Tyrion knew this wasn't about that. His military experience was limited to two occasions: leading the High Mountain Clans and defending King's Landing.
"Why are you telling me this?" Tyrion, far from foolish, was sharp as a tack.
"Rather than languishing here in frustration, have you considered other options?" Varys's gaze held a pointed meaning.
Tyrion's breath hitched. He stared at Varys, disbelief warring in his eyes. He hadn't expected the Master of Whisperers of King's Landing to dare speak such words to a Lannister.
His nephew was the Lord of the Seven Kingdoms, his sister the Dowager Queen, and his father Tywin held the reins of power. Yet Varys was urging him to betray them!
Though the Targaryen girl hadn't yet openly opposed King's Landing, as her influence grew, she would inevitably become a threat.
"It seems you are quite content with your position as Hand of the King, and happy to assist your dear nephew," Varys said, showing no fear as Tyrion glared at him, seemingly unconcerned about any potential accusations.
After Varys spoke, Tyrion considered his current predicament, and Joffrey's recent actions gradually came to mind. He found himself unable to respond immediately.
"I offer my early congratulations on your upcoming marriage, my lord!" With that, Varys turned and left the room.
Watching Varys's broad back recede, Tyrion had long lost the excitement he'd felt about negotiating with the Queen of Thorns. Shae's situation and Varys's words had left him deeply unsettled. He raised his goblet and took another long drink.
To complete the mission assigned by the mysterious man, Varys had been forced to visit Tyrion, but he hadn't obtained the definitive answers he sought. It wasn't yet time to send Tyrion to Slaver's Bay, so he would have to devise another plan.
***
On his flight back from the North, Drogon stopped in the grasslands for another hearty meal and to harvest a fresh wave of faith power.
The divine light within him grew bit by bit, and his physical strength increased incrementally as well. However, the growth was now extremely slow, nowhere near as rapid as when he had first obtained the divine light.
By the time he returned to Daenerys, the army was already nearing Yunkai. Jorah and Barristan had failed to dissuade her from attacking the city, so they turned their efforts to planning how to conquer it.
Three hours later, as dusk settled, the army reached a point five kilometers outside Yunkai. Daenerys ordered camp to be set up for the night.
She, along with Jorah and three of her men, rode to a nearby hill to observe Yunkai from a distance.
The entire city was built on a small mountain, with a circular wall at its base. From the base upwards, the slopes were packed with houses of varying sizes.
At the highest point stood two massive golden pyramids, the residences of the slave masters. Unlike Astapor's "Good Masters," Yunkai's slave masters called themselves "Wise Masters."
By now, the city walls were swarming with patrolling soldiers, and figures carrying weapons could be seen moving within the walls. A circle of tents surrounded the outer wall, and the number of people within was considerable.
"It seems they already know we're coming," Jorah said, having taken a rough assessment of Yunkai's situation.
"Can you estimate their numbers inside?" Daenerys asked Jorah and the other two.
"The distance is too great and the walls too high, but I'd estimate roughly three thousand men inside the city and around two thousand outside," Barristan replied. Though a Kingsguard, he had also led troops in battle and possessed considerable experience in large-scale combat.
"Who are the people outside the walls?" Daenerys inquired.
"They appear to be mercenaries, but I don't recognize the specific group. I'll investigate later," Jorah said.
After mentally calculating the relative numbers and combat strength, Daenerys asked, "What are our chances of victory if we attack?"
"We would inevitably win, but at a significant cost. The subsequent siege would cost even more lives," Barristan replied. He had witnessed the Unsullied's training methods and combat prowess during the march, and they were indeed formidable.
Individually, they wouldn't stand a chance against him, but taking on three at once would be a difficult battle. The Unsullied commander, Grey Worm, was particularly formidable. Barristan, in his youth, would have confidently defeated him, but now he wasn't so sure.
"Jorah, go tell the Wise Masters to surrender the city. If they refuse, we'll storm it, and not a single one of them will survive. Send the mercenary groups to negotiate with them as the Wise Masters' enforcers. If we take Yunkai, they won't get a single copper."
Daenerys didn't want to lose too many Unsullied in the assault on Yunkai; they were her capital for the invasion of Westeros.
Returning to the main camp, Jorah and the others didn't immediately retire to their tents. Instead, they stayed to discuss other details.
Only after the meeting did they disperse to their respective tents. Where Daenerys went, Drogon followed. Jiqi had even made a soft, cozy nest for him in a corner of her tent.
Let him have his nest; Drogon didn't mind. A bed would be wasted on him anyway.
After the others had left, Daenerys didn't immediately sleep. She lay on her side, stroking Drogon while lost in thought.
Having been stroked so many times, Drogon finally understood why his former pet cat had loved to rub against him and lie by his side. Being stroked was, in fact, incredibly pleasurable.
Sometimes, the pleasure of being stroked was so overwhelming that he would drift off to sleep without realizing it. The next morning, he woke up to find the Dragon Mother lying beside him.
In the morning, Jorah delivered the news of the negotiations into Yunkai. In the afternoon, the gates of Yunkai swung open, and an eight-bearer palanquin emerged from the city, followed by four attendants carrying two large chests.
Knowing that the Yunkai Wise Master was coming, Daenerys had already ordered a temporary reception hall to be set up.
Inside the palanquin, Wise Master Razdal of Yunkai repeatedly glanced at the neatly arranged Unsullied soldiers standing guard. As a fellow slave owner, he understood the combat prowess of the Unsullied and mentally assessed the power disparity between Yunkai and their forces.
*Roar!*
A dragon's cry interrupted his thoughts. High above, Rhaegal and Viserion circled overhead. Remembering the rumors of Astapor's dragon fire burning the Good Masters, Razdal's expression flickered. It seemed the tales of true dragons were indeed true.
As he stepped down from the palanquin and saw Drogon perched on Daenerys's shoulder, Razdal instinctively took half a step back. He couldn't help but wonder why this dragon was so small, so different from the two circling in the sky.
He didn't dare let his guard down, who knew if this little dragon might breathe fire in his face.
"The visitor is Lord Razdal mo'Eraz, Wise Master of Yunkai, from the ancient noble... "
After announcing Razdal, Missandei continued to introduce Daenerys.
"Before you stands Daenerys Targaryen, the Stormborn, the Unburnt, the Khaleesi of the Grass Sea... the Mother of Dragons."
"Mother of Dragons, I come in peace to negotiate a truce. To demonstrate my sincerity, I have brought you a generous gift." Wise Master Razdal said, clapping his hands.
Four slaves carried two bronze chests and placed them on the ground. Razdal opened them to reveal one overflowing with golden coins and the other brimming with multicolored diamonds and jewels.
Seeing the two massive chests of gold and jewels, Drogon's eyes suddenly lit up like stars. He had never witnessed such a scene in either of his lives.
Razdal wondered if he was mistaken. He saw no greed in Daenerys's eyes, but he noticed a different kind of gleam in the little dragon's eyes, perched on her shoulder.
-----------------------
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(End of Chapter)