𝐃𝐑𝐀𝐂𝐀𝐑𝐘𝐒

lanta

Walk of Punishment

The castle Rhaella stood in was dark and grim, she couldn't recognize the castle, it was most definitely not Winterfell. The girl walked those halls aimlessly, but she stopped abruptly when she heard a scream, it was a man screaming. She followed the man's scream, continuing down the hall, and the closer she got to where the screams were coming from the more she recognized those halls and the screams.

The youngest Targaryen walked until she reached a door, where the screams were coming from, the door was very familiar, it was the door from her chambers in Winterfell. Rhaella slowly pushed the door to open it, as she did that the screams only got louder and louder.

When Rhaella opened the door she saw Theon strapped into a X made with two pieces of wood. The girl tried to get closer to her friend, but she couldn't, and before she could think of anything else a black haired man approached her friend, and when she thought he would help Theon the man grabbed a knife. She watched as the man cut and tortured her friend for what it felt like hours, until everything went black.

...

     After Rhaella woke up she was disturbed by her dream, she knew it was one of her real dreams and it killed her to know her friend was being torture and she couldn't do anything. The girl even thought of going back but she knew that she wouldn't be of much help.

     Later that day the girl was still quiet and visibly upset until she got a raven from Robb. And what she thought would brighten her day made her angry.

     Rhaella scoffed, making Daenerys look at her, the two sisters were walking around Astapor when Rhaella got a letter.

     "What happened?" Dany asked her sister with a soft voice.

     "It's from Robb," she gestured at the piece of parchment in her hand. "He said he meant to write to me but a lot happened, so he forgot," the girl said in a bitter tone.

     "Well, he is fighting a war," her sister told her.

     "I know, I'm upset because he told me his new wife Talisa wishes she could have met me," Rhaella explained.

     "You loved him?" Dany asked, carefully.

     "No, I just think he made a mistake, he was promised to another one, the daughter of Walder Frey. He was betrothed to her so he could cross the twins, and a King who can't keep his word is a king who his people don't trust, a weak king," the sisters finally stopped walking and Rhaella turned to her sister. "A king in war can't afford to make mistakes like that. I'm afraid that might cost his life," Rhaella said with sorrow on her face.

     "You told me he was a good king, and I hope he will be fine," Dany comforted her sister.

     Rhaella smiled warmly at her sister, "thank you Dany."

     The two sisters resumed their walk., with Ser Barristan and Ser Jorah behind them, they were supposed to meet the master of Astapor today. Their walk was pretty, Astapor was in general a pretty place, if you ignore the misery, the slaves and the slaves masters. That was until they got to the Walk of Punishment.

     Daenerys and Rhaella starred in anger at the crucified slaves in the Walk of Punishment. How could they do this to those people, the young Targaryen thought.

     "The Walk of Punishment is a warning, Your Grace," Ser Barristan told Dany.

     "To whom?" Dany asked, looking at one particular slave.

     "To any slave who contemplates doing whatever these slaves did," Ser Barristan answered, making Rhaella scoff.

     "People call dragons monsters, and while ignoring men who crucify people for lying," The young Targaryen said, and her sister could tell she was still upset about her dream and the raven she received, and the Walk of Punishment was making her mood worse. In the short time they had known each other Dany knew her sister had a short temper, and in the short time they had been together Dany knew how to control her sister's temper and make her feel better.

     Daenerys turned from her sister to Ser Jorah, "give me your water," Dany told Ser Jorah, without taking her eyes out of the slave.

     "Khaleesi, this man has been sentenced to death," Ser Jorah said while giving the young queen his skin of water.

     Dany walked towards the slave and brought the skin to his lips, "here, drink."

     "Leave this place, Your Grace. Leave tonight, I beg you. Princess please, this is no place for you," Ser Barristan begged the two sisters, Dany who was still with the slave and Rhaella who observed her sister.

     "And what are they to do for soldiers?" Ser Jorah asked the old knight.

     "We can find sellswords in Pentos and Myr," Ser Barristan answered.

     "Is it "we" already, Ser Barristan?" Ser Jorah asked, almost jealous, making Ser Barristan look at him.

     "Stop it!" The youngest Targaryen said harshly and loudly, turning around and looking at the two knights, "yes, Ser Jorah, it is 'we', Ser Barristan helped me a great deal, and he brought me to my sister," when she said that Ser Jorah nodded and Ser Barristan looked at her with a thankful smile, and she turned to her sister again.

     "If you want to sit on the throne your ancestors built, you must win it," Ser Jorah told Dany, who got down the steps that lead to the crucified slave. Daenerys was in awe, she could not believe the master could be so cruel and no one ever did anything about it. "That means blood on your hands before the thing is done," Ser Jorah continued, getting closer to his Queen, who gave him his water skin back.

     "The blood of my enemies, not the blood of innocents," the young Khaleesi told her loyal knight, and she walked away.

     Rhaella followed her sister, and the two knights followed the two Targaryen sisters.

     "How many wars have you fought in, Ser Barristan?" The youngest knight asked Ser Barristan.

     "Three," Ser Barristan the Bold answered him.

     "Have you ever seen a war where innocents didn't die by the thousands?" Ser Jorah asked again, and ser Barristan shook his head. "I was in King's Landing after the sack, Khaleesi," Ser Jorah told Dany, who still looked up with a shocked expression. "You know what I saw? Butchery. Babies, children, old men, more women raped than you can count. There's a beast in every man, and it stirs when you put a sword in his hand. But the Unsullied are not men, they do not rape. They do not put cities to the sword unless they're ordered. If you buy them, the only men they'll kill are those you want dead," Ser Jorah continued.

     "You disagree, Ser Barristan?" Dany asked

     "When your brother led his army into battle at the Trident, men died for him because they believed in him, because they loved him, not because they'd been bought at an auction," Ser Barrsiatn said. "I fought beside the last dragon on that day. I bled beside him," Ser Barristan said with a certain pride in his voice.

     "Rhaegar fought valiantly, Rhaegar fought nobly, and Rhaegar died," Ser Jorah said.

     "Did you know him well, Ser Barristan?" Dany asked him, still not taking her eyes off the path she was walking.

     "I did, Your Grace. Finest man I ever met," Ser Barristan told the sisters. Rhaella remembered all the times Ser Barristan would tell her stories about her brother Rhaegar.

     "I wish I had known him," Dany spoke for her and her sister.

     "Ser Jorah is right," Rhaella finally broke her silence, making all three of her companions look at her. "But he was not the last dragon," the girl said and walked in front of her sister.