Have you ever watched somebody try to power through something they obviously hated?
I did. When Kinvara learned that we would be flying, I don't think this was how she imagined it would go. As soon as we picked up speed, the poor woman tensed up, closed her eyes, actually started praying, and only stopped when the shores of Essos finally came to view.
"Wow. That took longer than I expected." I said to Pyra once we slowed down to take a good look at the grass plains of Andalos, being bathed in evening orange. They made for a breathtaking sight.
"Hmm. It took about as much time as I expected it would."
"Yeah, but you used math. *ptui*"
"Anyway. How did you enjoy your first high-speed flight, Kinvara?" I grinned at her, and I swear, when she looked over her shoulder at me, she was glaring.
"It was… an experience." She tried choosing her words carefully.
"Haha~ I bet. I think that by now, I've heard all the prayers for the red god."
"*sigh* Then my suffering has served a purpose." Kinvara sounded almost relieved.
"Nah, sorry, I'll forget them come morning. Oh! By the way, do you know any good places to stay in Pentos?" I asked.
"The Red Temple, my lady. If you wish it, they would welcome you two like queens." There was a hint of pride in her voice. Of course, she would recommend that.
"Well, I do love fire. Hmm~ How much of it is there?" I was weighing my options. There was fire, so a huge plus, but the drawback....
"She means that literally… How many things are on fire?" Pyra added when Kinvara started to look confused.
"I—I don't know? There is a lot of fire, and it is everywhere, but I'm afraid nobody has ever counted. Is that something you wish to know?"
"Nah, I was just curious. Do you know if every red priest got visions of me?"
"Yes, as long as they were gazing into the flames during that time, they would have received the vision. I understand your reluctance to engage with the church, but simply knowing that you will visit their temple will be enough for them. Please, let me prepare them for your arrival. You will not be disturbed, I promise." She pleaded, and I think I saw her knees bend almost instinctively, but she managed to catch herself. I guess Pyra was right.
"Nobody kneels."
"Nobody kneels." She repeated like it was her own new personal mantra.
"Alright, once we reach the city, go set it up."
—
Something was happening in this city, something big. The Red Faith has been in a frenzy since the day before yesterday, and they showed no sign of stopping anytime soon. Their fires burned brighter than ever before, and the priests carried themselves with newfound purpose.
"Have you found out what is happening, Illyrio?" Asked Viserys once he finished glaring at the passerby from the balcony.
"Only rumors, my king." The Cheesemonger shook his head.
"And? What are they? Spit it out."
"Of course, of course. The priests are tight-lipped about the happenings inside the Temple, but the servants whisper about this so-called Daughter of Fire. I am trying to find out what that title means, but seeing as I'm not well-versed in the Red Faith, it might take me some time."
"Pft. Baseless rumors from religious zealots, nothing more." Viserys scoffed with disdain.
"Mayhaps, but they are celebrating something. That has never happened as far as I can remember. I advise caution, my king, when you venture out into the city." Illyrio tried to warn him gently, but it fell on deaf ears.
"I have the blood of the dragon, Illyrio. They better remember that, or they will feel my wrath once I take the throne."
"Of course, my king." He simply agreed with a smile. After all, this wasn't the first time he heard that, and it certainly won't be the last.
"Enough nonsense! What about the savage and his army? When will they arrive?"
"They will be here soon. A word got back from Qohor today, they had already left the city."
"Mmm. Make sure my sister is prepared."
"She is learning diligently from Doreah." Illyrio offered a genial smile.
—
What neither of those two dipshits realized was that I was standing right behind them, listening intently. Kinvara came in clutch yesterday, when she told me their location, because finding them in a city this big would have been a hassle.
I saw the last Targaryens, and the prince was honestly an utter disappointment. He was not right in the head, and not in a fun way either. Nah, he was abusing his little sister, and was essentialy raising her as a whore to be sold to some warlord, in exchange for an army.
Speaking of the sister. She was so small, and so goddamn cute, I had this instinctive need to help her. Kind of like when you see a wounded animal. Although she actually surprised me a bit. She had strong magic in her. It looked to be dormant, but it was pretty powerful, for this world at least.
I am not a saint, far from that… but I think I'm gonna kidnap that girl once I steal the dragon eggs. I'd better tell that to Pyra, though.
I slinked back inside the house and teleported back into the Temple. It was… nice. I quite liked it. Kinvara really made it so nobody bothered us, for which I was grateful.
"You're back! Learned anything interesting?" Pyra noticed me first.
"Yep. The prince is a major cunt, so I'm changing my plans. We're kidnapping the princess." There was no reason to sugarcoat it.
"Emily? What are we going to do with a princess?" She asked incredulously. And I had to give it to her, that was a damn good question. Because I had no idea. I was just winging it, like always.
"Dunno. We'll figure it out as we go. But I'm going to do it. She is right there, and I can help, her future is dark, to say the least."
"*sigh* Well, even if it's pretty abrupt, at least you told me. I'll tell Kinvara to prepare another bed then."
"No need. I know where the eggs are, I'm stealing them right now. Then we're going back home. I just came back to tell you. So you don't freak out when I turn up with a probably screaming kid."
"Yeah, even if I'm used to your shenanigans, I can see myself doing that."
"Kay, be back in a sec." I opened up a portal directly to that merchant's study. Dumbass had the eggs just sitting there in a chest. Though I guess I can't blame him for that, the mansion is very well protected. I grabbed them and threw them back to Pyra through the portal before I closed it.
"Now then… let's get the princess, shall we?" I whispered excitedly and made myself invisible.
As I was making my way through the mansion, a thought suddenly hit me.
"I joked about this, and now I'm really kidnapping a princess. Maybe I am a super secret dragon? Hehe~" I silently giggled.
At least when I found her, she was alone. That "servant" who was teaching her was gone, and the princess was just blankly staring at the wall. Now that I was looking at her from this close, I saw the bruising peeking out from underneath her dress. Work of her brother, no doubt.
I silently locked the door, cast Muffliato so I won't be overheard, and dropped my invisibility right in front of her.
"AAAAA!" Yep, an expected reaction.
"Now, now, princess. You are being kidnapped, please do not resist." I grabbed her hand before she had the chance to really move, and the girl just stiffened.
"D–Don't hurt m–me, please…"
"No worries, little dragon! I'm saving you." I immediately opened another portal to the Red Temple and dragged her behind me.
"Okay. Now you can scream." I told her. Pyra studied her face, and I saw her eyes soften.
"WHO ARE YOU PEOPLE?!"
"See, Pyra? Isn't she super cute?" I grinned at her.
"Hmm~ *sigh* yeah… I get it now."
"P–please! What is going on? W–Where am I?" Damn, she was really freaking out.
"I kidnapped you. You're in the Red Temple right now."
"What?! W–why me?"
"Because I could, and because your brother is a cunt."
"Emily… That's not helping."
"No? Huh. You're right." I looked at the princess carefully, and yeah, she was on the verge of a panic attack. Sorry, kiddo, I'm not really good at this.
"R–ransom… you must want ransom, correct?"
"Umm. No? I wanted you." Aaand the princess fainted. Thank god I was still holding her hand, or she would have face planted right there and then.
"Goddamnit Emily… Bring the poor girl to the bed and let me do the talking."
"Yes, mom…"
—
When Daenerys' eyes fluttered open, she half-expected to wake up back at the mansion, but the unknown ceiling that greeted her confirmed she had not been dreaming.
"You're awake. Good." A sweet and kind voice broke the silence, and she turned her head toward it. There, sitting at the edge of the bed, was one of the women who seemingly kidnapped her, looking at her apologetically.
"I'm sorry about Emily. She is dumber than a bag of rocks, but I swear she meant well."
"Hey!" The one who took her spoke indignantly.
"Silence."
"M'sorry." She huffed and averted her eyes.
Finding the courage to speak took some time, but Daenerys did find it.
"W-why have you taken me?" she asked in a small and terrified voice.
"*sigh* Because this dum— Because she heard your brother and that merchant talking about selling you to a Dothraki savage as a bride."
"I–I know. It is my duty a–as a princess."
"No." The woman, Emily, spoke up.
"W–what do you mean, no? I—I have to do it, my b–brother needs an army." Of course, Daenerys didn't want to marry some savage horse lord, but Viserys was the king, and he had beaten her 'duty' into her. She had no choice but to do as he said.
"Yeah, well, I'm not returning you." Emily crossed her arms in protest, and she expected her to stomp her foot too.
"*ehm* Emily." The other one said warningly.
"What? I'm not! Listen, kid. Do you want to have fun in your life? Or do you want to be married off to a savage that smells like horse shit? Fuck what your brother wants, and tell me what you want."
"I–I don't have a choice… Viserys is the king."
"No, he is not. Just answer me. Fun life, free of worries or marriage to a savage."
"...I don't want the marriage…" Daenerys whispered with tears pooling in the corners of her eyes, as if fearing that her brother would suddenly pop out of somewhere and hear her.
"See? Wasn't so hard, was it?" But it was. It really, really, was.
"The Dorthraki will be a thing of the past anyway. So good choice, kid." Emily grinned at her.
"What?"
"All of the Red Priests will be hunting and killing slavers soon on my behalf, and that includes the Dothraki as well." She said with a simple wave of her hand.
"*sigh* Too much information, Emily… too much information…"
"E–excuse me… but who are you?" As soon as she asked that, a giant grin split open Emily's face.
"A G—" *bam* A pillow hit her head before she had a chance to speak.
"I think that the poor girl had enough shock for the day."
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I know that this might feel rushed, but as I was writing the chapter, it just felt like something Emily would do. I had this whole elaborate plan for a meeting with Viserys, but then I was like, yeah, no way, Emily sticks to a plan this complicated. So I just wrote her kidnapping Dany outright, because that IS something she would actually do.