That night, in the rectangular hall on the second level of the Great Pyramid, Wright, the Tattered Prince, and Daenerys sat in chairs, accompanied by several of Meereen's Great Masters.
Wright and the others were seated deep within the hall, far enough to see the staircase leading up to the second floor. The long row of braziers on both sides of the hall had been extinguished, leaving the massive chamber dark and empty, except for the few occupants.
Wright glanced at his pocket watch. "They should be here soon."
"Wright, what are you up to again? If you dare humiliate me once more, I'll bite my tongue and kill myself!" Daenerys' voice was filled with alarm. Wright had conducted his experiments on her in private before, but this kind of setup made her fear he would disgrace her in public.
"Quiet! Listen carefully!" Wright whispered.
Within the silence of the Great Pyramid, the faint clashing of swords and occasional muffled screams echoed, cut short as if someone's throat had been seized.
Someone had broken in.
Are they here to rescue me? Daenerys' heart surged with hope. At least her nephew had not forgotten her. But seeing how Wright and the others were clearly prepared for this, all she could do now was silently pray to the Seven for a miracle.
The sounds grew closer. The intruders had ascended the stone steps and reached the second floor, now standing at the opposite end of the hall from Wright and his companions.
The steady footsteps indicated that there were many of them.
Wright conjured a small flame in his palm, sending it to light the candle in front of Daenerys. The glow illuminated her white silk robe and platinum-gold hair, making her stand out like a beacon in the dark chamber.
The approaching group immediately spotted her and rushed forward.
At the front, a shadowed figure whispered, "Daenerys, don't be afraid. I'm here!"
Even though he spoke softly, his voice carried through the silent hall.
Daenerys' joy quickly turned to terror. These people were going to die!
Suddenly, dozens of braziers around the hall flared to life, revealing more than thirty figures in black who instantly drew their swords.
The Tattered Prince leapt to his feet and shouted, "Brothers! Capture the assassins! Kill anyone who resists!"
More than a hundred Windblown mercenaries surged into the hall from every entrance, their shouts filling the space as others still outside cheered.
"Form up!"
The Windblown warriors swiftly gathered at both ends of the hall, locking shields together in tight formation.
"Advance!"
One of the officers, a fully armored woman, led the push.
The assassins were scattered and disorganized in comparison. Some attempted to scale the walls to bypass the shield wall, others tried brute force to break through, but the tightly packed mercenaries repelled them or impaled them with spears.
As the shield wall closed in, the thirty or so intruders were quickly reduced to a mere dozen, forced back-to-back in desperation.
"Aaaah!"
A fresh wave of spears thrust forward, splattering blood across the stone floor.
Seeing that the assassins refused to surrender even in the face of death, the Tattered Prince gave another order. "Leave a few alive!"
The battle was over in moments. After a few final screams, seven unscathed prisoners and six gravely wounded ones were disarmed and forced to their knees before Wright and the others.
"Daenerys, this no longer concerns you. Go upstairs and rest," Wright commanded with a wave of his hand.
Several burly guards stepped forward and dragged Daenerys away. She dared not resist, her small frame powerless against them. She also refrained from looking at Theon and Asha, fearing that Wright would notice anything.
Wright turned to the captives. "Who's your leader?"
Theon Greyjoy and Asha Greyjoy remained silent.
Wright's voice grew colder. "Tattered Prince, if they refuse to speak, kill them all."
"As you wish."
"Wait!" Asha blurted out. "Our leader was behind us. He's already dead!" Her arms were twisted behind her back, and the pain made cold sweat trickle down her face.
The Tattered Prince scoffed. "Dead? Then there's no point in keeping you lowly underlings alive. Boys, finish them!"
Who the hell is this white-haired old bastard? He's not playing by the usual rules! Asha panicked. "I'm the leader!"
The Tattered Prince narrowed his eyes. "Who sent you? What was your objective?"
Asha took a deep breath. "Murder. We came here to kill the Great Masters of Meereen."
Wright continued playing his role for the Great Masters. "Even with your faces smeared in black, I still recognize you—Theon and Asha! You were with Daenerys. Killing the Great Masters? Your real goal was to rescue her, wasn't it?"
"Wright!" Asha struggled against her captors, but the mercenaries held her fast.
A Great Master asked, "Lord Wright, what should we do now?"
Wright replied, "I discovered them in advance through magic, but the ones who died today were all your people, and the ones who captured them were from the Windblown. That means they are your prisoners. I'll just offer a suggestion—they're valuable!"
"As hostages? Or should we demand a ransom from those behind them?" The Tattered Prince, a veteran mercenary of several decades, spoke up. The Great Masters knew his ways well, and now they were discussing the matter with him.
The Tattered Prince felt he needed more information before making a decision, so he called for his interrogator, Pretty Meris, to come and question the prisoners.
Meris was the same woman who had commanded the battle earlier. She was nearly six feet tall. As she removed her helmet, golden hair cascaded down her back, but her face was terrifyingly disfigured—both ears had been cut off, her nose was split into several pieces, and a cross-shaped scar marred her cheek. Her nickname, Pretty, was nothing but cruel irony. Wright had even heard that she had been mutilated further, with both her breasts cut away.
Seeing her, Asha made a quick decision and confessed, "We came to rescue Daenerys. This is a personal vendetta. We demand to be ransomed!"
Meereen and Wright had long been aligned due to Daenerys and her husband. Now that the Windblown had acted, they were officially drawn into the conflict. There was no turning back.
The Great Masters hesitated. They were already competing with Daenerys' husband for control of Meereen. Seeing that these people had come to trouble Wright, they preferred to stay out of it, making their excuses and leaving, until only the Tattered Prince remained.
"Cowards! Fence-sitters!"
The one cursing was Asha.
Meris seized Asha by the throat. "The cowardly sometimes live longer. The bold die today."
"Asha and Theon are important figures. I will interrogate them with magic. Tattered Prince, execute the rest immediately." Wright rose to his feet, grabbing Asha and Theon and dragging them toward the stairs leading to the pyramid's underground chambers.
The Tattered Prince drew his sword and plunged it into a prisoner's chest. The Windblown mercenaries followed his lead, killing the captives within seconds. Some even made sure by stabbing the corpses again.
Down in the underground chamber, Wright didn't care whether Asha and Theon were injured. He cast a healing spell on each of them.
The assassins who had come tonight were among Daenerys' most skilled personal guards and soldiers. They knew Wright's strength and were willing to risk everything to rescue her.
Asha had infiltrated the Sons of the Harpy before and secretly communicated with Wright in Meereen. The people who died tonight were the most loyal to Daenerys. Completing their mission had been one of Asha's tasks.
Originally, she was meant to come alone and return alone. But when Theon found out, he insisted on coming as well. He wanted to see if Daenerys was still alive—if Wright had already cut off her hands and feet.
"Asha, I'll tell the others that you two are imprisoned in the dungeon. When you return, come up with a convincing escape story yourself." Wright lit the chamber, and for a moment, it felt as if the three of them were back in Winterfell's crypt, speaking in hushed voices.
"Understood, Lord Wright!" Asha nodded.
"Now that Daenerys is in my hands, her people are either dead or have fled to the Golden Company. Your new primary target is Aegon Targaryen." Wright opened a chest, revealing new sets of clothing.
"Aegon Targaryen? Young Griff?" Asha was uncertain. Aegon had yet to officially reveal his identity. Those who had joined the cause later had only heard rumors.
Wright confirmed, "The intelligence is solid—it's him! You two don't need to take action. I just need his location and information on the three dragons!"
"Understood, Lord Wright!" Asha acknowledged.
"Theon! Is Daenerys beautiful?"
Wright suddenly addressed the dazed Theon, startling him. He answered honestly, "She is!"
Asha interrupted, "Lord Wright, Theon—"
Wright raised a hand. "No need to explain. At his age, it's normal for him to be attracted to a beautiful woman."
Then, he fixed his gaze on Theon and spoke slowly, his voice laden with temptation. "A princess of House Targaryen, the Mother of Dragons who hatched two dragons—Theon, do you think someone of your status could marry her?"
"I—" Theon had dreamed of it. But later, just standing behind Daenerys and breathing in her scent had been enough to satisfy him.
Wright raised his palm, conjuring a small ice sculpture of Daenerys in his hand. "I have a way for you to take Daenerys home as your wife."
Theon straightened up at once, standing rigidly. "Lord Wright, what must I do?"
Wright stared into his eyes, his voice slow and seductive. "Work with your sister. When you earn your title and she is no longer a princess, your status will finally be equal."