The ballroom of the former Triarch palace was filled to the brim with people who couldn't have been more different: members of the old Volantis families in sumptuous clothing stood next to priests of the Lord of Light in red robes, high-ranking Dothraki warriors who were half-naked, and selected guests from the common people - including freed slaves who could still be recognized by their facial tattoos.
They had all gathered in this hall, the walls of which were adorned with giant dragon banners, to attend the coronation of Daenerys Targaryen.
The Dragon Queen sat on a throne made of intricately carved ebony, which was placed on a pedestal at the head of the room. She wore a black, military-style robe bearing the Targaryen insignia, similar to what she had worn on the day of her death. The long silver hair of the ruler was artfully braided and completed her unearthly beauty. Next to her stood Kinvara, the First Servant of the Lord of Light. Soldiers of the tiger cloaks and the Flaming Hand stood around the dais, while the bloodriders Azzo and Ezzo had taken positions a few paces behind the throne. Their sharp, curved arakhs hung from their belts within easy reach.
Kinvara held a thin crown made of gold over Daenerys' head. It had been discovered in the treasury of the late Triarche Malaquo Maegyr and hastily reworked to size. The dragons engraved in the precious metal and the evenly spaced rubies were a perfect match for a Targaryen monarch.
"With the blessing of the Lord of Light," intoned the priestess solemnly, "I crown Daenerys Stormborn of the House of Targaryen, the first of her name, the unburned and risen, Mother of Dragons, Breaker of Chains, Khaleesi of the Dothraki sea, queen of the Bay of Dragons and patroness of Lhazar to the Empress of the New Valyrian Empire and First Citizen of Volantis! May her rule be glorious!"
"May her rule be glorious!", repeated those present and Kinvara put the crown on Daenerys' head.
The Empress listened to the cheers and wondered how many of the people gathered around her would stab her with a dagger between the ribs if they had the opportunity.
Just like Jon Snow had done.
She stood up and gave a short speech in which she announced that she would fill all government posts with capable men and women as soon as possible. Then, accompanied by Kinvara and the bloodriders, she left the hall and the palace to be celebrated by the crowd gathered in front of the building. Tens of thousands had come to see their new empress and Daenerys did not want to disappoint them.
Drogon waited by the stairs that led to the palace entrance. The empress climbed onto the dragon's back, thanked her followers for their support and vowed to be a just and dutiful ruler. Then she let the dragon soar into the sky to the cheers of the people. Daenerys did a few laps over the city so the rest of the citizens could get a look at her, at least from a distance. The flight was, of course, also a show of force against those who might be dissatisfied with the new order.
Daenerys spent the rest of the day and evening in the throne room, receiving congratulations and requests from all sorts of people. Among them were also traders and diplomats from abroad who wanted to make their first contacts with the imperial court. Daenerys took a lot of time for this because she wanted to get a better feeling for how the rulers of the neighboring states would react to the changes in Volantis.
The conversation with the envoy from Braavos was encouraging. The lagoon metropolis in the north-west of Essos would probably be well-disposed towards the new empire, for the Braavosi, like Daenerys, were bitter opponents of slavery. However, the Sealord of Braavos had just died and it was uncertain who would be chosen to succeed him.
However, Daenerys could not hope for goodwill from the other Free Cities. Volantis' neighbors remembered the Century of Blood, when, after the Doom of Valyria, Volantis sought supremacy in Essos and could only be stopped by an alliance of the other city-states. Since then, the city on the Rhoyne estuary had become more peaceful, but the seizure of power by an ambitious young dragon rider who had already proven how ruthless she could be would stir up fears.
In addition, most of these cities were heavily involved in the slave trade and Volantis had always been an important hub for this. Fortunately, Tyrosh, Myr and Lys were fighting against each other, Norvos and Qohor were also fighting. Lorath and Pentos, however, were too weak to pose a threat to the New Valyrian Empire.
Daenerys also spoke to some of the Westerosi merchants. Because of the destruction of King's Landing, she was considered a maddened mass murderer in the west, and it was evident that King Bran and Queen Sansa would not take the news of her resurrection well. However, since Daenerys was not ready to try again to conquer Westeros, she did not want to provoke the Six Kingdoms or the Kingdom of the North unnecessarily. She gave letters to the Westerosi with polite platitudes for Sansa and Bran, and inquiries about a trade deal.
Finally a colorfully dressed man introduced himself to the Empress. He had close-cropped black hair, dark brown skin and was a bit older, but still strong.
"Your Imperial Majesty", he said with an accent that suggested the man was from Lys. "I am Salladhor Saan, Prince of the Narrow Sea, freelance sailor and adventurer. I wanted to thank you."
"Thank me?", Daenerys raised an eyebrow. "What for, good man?"
"For saving me and my men from slavery, Your Majesty. We were arrested and enslaved by the volantene authorities because of a... misunderstanding. You pulled off your revolution just in time before we could be sold and tattooed."
"What kind of misunderstanding?", Daenerys wanted to know, who got a clue.
Salladhor Saan shrugged. "Well, we have been accused of piracy and smuggling ..."
"You are very open about your criminal past", Daenerys said dryly.
The self-proclaimed prince of the Narrow Sea put on his most charming smile. "Who said something about the 'past', Your Majesty?"
The bright laughter that broke out from the Empress could be heard throughout the room and drew curious glances. No question about it, she liked this crook right away.
Kinvara stepped closer to Daenerys and muttered in her ear, "This man is a famous pirate and mercenary. If you are looking for a commander for your fleet, you will not find a better one."
"Did you see that in your flames?", the Empress whispered back.
"Trust me, Your Majesty, he will be useful to you."
"Very well", Daenerys said aloud to the pirate. "If you do want to consider becoming an honorable man, I have a job for you. A well paid job. Come back tomorrow if you're interested."
Salladhor Saan bowed with a brilliant smile. "It would be my honor, Your Imperial Majesty."
As the dark-skinned man moved away, Daenerys reflected on how much better the title "Your Imperial Majesty" sounded compared to "Your Grace."
She gave a sign, and crowds of servants - ex-slaves now freelance employees of the Imperial Palace - set the long tables with a myriad of dishes, each more exotic than the other. The banquet was open. Today would be partied late into the night - and tomorrow work began for Daenerys.