Mother Of Dragons

Chapter 15

She slipped on her favorite vest and pants, happy to be comfortable and have time to relax before her brother arrived. She settled in the front room on some cushions, and leaned back into their softness, her hand automatically coming up to rest on her baby. A fluttering from within tickled her much lower on her belly than her hand, and she immediately moved her hand to cover the spot, holding her breath. Another flutter, and she felt the tears welling in her eyes. Rhaego. Her heart skipped a beat and she took in a deep slow breath as she closed her eyes to feel her baby move. She couldn't stop the smile that took over her face. My baby. She wished Drogo was home with her. Soon enough, he would be able to feel Rhaego move from the outside of her belly, and she wanted to see the look on his face.

She could hear a woman crying in distress, and it was approaching her home. She jumped up from her reclined position as Doreah burst through the door, tossed down onto the floor by her hair, Viserys enraged and out of breath as he threw her down, raging about Daenerys ordering him around. She was completely confused for a moment, but as he yelled, she figured it out. "I wasn't commanding," she said slowly, trying to keep the shaking from her voice. "I simply wanted to invite you to supper." She gestured to the food laid out for them, and his gift.

He stalked over to the long table and picked up the pants she had had made for him. They were worthy of a Khal, and Drogo had just grinned and shook his head at her, knowing all the good it would do for Viserys. "What's this? Dothraki rags? Are you going to dress me now?" he yelled at her, throwing the clothes on the floor, enjoying the look of disappointment on her face. "This stinks of manure! All of it!"

"Stop! Stop it," she answered him, her anxiety mounting. He was getting too angry, and he would strike out at her next, she knew. Her fear of her brother striking her was more for Rhaego than herself. She would not let him hurt her baby.

"You would make me into one of them, wouldn't you? Next you'll want to braid my hair?" he sneered.

"You've no right to a braid, you've won no victories yet," she answered, letting her anger get the better of her, gritting her teeth together against her rage.

"You do not talk back to me," he raged out, enunciating every word, then slapped her so hard she fell to the ground. He pounced on her and began to struggle with her, trying to slap her again as she fought back. "You are a horselord's slut, and now you've woken the dragon!"

Something snapped inside her, and she grabbed at whatever she could reach to defend herself and Rhaego. Her hand locked around the belt of gold coins and she blindly swung it up toward him, hitting him in the face. They both were horrified at her actions; Viserys let her go in shock, and Daenerys sat up and then stood over him. She reined in her adrenaline rush, and she locked eyes with him. "I. Am. A. Khaleesi of the Dothraki. I am the wife of the great Khal and I carry his son inside me. The next time you raise a hand to me . . . will be the last time you have hands!"

Viserys slowly got to his feet, cowering in front of her despite his taller stature. She was so angry she was shaking, but she stood as tall as her frame would allow. The dragon has indeed been awakened, she realized. The dragon is inside me, not him. She watched as he slunk out of her home, and Irri ran to her side. "Khaleesi, sit," she urged, guiding her back toward her comfortable resting spot near the open fire pit.

"How is Doreah?" Dany asked, snapped out of her rage, and looking around Irri, trying to search for her.

"Bruised eye, no blood," Irri assured her as she settled Dany back down into the cushions. "I'm bringing you water. You will drink it."

Dany nodded wearily. She hadn't wanted Viserys to spoil her day, but he had managed to anyway. She hoped tomorrow he would be too drunk to remember the feast. She took the cup from Irri and drank the water, not really tasting it or enjoying the fresh coldness in her mouth.