Chapter 75 — Sitting In
Before coming here, Shireen had already asked Drogon about Meereen. That was how she learned he was one of the three dragons of the Mother of Dragons, Queen Daenerys.
Deep down, she had never truly accepted her father Stannis as king. So calling Daenerys "Your Grace" came to her naturally, without inner conflict.
When Daenerys first heard the name Baratheon, she froze for a heartbeat. She hadn't expected Drogon to bring the niece of the Usurper, Robert.
But then she saw the lingering marks of greyscale across half of Shireen's face… and remembered Drogon's earlier thoughts.
The tangled history between their families and the Iron Throne no longer seemed so important.
Daenerys gave the girl a small, gentle smile and nodded.
Shireen, who had been quietly worried after realizing Drogon hadn't warned Daenerys of her arrival, felt the tightness in her chest dissolve. She returned the smile shyly.
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"This is my… my wife, Shae," Tyrion said, introducing her to Daenerys.
Shae's whole body trembled.
She looked at Tyrion in disbelief, tears filling her eyes instantly. It took her a second to recover before she hurriedly performed the curtsy she had only recently learned.
No surname.
That alone told everyone in the chamber more than words could. Her background was humble—perhaps lower than humble.
Still, Daenerys nodded to her just the same.
"Welcome to Meereen," she said to the three of them.
She then signaled Missandei to bring several chairs to the edge of the hall before turning back to the matter at hand.
"Daario," she continued, "who do you believe is behind the Sons of the Harpy?"
Daario was just about to answer when Tyrion stepped forward slightly, as if to speak.
Daenerys looked at him, questioning.
"Your Grace," Tyrion said, bowing his head, "please allow us to withdraw for the moment."
He knew very well they had barged into a council session. Now that state matters were being discussed, he felt it improper for newcomers—especially himself—to remain.
Drogon might not understand political etiquette.
Tyrion did.
But Daenerys shook her head.
"There is no need to leave. Sit. Listen."
She stopped him before he could retreat.
If Drogon had brought Tyrion here, then she already understood why he had come. And if he meant to serve her, there was no reason to exclude him from hearing the truth of Meereen's troubles.
Tyrion was momentarily stunned.
He had expected suspicion, perhaps cold courtesy at best. Instead, the Dragon Queen not only refrained from shaming him for being a Lannister—
She was allowing him to sit in on her council.
For a man who had once ruled from behind the throne of Westeros, and then fallen lower than dust… this felt almost unreal.
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The others in the council chamber also looked at Daenerys in surprise. None of them understood why, upon first meeting Tyrion Lannister, she would show such immediate trust.
The most shocked of all was Jorah.
He had followed Daenerys since Pentos. He knew better than anyone how deeply she hated the Usurper Robert—and by extension, the Kingslayer Jaime.
Yet today she had not only smiled and accepted Robert's niece and a Lannister into her presence, she had even allowed them to sit in on her council.
Is it only because they were brought by Drogon? Jorah could only reach that conclusion—though he didn't entirely approve.
Drogon could be trusted.
The people he brought? That was another matter.
In Jorah's view, deceiving a dragon might well be easier than deceiving a person. Daenerys should have observed Tyrion for a time before making such a decision.
But the queen had spoken. Jorah could not openly object. He resolved to investigate later—why would Tyrion abandon the powerful position of House Lannister to seek refuge here?
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Since pledging himself to Daenerys, Varys had only been responsible for relaying information within Slaver's Bay. News of Westeros, however, he had passed on to Drogon through his little birds in Flea Bottom.
In his mind, delivering intelligence to the "mysterious one" was the same as reporting directly to Queen Daenerys.
In reality, Daenerys and her court knew very little of recent events in Westeros—nothing of the Red Wedding at the Twins, nor the Purple Wedding in King's Landing.
Tyrion's journey to Meereen had been handled in the same way.
Which had led to the awkward scene just now.
Varys had, unintentionally, set Tyrion up.
Since Daenerys permitted him to stay, Tyrion hesitated only a moment before accepting. Inwardly, he could only be grateful for her trust.
Still, while his presence might be justified, Shae's was not.
It wasn't that he feared she would leak information. It was simply improper—and she herself looked painfully out of place.
Tyrion gave her hand a gentle tug and looked toward Daenerys, indicating he would escort her out.
Daenerys nodded. She had noticed Shae's discomfort as well.
As Tyrion moved toward the exit, Shireen instinctively stood to follow.
"You stay," Tyrion suddenly said, turning back to her.
Shireen blinked, lips parting in confusion. The others in the room also looked puzzled.
They all understood Shae was merely Tyrion's companion and should not be present. But that little girl—why should she remain?
[We should let Shireen learn as well.]
Drogon's thought made Tyrion's intention clear.
The room's attention returned to the girl, though few could imagine what experience in governance someone her age could possibly have.
Tyrion saw Shae out, then returned to his seat.
Daenerys turned to Jorah. "Ser Jorah, explain to our new friends the cause of Meereen's unrest."
At that, Drogon perked up too. When he had left, Meereen had seemed calm on the surface—but beneath it, currents had always been shifting.
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Three days ago, several murders had taken place in the city. Unsullied soldiers and newly freedmen had been targeted. One of the victims was a craftsman who had registered in the square.
The killers wore golden harpy masks.
After each murder, they left behind a crude drawing of a harpy—much like the blood marks slaves once left after killing Great Masters.
Daario's men had captured a man claiming to be one of the Sons of the Harpy, but he yielded no useful information.
Before Daenerys could publicly try him, however, he was secretly killed by Mossador—the same young man who had once helped Grey Worm organize the slave uprising in Meereen.
Mossador had urged Daenerys to execute the captured Son of the Harpy and use the Unsullied to crush all resistance from the Great Masters and their supporters.
At first, Daenerys had been tempted to follow his advice. Barristan had persuaded her otherwise, arguing for a public trial.
They never expected Mossador to defy the queen's order.
Driven by hatred for the masters, he murdered the prisoner in secret.
Daenerys had been furious—both at his disobedience and because his act destroyed her chance to hold a lawful trial and show justice to the people.
With no other choice, she had publicly executed Mossador.
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