chapter 23 war on 2 fronts

Six months into ruling Astapor, I've quietly been working on my next conquest—the two remaining slave cities, Yunkai and Meereen. Slowly, but surely, I've spread revolts, weaponized the slaves, and sown the seeds of rebellion. It's been a gradual process, but everyone craves freedom, or at least better conditions. My own slaves work for their keep, well-fed and not beaten without reason. I can't abolish slavery outright; doing so would have both cities and the ruling classes turning on me. I am, after all, part of that ruling class—just like my khalasar.

But I can play the long game.

In two or three generations, the descendants of slaves will be given a chance to join the military, and after five years of service, they'll earn their freedom. They can even buy their parents' freedom, if they survive. No one has objected. It's distant enough to be someone else's problem and seems fair enough: paying for freedom with the blood of enemies. My khalasar accepted it easily. In the end, they'll still be commoners—another word for slaves with a few more rights. But that illusion of freedom is enough to make men kill and die for it.

Now I stand outside Meereen, half my army with me. Smoke rises from inside the city, and I can see the guards fighting the very slaves I've armed. It's been thirty minutes, and the gates are beginning to open.

"Charge!" I shout.

The ground shakes with the roar of my army as we surge forward, myself at the front. As we near the gates, I see the desperate struggle to close them. I cleave through the guards, hacking soldiers in half, clearing the way for the slaves to force the gates open fully. My army pours in like a flood, and in that moment, the city is as good as mine.

I've forbidden looting and raping until the city is fully under our control. First, we kill every soldier, then we hunt down the masters and fheir families. No one lives. I'm not foolish enough to leave enemies behind.

"Kill anyone that stands in your way!" I yell, and a chorus of agreement follows.

My army splits, my trusted men leading the charge through the city to ensure every last master is dead and no one escapes. As I make my way into one of the towering pyramids, I cut down soldiers and slaves alike. The slaves fight for their masters, screaming as we cut them down. I ignore their cries. They've chosen their side, and there's no room for mercy.

Inside the throne room, one of the masters awaits me.

"So, you're the one behind these revolts," he sneers. "We should've attacked you the moment you took Astapor."

I laugh. "Spare me the bullshit. You didn't attack because you knew I'd crush you faster in open war."

"How dare you—" he starts, but a spear is thrown by one ot my men that goes through his chest cutting him off. He looks down in shock, dying in confusion. I smile. His words were hardly worth listening to.

"Find his family and kill them all," I command.

I stride toward his corpse, ripping his head from his shoulders with my hands. Blood stains the throne as I toss his body aside and sit, gazing down at my men riding to kill those that still fight back. My other men are still sweeping through the city, wiping out anyone who opposes me. I wonder briefly how things are going in Yunkai as I toy with the severed head of the so-called master.

Meanwhile, in Yunkai, it's a scene of death and destruction. Tens of thousands of Dothraki riders storm through the city, led by Drogo and the Hound. At their head is Drogo, the man who, for all his loyalty, sees me as more than a khal—he sees me as a king, even if not in title. Wherever I go, cities fall, Khals kneel, and men tremble before me. The city of Yunkai was taken in just five hours, the masters butchered, their heads severed and cleaned, ready to be piled in the city square as a monument to their arrogance.

When it's over, Drogo and the Hound gather the wealth, seizing properties and businesses, adding to my growing empire. Order will be restored soon enough, trade reopened, and Yunkai will fall in line, like every other city that has faced the might of the Bloody Giant

I'll have a new ruler installed from one of the many under me and like the other one will start a family their son or daughter will marry my son or daughter spreading my blood i should see about having children if I even can right now I wonder if it will kill the woman that bear my children like it did my mother or will they not inherit my size and strength only time will tell.