Chapter 74 Chapter 73 Daenerys

This place is full of red sand, dead and silent, dry and scorched, and firewood is hard to find. Her men brought back tangled cottonwoods, purple bushes, and bundles of brown grass.They also took the two trees that were the straightest, and cut off the branches, stripped the bark, and split them, and made a square pile of wood, with straw, bushes, bark, and hay in the center.Rakharo picked a steed from the remaining ponies. It was not as good as Khal Drogo's crimson mount, but few beasts could match it.Ago led it to the middle of the square made of firewood, fed it a shriveled apple, then slashed at its face and put it down neatly.

With her hands and feet bound, Mirri Maz Duur stood in the cloud of smoke and dust, watching all this with wide-open black eyes. "Killing horses is not enough," she told Dany. "Blood has no power of its own, and you neither know the language of spells nor the wisdom to seek them. You think blood magic is a child's trick? What do you call it?" I'm a 'witch' as ​​if it's a curse, but what it really means is 'wisdom'. You're just a young and ignorant child, and whatever you try to do, you're doomed to fail. Untie me and I'll help you."

"I've heard enough of the Witch's nonsense," Dany said to Jhogo.He took out the whip and handed it to her, after which the priestess was silent. They took firewood and built a platform on top of the horse carcass, using the trunks of young trees, the branches of big trees, and the thickest and straightest branches they could find.They laid the firewood from east to west, symbolizing the rising of the sun and its setting, and on the terrace they placed the treasures of Khal Drogo: his big tent, his painted vest, his saddle and bridle, the gift from his father when he came of age. His riding whip, his arakh that had slain Ogokhal and his son, and his great dragonbone longbow.Argo was about to put the weapon that Drogo's bloodrider gave Dany as a bridal gift, but she stopped her. "Those are mine," she said to him, "and I will keep them." Another layer of shrubs was spread over the khal's treasure, and then some bales of hay were placed.

Ser Jorah Mormont pulled her aside as the sun crept toward the zenith. "His Royal Highness..." he said. "Why do you call me that?" Dany demanded. "My brother Viserys was your king once, wasn't he?" "Yes, miss." "Now that Viserys is dead, I am his heir, the last blood of House Targaryen, and what was his in the past is mine now." "Yes... Her Majesty," Ser Jorah said, dropping to one knee. "My sword is yours, Daenerys, and my heart is yours—and my heart was never your brother's in the past. I am only a knight, exiled, penniless, but I beg you, listen to me. Let Khal Drogo go, you will never be alone. I promise you, no one will take you back to Vaes Dothraki unless you want to, you don't have to Join Dosh Karin. Come with me, and we will go to the East, to Yidi, Qarth, Jade Sea, and Asshai beside the land of shadows. We will see wonders that have never been seen before, and we will drink The nectar that the gods have given us. I beg you, Khaleesi, I know what you're planning, but please don't do it, please don't."

"I have to," Dany said, reaching out her hand to stroke his cheek lovingly and sadly. "You don't understand." "No, I understand that you love him dearly," Ser Jorah said with despair in his voice. "In the past, I loved my wife too, but I never lived with her. You are my queen and my sword is yours, but if you want to climb Drogo's funeral pyre, don't call me Stand by and watch, I must never watch you burn in flames." "That's what you're afraid of?" Dany kissed his broad forehead lightly. "Good sir, I am not so childish as that."

"You won't die with him? Your Majesty, you swear you won't do that?" "I swear it," she replied in the lingua franca of the Seven Kingdoms, those that were rightly hers to rule. The third level of the platform was made of branches as thick as a finger, covered with dry leaves and dead branches.They arranged the branches and leaves from north to south, symbolizing black ice to raging fire, and finally piled soft pillows and silk quilts on top, piling up high.By the time everything was ready, the sun had gradually set.Dany called to her the few remaining Dothraki, not yet a hundred.How many people did Aegon take with him when he set sail?She couldn't help thinking curiously.It doesn't matter how much.

"You will be my khalasar," she said to them. "Among you I see the faces of slaves. First, I set you free. Take off your slave collars. If you go, no one will Stop it, but if you choose to stay, you will become brothers and sisters, husband and wife." Pairs of dark eyes looked at her, full of wariness, expressionless. "Here I see more the faces of infants, women, and wrinkled old men. Yesterday I was a infant, today I am a woman, tomorrow I will be old. I tell each of you: Put your hands Give me your hearts and minds, and there will always be a place for you here." She turned to face the three young warriors of her Khas tribe. "Jogo, this long whip with a silver handle is my bridal gift. Here I give it to you and appoint you as Kou. At the same time, I ask you to swear to be the blood of my blood, to live and die with me, and to fight side by side. , to protect me from danger."

Jhogo took the whip from her, his face full of confusion. "Khaleesi," he said hesitantly, "it's not going to work. It would shame me to be a woman's bloodrider." "Ago," Dany called, ignoring Jhogo's words.If I turn back, it's all over. "This dragonbone longbow is my bridal gift, and here I present it to you." The double-arc dragonbow was exquisitely carved, jet black and shiny, standing taller than her. "I also appoint you as a bandit, and at the same time ask you to swear to be the blood of my blood, to live and die with me, to fight side by side, and to protect me from danger."

Aggo lowered his eyes and accepted the bow. "I cannot take an oath. Only a man can lead a khalasar, or appoint another as a khal." "Rakharo," Dany ignored his refusal. "This arakh is my bridal gift, its scabbard and blade are inlaid with gold thread, I hereby give it to you, and I name you Kou, and I ask you to be the blood of my blood , live and die with me, fight side by side, and protect me from danger." "You are Khaleesi," Rakharo said, taking the arakh. "I will ride by your side to Vaes Dothraki below the Mother's Mount, and keep you safe from danger until you join the crone of the Dosh Kalim. Beyond that, I cannot promise anything."

She nodded calmly, as if she hadn't heard his answer at all, and turned to face her last warrior. "Ser Jorah Mormont," she said, "you were my first and most valiant knight, and though I have no bridal gift, I swear to you that one day you will be In my hands is a sword like no other, forged of dragons and forged of Valyrian steel. I demand your oath of allegiance, too." "Your Majesty, my life is yours," said Knight Jorah, kneeling on one knee and laying his sword at her feet. "I swear to serve you, to do all your will, to sacrifice my life, and to say nothing."

"Until death?" "Until death." "I will keep your oath, and I hope you will never regret it." Dany helped him up, then stood on tiptoe, and gently pressed a kiss on the knight's lips. "You are my first Queen's Guard." When she entered, it felt like the whole khalasar was watching her.The Dothraki whispered, watching her oddly out of the corners of his dark, almond-shaped eyes.They must have thought I was crazy, Dany knew, and maybe I was, and whether that was true or not would soon be revealed.If I turn back, it's all over. Irri helped her into the bath, which was terribly hot, but Dany neither flinched nor uttered a word.She loves the heat and makes her feel clean.Jiqi sprinkled the water with sesame oil, which was a gift she had received at the market in Vaes Dothraki. At this moment, the tent was full of steam and fragrance.Doria washed her hair and smoothed out any tangles, and Irri brushed her back.Dany closed her eyes, letting the scent and warmth wrap her body.She could feel the heat seeping into the soreness between her legs, and she couldn't help shivering as the heat entered her body, and then all the pain and stiffness seemed to melt away, leaving her in a trance. After bathing, the maid helped her out of the bathtub.Irri and Jiki dried her while Doria brushed her hair, combing her long locks into a silver waterfall that cascaded down her back.They smeared her with spiced flowers and cinnamon: a little each on her wrists, behind her ears, on her swollen nipples, and finally on her lower body.Yili's fingers gently slid over the details, cold and gentle, like a lover's kiss. After this, Dany sent them all away, and personally helped Khal Drogo prepare for his last journey to the land of night.She washed his body, combed his hair, and anointed it with perfume.She ran her hands through his hair one last time, felt their weight, and remembered the first time she had touched them on their wedding night.His hair was never trimmed, how many dead have the honor?She buried her face deep in it, inhaling the hazy fragrance of hair oil.He smelled of grass and earth, of smoke and semen and horses, and he smelled of Drogo.Please forgive me, the sun of my life, she thought, for all that I have done, and all that I must do.My star, I paid the price, but the price is too high, too high... Dany braided his hair and put silver rings in his beard and tied bells in his hair one by one.So many bells, among them gold, silver, and bronze, that would announce his coming to his enemies, and make them fearful.She dressed him in horsehair leggings and high boots, and around his waist she tied a heavy leather belt full of gold and silver medals.In the end, she covered the scar on his chest with a painted vest that, though old and faded, was his favorite.For herself, she chose a pair of loose sand silk trousers, sandals that strapped to the knees, and a vest similar to the one Drogo was wearing. The sun was nearly setting when she summoned them to carry Drogo's body to the funeral pyre.Jhogo and Argo carried him out of the tent, while the Dothraki watched silently.Dany walked behind them.They let him lie on his own pillow and silk quilt, with his head looking towards the Notre Dame mountain in the far northeast. "Bring the oil," she ordered, and they brought the jars of sesame oil and poured them over the funeral pyre, soaking the silk quilts, twigs, and bales of hay, seeping into the firewood below, and filling the air with aroma. "Bring my eggs, too," Dany told the handmaidens, and something in her voice made them run. Ser Jorah took her by the arm. "Your Majesty, Drogo doesn't need dragon eggs in the kingdom of night. It's better to sell them in Asshai. Just one is enough for us to buy a big ship and return to the Free City. And selling three The wealth you get in exchange for one is enough for you to enjoy forever." "He didn't give me these eggs to sell," Dany told him. She climbed the pyre and placed the eggs herself beside her sun and star.The black one was on his heart, held in the palm of his hand; the green one was by his head, curled up in braids; the cream and gold one was between his legs.Then Dany kissed him good-bye for the last time, tasting the sweetness of the perfume on his lips. As she climbed down from the pyre, she noticed Mirri Maz Duur watching her. "You're crazy," the priestess hissed. "Is there really that much difference between madness and wisdom?" Dany asked. "Ser Jorah, tie this witch to the pyre." "Tie on fire...no, Your Majesty, please listen to me..." "Do as I say," seeing that he was still hesitant, finally ignited her raging anger. "Didn't you swear to do my will until death? Rakalo, come and help him." So they dragged the priestess to Khal Drogo's funeral pyre, where she was bound to his treasures.She didn't yell.Dany herself poured the oil on the woman's head. "I thank you, Mirri Maz Duur," she said, "for all that you have taught me." "You will never hear me howling," Mirri replied.The oil dripped from her hair and seeped into her clothes. "No, I will," said Dany, "but it is not your cry that I want, but your life. I remember you saying to me that only death can buy life." Mirri Maz Du Er opened his mouth to speak, but in the end he still didn't answer.Stepping down from the crematorium, Dany noticed that the contempt in the flat black eyes of the witch had disappeared, replaced by something that bordered on fear.All that can be done has been done, and the next thing is to wait for the sun to go down and the stars to appear. Whenever the horse king dies, his mount will be killed and buried with him, so that he can ride a steed and boldly enter the kingdom of night.When their bodies are cremated under the sky, the khal will ride out on a flaming horse and become stars in the sky.The more the body burns, the more his star shines in the darkness. The first to be discovered was Jhogo. "There." He said in a low voice.Dany looked in the direction he pointed. In the low eastern sky, there was a red comet, which was blood red, fire red, dragging a dragon's tail.She could not have asked for a stronger omen than this. Dany took the torch from Argo and stuck it in the pyre.The sesame oil caught fire immediately, and the twigs and dried grass followed suit only a heartbeat away.Tiny flames shot from all over the pyre, like nimble red rats, gliding through the oil, leaping from bark to branch to leaf.A puff of hot air rose from the fire and rushed towards her, soft and abrupt, like a lover's breath, but after a few seconds, it became unbearably hot.Dany stepped back, and the crackling of the wood grew louder, and Mirri Maz Duur began to sing in a high, piercing voice.The flames sometimes circled and sometimes twisted, chasing each other and climbing towards the top of the stage.The air, too, seemed to be liquified by the heat, shining brightly in the twilight.Dany heard the firewood burst, and the flames engulfed Mirri Maz Duur, and her singing grew louder and shriller... and then she gasped suddenly, and gasped, and gasped, and the song became trembling Wailing, shrill and high-pitched, full of pain. The flames reached Drogo and soon surrounded him.His clothes caught fire, and for a moment the khal seemed to be clothed in billowing orange silk, with wisps of gray smoke billowing from him.Dany opened her mouth wide, only to realize that she had already held her breath.As Ser Jorah had feared, a part of her just wanted to rush into the flames, beg his forgiveness, and get inside her one last time.The fire melted the skin, leaving only dry bones, and they stayed together forever. She smelled cooking flesh, the same smell as horsemeat roasting over a campfire.In the deepening twilight, the cremation altar, like a roaring monster, overwhelmed Mirri Maz Duur's faint screams, spit out a long tongue of fire, and licked the belly of the night sky.The smoke thickened, and the Dothraki backed away, coughing.The huge orange flames swelled up the strong wind of purgatory, flapping the nearby flags, the firewood hissed and burst, and glowing embers rose from the smoke, drifting toward the boundless night, like thousands of newborn fireflies.The flames rose and flapped their great red wings, driving the Dothraki back. Even Mormont moved away, but Dany remained motionless.She is a descendant of the real dragon, with raging flames in her body. She had known the truth long ago, but the brazier hadn't been hot enough, Dany thought, taking a step closer to the fire.Fireworks squirmed before her like dancers on a wedding day, whirling and singing and dancing their red, orange and yellow veils.Although their appearances are frightening, their bodies show vitality with the high heat, making them extremely beautiful.Dany opened her arms to meet them, her skin flushed and glowing.It's like a wedding, too, she thought.Mirri Maz Duur had fallen silent.The priestess treats her like a child, but a child grows and learns. Dany took another step forward, feeling the heat of the sand spread through the soles of the sandals to the soles of her feet.Sweat streamed down her thighs and breasts and down her cheeks, where her tears should have dried up.Ser Jorah was calling to her after her, but he was no longer important. The only thing that mattered was the fire.The flames were so beautiful, she had never seen a more beautiful thing in her life, each fire was like a wizard in a red, orange and yellow robe, with a long smoking cloak fluttering from his shoulders.She saw bright red fire lions, golden giant snakes, and unicorns made of light blue flames. She saw fish, foxes, and monsters, as well as wolves, bright flying birds, and blossoming trees, each of which was more beautiful than the other.At last she saw a gray horse painted with smoke, its flying mane a glowing blue fire.Yes, my love, my sun and stars, yes, mount and ride bravely. Her vest began to smoke, and Dany pulled it off, letting it fall to the floor, where the painted leather burst into bursts of red flames.She took another step toward the fire, her breasts exposed, and streams of milk flowed from her rosy, swollen nipples under the flames.Right now, she understood, right now.For a split second she caught sight of Khal Drogo ahead of her, on his sooty courser, flaming whip in hand.He smiled at her, only to hear a hiss, and the long whip rushed towards the cremation altar like a snake. Crackling, the sound was like a rock cracking.Platforms of firewood, twigs, and dry grass began to shake and collapse inwards.Splinters of burning wood were scattered around her, and Dany was bathed in a blanket of ash and sparks.Something unknown rolled down, bounced and landed at her feet: it was a curved stone, milky white with golden veins, cracking and smoking.The fire roared and shook, and Dany heard the screams of women and the surprised cries of children through the collapsing flames. Only death can buy life. Crackling, the shriek boomed like thunder.The cremation table shook again, thick smoke rolled up and swirled around her, the flames burned to the center, and the dry wood burst.She heard the horses screaming, the Dothraki yelling in terror, and Ser Jorah calling her name, cursing.No, she wanted to shout back, no, my dear knight, don't worry about me.Do you know?The fire is mine, I am Daenerys Stormborn, Daughter of Dragons, Bride of Dragons, Mother of Dragons, can't you see?Can't you hear me?With a column of flames and smoke rising thirty feet into the sky, the cremation altar finally collapsed completely, collapsing all around her.Dany stepped forward without fear, into the firestorm, calling to her child. Crackling, deafening, as if the sky is falling apart. When the flames were finally extinguished and the ground cooled a little, Ser Jorah Mormont found her among the ashes.All around her were blackened charcoal and glowing embers, and the charred bones of men and women and horses.She was naked and covered in soot, all her clothes were turned to ashes, her beautiful hair was burnt...but she herself was safe and sound. The cream and gold dragon sucked at her left breast, the bronze and green one sucked at her right, and she held them both in her arms.The black and red dragon hung from her shoulders, wrapping its long, sinuous neck around her chin.When it saw Jorah, it raised its head and stared at him with wide, coal-red eyes. The knight knelt down without a word, and her khas followed.Jhogo was the first to lay the arakh at her feet. "Blood of my blood," he murmured, pressing his face to the smoking ground. "Blood of my blood," she heard Aggo echo. "Blood of my blood," Rakharo called. After them came her handmaidens, and other Dothraki men, women, and children, and Dany had only to look into their eyes to know that they had submitted to her, today and tomorrow. , forever, not because of the fear of Drogo's power, but because of his sincere submission from the bottom of his heart. Daenerys Targaryen stood up, and her black dragon hissed wisps of white smoke from its muzzle, and the other two let go of her nipples at the same time, joining in its roar.They spread their translucent wings and flap the air. As a result, the music of the dragon clan resounded in unison, piercing the night sky, for the first time in hundreds of years.