Chapter 41 - A Hard Truth
"We are in the North. We are back in Westeros."
"More specifically, we are in the North, the land of the First Men, ruled by House Stark."
Daenerys froze.
She was young but she wasn't an ignorant girl. Years of listening to Viserys' angry speeches and the stories of Ser Willem Darry, their only guardian, had taught her the basic knowledge of Westeros. She knew who the Starks were.
In her mind, they were one of the great houses who had risen against her father. They were the main participants of the rebellion against the Targaryens.
Her face turned pale with fear.
"Why... why have you brought us here?" she asked, her voice trembling. "They will kill us if they find out who we are. Do you want us to die? We shouldn't have trusted you. We were better off in Essos. Please... please take us back."
By the end, she was pleading and had broken into tears.
I gave a small signal to Emma and Leaf. Without a word, they walked over and gently held Daenerys, trying to calm her.
"Dany," I said softly, "don't worry. No one here is going to hurt you here."
She looked at me through tear-filled eyes.
"The Starks are not like many of the great lords in the south. Especially not the current lord."
"Lord Eddard Stark is known as an honourable man. You know that. Even during the end of the rebellion, he was the only great lord who openly protested the murder of Princess Elia Martell and her two children and demanded justice for them. The Starks and the North only wanted to avenge the killing of Lord Rickard Stark and Heir Brandon Stark and to get back his sister, Lyanna Stark. "
She was now listening quietly.
"The people of the North don't believe that children should pay for their parents' crimes. This is not the south, this is North."
Her sobbing slowed though tears still rolled down her cheeks.
"I promise you," I said, "no one here will harm you. And for now, you won't even meet the Starks, or even anyone. You'll stay here safely where no one will know you are here."
She wiped at her eyes.
"But... we could have stayed in Essos. Why bring us here? We would have been safe there."
"Would you?" I asked gently.
"Do you know how many people want to kill you? How many want to use you? And how many simply want you, in particular?"
She lowered her eyes as she understood I was right, but she still gave her last argument.
"But... my brother would protect me."
I shook my head.
"Dany, he can't even protect himself. He may have a little love for you as her sister but the main reason he is protecting you is because you have value for him."
"You remember, when I found you two, you were running for your lives. More than two dozen armed men were chasing you through the streets."
She remembered it clearly. It had only been a short time, a few months ago.
"I know it has only been a year or two since Ser Willem Darry died," I continued. "Since then, what has happened?"
"The servants stole everything you owned."
"Your brother sold your mother's crown and spent that money in feasts and hiring sellswords who cheated him. People call him the Beggar King."
"There is nothing of value left for him to sell, except one."
She looked up at me.
"What?"
I raised a finger and pointed at her.
"Its you, Dany."
Her eyes widened and she stared at me in disbelief.
"You are the only valuable thing Viserys has left."
"You are the last Targaryen princess. The daughter of one of the oldest royal families in the world, the last Princess of the Forty Dragonlord families of Old Valyria. Whether people love your family or hate them, it doesn't matter. You still have much value."
She said nothing. She did not seem to believe it, so I re-phrased the argument.
"What does Viserys want more than anything?" I asked.
"To take back the Iron Throne," she answered immediately. "To avenge our family."
"Exactly. And how does he plan to do that?"
"With... war," she answered hesitantly.
"You are absolutely right. And what do you need for waging a war?"
She thought for a few moments.
"Men... knights... an army."
I nodded in agreement and elaborated.
"Thousands of soldiers and knights. Hundreds of Ships. Warhorses. Weapons. Food. Enough gold to pay for all of them. And much more."
She slowly nodded as she understood the logic and the facts.
"Even then, he would only have a chance to fight for the throne, nothing more. There is no guarantee that the war will be won and he will be the King then."
"So tell me, Dany. Where will he get all of that? Where will he get the army or the gold to pay men?"
She didn't answer. Her breathing became uneven.
"What does he have left to bargain with, Dany?"
"Yes, you, Daenerys Targaryen."
The word hung in the air.
"He will marry you, or the right word is sell you, to the highest bidder. The moment you are old enough, the moment you are able to bear children, he will trade you for an army. It won't matter to him whether the man is in Essos or Westeros, a Noble Lord or a Dothraki barbarian. If someone promises him enough soldiers, he will give you away.
Daenerys stood there quietly, completely still.
Part of her wanted to believe I was only trying to turn her against her brother. Viserys had always told her that no one could be trusted except family.
But another part of her could not ignore what I had said.
She wanted to deny it. She wanted to tell me I was wrong. But every word I had spoken made sense. Everything I had told her was possible.
It was very likely for Viserys to do this.
She remained silent, struggling with her own thoughts.
I let her think for a few moments before speaking again.
"For now, both of you will stay here, away from everyone. No one will know you're here and you won't come in contact with anyone. Here, you can grow up safely."
"There will be no prying eyes from the lords of Westeros or Essos."
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End of Chapter 41 - A Hard Truth