"Hiss—screech—"The black dragon flew over the head of the Titan of Braavos as effortlessly as it would pass over mountains and rivers on any ordinary day.
Below, the giant fortress, which could withstand a siege from the entire world's fleets, was now no different than a stone.
At this moment, in the face of a dragon, it was no different from a mere rock.
The broken sword in the giant's hand, once enough to deter countless merchants, travelers, and pirates from entering Braavos, was now useless.
The dragon flew over with such indifference, yet the sword was never swung at the enemy.
The dragon's calm demeanor brought only boundless humiliation and despair to the thousands of guards stationed in the fortress below.
The world's number one sea gate, the Titan of Braavos, had fallen.
"This is truly..."Kuhuru stared blankly as the dragon flew past the Titan, then over his own head, gliding above the horn-blaring fleet as if it were stepping over ants, heading straight for the inner city of Braavos.
"Heh... it's absolutely absurd," he suddenly laughed.
The Braavosi fleet that once awed him, terrified him, and demanded his reverence, now only made him laugh.
So what if they reacted quickly?So what if they were fully armed and ready?So what if they had their ballistae loaded?So what if they were numerous?
Against human attacks, the Titan fortress and the invincible Braavosi fleet were insurmountable and undefeatable.
But just one dragon strolled past them like a casual walk in the park and reached the heart of the city.
"Doom of dragons!""Look! It's a dragon!""The Dragon Queen is attacking Braavos!"
Panic swept through the water city like a tsunami—sudden and unstoppable.
From the armory to the customs dock, all the way to the secondhand dock where foreign merchant ships anchored.
Merchants, citizens, laborers, vendors, and fishermen all rushed around shouting.
Some waved at the black dragon against the evening glow, some fled in terror, some joined the cries in confusion, while others, grim-faced, ordered the sails raised to flee the port.
The dragon entered the inner city, flying above the streets, then hovering over the plaza, gazing down at the Sweetwater Canal.
From the districts of commoners to the areas of nobility.
It moved as though on a sightseeing tour, ignoring the chaos below, calmly observing this city on the water.
To the north of the water city stood the Sea Lord's Palace.
In a tall tower by the sea, an old man with a sickly face was helped to the window by a maid.
Watching the black dragon lazily circling above the Isle of the Gods, a flicker of rage flashed through the Sea Lord's dim, lifeless eyes.
He gasped and cursed:"Insolent! What does she think Braavos is? A playground? A tourist spot? I... cough cough... I should've killed that she-dragon back then."
"Please calm your anger, Lord Sea," said Chief Swordsman Quairo as he stepped forward, appearing at the old Sea Lord's side like a shadow. His face was icy as he looked out at the dragon. "No one could have imagined that the infant from sixteen years ago would become today's Dragon Queen."
"She's insulting me, insulting Braavos—I want her dead!" the old man snarled, the withered hand on the maid's wrist tightening with such force that it seemed he was strangling someone's neck.
Tears welled in the golden-haired, round-faced maid's eyes from the pain, but she dared not make a sound.
Quairo shook his head and said,"We swore to the White Knight, Ser Gerold Dayne, that we would receive the Dragon Queen's visit and treat her as a guest. Likewise, the Dragon Queen swore to accept the host's hospitality as a guest."
"I know, guest rights—sacred and inviolable."The old man gave a bitter laugh and sighed."I wanted to do what Walder Frey did across the sea, but I can't—I dare not. I am the Sea Lord, yes, but I am not the true master of Braavos."
"Hiss—screech—"The black dragon slowly turned and began flying west—toward the Sea Lord's Palace.
"They're here," said the Chief Swordsman.
Yes, the Dragon Queen had come to Braavos.
At least the officials and citizens of Slaver's Bay, along with the great nobles and elite merchants of Braavos, all believed she would visit the city today.
On the day after her return to Astapor, the Green Priestess—acting as Minister of State—had sailed to Meereen to arrest the Count of Broken Chains.
Cleon, Count of Broken Chains, was officially charged, and the Dragon Queen notified the three cities—Meereen, Yunkai, and Astapor—of the matter.
She announced the formation of a fifteen-member Final Tribunal, which would conduct a public trial once Cleon was brought back to Astapor.
The case would be handled strictly according to the Code of Law.
The Dragon Queen herself would serve as Chief Justice, with five nobles, five representatives of the newly freed, and five Ghiscari representatives.At the same time as Cleon's trial, they would also conclude the case of "The Harpy's Sons."
Considering travel time to and from Meereen, the trial would not begin for at least another half month.
Thus, the Dragon Queen had time to negotiate with the Braavosi.
Well, the Dragon Queen hadn't been idle since her return to Slaver's Bay either.
On the second day, she was already leading tens of thousands of farmers outside the city, ox in hand and hoe over shoulder, to reclaim land and grow food.
In truth, the Dragon Queen's "Great Agricultural Leap Forward" had never stopped.
During her month-long absence from Slaver's Bay, Astapor was overseen by Ser Jorah the White Knight, who regularly took part in agricultural efforts on her behalf.
Meereen had Argo of the Bloodriders. Yunkai had the plump eunuch Belwas.They all had the authority to act in the Queen's stead, carrying out her duties.
But after Drogon returned to Astapor from the Wall, the Dragon Queen decided she would personally go to Braavos.
Because Darkstar—Gerold Dayne—had completed the task she gave him, crossing the Narrow Sea to meet the Sea Lord of Braavos.
As her emissary, Gerold had been received by the Sea Lord and the Braavosi nobility, and courageously questioned the Sea Lord on his throne:
Why had he allowed the Faceless Men to attempt an assassination of the Dragon Queen, who once had ties to Braavos?
Uh, he was lucky. Sea Lord Ferrego Antaryon didn't lose his temper or have his First Sword behead him.
But the Sea Lord also refused to acknowledge any connection between the Faceless Men and Braavos.
Naturally, that meant there was no involvement in any plot against the Queen.
As a result, the negotiations between the two sides reached a deadlock. Darkstar was planning to leave Braavos with that response—after all, the Queen had told him: if the Braavosi aren't sincere, go to Pentos.
As for the plan to save the world through grain futures—Dany had the will, but with the Sea Lord unwilling to even admit to the Faceless Men's existence, how could there be any foundation of trust between them?
In the end, it was Bessaro R'hann, the Keyholder of the Iron Bank, who stepped forward with a proposal: let the Sea Lord and the Dragon Queen each swear a sacred oath to meet in person at an agreed time, with both sides promising not to harm each other.
On the Queen's side, only she or her White Knight needed to make the oath.
On Braavos's side, however, the Sea Lord, the Keyholder, and the First Sword all had to swear together.
It seemed Braavos was truly sincere, entirely earnest in wanting peaceful relations with the Dragon Queen.
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Then, as if having forgotten the lesson from the last visit to the Citadel, the Dragon Queen agreed without hesitation.
And so, this evening, the black dragon soared over the Titan, and the Dragon Queen arrived in Braavos.
Yes, the time and place for the meeting had already been arranged, which is why the Arsenal's fleet was able to respond so quickly—they had been fully prepared.
They intended to give the Dragon Queen a show of Braavos's mighty military strength—a show of power.
Uh, and it ended with her effortlessly turning that show of power right back on them.
However, contrary to the expectations of the Sea Lord and the Keyholders, after touring the Isle of the Gods, the Dragon Queen did not land at the Observatorium Tower in the Sea Lord's Palace. Instead, she went to the neighboring district of Floodtown, landing on the rooftop of the Green Eel Inn beside the Moon Pool.
Braavos's hundreds of islands are scattered around a central river channel—or rather, the so-called islands were originally just marshland near the river's mouth.
The river flows in from the continent of Essos to the south. The Sea Lord's island lies on the northern side of the channel, facing the open sea, which is why a massive seaport—the Purple Harbor—was able to be constructed there.
But at the river's mouth, the surrounding islands and reefs are so dense that there's no room for many ships to dock, so no proper port could be built.
Naturally, islands with ports are more prosperous.
However, Floodtown, located right at the river's mouth, though not as bustling as Purple Harbor or the Old Ragman's Wharf, still thrives due to the steady traffic of riverboats and travelers.
In short, Floodtown has people, inns, and serves as a hub for the middle class and travelers.
At this moment, the Dragon Queen had come to Floodtown. Amid the gasps and cries of the townsfolk and travelers, her black dragon landed atop the Green Eel Inn beside the Moon Pool.
Yes, because the four-story Green Eel Inn had a spacious rooftop terrace, Darkstar had bought the entire inn three days ago.
That's right—bought it outright.
"The dragon is here! It landed at the Green Eel Inn!"
"The Dragon Queen—I saw the Dragon Queen!"
"Hurry, quick! Let's go to the Green Eel Inn—I want to stay in the same inn as the Dragon Queen!"
Seeing that the dragon hadn't scorched the city, the townsfolk calmed down and stopped fleeing in panic. Instead, they surged toward the Green Eel Inn in a frenzy.
"Why is the inn's door shut?" When they reached the front of the Green Eel Inn, they were surprised to find that it seemed closed for business.
The fat innkeeper of the neighboring Black Shipwright Hotel suddenly said, "Ah, I remember now! The inn was bought by a foreigner.
He claimed to be from Dorne and said he planned to settle in Braavos. He even hired a team of craftsmen from the shipwrights' wharf. I heard he was going to renovate the inn in Dornish style..."
Creak—
Just as the crowd was chattering, the inn's main doors swung open. A dozen assassins in colorful, luxurious silk garments stepped out.
Each had a look of excitement, faces flushed, as if they'd just been hit on the head by a pie falling from the sky. They looked dazed and giddy, their steps unsteady, even their Water Dancer footwork thrown into disarray.
Dressed like flamboyant peacocks, the assassins parted the crowd to make way for someone behind them.
And then came into view a white-robed, hook-nosed knight escorting a tall, silver-haired woman.
"——" The crowd's eyes widened, mouths agape in awe.
The woman's features were delicate, her skin pale and beautiful, her expression noble and commanding. On the leather armor over her chest was a sigil: a three-headed dragon.
"Targaryen… the true Dragon Queen," a Westerosi merchant murmured.
"Ah! She's Daenerys Targaryen, the Queen of Slaver's Bay!"
"The Dragon Queen—that's the Dragon Queen! Gods, I've seen the Dragon Queen with my own eyes!"
It was as if someone had flipped a switch. The crowd burst into a buzzing hum, voices overlapping like a swarm of little motors.
"Silence!" The hook-nosed knight by the Dragon Queen's side barked with such force that the hundreds of "little motors" at the doorway instantly shut down.
Then, the Dragon Queen cleared her throat and began to speak.
"As you've guessed, I am Daenerys Targaryen, Mother of Dragons, Queen of Slaver's Bay.
I've come to Braavos at the joint invitation of the Sea Lord, the Iron Bank's Keyholder, and the First Sword, to negotiate and resolve the matter of the Faceless Men's attempt on my life."
(End of chapter)
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