The throne room of Meereen was still being repaired, though it hardly mattered — I never liked thrones anyway. The real work was done from the war table, where Daenerys and I stood now, surrounded by parchments, maps, and a dozen hovering advisors.
The city was ours, but it wasn't yet quiet.
Reports filtered in of lingering resistance. Pockets of slavers had gone underground — some literally, hiding in the ancient tunnels beneath Meereen. A few had already tried to poison the food supply. The Unsullied were handling it with brutal efficiency, but Daenerys's gaze remained sharp with thought.
"We can't afford to be seen as conquerors," she said. "We promised freedom."
"You gave it," I reminded her, tapping a map of the city districts. "But freedom breeds chaos. And chaos needs direction."
She gave me a small look, lips twitching faintly. "Your kind of direction?"
"Ideally."
There was a brief knock at the door — Grey Worm entered with Missandei behind him. He gave a crisp nod.
"The last of the slaves have been freed," he reported. "The harpy banners have been pulled down."
"And the bodies?" Daenerys asked quietly.
"Burned, as you ordered."
I turned back to the war table, brushing my fingers over the map. "Yunkai has remained silent since their surrender. We don't need to press them further. For now, Meereen is the priority."
"Let them stay quiet," Daenerys said, straightening. "Meereen will show the world what a free city looks like."
"And a powerful one," I added.
She glanced at me, then smiled. "With seven dragons, it's hard not to be."
Daenerys knelt in front of Tiraxes, Nyxarys, and Sorynth. They were cautious around her but not hostile. Tiraxes sniffed her palm. Nyxarys flicked a forked tongue toward her sleeve. Sorynth stared for a long time before turning away — almost offended.
"They're different," she murmured.
"They were made to fight," I said. "They're not like Vaedron, who'd rather sleep, or your three, who are bonded to you by fire. These three only care about the thrill and fun. About the hunt."
She looked at me, eyes gleaming with something half-warning, half-pride. "Then let's make sure they always fight for us."
"They will."
Behind us, Vaedron was curled in a stone archway, tail lazily flicking as he blinked down at the trio. He didn't move. He rarely did unless I made him.
Drakaina, Rhazal, and Viserion had been taken to the upper nesting chambers, where they had space to grow. The contrast between the two groups of dragons was stark: Drakaina already the largest, Rhazal the fastest, Viserion the most reactive… but none of them dared challenge Vaedron.
Daenerys joined me at the courtyard railing. "Do you ever wonder if this was meant to happen? That we were born for this?"
"I stopped wondering the moment I saw Meereen burn," I said. "This is our war. And we'll win it together."
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