𝐒𝐎𝐕𝐄𝐑𝐄𝐈𝐆𝐍 ( 𝐠𝐚𝐦𝐞 𝐨𝐟 𝐭𝐡𝐫𝐨𝐧𝐞𝐬. )

chapter eight.

( ACT I; sleeping dragon )
⟵ ◊ ⟶
chapter 8: a most unfortunate decision.

DROGO'S promise to begin the conquest of the Iron Throne began promptly after the failed assassination attempt on Daenerys and Vaegon's lives. At the Khal's orders, the Dothraki began their journey on a whim. The entire Khalasar packed and loaded as they filed out of Vaes Dothrak to begin their journey toward the Narrow Sea. They entered the sea of grass again to navigate its towering blades and seemingly endless vastness.

Amidst the sudden shift, Vaegon wasn't sure how the Khal planned to fund the conquest. At first, he'd been led to believe they'd never truly begin a successful conquest. When Drogo's riders began to raid and pillage villages along the journey, Vaegon understood the price and found himself forced to turn a blind eye. No matter how much it troubled him to hear the cries and pleas of those that the Dothraki inflicted their terror on, he knew there was nothing he could do about it. He knew the throne had a price, and someone must pay it.

Half a dozen settlements had been raided once they'd arrived to the small village of Lhazar just a few hours prior, Vaegon had known what to expect. Expecting what was to come didn't make the cruelty any easier to bear. As he stood alongside Daenerys and Jorah near the edge of the clearing where the Dothraki were pillaging, raping, and beating the women of the comely village that had served no form of resistance against the savages, he bit his lip. Their sheep statue was pulled to the ground disgracefully by their horse-riding counterparts, their homes destroyed, and their bodies looted.

At the very beginning, most men had already been slain. Those who were left consisted of women who screamed and cried out as they tried fighting back with no luck. Their temple dedicated to their sheep god was blazing with flames, sending a spiral of black smoke into the sky like a beacon of tragedy. Summiting the aftermath of the raid, a group of newly enslaved people were huddled together with their hands bound and bodies beaten and bloodied.

"Is this the only way?" Daenerys asked solemnly as she gazed ahead. "These horrible acts have already been inflicted upon too many villages. Is there no other way to fund the conquest?"

"They need people to sell to slavers," Jorah replied solemnly. "It is the only way the Dothraki know how to earn coin. Otherwise, they would normally take what they want."

A woman was thrown to the ground near the far side of the burning temple, where at least three Dothraki came to descend upon her. Vaegon was forced to look away from the cruel sight, keeping his violet eyes on his boots.

"Even if they must do this . . . " Daenerys uttered angrily. "These people don't need to be treated this way. This needs to stop."

"I don't think Drogo would deny his men," Vaegon told her. "No matter what you would say. They expect to take their spoils. You know what type of people they are. They take what they want when they want it."