The Mother of Dragons hovered above, glaring down at both sides as she roared, "Do you think I don't exist?! Anyone who dares rebel—will be executed without mercy!"
Her petite, youthful figure lacked authority, but that's what the dragon was for!
Responding to his mother's fury, the green dragon Rhaegal stretched his serpentine neck downward and let out a furious hiss.
Hiss! Screech!
What the beast unleashed wasn't just sound—it was a tidal wave of pressure. The sea below rippled from the impact, and those nearby felt a sharp pain in their ears and were nearly suffocated by the dragon's foul stench.
That one roar sent waves of oppressive might over the entire fleet, causing everyone to fall to one knee and cry out in terror:
"Forgive us, Your Grace!"
Daenerys swept her gaze coldly across the masses, finally locking eyes on Grey Worm.
"You are a commander, Grey Worm," she rebuked. "Acting on impulse is the gravest mistake you can make. My husband and I have never wronged you. We rescued you from the talons of the Harpies, and now you would incite civil war? I am deeply disappointed."
Grey Worm had always repaid Daenerys and Drogo's kindness with absolute loyalty—but Missandei had caused him to lose control.
"The queen and king have shown me boundless grace," he said, kneeling. "I will never forget it, and I gladly lay down my life in your service. I violated military protocol and angered Your Grace—I accept any punishment."
His blind loyalty filled Kerry with secret joy, but even Daenerys, who was preparing to give Grey Worm a way out, was shocked.
Then Grey Worm's tone changed:
"But, Your Grace, you gave us freedom, promoted equality, and clearly declared that no one shall be forced against their will. Yet Kerry Enyr, commander of the Golden Company, knowing the law, has openly violated it by defiling your handmaiden. I beg you—punish this lawless criminal and make the meaning of freedom unshakable!"
His words struck a chord in every soul who had once been a slave, and they all cried out in unison:
"Your Grace, punish the Golden Company's commander! Let freedom be unshakable!"
This was a direct challenge to Daenerys's authority. Her face turned ice-cold. Kerry, meanwhile, began to feel truly uneasy—for now too many voices demanded his head as the price of freedom.
Was there any room left for Daenerys to choose mercy?
Grey Worm's unrelenting stance stirred something in Missandei's broken heart. With tear-filled eyes, she finally looked directly at the man entangled with her in these dark rumors.
But Daenerys felt even more guilty than Kerry—after all, it had been her who gave the order. Without her, Kerry wouldn't have dared touch Missandei, not even if he had a thousand lives to spare. And in her moment of impulse, she had let those cruel words slip in public.
Now that the matter involved herself, Daenerys was speechless—and deeply conflicted.
Kerry, however, believed he had enough support. His men were loyal, his ship was full of witnesses. He assumed the queen would choose to protect him and cover up the truth.
But siding with a "charming scoundrel" like him would surely enrage the principled Unsullied.
"The eunuchs are Drogo's most trusted warriors. If I alienate them, he might turn cold toward me. But I'm the woman he loves most. I gave up my unborn child for him. Compared to me, what do the Unsullied's grievances even matter?"
She steeled herself and called down:
"I am but a young woman—I do not yet understand the ways of ruling. This matter will be decided when my husband returns."
And just like that—the battle was stopped. The bloodthirsty Dothraki were left sorely disappointed.
"Your Grace!" Grey Worm called out urgently.
But Daenerys ignored him. Instead, she barked at Kerry,
"Commander of the Golden Company—escort Missandei to my flagship!"
"Your most loyal servant, Kerry Enyr, obeys Your Grace!" he shouted back, making sure everyone heard him.
Hmph!
Daenerys gave a frustrated little snort—she had just shot herself in the foot.
Then she gave the order:
"Dracarys."
A stream of orange-gold fire surged from the sky, boiling the sea and drawing a blazing line between the two armies.
It was a warning: cross this line, and like the steam rising from the sea, you too will vanish from the world.
Kerry had Missandei, weeping and disheveled, brought to the queen's flagship. Grey Worm escorted her personally. He longed to comfort her, but he didn't know what to say—he just watched over her, deeply distressed.
His worry, though, was unnecessary.
Missandei's tears flowed not from fear, but from heartbreak. For a long time, she had felt truly free—her old wounds had begun to heal. But now they'd been ripped open again, and this time in front of tens of thousands of witnesses.
She had once believed that being the queen's handmaiden and the king's translator placed her above common folk. But now she realized—she was still as lowly as ever. Her "freedom" was just a different name for the same chains.
She lay facedown on the blistering deck, crying for a long time. Then, finally, she looked up at Grey Worm, who had been by her side all along, and said softly:
"Thank you."
Hearing those words made Grey Worm visibly flustered. He quickly offered her a cup of water, stammering:
"N-No thanks needed. Drink some water."
Though her heart was broken, Missandei didn't want to reject his kindness. She took the cup and downed it in one gulp.
Cough! Cough!
She drank too fast and choked.
Grey Worm quickly mimicked what he'd once seen Drogo do for Daenerys—he gently patted her back, helping her breathe again.
This warmth, from a man who had always seemed stiff and distant, touched her deeply. Caught in the emotion, she suddenly turned around—
—and did something that made his mind and heart go completely still.
For a long moment, Grey Worm was dazed. Then he seemed to be possessed by a fiery courage. He stormed past the guards and barged straight into the queen's cabin.
Daenerys was shocked. For a moment, she thought—Is he not really a eunuch?
But no. That was impossible. The Masters had trained the Unsullied under the strictest standards. No man from Astapor would be left whole.
Grey Worm was indeed a eunuch. As beautiful as Daenerys was—especially lately—he didn't look at her with desire, only respect.
Before Daenerys could cry out, Grey Worm dropped to one knee, slammed his fist against his breastplate, and declared in a powerful voice:
"Your Grace! I know punishing Kerry for his crimes puts you in a difficult position. So I beg you—permit us to resolve this with a trial by combat!"
Trial by combat—a Westerosi tradition where nobles settled impossible disputes through personal combat. Each side could fight themselves or name a champion. The victor determined the outcome, and no matter right or wrong—victory meant justice.
Daenerys was stunned.
"Drogo… please come back soon. Your army is about to fall apart…"