As he walked, Naesoso cursed under his breath:
"A beast wearing human skin… and he says he's got only Daenerys? Bah!"
Drogo was the mightiest Khal of the Great Grass Sea. In the past, no woman he set his eyes on ever escaped his grasp.
Now, his power was even greater, with giants and dragons under his command. How could a man like that be loyal to just one woman? Naesoso wouldn't believe it, even if Drogo beat him to death. He'd even caught wind of a rumor: Daenerys had been locked away by the Khal.
As Queen and Khaleesi of the Great Grass Sea, she hadn't accompanied her husband into the city. That alone made the rumor feel true.
The exact cause remained unknown, but Naesoso was certain—Drogo must've grown tired of the Mother of Dragons. Politics had nothing to do with it. The man who stood behind him could control dragons too—he was truly the Father of Dragons.
"If you don't want her, give her to me!" he thought bitterly.
Naesoso loathed Drogo's lack of devotion. Word had it that the silver-haired queen was the most beautiful woman in the world—a goddess desired by all men.
Rumors were unreliable, but surely Daenerys couldn't be ugly.
After all, the Targaryens had always been beautiful—handsome men and stunning women, one and all.
Sadly, they were notorious for intermarrying within the family, rarely wedding outsiders.
Even as a Triarch of the most powerful Free City, Naesoso knew his desires were only fantasies. Rulers, too, came in ranks. He was perhaps a six. Drogo? A supreme nine.
Many openly lusted after Daenerys, but Drogo never paid them any mind—none of them would ever have her.
They marched on slowly. It took over two hours to reach the great bridge connecting both sides of the city.
Drogo was used to long journeys; he felt no fatigue. But the Triarchs, pampered and unused to setting foot on muddy ground, were utterly exhausted.
Yet human endurance could be astonishing. Driven by willpower, they forced themselves to keep pace at the front of the host, drenched in sweat.
They couldn't afford to lag behind. If Drogo grew displeased and ordered the giant Roman to strike them each with a hammer, they'd be dead on the spot.
Roman could easily smash a white dwarf elephant with a single blow. Who would dare oppose such power?
They knew no number of Elephant Legionnaires could match him. His feats at the Quarth wharf had already spread through every Free City.
Wearing heavy armor, impervious to blades and arrows, the giant could lie down mid-battle to rest and still rise unscathed if he protected his weak spots.
The gate leading to the great bridge was a black stone arch, carved with sphinxes—beasts with human faces, lion bodies, and scorpion tails—as well as dragons and stranger creatures.
Beyond the arch stretched the bridge, built during Valyria's height from volcanic stone, supported by enormous piers beneath.
The road was only wide enough for two carriages side by side. When carriages met from opposite directions, they had to slow to pass.
But once Drogo's mighty army arrived, who dared linger on the bridge?
Once bustling, it now lay deserted.
This bridge was a wonder of the world, said to have been forged in dragonflame. Drogo paid special attention as he crossed it.
Perhaps some trace of ancient dragon presence still lingered, for his three dragons roared wildly upon setting foot there.
The Valantene citizens watching from behind shutters trembled in fear, dreading the moment one of those monstrous mouths would unleash deathly fire.
The spectacle was terrifying enough—until the giant raised his hammer.
Bang!
Stone shattered and flew. Even Drogo jumped in alarm, fearing the bridge would collapse. Fortunately, it held firm, though it now bore a gaping hole.
A hole through which the waters of the Rhoyne could be seen!
When the Khal turned back with a furious glare, Roman grinned and explained cheerfully,
"I just wanted to see who people feared more—me or the dragons. Since Your Grace turned around, I think I win. Heh."
"Hmph."
Jealousy reared its head in strange places. Drogo couldn't help but suck in a breath and roll his eyes at the oaf.
As a skinchanger now, he'd gotten quite good at eye-rolling.
Roman didn't mind being looked down on—he kept grinning. Getting the King to turn his head was already a great honor.
He even copied Drogo, throwing a massive eye-roll at the dragons in the sky.
But beasts were not to be left out. Snowball, now the size of an adult lion, let out a thunderous roar of his own.
"Awooooo!"
"Neigh! Neigh!"
This time, not only the people but also the horses were startled—lions were natural enemies to horses.
After being shaken by these three creatures, Dofas and Naesoso, who had earlier fumed in silence, quickly turned sycophantic again.
They began to chatter endlessly, introducing obscure historical trivia about the bridge, not caring if Drogo was listening.
Once across, the crowds thickened. Most people carried bundles and lined up in rows under Tiger Cloak supervision to board ships.
The Tigers controlled a vast swath of territory here, including the great Red Temple itself—no place for the Elephants, with whom they were mortal enemies.
The Tigers had recently been relocating people in droves. The two Elephant Triarchs believed this was to clear space for Drogo—to make a grand impression—and did not question it.
They themselves had locked up all the poor near the river mouth, just to let the Khal see only Volantis's wealth and strength.
But as they passed through the busy zone and into a dead-silent area, Drogo's expression grew colder.
"So it's true," he muttered. "Heh. How interesting. You can't trap a wolf without risking your cubs. Those who try to kill me, or betray me—they're already dead."
He walked on calmly. As he turned into a narrow alley, his eyes lit up.
Coming toward him was a group of priestesses in red robes, veiled, followers of the Lord of Light.
"Grrrrr!"
Snowball's fur bristled beside his hooves. The white lion was furious.
The priestesses hugged the wall, making way for the Khal's host to pass.
As Drogo neared the tallest of them, the woman suddenly leaned toward his horse, the scent of incense on her skin, and slipped a small parchment scroll into the hand of the rider holding his reins.
At the same moment, Snowball lunged to bite her.
Yet somehow, his jaws snapped empty air. The priestess soared like a seagull, leaping onto the high wall, then bent low—and vanished.
Unfazed, Drogo subtly unrolled the parchment.
A glance revealed Valyrian script:
"Beware the barrels of intoxicating wine—within burns a fire even the Unburnt cannot withstand."
The chaos caused by the priestess did not concern Drogo. He stared up at the wall where she had disappeared, his face full of longing.
In his heart, he wondered:
"Could it be her? Could that witch be my guide… my seer?"
-
-
-
🐉 Dragon King of Ice and Fire
📢 Fire and Blood! 📢
This epic has 200+ chapters ahead on Patreon! 🐲🔥
Rule Westeros long before others catch up.
🛑 Also available:
Star Wars: The Rise of Mandalore
Cyberpunk: The Relentless
Cyberpunk: Lucy Adopted Me and I Got a System
My Cyberpunk 2077 Simulator
My Girlfriend's a Cyberpsycho—Who Knew?
Game of Thrones: Secrets Beneath the Dreadfort
The Rebirth of Harry Potter
Star Wars: Relics of the Past
R18: Reincarnated in Her World
🔗 www.patreon.com/c/MrMagnus👤 SrMagnus🐦 https://x.com/SrMagnusBook
⚠️ The throne favors the strongest support!