Winter's Fire → Game of Thrones

xx. Khal Rhaggat

My morning had started quite well. I had woken up next to Viserys, who was gently running his hand up and down my bare side. He had caused me to be quite sore last night, but allowed me to curl up next to him when we were done having sex. He even held me in his arms, which is where I woke up.

I had a quick breakfast before having to get on my horse and ride forward with the khalasar. Viserys did nothing but smirk when he noticed I was sore and uncomfortable. I had shot him a glare that had quickly turned into a smile before spurring my horse forward so I could be towards the front.

One thing has been annoying me today, and that is that no one will ride forward with me. I know where we are headed, but I wish to ride through the countryside for a bit. Khal Drogo stopped me and ordered that I am not to ride off unless one of his men are with me. Either he wants them to kill me or he thinks of me as some kind of valuable prisoner because I can translate.

I always rode ahead as a girl in Westeros and I loved it. Father would let me ride outside the walls of Winterfell and trusted me to come home. Even when I would travel, my guards knew that I would be fine if I were to ride ahead. I could easily outride any who would think to do me harm.

Even though I wished to ride off by myself for a while, I did not. The Dothraki would chase me down and because Khal Drogo made sure my horse was not fast, I would be stopped. I do not trust the men around me either, so who knows what they would do to me.

Daenerys rode just ahead of me, so I decided to speed my horse along so I could ride alongside her. Once I reached her I slowed down and shot the Khaleesi a smile. She truly is becoming a queen of the Dothraki. They respect her highly and in a way that they do not respect many others. They do not even respect me very highly, even though being able to speak many tongues is regarded highly.

Her blood-riders eyed me warily. They are the men entrusted by Khal Drogo to protect Daenerys, so I was not offended by their reactions to me. I am aware that they do not like Westerosi very much, but I chose to ignore that fact. Their queen and the woman they are protecting as a Westerosi.

"I heard your handmaiden is now teaching you Dothraki," I said, starting up a casual conversation. "Kisha dothraki. Me nem nesa." (We ride. It is known.)

"Um, we ride and it is known," Daenerys translated, clearly unsure of herself. "It is a difficult language to learn. How do you know many so fluently?"

"I started with High Valyrian, which came to me easily. I suppose I just have a talent for learning languages." I slowed my horse slightly so that I could not ride ahead of Daenerys. "Sometimes it is difficult though."

Ser Jorah rode up to join us and it fell silent. I wanted to despise Jorah Mormont for his crimes, but for those who believed me guilty, mine were just as bad. He sold people into slavery and I supposedly killed a man. The main difference between us is that I did not actually commit my crime and he admitted that he did.

The old man earned his title of Ser in the war against the Greyjoy's. They declared independence from the rest of the Seven Kingdoms and started raiding once more. Robert Baratheon could not allow that to happen, so he and my father crushed the rebellion. Ser Jorah was one of the first through the walls that day and I am sure he fought bravely. But is it difficult to fight bravely when you have so many men alongside you that you have no choice but to win?

I am sure Viserys is looking for me by now, but he is not the most adept horse rider so it will take him a while to weave his way to where I am. He might be annoyed that I am so far ahead, but I can calm him if he gets angry. Perhaps I should lie and tell him I am teaching Daenerys a bit of Dothraki so he does not snap.