Angela ───── D. Targaryen

XXIV

"He begs you attend to this carefully, Your Grace."

The man walked down to the floor, calling one of the Unsullied forward and manoeuvring him until he could grab a hold of the man's nipple.

"Tell the good master there is no need." Coren winced, watching as the man cut the nipple off, ranting on in Valyrian all the while.

"My master points out that men don't need nipples." Just because they did not need it did not mean that it did not hurt. Coren winced for the man, who did nothing as the master replaced the strap and muttered something to the man, who stepped back into formation.

"To win his shield, an Unsullied must go to the slave marts with a silver mark, find a newborn, and kill it before its mother's eyes." Coren huffed. He had heard of this story before, when he had just begun to travel with Jorah. It still made him sick to his stomach and made him thankful that his mother had lived, and protected his sister and him, long enough. "This way, my master says, we make certain there is no weakness left in them."

"You take a babe from its mother's arms, kill it as she watches and pay for her pain with a silver coin?" Daenerys tone gave away her mood even if Coren could not see her face.

"My master would like you to know that the silver is paid to the baby's owner, not the mother." The translator corrected.

"How many do you have to sell?" Daenerys straightened her shoulders, tilting her head as the translator repeated the question. The master held up eight fingers.

"Eight thousand." Daenerys hummed. "Master Kraznys asks that you please hurry. Many other buyers are interested."

With that, the pair left and Daenerys turned back to look at Coren, who was quick to follow her out, leaving Jorah in the dust.

"What do you think?"

"That we should set a dragon on him." Coren replied, grinning at her. "May I suggest Falkor, I have been teaching him new tricks."

"And he can demonstrate them at a later date. I would rather that be a secret." Daenerys took a deep breath. "Eight thousand dead babies, Coren, eight thousand."

"I know."

"The poor mothers, their babies taken from their arms an-"

"Khaleesi, in my experience, it's best not to put too much thought into it otherwise it will haunt you." Coren cut her off, as Daenerys took another deep breath. "It is horrific, something that you and I are not used to and I don't know what else to say."

"Once I own them, these men..." Daenerys trailed off.

"They're not men. Not anymore." Jorah spoke up, causing the pair to jump. They had forgotten that he was actually there, too busy talking to each other than remembering about the older knight.

"So, once I own an army of slaves, what will I be?" She snarked back, after recovering from her shock.

"Do you think these slaves will have better lives serving Kraznys and men like him or serving you?"

"I'm about to become the men like him by owning eight thousand slaves." Daenerys pointed out, as they entered a busy yard. Stalls were set up, people busy working and children darting out to play amongst them. There was one lonesome child, tossing a wooden ball to herself as Daenerys tilted her head.

"You'll be fair to them. You won't mutilate them to make a point." The child was now darting in and out of boxes, keeping just ahead of them. Daenerys was starting to smile now, as the girl played cat and mouse with them. "You won't order them to murder babies. You'll see they're properly fed and sheltered. A great injustice has been done to them. Closing your eyes will not undo it."