What is dead may never die (Chapter 64) (Patreon)

Fire and smoke

Theon POV

Fastening my sword belt on my waist, I took my gloves and covered the scars on my palms from cutting them so many times. If I felt pain, I probably stopped doing so after a second time. Wrapping myself in a raven feather cloak over my black plate armor, I walked out of my ship with my Greycloaks close behind.

“Your grace,” Ser Harras Harlaw was first to greet me. “I do not want to question your motives but wasn’t your goal to buy the Unsullied? Why let the little princess buy them, even if she can only afford a small portion.”

“Harras words ring true,” Donnel Drumm agreed. “With our gold, we can buy as many as they have.”

“We could, but would they sell all of them to us?” I asked. “The Good Masters are arrogant and greedy, but they know how dangerous I am. At most, they will be willing to sell half of the Unsullied for fear of me deciding to attack them.”

“Aren’t we going to do so?” Bronn asked.

“We will, but first, we will let the little princess buy as many Unsullied as she can afford, then we buy as many as they are willing to sell.”

“The watchtowers of the city walls are mostly empty,” Anguy said. “I can take them over and set our archers in there.”

“Do so,” I agreed with Anguy. “Dagmer, take Goodbrother brothers and wait for a signal.”

“What signal?” Dagmar Cleftjaw asked.

“Fire and smoke,” I replied. “Once I finished buying the Unsullied, I will kill the Good Masters first. Chaos sure will follow. Use it and kill every master and free the slaves.”

“Didn’t know you cared for the poor sod,” Bronn commended.

“Give the slaves weapons and send them to the frontlines,” I ignored Bronn. “Remember, kill the masters, and the slaves will not have a reason to fight you. And try not to burn the whole city down.”

“Isn’t you who should be careful about that?” Dagmer asked.

“Another word and I will set you on fire,” I said. “The exchange will happen by tomorrow morning. I want everyone to be in their positions and ready by that time. Ships ready to land and men ready to fight.”

With orders given, I waited for Oberyn and his lot to join me. The dornish man didn’t know my plan, nor did I want to tell him. I tried to trick Oberyn into being by my side when I attacked the city. It would solidify the connection between Martells and me. Everyone will know of the attack. Ironborn raiding Slavers Bay isn’t something you hear every day.

Oberyn being an accomplice of mine will be known too. The Martells will have no choice but be seen as my allies. Martells will have no choice but to ally with me, as everyone already will think we are. As a good friend of Martell’s, I have to push them to take the right path, and joining me is the best choice.

…

“Wait,” A guard stopped us as we approached the Good Masters in Plaza of Pride.

“Wait?” I asked. “I don’t think so.”

“The Good Masters are speaking to others,” The guard possessed a higher rank than most slaves, so he spoke freely.

“Then go tell him I came to speak with them,” I replied.

The guard didn’t want to go, but in the end, seeing my men and me, he nodded and left. I waited for a few moments and heard some yelling. I knew that at least some of the Good Masters would jump to my side to get the gold I showed yesterday. Damn the others and their own. Greed will always win over them.

Soon enough, the guard returned and led us to the meeting. Daenerys was already here, negotiating. Her appearance was striking, wearing a violet silken dress that left her left breast bare. As Oberyn, the rest of the men stared at Daenerys pale breast and pink nipple, the slight bit of sweat only enchanted her beauty. Yet her eyes were fierce and determined.

“I have to apologize, King Theon,” Daenerys spoke calmly, with a hint of a smile. “You are too late. The Good Masters have agreed to sell all the Unsullied to me.”

“What is her price?” I asked the Good Masters in Valyrian.

“Too much for a savage like you to compete,” Kraznys was the one to answer. His tone was degrading.

“Then I have no business with you,” I replied, turning to Daenerys. “Your Grace, would you mind having a word.”

“Let’s walk,” Daenerys agreed, and we left together.

“I would like for you to meet prince Oberyn Martell and his nephew,” I introduced Oberyn as we left the Plaza of Pride.

“It is an honor to meet, Queen of the Seven Kingdoms,” Oberyn took Daenerys hand and kissed it.

“It is my honor,” Daenerys replied.

“No need to be so formal, your Grace,” Oberyn said. “After all, we are family. My sister Elia was your brother’s Rhaegar wife.”

“Yes, but the family reunion can wait,” I interrupted them. “What did you offer for the Unsullied?”

“You speak to her Grace with manners, Greyjoy,” A bear of a man bared his teeth at me.

“My apologies, your Grace, your Highness, your Radiance, Mother of Dragons….”

“Enough,” Daenerys interrupted me. “Your words are not true and sound insulting coming from your lips.”

“You are not wrong,” I agreed. “Yet you have not answered my question. What did you offer them?”

“My dragon, Drogon.”

“Your Grace,” Oberyn almost jumped in shock. “If you need armies, Dorne will give you them.”

“How generous,” Daenerys replied. “What do I need to offer, my hand? Who will take it? You? The boy?”

“I want half of the city’s riches,” I told her before Oberyn could say anything.

“Whatever do you mean?” Daenerys looked curious at me.

“Dragons aren’t simple beasts that anyone can tame,” I answered quietly into her ear. “My men will help to take the city. We will hunt and kill every master. All I want is half of the treasure they have.”

“Tomorrow, I will have thirteen thousand Unsullied at my command,” Daenerys replied. “How many men do you have, King Theon?”

“Two and a half thousand,” I answered.

“Six times less,” Daenerys commented.

“Yes, about six times less than you will have tomorrow,” I agreed. “Yet numbers never hindered me before.”

“I want service of your ships,” Daenerys said.

“My ships are expensive, and it would be hard to fit your unsullied and my gold in them,” I responded with a smile. “I let you use them for three months. For longer service, you will have to pay more.”

“Then you will need to make room for your gold,” Daenerys said.

Our talks finished when we reached the Harbor. I let Daenerys return to her ship with a former slave girl that served Kraznys. Oberyn looked at me for answers, but I could see that he had already realized the meaning of our words. I turned to Harras Harlaw. He and everyone other of my men looked at me with perplexed faces.

“The plan doesn’t change,” I said.

“Your grace, I thought you said that the Good Masters wouldn’t sell all their Unsullied?” Donnel Drumm looked at me for answers.

“They wouldn’t sell them to me. But Daenerys is just a foolish girl to them that offered a dragon,” I replied. “No amount of gold can buy you a dragon. Not only is it the most powerful weapon in the known world, but it is also a symbol of great influence. Their greed wouldn’t let just an opportunity slip. Too bad they aren’t interested in Westeros’ history. It will be their downfall.”

…

With its excellent bronze harpy, the Plaza of Pride was too small to hold all the Unsullied Daenerys had bought. Instead, they had been assembled in the Plaza of Punishment, fronting on Astapor's main gate, so they might be marched directly from the city once Daenerys had taken them in hand.

It was better for me as my men moved through the empty city, taking positions and waiting for fire and smoke to signal their attack. Kraznys mo Nakloz and his fellows were all there to greet her. Other well-born Astapori stood in knots behind them, sipping wine from silver flutes as slaves circulated among them with trays of olives and cherries, and figs. They didn’t care for me or the dozen of my men with me.

Daenerys’ bear knight roared an order, and goods were stacked before the Good Masters. Tiger skins, rolls of silk, jars of saffron, emeralds, amethyst, and so on were given to the Good Masters, and then finally, a litter was shown where three dragons lay and basked in the sun. One of Daenerys, Dothraki, yanked a chain of the black dragon and gave it to Kraznys. And in return, Daenerys was given a whip.

"Is it done, then? Do they belong to me?" Daenerys asked Kraznys as she looked at the whip.

"It is done," he agreed, giving the chain a sharp pull to bring Drogon down from the litter.

"It is done!" Daenerys climbed her horse for everyone to see her and her whip and cried at the top of her lungs. "You are mine! You are the dragon's now! You're bought and paid for! It is done! It is done!"

I looked at my men and motioned them to prepare as Daenerys rode through the flanks of the Unsullied army. Kraznys seemed to struggle with the black dragon as he tried to pull it to him. The dragon didn’t listen, and Daenerys returned soon after, still on her silver horse. I smiled and had my hand on my bastard sword.

“He will not come," Kraznys yelled, perplexed at Daenerys.

"There is a reason. A dragon is no slave." And Daenerys swept the lash down as hard as she could across the slaver's face. Kraznys screamed and staggered back, the blood running red down his cheeks into his perfumed beard. The harpy's fingers had torn his features half to pieces with one slash, but she did not pause to contemplate the ruin. "Drogon," she sang out loudly, sweetly, to my delight. "Dracarys."

There was a mighty roar, and then there was a fire. Kraznys could barely let out a scream before he turned into a charred mess. But there were plenty of screams from other people running and stumbling, shouting at their slaves to protect them. I drew my sword and, with a sweet smile on my lips, I leaped at the Good Masters.

Blood was spilled as the fire spread, and the other dragons joined their brothers in burning everything and everyone that Daenerys pointed at. The dusty air was soon filled with blood, fire, and smoke as the sweet word “Dracarys” rang in my ears. The slavers ran, but there was nowhere for them, as arrows fell when they tried to escape the city.

"Unsullied!" Daenerys galloped before them, raising her whip before throwing it at the feet of the Unsullied. "Slay the Good Masters, slay the soldiers, slay every man who wears a Tokar or holds a whip, but harm no child under twelve, and strike the chains off every slave you see."

The slavers had no escape as the Unsulled moved and stabbed them. The slavers ran way in all directions, only to meet the Ironborn. The screams soon rang through the whole city, and after I killed the fifth slaver and watched him bleed out to death beneath me, I wiped the blood off my face and turned to Daenerys.

I have never seen such a beautiful sight. Her words of death and fire were like a sweet song to me. There was great satisfaction in putting down these rabbit beasts. The way they tried to crawl and cry for mercy as their slaves killed them brought a tear of joy to my eyes. My smile didn’t fit on my face thinking of the gold I would collect from them without losing any men.