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[MEREEN]
[DAENERYS is sitting on her throne listening to her people's problems. MISSANDEI translates for the people]
"You stand before Daenerys Stormborn, the Unburnt, Queen of Mereen, Queen of the Andals and the Rhoynar and the First Men. Khaleesi of the Great Grass Sea, Breaker of Chains and Mother of Dragons.
"Thank you for seeing me, your grace. My name is Fennesz. I can speak the common tongue if you wish."
"Oh, that is a surprise" Varys smirked, "you don't have those often."
"Before you freed me, I belonged to Master Mighdal. I was a tutor to his children. I taught them languages and history. They know a great deal about your family because of me. Little Calla is only seven, but she admires you very much."
Daenerys smiled softly.
"When you took the city, the children begged me not to leave the house. But Master Mighdal and I agreed that I must. So I lost my home. Now I live on the streets."
"I have outfitted mess halls to feed all former slaves and barracks to shelter them."
"I do not mean to offend, your grace. I went to one of these places. The young prey on the old. Take what they want and beat us if we resist."
"The greedy will always take when the opportunity for it rises" Jon Arryn frowned.
"Or be spurred by people wishing the ruler's downfall" Rhaegar added. "These young slaves could easily be men working for the masters, trying to stir up chaos and cause unrest amongst the people."
"Could be" Jon nodded. "Daenerys will have her work cut out for her at this rate..."
Daenerys bit her lip nervously. Nothing in life was easy, she knew it better than many of the people here.
"My Unsullied will make them safe again in short order my friend, this I promise you."
"Even if they are safe, who would I be there? What purpose would I serve? With my master, I was a teacher. I had the respect and love of these children."
"What is it that you want from me?"
"Your grace, I ask you to let me sell myself back to Master Mighdal."
"He wishes to be a slave again?" Daenerys asked in shock.
"It's the only thing he knows" Jon reasoned. "He's old and from the sounds of it, his master treated him like a human, respected and probably even loved him. He was a teacher to his children. That is his safe space, as wrong as the relationship is, it's all he knows."
"Are you saying I should allow the Masters to reclaim their slaves then?" Daenerys questioned.
"No, slavery is bad and nothing will change that" Jon answered. "Perhaps introduce jobs, so his former master may hire him, pay him for his work and not treat him like he's a slave."
"I suppose..." the Princess frowned.
"The young may rejoice in the new world you've built for them. But for those of us too old to change there is only fear and squalor. I am not alone. There are many outside waiting to beg the same-"
"I did not take this city to preside over the injustice I fought to destroy. I took it to bring people freedom. But freedom means making your own choices. I will allow you to sign a contract with your former master. It may not cover a period lasting longer than a year."
"Guess you had the same idea" Lyanna smiled at the girl.
Daenerys smiled back.
[FENNESZ leaves slowly, thanking DAENERYS all the way]
"The masters will take advantage of this situation. The men serving them will be slaves in all but name."
"But if you are not letting them choose, then is it truly freedom?" Robb murmured.
"It is, but not the kind of freedom one would have wanted" Jon argued gently.
"Odd how freedom can mean different things for different people" Robb muttered.
Jon nodded.
[Another man enters the hall. He speaks in low Valyrian while crying. MISSANDEI translates]
"I have brought you. He came from the sky. The black one. The winged shadow. He came from the sky and..."
[The man kneels on the ground sobbing, laying a pile of burnt bones on the ground]
"No," Daenerys said in horror. Sheep were one thing... but children?
"Unsurprising" Rhaegar muttered, his tone gentle and understanding. "Dragons are... violent..."
"You're okay with this?" Daenerys asked in disgust.
"No. I am not. But I also know that Dragons are not pets, that they are great beasts who go through certain periods of viciousness as they grow. At Dragonstone they were bound to the Dragonmont and the Dragontamers knew how to handle them. Letting them have free reign as they have with you would always be disastrous."
"So what? Hatching the dragons was a mistake?" Robb asked.
"No. The mistake was not training them properly. Dragonriders in the past worked with their dragons from a young age, taught them commands to follow, and punished them when they acted out. A dragon is an intelligent beast, but they are beasts in the end. Some dragon riders used whips to control their dragons and whipped them if they stepped a toe out of line from what their riders wanted. You're seeing this now and know what will happen if you do not discipline them. You will not make the same mistakes your future self is making."
Daenerys stared at her brother for a moment, a little taken aback by the confidence in his last words. Could she do it? Could she tame these dragons enough to teach them between right and wrong? Drogon is vicious and violent, would she be able to reign in his tendencies? Or perhaps redirect them in some other way?
So much to think about...
[The entrance to the catacombs is rolled open. DAENERYS' dragons enter followed by DAENERYS. Inside there is food for them. They chomp at the food as DAENERYS puts chains collar around their necks. She walks away crying as they screech at her. She turns around as the catacombs close with tears in her eyes.]
"I wonder how that'll affect them," Rhaegar thought to himself, while Daenerys watched with sadness. Would the dragons listen to her now? Or will they feel betrayed and kill her the next time she goes to see them?
[CASTLE BLACK]
[MAESTER AEMON and the rest of the Night's Watch burn the bodies of their fallen comrades]
"They came to us from White Harbor and Barrowton, from Fairmarket and King's Landing, from north and south, from east and west. They died protecting men, women, and children who will never know their names. It is for us to remember them. Our brothers, we shall never see their like again."
[All chorus]
"And now their watch is ended."
[Aemon passes the torch around as each member of the Night's Watch helps burn the bodies. Stannis watches from above.]
The people lowered their heads out of respect for the deceased. They died fighting, protecting the lands and making sure no man, woman or child would need to face the horror. Like those that had.
[JON approached TORMUND. The wildling looks up and grunts.]
"Your old blind man patched me up. Why?"
"He's sworn to treat all wounded men, friend or foe."
"You want me alive so you can torture me?"
"You can only expect the things that you do to others" Jon said.
"Or perhaps like you, they too were told stories when they were young of how the Night's Watch tortured the captured" Daenerys pointed out.
"Could be" Jon nods.
"No one's going to torture you."
"So how do we die? Hanging? Beheading? Drop us from the top of the wall?"
"I don't know what happens to the prisoners."
"Who decides?"
"I suppose Stannis does."
"He your king now?"
"I don't have a king."
"You spent too much time with us, Jon Snow. You can never be a kneeler again."
"We're gonna burn the bodies of your dead. Do you want to say any words over them?"
"Words? What kind of words?"
"Don't they say something for the dead?" Tommen asked.
"No. They don't believe in that custom. What is dead is dead, they do not need words" Jon explained.
"Funeral words. I don't know how the Free Folk do it."
"Do what?"
"Say farewell."
"The dead can't hear us, boy."
Tommen nodded. It matched with what Jon said.
[JON walks away]
"Snow. Did you love her? She loved you."
"She told you?"
"No. All she ever talked about was killing you. That's how I know."
Robb felt bad for his brother but he knew that it unlikely for this to happen again.
"She belongs in the North. The real North. You understand me?"
[JON leaves and takes YGRITTE'S body out past The Wall. He burns her body in a pile of logs.]
"Good" Lyanna nodded. It was what she deserved. Try as she might, she couldn't be angry at the girl. Perhaps it had to do with how she showed devotion to her son in a way nobody else showed. Even if the start of that relationship was her egging him along until he gave in.