Chapter 18 (a)

They had been on the road for several hours before any conversation was had.

Caspian felt a little odd leaving his other three dragons behind even though Naelarion was concealed in the wagon in her cage. Zergyx, Veneys, and Edrion were still young and though he had charged them as much as he was able to remain hidden in the cave except at night when they needed to feed, he was a little worried that they might not listen.

Daenerys had promised to keep an eye on them, but Caspian knew they were at an impressionable age where they might listen to anyone.

Naela had proven to be fiercely loyal to him however and since she was the first to hatch and the first one that Caspian had actually held the moment she had come out of her shell, he was somewhat preferential to her over the others.

As much as he loved Edrion and Veneys and Zergyx for some reason, perhaps because Naelarion was older, he had a connection with her that was somewhat deeper than the ones with the other dragons.

That was why she was the first he thought of bringing with him.

Naela was also slightly bigger than the other dragons and farther along with her flight and developed fire breath so she would serve her purpose better than his other three dragons would.

What did make Caspian concerned however was the knowledge that he would be leaving his dragons with Daenerys.

She was the only one who knew about his dragons and the night before he had left, she had moved them into the caves below the house where the royal party was staying.

Caspian simply hoped they would remain hidden until he got back, he was already beginning to wonder whether or not he should have taken them all with them.

After a moment though, he quashed the thought. Bringing one dragon with him to Yunkai was risky enough because Naela was to be the weapon that others didn't know he had. Hiding four dragons would be a herculean feat that Caspian knew for a fact that he wouldn't be able to pull off.

No, it was better for them to remain where they were.

But by the gods, he was becoming sick and tired of taking the lesser of two evils option.

Being the queen's Hand was the lesser of two evils, leaving his dragons behind was the lesser of two evils, remaining with the queen as opposed to sailing home right away was the lesser of two evils, joining forces with the last Targaryen and not telling her Joffrey were bastards in order keep himself alive was the lesser of two evils.

Gods, was there anything he was doing that was right lately?

"You seem troubled your grace," Ser Barristan and Caspian looked up to see the new Lord Commander of the Kingsguard bring his horse to parallel with his.

"Do I Ser Barristan?" the former prince asked looking towards the desert road ahead of them and the sand that was now shimmering as the heat of the day increased.

"You do. Is it our assignment to Yunkai?"

Caspian respected the older knight very much at the same time, the man was complete without a clue when it came to addressing a problem and dealing with it along with the many facets that came with the problem.

Yunkai was only one problem.

Getting an army was another.

Acquiring ships and people to man those ships was the third problem.

Dealing with the Iron Bank and acquiring money was another.

And finally, there was the biggest problem which was the most far off and that was what to do when Caspian and Daenerys inevitably returned to Westeros.

Caspian had seen the fire in the young queen's eyes when she spoke about her home and how she wished to return.

He could see that she wanted to rule on principle and that was something that worried him.

Throughout the past year since his father's death, Caspian had learned a few things about power and holding a throne and a crown.

But the first and most important thing to him was that the right to rule did not come in a bloodline or whose seed you came from.

In fact, he didn't think there was a right to rule at all anymore.

Instead, he believed it was more important to choose someone to rule who could.

That was rather vague and he was still figuring out his own definition that just what it was that made a person able to rule.

In the end, it should be less about right and more about who should rule.

He was keeping his own opinions about who should take the crown to himself for the moment though.

He was doing the same thing after all.

"There are many things on my mind Ser Barristan," the prince said finally when he realized he had been silent for too long. "The problems line up in order of time. The nearest one so far is Yunkai and once we get into the city, how we are to take it by secrecy. It will require a great deal of stealth and no small amount of constancy. Among our company there are only four and twenty individuals, hardly enough to take a city but had we taken anymore it would have raised suspicion. This will take all – "

He paused then when he saw a smile on the old knight's face. "What is it?"

Ser Barristan chuckled and rubbed the side of his jaw wryly. He wasn't wearing armor as it was far too hot for that, but his sword was still at his waist and his close-cropped salt pepper hair was already shining with sweat as the sun rose high in his sky. His somewhat weathered face had a nostalgic expression on it, however.

"I'm simply marveling at the differences your grace," he replied. "It looks you are all Baratheon, but in mind, you are a Lannister."

Caspian snorted. "I've been told. Strangely enough, it's never been a compliment. Perhaps because that is a fact of life that simply is."

"It's never been a bad thing either I presume, however," the knight said and Caspian raised an eyebrow at him.

"Forgive me Ser Barristan but the Lannister name is both feared and despised throughout the Seven Kingdoms none the least of which is Dorne and the north and now perhaps the Riverlands as well. My grandfather lost any honor in the Lannister name when he set the Mountain to butcher Elia Martell and her children."

"I thought the honor wasn't of much concern to you your grace," Ser Barristan said not unkindly. "Not that it didn't but there always seemed to be other things that were on your mind."

Caspian was silent for a moment. "Perhaps. My uncle Jaime always said he was a man who had shit for honor and maybe he's right. Maybe all Lannisters have that abominable quality. My grandfather has certainly proven that he knows how the play the game without it."

Barristan was quiet for a moment. "Do not take this too harshly your grace but I do think that if one wishes to play the game, one cannot have honor."

Caspian chuckled. "That is true enough. It is damn near impossible to go through this life without killing someone so if one must you should kill in defense of a higher motive."

"The words of Tywin Lannister himself."

"Nay, the words of Caspian Storm. The words of my grandfather are that the lion does not concern himself with the opinion of the sheep. They are words he has held fast to all his life."

There was a long moment of silence between the knight and the Hand, and Caspian began to feel uncomfortable.

He was far more at ease with Ser Barristan and was glad that Ser Jorah hadn't accompanied them as the man put Caspian on edge.

There was a way of expressing the man had when he was around Daenerys and Caspian was almost certain that the knight harbored feelings for the queen.

It was easy enough to tell.

At one time his grandfather may have wanted him to think otherwise, but men in love were often simple creatures. They would look at the object of their affection and their eyes could change in a way that would never happen with anyone else.

It would be obvious to all the world but the one that was desired.

Truthfully Caspian didn't know what to make of Ser Jorah's feelings for the young queen. It was none of his business but Caspian had a habit of making things that weren't his business, his business.

And the fact of the matter was that Ser Jorah worried him.

He cared not for the fact that the man had sold slaves, everyone in this world had done things they shouldn't. If they spent too much time counting them all, life would have come and gone.

What did worry him however was the sort of influence this might allow him to have over Daenerys.

As much as Caspian was beginning to like the queen, it was nice to talk to someone his own age, after all, he had taken note of the fact that she had a very trusting nature and was very impressionable.

She wasn't naïve but any means, but the former prince had a feeling that she turned to those she was closest to for help despite their motives or lack of political experience.

Now he couldn't blame her, it was much easier to turn to those who you were closest to despite their opinions as opposed to the ones who had more experience.

But perhaps there was still time for him to be proven wrong.

Caspian had his own reasons for wishing to go to Yunkai, and not all of them had to do with ensuring the reign of Daenerys Targaryen throughout the Free Cities of Essos.

He wanted to see how she might rule in his absence as they had essentially been performing that role in equal parts. Seeing how a person handled power with no one at their side was a true testament to the character of a person.

Caspian had every intention of seeing just what sort of character Daenerys Targaryen possessed.

"And what words will Caspian Storm live by?" Ser Barristan asked, finally breaking the silence.

The former prince paused for a long moment and turned over the name he had chosen for himself in his head.

He had taken the name Baratheon from his title for several reasons. The first was that it would be necessary to travel anonymously, he didn't want to broadcast to the entire continent of Essos who he was and his title. There were spies in the capital far and wide and he didn't want to give anyone an advantage over him by knowing who he was and where he was.

The second was to honor his bother. Edric had been no more than a child when he was brutally murdered right in front of him and Caspian still felt a dull ache in his chest when he thought about it. His brother's death had been his chief reason for surviving, to avenge him, to see that Edric's blood received vengeance. He kept the memory of the last expression on the little boy's face in his mind when he was stranded on the island as a means of driving him. Although he hadn't had to struggle to keep that image in his mind.

It was impossible to forget.

Taking the name of Storm, which was a way to honor his brother and get rid of the Baratheon name at the same time, as that name had had nothing but bad luck attached to it.

Anonymity, honor, revenge, those seemed to be his reasons for many things lately. And this mission would somehow encompass all three.

"Tell me Ser Barristan, what does a Storm do?" Caspian asked quietly.

Ser Barristan looked at him for a long moment. "It destroys all in its path, your grace. Those who are safe from it are only those who are behind it."

"Indeed," Caspian said so quietly that he was barely moving his lips. "It is a name and action I intend to live up to."

Ω

Caspian was very glad that he had dressed for the weather when they had left because as the hours passed and the sun rose higher in the sky, the heat intensified, the winds picked up and the desert on either side of them began flowing golden sand into their faces.

All members of their small party were traveling with their hoods up and scarves over their faces, both so they wouldn't be identified by passing travelers and also to keep the sand out of their mouths and eyes.

Caspian glanced over to the wagon where Orin was sitting next to one of the Unsullied that held the reins. He smiled to see that the small boy was talking quietly to the soldier who was answering him back in a soft tone.

Over the last few weeks, the small boy had been coming out of his shell more and more and had been spending time with more people than just Caspian and Missandei.

Daenerys had also taken a liking to him and had been seen walking about the main house of Astapor with him following behind her.

Aside from his learning his letters over the last few weeks which would be instrumental later, the boy had had a gift for observation and perception. He had sharp wits and was light on his feet if the way he had saved Caspian from the pirates was any indication.

He would prove fundamental when steeling about Yunkai, discovering the city's secrets, and learning if there might be any potential allies within its walls.

Caspian then turned his eyes slightly more to the right and took in Missandei who was riding beside them on a horse of her own. The creature's color was lighter than that of the rest of their horses and every so often, the former slave would reach a hand down and pat it lightly on the neck, causing Caspian to smile.

It was rather easy to tell with her slender frame that she was a woman even though she was cloaked in dark colors from head to toe. The only part of her that was visible were her pale brown eyes over the top of the scarf that covered her nose and mouth.

She seemed more content than Caspian had ever seen her and for a moment, he wondered why given that they were returning to the place where she had been a slave before.

He supposed it could be because she was with a group of protectors now and even if she was posing as a slave again, it would not matter because of who she was with.

Caspian wondered if she had ever in her life had someone to protect her before. He couldn't deny the fact that he wanted to.

But a part of him wondered if that same instinct was born of the fact that he hadn't been able to do the same for Edric when he needed it.

Perhaps it was some twisted way of trying to make up for the fact that he couldn't save his own flesh and blood that he wanted to do so here. He knew there was a lot of Edric in

Orin as the boy's curiosity and insatiable desire for knowledge was shockingly like his half-brother.

Ever since Caspian had set him free, the little boy hadn't stopped talking about almost anything.

But such notions were dangerous in a time of war and even though he knew he carried his father's instincts, to protect all those he cared for, it was also a risky occupation.

Few words were shared between himself, Ser Barristan, and the rest of their company throughout the rest of the day on the road and as the sun sank into the west of the desert and the heat became very much less, Caspian could feel his irritation beginning to abate.

He had always had a hard time dealing with the heat and when he and the royal party had been in the North with the Starks in Winterfell, he had enjoyed it immensely as it was a relief from the heat.

When he had been stranded on that god's forsaken pile of rocks, he had become horribly sunburned and it had taken days to go away.

Now that he had something to cover himself on the road it had taken that possibility away but not the one where the sweat was sliding down his back and making him squirm uncomfortably.

A wind began to blow from the west and Caspian was sure it was coming from the sea. He silently gave thanks for it and drew his horse alongside Missandei's.

"I believe we will make camp here for the night Missy," he said and she turned to him in surprise.

No one was more surprised than him, however.

Caspian wasn't much for nicknames but he had called his little brother Tommen, Tom when it suited him and his younger sister Cella, but that was all.

He blinked when he realized what he had done and fought not to blush furiously at the informal and somewhat intimate moniker.

Though Missandei showed surprise, Caspian was even more shocked when her lips showed a private smile and she lowered her eyes.

Thankfully, she didn't address his words and make things even more awkward, instead, she simply called out his order, and as one the Unsullied move to the side of the road to form a circle around the wagon for the night.

The sun was rapidly setting in the west and Caspian was eager to get a fire lit so they might settle in.

It seemed Orin was ahead of him in that regard however because the moment the small boy slid down from the wagon, he ran around trying to find several pieces of wood buried in the sand and began piling them together.

Caspian dismounted from his horse and helped Missandei down from hers, refusing to look at her all the while.

Fortunately, it seemed the feeling was mutual because she immediately let go of his hand with merely a nod in his direction and strode over to help Orin gather the wood.

Something that Caspian had noticed about her in the last few weeks that he had known her was that she liked to keep herself busy and she was not one to sit quietly for too long. She would trail after Daenerys like a shadow when the queen needed her but wouldn't say a word until she was spoken to.

It seemed she had learned the value of holding her tongue when it was necessary which made sense being a former slave and all. Words mattered when you were owned by someone else and she had obviously learned that very well.

Still…Caspian couldn't help but hope as he watched her that she might come out of her shell before long.

Hopefully, she would realize that she would no longer be beaten for speaking her mind.

His attention was diverted when Ser Barristan came up beside him at the side of the wagon after the old knight had finished securing the horses.

"We have made good time today your grace," the Lord Commander said. "If we keep up this speed, we should reach Yunkai in less than a week."

"Indeed Ser Barristan," Caspian replied. "I do not wish to tire the horses more than necessary however and after a hard day's ride it will be good for all present company to rest as much as possible."

"Of course your grace," the knight said. "But may I ask how you intend to go about your plan of learning the city's defenses when we arrive in Yunkai?"

The fire had now been lit and the Unsullied had gathered around it to warm themselves and keep away from the road.

Caspian could hear the cheery crackle as he and Ser Barristan stood with their backs to the blaze and spoke in hushed voices.

"We are entering the city disguised as merchants Ser," he began. "I am to play the role of the merchant and the rest of our company as my servants. You are to serve as my personal shield while we are in the city and Orin my personal servant along with Missandei. We are under the guise of selling the spices we have acquired and throughout our stay, we are to acclimate ourselves with the defenses of the city so that when the queen arrives to take it, we might make an ensuing battle a last resort."

"I see," the knight replied. "Do you think it possible that Yunkai has heard of Astapor's fall and they have taken appropriate defenses against outsiders?"

"It is possible," Caspian mused. "However they will be preparing for an attack and have their eyes peeled for an army which they will not see. And no matter what their fears from an outside ambush, they will not close their doors to resources and coin…and we are bringing both."

"We will need to be ever more vigilant that we do not draw too much attention to ourselves," the knight said.

"Of that, you can rest assured we will be Ser," Caspian replied. "This is not the time for arrogance. There may ever come a time when we will need to draw swords and blood. But I would not fear that time is now."

The weight of StormBreaker on his back seemed to grow then but he ignored it. "After all, what could Yunkai possibly have to fear from merchants?"

Ser Barristan chuckled. "What indeed?"

Caspian didn't bother answering that and instead chose to simply give his old friend a smirk before turning around and sauntering back to the campfire.

Calmly, the former prince sat down next to Orin who was seated next to Missandei, and gave the little boy a smile when he turned to him.

"When will we reach Yunkai, your grace?" Orin asked fairly bouncing with excitement in a way Caspian had never seen before.

He took it that the boy had never been on an adventure that didn't involve chains, whips, or anything remotely related to fun.

"Within another few days Orin," he told the child. "Ser Barristan says we have been making good time and it shouldn't belong."

"How long do you suppose it would take if we were traveling on the back of a dragon?" Orin asked, his excitement making his whole face glow in the light of the campfire. "The queen has dragons. I've always wondered what it would be like to ride one."

Caspian make a mental note that as soon as his dragons were old enough and big enough that he would see to it that Orin would ride one of them. The little boy had taken such a shine to the four of them that even though Caspian was the one they liked best, they would always blow short puffs of smoke into his face when he came near them.

Orin had been given charge of making Naelarion stayed hidden during their journey. Before long, she would be too big to hide but at the moment, she was going to be a valuable hidden asset for the present company.

Caspian was aware of the risks of bringing a dragon with him to a foreign city that would either kill her or him for having her if they knew of her existence, but it was a risk he knew he was going to have to take.

"So have I," he said aloud. "I imagine it would be a great thrill to see the world far below you. Up there in the sky, there would be no one to bother you and nothing to worry about. I imagine one would feel like a king."

He blinked and turned back to Orin who had a similarly wistful look on his face. "I hope someday if the gods are good…they let me ride a dragon."

Caspian bit his lip from telling his servant that the gods weren't real and reached out for a stick to stir the fire.

The Unsullied had set up a perimeter of about twenty feet around them and had their backs to the three young people, eyes ever watchful for threats in the night.

All was silent as the bright stars came out overhead and Caspian couldn't help but look up at the heavens and the dark navy ribbon that had wound its way across the sky and marvel at the beauty.

Out there in the desert, the stars seemed so much bigger and brighter and the moon was so brilliant there was almost no need of fire.

No wind was blowing and while a chill had set in, Caspian couldn't help but wonder if this was what a life unattached was like.

His feelings about wearing a crown had been decidedly mixed when he and his uncles were planning the siege of King's Landing. He had wanted to wear it for the sole purpose of mounting his mother's and his brother's heads on spikes but after that…well after that he had drawn a bit of a blank.

What if he really was a merchant and didn't have the ties of the throne or a duty to a queen? Would he like it better?

He was broken out of his reverie by the sound of humming and glanced up to see Missandei's eyes closed, a lovely sound emanating from her and a look of peace on her face.

Orin was watching her closely as if he had heard this song before and though it was completely foreign to Caspian, there was something rather beautiful about it.

"What song is that?" he asked when the sound had ceased and she had opened her eyes.

To his surprise, she blushed. "I don't have very many memories of being a child before I was a slave but there was a song my mother would always sing to me when I had an unsettling dream. It was something I held on to even when they were gone."

"Can you sing it again?" Orin asked. "I don't remember my mother but if I did, I think that might have been something that she would sing."

Missandei got a soft look on her face. "Very well then."

She opened her mouth again and began to sing and Caspian felt somewhat entranced. His own mother had never sung to him when he was a babe and he didn't even have memories of her singing to Tommen and Myrcella.

He wondered for a moment if she had sung to Joffrey seeing as how he was the golden child but then decided that it didn't really matter.

Even if she had sung to them, Caspian was sure it wouldn't have sounded anything like this.

Missandei had a voice that was just heavenly and coupled with her lovely face, it made her a vision in the moonlight.

Caspian closed his eyes briefly, feeling almost transported to a different time and place…almost as if he wasn't on a dangerous assignment to infiltrate a hostile city and see to its defenses so that it could be taken over.

Ser Barristan who had stationed himself at the edge of the perimeter alongside the Unsullied turned his back briefly in their direction before catching Caspian eyes and giving him a severe and knowing look.

The prince held it for a moment before turning back to the servant who had the full attention of Orin.

In fact, the small boy almost appeared to be drifting off. Whether it was the heat of the flame or the warmth in the air or the quiet of the night, Caspian didn't know, but the six-year-old looked moments away from slumber.

Caspian was further surprised when the small boy lay down and laid his head in Missandei's lap. The servant appeared caught unawares by his action as well but after a moment, a gentle smile lit her face and she focused on running her hand through the little boy's dark curls, singing all the while.

It was minutes before Orin drifted off but Missandei made no effort to move him, appearing completely content to spend the night serving as a pillow to the young boy.

"Was your singing often employed Missandei?" Caspian asked and the servant looked up at him.

"There were times when my old master would wish for me to entertain his guests, but that was few and far between. Most of the time he just needed my skill with languages."

"How many do you speak?" Caspian asked.

"High Valyrian, Bastard Valyrian, Ghiscari, and the common tongue of Westeros," she replied. "Seeing as how the first three are the most commonly spoken in Essos, I was always employed."

"Rather impressive," Caspian said. "And you were trained as a scribe correct?"

"Yes your grace," she replied. "The Good Masters chose to train me as a scribe, thinking of me as an asset."

Caspian knew he was getting into a rather personal territory but he couldn't help asking one more question. "And when we asked you whether or not you had any family in Astapor living and you said no…that wasn't true was it?"

Her golden eyes searched every inch of his face as if looking for malicious intent. "Why would you ask me that?"

Caspian shrugged and poked at the fire with the stick again. "I am rather the curious sort and you are someone who I have not spent a lot of time speaking with. But I digress.

If this is somewhat uncomfortable for you, you are free to ask me an even more pressing question afterward."

He knew he was pushing her, but he wanted to see how she reacted.

Missandei pursed her lips slightly before giving him a rather severe look. "No your grace. I have two more brothers. I and my brothers were born at Naath. We were eventually captured by raiders in the Basilisk Isles and sold into slavery in Astapor. Three of my brothers became Unsullied but one was killed in training and only Marselen and Mossador remain. I don't have many memories of them but I do recall Mossador teaching me how to climb trees."

"They are not among our command now are they?" Caspian asked in shock.

"No your grace. When they became Unsullied, they were sold to a different city and I never saw them again. I don't know if they are still living but I do hope."

Hope….

It was such a tasteless word when one thought about it.

Caspian preferred to think of life in cold hard facts and even more so now that he was essentially a fugitive, serving a queen he had not chosen or asked for.

Hope was faith in something one could not see and for the life of him, Caspian could not comprehend how someone like Missandei who had been a slave to what was one of the worst masters he had ever seen could still have it.

He wanted to ask her where she got it from, but the words caught in his throat and he did not speak for a while.

"I see," was all he said a while later. "Very well then, ask me your question."

She screwed up her pretty face and gave him an appraising look. "You very rarely smile except to smirk even though you are in a position of power that most men dream of and you are scarcely seven and ten I believe. Why is that?"

It seemed she was quite perceptive as well.

Caspian didn't realize how little he had smiled except when his dragons had hatched dating back to since his father had died.

"Smiling is a way to convey one's happiness Missandei," he replied.

"And why are you not happy?" she asked.

He paused, wondering how best to answer her. "It is not to say as if I am not happy…but there have been moments in life where the negative has outweighed whatever happiness that there might be."

"And what might those negatives be?" she asked.

"That's a second question," he observed.

"It is," she said, her gaze somewhat challenging as if daring him to cut her off.

"A second question for another time perhaps," he said and she nodded without even blinking. "Very well."

"Perhaps we should rest then," Caspian said after another moment of silence. "The night is growing short and the road is long. We wish to reach Yunkai within the week."

"Of course your grace," Missandei said laying Orin gently next to the fire and settling down herself.

Caspian somehow had a feeling that she wouldn't forget this conversation and it would come up again sometime in the future.

But as he lay down and kept his back to the fire with StormBreaker lying beside him, Caspian was just glad that it wouldn't be tonight.

He wanted to get up and check on Naelarion but he knew that there were too many people around to do so.

He took a deep breath, feeling the warmth of the flame at his back, and forced himself to close his eyes.

Sleep now you fool, there will be plenty of time to think about the past later. You have the future to look forward to.

Ω