14 | KING STEFAN

"The Sons of the Harpy?" Daenerys asked one of her consultants. Stefan was present. Sofina was out training the dragons to follow her commands. One of Daenerys's Unsullied was murdered in a brothel, and his body was left with a gold mask. It was a message, from those who wanted to harm Daenerys, to rid the city of the military control.

"Yes, Your Grace. They left it on the body." Her consultant place the golden mask before her and Stefan.

"They've never killed before." Daenerys muttered in disbelief.

"It was only a matter of time, Your Grace. Conquerors always meet with resistance." Her advisor sighed.

"I didn't conquer them. Their own people did." Daenerys spoke in an annoyed tone.

"They do no see us as people, Your Grace." One of the Meereen's representatives spoke up. He had been standing quietly when the news was received.

"Then they will have to learn to see things differently, Mossador. He did not risk his life fighting for his freedom so cowards in masks could take it away. And I did not take up residence in this pyramid so I could watch the city below decline into chaos. What was the name of the man you lost?" Daenerys asked Grey Worm, the commander of her Unsullied army.

"White Rat, Your Grace." Worm informed nonchalantly.

"I want him buried with honor, publicly in the Temple of the Graces." Daenerys stated.

"The Sons of the Harpy will hear that message." Her advisor mentioned.

"Make them very angry." The Meereenese representative added.

"Angry snakes lash out. Makes chopping off their heads that much easier. Find the men who did this and bring them to me." Daenerys told, then waved everyone out of the room except for Stefan.

She then turned to him. "Have you made your decision?" She inquired.

"Of your proposal?" Stefan clarified.

Daenerys nodded and smiled at him. Stefan, over the past few days, couldn't find any reason not to marry Dany. She was a great fit for a wife and she'd give him status. They'd mutually benefit each other in the long run, too. "Yes. Although, it took me little time to realize it." Stefan informed her.

"So, what is your answer?" She tilted her head in a cute way.

Stefan smiled and looked down to the ground, a bit flustered. This would be the first true woman he had a solid relationship with. Of course, he fucked many girls before. But he never had a concrete relationship with one. "Yes, I will be your King consort." Stefan announced to her.

Daenerys engulfed him in a tight hug, excited to announce to the city that she'd be married soon and they'd have a king to follow as well. Although she was partially happy she'd have someone to delegate leadership to, she was more happy that she knew he was the perfect choice to be king. He was kind and hard-working. He wasn't a snob nor was he cruel. Not to mention, he wasn't entirely unattractive either.

* * *

Within the week, Daenerys and Stefan had gotten married. It was a quick ceremony and the people of Meereen treated it as a usual public announcement gathering. The hundreds of thousands of people spectated the event, admiring Daenerys's gown. After it was over, Stefan was proclaimed the King consort of the Andals, the Rhoynar and the First Men, and Meereen. Protector of the Realm. Slayer of Undead Beasts and Giants.

The last title came from Daenerys' imagination after she heard all of Stefan's stories of fighting white walkers and giants in Mance Rayder's army, north of the Wall. She was fascinated and thought it'd be a fitting title for a king.

* * *

After the wedding festivities, Sofina sat with the dragons in the catacombs. They had grown abnormally close to Sofina. To the point where she could lay against them and they'd purr in approval of her presence. She had secretly unchained them. No one went down in the catacombs except for her. All three of the dragons had grown out of their chains, and Sofina knew if she ever wanted to gain all of their trust, they couldn't be her prisoners.

Her training had been going smoothly. They had learned what was right to hunt and what was wrong to hunt. She taught them to attack larger prey, knowing that they would never survive off of goats and small children unless they ate large hoards of them. She'd trace paths of specific scents for the dragons to track in the dark catacombs. Their fire breathing commands were on point. And she had even managed to get all three of them comfortable with her mounting them. She knew they could easily fly, even on her command, but she was limited to see their full potential whilst they were locked up in those damp catacombs. It frustrated her, but she knew she just needed patience. Once she had full trust and control over the dragons, she could prove to Daenerys to set them free once again. "I'll get you three out of here soon, I promise." Reyanna pet Drogon's scaly nose, his eyes shutting in pure comfort from her touch.

* * *

The problems in Yunkai had been claimed to be solved, yet they had made many demands in return of subordination to Daenerys' crown. They asked to reopen the fighting pits— which Daenerys opposed, but was eventually convinced that it would reunify the city through the tradition.

* * *

"Daenerys, please listen to me. We need to release the dragons. I've had Drogon in captivity for weeks, his behavior had improved immensely and he had learned!" Sofina tried to reason with a stubborn Daenerys.

"I am too busy. I don't need another child's bones dropped at my feet." Daenerys waved her off.

"You never even tried to understand them." Sofina spat at the blonde.

Daenerys shot her a dirty look. "If you have forgotten, I am your Queen. You are in my kingdom! I am the mother to those dragons. You will obey my commands. I may have married your brother, but that won't stop me from executing you for insubordination. Maybe I'll make an example out of you." Daenerys growled at Sofina.

Sofina clench her jaw. "You are a dragon queen with no dragons. You can't even control them, yet I have grown to understand them and trained them to listen to me. Aren't you supposed to be the Mother of Dragons? You may have stepped out of those burning flames —after birthing those creatures— unscathed, but you are no mother to those dragons. You were simply lucky enough to have Targaryen blood spoiling your veins." Sofina spoke lowly at Daenerys. She was a mere child with a powerful last name. She believed she had rights to a throne she had never seen or worked for her entire life. She was sold to a Khal and claimed that she was the Dothraki's true Khaleesi, yet she was just their Khal's whore. Everything she had received, she had gotten through the use of her dragons, yet here she was— after they had fulfilled their services to her— abandoning them because she feared them. No true queen of dragons would fear her subjects.

"I will have you executed." Daenerys hissed.

"I'd like to see you try. How would the public react if they found out Queen Daenerys slaughters her husband's sister soon after their marriage. Without me, your dragons will likely swallow you whole before you could even step foot into the catacombs to see them." Sofina threatened.

Throughout the following weeks, tensions continued to rise between Daenerys and Sofina over the dragons's treatment. Daenerys even grew a bit jealous of the relationship Sofina had with the dragons, knowing that if they public saw Sofina was the true controller of the dragons now, they'd follow her instead. All Daenerys had going for her authority now was her intimidation and Stefan.

* * *

Problems with the Sons of the Harpy continued in Meereen, distracting Stefan and Daenerys as King and Queen. Decisions were made that angered even the freed slaves against the monarch. While they were worried with those issues, Sofina took that opportunity to release the dragons she now considered her own adopted children. She flew Drogon around the city, getting used to his fast pace and swift movements. Her limitations on training the dragons were now lifted, and there was nothing Daenerys could do to recapture and imprison the dragons. For a while, she didn't even notice they were out and about until one night Drogon perched on her pyramid's balcony.

She was infuriated with Sofina, but, especially now, she couldn't get rid of her. She had no control whatsoever on the dragons, and only Sofina could call them to her side when needed.

author's note: I know these chapters with Stefan and Sofina are boring but I'm building up to a great event that'll change a lot of the storyline. once that even happens, basically everything happening in Essos won't be written anymore and it'll all be left as a mystery until they reappear.