Viserys arrived at dusk.
He did not come like a king.
He came dusty, sunburned, and furious.
Laena saw him before the khalasar announced him — a pale figure riding stiffly at the edge of the camp, flanked by two uneasy Dothraki who looked as though they would rather be anywhere else.
He had never belonged here.
Not in silk.
Not in firelight.
Not among wolves.
Laena stood slowly from her place beside Drogo as her brother dismounted.
Viserys's violet eyes swept the camp — the braids, the blades, the scarred warriors laughing over roasted meat — and his lip curled.
"They stink," he muttered in Valyrian. "Like animals."
Laena's gaze hardened.
"They conquer like animals too," she replied calmly.
Viserys's attention snapped to her.
For a moment, he seemed startled.
She no longer looked like the sister he had sold.
Her leathers were darkened with dust and smoke. A curved dagger rested easily at her hip. Her braid was threaded with small copper rings — gifts taken from the raid.
She stood straight.
Not behind Drogo.
Beside him.
"You forget yourself," Viserys hissed. "You are still my sister. You are still—"
Drogo stepped forward slightly.
Not threatening.
Just present.
Viserys faltered.
He did not understand Dothraki, but he understood power.
Laena moved first.
She descended from the raised platform and stood before her brother, close enough that he could see the thin line of dried blood beneath her nails.
"You came for something," she said evenly.
Viserys swallowed his pride — barely.
"I came for what is mine," he snapped. "The army. The ships. The throne."
He gestured sharply toward Drogo.
"You promised me warriors. When do we sail for Westeros?"
The surrounding Dothraki watched with open amusement. They understood tone, if not language.
Laena tilted her head slightly.
"You speak of Westeros as if it waits trembling for you," she said softly.
"It does," Viserys insisted. "They fear the dragon."
Laena stepped closer, her voice lowering.
"No," she corrected. "They forgot the dragon."
That struck deeper than any blade.
Viserys's face flushed red.
"You would not even be here without me!" he spat. "I made this marriage. I gave you this power!"
The words echoed too loudly.
Several warriors shifted.
Drogo's expression cooled.
Laena did not look away from her brother.
"You did not give me power," she said quietly. "You traded me."
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Savage Blood
FanfictionA warrior does not give up what she loves, she finds the love in what she does. ...
