dany

As the world darkened, Dany settled in and closed her eyes, but sleep refused to come.

"We'll both sleep, and dream of sweeter days. Close your eyes. " When she did, Dany kissed her eyelids and made her giggle.

I brought it to her place with a little message and a nice ribbon, just like a real gift. --Dany Lariviere.

"As you say, Your Grace. " She bowed and made to go. "Stay, " said Dany. "I do not wish to be alone. "

Dany glanced at Daario and saw anger flash across his face. He did not know. "I have need of knights" she said.

Dany found eight before the sun went down, but there might have been more farther out, hidden in the grass.

"Your slave Missandei. " Jhiqui had a taper in her hand. "My servant. I have no slaves. " Dany did not understand. "Why does she weep? "

He is going to make a sortie, Dany realized, and if he takes Ben Plumm's head, he'll walk into the wedding feast and throw it at my feet.

For home. Home was all I ever wanted. "And me. You wanted me. " Dany had seen it in his eyes.

Dany, starved, slid off his back and ate with him, ripping chunks of smoking meat from the dead horse with bare, burned hands.

Dany followed his eyes, and there the shadow flew, with wings spread wide.

Dany wrapped her arms about the girl. "Tell me of him. "

You saw me as defeated, Dany thought, and who am I to say that you were wrong?

Missandei returned with a melon and a bowl of hard-cooked eggs, but Dany found she had no appetite.

The voice was no more than a whisper, yet somehow Dany felt that he was walking just behind her.

Dany glanced back toward the persimmon tree. There was no woman there. No hooded robe, no lacquer mask, no Quaithe.

Sweat and grass and dirt had stained it, and Dany had torn a strip off the hem to make a bandage for her shin.

Dany watched him go. When the sound of his hooves had faded away to silence, she began to shout.

Dany rose, wiped her hands on her ragged under tunic, and went to stand beside her dragon.

As the sun was gilding the distant spires of Dragonstone, Dany stumbled onto a low stone wall, overgrown and broken.

From the corner of her eye Dany saw the grass move again, off to her right.

Or a queen, thought Dany. "Is there some man in the Second Sons who might be persuaded to . . . remove . . . Brown Ben? "

Dany took a moment to make certain of her directions.

When Dany told him how Serwyn of the Mirror Shield was haunted by the ghosts of all the knights he'd killed, Daario only laughed.

And you wished for blood, and soon enough I must give it to you, Dany thought, but what she said was, "I am grateful. "

In Meereen she had become a leader amongst the Yunkish freedmen, their voice in Dany's councils.

Dany brushed them from her arms and legs and belly.

As the moon rose above the grasslands, Dany slipped at last into a restless sleep.

The third was young, fit, and dashing, but so drunk that Dany could scarce understand a word he said.

It was afternoon by the time Dany found the stream she had glimpsed atop the hill.

Dany clutched the dragon's neck with all her strength to keep from sliding off.

Dany threw a pillow at him. "You will leave Hizdahr be! "

Dany return my money today. He is one of my best friend.

That night her cooks roasted her a kid with dates and carrots, but Dany could only eat a bite of it.

"For you, " said Quentyn, all awkward gallantry. "No, " said Dany. "For fire and blood. "

Dany, meanwhile, has dragons, which, in this land of horse-drawn wagons and knights in armor, carry the force of nuclear weapons.

Dany locks up the other two for fear of losing them, and in the process gives up her biggest deterrent.

Another slap, thought Dany, color rising to her face.

"Tell me a tale, ser, " Dany said as they climbed.

Dany saw one of the bolts burst into sudden flame.

To the right and left, Dany glimpsed places where the grass was burned and ashen.

Dany took a fig. It was black and plump, still moist with dew.

If I look back, I am doomed, Dany told herself . . . but how could she not look back?

Ser Barristan was sure he would return, though. Dany could only pray that he was right.

Her belly rumbled, and Dany found herself picking berries with both hands and tossing them into her mouth.

"This changes nothing, " Dany said, as Irri removed her crown. "What good are three men? "

Missandei did her best. She was still talking when Dany finally fell to sleep, to dream queer, half-formed dreams of smoke and fire.

Dany's clothes were hardly more than rags, and offered little in the way of warmth.

"The dragon has three heads, " Dany said when they were on the final flight.

"I knew someone else who did that once, " said Dany, "a man called Arstan Whitebeard. Tell me your true names, then. "

"No heads, " Dany insisted. "Once you brought me flowers. "

"They are dragons, Quentyn. " Dany stood on her toes and kissed him lightly, once on each cheek. "And so am I. "

In the purple hall, Dany found her ebon bench piled high about with satin pillows.

Dany set off through the tall grass at a brisk pace.

Dany had no inkling why anyone would call him Frog.

Dany said, "More food might make them stronger. "

Dany turned to gaze out over her city.

Dany: Of cause I've loved you a whole week already, haven't I?

Dany gave her wild children one last lingering look.

"Once I am wed it will be high treason to desire me. " Dany pulled the coverlet up over her breasts.

No queen has clean hands, Dany told herself.

Dany saw the color vividly, but not the woman's face.

It will go out before much longer, Dany realized, and when it does another night will be at its end.

It took Dany half the morning to climb down.

He had dwelt there for some time, Dany had realized when she first saw the hill.

Mercy, thought Dany. They will have the dragon's mercy. "Skahaz, I have changed my mind. Question the man sharply. "

Dany could only sit and watch. "Ser, " she said to Barristan Selmy, "is there no more we can do? You have provisions. "

He will give us these castrati, Dany thought, and then he will march home and make some more. The world is full of boys.