The Age of Daenerys Targaryen

Part 9: Empire

Daenerys Targaryen was lying in her bed, exhausted. In her arms she held her two sons Rhaegar and Viserys, who were suckling on her nipples.

She looked at the two tiny babies in amazement. Their faces were all wrinkled, their eyes shut, and black fuzz stuck to their heads, which looked much too big for their fragile bodies. For Daenerys, these two beings were the most wonderful thing in the whole world.

Rhaegar removed his mouth from Dany's nipple and opened his eyes. They were the same purple color as his mother's. It was the same with Viserys. The two newborns were truly of the blood of the dragon.

There was a knock on the door.

"Come in," said Daenerys.

Kinvara stepped into the room and closed the door behind her. "Your Grace", she said." I just wanted to see how you are. And the babies of course " The priestess smiled at the newborn twins.

"Kinvara", Daenerys said seriously. "I haven't really thanked you yet. Without you there would be no Rhaegar, Viserys and me now. I owe you a lot."

"Your Grace", began the high priestess, but the queen interrupted her.

"Daenerys. Please just call me Daenerys when we're alone."

"As you wish, Daenerys. As for your debts, you have already paid them off. Without you, without your warning and without your dragon, the mercenaries would have slaughtered us all."

The two women were silent for a moment and looked at the babies with delight.

"How is the situation in the city?", Daenerys asked.

"Unchanged. The triarches still refuse to surrender. The tiger cloaks keep order and prevent the former slaves from taking revenge on the free citizens."

"Then I have to convince the Triarches to give up with Drogon's help", said the Dragon Queen grimly.

"You should take a few days to relax beforehand", Kinvara warned.

"I coped with the birth well. The day after tomorrow at the latest I should have fully recovered."

"And after you overthrow the Triarches, what happens then?"

"Then we take control of the surrounding area. Especially Selhorys, Valysar and Volon Therys. More Dothraki will be arriving soon so that should make things easier."

"YOU are taking control, you mean. I assume you will declare yourself Queen of Volantis."

"Yeah", Daenerys said with a grin, "that's roughly how I thought."

"But remember that Volantis is a Free City. Citizens are used to being able to vote for their leaders. They will not like it to suddenly have a monarch in front of them."

"Free City", Daenerys said scornfully. "What kind of Free City is it supposed to be that keeps five sixths of its inhabitants as slaves?"

"A Free City for the free citizens", Kinvara replied. "Just by forbidding them to own and trade with slaves, you are curtailing their centuries-old rights. If you're not careful, you will soon be dealing with a volantene version of the Sons of the Harpy, Daenerys."

"As far as I am concerned, they can still choose their local authorities. But they will have to bow to my rule."

"I'm not sure that's enough. Maybe you should give them a say. You could set up an assembly of elected representatives to assist you in government."

Since the twins seemed full, Daenerys now covered her breasts. "It seems to me you have thought about it a lot", she said with a frown.

"To be frank, we servants of R'hllor have been speculating on a... change in the balance of power in Volantis for some time. Of course we also planned for the order afterwards. A form of government that is accepted by all seems to me the best to ensure stability and avoid unrest."

"I will consider your proposal", Daenerys promised. "By the way, have the captured mercenaries been released yet?"

"Yes, the last of them left an hour ago. Spare them was the right decision, Daenerys. Especially after the thing with King's Landing it is important to demonstrate that you are not a crazy butcher."

The Dragon Queen could not contradict that.

Drogon circled with Daenerys on his back high above the famous Black Wall that enclosed the old city center of Volantis. Only those who could trace their ancestry back to Old Valyria were allowed to live there. These old families did not leave their protection to the tiger cloaks. Instead, the Black Wall was guarded by an elite guard made up of free men.

At the command of his mother, the dragon fell into a dive and covered the top of the wall, which was so wide that two chariots could drive on it side by side, with fire. Then it flew over the oval wall ring and spat out flames without ceasing. The guards were completely helpless in the face of the inferno. Unlike Cersei's troops in King's Landing, which had been prepared for a dragon attack, the Volantenes had not set up any scorpions.

Those who were not consumed by the dragon's breath jumped from the wall and fell sixty meters to their death. Once Drogon had flown the oval curtain wall, it looked from above as if someone had written the number zero in flames.

Deprived of its defenders, the Black Wall was no longer an obstacle to the tiger cloaks and the Dothraki. The gate could be rammed in undisturbed and when Daenerys' men stormed the district that had never been entered in centuries without permission from the old families the last organized resistance in Volantis broken.

After the Black Wall fell, Malaquo Maegyr committed suicide by poison. Nyessos Vhassar had suffered a nervous breakdown and was no longer of any use. So it fell to Doniphos Paenymion to hand over the golden key of the city to the Dragon Queen in front of the steps of the Triarch palace. 

It was a historic moment in several ways. Volantis had never fallen in its entire history. And never before had a triarch been seen on foot outside the palace. The triarches were considered so high that their feet were not allowed to touch the ground on which the common people walked. But now their time was over.

Doniphos' thoughts were bitter when Daenerys Targaryen took the city key from his hand. But it was directed less against the woman, who had shattered his usual world, than against his colleagues. They had created this situation through their actions.

The victorious conqueror now turned to her soldiers and supporters who had gathered in front of the palace.

"People of Volantis! This place, built on the bones of slaves, was the capital of oppression for centuries. It's over now! As of today, Volantis is the capital of freedom!"

Thunderous cheers.

"As of today there are no longer any masters or slaves in Volantis, only free citizens! Starting today, everyone will work equally to build a new state. A state in which law and order will rule instead of chaos and arbitrariness! A state that secures peace through strength!" Daenerys paused and took a deep breath. "A state that the world will know as the New Valyrian Empire!"

The enthusiastic roar of the crowd made Doniphos Paenymion almost deaf.