Chapter 56 Chapter 55 Daenerys

Satisfied, Khal Drogo rose from the straw mat they slept on and stood tall beside her.His skin was black as bronze in the ruddy light of the brazier, and the lines of old scars loomed over his broad chest.His long jet black hair was loose, cascading over his shoulders and down his back to his waist.Kayo's mouth was hidden under the long beard, and he pursed his lips in displeasure. "The steed that rides the world needs no iron chair." Dany propped herself up on her elbows and looked up at him.He was so majestic and tall, and she especially loved his hair.He never cut; for he was never defeated. "The prophecy says that the horse will go to the end of the world," she said.

"At the end of the world is the Black and Salt Sea," Drogo replied immediately.He dampened the cloth in a basin of warm water and wiped the sweat and oil from his skin. "No horse can cross poisonous water." "There are thousands of ships in the Free Cities," Dany told him as usual. "They are like wooden horses with hundreds of legs, and they can spread their wings on the wind and cross the sea." Khal Drogo didn't want to hear it. "Let's not talk about wooden horses and iron chairs." He dropped the wet cloth and began to dress. "Wife, wife, today I will go hunting on the grassland." He announced as he put on the painted vest and buckled the heavy belt with gold, silver and bronze medals.

"Yes, my sun and stars," said Dany.Drogo would take his bloodriders out to find "Heraka," the great white lion of the steppe.If they come back successfully, the husband must be very happy, and maybe he will listen to her. He is not afraid of ferocious beasts, or anyone in the world, but the sea is different.To the Dothraki, water is unclean as long as horses can't drink it, and the choppy gray-green ocean has a superstitious aversion to it.She knew very well that Drogo was braver than other horse lords in countless ways... only that he couldn't.If only she could find a way to get him on board...

When the khal and his bloodriders left with their bows, Dany called for her maids.She used to feel uncomfortable with their touching, but now that their bodies are getting bloated and clumsy, she likes their strong arms and nimble hands.They scrubbed her clean and dressed her in loose silk.Doria brushed her hair while she sent Jhiqui to fetch Ser Jorah Mormont. The knight came at once, in horsehair leggings and a painted waistcoat, like a Dothraki.Coarse black body hair covers his thick chest and muscular arms. "Your Highness, what are your orders?" "You'll have to talk to my lord," said Dany. "Drogo said he would rule the world on the steed of the world, but without crossing poisonous waters. And he said that when Rhaegal was born, he would lead the khalasar east. , to plunder the land along the coast of Yuhai."

The knight seemed thoughtful. "The khal has never seen the Seven Kingdoms," he said. "The Seven Kingdoms meant nothing to him. Even if he really thought about it, he probably thought it was just a city-state built on a group of small islands, surrounded by a stormy sea, like Lorras or Lys. Under the circumstances, the rich East must be more attractive." "But he must go west," Dany said anxiously. "Please, please help me to let him understand." In fact, like Drogo, she had never seen the Seven Kingdoms, but after hearing the stories her brother told, she felt familiar.Viserys had promised thousands and hundreds of times that he would bring her home someday, but he was dead, and of course all those promises were gone.

"The Dothraki have their own pace and their own reasons," answered the knight. "Be patient, Princess, and don't make the same mistake as your brother. We will return home, I promise you." Home?The word made her sad.Ser Jorah has Bear Island to call home, but where is her home?Are those stories, those names recited solemnly like prayers, or the red-painted gates that fade away in memory? ... Could it be that Vaes Dothraki will be her eternal home?When she looked at the old crones of the Dosh Kalim, did she see her own future? Ser Jorah should have noticed the sadness on her face. "Kalixi, a large caravan entered the city last night, four hundred horses, from Pentos via Norvos and Qohor, led by the caravan leader Baian Fortilis .Illyrio promised to communicate with us, maybe he sent a message, would you like to go to the market in the west of the city?"

Dany stood up. "Okay," she said, "I'd like to go." Whenever a caravan enters the city, the market will be lively.You never know what treasures the merchants will bring this time, and it's always nice to hear someone speak Valyrian.The people of the Free Cities speak this language. "Yi Li, ask someone to prepare the sedan chair for me." "I'll go and inform your Khas tribe." Jorah said and withdrew. If Khal Drogo was with her, Dany would ride out on the silver colt.A Dothraki woman still rode even when she was pregnant, except on the eve of giving birth, and she didn't want to appear weak in her husband's eyes.But now that the khal was out hunting, she was comfortable on cushions and carried across Vaes Dothraki in a palanquin, with red silk curtains to shield her from the scorching sun.Ser Jorah rode beside her, with four young khas and three maids.

The weather was mild and cloudless, with clear blue skies.As the breeze blew, she smelled the rich fragrance of grass and earth.As the palanquin passed under the statues of gods taken from foreign lands, she lost her gaze, entered the shadows, and returned to daylight.Along the way, Dany swayed gently with the sedan chair, examining the faces of dead heroes and forgotten kings, wondering if the gods who were once worshiped and whose cities of believers had been burnt could still answer her prayers . If I hadn't been of the blood of a dragon, she thought wistfully, this would be my home.As Khaleesi, she had a strong man and a swift horse, maids to serve her, warriors to protect her, and the respected status of the dosh khalin awaited her in old age... ...and growing in her womb the son who would one day rule the world should have been enough for any woman...but for the dragon it wasn't enough.With Viserys dead, Daenerys is the only true dragon, descended from kings and conquerors, and the child within her will inherit the same fate.She dare not forget.

The market in the west of the city occupies a large area in a square shape, surrounded by mudbrick huts, livestock pens, and lime powder-coated wine halls.The raised hills on the ground look like countless gigantic monsters lurking underground, their spines protruding from the ground, and their big black mouths open directly to the cool and spacious underground storage room.In the center of the square was a labyrinth of vendors and rugged passageways, covered by a canopy of long grass. When they arrived, hundreds of merchants were busy unloading goods and setting up stalls. However, compared with the market squares of Pentos and other free trade cities, this place still looked quiet and deserted.Ser Jorah explained to her that the caravans came here from east and west, and their main purpose was not to trade with the Dothraki, but to trade with other merchants.The nomads let them come and go freely, as long as they abide by the commandments of the holy city against violence, do not desecrate the Mount of Our Lady and the Womb Lake of the world, and give the old woman of Doshi Kaling traditional gifts of salt, silver, and seeds.In fact, the Dothraki did not understand the act of buying and selling.

Dany also loves the East Side Market, where things, sounds, and smells are exotic.She used to spend the whole morning there, eating tree eggs, locust pie, and green noodles, listening to the high-pitched howls of the spellcasters, and opening her mouth to look at the lion-headed mantle in a silver cage from Jogosnai. beasts, gigantic gray elephants, and black and white zebras.She also liked to watch all kinds of people: the dark complexion and dignified Asshai people; the tall and fair Qarth people; Virgin warriors with iron rings on their nipples and rubies on their cheeks in Miliana and Kaya Kayanaya; They are all tattoos, and their faces are covered with masks.To Dany, the East Fair was a place of wonder and magic.

But the market in the west of the city has a taste of home. Yili and Jiqi helped her step down from the sedan chair, and she took the opportunity to sniff, and immediately recognized the spicy smell of garlic and pepper, which reminded her of the old days in Tyrosh and Mill Lane, and she couldn't help laughing happily out.In addition to these smells, she smelled Reese's dizzyingly sweet perfume.She saw slaves carrying heavy Myrish lace and fine wool in a dozen colors.Caravan guards in red-bronze helmets and lined yellow cotton knee-length robes wandered the aisles, empty scabbards dangling from their leather belts.A master of armor stands behind a vendor, displaying a steel breastplate carved in gold and silver, and a helmet fashioned into the shape of a rare animal.Next door to his stall, a beautiful young woman was selling Lannisport gold jewelry, including rings, brooches, bracelets, and medals beautifully carved and made into belts.Beside her stood a tall, burly eunuch, silent and hairless, sweat seeping through his velvet clothes, frowning and scowling at everyone who approached.Across the aisle, a fat draper from Yidi was arguing with a Pentosian about the price of some green dye. He kept shaking his head, and the monkey's tail on his hat wobbled back and forth. "The market was my favorite place to play when I was a child," Dany told Ser Jorah, as they walked up and down the shaded aisles between the stalls. Lots of novelties too...although we can't usually afford anything...well, except for the occasional sausage, or a honey stick...are there any honey sticks in the Seven Kingdoms? The kind Tyrosh bakes?" "Is it a cake? Your Royal Highness, I don't know." The knight bowed, "Please allow me to resign temporarily. I will go to the caravan commander to see if there is any letter for us." "Great, I'll help you find it too." "I don't need to trouble you," Ser Jorah glanced into the distance impatiently. "Please enjoy this market to your heart's content. I will be back as soon as I finish my business." This is strange, Dany thought, watching him stride into the crowd.She could not think of any reason why she should not be accompanied.Perhaps Ser Jorah wanted a woman after seeing the caravan master.She knew whores usually traveled in caravans, and that men were especially difficult to talk about sex, so she shrugged. "Let's go," she said to the others. Dany continued to wander the market, her maid following. "Ah, look," she said to Doria in surprise, "that's the kind of sausage I'm talking about." She pointed to a vendor, where a stooped little woman was roasting meat and meat on a hot flint. onion. "They add a lot of garlic and chili." Surprised by her discovery, Dani insisted that others try it too.The maid "giggled" and chomped down, while her kass sniffed the meat suspiciously. "It tastes different from what I remembered." Dani commented after taking a few mouthfuls. "In Pentos I made it out of pork," said the old woman, "but all my pigs died in the Dothraki Sea. So it's made out of horse meat, Khaleesi, but the sauce is exactly the same .” "Oh." Dany felt a little disappointed, but Quilo liked it a lot, so she decided to order another one. Rakalo didn't want to be outdone, so she ate three and hiccupped loudly again and again, which made Dany "giggle" and laugh. "You haven't smiled since your brother Khal Rajat was crowned by Drogo," said Irri. "It is beautiful to see you smile, Khaleesi." Dany smiled timidly.Being able to laugh is really awesome and beautiful, she felt as if she was a little girl again. They lingered for most of the morning, and she took a fancy to a beautiful feathered cloak from the Summer Isles, and then accepted the gift from the other party. She also untied a silver medal from her belt and gave it back to the merchant. This is how the Dothraki trade.Dany laughed again when a birder taught a red and green parrot to say her name, but she didn't take the bird anyway, after all what was the use of a red and green parrot in a khalasar?Instead, she accepted a dozen cans of sesame oil, a perfume that belonged to her childhood memories; she only needed to close her eyes and take a deep breath, and the house with the red door would appear in front of her eyes.Seeing Doria looking longingly at the amulet of abundance on the magician's booth, she took it and gave it to the maid, thinking that she should find something else to give to Yili and Jiqi. Turning a corner, they came to the stall of a wine merchant, who was holding a refined small pottery cup to drink to passers-by. "Sweet wine," he called in fluent Dothraki, "I have sweet wine from Lys, Volantis, and the Arbor, white wine from Lys, pear brandy from Tyrosh, fire wine Pepperwine and Pale Green from Myr, Blackberry Brown and Andal Sour, I've got it all, all of it." He was small, slender and handsome, with flaxen hair combed in A popular style, perfumed in curls.When Dani stopped in front of his booth, he bowed deeply, "Kalixi, would you like to have a sip? Your honorable lady, I have a summer red wine from Duoen, which is made of honey plums, cherries and beautiful Black oak. Do you want a cask, a glass, a sip? You just have to take a sip and you're guaranteed to name a child after me." Dany smiled slightly. "My son already has a name, but I'll try your summer red," she said in Valyrian with the accent of the Free Cities.It's been a bit weird to say that it's been useless for so long. "Just one bite, please." The trader must have taken her for a Dothraki by her clothes, oiled hair, and tanned skin, and his mouth fell open in surprise when she spoke. "Honorable lady, are you a... Tyroshi? Are you?" "I may speak with a Tyrosh accent and wear Dothraki clothes, but I am a Westerosi in the Land of Sunset," Dany told him. Doria walked up to her. "You have had the honor of speaking with Daenerys Stormborn of House Targaryen, Khaleesi of the Horse Peoples, Princess of the Seven Kingdoms." The wine merchant quickly knelt down. "His Royal Highness." He bowed his head. "Get up," Dany ordered him, "I want to taste your summer red." The businessman jumped up, "You mean the one just now? It's Dawn's pig feed, not worthy of your princess. I have a kind of dry red from Qingting Island, which tastes sweet and refreshing. Please let me honor Give you a barrel." Khal Drogo had developed a taste for good wine during his several visits to the Free Cities, and Dany knew that such an old brew would please him. "You are too kind, sir," she whispered sweetly. "It's my honor." The businessman rummaged behind the booth for a long time and took out a small wooden barrel.The wood of the barrel was burnt with a pattern of bunches of grapes. "This is the symbol of the Redwyne family," he pointed, "the specialty of the Arbor Island, there is nothing better than this in the world." "And Khal Drogo will drink this with me. Go, please take this back to my litter." The wine merchant's eyes lit up as the Dothraki lifted the cask. She didn't realize Ser Jorah had returned until she heard the knight shout, "Slow!" His voice was strange and rough. "Ago, put down that barrel of wine." Ago looked at Dani, she nodded hesitantly. "Ser Jorah, what's wrong?" "I'm thirsty, boss, open the wine." The liquor seller frowned. "Ser, wine is for Khaleesi, not for people like you." Ser Jorah approached the stall. "If you don't open it, I'll knock it open with your head." Due to the commandments of the holy city, he didn't carry a weapon, only his hands—but his hands were strong and muscular, and his joints were covered with black hair , sending out a dangerous breath.The wine merchant hesitated for a while, then finally picked up the hammer and knocked off the seal. "Pour the wine," Ser Jorah ordered.The four young warriors of Danikas's men lined up behind him, frowning at him with wide, dark almond eyes. "It would be a heinous crime to drink such a good wine without allowing it to breathe first." The wine merchant did not let go of his hammer. Jhogo reached for the whip coiled around his waist, but Dany stopped him with a light touch on his arm. "Do as Ser Jorah says," she said.People nearby stopped to watch. The man gave her a quick look, his expression full of resentment. "I would like to follow the instructions of the princess." He put down the hammer, moved the barrel, and carefully poured two small glasses without spilling a single drop. Ser Jorah raised his glass and sniffed, frowning. "Is it very fragrant?" The wine merchant said with a smile, "Mr. Sir, can you smell the aroma of grapes? It is a specialty of Qingting Island. Sir, please taste it first, and then tell me if you drink it Sweetest and richest wine ever." Ser Jorah passed him the wine. "You drink first." "Me?" The man smiled, "My lord, I'm not qualified to drink such a good wine, let alone how can a wine dealer drink his own wine?" Although his smile was kind, she saw that his forehead was full of tears. beads of sweat. "Drink if you tell," Dany said coldly. "Drink this cup, or I'll make them catch you and Ser Jorah pour the whole bucket down your throat." The wine merchant shrugged and reached for the glass...only to grab the barrel with both hands and throw it at her.Ser Jorah rammed her all over the place, and the cask rolled over his shoulder and split open.Dany lost her balance and fell. "Oops!" she screamed, trying to reach for the floor... Luckily, Doria grabbed her arm and pulled it back just in time, so she was on her feet and her stomach wasn't bumped. The wine merchant flipped across the booth, scuttled between Aggo and Rakharo, knocked Qelo out of reach for his arakh but missed, and fled down the aisle.Dany heard Jhogo's whip crack, and saw the whip go out like a tongue, wrap around the liquor seller's feet, and the blond fell face down on the ground. A dozen or so caravan guards rushed over, and the caravan leader Baian Fortilis also came.He was a Norvosian, with skin like old leather, and a short stature, with a blunt blue beard that rose to his ears.Without asking a word, he seemed to understand what was going on. "Take this man away and wait for Kaa to deal with him." He pointed to the man on the ground and ordered, and the two guards immediately set up the wine seller. "Your Highness, please accept his wine as a gift." The caravan leader continued, "It's not a respectful compensation at all. I didn't expect someone in our caravan to do such a thing. I'm really sorry." Doria and Jhiqui helped Dany to her feet as the poisoned wine trickled from the cracked cask onto the muddy floor. "How do you know?" she asked Ser Jorah tremblingly. "how do you know?" "Khalishi, I didn't know at first, I was sure because he refused to drink. I read Governor Illyrio's letter earlier, and I was afraid that this kind of thing would happen." His dark eyes looked around the market A crowd of strangers watching. "Let's go, it's not suitable to talk here." Dany nearly cried when they carried her back.She had already tasted this taste in her mouth: fear.For so long she had lived in fear of Viserys, of awakening the wrath of the sleeping dragon, and now it was worse.Now she is not only afraid of herself, but also worried about the fetus in her stomach.He must have sensed her fear, so the fetus moved uncomfortably inside her.Dany stroked her bump, wishing she could reach out and touch him, hug him, comfort him. "Little baby, you are the descendant of the real dragon." The curtain of the sedan chair was tightly covered, and it shook slightly, and she also shook, "The descendant of the real dragon, dragons will not be afraid." Back at her hollow mound in Vaes Dothraki, Dany told everyone to get back—except Ser Jorah. "Tell me," she ordered, lying down slowly on the cushions, "is it the order of the Usurper?" "Yes," the knight pulled out a rolled-up parchment. "This is a letter from Magister Illyrio to Viserys. It says that Robert Baratheon has ordered that any man who kills you or your brother shall receive a land as a nobleman." "My brother?" Her sob was half a laugh. "He doesn't know yet, does he? So the Usurper owes Drogo a lordship." It was her laugh mixed with sobs this time, and she hugged herself protectively. "You said there was me, didn't you? Only me?" "You and your child," Ser Jorah said gravely. "No, he must not hurt my son." She secretly decided that she would never cry, nor would she tremble with fear.The usurper has awakened the wrath of the sleeping dragon, she said to herself... and then she turned her eyes to the dragon's egg lying on the dark velvet.Flickering lights traced their stone-faced scales, staining the motes of the air around them bright red and gold, like courtiers at the king's side. The next thing that grabbed her thoughts tightly was the madness born of fear, or some kind of strange wisdom hidden in her blood?Dany couldn't tell.She heard only her own voice saying, "Ser Jorah, light the brazier." "Khalishi?" The knight looked at her strangely. "It's so hot, are you sure?" She had never been so sure in her life. "Yes. I... I got a bit of a cold, so light the brazier." He bowed. "As you wish." Dany sent Ser Jorah away when the coals burned.She has to dare to finish when no one is looking.This is madness, she said to herself, lifting the black and red egg from the velvet.The egg would only burn and crack, and what a sight it would be if Ser Jorah knew I had ruined the egg.Must say I'm a fool.But, but... With the dragon egg in both hands, she went to the fire and lowered it down with the burning coals.Black dragon scales glistened as if drinking heat, and tiny tongues of red flame licked the stone face.Dany put the other two eggs into the fire as well, leaning against the black one, and then she backed away from the brazier, shaking and gasping for breath. She watched until the charcoal fire was reduced to ashes, the wandering sparks wafted from the smoke vent, and the hot air waved and shone around the dragon egg, and finally calmed down. Your elder brother Rhaegar is the last of the dragonborn, Ser Jorah had told her so.Dany looked at the egg sadly. What was she expecting?Thousands of years ago they were alive, but now they are just beautiful stones.They cannot become dragons.A real dragon can fly in the sky and breathe out flames. It is living flesh and blood, not rigid stone. The brazier had cooled when Khal Drogo returned.Cohollo walked behind him with a pack horse on which hung a huge white lion.The sky overhead, the stars are about to come out.The khal laughed and dismounted, showing her the scar where Hraka's claws had scraped the leggings. "I will make you a cloak of its skin, moon of my life." He swore to God. When Dany told him what had happened in the marketplace, all the smiles stopped, and Khal Drogo became very quiet. "This man who poisoned was the first," Ser Jorah Mormont warned him, "but he will never be the last. Many will risk their lives for the sake of their titles." Drogo was silent for a while, and at last he said, "The poison seller, who wants to run away from the moon of my life, let him run after her, let him run. Jorah the Andal, Djogo , I say to you both, take any horse from my herd—except my own red horse and the silver horse I gave the moon of my life as a bridal gift—and it is yours. I This gift is given to you to thank you for your achievements." "As for Rhaego son of Drogo, who rides on the steed of the world, I will give him a gift too. I will give him the iron chair that his mother's father sat on, and I will give him the Seven Kingdoms. I, Drogo, khal, do this." His voice grew louder, and he raised his fist and called to the sky, "I will take my khalasar westward to the end of the world, ride a wooden horse across the black salt water, Do what no other khal has ever done in all ages. I will kill the men in iron suits and tear down their stone houses, I will rape their wives, take their children as slaves, Bring the statue back to Vaes Dothraki, and salute to the Mount of the Mother. I, Drogo, son of Barbar, swear it here, and before the Mount of the Mother, by the stars of heaven." Two days later, his khalasar left Vaes Dothraki and headed southwest across the steppes.Khal Drogo led the way on his red steed, and Daenerys followed him on his silver stallion.As for the liquor seller, he ran behind naked and barefoot.Around his neck and wrists were chains, and the chains were long, and went as far as the bridle of Dany's silver horse.While she was riding, he ran after her, barefoot and staggering.He won't take any harm... as long as he keeps up.