Chapter 10 (Epilogue)

Star on the Dark Horizon

…pick a star on the dark horizon and follow the light…

…I'll come back, when you call me. No need to say good bye…

The three girls stood together in the lush courtyard of the palace, watching the massive dragons play together.

"Rhaegon, Viseron and Drogon," one girl with silver hair and light brown eyes commented airily, "the queen's pets."

"Daenerya, why did grandmother pick those names?" Another girl, no older than 10 asked. Her dark wavy hair contrasting with her violet eyes. Daenerya looked down at her baby sister.

"I have no idea Arwan. I know her brother's names were Viserys and Rhaegar- I haven't the slightest clue as to where Drogon came from," Daenerya answered honestly, looking at the carmel colored dragon. He turned to look at them- his dark green eyes shone with curiosity.

"Maybe he was named after grandmother's first husband!" The last girl whispered secretively, her dark violet eyes covered up by silver hair. Daenerya slapped her arm playfully.

"Grandmother was never married before grandfather! Where did you hear something like that?" Daenerya asked, her hand on her hip. Arwan laughed.

"Rakharo's son…Rathe told me," Athya said conspiratorially, leaning in to the other girls.

"Why would he know anything?" Daenerya replied incredulously.

"He told me that his father crossed the Dothraki Sea with her, and helped her reclaim the seven kingdoms!" Arwan explained happily, patting Viseron when he came up to her; his white scales gleaming in the afternoon sun.

"Rakharo was a Dothraki man, known for his story telling. Not to mention he was very OLD when he probably told Rathe that…besides, she was married to grandfather when she was 22. How could she have married someone before then?" Daenerya asked skeptically.

"Maybe he died. Ohhh maybe he was a Dothraki warrior!" Arwan exclaimed excitedly. Athya laughed at her little sister.

"Oh yes. Because when I look at grandmother I see a warrior ready for battle," Daenerya joked, thinking about her frail, petite grandmother. Daenerys was still beautiful at 80, but Daenerya highly doubted she was any larger or fiercer when she was young.

"She wears black every March 18th! Why would she do that if she wasn't mourning something?" Arwan defended. Daenerya nodded her head thoughtfully.

"Let's ask her!" Daenerya finally said. The other girls gaped at her.

"What? Dany? NO! What if she gets mad?" Athya replied.

"What if it makes her sad and she starts crying?" Arwan added sweetly. Daenerya sighed.

"Fine. I will go ask her myself, but I wont tell you the answer!" She threatened. Arwan and Athya reluctantly agreed and followed Daenerya back into the palace in search of Queen Daenerys.

They found her sitting in the stable yard, by a tombstone marked with "Shierak" and a star. The girls crossed the manicured lawn and walked up to her.

"Grandmother?" Daenerya asked. Daenerys' head popped up and she turned to face them, smiling warmly.

"Ah, Daenerya, Athya and Arwan! You all get more beautiful everyday!" The queen exclaimed, rising and kissing each one on the forehead. Her royal blue dress was a stark contrast to her fair skin and hair.

"We were in the courtyard with Viseron, Rhaegon…and Drogon. We were talking about how each dragon got their name; Viseron and Rhaegon were your brothers, but where did Drogon's name come from?" Athya asked gently, hoping she didn't touch a sensitive area. Daenerys sighed, closing her eyes for a moment. Looking up again, the queen saw three beautiful young women. She knew eventually someone would wonder about her dragon's name- after 63 years, Daenerys was ready to explain it. She was happy her favorite granddaughters were the ones smart enough to ask.

"Come, let us go somewhere else. This is not a story that can be told in passing," Daenerys explained, patting the granite tombstone before leading them back to the palace.

"Why did you name her Shierak?" Arwan asked, looking back to the stable as the walked away.

"Shierak means 'star' in Dothraki. She was silver colored. Just like a star," the queen told the youngest girl. They were shocked by how she pronounced the word- with a perfect Dothraki accent. Arwan, Athya and Daenerya looked at each other, this was going to be more interesting than anyone of them could have hoped.

Sitting on couches in Daenerys' huge bed chamber, the queen began her story.

"Drogon was named after Khal Drogo."

"Khal Drogo? As in Dothraki king?" Daenerya asked excitedly. Daenerys smiled and laughed at her granddaughter's expression.

"Yes, he was thought to be the best khal there ever was. He was undefeated in battle, everyone on that side of the Dothraki Sea feared his name," the queen told them, getting into the storytelling. She would do her sun-and-stars justice, and she hoped he was listening.

"What did he look like?" Athya asked, leaning in closer. Daenerys smiled.

"He had dark, bronze skin. He was a head and a half taller than me, a giant made of solid muscle. He had almost black hair that fell all the way down past his back and dark green eyes."

The girls thought about Drogon, realizing how much the caramel colored dragon resembled his namesake. Rippling muscles and dark, emerald colored eyes; he was also very aggressive and frightening if you didn't know him.

"What about his face?" Arwan asked quietly, Daenerys looking over to her. Drogo's face immediately popped into her mind- as clear as if he stood next to her.

"He was horribly fierce looking. Deep set eyes, a full mouth and a perfectly shaped nose. All that mixed with a stubborn jaw. He wore black kohl over his eyes to disguise his handsomely sweet face," she laughed, remembering the first time she saw him without the kohl. He had looked completely different, his young age revealed to her.

"Why did he have long hair?" Daenerya asked, perplexed. Her hair wouldn't grow that long in a million years! How is it fair that a man had that long of hair?

"Dothraki men let their hair grow. If they lose a fight, the winner cuts it off to shame them," Daenerys explained to the young woman. She nodded in understanding.

"So you speak Dothraki?" Arwan asked.

"I was fluent. I had a servant who taught me how."

"So here begs the question, how did you know this 'Khal Drogo'?" Athya inquired.

"He was my husband," the queen replied. For the first time feeling sad about the topic, "my brother Viserys arranged the marriage."

"You must have been what 16? Weren't you terrified?" Athya asked, the other girls shooting her warning glances. Daenerys nodded.

"He was terrifying. But my brother needed an army to retake the Westeros. Drogo had a huge hoard, and Viserys thought he could order the khal around. Like it would be his personal tribe," the queen said, a sad smile crossing her face.

"I'm going to guess that that didn't work," Daenerya said.

"No. Drogo hated Viserys, at first because he was annoying and then as we became closer, he hated him because of how he treated me. Drogo killed Viserys," Daenerys finished quietly. The girls were shocked.

"Why?" Arwan asked.

"He threatened to take me away, he threatened to kill Rhaego. A khal will always protect his khaleesi and khalakka," the queen explained, her voice thick with emotion, remembering the Dosh Khaleen ceremony.

"Rhaego was your…son?" Daenerya ventured.

"My unborn son. At the time."

"Were you mad? Did Drogo apologize?" Athya pressed. Daenerys smiled.

"No and no. I understood his reasoning- he was brought up learning that violence solves problems. He did what he thought was best. And it was. But he did apologize for making me sad, which was very hard for him I'm sure. Dothraki never apologize," she told the girls. She had felt so protected at that moment, so wanted. She had never felt that way before him.

"How did you…um…how did you end up falling in love?" Athya asked uncomfortably. Daenerys figured out what she meant. It was a good question, how did Daenerys the meek and Drogo the fierce end up finding common ground?

"You two, unless you are lucky enough to marry for love, will find that truces usually are initiated after dark," the queen told the 15 year old girls, both of whom were shocked by what had just left the old queen's mouth.

"So sex made you fall in love?" Daenerya asked incredulously. Daenerys laughed.

"No, love. But if the spark is there, it will open the door for love. Drogo and I ended up talking quite a bit, learning a lot about each other; because we wanted to be near each other; do you see now?" She asked. Daenerya nodded.

"What happened to Khal Drogo?" Arwan piped up, after sitting in silence for most of the time. Daenerys sighed sadly, she had been fighting back those memories this entire time.

"He sustained a wound during a battle. One of the slaves from the village we were raiding said she could help him."

"Why were you raiding a village?" Athya asked.

"We needed slaves to trade for ships to cross the sea. Drogo was going to reclaim my throne for Rhaego and I, after King Robert Baratheon tried to poison me," Daenerys explained, her heart welling as she relived the speech Drogo had give the khalasar about taking over the iron throne.

"Aww that is so romantic!" Arwan squealed, unable to help it. The queen smiled, yes, it was romantic.

"The woman who could cure him was a witch. She really was killing him to avenge her people. Soon his fever had him in a sort of coma," Daenerys began to cry, "but she promised me that she could keep him from dying. But a life had to pay for a life."

"…Rhaego," Athya whispered sadly. The old queen nodded gravely.

"What she gave me was a healed khal. But he was in a form of trance. He did not blink, move, eat or talk. She had tricked me into giving our son and my husband," she cried.

"But he was alive? What happened?" Arwan asked gently, not wanting to press the old queen if she didn't want to share.

"What you must understand girls, Khal Drogo was a proud warrior. The Dothraki are a tribe based on strength and ferocity. Keeping him wasting away in a bed was unfair to him, and his memory. I had to let him go," Daenerys explained, the memory of that night playing in her mind. Promise me, my sun-and-stars you will come back for me. He had promised her; by giving her the little Athdikar.

"That was very brave grandmother. The little bit I know about Khal Drogo now makes me believe you did what was best for him," Arwan consoled. The old queen nodded; not a day went by that she didn't second guess herself. But over all, she knew she had done right by him.

It was late when Daenerya, Athya and Arwan left the queen's chambers. Each of them silently reviewing the story they had just been told. Who knew Queen Daenerys had such a story to tell BEFORE she took over the seven kingdoms! They would look at Drogon with different eyes now- each girl seeing him as the proud warrior he mirrored. But there were still so many questions each girl had. Why did you marry grandfather? Did you love grandfather? Was March 18th the day Khal Drogo died? But Daenerys could take no more; and the girls respected that. She hadn't spoken Drogo's name to anyone in years, and asking her to answer all of their prying questions at once was unfair to her. So the three Targaryens went to bed, swearing each other to secrecy.

Queen Daenerys sat on one of the white couches in her private sitting room long after her granddaughters had left; allowing Drogo to completely fill her thoughts for the first time in 60 years. She was glad that she told them about Drogo- his memory didn't deserve to die with her. For the past few days, Daenerys had been overcome by a strange feeling that she was being called. When she went out to visit her horses, the queen swore she saw a roan mare with green eyes standing in the pasture; the khaleesi who had fallen in love with the great stallion. When they feasted in the great hall, everything she ate tasted like salty, dried horse meat. When she was alone outside, the wind smelled of smoke, horses and incense; his scent. Daenerys was unsure of what she was supposed to do. She couldn't tell anyone about her feelings, not after Rakharo died. He had been the only friend left who knew about her first marriage. Her maids, noblewomen and knights would think she was following the path of her father- the mad king. The queen rested her head in her palms.

"What are you telling me, my sun-and-stars? I don't know what to do," the queen whispered sadly, looking up from her hands. There was no response, not that Daenerys was truly expecting one. Rising, she walked slowly to the lavish bedroom in her apartments. As she opened the great oak door, the queen felt a gust of wind come from behind her. She inhaled, closing her eyes and letting his mixture of scents fill her senses. Walking over to her vanity, Daenerys undid her intricate braids and brushed out her long silver hair, staring at her reflection. For a woman of her age, the queen knew she was still beautiful; but she no longer felt that way. She touched her thin lips, his kisses had been erased by William's. Rhaego had been erased by Nyeste, Irro and William II, Daenerys thought sadly, holding her small stomach. Her life had changed inexplicably the day Drogo burned, the only way the queen had been able to continue on was by assuring herself that they would be together again. Her mind replayed that day in her head with heartbreaking clarity; washing him, shaving him, seeing his familiar face disappear into the flames- with nothing to console her but the sounds of the witch's screams. But then she had found little Athdikar, hanging from one of the rafters of her hut and knew he was alright; wherever he was.

Satisfied with her appearance, the queen rose from the vanity and turned to get into bed, pulling the blue covers back before getting in. But when she went to move her favorite pillow, Daenerys found little Athdikar and the old leather cord sitting in the center of it. Holding the miniature horse, she ran her hands over the now smooth edges; the blood spots a dark brown with age. The queen's eyes welled up with tears- he had kept his promise. Drogo was coming back for her. She slept peacefully for the first time in years.

Daenerya, Athya and Arwan crossed the lawn to the stables for their early morning rides, each one still silently mulling over what they were told last night.

"Wait," Athya said as they passed by Shierak's grave marker. The other two girls stopped and followed slowly behind as Athya raced toward the marker, staring dumbstruck in front of it.

"What is it Athya?" Arwan asked when they finally reached her. Athya turned to them, wide-eyed, holding the end of a string with a wooden charm on it. Daenerya grabbed the other end to inspect the animal more closely. It looked sort of like a horse, the slash marks on the legs and face obviously supposed to be the horse's white markings. It was covered in little brown blotches.

"What are these blotches?" Daenerya asked rhetorically, Athya's head popped up.

"I think its blood, Dany."

Arwan looked back and forth between the older girls fearfully. Daenerya's expression was doubtful, running her finger along the smooth surface. "Blood wouldn't be this dark unless it was old."

"Like over 60 years old?" Athya asked with a smile on her face as the realization occurred to her. Daenerya grinned back at her, putting the little horse back on the grave marker.

Neither girl was surprised when Queen Daenerys was found dead in her chambers later that morning.

Daenerys woke up in the grass, surprised that when she got up she wasn't sore at all. She was wearing her purple wedding dress, something she hadn't worn since the funeral pyre. Looking around, Daenerys was in the clearing of a forest- the place beyond the thick tree line was calling her toward it; everything was lush and green. The clear pond in the middle obviously fed the plants well. A grey horse, whom the queen immediately recognized as Shierak, was drinking from the pond. Walking up to her, Daenerys caught sight of her reflection in the water- she saw a 17 year old Daenerys staring back at her. She touched her face and hands in disbelief, it was her. Shierak whinnied loudly, earning a swift response. On the other side of the clearing, was Athdikar- standing proudly; just as Daenerys remembered him. If Shierak is here, and so is Athdikar…she took off at a dead run toward the bay stallion, her sheer purple dress trailing behind her; there he was, sitting under a tree next to Athdikar, smiling warmly at her. Drogo stood up as Daenerys got closer, he looked just as she remembered him. Launching herself into his arms, the khaleesi was rewarded with a deep laugh.

"I told you I would come for you, little moon of my life," Drogo reminded her, hugging her fiercely. Daenerys began to cry. He was there with her, solid and warm.

"You could have come sooner!" She laughed even though she was crying. He smiled down at her, holding her face in his hands.

"You had things to accomplish, a life to live, a chair to claim, Daenerys," Drogo told her. She smiled, running her hands up his arms. Pulling her to him, Drogo kissed her; Daenerys grabbing him around the neck to get him closer. He laughed against her lips, holding the small of her back against him. The khaleesi had forgotten how good it felt to be held so tightly, and to feel so safe. She had forgotten what it felt like to be in love.

Drogo put her on the ground, Daenerys pulling him with her. She hadn't let him go once. He kissed down her neck and the hollow of her throat; finally she let him go, only to explore him. He untied the ribbon around her neck swiftly, pulling the purple dress down her body as his hands worked lower. Daenerys' hands ran down the familiar scars and muscles of his chest; stopping to acknowledge little Athdikar, settled in his place among the other talismen around Drogo's neck, before her hands moved around his back, pulling herself on top of him. Drogo smiled impishly and kissed her deeply, their bodies flush against each other. Breaking apart for air, Daenerys studied the face she had not seen in 63 years. He wore no kohl around his eyes, which allowed her to see his thick, dark eyelashes and bright green eyes clearly. She rested her forehead on his, completely at peace.

"My sun-and-stars," Daenerys whispered longingly. Drogo smiled up at her, holding her close.

"My little moon."

A/N: And we are done! Sad I didn't get hardly any reviews the last couple chappies : ( Didn't I tell you the ending was cute? Its happy yet tragic! So now they are together for eternity, YAY!

8/12 I changed this chapter quite a bit because after re reading, I was not happy with it at all. Please review and tell me what you think! It seems like you all wanted another Khal Drogo fic, so go read The Girl with the Golden Eyes. It will be good. Te prometo :)

Here is the play list for The Reason:

Main Theme: The Reason- Hoobastank

Ch.1 Come Clean- Hilary Duff

Ch.2 Misery- Maroon 5

Ch.3 Feels Like Tonight- Daughtry

Ch.4 Princesa- Belinda

Ch.5 When the Day Met the Night- Panic! At the Disco

Ch.6 Tu Guardian- Juanes

Ch.7 Naturally- Selena Gomez

Ch.8 Here Comes Goodbye- Rascal Flatts

Ch.9 Shadow of the Day- Linkin Park

Ch.10 The Call- Regina Spektor