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˖*°࿐ chapter thirty-two.XXXII. I'M SORRY FOR TODAY
LAELIA AND MELORA ARE IN FRONT OF A man, who was possibly in his mid to late sixties, and Melora began to introduce the queen. "Laelia Jelmāzmo aō naejot dēmas, Dorzalty, Quirino Dāria, Andalot se Rhoinaro se Ēlio Valot Dāria, Hen Parmenko Embāzma Khalēsi, Belmo Pryjatys se Muña Zaldrīzoti."(You stand before Laelia Stormborn, the Unburnt, Queen of Quiri, Queen of the Andals and the Rhoynar and the First Men, Khaleesi of the Great Grass Sea, Breaker of Chains and Mother of Dragons.) The man bows before speaking to them, introducing himself as Fennesz in the Krefson language. "I can speak the Common Tounge if you wish," he takes one look at Thor and they all understand that he's doing it so the god can understand them.
"You can speak it very well," Laelia comments.
"Before you freed me, I belonged to Master Nicknown, I was tutor to his children, I taught them languages and history. They know a great deal about your family because of me," he speaks. "Little Calla is only seven but she admires you very much."
"Hope I can prove worthy of her admiration," Laelia smiles genuinely to him, flashing all of her pearly white teeth, all set straight. "What can I do for you?" Her eyebrows furrow in confusion at the man. Grey Worm's head hangs low; he can possibly get the man to teach him the Common Tongue.
"When you took the city, the children begged me not to leave the house. But Master Nicknown and I agreed that I must; so I lost my home. Now, I live on the streets."
"I have outfitted mess halls to feed all former slaves and barracks to show —"
"I do not mean to offend, Your Grace," he emphasizes the 'o' in offend, "I went to one of these places: the young prey on the old. Take what they want, and beat us if we resist."
"My Unsullied will make them safe again in short order, my friend, this I promise you."
"Even if they are safe, who would I be there? What purpose would I serve? With my master, I was a teacher. I had respect and love of his children."
"What is it you want from me?"
"Your Grace, I ask you to let me sell myself back to Master Nicknown," he answers, shocking the queen as his words sink in.
"You want to return to a man who owned you? Like a goat or a chair?"
"Please, Your Grace. The young may rejoice in the New World you have built for them, but for those of us too old to change, there is only fear and squalor. I am not alone. There are many outside, waiting to beg the same."
"I did not take this city to preside over the injustice I fought to destroy; I took it to bring people freedom," the old man's head bows in defeat. "But freedom means making your own choices. I will allow you to sign a contract with your former master, it may not cover a period lasting longer than a year."
"Thank you, Your Grace," he nods his head as he speaks to the Greystone, seeing her eyes cast down. "Thank you." He begins walking down the flight of steps, slow on his feet from old age, and Thor feels obligated to help the man as the queen and her guard chat to each other. "The Masters will take advantage of this situation," Korben says to her. "The men serving them will be slaves in all but name." Another man comes in, carrying a bundle in his arms as Fennesz shoos away the god. "Approach, my friend," Laelia tells the man. He says something in a different language, looking to Melora. She translates the queen's sentence, the man stepping up to the queen as they look at him, feeling his heart race in fear and shyness. He is crying, speaking through his tears.
"I have brought you," Melora interprets, "he came from the sky, black one, the winged shadow. He came from the sky and " — the man drops to his knees and unwraps the bundle. Inside is the blackened bones of a baby — "my girl. That is his girl."
***
"WHAT WAS HER NAME?"
"Sylar, Your Grace," Melora replies.
"How old was she?"
"Three."
"Three," Laelia repeats, staring out the window of her map room. The rest sat down in the chairs circling the table, looking at the queen with a remorseful stare. She walks to Grey Worm, lifting her heavy skirts as she does so. "Se vasīr Aenerys ūndetoks daor?"(And still no word of Aenerys?) Just like her brother, Aeneas, the dragon was untamed; reckless and full of death.
"Sailors ūndan zirȳla flying toliot se zōbrie cliffs hāre tubissa ago, ñuha dāria. Daorun pār pār."(Sailors saw him flying over the Black Cliffs a few days ago, My Queen. Nothing since then.)
Laelia walks through the floor below them, "Rhaenagon issa rȳ se catacombs." (Meet me at the catacombs.)
***
A LARGE STONE IS MOVED OUT OF THE WAY, Lokis, and Thorsten walking out in front of Laelia, screeching as they walk down the stone steps of the catacombs. Thorsten flew his way down, though, so it was easier for him to pass his brother. They jumped and flapped their wings, screeching at everything, and Laelia walked quietly down the stairs as she looked at them with a sad state. The dragons begin eating the blackened meat that had been laid out for them, waving it around and throwing at the ground. They both fought over a carcass, chains placed in front of them though they never noticed. The dragons were becoming too rowdy; too hard to handle. They needed to stay here until Aenerys was found and placed among them.
Laelia struggled to clamp the chain around Lokis neck as he ate, his every move making it hard for her to shut it, but she was able to with difficulty. She then moved on to Thorsten, tears streaming down her face as she moved the chain underneath his head and shut it around his neck. She walks away, passing through the muggy water, hearing the tears of the meat and the metal chains scraping against the stone floors as they moved.
They both look at their mother, seeing her walk away, and screech for her return. They begin to run towards her, but the chains hold them back; their screeches turn to screams.
