The sky was dotted with stars, and moonlight mixed with the cold wind, blanketing the world.
Inside the makeshift carriage Jack had borrowed, Vittoria huddled closer to him, trying to ward off the chill.
The carriage didn't have a roof, just a wooden plank with two wheels, covered with some straw.
Newgate, who was driving, was half-asleep but still occasionally whipped the poor horses. They needed to reach Astapor quickly.
Hopefully, they could sleep in a warm inn tonight.
Jack, enduring the unpleasant smell emanating from Vittoria, was idly counting the stars in the sky.
He had already figured out the time. It was the year 299 of Aegon's reign in Westeros, the same time Eddard Stark had just gone to King's Landing.
At this moment, Dany had just been sold to Khal by her older brother. She was still a pure young girl, dreaming of living happily ever after in Pentos.
However, her older brother, Viserys Targaryen's desire to reclaim the throne was far more intense than Daenerys had imagined.
As Viserys put it, he wouldn't care if Khal, or even all the warriors and horses under Khal, took her.
Just as Jack was also entering a state of drowsiness, Newgate's voice suddenly came, "Captain, we've arrived at Astapor."
"Huh? Already?" Jack immediately woke up.
Astapor was located at the mouth of a winding river, which the Astapor people called the Worm River, flowing into Slaver's Bay from the east.
To the south of Astapor were the Ghiscari Mountains, where the ruins of Old Ghis were hidden.
On the Cedar Island west of Astapor, the declining Gyzan and Valyria faced each other across the sea.
Astapor is the southernmost slave city in Slaver's Bay.
Yunkai lies a hundred leagues to the north, and Meereen is fifty leagues beyond that.
Well-mounted travelers, following the ancient Ghiscari coastal road, can reach Yunkai from Astapor in six days.
Astapor did not close its gates for the night at this time.
For Astapor, the nine thousand Unsullied within the city were enough to eliminate any enemy that came.
Even the Dothraki.
Astapor is an ancient city, but its population is not what it once was.
Astapor's most famous structures are the Step Pyramids, the highest of which are four hundred feet tall.
The Step Pyramids were covered in all sorts of trees, vines, and flowers. At dusk, the Good Masters would light silk lanterns that shone with various colors.
The yacht was sailing on the Worm River.
All the streets were paved with red bricks, and the Step Pyramids, the arena with its seats that descended in rings, the sulfur fountains, the dark taverns, and the ancient city walls were also made of red bricks.
Fine red dust filled the air, and the breeze carried it along the gutters.
Newgate drove the carriage, introducing the ancient city to Jack.
\n\n
Finally, the three chose a seemingly reliable inn and booked two single rooms. At Jack's request, the owner gave them a large bucket of hot water for free.
Jack handed Newgate a silver coin and told him to buy some clothes for the little girl. He took Vittoria to bathe and clean himself as well.
The pirate's stench was indescribable, just like when Evelyn's father had just brought her back from the sheep pen.
It was even worse than that.
Oh God, speaking of Evelyn, Jack had to hurry up and finish the transaction. He'd only left Evelyn three days' worth of rations.
Vittoria didn't seem to like bathing, but under Jack's orders, she obediently let him fuss over her.
Damn, Jack felt that after the bath, Vittoria was at least two pounds lighter. Mud balls were falling off her like rain.
But the results of the bath were obvious. After she was cleaned, Vittoria didn't look particularly beautiful.
One could only say she was rather pretty, but those bright, evening star-like eyes were a definite plus.
To be honest, Jack was a little disappointed. He had been hoping that the little girl he'd picked up would be a beautiful beauty-in-the-making.
But in fact, slave children were rarely beautiful.
"Have I disappointed you?" Vittoria suddenly asked.
"No, of course not," Jack immediately denied, genuinely pleased with Vittoria.
Jack felt he could gain a personal secretary who was good-looking, capable, and a fighter.
But Vittoria's meaning was obviously different from Jack's.
"I may not be beautiful enough, Captain, but my mother taught me a lot about bed skills, and I can make you feel good."
Hearing this, Jack pinched Vittoria's small face, "You know quite a bit, little girl. We'll talk about this in a couple of years. You're too young."
Vittoria pursed her lips, "I know, but you've become like this, and I think I can help you relieve it."
"My mother told me that when a man becomes like this, it's the woman's turn to take the lead."
Jack's eyes widened slightly: "You don't need to solve this. I'll find a cheap Prostitute to handle this."
Speaking, Jack turned and left to get the clothes Newgate had just sent.
Vittoria frowned, watching Jack's back, and bit her lip.
Her mother had said that when a man made excuses not to touch you, it meant he was already tired of your body.
But Jack hadn't even touched her body yet. Could it be that he was already tired of her body after giving her a bath?
...
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Here are a few fan-fic titles that I've recently uploaded on my Patreon:
"Game of Thrones: Dragon Prince"
"Game of Thrones: Political Life"
"Game of Thrones: Lannister Kingdom"
"Game of Thrones: Ruler of the Deep Seas "
" Game of Thrones: From the Elden Lord to the Young Wolf"
"Game of Thrones The Glory of a Knight"
(End Chapter)