Game of Thrones: Rise of the Supreme Dragon Queen

Daenerys's eyes gleamed with thought as she asked, "Captain, how long would it take to sail from Qarth to King's Landing? How much time would it cost?"

The black captain, thinking she intended to take his ship, Laurel Wind, back to Westeros, pondered for a moment and replied:

"Your Grace, you must understand that we are merchants. We can't sail directly to King's Landing. Along the way, we would stop multiple times at Slaver's Bay and the Free Cities.

We sell the goods we brought from the Far East at high prices, purchase local specialties at low prices, and move on to the next city, repeating the process.

This way, a merchant's profits snowball quickly.

So, returning to King's Landing from Qarth might take a year or more.

Moreover, Qarth is not my destination. My ship will pass through the Straits of Qarth and sail the Jade Sea's trade routes in a circuit. That would take even longer. It could be three years before I next head to the Sunset Sea—if I don't meet my end in the ocean, that is."

Daenerys pressed on, "If you skip trading and sail directly to King's Landing at full speed, how long would it take?"

"Even without trading, Your Grace, the ship would still need to stop to resupply food and fresh water, and the sailors would need rest. At the very least, it would take three to four months—provided the sea remains calm."

Daenerys nodded, expressing her gratitude. "You've brought me invaluable information. I wish you smooth sailing and prosperous business."

"It is I who should thank you, Your Grace," the captain said, his eyes shining.

"Oh? For what?" Daenerys asked.

"Dragons!" He stared intently at the dragons lying nearby, gnawing on bones. "I've seen real dragons. It's the miracle of my lifetime."

"I'll reward you even more," Daenerys said with a smile, gesturing for him to approach. "Come, touch them."

The captain was both thrilled and terrified. Taking hesitant steps forward, he asked nervously, "Are you sure? They won't bite me? Or breathe fire at me?"

"They won't. I am their mother, and they obey me," Daenerys reassured him.

The captain approached cautiously, sweating profusely, and looked at Daenerys for confirmation.

"I bestow upon you the highest honor," Daenerys said, pointing to the largest dragon. "You may touch the most formidable one—he's called Black Diamond."

Daenerys knew that allowing him to touch the green or white dragon might lead to unpredictable disasters. But she could never admit to anyone that she couldn't fully control them.

Instead, Daenerys wanted the world to believe she was the true Mother of Dragons, capable of perfect command over her creatures.

This belief would instill fear and respect in others, discouraging the ambitious from entertaining thoughts like, "If I kill her, the dragons will be mine."

—In truth, both the green and white dragons were at significant risk of being taken.

The prophecy said that the dragon had three heads.

Daenerys was but one of them.

It had been over three months—nearly four—since her dragons hatched. Black Diamond was now the largest, with a body the size of an adult guard dog. When he spread his wings, they could cover Daenerys's entire bed.

In Qarth, she didn't dare let them fly freely. For the past few days, thick iron chains had been fastened around their necks to keep them grounded.

To pacify their growing aggression, she fed them without limit.

At that moment, Black Diamond was sprawled on the marble floor, sucking the marrow from a scorched bison leg.

"Black Diamond, don't hurt him," Daenerys said as she stroked the dragon, speaking in soothing tones. "He admires you and just wants to touch you."

The captain's face showed clear yearning, but his fear kept him rooted in place.

Finally, after Daenerys's repeated encouragement, he timidly approached the black dragon. With a trembling hand, he barely grazed Black Diamond's wing before recoiling as if he'd been shocked.

Black Diamond ignored him, continuing to suck the bone marrow.

Encouraged by the dragon's indifference, the captain gathered more courage. This time, his hand, as light as a falling feather, gently stroked Black Diamond's back.

"Wow, it's just as the legends say—true dragon scales are scorching hot. Only a true dragon can command a dragon," said Qukhuru, his dark face flushed with excitement.

"You've heard those legends about dragons?" Daenerys asked with a smile.

The black captain had only lightly touched Black Diamond for a moment before stepping back a few paces, his hands lowered at his sides. His demeanor was noticeably more reverent than when they had first met.

He replied, "I've heard the maesters at the Citadel in Oldtown speak of dragons many times. They claim that only the true dragon bloodline of House Targaryen can tame dragons, and others cannot even withstand the heat they emit.

At the time, I didn't believe it. What animal could possibly generate a temperature so high that a rider couldn't bear it? At most, you'd just add a saddle, right?

But today, I understand. If a dragon grew to the size of Balerion, no saddle could shield a rider from the furnace-like heat.

Even though the maesters insist that dragons are little more than mindless beasts, they remain the most legendary creatures in the world."

"The maesters even claim to know how intelligent dragons are? Their research into dragons must be thorough," Daenerys said with curiosity.

"If they didn't study something as miraculous as dragons, what purpose would maesters serve?" Qukhuru replied with a philosophical tone.

"Did they ever figure out how intelligent Balerion was?" Daenerys asked.

Before the captain could respond, Jorah interjected, "About the intelligence of a seven- or eight-year-old child. That's what my maester told me."

"Yes, Balerion was far more intelligent than other dragons," Qukhuru agreed.

Daenerys chuckled softly. Then, turning to Black Diamond, she said, "Mr. Qukhuru brought me three barrels of wine. Why don't you draw a picture for him as a gift?"

"A picture?" Qukhuru repeated, confused.

Without needing further instruction, a Lysene handmaiden stepped forward, carrying a large wooden tray. On it was a roll of parchment and a small bowl of ink.

The handmaiden, unafraid of the dragon, knelt beside Black Diamond. She unrolled the parchment—a meter long and half a meter wide—and secured it with paperweights on either side. She then placed the ink bowl near the lower-left corner of the parchment.

Black Diamond glanced at Qukhuru, then extended his right claw. Like humans, dragons also had five fingers. Four of Black Diamond's fingers curled into a fist, while the sharp claw on his index finger dipped into the ink. With deliberate motions, the dragon began to "draw."

At first glance, the ink lines appeared chaotic, like a child's aimless scribbles. Qukhuru, who hadn't expected much, wasn't disappointed. He thought, At least it didn't just leave a claw print.

But as time passed, he began to notice something extraordinary.

The varying thickness and depth of the strokes gradually formed shapes—one figure, then two.

"By the gods, I'm not imagining this!" Qukhuru exclaimed, his mouth hanging open wide enough to fit an egg. "That's me! It's the scene of me speaking with Her Grace. Even the delicate curtains by the palace window convey the feeling of a soft breeze. This... this is incredible!"

"Even the court painters of Braavos are no match," Qukhuru said, swallowing hard. His gaze at Black Diamond shifted from awe to pure reverence, completely devoid of fear.

In his heart, the black dragon before him had become something sacred, imbued with a divine will, not prone to the mindless violence of beasts.

Of course, he was overthinking it. Black Diamond might be intelligent for a dragon, but he was far from the level of an eight- or nine-year-old child, let alone a deity.

At most, Black Diamond could perform basic arithmetic. If Daenerys were to ask Qukhuru to pose a few addition or subtraction problems within 100, Black Diamond could likely scratch out the answers on the floor with his claws. But such demonstrations paled in comparison to the impact of creating a scene as vivid as "An Audience with the Queen."

It was during lessons on culture and history that Daenerys accidentally and astonishingly discovered dragons' natural aptitude for spatial awareness, which greatly enhanced their ability to draw.

Anyone who has taken a drawing class knows that one of the most crucial skills is understanding the three-dimensional structure of objects. Why did Da Vinci repeatedly sketch eggs from different angles? To train his "spatial sense." Black Diamond, however, was born with this talent fully developed. His perspective of the world was far more complete than that of any human.

Qukhuru left in a daze, clutching the rolled parchment. The sights he had witnessed that day had entirely reshaped his worldview.

The visit of the captain of the Laurel Wind marked the beginning of an influx of common visitors. Merchants from across the world, like a trickle of water, quickly formed a roaring torrent, arriving with unprecedented speed.

Ship captains brought lace from Myr, chests of saffron from Yi Ti, amber and dragonglass from Asshai. Less affluent traveling merchants offered pouches of silver coins as tribute.

Beyond merchants, a flood of artisans, wandering poets, and singers also arrived.

Silversmiths presented rings and necklaces, and blacksmiths forged custom arakhs and greatswords tailored to Daenerys's height and arm length.

Textile merchants gifted her vibrant fabrics in colors so rich they left her marveling at the ingenuity of ancient craftsmanship.

Soon, countless tailors swarmed the palace, eager to create the most beautiful garments in the world for her.

Flutists played melodies for her, actors performed acrobatics to make her laugh, and entertainers displayed sleight-of-hand tricks.

Two dwarves rode a sow and a large dog, mimicking Westerosi knights jousting with lances.

A golden-haired, blue-eyed young man from Volantis begged Daenerys to take him on as a personal attendant. He promised to immortalize her as the protagonist of epic poems that would be celebrated for generations.

In their conversations, he repeatedly hinted at his expertise in the seven "arts of passion" practiced in the pleasure houses of Lys.

Disgusted by his lecherous gaze, Daenerys ordered her Bloodriders to throw him out of the palace.

Later, even the Jogos Nhai from north of Yi Ti arrived, bringing her a black-and-white striped zebra as a gift.

For context, Yi Ti is essentially the equivalent of the "Great Celestial Empire" in the world of A Song of Ice and Fire. To simplify, think of it this way: Westeros = England, the Ghiscari cities of Slaver's Bay = Ancient Egypt, western Essos = Europe, the Dothraki Sea = Russia, the Dothraki = Cossacks, Qarth = Suez, Yi Ti = China, and the Jogos Nhai = the nomadic tribes of northern China.

As with most works by Western authors, whenever they touch on China—or its equivalent—it often comes with some stereotypes. However, A Song of Ice and Fire is relatively restrained. The only real issue is that Yi Ti's landmass is depicted as too small, while Westeros appears disproportionately large.

But I digress.

Daenerys extended an invitation to the two Jogos Nhai visitors, who were flattered and honored to accept.

At the banquet that evening, Daenerys told them, "Like the Dothraki, you are warriors of the saddle. I wish to learn from you the wisdom of leading a nomadic people."

(End of Chapter)

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