Chapter 344: Swift and Decisive
With the previous incident in Qarth, where a warlock calling himself one of the Undying had attacked her, it was difficult for Daenerys not to feel wary and suspicious of Quaithe's behavior—taking such a long, roundabout way only to eventually ask for her blood.
Fortunately, their meetings usually occurred in Daenerys's living quarters or open spaces rather than enclosed environments like the House of the Undying, which offered her some small measure of relief. Even if she believed the masked woman would not plot against her life, Daenerys had to consider the possibility: if dragonblood was paid as compensation based on the duration of the lessons, could the woman deliberately provide minimal effort while dragging out the instruction of the dragon-riding arts?
Accepting the eerie price of bloodletting gave Daenerys the illusion of making a deal with a devil, but she had no other choice. The only resistance she could offer was to propose a split payment—she demanded that she would pay the remaining half only after she had truly mastered the art of dragon-riding and completed the contract with Drogon as described in the Compendium.
Daenerys returned from her memories of trading blood for dragon-riding to the Small Council meeting at hand.
The process was unimportant; the result was that—at the cost of two sales totaling nearly a bottle of blood—she had achieved near-total mastery of the art. Quaithe proved to be an excellent teacher. Under her guidance, Daenerys quickly completed the soul-binding with the black dragon, Drogon, transforming from his nurturer and mother into his rider in the truest sense.
And now, the red priest Moqorro had not only accurately recounted her experiences in Asshai but had hinted at even more information between the lines.
The one who provided the art of dragon-riding made demands they had no right to make; she paid a price she should not have paid for something that was already hers and services she was entitled to enjoy—what did that sentence mean? Was it possible that Quaithe's initiative to offer lost Valyrian knowledge was not entirely out of warm-heartedness, but because she was commissioned by someone else? Could it be that someone had already paid the price for the Compendium, and Quaithe's demand for blood was merely a spur-of-the-moment extra extortion?
As for her lingering fear that Quaithe might kidnap and imprison her to obtain a steady supply of dragonblood—was that fear never realized simply because of the dread of the Lord of Light's prophecy mentioned by the black-robed priest before her?
The young Queen was filled with confusion and suspicion, but she ultimately suppressed the urge to probe further. She knew the Small Council was no place for interpreting oracles. Furthermore, if she became too entangled in Moqorro's narrative or too obsessed with messages delivered through the flames, she risked being led by the nose—becoming a ruler who knelt at the feet of religious forces, her power hollowed out by faith.
Moqorro had proven he was no common charlatan; what she needed to do now was show respect for his counsel.
"Very well. I shall return to Westeros to fulfill the duties I am meant to fulfill." Daenerys raised her chin slightly, quickly regaining her composure. "But not 'immediately'—rather, 'as soon as possible.'" She was, after all, the Queen of Meereen, with the power and status to make the final decision. "Rapidly erasing slavery from the world may be an extravagance I must set aside for now... but at the very least in Slaver's Bay—in the three cities of Astapor, Yunkai, and Meereen where I have set foot—good order and normal production must be restored. I will never allow those who call me Breaker of Shackles and Mother to live a harder life after gaining their freedom than they did before I shattered their chains. This is my bottom line, and it shall be the sole focus of those loyal to me until the moment I set sail for Westeros!"
Excellent. Though their starting points differed, if the mess in Slaver's Bay could be settled before the counter-invasion began, every aspect—the quantity and quality of the army, weaponry, and logistics—would take a massive step forward. Even if Daenerys had intended to leave at once, Littlefinger would have advised her to tidy up the shop before departing. Now that she had raised the point herself, it saved Petyr a great deal of breath.
"A wise decision, Your Grace, but I must present you with the reality Meereen currently faces: we are surrounded by enemies and troubles." The Hand of the Queen sat up straight, speaking in a calm but clear tone. "Your Grace's hatred of slavery stems from mercy and compassion, but the radical stance you have taken appears to many rulers on this continent as incomprehensible madness and chaos. Your actions in Slaver's Bay have touched the nerves and interests of countless people. The slave trade is not merely the livelihood of these few 'points of sale'; it is the Dothraki's channel for handling prisoners of war and their source for daily resources. It even affects the balance of maritime trade worldwide."
Seeing the Hand of the Queen signal him, Grey Worm, the commander of the Unsullied—who had been briefly briefed before the meeting—began to report the latest military situation. "The declarations of war from Yunkai and the occupied Astapor were expected. It is also logical that Tolos, Elyria, and New Ghis have joined the war as slaving cities... The good news is that these immediate neighbors were repelled by the Unsullied in the great battle not long ago. They are severely weakened and cannot pose a threat again in the short term. The bad news, however, is that the opponents we have defeated are only the weaker part of those who have declared war against us."
Missandei quickly picked up the thread, her finger pointing to the map spread across the table. "Inside the harbor, the recently arrived Volantene Iron Fleet has blockaded the port, preventing us from obtaining resources and supplies via the sea. Ten miles west of the city, the first wave of Volantene land forces has established a camp on the shore with deep trenches and high walls. They have linked up with the New Ghiscari legions and are waiting for mercenaries from all over Essos to arrive and bolster their strength, while simultaneously threatening our farmers working outside the walls. Beyond this, our enemies have informed the Dothraki of your actions in Slaver's Bay, attempting to draw all khalasars into an alliance against you."
"Whether it is the Free Cities led by Volantis or the horselords of the Great Grass Sea, their strength far exceeds that of Yunkai. Fortunately, the Free Cities are thousands of miles away, beyond our immediate reach, and the Dothraki are composed of various independent khalasars. Though their collective strength is great, it is impossible for them to be moved under a unified command to attack us," Petyr said with a grave expression. "However, the threat does not only come from enemies. The plague within Meereen has not been fully eradicated. Like our enemies, we cannot exert our full strength. The situation remains grim. If Your Grace wishes to settle this chaos and return to Westeros quickly, at least the following objectives must be met."
He held up three fingers. "First, we must defeat the massive fleet in the bay and the Volantene and New Ghiscari forces on land with minimal cost, removing the external threat to Meereen while capturing enough ships and sailors to lay the foundation for the return voyage. Second, whether through diplomacy or force, we must find a way to subdue Yunkai and Astapor to achieve Your Grace's goal of establishing stability and order on the eastern coast of Slaver's Bay; three cities preparing together will surely provide more and better personnel and supplies than Meereen alone. Third, the plague and the restless new nobles must be settled before departure. Whether it is disease or opportunists, there are a thousand solutions while Your Grace remains in Meereen, but to set sail with these hidden dangers would be a disaster—an outbreak at sea or a fire in our backyard would be catastrophic."
"I wish to add one point," Missandei interjected with valuable insight. "We must also negotiate with the enemies. The Volantene fleet and the New Ghiscari legions are merely their outstretched tentacles; cutting them off will cause pain, but it is not a mortal blow. Ultimately, we need a peace treaty secured through both threats and incentives to give Meereen time to breathe and recover. And the Dothraki are the trouble among troubles—if they drive their captives to Slaver's Bay only to find no buyers, they will surely vent their fury upon Your Grace. Even if those horselords cannot breach the city walls, they can easily force a halt to all farming and production outside the city."
Petyr nodded appreciatively at Missandei's addition. At the head of the table, Daenerys knit her brows tightly. There were far more troubles to resolve than she had imagined, and clearly, they could not all be solved with fire and blood. These were only the most critical points; she understood that many more minor difficulties and complications lay hidden beneath the surface.
"Regarding the enemies, I will let everyone see the results of the dragon-riding," the Queen said, her cold voice radiating murderous intent. "As for the negotiations with Volantis and Ghis, and the plan for dealing with the Dothraki coming to sell their captives, I expect my Hand of the Queen to solve those for me. Regarding the plague... Lord Moqorro, the Lord of Light is vastly powerful. Surely he can help Meereen handle a mere disease?"
"The Queen commands, and as your most loyal friend, I shall naturally assist with all my strength," the black-skinned priest nodded. "I will do what I can, but whether the Pale Mare can be eradicated ultimately depends on the will of the Lord of Light."
"I shall take that as your guarantee that it will be solved." Daenerys had begun to understand the patterns in such typical charlatan rhetoric. After giving him a long look, she turned to Littlefinger. "Petyr, what about you?"
"Negotiations and the Dothraki... I will find a way," Petyr advised with a hint of unease. "But I still hope Your Grace will heed my counsel: dragons are ultimate weapons, and they are best used sparingly. Danger aside, if news that you can already control the dragons reaches Westeros too early, you will lose a major trump card for the final struggle for the Iron Throne."
"If I do not use them now, and I do not use them then, must I wait until my soldiers are all dead before bringing them out?" Daenerys remained unmoved. "Powerful weapons should be used decisively. We will solve all the problems of Slaver's Bay quickly and depart before the news reaches Westeros. By the time the Usurper's dogs receive word and begin preparing to deal with dragons, I will already be appearing over their heads atop Drogon. Go, assemble my navy and army. Time waits for no one. We attack at sunset!"
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