Ch.43
(Daenerys Targaryen POV)
I felt a mixture of emotions as this man appeared and helped me. I felt happiness for once as someone helped me for the first time. Confusion as the why he helped me even though I hold this medallion. Fear and awe at the capability this man possesses in fighting as he easily dispatched one of the most feared Khals in history, I learned later from my brother. Finally, I felt a small spark of romantic interest in this man who was the first to help me, just to help me and he is extremely handsome.
After the fight with the Khal and his blood riders, the man who was confirmed to be Lord Valtaris, seemingly reluctantly took charge of the khalasar. It appeared he had no interest in leading them, but told them he would take them back to their main city. I am not sure why but my brother and I found ourselves joining the group. For different reasons, as my brother wanted to convince Valtaris to help him regain his Throne, while I just wanted to learn more about this man who helped me.
Every day my brother would get more desperate and plead with Valtaris, losing his arrogance toward him after the display in Pentos. Though as expected behind Valtaris's back he would still speak ill of him like the man was his servant. Seems my brother still has the mentality of himself being above everyone else.
"Lord Valtaris, I am the rightful King of the Seven Kingdoms. Please help me! I will give you whatever it is you want... You want my sister, you can–" I overheard my brother speak to Valtaris as we made camp on our way to this Dothraki city. My anger rose as he once again offered me as a prize, though this time it appears he overstepped as Valtaris backhanded him like Viserys used to do to me.
"I have had enough of your whining! You are no King and nor do you have the rightful claim to it! Begone and if I hear you are still in this camp by the sunrise, I will have your head," Valtaris says to my brother who stares at him stunned holding his cheek as this man was the first person to have struck him in his whole life and twice now.
"You will regret–" my brother begins to say, but the men who claimed themselves to be Valtari's blood riders stepped forward threateningly, looking to Valtaris for confirmation to kill my brother.
Seeing this happen, I once again felt mixed emotions. As this was my brother and he may have treated me like a tool all my life, but I do not want to lose my only family. Though at the same time, I felt satisfaction seeing him put in his place. Valtaris speaks in Dothraki to his blood riders who nod their heads while pushing my brother away.
"Daenerys! Come, we need to leave!" my brother says to me as the blood riders roughly escort my brother away. I felt myself freeze up as my fear crept up at denying my brother, but then I felt safe seeing Valtaris look at me. I remembered his statement about no one harming me as long as he protected me and so far his promise was true, not even my brother struck me since Valtaris showed up.
"No," I say steeling myself and wanting to stay with the only man who has helped me in my entire life. My statement seemed to have angered my brother to even higher levels.
"Fine, you whore! Stay and be fucked by all these Dothraki! See if I care! I will have my revenge!" my brother practically screeches to me and hatefully glares at Valtaris, who doesn't even give my brother the satisfaction of looking at him for this threat. Like he views my brother as just another nuisance in his life.
"I am surprised you denied your brother. But glad you understand that you have the freedom to choose your own destiny," Valtaris says to me as the blood riders now physically dragged my brother away very roughly beating him slightly in the process.
"You told me, you would let me keep my freedom and protect me. You are the first person to have done that for me and actually keep that promise. I would like to travel with you as long as you will let me," I say to Valtaris with some confidence in my voice but on the inside I felt fear of rejection.
"That is fine. You can travel with us as long as you want. If you want to remain with me after we reach Vaes Dothrak, then you will be coming with me back to my homeland," Valtaris says to me and I nod my head while feeling relief that he did not reject me.
"What is Vaes Dothrak and why are we headed there," I ask him and he sighs while grabbing the ale the Dothraki drink.
"The one and only city that the Dothraki people have. The place where all new Khals must go in order to become an official Khal. Though I plan on taking them back to the city and renouncing my claim, I have no interest in leading these people. I had to lead enough in my life and just wish to explore at my own leisure," Valtaris says to me and I can see the mental tiredness in his eyes from having this responsibility and now I feel guilty for forcing him into this position for my selfish wants.
"I am sorry for making you do all this just to help me," I say to him and his tired face breaks into a smile that shows genuine kindness. Not only is he extremely handsome, but kind, and I feel myself slowly becoming more and more attracted to him.
"Think nothing of it. I once helped your family in their time of need and promised to help your brother if his prophecy turned out to be true. Though then I heard he died in battle, I am just surprised he gave you the medallion," Valtaris says to me while I take a seat across from him and grab a cup of the ale, coughing at the strong taste making him laugh. I feel my face turn red from embarrassment.
"Actually my brother gave it to my mother before he left. I guess to help keep her safe in the worse case, but she died shortly after I was born. Then left the medallion to me, but my brother knowing the stories behind it from our eldest brother tried his best to make it work. Though nothing he did worked, until recently when I thought of you as I held the medallion," I say to him as he silently listens to my explanation.
"That is because to make it work you have to think or say my name, before sending the message to me," Valtaris says and I nod my head remembering the night when I cried myself to sleep after learning about my betrothal to the Khal.
"I can not thank you enough for helping me," I say to Valtaris.
"No problem, I promised to help the one who held onto the medallion and it so happened to be you," Valtaris says to me and I nod my head. As silence takes over and I think about the possibility of my brother being the holder and calling for Valtaris's help.
"Does that mean if Viserys held the medallion you would have helped him," I ask feeling I know the answer.
"Yes and no. At first, I would have helped him, but after learning more about his personality I would leave him to his own. Your brother is not a good man and would not deserve my help, you on the other hand are a kind and caring woman, therefore deserve my help," Valtaris says to me and I can't help but smile hearing his answer.
"It is getting late, go rest, we continue the journey early in the morning," Valtaris says to me and I nod my head, feeling slightly saddened at having to leave, but return to my tent to rest.
As I approach my tent, I can see the one my brother stayed in is not empty of all his important possessions, while the rest are being rummaged through by the blood riders. With a bitter and happy feeling at the same time I enter my tent to sleep.
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(Talrit POV)
These last few weeks of traveling and dealing with both the Targaryens were mentally tiring. Though my patience ran thin for the arrogant fool, called Viserys, banishing him. With him gone, the journey should be less annoying now. Though it will take half a year if not longer to reach the city of Vaes Dothrak, due to the among of people I have traveling with me. Which is around one hundred thousand, only with forty thousand being warriors.
I could tell the young woman called Daenerys was romantically interested in me, from the lust that has been coming off her recently when around me. I just hope she loses interest soon as I do not feel like dealing with that issue anytime soon. A couple of weeks after I took over the khalasar, four men came forward and declared themselves my blood riders. I did not care and let them follow their customs as I did not plan on remaining the Khal that much longer.
So far on our journey to Vaes Dothrak we did not come across any villages or other khalasars. As that would result in my khalasar wanting to fight for the spoils of the village or opposing khalasar. Then I would have to somehow enforce my rules of not harming the innocent, which would be very difficult unless I showed my true form. I was purposely avoiding the villages I knew of from time exploring the lands.
"Blood of my blood, some scouts have returned reporting of a village several miles ahead of us," one of my blood riders says approaching me as we travel with the horde to my back and Daenerys behind me.
'Fuck, seems my luck ran out…' I think to myself, wondering how to enforce my rule of not harming innocents.
"Very well, gather some of the riders we will go to this village. Though I want to make it very clear no raping, or killing of those who do not fight," I say to my blood rider who reported this to me and he nods his head before urging his horse away to gather enough riders for this raid.
"What is happening?" Daenerys asks me after my blood rider goes to relay my orders. She has a few of the Dothraki women helping her and teaching her the language, but she is still a long way from understanding it. The Dothraki believe she is going to be my 'Khaleesi', which is their version of a queen.
"There is a village ahead of us. The Dothraki will want to raid it and I can not deny them their customs, all I can do is ensure no innocents are killed or harmed," I say while coming up with plans to make this raid as harmless as possible.
"Oh… well be safe," Daenerys says to me unsure what to say. I nod my head as I see my blood rider return informing me that the chosen riders are ready. Leaving two of my blood riders with the rest, they begin to make camp as they await the return of the raiding party.
"Bring me to the riders," I say to the two blood riders accompanying me on this raid. They both bow their heads before showing me to the chosen riders.
I can see they have only chosen around two thousand out of the forty thousand riders we have. That would suggest the village is smaller and very little protected. Which means it should be much easier to ensure no one disobeys my rules. With a sigh, I then shout my orders to the riders once again to ensure they know to not break them. A part of me knows some will not listen and therefore need to be killed to show I mean what I say.