Armies of Summer

Chapter Twelve

Pentos - The Year 300 - Daenery's Bedroom

"Daenerys!" Dany let out a gentle sigh as she moved off of her balcony and back into the rooms she had been gifted by Illyrio Mopatis, the Magistar of Pentos over a year ago. She was not used to such finery, her brother, Viserys, and her had been wandering Essos's great cities since she was born, never staying in one place for too long in fear that the Usurper King's spies would find them, and kill them.

"Daenerys! There's our bride to be! Look - a gift from Illyrio. Touch it. Come on. Feel the fabric. Mmmm. Isn't he a gracious host?" Dany hated the way her brother was looking at her as she stroked the, admittedly very soft, fabric. He looked at her like her brain had fallen from her head, and that she could not think, let alone think anything worth thinking.

"We've been his guests for over a year and he's never asked us for anything."

"Illyrio is no fool. He knows I won't forget my friends when I come into my throne. You still slouch. Let me see." Dany let her eyes drift to the wall behind her brother as he began removing her dress, feeling herself stiffen when the warm air brushed against her body, followed by a thumb as her brother gently stroked her.

"You have a woman's body now. I need you to be perfect today. Can you do that for me? You don't want to wake the dragon, do you?"

"No." Viserys nodded and turned away from her as he began moving out of the rooms, and Dany allowed herself to relax until he turned around again.

"When they write the history of my reign, sweet sister, they will say it began today." And then he was gone, so Dany turned to the steaming hot bath water, and began to lower herself in, knowing the heat could never harm her.

"It's too hot my lady!" A woman said as she ran over to try to stop her, but Dany ignored her, allowing the water to burn away the touches she could still feel lingering on her skin, knowing that no matter what she sacrificed for her brother, he would never sit on the Iron Throne.

Pentos - Later That Afternoon - Outside the Mansion

"Where is he?" Dany's brother had always been impatient, impatient to take back their homeland, and impatient with everything else.

"The Dothraki are not known for their punctuality." Master Illyrio said, before eating his words as a host of Dothraki rode up in front of them, there were no more then ten, all large men with long, jingling braids, but Dany knew who her husband was going to be, he was the largest man she had ever seen, standing well over six feet tall, and with muscles that looked like they were made of steel, and a braid that reached his thighs. This was the man who had never lost a fight, the man she, a child, was supposed to marry and make happy.

"May I present my honored guests? Viserys of House Targaryen, the third of his name. The rightful King of the Andals and the First Men. And his sister, Daenerys, of the House Targaryen."Dany assumed that the glutteral noises coming from Illyrio's mouth was the Khal's language, Dothraki.

"Do you see how long his hair is? When Dothraki are defeated in combat, they cut off their braid so the whole world can see their shame. Khal Drogo has never been defeated. He's a savage, of course, but he's one of the finest killers alive. And you will be his Queen." Viserys whispered in Dany's ear, of course, she already knew this, he had told her the same so many times that she had lost count. She thought he might be doing it to scare her, but she wasn't sure. It wasn't like it mattered how she felt about it, she couldn't change it anyway.

"Come forward, my dear." Illyrio called, gesturing to Dany as she stepped down the steps to get closer to her future husband. She knew she looked afraid, but she did not want to disappoint this man so she looked him in the eye anyway, and after a long stare, Khal Drogo turned and led his men away, whooping and hollering.