Chapter 312: The Liberation of the Unsullied III

Hearing Viserys speak, the young translator, Missandei, had already resigned herself to her fate. She knew all too well the horrific punishments the slave owners could inflict. Where would they send me? she wondered. Would I be made to fight bulls, or smeared with honey to be fed to the brown bears?

Faced with certain death, Missandei's mind grew oddly calm.

The slave owners watched Viserys intently, eager to reclaim the young translator and find out what had happened. His comment about this being the second warning suggested there was a mole among them—a thought that made them nervous.

"No," Viserys said firmly, "I cannot hand her over to you."

The slavers exchanged surprised and uneasy glances. Does he suspect us? Kraznys, in particular, felt a wave of anxiety. If their plan failed, there might be no hope left for Slaver's Bay.

"I suggest we put her in a cage and throw her into the punishment square," Viserys continued. "She can be executed on the day of our deal."

The tension among the slave owners eased. They were relieved that Viserys wasn't planning to flee or disrupt their arrangement.

Viserys turned to Young Connington and subtly signaled him to keep an eye on Missandei. Connington, quick to grasp his meaning, admired Viserys's quick thinking. By placing Missandei under their watch, there would be no communication between her and Viserys's camp, and the slave owners would believe they were still in control.

In this way, Missandei's life was spared—for now.

"We are grateful for Your Grace's trust in us," one of the slave owners said. "We've prepared a small feast in your honor and invite you to come to Astapor so the city can bask in your glory."

Kraznys quickly added, "Yes, Your Grace, please—"

"No need," Viserys cut in, dismissing the invitation. His refusal sent another wave of unease through the slavers.

"How many Unsullied do you have available?" Viserys asked, his voice sharp and to the point.

The slave masters hesitated, momentarily confused by the question. "Your Grace, we have 19,000 Unsullied ready for sale, with an additional 12,000 still in training," Kraznys replied.

"I'll take them all," Viserys declared. "Every single one. Not a single Unsullied is to be spared."

"But Your Grace," one of the slavers protested, "we never sell Unsullied in training—it would affect their—"

"How they're used is my business," Viserys interrupted. "As you know, the Usurper is making his next move, and I need a large army. The trainees will supplement my forces."

He paused before continuing, "I will not enter Astapor for a few days. In the meantime, you discuss among yourselves and come up with a suitable price—and investigate what's happening within your ranks."

With that, Viserys turned to the warlock, Pree. "Lord Pree, come aboard my ship."

"Yes, Your Grace," Pree replied, though he didn't fully understand Viserys's intentions. Confident that he knew how the "play" would end, he followed Viserys aboard the ship, calm and collected.

As the fleet remained anchored in the harbor, Young Connington was left behind to 'guard' Missandei, keeping a watchful eye as Viserys's plan continued to unfold.

"Good Masters, let us head to the punishment square now," Young Connington said, his tone firm. The slave owners hadn't anticipated such an abrupt turn of events and were clearly displeased, but they forced smiles nonetheless, determined to play along.

"Let us handle this trivial matter," Tall Grazdan offered, eager to pry the truth from Missandei's lips and discover who was sabotaging their plans.

"Fine," Connington replied, "but we'll be there too. I want to see who's trying to undermine His Grace's plan to buy the Unsullied." Connington knew Viserys wanted to protect the young translator, and he couldn't stand by while the slavers tortured her.

"Of course," the slavers agreed, masking their frustration.

Just as the group was about to enter the city, Regis approached Young Connington.

"It's my fault this happened today. When I return, I will beg His Grace for forgiveness," Regis said, looking troubled.

"No need," Connington replied. "You've fulfilled your duty."

...

Meanwhile, aboard the ship, Viserys was speaking with Pree, discussing his request for more ships to transport the Unsullied army. He had asked Pree to travel to Qarth with Dany to secure the necessary vessels.

"When Your Grace arrives in Qarth, I assume?" Pree asked, his true concern obvious.

"Of course," Viserys reassured him. "Once we deliver the Unsullied, I'll come to Qarth. In the meantime, you can teach me about the Undying Ones."

He added, "I estimate that in six months, my dragon will be ready to ride. After I've dealt with Robert, I'll come to find you."

Pree nodded, satisfied with Viserys's words. The warlock's power had noticeably grown, but Viserys knew there was still a considerable gap between them. However, he couldn't afford to wait two or three years for his dragons to fully mature before attacking Slaver's Bay and Qarth. By then, their defenses would be even stronger, and they'd invest heavily in dragon-resistant weaponry.

More importantly, Slaver's Bay and Qarth were far from Viserys's core territories. Launching large-scale expeditions was costly, and time was not on his side. The Wall's magic had been predicted to last ten more years when he left, but now only nine remained.

He needed to focus on defeating the Night King. Sometimes, he mused how much easier things might have been without the looming threat of the Night King. By now, he would have secured the Iron Throne and begun securing the Targaryen legacy. He even dreamed of exploring the ruins of Valyria, but that would have to wait until Westeros was fully under his control.

"Your Grace, don't worry," Pree said confidently. "I'll secure enough ships. The merchants and the Pureborn of Qarth are eagerly awaiting your arrival."

Before Viserys could respond, a soldier appeared, carrying a box. He opened it to reveal an array of colorful dragon scales, gleaming like gemstones.

"These are my gift to you," Viserys said.

"Your Grace is too generous," Pree replied, delighted. Dragon scales were incredibly valuable, not only as rare treasures but also as potent alchemical materials. Unfortunately for many, Viserys had restricted their 'export,' making them even scarcer in the markets.

Later that evening, with their plans solidified, Dany, escorted by Young Connington's entourage, prepared to leave with Pree. She took the armored Vaes Dothrak guards and four dragons with her. In the six months since they had left Tyrosh, the dragons had grown considerably. Each was now large enough to be ridden, and their fire had darkened from orange to black, its intensity more than doubled.

The escort Viserys provided for Dany was formidable, strong enough to ensure her protection as she traveled to Qarth.