Chapter 160: Sea of Fire in the Wedding
On this unnamed planet, at the farthest known world to the west, lies a continent called Westeros.
The elongated continent of Westeros stretched from the polar ice caps in the north to the south, spanning about 3,000 miles.
The Wall was a towering barrier that could not be crossed, spanning 300 miles, separating the northernmost regions from the Seven Kingdoms.
The population of Westeros was mainly concentrated in the south, and this land was currently ruled by the Seven Kingdoms, resembling medieval Europe.
In Westeros, each season lasted for several years, even decades.
The current ruler of the Seven Kingdoms was Robert Baratheon, who had defeated the previous rulers, the Targaryen house, in a civil war called "Robert's Rebellion" or the "War of the Usurper" sixteen years ago, and gained the support of the Seven Kingdoms, becoming the king.
Although Robert emerged victorious, the youngest son of the Targaryen's last ruler, the "Mad King" Aerys, Viserys, and his younger sister Daenerys, were safely escorted across the Narrow Sea by the remaining loyalists to a continent across the southern sea called Essos.
Essos faced Westeros across the Narrow Sea, extending thousands of kilometers to the east.
It was larger in area than Westeros but had a lower population density.
The western edge of the continent was ruled by nine Free Cities, while the cities of Slaver's Bay were located in the southern hinterland of the continent.
The remaining inland areas were called the Dothraki Sea, occupied by tribes of warriors known as the Dothraki.
According to the original historical trajectory, in the capital of the Seven Kingdoms, King's Landing, a ridiculous conspiracy would lead to chaos engulfing the entire Seven Kingdoms.
In Essos, another force seeking revenge against the Seven Kingdoms was gradually emerging.
Unfortunately, this game of thrones was ultimately disrupted by a butterfly of the outside world.
And the place where the butterfly flapped its wings for the first time was on the great grasslands known as the Dothraki Sea.
...
On the endless Dothraki Sea, a grand open-air wedding feast was taking place.
The feast had begun at dawn and lasted until nightfall, filled with endless revelry and conflicts.
These Dothraki, both men and women, were bare-chested, wearing painted leather vests, tied with horsehair around their legs, and bronze belts around their waists.
Male warriors smeared their long braids with animal fat from the oil pits to make them shiny black.
They feasted on roasted horse meat with honey and pepper, drank fermented mare's milk and the finest wines of Illyrio, and laughed and joked around the campfire.
On a mound amidst the crowd sat the protagonists of this wedding feast—the groom, in the center, was Khal Drogo (tribal leader, in Dothraki), who led the largest Khalasar (nomadic tribe, in Dothraki) in the Dothraki Sea, with over forty thousand warriors under his command, undefeated in battle.
He had bronze-colored skin, black eyes, and hair, a tall and gracefully built man.
Drogo had long braids and his hair was braided into long plaits, adorned with small bells. His braid had never been cut, symbolizing Drogo's undefeated status in battle.
Sitting beside Drogo was a petite and exceptionally beautiful girl.
She had silver-blond hair and purple eyes, the standard appearance of the Valyrians.
Few people in Westeros and Essos resembled her, because she was none other than the descendant of the former house of Westeros—the Targaryen house—the youngest daughter of the Mad King, Daenerys Targaryen.
The Targaryens were nobles from Valyria, and only they had such features.
The Valyrians had a tradition of taming dragons early on. Among them, the nobles were called Dragonlords.
However, Valyria eventually faced unprecedented doom, and only the Targaryen family escaped to Westeros, where they conquered and ruled it with dragons.
Now, Daenerys was dressed in a wedding gown, feeling timid and helpless.
Her brother, Viserys Targaryen, and Illyrio Mopatis, the Magister of the Free City of Pentos, conspired to marry her to Khal Drogo in exchange for the Dothraki horde attacking Westeros, defeating the Seven Kingdoms, and letting Viserys ascend to the throne, restoring the rule of the Targaryen house.
However, Daenerys did not want this at all. She was afraid of Drogo and did not want to marry this barbarian.
However, out of fear of her brother since childhood, she eventually agreed to the request.
Viserys sat below her, wearing a new black wool shirt embroidered with a crimson dragon on his chest. Illyrio and Ser Jorah Mormont, Viserys's new squire, sat beside him.
However, amidst the vast crowd, beside her only close relative, Daenerys felt an unprecedented loneliness.
Her brother asked her to smile, so she tried to keep a smile on her face until her facial muscles ached, and tears uncontrollably streamed down her face.
She struggled to hide the tears because she knew Viserys would be furious if he saw them, and she was more afraid of Drogo's reaction.
She could only wear her wedding gown, hold a cup of honeyed wine, and silently murmur to herself without eating or moving.
"I am the blood of the dragon," she told herself, "I am Daenerys Stormborn of House Targaryen, of the blood of Aegon the Conqueror."
Only a quarter of the sun had moved in the zenith, and the violent tendencies and strange values in the blood of the Dothraki began to take effect.
Warriors entered the circle of dancers, grabbed the arms of the dancers, and wrestled them to the ground, mating like stallions and mares on the spot.
Sometimes two men grabbed the same woman, and in the blink of an eye, two Arakhs were drawn.
This was a weapon that was half-sword, half-sickle, with a very long blade, as sharp as a razor.
The two warriors then engaged in a deadly dance, circling each other, fighting fiercely, jumping and leaping, blades flashing, insults flying. No one intervened.
As the Dothraki said, "Any Dothraki wedding that did not result in at least three deaths was considered a dull affair."
As more fights and deaths occurred, the banquet reached its climax, but Daenerys's fear only increased.
In the end, all she could do was try her best to control herself and not scream.
She was afraid of the bizarre and barbaric acts of the Dothraki, who seemed like wild beasts wearing human skin.
She was afraid of not meeting her brother's expectations, unsure of what he might do to her.
But what she feared most was what her brother would do to her under the starry sky, next to the strange giant wearing a bronze mask.
"I am the blood of the dragon," she told herself again.
Finally, as the sun gradually set, Drogo clapped his hands, and all the drums, shouts, and revelry abruptly
stopped. Drogo rose and then helped Daenerys to her feet.
The ceremony of presenting gifts to the bride began.
But she knew very well that when the gift-giving ceremony ended and the sun set, she would be truly married.
Daenerys tried to push aside this thought, but to no avail, she could only stiffen her body and try not to tremble.
Her brother Viserys sent her three handmaids—Daenerys knew he hadn't spent a single coin, it must have been Illyrio's doing.
Among them, Irri and Jhiqui were Dothraki women with almond eyes, black hair, and tanned skin, while Doreah was a blue-eyed blonde girl from Lys.
"Dear sister, these are no ordinary servants," her brother told her as they were brought before her one by one, "they were carefully chosen for you by me and Illyrio.
Irri will teach you horse riding, Jhiqui will teach you Dothraki, and Doreah will teach you the ways of the bed."
He smiled faintly, "She is an expert in this field, both I and Illyrio can vouch for that."
Magister Illyrio Mopatis gave a soft command, and four burly slaves immediately stepped forward, carrying a bronze-decorated cedarwood chest briskly.
Upon opening it, she found it filled with the finest velvet and satin produced by the Free Cities… with three large eggs lying atop.
Daenerys could barely catch her breath. This was the most beautiful thing she had ever seen.
The three eggs looked different from each other, with intricate patterns that made her think they were studded with jewels, and she had to use both hands to hold one.
She carefully picked it up, expecting it to be made of fine ceramics, glazed pottery, or glass, but to her surprise, it was much heavier, as if made of hard stone.
The surface of the eggshell was covered with tiny scales, which shimmered in the sunset, emitting a metallic sheen.
One was deep green, revealing various bronze spots as Daenerys turned it; another was pale cream with golden stripes; and the last one was black, like a midnight abyss, yet alive with vibrant dark red waves and swirls.
"What are these?" she asked softly, her mouth full of wonder.
"These are dragon eggs from the Shadow Lands beyond Asshai," Magister Illyrio Mopatis said, "fossilized over millennia, yet still stunningly beautiful."
"I will cherish them forever."
As the gift-giving ceremony continued, suddenly, a strange wind swept through the crowd, causing chaos.
Flags fluttered in the wind, and bonfires and torches were extinguished one after another.
The wind grew stronger, and the sound of flapping wings continued to come, louder than any Dothraki eagle Khal Drogo had ever seen, but none of them could make such a loud noise when flapping their wings.
A huge shadow passed over everyone's heads.
The noise and shouting disappeared, and everyone's eyes turned to the sky. A majestic and elegant figure appeared before them.
The air seemed to thicken like glue, and a sense of fear filled the souls of the people.
Even the mighty Khal Drogo was no exception, frozen in place with his bloodriders.
"A dragon... it's a dragon!" someone shouted in terror in this eerie silence.
Above them all, a true dragon flew by, its massive body blocking out the sunlight.
Its scales gleamed like diamonds, and its wings stretched twenty feet from tip to root.
"It has been over a hundred years since a real dragon appeared?" someone in the crowd exclaimed excitedly. It was Viserys.
"Look, this is destiny," he shouted arrogantly to those around him.
"Just as I am about to rule over Westeros, even the dragons, who have disappeared for a century, have reappeared to pledge allegiance to me.
I am destined to be the King of the Seven Kingdoms."
Not only Illyrio and Jorah, but even Khal Drogo looked at him differently.
Before this, no one had respected him.
Khal Drogo thought he was arrogant and ignorant, and Illyrio had always seen him as a political pawn.
The appearance of the dragon changed everyone's perception. They had to reconsider: was the Targaryen family really destined to rule?
However, fate did not favor him.
The dragon opened its mouth and let out a deafening roar, then, searing flames engulfed Viserys and everyone around him.
Magister Illyrio Mopatis, Khal Drogo, Khal's bloodriders, Daenerys, and even the three dragon eggs were swallowed up by the endless flames.
In full view of all the Dothraki warriors, their Khal and all their leaders were buried in the sea of fire.
.
.
.
Guys, do leave some power stones and reviews.
✌patreon.com/bobthewriter✌
If you guys enjoy this story, you can support me on Patreon and get access to 30 Advance Chapters, it really helps me to work on new chapters.