Azaerys raised his head and quietened the Kharziks. At the same time, the griffins calmed down as well, their restless talons settling on the stone platform.
"Speak or your heads will fall."
At his words, Ser Boros, Ser Aro, Ser Seth, and Ser Horus pulled their swords out, ready to step forward and cut the heads of the Meereenese, the steel glinting ominously in the torchlight of the great hall.
A man finally stepped forward from the ranks of the envoys of Meereen.
He had wiry red and black Ghiscari hair, pulled up and forming a hat, and he was tall and slender, wearing a purple tokar fringed with gems. His beard was bejewelled with gold rings, making his face appear even longer, and he had amber skin, typical of the Ghiscari.
"Your Grace..."
"I warn you, Hizdahr zo Loraq, a lie will cost you your head. Meereen will be turned to ashes and ruins, and the name of your family and your fellow nobles will disappear from the face of this world." Azaerys narrowed his eyes at the man, who visibly flinched at his warning, his breath catching in the heavy silence.
The man had clearly stepped forward to make some excuse, to call everything a misunderstanding, but now he hesitated.
"You were in the room when the harpies decided to assassinate me. You were also the one who sent a gift to Khal Drogo, a Valyrian steel arakh from the treasury of your palace and requested him to kill me outside the Horse Gate in a challenge. Unfortunately, your khal did not challenge me this year," he smiled, and the man's dark eyes quivered in fear.
How did the Summer King know about these things? Were there traitors in their ranks?
"Do you want me to name all the people who were present inside the Chamber of the Black Harpy? Do you want me to tell everyone in this hall its location? Do you want me to reveal the things you had discussed there before that night..."
His words had not finished when Hizdahr dropped to his knees and lowered his head.
"We do not deny that we sent the assassin..."
"Assassin? He was not the only one who was tasked that night." Azaerys coldly said.
"Assassins. We sent assassins." The man corrected himself.
The audience heard his words and their hearts tensed up.
"Thirteen of them."
"Yes..." Hizdahr's body trembled.
"Four are in Dragonport."
"Yes."
"One of them is tasked to kill either one of my brothers or my sister by Rezaq zo Ghazeen."
The man remained silent, and one by one, all the envoys of Meereen went down on their knees, now certain that their lives were forfeit.
The Summer King knew everything...
"Marro," Azaerys called out the name of the Kharzik captain, who was waiting outside the hall, and the next instant, the tall doors opened and the tall warrior walked inside, carrying three heads in each hand.
The heads were thrown in front of Hizdahr, who only glanced at them before he lowered his eyes, the stench of decay wafting faintly in the air.
Four of them were the assassins sent to Dragonport, and two heads belonged to those who had been sent to Astapor to kill Gremm Gryffonn.
A suffocating silence descended in the great hall, and the representatives of Qarth and Volantis were very anxious, their murmurs barely audible over the oppressive stillness.
They had only recently brokered peace between Yunkai, Meereen, and the Summer Kingdom, and now everything was about to catch fire.
Azaerys ignored the people of Meereen and turned to look towards the envoys of Yunkai.
"Step forward, Grazdan mo Eraz."
The lean man tensed up when he heard his name, but quickly stepped forward.
His eyes landed on the heads on the floor, drifted to Hizdahr, and he deeply bowed to the Summer King, fighting the urge to kneel.
"Your Grace."
"So, you finally acknowledge that I am a king? You were quite vocal about your thoughts on me." He smiled, and the man kept his head and shoulders lowered in submission. "Why have you come to my court?"
"The Wise Masters of Yunkai declare their innocence. We never sent any assassins to kill you or your family, Your Grace. And we bring a peace offering to you."
"What peace offering? The whores you train?" He narrowed his eyes, and the man flinched.
"Three hundred of our finest young bedslaves, and a hundred beautiful maidens, Your Grace..."
"Maidens? Do you think I am a fool? Do you think I am unaware of the things you have done to these girls?"
Not just the Wise Master and other envoys tensed up, but also the girls in question.
Many of them, barely fourteen, had tears in their eyes, but the trained bedslaves were not ashamed of being called whores.
They had long discarded any shame and modesty.
All three hundred of the girls were very beautiful, wearing see-through gauze dresses. And the eyes of the men in the hall drifted to them now and then. And then there were a hundred trained male bedslaves, who were all shirtless, displaying their physiques. A dozen of them were even young boys, barely twelve years old.
"Those of you who still have your maidenheads, step to the right."
The girls subconsciously followed his command, and exactly a hundred of them stepped to the right, wearing white dresses.
Azaerys only glanced at them before he looked towards the gallery where the influential people of Dragonport, the key officials, and their families were standing.
"If you are interested in any of these maidens or female bedslaves, take them away. And you will treat them according to the laws of the city." He said to them and then looked at the captains of his forces.
"Aro, Seth, Horus, Garret, Glenn... Go. Make your picks too if someone catches your eye. You may pick as many as you want as long as you are willing to be responsible for them."
In a little over half an hour, all the girls had either been moved out of the hall or taken to the galleries.
Azaerys then looked at the envoys of Yunkai and narrowed his eyes at them.
"Take these boys back with you to your city. I don't appreciate their presence in my court."
"Yes, Your Grace." Grazdan mo Eraz bowed to him and then signalled to the servants to bring forward the other offerings.
The Yunkai'i had also brought many other gifts for him, including jewellery, gems, silk, swords, daggers, wines, and saffron.
And they were not the only ones who brought him gifts.
The city of Tolos gifted him two hundred of their finest trained slingers, all young men from fifteen to twenty-one years of age. Among other gifts were a thousand Tolosi shields, which they were also famous for.
Their city sought peace with the Summer Kingdom and the freedom of trade with Astapor and Dragonport, which was welcomed.
Azaerys told them to stay in the city for a sennight so that trade agreements could be drawn with their city, which they happily agreed to.
Finally, the envoys of Elyria, who were led by the two old magisters, declared that their city was willing to submit to the rule of the Summer Kingdom and accept all the laws of the kingdom.
Though they traded slaves, their economy was not heavily dependent on slavery. The island city was famous for its jewellers, dressmakers, blackstone towers, poison masters, witches, olives, honey, perfumes, other scents, and their leather armours. There was also an assassin guild called the Silent Men, where the people were trained to live in silence, observe the world in silence, and take lives in silence.
The Silent Men always killed their targets in sleep, and they were famous for using their Breath Stealer, a very lethal but painless poison.
Since the Summer Kingdom only banned the selling of slaves, Elyria could afford to accept the terms, and they were ready for it.
The magisters of Elyria, just like the rulers of Tolos, had realised that trading with Astapor and Dragonport was more beneficial to them, especially after the alliances of neutrality had been agreed between the kingdom, and Volantis and Qarth. However, they did not just want a trade alliance. They deemed it more beneficial and safe to fall under the rule of the kingdom.
It was not a hasty decision that stemmed from fear, but a very well-thought-out and debated decision which had been reached after witnessing the growth of Astapor and Dragonport.
Azaerys made the two old magisters recite the laws of the Summer Kingdom to let everyone bear witness that they knew exactly what they were getting into. Only after everything was clear did he accept the city of Elyria into the fold of his kingdom.
After dealing with the Elyrians, the Summer King looked at the Meereenese, who were still on their knees.
"Stand," he ordered them, and they winced as they got off their sore knees. "What's your answer, Hizdahr?"
"What does Meereen have to do to correct its errors, Your Grace?" He politely asked.
"Go back to your city and send me the heads of two of the nine leaders, who were present there in the Chamber of the Black Harpy with you the night you decided to send assassins after me, Gremm, and my siblings. I don't need your head or anyone else's who is present here. I want the head of Rezaq zo Ghazeen and one other that the Great Masters agree on." He smiled. "With those two heads, you will send me, at least, a thousand of your finest slave warriors, but only those who wish to live in my kingdom and serve it."
Though he found the demand excessive, Hizdahr did not dare say a word.
For now, keeping his head was the most important thing on his mind.
"Careful, Hizdahr. I have eyes and ears in your city. So close to you that you will never believe it. Your tricks will force me to turn Meereen into ruins. If I don't receive those two heads, my men in your city will take far more heads than just two."
Hizdahr nodded his head in a promise that they would not play any tricks.
"Additionally, Meereen will send all the Naathi slaves they have in the city to Dragonport. Every single one of them."
The envoys did not find this demand too excessive and readily nodded their heads.
Azaerys then signalled to the old scribe who served him, and the old man handed Hizdahr a scroll that contained more than a few hundred names.
"And you will send these prisoners, slaves, and their families to Astapor. No harm shall come to them."
"Yes, Your Grace."
Azaerys nodded to him and then glanced around the great hall.
"The Summer Kingdom does not stop anyone from having relationships with Meereen, but for the next five years, my kingdom will not directly sell any goods or lend help of any form to the City of the Great Masters. Individuals are free to do as they please, but I warn you that treason will make you and your families suffer." His words were cold, carrying a chill that seemed to settle over the hall like a winter frost. "If the Meereenese show themselves worthy and live by their promise of peace for the next five years, a trade alliance will be considered by the kingdom."
The Targaryen King also demanded that Yunkai hand over every single Naathi slave in their city, and the envoys of the corrupted city readily agreed to it.
Azaerys then announced to the audience that the Isle of Flies and its nearby Basilisk Isles were now under the control of the Summer Kingdom.
The Qartheen and the Volantenes were happy that the Summer Kingdom intended to get rid of the corsairs and pirates from the Basilisk Isles, but the Meereenese and the Yunkai'i were quite restless as they realised that they would not be getting as many exotic slaves as they used to.
After the court was dismissed, the Summer King sat down and had a sumptuous dinner, where the Tyrells, Redwynes, Gryffonns, and Martells joined them, the aroma of roasted meats and spiced wine filling the air.
"Why did you only ask for two heads, Your Grace?" The sweet-mouthed Margaery suddenly asked him a question, and to her glee, the Summer King smiled when he glanced at her.
"Would you like to answer her question, Aelyx?" He asked his little brother, who happily nodded his head and then looked at the Tyrell.
"It's not just two heads, Lady Margaery. My brother has asked for the heads of two Great Masters. People who hold a lot of power in Meereen. Their heads would never fall alone, and their deaths would sow discord that will keep them on their toes for the coming few years." He smirked. "Most importantly, the deaths of the two Great Masters will also show the slaves and freemen of Meereen that there is a power that even their rulers must now bow to. It will fan the flames of rebellion and create fractures in their system that would take them decades to fix."
Margaery keenly listened to his words and nodded her head.
"Is that also why Your Grace has asked them to hand over more than a thousand slave warriors who are willing to live in the Summer Kingdom?"
"Yes." He smiled. "There are hundreds of Naathi in the city. And thousands of slaves, prisoners, and the people who were mentioned in that scroll, as well as their families. Giving them to us would give hope to the slaves in the city, and also cause friction within the ancient slaver families..." Aegon explained things to her and everyone else on the table in detail, and when Arianne caught the lovesick expression on Desmera's face, she could not help but tease the young lady.
After the meal, the Summer King was dragged to his great chamber by his queen, who punished him in her own way by trying to drain him dry, her hands fierce yet tender as she pressed herself against him.
And even though she failed in her endeavour, she slept in his arms in peace, and shed tears in her sleep, her soft breaths warm against his chest.
Azaerys sighed in his heart and relished in the warmth and softness of her body.
Rhaenys was strong, everyone was. Even Allyria was stronger than his dear Arianne, who knew how to put up a brave front but would weep at night to her fears.
He was not just a husband to her now. He was also the father of her children. And for her, who was helplessly in love with him, the mere thought of his death was enough to break her heart.
And he was quite impressed that she had not chastised him or said things to him that she was tempted to say. She did not make any requests that her emotions were driving her to make, and her control over her tongue was perhaps the most remarkable quality of hers.
For the next three moons, Azaerys focused on the development of the Sheep Town, Green Garden, and Copper Town.
He also visited the Valley of Horses where his Dothraki lived now, and Rakharo and Vrakho both preferred staying there with their families than in Dragonport.
The two were taking care of the new village, helping the khalasar get used to the new lifestyle.
Rhaenys and he visited Elyria as well and stayed in the city for a couple of days.
After hundreds of Naathi slaves, who had been rescued from Meereen, Yunkai, Tolos, and Elyria, were sent to their home as per their wishes, Azaerys also visited the Isle of Flies and Naath, and took Arianne, Aegon, Rhaemon, Myrmadora, Desmera, and his maid, Khiara, with him.
They stayed on the Isle of Butterflies for a few days, enjoyed the hospitality of the Naathi tribes, and returned to Dragonport with some beautiful memories.
Unfortunately, except for Azaerys, all of them succumbed to fever after their return, which left them very weak. They stayed burning in that fever for a good three days before it magically disappeared, and Aegon finally understood the dangers of the Isle of Butterflies.
As beautiful as Naath was, they did not wish to go back there again.
At the start of the tenth moon, exactly a hundred days after Willas was discharged from the Pyramid of Life after his complete recovery, the Tyrells and Redwynes left to return to Westeros.
Prince Oberyn, Ellaria, Mellario, and little Prince Trystane went with them to oversee the transfer of the Sunset Hills under Arianne Martell's name.
On the same day, after a few moons of observation, the thirteen hundred slave warriors that Meereen had given to the Summer King, as well as the two hundred Tolosi slingers, were divided into two groups. One group was sent to the Isle of Flies to fortify the Darkhold, and the second group was left in charge of protecting the Copper Town which was under construction, close to Old Ghis.
The prisoners and slaves whom Azaerys had rescued from Meereen by mentioning their names in the scroll, numbering around three hundred, willingly submitted to him together with their families. They were also sent to the Copper Town, which the Summer King promised them as their new home.
There were some very capable people in their ranks, including some fallen nobles, bastards, and some old and wizened men. They understood the potential of Copper Town, and the future city, and wholeheartedly became part of its planning and construction.
On the first day of the last sennight of the year, Azaerys left Aegon in charge of Dragonport and took the rest of his family to Siren.
Rhaenys left her two handmaidens, Marella and Arbella, behind, but Rhaemon took his lover and maid, Thiara, and her daughter, Thiana, with him.
Azaerys also brought Khiara to Siren and was quite amused at the shock on the faces of the two Lengii princesses when they saw the dragons for the first time.
For the next few nights, the Summer King slept in the bed with his children, not his wives.
Elaena, who stuck to him all day long, carrying her beautiful little crystal dragon, Helexis, on her shoulders or in her arms, took naps with him during the day but was generous enough to let her five little siblings sleep comfortably with their father at night.
Perhaps, it was because she was quite annoyed by how the toddlers would start crying at night that she decided to not stay in the same room as them.
His little princess was not in the least sad that Helexis was not an ancient dragon. She was helplessly in love with her bonded she-dragon and thanked him a hundred times for giving her the egg. She was already boasting to everyone that her dragon was the prettiest, and no one could really argue with her on it.
Ashara, Viserys, Allyria, and Arthur had returned last moon from Ulthos. The man-apes did not show up this year, so they just visited the towns, oversaw the delivery of the thirty-six giant apes to the Kharziks, and received a hundred hippogriffs, which they and their household Kharziks brought to Siren.
And on the first day of the new year, just as Azaerys had promised to his sweet sister, he took Rhaenys as his fifth wife in the Valyrian tradition with their family and dragons as witnesses to their union.
They, however, did not consummate their marriage that very night.