Viserys' voice echoed through the marble courtyard, sharp and venomous.
"You dare shame me in front of a khalasar?!" His face was flushed red, spit flying from his lips. "You and your bronze dogs think yourselves my equals? I am the dragon! The blood of the true kings! And you—"
Leonidas stood at the center of the courtyard, his shield resting against his leg, arms crossed. His Spartans flanked him, unmoving, their crimson cloaks fluttering in the evening breeze.
Daenerys sat nearby on a stone bench, hands folded tight in her lap. Her shoulders were tense, her eyes lowered. She had endured Viserys' rages all her life. But tonight, something was different. Tonight, there was someone else watching.
"You are mine!" Viserys snarled, spinning toward her. "Do you hear me, sister? Mine to sell, mine to wed, mine to rule through! You will obey—"
CRACK.
The courtyard froze.
Leonidas had moved faster than any eye could follow. His shield struck Viserys square across the face, sending the so-called dragon sprawling onto the marble tiles. Blood blossomed from his nose, his crown of pale hair matted with it.
A gasp escaped Daenerys before she could stop it.
Viserys writhed on the ground, clutching his face, shrieking. "You dare! You dare strike me!"
Leonidas' shadow fell over him. His voice was calm, yet heavy with iron.
"You call yourself dragon," he said, "yet all I see is a worm gnashing its teeth."
Viserys scrambled back, rage twisting his features. "I'll have you flogged! I'll have your men cut down—"
Leonidas' boot pressed down on his chest, pinning him flat. The bronze weight crushed the breath from his lungs.
"You will touch her no more," Leonidas said. His eyes burned, not with rage, but with the steady fire of command. "You will not raise your voice to her. You will not lay claim to her body or her crown. If you do, dragon or no, I will break you."
Viserys thrashed, but the strength difference was laughable. His hands clawed at Leonidas' greaves, useless.
The Spartans slammed their shields in unison, the courtyard ringing with thunder. Their chant rolled like a storm over stone.
"For Sparta! For our Queen!"
Daenerys' heart hammered in her chest. For the first time, she saw her brother cowed, humiliated, powerless.
And for the first time, she felt the chains around her soul loosen.
Leonidas removed his boot at last, letting Viserys crawl backward like a beaten dog. He did not chase him. He did not need to. The point was made.
Viserys spat blood, glaring with wild eyes. "You'll regret this, you'll—"
"Enough."
Daenerys spoke before she realized it. Her voice trembled, but the word rang clear. Viserys froze, staring at her as if she had grown fangs.
"I… I am not your property," she whispered. Her eyes turned to Leonidas, steady now. "I am Daenerys Targaryen."
The System chimed in Leonidas' mind:
> [Critical Event Triggered: Daenerys Awakens – Spirit Unbroken.]
[Reward: Spartan Training Grounds upgraded to Lv.2.]
[New Ability: Inspire (Passive) – Your presence strengthens the resolve of allies.]
Leonidas inclined his head toward her, a warrior's salute. "And I am your shield."
For the first time in her life, Daenerys did not look small.
She looked like a queen.
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