[Chapter Size: 900 Words.]
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That night, Yunkai fell into silence.
After a long and restless day, the people returned home, each contributing in their own way to the city's new order.
A sharp whistling wind broke the quiet.
Schiller suddenly looked up and saw a massive creature descending onto the top of the pyramid.
Apollo, twenty-seven meters from snout to tail, landed with an overwhelming presence that crushed the air itself.
Schiller, Bronn, and Varys forced down their fear and immediately fell to one knee.
"Your Majesty, welcome!"
"Forgive me for making you wait so late," came Theon's voice, laughing from the dragon's back.
At the sound of him, the three hurried to claim they had just arrived themselves.
Theon paid it little mind. Communication was difficult, and he relied on Zeus to deliver messages. Clearly, there had been a delay. Judging from their dark circles and exhausted faces, they had likely been waiting for him for two days.
He patted Apollo's teeth. "Go quickly, watch over Selena."
Selena's belly was already swollen; she was expected to give birth to Theon's firstborn in June or July.
Apollo rumbled in acknowledgment, turned, and took flight. He too worried for Selena's safety.
If Zeus weren't so useless, Apollo would never have left her.
Now Selena was guarded only by a foolish hound, and Apollo had to return.
Zeus: "???"
Perched on Theon's shoulder, Zeus tilted his head, bewildered. "Careful what you say."
In the blink of an eye, Apollo vanished into the night.
Schiller escorted Theon into the pyramid, briefing him on the situations in Yunkai and Astapor as they walked.
"So both Yunkai and Astapor are stable now, and the only remaining threat is Volantis's slave army?"
"That is correct, Your Majesty. The Volantene coalition is already on the march. As for Daenerys, her regime is unstable, held together only by the Unsullied and her dragons," Schiller replied.
Theon considered this and quickly formed a plan.
"What news from the Lhazar Plains?" he asked.
Varys answered, "Majesty, we have little intelligence. The Dothraki roam the plains freely, making our spy networks nearly useless."
Theon frowned. "Then abandon operations there for now. Once I return from the North, I will dispatch the Royal Fleet to Slaver's Bay. From there, they can patrol the bay and strike into the Lhazar Plains. No matter what, we must take those plains. That granary cannot be allowed to slip away."
"I understand, Majesty!" Schiller bowed deeply.
…
The next day, Theon led two hundred elite soldiers to Meereen.
He chose not to bring more. With his own strength, Theon believed he could shoulder Yunkai and hold Astapor with a single hand, and still remain invincible.
"Your Grace, men from Yunkai have arrived," Jorah informed Daenerys atop the Great Pyramid of Meereen.
"Bring them up," she ordered.
Jorah glanced at Drogon, resting nearby. He knew Dany intended to use the dragon's presence to project her power.
At the pyramid's base, Theon encountered Jorah Mormont.
"Greetings, my name is…"
"I know who you are, Jorah," Theon cut him off. "My name is Theon Greyjoy, you know who I am."
Jorah froze in shock. A kraken.
"You… you are Balon's son? The one who grew up in the North?" His voice carried disbelief.
It was astonishing. In his mind, the Iron Islands had never recovered from Balon's failed rebellion. How could they now project power across thousands of miles to Slaver's Bay?
"The Queen awaits you atop the pyramid. Follow me," Jorah said. Though burdened with doubts, he led Theon upward.
Soon Theon reached the summit, where Drogon lounged beside a stone table.
The beast's body stretched at least five meters, comparable to a carriage. In the books, dragons were described closer to this size, though the show had greatly enlarged them for spectacle.
Still, a five-meter dragon was terrifying, unless one had already looked upon Apollo.
"You stole my city. That is an unforgivable crime." A commanding yet melodious voice rang out.
Theon turned and saw her, a young woman with silver hair and violet eyes, seated with regal pride, gazing down at him in disdain.
"That city is not yours," Theon replied evenly. "Nor is Meereen."
Daenerys's fury flared at once.
The unrest in Astapor and Yunkai had been a thorn in her side, a constant humiliation.
Yet Theon pressed on without fear. "Look at Meereen. You rule alone, but what has it brought? The Sons of the Harpy undermine you. You are drowning in strife. This is not governance, it is mere occupation."
Enraged, Daenerys shouted, "I am the Breaker of Chains and the Mother of Dragons! When my dragons are grown, I will burn and destroy every enemy that stands in my way!"
Her gaze shifted to Drogon.
At some point, the dragon had risen and moved to her side. His golden eyes fixed on Theon with wary suspicion.
He felt something in Theon's presence, a strange, familiar aura that raised the scales along his spine.
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