"Sell-swords, always a haven of those unfit for even the Wall." She heard Eddard mutter at the departure of the captains of the various mercenary companies. The vile leader of the Second Sons and the three captains of the Stormcrows who had come to parlay. It had been a murmer's farce from start to finish, of insults and threats directed at her and her people. It would not stand. She had wasted enough days of her life camped outside this corrupt city.

"One wonders why you aren't there yourself, Stark." Jorah retorted to Eddard's tired comment. No quip was returned from his fellow Northern Lord. Eddard seemed to treat Jorah's words as if they were a passing wind.

"Jorah." A quick glance at her sworn sword. Her patience was waning as it was, she did not need more disparaging remarks between her advisors.

"My queen." His quiet response. A declaration of his obedience, one that rang hollower with each reminder of his conduct.

"If it comes to it Ser Barristan, I will beg you a favor. Mero's head on a pike if you please." Dany said as she stood up. The arrogance of such a man to compare her to little more than a whore. To treat Missandie as if she was a toy to be pawed over. Her desire for a peaceful resolution was shrinking by the day. With the taunts and delays by the conceited Yunkai, her restraint was nearing it's end for the day, and it wasn't past noon.

"With pleasure, your grace." The elderly knight responded. "Now, if I may beg your leave."

"Of course Ser Barristan." Drills to be done, patrols to set, war to make, she thought as Barristan left to his duties. She wasted little time as she moved from the various pillows strewn across her tent for what she hoped would be a proper negotiation, to the war table that Eddard had set out with the help of Missandie. What was most important was the map, charted less then four years ago it was the most recent depiction of Yunkai and it's defenses that they could find.

"This will not have a peaceful resolution. We will need to take the city." Daenerys announced gently to the trio as Missandie took a place at her left, Jorah at her right and Eddard across from her to get another angle on the map. Various figurines littered the table, carved armies to be placed in their formations for battle in a set of blue, and a set of red.

"We stand with little over seven thousand foot man. Well trained, and loyal but specialized. We face a force of roughly two thousand. A force with experience, and mobility but a weak center. If it is a straight fight we walk into, we will win but with heavy losses." Jorah said as picked up four small blue figures with spears, placing them outside the city walls in a straight line facing the west. Once set, he grabbed two red stallions, and a red spear man and lined them up across from their opponents.

"If we charge the walls, their cavalry will be free to do as they please. There is not but plains around the city, so the terrain will offer little advantage to us." Dany said as she moved the crimson stallions to the flanks of the blue army. She would be left defenseless, and so would the rest of the camp. The Yunkai wouldn't need to slaughter her forces when they could raid their food stores, and ransack their retreat.

"Aye. They will run into the rear." Jorah confirmed. "But we shall not give them the chance. The Second Sons are unlikely to turn sides, as are the Stormcrows. We attack tonight. Send groups to assail the walls here, here and here while the rest of our forces attack the main gate under cover of dark." He continued, as he shifted the figures about. The red figures were hidden behind the ink walls of the city as a sole blue figure stood outside the gates with it's allies spread along the walls.

"The men sent to assail the walls will be in the thickest part of the fighting, but if successful they'll be able to throw open the gates. Once inside, our numbers will win us the day."

Dany nodded as she looked over the map. She had four soldiers at her command for every one under the Yunkai. They could win the day. With casualties, but victory would still be had. "Do you have any other ideas?" She asked, glancing from Jorah to Eddard. The latter having been quiet since the sell-swords departure.

"A few, my queen. But I am assured of none such as this one." With Jorah's firm answer, she turned her attention to Eddard. "Lord Stark?"

"The plan is sound. For all the delays, we still hold the advantage." Eddard said as his gaze swept over the map. It landed on the southwestern wall. "Though I believe Mormont miscounted our available troops."

"Pardon?" Jorah spoke up in indignation.

"Peace, Jorah. How do you figure, Lord Stark?" Dany commanded as she picked up the three remaining spear man and pushed them before the main gates.

"Mormont was only counting the soldiers under your immediate command and the sell-sword companies, your grace. Many commanders forget that the populace shall always be a factor when taking the city. What men are available will be pressed into service."

"We have little to fear from pleasure slaves and whores being given swords. They would be a buffer to slice through before we face the real soldiers, nothing more." Jorah said, not noticing the frown forming on Daenerys's lips.

"Or," Eddard began as he shifted the figures, letting the blue spear men huddle in their camp, while the red army rested behind their walls. "They could be a valuable ally. The number of slaves within Yunkai makes the Unsullied look like a hunting party, and the sell-sword companies even smaller. A small group to infiltrate the city will do more, for less than hundreds trying to scale the walls under cover of night. We start the fighting in all parts of the city, open the gates, and allow our forces inside without bleeding them dry on approach."

"One problem, Stark. We don't have a way inside, other than over the walls."

"That is not true." Daenerys said as she picked through the small mountain of papers for a particular report.

"What?" Jorah's voice was oddly firm, but Missandie jumped in.

"Lord Stark sent scouts ahead. One of them found a sewer drain large enough to fit a man. Following the path, he was able to find a way into the city. Lord Stark gave the missive to the queen yesterday, before returning to his duties." The translator continued as Dany found what she was looking for.

Thin parchment with rudimentary Valyrian across it. He was no poet, but talking, and conversing with the various soldiers had given Eddard a rough gasp of the local tongue. She imagined it wasn't easy, having to command and administrate in a land where you couldn't hold a simple conversation.

"And why wasn't I informed of this?" Jorah asked as he faced Eddard. He either ignored, or didn't notice the parchment Dany had placed in front of him.

"You have denied any messages I had sent prior, I saw no need to waste my time, nor the time of whomever I asked to act as courier. What mattered was her highness received the information." Eddard said, looking as cold and distant as usual.

Daenerys could sense a storm brewing, a choice coming along with it. She was tempted to let the pair finally have the fight Jorah was building towards, if only to get it over with. But not today. There were more important matters to be dealt with. A war for instance.

"How many would you need to get into the city?" Dany asked, staring across the table at Eddard. Less than a month since his arrival, and she still found herself focusing on his eyes that seemed to shift at a whim. It was easier to tell what the stoic Lord Stark was thinking by looking into his twin pools of grey, rather than attempting to decipher anything from the stone mask of his face. Easier, but not perfect. Now, she could only see dark murky gray. Something she couldn't pin down.

"Three, perhaps four including Ser Barristan. Anything more would cause be a cause for alarm."

"Ser Barristan and two more..." She mused. Vaguely remembered tales of of the elderly knights prowess came to mind, just as she had seen him take on soldiers less than half his age when training them. Three men were still three men going into a city of vipers though. Caution would be the utmost concern. "Do you have any idea for the remaining pair?"

"Grey Worm and myself." Dany blinked at that. Grey Worm was expected, he had been elected leader of the Unsullied on combat prowess alone. But Eddard, she heard no tales of his skill on the battlefield. No doubt he was an excellent commander to defeat her brother, but a commander with no army behind them was easy prey.

"It seems an unnecessary risk for you to take the field." Daenerys said, watching Eddard carefully.

"No greater risk than leading from the back, your grace. If I am to order soldiers to die and fight for me, the least I can do is be by their side in the fray."

"Or you wish to sell us out to the Wise Master." Jorah interjected with a heated tone.

"And what would I have to gain from such treachery?" Eddard asked, gaze narrowing in on her sworn-sword.

"To keep your life. The Wise Master's would probably reward you handsomely for leading the Queen into their palms. Perhaps they'd even give you a ship to charter back to Westeros." The older Northman continued.

"I have no doubt that if the so-called Masters of the Yunkai got their hands upon me, I'd be on the fastest ship to Westeros. King's Landing most like. Bound in chains, another slave sold to whichever Lannister sits that cursed throne." Eddard's tone was cold and clear as his gaze cut into Jorah. "Those who sell their fellow man and women like cattle. It is a wonder that you are not running off to defend the Yunkai yourself, Mormont."

"That was different!"

"Yes, because there isn't some faithless maiden waiting for you behind the Yunkai walls!" Eddard growled as leaned forward against the table.

"Enough!" Daenerys's palms slammed into the war table as Jorah reached for the pommel of his sword. "Lord Stark. I am aware of Ser Jorah's past crimes, just as I am aware of how he wishes to repent for them. Just as I am aware of your own actions. I am willing to forgive him for his sins, past and present, just as I am willing to forgive yours. Provided you give me a reason to. That said, we are here to fight the Yunkai, not each other. If it is too much to ask for you two to fight by each others side, then tell me now. I will not waste time or talent on squabbles."

A brief look of confusion crossed Eddard's face as his gaze shifted from Jorah back to her before his face went back to his stubborn neutrality. The confusion bothered her, what was there to be confused about? She'd find out later.

"Of course, your grace. My apologies for that outburst, it shall not happen again." The icy tone in Eddard's voice melted into his usual low rumble as he bowed his head, first to herself, than slowly to Jorah. Eddard's gaze seemed to linger for a moment on her sworn-sword in contemplation, she could see the hints of thoughts behind his foggy eyes. But, as soon as the glimpse was there, it was gone again.

"Thank you Eddard. Now, if you would please inform Ser Barristan and Grey Worm of your plan, and make the necessary preparations. We will strike tonight, until then I am in need of a private audience with my sworn-sword." Dany said as she straightened her spine. She would never have the height to tower over people such as Eddard Stark, but she was a Targaryen. She could still manage a presence of power.

"As you wish, your grace." Eddard said in his low voice. Gods willing, by this time tomorrow she would be another step closer to home. She watched as Eddard gathered a few papers from the war table, and shuffled them into a semblance of an organized pile before departing the tent with one last dip of his chest.

She took a moment to compose herself, making sure she made the right decision with Eddard's plan. She already knew Jorah's answer, disappointment and disgust. She could already see it forming in his eyes. The reprimand and arguments. Tiring, repetitive, pointless, all words that came to mind. She could already plot out how the rant would go.

"You've already fallen into his trap." A simple accusation with a hint of venom behind it.

"Pardon?" Dany inquired as she turned to face her sworn-sword. That had not met her expectations.

"You've fallen into his trap. The same deception that Rhaegar and your father fell for."

"And what trap is that? Honest council, a tongue that doesn't do it's best to deliver thirty lashings with each sentence, or was it his barely hidden contempt for my enemies?" She asked as she waved a hand at Missandie. If she was going to do this, she'd need a glass of wine.

"What do you see when you look at Eddard Stark?"

A honest man. A calm, honor-bound man who trusted too easily. A quiet administrator who completed their task than went home without complaint. The epitome of a second son. Dutiful, and competent, but not to competent as to be a concern. Eyes that shifted from the sternest steel, to soft morning fog. A plain face as unreadable as stone, yet one she found herself curious about. An advisor who gave his aid without complaint or snide looks.

Apparently her thoughts were written across her face as Jorah continued. "He isn't a threat in your mind. Viserys spent your entire lifetime filling your head with stories of the cruel Eddard Stark. A heart as cold as ice, and dead eye. You were given a lifetime to paint a picture in your head of Eddard Stark as one of the worst monsters to walk the realms, and in less than a month he has gone from a prisoner to a commander of your armies."

"He is useful." She defended without a trace of hesitation. Looking back, she could only imagine what kind of mess she'd have left Astapor in. No garrison, honest merchants and traders left in disorder. The city may have starved, fallen into anarchy or worst. Instead, she was fairly confident that Hero would be able to maintain order.

"He is deceiving you! Just as he has deceived everyone else."

"What? What is there for him to deceive me for? Will he stab through the chest as we march upon Meereen? I shudder to think of what will be left of him once the Unsullied have avenged me. For what purpose would he lie to me? To deliver me to the grasps of the Lannisters? The very people whom his son is fighting a war with? Do you think me so foolish to trust a man who simply wishes to return home?" She paused, thanking Missandie quietly as the goblet was set before her.

"The man has every reason to hate my family, yet here he stands offering his services. Not asking for leniency, or mercy. He didn't expect them, nor would I have given them if he had-"

"As you should hav-" Jorah interjected.

"Stop interrupting me!" Daenerys shouted as she took a step forward to glare up at Jorah. "I am tired Jorah. I ask for your council, and you complain about every decision I make. I ask for your silence and you defy me with more questions. I ask for your obedience, and yet you continue to goad Lord Eddard at every opportunity that presents it self. I am done asking. Consider this an order. No more. If you have nothing of importance to say, I do not wish to hear it."

Her heart broke a bit at the look in Jorah's eyes. Betrayal that turned to anger, till it was smothered underneath the service, hidden from Dany's view. She had to wonder if it was a Northern trait. The ability to suppress their emotions, and wipe them clean from their face like snow off a frozen pond.

Was this the right thing to do? She could no longer remain neutral. Did she pick the right side? Should she have forced to pick a side in the first place? She was the queen of both men. Both had sworn their service, and she trusted that both of them had spoken honestly. So, why couldn't one work with the other? Daenerys found herself at a loss. She didn't regret her decision, she regretted being forced to choose.

"If there is nothing else, your grace." Bland words with a measured tone

"You are dismissed. No more reprimands over Lord Eddard, or my decisions. You are here to advise." A stiff bow was her only response until Jorah was nearly outside the tent.

"Your grace. Whether in Westeros or Esso. A Stark is still a Stark, and their sigil is a direwolf for a reason. You may think him a well-trained dog, and to a point, you are correct. Compared to his siblings, he is. They were all wolves, that howled and left their teeth bare. Fangs shown to the world for all to see. Eddard's strength has always been his silence. He shows his fangs so rarely that many forget he even has them. Jon Connington forgot, just as Rhaegar forgot, just as your Father forgot. Do not do yourself the disservice of forgetting as well." He said before departing.

She stood at the table for a few minutes thinking. Was she wrong? Was she right? Did it matter, the damage was already done, she thought.

"Honestly..." Dany muttered with more than a trace of anger. Why should she feel bad about Jorah's actions? Why was he making her feel bad about her decisions? As usual, questions with answers she didn't know. She almost laughed at the irony of the situation. Her traditional source of comfort had become her greatest discomfort. Perhaps a bath, or her dragons would suffice to cheer her up. Or both. She was going to go with both.

AN: So I could give excuses. So I will. Pokemon Go came out in Canada this week. To make things short, this has not been a productive week for me as I went on an adventure or seven with my little brother. To remedy this, you get a slightly longer than average chapter. Also, it seems that at this pace this might turn into a longer story than I thought. Lucky you. I will do my best to get a chapter out every week, but don't hold me to it. But you aren't here to hear me complain.

I think Jorah's worst enemy is always the fact that he tries too hard. Effort and dedication are good up until a point. That point is usually called obsession, or something equally bad. His attempts to ensure that Dany doesn't get too close to Ned are doing nothing more than frustrating her, and accidentally doing exactly what he is trying to prevent. Dany for her part is starting to catch on to the worth of Jorah's word while Ned tries his best to stay out of trouble. He by no means likes Jorah, just as he by no means like the Lannisters after the rebellion, but he's been forced into a situation where he needs to compromise. Ned's solution is simple, stay as far away from the problem as possible. Unfortunately, that's hard to do in a war tent.

As for the current changes, Astapor is less likely to fall into the shit hole that it ended up as in canon. That's the only one right now to mention. Dany has less troops at her immediate disposal, but least now she has a more solid foothold.

Anyways, comments, questions and concerns are always welcome in the form of reviews or pms. I am looking for prompts and such for some Dany/Ned oneshots to possibly fill in the waiting times between chapters for this story. Regardless, hope you enjoyed the chapter, and have a nice day. ^.^