Frozen Fire

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Daenerys

Dany had stayed three more days in the village. The word had spread very quickly that water was found. People from nearby villages had come to see for them self, to drink and fill their pitchers. She had attended the sick in the medical tent instructed the men to pave the walls of the well with stone and mortar so the walls would hold on and not collapse during the harsh sandstorms and landslides by very rare but furious tempest they had in desert. She had set in her tend, studied and measured where the underground stream would go based in her map. Thus they could build not just one well but a line of wells. She was trying to figure out where to dig next Dany couldn't leave it with just one well. Greedy lords would find out soon about the well and would try to claim it and the smallfolk would be left thirsty all the same and forced to abandon their homes, it was the last thing she wanted. But a line of wells would make water accessible for everyone they would not have water to grow gardens but would have more than enough to drink and it would be very hard for lords to take their control over every villages' well. She calculated every possible place that might have good odds of being on the river stream and marked spots on the map. She had called for Juliane and his men and had told them to send word to the men from villages she thought were situated above the river stream. When they had come she had showed them the map and places where they had to look for water and instructed how deep they must dig, should the well be covered and other technical details. The men who build the well had agreed to share their knowledge with their neighbor villages. With a bit of luck, now there would be 13 or more new wells in the dessert she thought. She wanted to be there in each one of them to lead the work but she knew her father was coming and she should have been in Sunspear already. Dany climbed her mare and galloped through the dunes and dry valleys of ancient rivers that held no life, just sand and stone and sun scorched earth. Normally she would ride by dawn or dusk no one in dessert rode when sun was on zenith but she had no time, it was almost midday and although the wind created by galloping helped, she was dripping. Shadow always flew before head to check the road but when she was leagues away from the Water Gardens he had turned back making circles in the sky and warning her in screeching trils. What's wrong Shadow? Father! She thought he is back. I should go straight to Sunspear. If he doesn't find me there I'm finished. She rode her mare as fast as wind. Quickly found the cliffs that hid the tunnel and as it entered it she heard the noise from the bazaars of the Shadow city. It was the cheering she heard. Oh no! Father is here. "Come on girl faster we shouldn't get caught." She hurried through the dark tunnel, walking in the blind, quickly got out of it to the stairs of secret passage. She picked through the hatch to check if there was anyone around and saw the yard was full of people. Damn, how am I supposed to send you to the stables now? She waited till her father climbed the stairs. When people spread, she sneaked her horse into the stable and ran up the stairs hoping Oberyn didn't come to check for her first, made sure the corridor was empty and rushed to the chambers. "Finally you are here. Your father came looking for you my lady. I didn't know what to do I told him you were sleeping."

"What did he say?" " Nothing" "He bought that? Heh... Well I need to change, my father can't see me like this, all dusty, he will understand.""I think you need a good bath my lady not only a new dress your hair is full of spider webs"- says Doreah pointing at her hair. As Dany touches her hair she can feel the webs damn rushing through the passage I totally forgot to avoid the webs she thought. "And I stink as well. Fetch me a bath, fast! No. It will take too long. I'll go at the great bath. The pool it's always full."

"I think your father is still there my lady, but there is no one at the hammam." "What would I do without you!... Bring me some clothes." Dany goes quickly in the hammam. As she undresses she hears her fathers' angry voice. Shit he is here. Dany panics she removes quickly the webs from her hair and just throws herself in the water of the bath to not look dirty. As she hears the doors she dresses her robe fast "Doreah stop slamming doors" she rises her voice pretending to be annoyed by her maid behavior, knowing very well it was her father. She opens the door and goes out to meet her father closing the door behind her. When her father turned his back and left she entered the hammam again accompanied by her maid which closed the door behind her. She sat in the corner of the bath tub. "That was close" she said relived and started to giggle "You were very fast my lady, but please don't do this often" both girls giggled Dany slips and falls into the bath. They both burst in laughter. "I think you will need a dry robe my lady"- her maid says giggling. "Yes. But first I will need to bath for real this time." She took a quick bath in hot water dried and brushed her silver hair as fast as she could to join her father. She actually felt bad about lying to him but on the other hand it was his fault. If he wouldn't be so bad to her if he wouldn't have kept her locked in Sunspear, if he would had let her free like he let her sisters and just let her be a Sand Snake she wouldn't have to lie to him and they would be much happier, she would be much happier, everything would be much better if he just, wouldn't be ashamed of her, she thought. While riding to Water Gardens with her father, step mother and guards accompanying them Dany was lost in thoughts. She never understood why her father didn't allow her to attend the meeting with the other lords he didn't even allow her to play with their kids when she was little. Her siblings would go and travel wherever they wanted, when present they attended the meetings with the other lords, they would go for visits in other holds and meet the people without having to hide who they were. Even kids they had the freedom she never had while they were out somewhere learning how to fight with spears, and swords and shooting arrow she was inside Sunspear or in her room in Water Gardens learning the history of Seven Kingdoms and Essos. But she had grown to like learning and had read almost everything ever written about politics of the realm, battles and war strategies maybe she would never fight in battle but knowing how to avoid or even lead one it wouldn't hurt and surprisely her father had approved it. Best time she had was years ago when father took her to his travels to Essos and they had gone as far as ancient Valyria. Dany had loved wandering around the ancient ruins and captivated by the giant skeletons of long dead dragons they had even taken steel and dragon bone as souvenirs. She has had the best time traveling but since that event everything had changed father had never taken her with him again instead he had taken her younger siblings now she was not even allowed to visit Water Gardens if father was not there and she had guards following her everywhere she went; which made her feel a prisoner in her own home. But right now she was satisfied she had done something good for her people had managed to get away with it without being caught and now she would meet her little sisters whom she missed. Last time she saw them was a moon ago and she couldn't wait to meet them. Dany dismounted her mare and went with Ellaria at the princess garden where their rooms were, for Doran has occupied the main keep. Although they had no complain for the Princess Garden had the biggest keep with large open rooms, baths and dancing halls and big long porticos. As soon as the young girls saw their mother they run to her fighting who would get in her arms first but as always Loreza would be the lucky one to get held. She was the youngest of her sisters only four, than it came Dorea six year old, Obella ten and Elia twelve. They hugged tightly and kissed their mother as Ellaria wouldn't stop hugging and kissing them all over their face and then they came to hug Dany. She loved them very dearly and she loved to see those sweet moments of love and affection they shared with their mother. How she had wished to have one too. In her mind she always dreamed of meeting her. She was beautiful and sweet she had silver hair like hers and gorgeous eyes. In her dreams she loved her too and waited Dany with arms wide open impatient to give her a long heartfelt hug. She had asked and cried for her almost every night when she was a child and no wet nurse would calm her. Every time she was hurt she would call for her, only she had no name. Her name was mommy. Now that she was almost seventeen she had learn to see the bright side of it. It was true she never knew nor met her mother but at least she had a father who watched after her and loved her, in his way. They stayed together in porticos and talked with each other Ellaria asked her eldest daughter where her half sisters were? Obara, Nymeria, Tyene, Sarrella were not there at the time but in other holds in Dorne. In true they were always off to somewhere it was rare to have the Sand Snakes all in one place. Her father joined them just before dinner he was happy to see his daughters but Dany felt something was wrong. Oberyn was laughing and playing with her sisters but he was avoiding eye contact with her. "Father! Is there something wrong?" she whispered to him. He gave her a side look that she knew well "We will have a talk tomorrow after breakfast, you will wait for me in the meeting room, or I will sent for you"- he told her in an ice cold voice. Hopping it had nothing to do with her expeditions in the deserts she embraced herself for the worse. Intuition told her the moment she feared for years had come.