The Wars to Come - J.S.

14 - FIGHT

— meereen —

The drums and the cheers are thunderous in the Great Pit of Meereen. The Great Games have brought the entire city together. 

 Aurora sits between Missandei and Daenerys, wearing a long, sky blue gown with crossed straps that wrap around her neck. Her brown hair blowing in the breeze as she looks out on all of the people. Tyrion sits on Daenerys' other side, with an open seat in between himself and the Queen, one that is waiting for Hizdahr zo Loraq, much to everyone's dismay. Daario stands behind her, as do some Unsullied.

Hizdahr enters when the cheering and drumming stops, signaling that it is almost time to begin.

"Where have you been?" Daenerys asks, barely sparing him a glance as he sits down beside her.

"Just making sure everything is in order." he responds, clasping his hands together on his lap. Aurora peers around her Queen at him and then shares a suspicious look with Daario. 

The gates open and the four riders that were in the center of the pit exit, while another man comes out. He walks to the center and nods respectfully to the Queen. 

"Free citizens of Meereen." he announces in a powerful voice, "By the blessings of the Graces, and her majesty the Queen, welcome to the Great Games!" 

Two men enter the pit, which causes the crowd to once again erupt into cheers. One man is large and muscular, while the other is much smaller. 

"My Queen, our first contest. Who will triumph? The strong or the quick?" he announces, gesturing to the men as he speaks. 

Both men then take their turns to step forward and speak the customary words before they fight in front of the Queen. "I fight and die for your glory, oh glorious Queen." 

The man who announced the fight then exits the pit and everyone seems to stare at the Queen, waiting for something. 

Hizdahr informs her that she must clap her hands to begin the fight. Her face is solemn as she raises her hands slowly and then claps them. The pit once again erupts with cheers, and the fight begins.

"That one, the smaller man. No question, that's where you should put your money." Daario says with a chuckle, sticking his head in between Hizdahr and Daenerys to speak to her. 

Aurora looks over and smiles. "Smaller and quicker." 

"The smaller man it is." Tyrion answers.

"I'm not putting my money anywhere." Daenerys answers bitterly.

"Kings and Queens never bet on the games. Perhaps you should go find someone who does." Hizdahr enters the conversation, making Aurora scoff, but Daario turns to him and responds.

"People used to bet against me when I fought in the pits." he turns to Daenerys, "He would have bet against me. Common novice mistake."

"I've spent much of my life in this arena, and in my experience large men do triumph over smaller men, far more often than not." 

"Does your experience include any actual fighting? You? Yourself?" Daenerys questions snidely. "Have you ever tried to kill another man who was trying to kill you?"

Aurora can't hold back the laugh that bursts out of her. Daenerys and Daario both turn to smile at her, as Hizdahr frowns at all of them.

"Whenever I got into the pit against a beast like that one, the crowd saw me - all skin and bone back then - then they saw a pile of angry muscles ready to murder me. They couldn't get their money out fast enough." he pulls out his dagger and twirls it around in front of Hizdahr's face as he speaks, "But the pile of angry muscles never had any muscles here." he points the dagger at his own face. "Or here." he points it at Hizdahr's neck and the man flinches.