Lynesse Chapter 19: All Dark

This is a Game of Thrones fic. All rights belong to the copyright holders.

This chapter has been edited due to content. If you want to see the unedited version GO HERE. 

Dragonstone was beautiful and I could understand why House Targaryen claimed it long ago. Not only was it a strategic location, but it had a cold sort of beauty to it. Like House Targaryen, it was small but should not be underestimated. In the near distance I could hear waves crashing onto the cliffs as if they were trying to tear the island down.

The sunset was adding a beauty to Dragonstone that was unsettling. It appeared as if blood was covering the darkening sky. Ghost started walking closer to me as if knowing my troubled thoughts. As if he were intelligent as any man. Maybe even wiser than any maester.

"She won't turn into him." I said softly moments before some Northern soldiers walked past me.

Those were men I used to count among my brethren. I used to be a Northerner but now my home seemed like a distant past. Not only had I dishonored my House, I had spent too much time away. The scorching heat of Essos was more real to me than the thick snow on Bear Island. Though my home would always bring pleasant memories to me, no matter how painful they became.

"Daenerys does not have it in her to be a lunatic." I continued and sat on a small boulder. "She is ruthless because that's the way to hold power. No one has won a war by kindness. Cersei won't ever give up her crown to a more worthy ruler."

Cersei was willing to risk the fate of Westeros just so her enemies would be killed. Not fighting against the Night King's forces showed a lack of understanding of her responsibilities. A ruler would have nothing to rule if their kingdom was destroyed. Daenerys was willing to do everything in her power to get what she wanted while not dodging her responsibilities.

I looked back up at the sky and was grateful that the boulder was so perfectly situated. If there was a great need I could race easily to Daenerys and yet it was quiet here. It was good to be away from everyone to collect my thoughts. Though I was grateful to Ghost for staying by my side.

The direwolf had his nose to the ground to explore new scents which gave me privacy. It also would allow him to race to my side at a moment's notice if someone dared attack me here. Why would anyone dare attack me here? Was I really that worried about my queen?

"And what if she does become her father?" I asked and felt a great strain to due so. "If she becomes as ruthless as he was, then all of Westeros will be in danger. We will have traded a cold death for a scorching one. If she becomes her father, she will no longer be the woman I fell in love with. Could I kill her then? Would I even have the strength? In my sorrow could I then raise my blade to myself?"

Ghost lifted his head and I stood up as we heard shouting. If not for my direwolf, it would have taken much longer to realize the noise wasn't friendly. Though on the surface it seemed like soldiers letting out stresses of past battles, the anticipation of future bloodshed, and the annoyance of nothing happening. My feet rushed across the uneven ground as Ghost led the way.

As we got closer to the sound I realized why Ghost was so worried. His ears could have heard Missandei's cries of pain back at the boulder. Cries that I didn't want to hear any clearer but knew I had to. She was a good woman and a dear friend of Daenerys. What would happen to Westeros if she were to die?

"Save her!" I yelled at Ghost.

Instead of running ahead of me, he ran slightly ahead of me. At first I was angry at him. He could save her and tear the throats of the soldiers that were harming Missandei. But when I slightly lost my footing there was only frustration at myself, not at him. He wasn't just telling me the direction they were, he was guiding me through the easiest route.

"Find a faster way, Ghost!" I yelled as Missandei's voice became harder to hear.

Ghost looked behind me briefly and then changed his path. This way was much harder and my muscles strained to keep up my former pace. The harshness of the path was worth having a better chance at getting to the former slave in time to save her. I would make sure that she survived to experience the wonder that Daenerys' Westeros would be.

We finally found ourselves at the top of an extremely steep hill. I would need to be careful getting down to her and would need to do so fast. The soldiers were...hitting her with their hands and swords. If Missandei managed to stay alive a few moments more then I could save her.

I took out Heartsbane and focused on the raw pain I was feeling. Pain because Daenerys could turn into her father. Pain because Missandei could die. Pain because I was hopeless to prevent both things from coming to pass. Flames engulfed the Valryian sword as I ran down the hill. I yelled at the top of my lungs.

"******* whore." A soldier said as he kicked Missandei. "I don't know why anyone wanted to **** you. You're horrible at it."

Some of the soldiers turned to look at me. Instead of being scared, their eyes signaled a challenge. Now that I was close enough I could see blood and broken bones. Missandei would never have the figure she once had, but at least Grey Worm did not care.

"Stop this at once!" I yelled but a few of the soldiers continued to beat her. "If you do not stop this atrocity then you will have the wrath of our queen to face!"

"She's not our queen!" One of the soldiers said and spit at the ground.

"Get away from Missandei!"

Most of the soldiers looked at each other and nodded. But one seemed consumed by the same flames that ravaged Heartsbane. Just as Ghost jumped at the soldier, the soldier stabbed Missandei through the heart. I cried out and stopped while the direwolf pushed the man to the ground.

"Don't kill him, Ghost." I said as the flames disappeared from Heartsbane. "All of their fates are in the hands of our queen. Pray that she is more merciful than I feel."

"You're...the...the king." One of the soldiers stuttered, fear suddenly being the only emotion he felt.

"I do not wish to assume her opinions on such a matter. Go to the barracks while we discuss your fate."

I sheathed Heartsbane and started walking to where Daenerys spent most of her days. Ghost stood guard over Missandei's body so no poor fool would dare defile it. Before I turned from them I saw his teeth bared. Maybe I should give the order to execute them mercilessly as I was the king. But there was always hope that my love would be better than me. That she could show us all that there was a better way to live.

Daenerys stood on the cliff where her children tended to land. She smiled as both dragons danced in the bloody sky. It was as if both were trying to chase the sun. As if both believed that something like the sun setting could ever be stopped. This was one of the rare times she had to feel anything like joy. Watching and riding her dragons brought her more peace than anyone now could. And I was going to tear that feeling away from her.

What right did I have to do such a thing? In the end it didn't matter if it was fair or not, it had to be done.

"Khaleesi," I said and the name felt strange on my tongue. "There's a matter we need to attend to."

"Can't it wait?" Daenerys asked.

"I'm afraid not, my love."

"It must be bad then."

With a sigh she turned and looked at me. The joy that had been on her face was now replaced by a seriousness befitting her station. I walked in front of her and the image of Missandei's corpse entered my mind. How could I describe events so that my love would not retreat even deeper into fire? Was that even possible?

"Missandei was murdered." I said before the disgust could enter my voice.

"By who?" Daenerys cried out.

"Northern soldiers. They brutalized and raped her before taking away her life. They didn't stop even when I approached them."

"So you killed them and now we need to explain their deaths to Jon."

I had managed to stop myself from killing the soldiers. I had restrained the animalistic need to slaughter them and drench Dragonstone in red. Yet Daenerys took it as a certainty that they should have been killed on the spot. Such ideas were for children and the common people. As the rulers of Westeros we couldn't allow such ideas to lead us.

"You and I are the queen and king of Westeros." I said gently.

"So?" Daenerys replied. "That means we can do what needs to be done with no questions."

"Khaleesi, you said that you want to leave this world better than you found it. I wanted to kill the soldiers on the spot but didn't. I came to you because I believe you can show me a better way. I believe you can show Westeros a better way. I thought that killing the soldiers would be too barbaric for your new world."

The last light of day faded to nothing so I took out Heartsbane. I focused on my fear that surrounded all of my thoughts. It made me think that there was no hope for Daenerys. To make the flames burn brighter I allowed myself to imagine Westeros burned to the ground and my love ruling the ashes.

"You are right, Jorah." Daenerys admitted. "I will take care of these traitors. I will make sure they're executed as killing people close to me is something I can't afford to tolerate. I won't show my allies that I am anything but loyal to them."

"If I may make a request." I asked as a dark thought came to mind.

"Of course."

"Don't have them burned alive. The horror of the Mad King is still fresh in the Westerosi mind. You can't claim you are different and then remind them of one of the worst Targaryen rulers of recent times."

"My father didn't burn people alive with dragons. I do."

"That makes you more similar, not different."

"I will make people see that my way of execution is different than my father's. I burn not out of fear or malice, but out of justice."

"As always, I defer to your judgment."

My queen's eyes seemed dark in my sword's light. She was going to burn men alive and there was nothing I could do to stop it. There was a part of me that wanted to see them burning alive in the flames, but there was a stronger part of me. A part that knew that base desire would do nothing to bring Missandei back and everything to turn Westeros even more against us. To show our allies we were the rightful rulers, we would need to be better than we wanted.

"Bring the traitors to the beach so that my children can deal with them." Daenerys replied coldly. "The flames are the only true form of justice for such monsters."

"Will you come with me?" I asked with a bow.

"Drogon will guide me to the beach."

I held Heartsbane as I walked to the barracks. The walk made me feel dread unlike any I had felt before. Even fighting against the dead I still had faith in Daenerys. Now that was slowly leaving me. The terror I felt now couldn't be softened with anything. No one's love was like hers. Not to me.

"Gather on the beach." I told everyone I walked by. "Traitors will be given justice."

Everyone I passed looked frightened. Were they afraid that there were traitors? Or were they afraid that Daenerys was seeing traitors everywhere?

"Where is Missandei?" Grey Worm asked. "We were supposed to watch the sunset together."

"Northern soldiers murdered her." I replied. "Daenerys has ordered for me to bring them down to the beach."

"I will help you."

The Unsullied was never one to let another see his emotions. He hid his joy, sorrow, and all other signs of humanity away from the world. Yet as we walked to the barracks by Heartsbane's light, his emotions weren't hidden from me. When he had asked about Missandei there had been utter fear in his voice. When I said she was murdered, there had been wrath in his entire being.

"Queen Daenerys Targaryen has declared that the soldiers who participated in the rape, torture, and murder of Missandei shall be executed." I said at the entrance of the barracks.

"If you attempt to protect the murderers you'll be executed." Grey Worm said.

The soldiers didn't doubt us and we waited as they brought out the traitors. The barracks were near the center of Dragonstone and smelled as unused as they were. It was easier to focus on the barracks than how Grey Worm had tried to take control of the situation. What was worse was if he had decided to murder any Northerner on the island, Daenerys would have agreed with his decision.

The murders were brought out and I walked ahead while Grey Worm walked behind the group. If anyone tried to fight back, they would be slaughtered. Wrath was brimming in the Unsullied and all it needed was a tiny mistake on the Northerner's part. He wanted vengeance as a great part of himself had been taken away.

We made our way to the beach where everyone was gathered including Drogon and Rhaegal. Daenerys stood in front of her children as if she were a deity herself. Grey Worm and the Dothraki made sure that the traitors stood in a spot made especially for them. It was far enough from the others so that innocent people wouldn't be harmed when the dragons did their magic.

I took my place beside my queen as some of the soldiers had to be dragged to their doom. Others had the nobility that only those born in the North could conjure. My eyes glanced briefly to where the heart of the North stood. Jon was on the opposite side and there was a pained expression on his face.

As there were fires on the beach, the flames disappeared from Heartsbane and I sheathed it once more. It was as if the part holding me together was shattered and it took all of my strength to keep the tears at bay. Once Daenerys fell asleep I could cry, but not before.

Jon turned to look at me and his pain had turned into confusion. What was he confused about? That Missandei had been brutally tortured and raped before being murdered? That his own men had committed the crime? That they were now going to be executed without any word from him? Did he guess how Daenerys was going to execute them? How many were there? Seven? Ten? More? I had lost count when I had first heard Missandei's cries.

The dragons were growing restless and they had begun to growl. Daenerys looked annoyed at the wait as the final people arrived at the beach. It was impressive how large of an army my love had assembled. It was impressive how many people she had united under her banner. Though she would lose the support of the North after this night.

Once everyone arrived, there was silence. The only sounds were the waves crashing on the shore, the dragons growling, and the few who were breathing nervously. Everyone knew that once Daenerys started to speak bloodshed would follow. Bloodshed that would remind the Westerosi of the Mad King.

"I am Queen Daenerys Targaryen." Daenerys began. "I am the dragon's daughter. I hatched dragons from stone. I freed the slaves from their bondage in Essos. If not for me then those like Missandei and Grey Worm would still be in chains. They would still be enslaved to uncaring masters. They would never have found freedom without me."

One of the soldiers began to whimper and Jon stared at him. The soldier got control of himself. I wanted the man to whimper and beg for his life so I could take it like he took Missandei's. No, I was better than this. I could hold myself to higher standards than others. I was the King of the Seven Kingdoms.

"Missandei was a dear friend of mine." Daenerys continued. "She was one of the kindest people I have ever known. She deserved better than she was given. You mutilated her. You raped her. You killed her. You don't deserve my pity. My justice is fire and flames."

"**** you!" One of the soldiers yelled out.

"Dracarys."

Drogon and Rhaegal both breathed fire onto the soldiers. It was a terrible sight to see. The soldiers screamed in pain and begged for the mercy of various gods. They deserved much worse than this and yet something was utterly wrong about their execution. The sounds and the smells reminded me that there were lines that shouldn't be crossed. Lines that Daenerys would cross time and time again.

One of the soldiers managed to run and Drogon ate him. An arm was the only thing that fell to the ground. Rhaegal looked as his brother ate another man. The smaller dragon looked jealous and turned to Jon. The pain in Jon's face was not hidden and I was uncertain if he would try to hold his dragon back. If that was even possible once blood was being spilled.

Jon nodded reluctantly and Rhaegal joined in with his brother. Soon the beach was full of the smell of burned corpses and littered with random body parts.

Was this justice?