when it's not safe to walk these streets

Entry tags:

when it's not safe to walk these streets

Who: Dany and Margaery
What: She's heard about the Null's list and, maybe, is a little worried for her ally.
Where: Margaery's apartment
When: 11/4
Warnings: n/a

[ Dany has long since considered herself 'mother.' From her dragons to her khalasar to the people of Slaver's Bay that she had freed, the young queen has taken the role in stride. Hadriel is different in many, many ways, but this is not one of them.

When she heard that the apparent enemy of the gods - the Null - had made a list of targets, when she learned that Margaery Tyrell, among others, was on it... those mothering tendencies had flared up. Like a protective animal, she had stalked her empty home, trying to think of some kind of way to retaliate, or some way to protect her ally... and had come up with nothing. This went on for a week until she'd been forced to give up her individual and fruitless efforts and had left to find the young woman in question.

That day is today. Dany dresses warmly (as much as she can, with her limited wardrobe) and goes to where she knows Margaery is living (beyond that, though, she doesn't know much about the other's life in Hadriel).

She hesitates. She knocks on the door. ]

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[Margaery has been doing her best to not let the fact that the Null wants her dead get to her. she doesn't think she's made any enemies who would target her and Cersei is not here.

Marg has had Matt Murdock living with her since the list went up. when he's there, she's not afraid of anything being able to hurt her. when he's not, the anxiety does come. she's been taking lessons in swordplay from Ikaruga, so she takes her sword with her to the door.

she peeps through the peephole and sees Dany waiting outside, so she puts the sword down and leans it against the wall, and opens the door]

Daenerys! Hello! How have you been?

[ It's still strange having Margaery Tyrell call her by her name alone, and Dany's expression is displeased for a moment before she recalls herself. There is no Queen here, and it isn't worth correcting. Not now. ]

Well enough. [ Lonely and not well cared for by Dany herself, but that isn't important at the moment, either. ] You seem... happy.

[ It's a relief, considering. ]

Can I come in? I was hoping to speak with you.

[she notices the displeasure and files it away to think on later. because it's true, in Hadriel there are no queens. and even queens have to work to ensure their own survival]

That's good. This place is hard to get used to, isn't it? [the solution is to visit more often! and Marg will visit Dany at her place!] I am. Possibly for the first time in my life, I am truly happy.

Of course you can! Please, come in. Unfortunately, I have no bread and salt to offer but consider yourself welcome at any time.

It is. [ Very, very hard to get used to. ] But I am relieved to find you happy.

[ Since there's a price for her head...

Dany inclines her head and enters, glancing furtively around the apartment before turning and speaking to Margaery only when the door has closed. ]

I saw the message from those-... from the Null. [ She says quietly. ]

It took me days to figure out the can opener and I still can't cook without burning it. [but she's getting better. slowly. very, very slowly. she waits for Dany to enter.

and the mention of her being happy makes her beam]

Thank you. I'm happy because I've fallen in love. I've never been in love before! It's--well, it's wonderful.

[the apartment is an ordinary two-bedroom apartment. she should see signs that more than one person has been staying there]

...oh. The Null. [she says with loathing] So far, I've been safe. I have no great enemies here. If Cersei was present, I'd be afraid to turn my back to anyone for fear that they'd stick a dagger in it, but so far we've been lucky. I have been taking lessons in swordplay from Ikaruga and hand-to-hand combat from Matt. Just in case.

But, what about you? How have you been?

Fallen in love? [ She repeats, stopping short. That's - well, unexpected. Dany's eyebrows raise questioningly, and only then does her gaze drift around the apartment.

Yes, it does seem as if Margaery hasn't been here alone. ]

Since you arrived in Hadriel, you've fallen in love with someone? [ The young queen asks again, torn between disbelief and amusement. Then, of course, is the conversation about the Null, and she nods faintly at the response. ]

I have no one after my head. [ Here. ] If Cersei Lannister arrives, she will have three cases against her from the moment she steps through the Door. [ Barring that, though: ] I'm glad to hear you've taken up defending yourself in the meantime.

Yes! [she looks happy and can't help smiling. even blushing a little. it's her first time being with someone who truly wants her for her and who she wants as himself, not as a way to obtain a crown]

I have. His name is Matt Murdock and he's just--oh, he's wonderful. Smart, handsome, and good. Do you know how rare that is to find in Westeros? He's the one who made the post alerting the people on the Null's list that they were in danger and he's offered to teach self-defense to any who would learn. [she looks proud of him. that's because she is. but then yes, the Null]

That's good. You've managed to avoid the Null's interest. [Margaery gives a short laugh] It would almost be worth it to have Cersei arrive, just to see the look on her face when she finds you, me, and Sansa already here. And to see her trying to fend for herself without servants. And, thank you. I know that I can't just assume that there will always be someone to protect me. I need to be able to protect myself.

I know little of Westeros. [ But she assumes that men there are the same as men everywhere else. ] And I don't remember this man, but I believe you.

[ She may be swept up in the moment, only to learn less pleasant truths about her lover lately... but, for now, Margaery seems positively thrilled. ]

I understand. I am learning the same. [ She isn't able to defend herself without dragons or the Unsullied, either, after all. ] I hope that it will serve us well in this dangerous place.

Oh, you'll learn. And I'd imagine that men of Essos aren't so different than men from Westeros. Just different languages and customs. And I'll have to introduce you. You'll like him, I'm sure of it. [her voice turns teasing] But not too much.

[she already knows about the secret identity and is okay with it. she even approves of it. so she's going into this with eyes as open as they can be]

Oh? Who is teaching you? [and Margaery doesn't have the privilege of rank to help keep her safe] Did I tell you that I've been to the caves? It was part of my lessons in swordplay.

The Dothraki were - are - like no men in Essos or Westeros. You would be surprised.

[ In ways both better and worse than Margaery might imagine. ]

A woman named Rydia... and another called Ikaruga.

[ Strange names, but that's nothing new. ]

The caves house the city's monsters. [ Dany states, frowning. ] Did you travel there alone?

Really? What are they like? I've heard of them, of course, but all I know are scary children's tales about barbarians. I'd imagine the reality is quite different.

[granted, those scary children's tales were told by the Queen of Thorns]

I don't believe I've met Rydia, but I know Ikaruga quite well. She's the one teaching me the sword.

[this place is full of both strange names and strange cultures]

No, I went there with Ikaruga as part of my training. She took care of the worst monsters while I handled the rest.

[ The truth is that many of those tales about barbarians are true. The Dothraki are wild, violent, superstitious, and proud. ... She thinks, though, of Drogo, of her handmaids long gone, of her khalasar in its small beginnings and how it has grown today. ]

They are loyal. They are fighters unmatched by any. They... are storytellers, riders, dreamers.

[ She's being generous, but if all Margaery has heard is the other side of things, then why not paint them in a kinder light? ]

Just because they are different from others doesn't make them all savages.

[ Now. Moving on... ]

Is she? Well, then, you have a fine teacher. [ Or so Dany thinks, in her own experiences. ] I'm happy to hear you're in good hands.

[Margaery had gotten to see Drogo, thanks to the dreamsharing. that's why she's assuming there's more to them than just the stories]

Then, they sound like good allies to have. And potentially Cersei's nightmare.

[Marg's mind is on taking Westeros back from Cersei. if the Dothraki will help, she is glad of it]

No, I'd imagine not. Actually, that makes me think of something we found out not long before I died. The Lannisters had set the Boltons up as Wardens of the North in exchange for their cooperation in the Red Wedding. But Eddard Stark's bastard, Jon Snow, allied himself with Wildlings and took back the North. So perhaps alliances with outsiders is a good tactic for taking back the entirety of Westeros. The problem will be settling those outsiders as part of Westeros once the war is finished.

[yes, moving on]

Yes, she's proven herself quite skilled and good at teaching those skills to others. I'm glad she's teaching you as well. Perhaps when the time comes, you'll be able to lead your troops on the field of battle personally. Wouldn't that be a change from Cersei, who will likely hole herself up in the Red Keep at the slightest hint of danger?

They will surprise her, at the very least.

[ The horselords and all of their wild ways will tear through Westeros, will drag Cersei and the others from their seats of power, just as Dany promised to her khalasar. ]

Jon Snow? [ Took back the North? ] Is he more entitled to the North than Sansa Stark?

[ That. Doesn't sound right. Dany frowns, displeased at the idea. ]

I hope that I am. I would be no queen without a willingness to die for my people. [ She doesn't want to die, of course, but she will take to the field if it's necessary. ] When the time comes... we will see.

I would love to see the look on her face when she sees them for the first time.

[Margaery never thought there would be a day where she'd been rooting for Dothraki horselords, but if they can take Cersei down from power, she is all in favor of them succeeding]

I'd imagine not, because he's a bastard. However, Sansa Stark was already North. Littlefinger gave her in marriage to Roose Bolton's bastard, Ramsay, but she escaped from him and was reunited with her half-brother. When all is settled, I'd imagine that Sansa Stark will be the Lady of Winterfell with Jon Snow as the commander of her armies.

I doubt it will come to that with the allies you have at your side, but the sight of their queen would likely lend courage to your armies.

I await the day.

[ Soon, she hopes. ]

I see. [ Good. She is already familiar with Sansa Stark and this Jon Snow seems to have a weaker claim, anyhow. ] Well, I hope that we can grow closer during this time in Hadriel. All of us.

[ It's the best use of their time, isn't it? ]

I hope to give them courage and strength wherever I can. We'll see where they draw it from.

I'm sure you do.

So do I. This place has to be good for something. If you can strike an alliance with her while here, you'd have Dorne, the Reach, the Greyjoy siblings and their forces, and the North on your side. Cersei would have only the Westerlands and the Freys of the Riverlands. The odds would be so far tilted on your side, Cersei might as well not bother to show up.

A ruler must inspire courage and strength as well as love.

Edited 2017-11-30 22:55 (UTC)

Cersei will not give up. Not from the stories I've been told. [ From Tyrion and all the others. ] I will not underestimate her so that she cannot make a fool of me.

[ The Lannisters are fearsome people, she knows, and it would be a mistake to count them out before the battle begins. ]

Still, I recognize the strength of my armies, of my allies. I will not discount all they can do, either.

Cersei has a certain cunning and you're right in that she won't give up. So you'll simply have to force her to. Your dragons will be very useful in that. But where Cersei is unyielding, Tommen is. . . a kind boy. He won't have the stomach for the sort of prolonged war as his brother and mother.

[she has no idea that Tommen killed himself]

Dorne's warriors are fierce. [she laughs] We of the Reach should know. We've been fighting one another for generations, but war makes for strange allies. The Reach's armies have been largely untouched since the Battle of the Blackwater. Grandmother should be able to get them to fall into line. And I suppose that even Greyjoys can have their uses.

Tommen? [ Her expression flickers to confusion... until she remembers the series of events, as it was told to her. Dany's expression turns more somber, and she folds her hands delicately in front of herself. ]

... I'm sorry. Tommen Baratheon died shortly after the explosion, or so I'm told. Cersei rules alone at the moment.

[ As far as she knows, anyway. If there's all this that Margaery hadn't heard of, who's to say that Dany isn't behind, herself? ]

[the news is a complete shock]

--Tommen did what? Do you know how it happened?

From what I'm told... he took his own life after he learned what Cersei had done.

[ 'To you and all the others' goes unsaid. ]

[she sits down on the sofa and rests her forehead in her hands for a moment]

Oh, Tommen. [she looks up at Dany] I was never in love with him, but Tommen was a good person. He deserved better.

[ Dany waits a few seconds before settling in next to Margaery, folding her hands delicately in her lap. ]

I am sorry. I heard nothing cruel about him. [ Only that he was sometimes puppeted by his awful mother. ] I am sure you were able to make him happy while you were together.

[ He did take his own life after she'd been murdered, after all. ]

[looks over at Dany, blinking back tears]

There wasn't a cruel bone in his body. Granted, I often wished he'd be more decisive, especially while I was held prisoner by the Faith, but I never would have wished such a fate for him.

He adored me. Unfortunately, he never understood that his mother didn't.

[giving Marg yet another reason to hate Cersei]

I am sorry. [ She stresses, reaching out to take the other's hand. ] I heard that he was very kind and good, and he didn't deserve to die so young, or to have Cersei Lannister for a mother.

[ Of course, neither did Margaery. ]

[she squeezes Dany's hand tightly] You--you heard correctly. Had he any mother but Cersei, he could have grown into himself, could have been a fine king with the right guidance. But he'll never get the chance. Lucky for you, I suppose.

I would not have murdered a boy, manipulated by his mother. [ She may have overtaken the throne, but not with violence. Not where she could help it. ] Cersei made her choice, and others have suffered for it.

[ Tommen, Margaery, and scores more. ]

You cared more about his fate than his own mother did, then. [and Margaery assumes that had Dany landed with Tommen as king, she would have been relatively safe as well] All Cersei does is make choices that others suffer from. It's all she's capable of.

[ Truthfully, Dany doesn't care about Tommen at all. She has sympathy, of course, and wouldn't wish death on what had been essentially an innocent boy. Still, she hadn't known the young king, and at the moment, her own concerns are with calming her ally. ]

I imagine she meant it all to protect her children, as well as herself, but they are gone, now. She is alone.

[ As is her own fault, Dany assumes. ]

[Margaery had her own issues with Tommen--his lack of backbone for one thing--but she believes that he was fundamentally a good person]

Not entirely alone. She still has the Kingslayer and Qyburn following along behind her. Neither are to be underestimated.

For now. [ No, she won't underestimate either of them, but she has Tyrion as her Hand in order to better understand those two. Particularly the Kingslayer. ] Not forever.

You'll have to kill them both, especially the Kingslayer. I don't see any set of circumstances which would provoke either of them to abandon Cersei. [Margaery's death has hardened her, or perhaps made her more willing to be her full self with certain people]

If they will not live in my new world without her, then they will die with her.

[ She has no problem with that, honestly. Unless Tyrion has other ideas. ]

Then it is likely they will have to die. I can't say that anyone would miss them.

[he may about the Kingslayer, but Qyburn? no great loss]

We will see.

[ Tyrion may, and though she respects his advice, she won't let them lose the war for the sake of his brother. Not if Jaime will not bend the knee. ]

I suppose you will.

And, a personal request? I worry about my grandmother so. Losing all of us at once...

[she worries that her grandmother will sacrifice what's left to strike a blow against Cersei]

Of course. She is my ally and I will see that no harm comes to her.

[ She isn't lying, of course; Daenerys hasn't reached Westeros yet and has no idea of the chaos to come. ]

Thank you. She is very clever and wise, but given the depths that Cersei Lannister is willing to sink to, I can't help but worry.

[chaos is a polite word for what's in store]

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when it's not safe to walk these streets

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(cw: suicide mention)

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