"The Unsullied are a means to an end."

"Once I own them, these men-" Daenerys started.

"They are not men." Jorah interrupted quietly. "Not anymore."

"Once I own this army of slaves." She corrected, over the noise of the market, and local wildlife. Astapor was filled with life, unchained or bound. It would be her choice to break the irons, or leave them be. "What will I be?" That was the question that bothered her. Viserys wanted an army that would obey his every whim, an army without a will of it's own. She was a Khaleesi, her people were meant to be free. A Khalassar was made of free men and women.

"Do you think these slaves will have better lives serving Kraznys and men like him, or serving you." An interesting point, she thought as they descended the steps. Her eyes roamed, stopping on a small child for a moment as they exchanged smiles.

"You'll be fair to them. You won't mutilate them to make a point." Jorah continued, watching as his queen grew distracted by the antics of a small girl and her toy ball. "You won't order them to murder babies, and ensure they are properly fed and sheltered. A great injustice has been done to them."

And will it be I who upholds this injustice, Dany thought, as an observer to the conversation could only keep himself from snorting.

"Closing your eyes will not undo it." Jorah finished as she came to a stop. The small girl was looking at her, with ball in hand and shy smile on her face. With a playful look the girl bent forward, rolling the wooden ball across the docks towards Dany.

The young queen picked it up, and looked at the girl to see if she was ready to have it rolled back. Instead the child smiled and made a twisting motion with her hands. There was something inside the toy. There would be no harm in playing along, so Dany brought her other hand up to the sphere and began to twist, as all hell broke loose behind her.

With a harsh smack, the ball was slapped out of her hands and Dany collapsed to the ground. Out of the corner of her eye she saw Jorah, wresting against a cloaked man. An assassin with dagger in hand. A notion that would have scared her if she hadn't heard a noise. Eyes forward, she saw the ball creak open, spindly legs stepping out to reveal an insect, a large insect the color of worn brass with a stinger larger than some of her fingers. It seemed to eye her, waiting for a moment, as if to taunt her before charging.

This is it, this is how it ends, the young queen thought. She was paralyzed by indecision at the skittering insect, to retreat or attempt to defend herself. A choice that was made for her as a large blade of rippled grey steel descended upon it, skewering the pest.

"Are you alright my lady?" A low, rough voice asked in Westrosi as Dany gathered herself. The child, if it actually was one, had dissappeared. Not a comforting notion. She took the offered hand, to look at her defender. A man of Jorah's age, with a closely trimmed beard with tinges of white. And eyes. A dark grey as soft as fog.

"I am well good ser. Thank you-" She began only to feel a hand on her shoulder, pulling her away from her rescuer. She was ready to turn and face her latest attacker, but it was Jorah. He had placed himself in front of her, sword drawn. Dany couldn't see her trusted guard's face, only his back but she could read him with ease. Fear, a fear that left him shaking, on a knife's edge as the good ser stood observing.

"My queen, I beg of you." Jorah said as another figure came to the side of the good ser. This man was older, old enough to be her grandfather and he wore the cloak of Jorah's assailant. "Run, retreat to the rest of the khalassar. I will hold them here."

Why? That was the question that hung on her lips as she turned her attention back to the good ser. The soft fog was gone, these were eyes of the harshest stone. A gaze that wished to reduce Jorah to a smear on the ground, and looked more than capable of doing so. The thought sent a shiver down Dany's spine as she observed.

"Ser Jorah, that will not be necessary." The elderly man said as he took a step forward, hands raised in submission. The man seemed unconcerned as Jorah's sword point shifted from the good ser to a hand's width away from his own stomach. "We come in peace, and wish little more than to speak our peace."

"And how am I to trust you Ser Barristan? You brought him along." Jorah knows both of these men, she thought. Barristan, the name was familiar in the vaguest of senses, and she'd never met someone like her savior. She'd remember eyes like those.

"Trust me Jorah. She is safe. No thanks to you." The ser said as he shifted his scabbard off his back, taking care as he slid his weapon back into it's proper place.

"As you said, now." She was a queen, time to act like it. "Ser Jorah, you seem to know these men. I do not." Dany said as she turned her gaze to the elderly man who was eying her carefully. Not a hint of malice, as far as she could tell, but he was watching her, not judging, simply observing. "I owe you my life. Regardless of my companion's mistrusts, I wish to honor you. Your names." It was a command, as she stepped forward. She had no desire to cower behind Jorah. These men had done her no harm, and would be treated with the proper respect. Of a monarch thanking her benefactors.

"The honor is mine, my queen. I am Barristan Selmy, a humble knight wishing to aid you." Barristan said, bowing before his queen. Even with the full name, the memory eluded her, a sign that Jorah picked up upon.

"Was one of the greatest fighters the Seven Kingdoms has ever seen, And was Lord Commander of Robert Baratheon's Kingsguard." He supplied.

"King Robert is dead." Her defender's grip on the pommel of his sword seemed to tighten at that statement, but Daenerys was the only one to notice. "I have been searching for you, Daenerys Stormborn. To ask your forgiveness. I was sworn to protect your family. I failed them." Barristan continued as he took the knee before her. "I was Kingsguard to your father. Allow me to join your Queensguard, and I shall not fail you again."

Barristan the Bold, a traitor her brother had ranted about at times. An old turn cloak who wished to rejoin the dragon. Viserys would have the man executed, simply prove a point. Dany stepped forward, lightly placing her hand on Barristan's shoulder. "Rise, Ser Barristan. You have traveled far, to repent and ask forgiveness. I would be honored for you to serve me."

"Thank you, your grace. I am not worthy." Barristan said as he stood, bowing his head as he took a step back.

"I will be the judge of that." His companion made no move to take his spot, as Dany's mind raced. If she had one member of her father's Kingsguard join her, was there a second? Why would Jorah hold such animosity for him though, but not his brother in arms? She couldn't think of another member aside from the Lannister. So a loyal retainer? "And you, good ser?"

"He is no Ser." Jorah said with a bite.

"Jorah!" A sharp reprimand in two syllables as she turned to glare at her sworn-sword. A glare that was matched by the new member of her Queensguard.

"Your grace." Jorah dipped his head to gaze at the ground. A moment to let the tension fade before she turned back to the waiting man.

"My apologies for him."

Finally addressed, the knight stepped forward, allowing Dany a better look. He had a plain face, with dark hair that fell to his shoulders. He wasn't as large as Jorah, in fact if she had passed him though the market, she'd have thought him a blacksmith. If it wasn't for the eyes, grey eyes that soften from cutting steel to a murky fog as they looked at her.

"None needed my lady. I expect little else from one such as him. Though he does speak truth. I am no ser." The lord said with a bow. "Nor am I here to beg forgiveness as good Ser Barristan. I am simply here to offer my services, or if they are unwanted, my head."

"And what need would I have for that?" She asked, as the pieces were starting to fall into place.

"Justice, your grace." The man straightened his back to look her square in the eye, acknowledging her as an equal. "I am Lord Eddard of House Stark. Lord Paramount and Warden of the North."

AN: So, this is an idea I've had for a while. I have three people I pair with Ned. Ashara, Cersei, and Dany. All three pairings are rather lacking in material, so I thought I might as well make my own. This one shall be Ned and Dany. So, for those of you looking for Jon, or Robb. I hate to break it to you, but not happening here. There are other stories, most of them better than my works, with that pairing. Also this won't be a 30k+ word story, probably like 5 or 6 chapters. (I am highly undecided on doing any smut)

It really does surprise me that (as far as I am aware) no one has written a story about Ned helping Dany reclaiming her thrown. Or anything regarding their relationship. The man helped kick her father off of it, the irony of putting another Targaryen back onto the iron throne is interesting to me, but hey. To each their own. This story will be from Dany's perspective for the most part, because like Claws, I'm still trying to work on writing from a female perspective. So I hope it isn't too.. stereotypical? Mushy? Overly sexist? Any of those things really. Next chapter will hopefully solve the question of what happened in Kings Landing to allow this situation to come about.

Hope you enjoyed the chapter. Comments, questions and concerns are always welcome as reviews or PM's. And hope you have a good day. :)