as Daenerys trusted her enough to allow Missandei to sign laws and revoke decrees if deemed necessary for the good of the realm. Despite her high position, she never let the grandeur of her role go to her head, never became arrogant about the authority of her words. In fact, she had become more humane than ever, helping to manage all the kingdom's problems and repair the damages caused by pessimistic kings, whether usurpers or not.

Days had passed swiftly since the conquest of the Iron Throne, so quickly that by the time she noticed, they were already witnessing the fifth year of Queen Daenerys I's reign. For many, it was a day of celebration, a day of festivity, a day when everyone could be happy without any concern. But for those who knew the queen very well, they understood that the day marked as the Targaryen's ascent to the Iron Throne was as painful as a knife to Daenerys. The anniversary of Her Majesty's reign was exactly on the day of her beloved consort's death. Athena's death left a huge void in the hearts of all who knew her, but only four people saw up close the mourning that the queen hid in her eyes each year that passed.

Missandei, Grey Worm, Daario, and Ellaria witnessed the queen completely crumble on the Iron Throne when official duties ended, and only the five of them remained in the throne room. Daenerys had never fully recovered from Athena's loss, and what angered the queen more was that the gods had not granted her a single chance to say goodbye to the woman she loved, leaving that feeling of emptiness to continue in her heart. The queen had ordered all of Athena's belongings to be brought to the capital, but she never had the courage to open any of the wooden chests, as she did not want to cry any further, for the portrait hanging in her room was enough to haunt her dreams.

"Your Grace, today we will receive some merchants who have come from far away to thank you for helping facilitate maritime trade between Westeros and Essos," Missandei announced as the queen inquired about the group of people who would be meeting with her in person that morning at the castle.

Daenerys was holding a morning meeting on the anniversary of her reign to receive various people who came to personally thank her for something. Normally, this would be an audience with her subjects from Westeros, but due to the success of the new sea route and the construction of the bridge linking one continent to another, many merchants from the other continent wanted to come to thank the queen personally, as the situation was now favorable for both sides, both the nobility and the common folk living on both continents.

"Very well, let these men and women be brought before me so we can start another year of reign and another year of this tradition!" Daenerys said with a modest smile on her face, a smile that did not match the sadness in her eyes, but she ignored her own feelings as it was not the time for lamentations.

Through the massive wooden door that led to the throne room entered a group of more than twenty-eight people, many merchants and sailors among them, both men and women, all walking with their heads held high and happy expressions as they proceeded to meet the queen personally. Daenerys sat majestically on the Iron Throne wearing the ancestral Targaryen crown and a white dress with black details, dragons embroidered by hand, a dress that had been a gift from Missandei in celebration of her fifth year of reign over the two continents.

"Your Highness, we are very happy and grateful for the opportunity to meet you personally and converse. Few rulers of Westeros have received us as well as you, very few have treated us kindly, without any discrimination," a woman with gray hair and a bent back spoke simply before the queen. "We are not here to make demands; this meeting should not be used for that purpose. We are here as an act of goodwill to thank you for your efforts and deliver some gifts. Don't worry, we know your guards need to inspect the boxes before they reach you."