Is it a bird, is it a plane? Nope, it's a new chapter after three months of literally nothing.

First things first: Apologies. Most of this I had already written in March. Then a lot of really bad stuff happened in March/ April and I couldn't actually look at this again because it remembered me of bad days. I'm really, really sorry that it took so long. No further apologies, here comes the next chapter. Hopefully, it's worth the wait. If anyone still reads this, that is^^ I won't vanish again, I promise, though updates might not be as frequently as they used to be (like, y'know, three months ago).

By the way, this was me in March, I said 'long wait' and it were like 10 days: "Here you go. Sorry for the long wait, I had to re-read all the Dany chapters from ADoD. Sorry for messing up the timeline a bit."

Replies to reviews at the bottom now!

Slaver's Bay, 300AC

~o~

Aliena

So far east, the days were warm, far warmer than anything she knew. There were sweat beads trickling down her skin even before noon, despite the soothing breeze from the sea. In the city, it would be insufferable, and they would soon reach Meereen. The Gulf of Grief lay behind them and they were sailing up the waters of Slaver's Bay, past the red bricks of Astapor. As every Westerosi, Aliena felt uncomfortable so close to a slaver's city. Slavery was a sign of an inferior culture, and no God in Westeros, neither the nameless ones of the North nor the seven of the South, would ever allow it. She is called breaker of shackles. Hopefully, the dragon queen was everything she had prayed for.

Sandor's heavy steps neared and she turned around. He had a dressed wound on his left forearm and she knew about the cut on his shin, but apart from that, the battles and trials of the Summer Sea had left him unscathed. Others had not been so lucky. They had lost a hundred men in these strange waters, far from home, and the spirits of her men were not as high as they used to be. The Dragon Queen had to be a success or they had died in vain. Neither Cedrik nor Waters had taken serious injuries, and her three commanders gave her no reason for criticism or fear.

"We'll be there in a week's time, if nothing goes wrong." She could tell from his tone that he expected things to go wrong. Yes, they had gotten off rather too lightly.

"What should go wrong? This is her bay."

They both knew she was only pretending. And they both knew how important a small triumph was, something that might lift the spirits.

If all else fails, we can still be together. Not the way we wanted to, or at least not the way I wanted to, but not all will be lost.

She had more in her life than only a keep now and that gave her hope.

They passed by tall, odd-looking galleys, some of them attacked, or tried to at least, but these past weeks at sea had taught the captains of Aliena's small fleet one thing: That sticking together, showing only one united, imprenetable front, would scare them off or fight them off. Only if they allowed an enemy ship to single one dromond out, only then could their foe do them harm.

Yunkai, the yellow city, soon lay behind them and more and more galleys littered their way than stars spangled the sky.

All these ships meant trouble, that was obvious.

"Your dragon queen is not as well-liked as you thought." Sandor pointed out one night, they were sharing a flagon of sour wine and a loaf of hard bread and cheese.

"No." she had to admit between two bites. "But these ships belong to slavers and merchants. Daenerys freed all the slaves on her way...she ruined their trade and now they want their revenge."

"She cannot hope for friends from the east. Hopefully, the girl is wise enough to see the importance of friends from the west." He took a gulp of wine. "What if she doesn't?"

"You mean what if she kills us? I never took you for someone to discuss theological questions, in all truth." she grinned.

"I'll go to one of the hells, no doubt." His tone was careless. Sandor believed in neither Gods nor hells. No God would have created a monster like his brother, no hell could be worse than fire.

"What if she won't have you?"

Aliena preferred not to dwell on that possibility, but she had made a plan.

"If she won't have me, these men will desert me." He did not object. "I will try to get on the swiftest ship with those that are still loyal to me and sail west again. Admit my defeat and live out my days in a pretty townhouse in Braavos, constantly muttering to myself and keeping my failure and bitterness buried inside me till the end of my days."

"You should try the stage, swan." He had raised an eyebrow, quizzically. "You would give up everything you ever wanted because a little girl did not take a liking to you?"

"Storm's End is not all I want." she shrugged, as if it was not big deal to admit it but he reached out for her hand, squeezed it, and returned to ripping off chunks of bread as if nothing had happened.

"I would rather spend my days away from Westeros than serve my uncle or Varys's mummer dragon and die for them. I cannot die for a cause I do not believe in, and I cannot adjust my loyalty like a weather vane."

Suddenly, Sandor gave a bark of laughter. "Three years ago, I would have said you have no loyalty."

She had to smile despite herself. "I do. I just hide it well."

"You're a closed book, that's right." There was a sharpness in his voice now and the look he gave her was no longer light and cheerful.

"And you're a book written in the runes of the First Men." Softly, she shifted in her seat, leant over to him.

"What will you do? If she won't have me?"

He seemed to find that funny. "Girl, doesn't matter where you go, I'll go with you."

"Even if it means-"

"Even then. My brother is dead, and whatever that old man did, the creature is no longer Gregor. I still want to kill him, aye, but I want other things more. I never gave a shit for gold and keeps and lands and offices. I never played your game, swan, and I won't start now."

"Perhaps you have no choice. You are with me now." We have tied our futures together and there is no way back.

"I've always been better at gambling than you, swan. No worries, I'll teach you."

They had both moved closer to each other, she could now smell the wine on his breath, feel his warmth.

"That is very gallant of you, Ser." She kissed him. "Now, aren't you the perfect knight?"

He pulled her over to him so that she sat on his lap awkwardly. Her jibes no longer provoked him.

"You are no perfect lady, that much I know."

His kisses still excited her.

~o~

Where Astapor had been red and Yunkai had been yellow, Meereen was made of bricks of all colours, although many of them had faded in the sun. Its walls were better guarded and thicker, its pyramids higher and more imposing. This was the Queen of the three daughters of Old Ghis. The Queen of Cities for the Queen of Dragons. But before the imposing walls, on the sandy beach, there was a camp, not the camp of an army but a camp of scared smallfolk, a camp of people that had fled from something, had taken with them only what they wore on their bodies.

"I know camps like this." Sandor rasped, and she heard the anger in his words. "Rabble fleeing from a disease. And they brought it with them." He was right. There was a makeshift mass grave at the far end of the beach, dead bodies in a hole in the ground, far away from the brown roughspun tents not not far enough.

"They have to burn their dead. Or the disease will come over them all."

"Over us all." Sandor replied grimly. And then he shouted over to Storm, to Waters:

"Straight on, past the beach." And the two men nodded.

The ships stayed out in the bay, far away from the sick. Waters and Storm would soon join them to go to the dragon queen together.

"I will go alone with Waters and Storm." She said, her voice stern, not betraying her true emotions. She was scared, she was reluctant to leave him. But these men followed his orders, after the battles and fights they had won under his command and here, he would be safe.

Sandor laughed bitterly. "Says who, swan? You want to command me?" He stood so close to her that she had to tilt her head back to look him in the eyes, that she found it hard to concentrate on this discussion.

"I do not command you. I ask you kindly to stay behind and allow me to do what I can do best while you do what you can do best." If he thought that she did this to protect him, he'd go with her. This was the only way to convince him, but her chances were slim.

"If you think I will let you go-"

"You don't let me do anything. You don't allow me to go. I try to make you see sense. If something happens to us, these men will desert us and we will all meet our end behind those colourful walls. But if you stay out here, it is different. They follow you. They respect you. If we are not back before evenfall, try to free us. If you cannot, take these men back to Westeros."

"Do you take me for some fucking coward? You're not my wetnurse, swan, no need to protect me. You go in there with the perfumed leek and the old man, you die before evenfall. I'm not gonna wait for that, I'm not gonna dig you a shallow grave on this damned beach. I'll come with you. If you think you can stop me, try."

She could not stop him. And he knew that well. But reason was on her side.

"I just want you to trust me. Is that too much to ask of you? I have survived Joffrey. I have survived Cersei. I have survived the spider and the septon. Do not think you have to protect me, do not think I am incapable of protecting myself. I am not. And if we go in there with drawn swords and raised spears, do you really think they will let us see the queen? We did it your way, the whole journey. But now, we need to do it my way. And you have to trust me."

"I trust you well enough with my life. But not with yours." He put a hand on her shoulder.

She took his other hand. "Don't worry, I am too selfish to die. There is so much I want to do. I promise, I will come back to you."

"Don't make promises you can't keep, swan."

"Well, if I can't keep this promise, I really do not need to worry about your wrath, do I?" Aliena smiled.

"You really need to work on your jests." he mumbled as he pulled her closer to kiss her.

"Chrmchrm."

Waters had cast his eyes down, though there were twin roses on his cheeks, while Storm looked at them with mild curiosity and amusement.

"We should go, my lady."

She nodded. "We should. Sandor will stay and keep the troops in order."

She turned around and kissed him again, a last time, softly and innocently on the lips.

"I do keep my promises, you know." she whispered and heard him snort in disagreement before she climbed down the ladder to the dinghy that bopped up and down gently on the calm water.

There was a narrow band of white sand between the tall walls and the green, clear water and that was where they were rowing towards.

The sand was hot even under her slippers, dry and hard, baked by the sun. Aliena had to lift up her skirts as they made for the gates, she did not want to ruin it with sand stains. Appearances meant a lot at court and she had picked her gown wisely. It was made of white satin and golden Myrish lace, cut in the traditional Westerosi way with dagged sleeves. The neckline was low, but not too low, the train modest and not unpractical. Aliena had added a high collar of hammered gold and white swan feathers that Joffrey had given her once. The feathers were uncomfortable and poked into the back of her head from time to time. Nothing compared to the spikes and blades of the iron throne. Daenerys would sit on it, sooner rather than later hopefully, and Aliena prayed that she would not be rejected by the throne like Joffrey.

"We are noble citizens of Daenerys Targaryen, First of her Name, Queen of the Andals and the Rhoynar and the First Men, Lady of the Seven Kingdoms and Protector of the Realm. We seek an audience to swear fealty to her after we took on us the long and strenuous journey to her Eastern throne." Aliena called up to him.

"And Breaker of Shackles." the man added. Then the gate was opened.

"No weapons." The guard that received them spoke the common tongue, though it was only slightly more understandable than the other man's Valyrian. She allowed him to frisk her although both Waters and Storm objected loudly. Finally, the man seemed satisfied.

"Come."

They followed him through narrow, sandy streets with high walls on either side. It was a maze and they could not hope to get out of here on their own. All Seven, please, let her be the Queen I hope she is. The roads were filled with flies. Corpses draw flies. She prayed again that this was no ruse. We're in the city now and at their mercy. A risk worth taking...hopefully.

Finally, the reached the Great Pyramid, higher than any building Aliena had ever seen, so high that she could not even make out the top from where they were standing. It was impressive for the three of them, Aliena sensed the awe in the air, as palpable but flighty as an exotic smell.

"It will be a long climb to the top." Storm said.

"And exhausting." Waters added.

"Isn't it always?" Aliena smiled. They all had climbed high to be here. It was only a puddle jump now.

They were received by a small group of guards with copper skin and dark eyes, oddly beardless.

"Unsullied." Waters muttered. The slave army of eunuchs. Former slaves.

"Her Radiance has given the command to let you pass. Do you carry weapons on your bodies?" Again they were frisked. Three sedan chairs were ready but Waters and Storm rejected them, despite the strenuous journey, and as a result, Aliena was the only one who reached the top with a natural pallor and with the ability to speak a full sentence.

Waters next to her was breathing heavily and Storm was red as a beetroot. Men.

A seneschal stood by the door, dressed in a long sheet with a fringe of pearls and amethysts beads that was wrapped around his body in a way that looked rather uncomfortable.

"Her Radiance will receive you in a moment. Your names, so that her herald can announce you."

"Lady Aliena Swann."

"Cedrik Storm."

"Lord Aurane Waters, Lord Admiral."

She could barely hide her smile.

While the rooms at the bottom had been sparse, up here splendour reigned. Tapestries and rushes, sculptures and paintings made the room look twice as elegant as any room in the Red Keep. She keeps a lavish court for a former Khaleesi.

Two men pushed the doors open and anounced their arrival. They did not even take their swords. They do not fear them because we are mice in the dragon's pit.

The Great Hall of the Meereenese pyramid was thrice the size of the Great Hall of the Red Keep, or maybe five times. The marble columns and tiles were purple, and the walls covered by tapestries. It looked like the setting of a feverish dream.

What surprised her was the emptiness. Only two score stood around, most of them servants or soldiers.

She does not keep a merry court at all. As they walked on, Aliena saw her new queen, sitting on a raised platform at the far end of the hall. Her short hair was silver, her gown the same purple as the marble pillars. She rose from her seat.

"You, the usurper's niece, come with two bastards to pay your respect?"

"Noble bastards, Your Grace. A great warrior and a Lord Admiral. Just because they bear no noble name that does not mean that their intentions are ignoble."

"And you do not bear the Baratheon name but their blood runs through your veins. Why have you come here when your cousin still warms my throne?"

"Because he is neither the rightful nor the right king to rule the Seven Kingdoms, Your Grace. We have come here because we see in you the only rightful ruler. "

"Your uncle meant to kill me." The Queen's tone was accusing her of a crime her uncle had committed.

"Your brother's men killed my father. And yet, I do not bear you any ill will."

Aliena could see that that remark caught her off guard.

"And yet, you served your uncle many years, came here only now after his death."

"I was a child." Aliena gave back. "I was ignorant and-" Alone. "knew nothing about your existence, Your Grace."

"You are his blood and you supported his cause, you all did." She looked at the three off them. "There is no place at my court for opportunists. I give you safe conduct but you must have left my harbour before evenfall. And you will vow never to take up arms against me."

She was a tiny thing, the girl she had thought her queen, but her words were no less shattering. She is blinded by cold hatred. Her brother must have filled her ears with stories about the usurper for years, just as they had only heard the bad stories about Mad Aerys. Aliena could not allow these prejudices to destroy everything she had worked for.

As they were escorted out of the great, long hall, Aliena made a decision born out of despair and exasperation. She whirled around, forgetting both Storm and Waters, and called over to the queen on her ebony bench, a speck of white against the purple, veined walls:

"And you, Your Grace? Pray, tell me, was your brother the king he was supposed to be? Was he the brother he was supposed to be? For how many years did you follow him, for how many years did you support him, knowing that he was not the best for the Seven Kingdoms?"

The girl rose with the dignity of a Goddess and walked over to them. The hall was so long that it took her half an eternity but finally she stood there, eye to eye with Aliena. Hers had the colour of amethysts.

"My brother is dead." she said flatly. "And you dare-"

"My uncle is dead. I watched him die and did nothing. Just like you, Your Grace. You condemn me for crimes you committed yourself.

That is unjust but I will leave. And I will not take up arms against you. But know this: No one ever fought for king Viserys. No woman in the Seven Kingdoms still sews dragon banners, no man still sharpens his sword to defend the dragons. The smallfolk wants peace, no more. And none of them care for the queen across the sea. But I and the men that have accompanied me have crossed oceans for you, have braved the perils of the sea for you. More than a hundred have died for you before they ever had the chance to serve you. And you stand here and reward all our efforts with rejection and scorn. Your hatred for my uncle overshadows your judgment, Your Grace. And that will not serve you well."

She sank into a curtsy, then turned around, walked through the open door without looking back. They were half way down the grand stairs when she was called back. Waters at her side looked at her with admiration but Storm merely grunted. He was a proud man.

The Dragon Queen was waiting for them not in the grand audience hall but in a council chamber with marble walls and floors, cushioned benches and expensive wall hangings.

"You spoke boldly." The Queen said with a hint on anger and a hint of approval. "It is honest tongues a queen should surround herself with, not lickspittles. But do never presume to lecture me in public again."

"I beg your forgiveness, Your Grace. It was despair that spoke from me." That much was true.

"How many men do you have?" she asked, now.

"Near on two thousand, Your Grace." That pleased her greatly.

"Who commands them?" She looked at Waters but the tall man smiled faintly.

"Sandor Clegane commands them. He is still aboard."

Ser Barristan led out a loud gasp. "The Hound commands your men, my lady?"

"The Queen's men now, Ser Barristan, but yes." She smiled at the old man. "I could not think of anyone more fitting."

Ser Barristan's expressions spoke volumes, he certainly did not agree, but he made no further comment.

"They can be accomodated in the pyramid but I would prefer them to stay on their ships, at least for a while." She looked over to her Lord Commander and the old man nodded.

"Meereen is not peaceful at the moment. We are in conflict with Yunkai, and the Sons of the Harpy cause trouble within the city. Only yesterday night, three freedmen have been murdered." It is not all gold and sunshine here for her, that is why she stays. She wants to cement her rule here before she takes her throne in the west.

"I understand. There are ten huge war dromonds you now call your own, Your Grace. No Yunkai'i ship can compete with them." Aliena paused. "But the war inside your walls cannot be stopped with ships or men if these Harpy's sons hide in their pyramids as soon as the sun rises." Here, we will need diplomacy. But these people are strange to us all and worse even, we are strange to them.

"A marriage has been suggested." The oldest contract in the world. I give you a bride and you give me peace.

"You will take a Meereenese husband, Your Grace?" The Westerosi would not like this at all. Ser Barristan did clearly not approve but only few men were aware of the price the girl was willing to pay for peace. Aliena was aware of it, and she admired her for her dedication.

"Yes. There is no other way, I fear."

Ser Barristan cleared his throat. "You are Queen of the Seven Kingdoms as well, Your Grace. Lady Aliena, you surely agree with me. A Meereenese is no fit consort for a Queen."

"No fit consort for a Queen of the Seven Kingdoms, but a fit consort for a Queen of Meereen. I see a way out, Your Grace. You marry your nobleman and bring peace to this city, as long as it takes. And then you take back the throne that is yours- and leave your husband behind. The High Septon will surely agree that a marriage that has not been blessed by the Seven is no marriage at all, and you are free of your husband in Westeros."

Her plan was neither elegant nor honourable and she saw that it rankled with Barristan Selmy but the Queen was convinced, although not happy. She better gets used to it. Kings and Queens could rarely afford the luxury of personal happiness or honour. They had to do what needed to be done.

"I buy this throne with my hand." She said and shook her head.

"You buy peace." Aliena replied and the girl nodded. Her Queen would have rather heard something else, she would have rather been told not to marry. But she wanted the truth, and that was often a bitter draught.

Daenerys looked at her for a long moment.

"I would like you to join me tonight for dinner. You, and Lord Waters and Lord Storm, and that man, Sandor Clegane."

There is no better way to fix a price for service than over a cup of summerwine and a slice of honeyed lamb. Aliena knew what Waters wanted, and she knew what Storm wanted, she knew her own price...but she did not know what Sandor wanted. And he is the one I think I know best. Perhaps there was nothing he wanted that a queen could give him. She would ask him later, on the ship, in their small cabin that so often seemed to offer more than the wide world.

"I am sure I speak for my companions when I say that your invitation honours us greatly and it is our pleasure to accept it gratefully."

Waters, always gallant, bowed and kissed Daenerys' hand, muttering words of thanks Aliena could not understand. Storm at her other side was tall and upright as an oak tree and voiced his acceptance in clear, humble words.

As they slowly made their descent down the wide, elegant marble stairs, Aliena was as relieved as never before. She had gambled, at a higher stake than ever, had given everything in her power, had been so close to failure… And had won, thank all the Gods. A new queen, an old game.

ShinyRedPenny: Thank you! No, I'm not the blackmailing kind, though a new update would be very much appreciated! It has been too long (says the crow to the raven).

S-A-16: Thank you for your review, I'm happy you got addicted and sorry I just stopped updating. Well, if you're still reading this, I hope you still enjoy it.

TheOneKrafter: I am so sorry! Thank you for your kind review. I feel terrible because I abandoned you. I haven't read fanfiction in a while but I will catch up on Small Folk! I am most sorry about that actually. I hope you can forgive me.

Dear Guest: There are two guest reviews, are they both yours? Just for clarification. ;)

Yeah, I am still thinking about the further plot for that one, I might write another chapter for that story soon, without sexual content probably. I also regret their son there in all honesty. It was just too soon.

What I meant was that she knows she cannot win the Stormlanders with lies. She probably won't stop. And she won't lie about/ to Sandor anymore. Perhaps. If she can actually stop. But in all truth: Scheming and deceiving is what she is good at. That is not a very nice trait but it is the truth. I edited that part now, thank you for pointing that out!

I actually don't think it goes that badly together to be honest. :D

Again, apologies. Should I ever leave again, I will add an A/N to the last chapter. I hope I won't have to, though.