Missandei
The road to her Kings next destination has been halted for some time, mostly because his grace would want to stop and rest while he could every now and then but that is a lie. Every time they have stopped she would get a visit from Daeron, he would stay and flatter her with words and give her a flower to pin in her hair.
She was a slave for half of her life, she has never been courted as Ser Barristan has informed her of, courting is a term Westerosi use for when a Lady is to be desired by a man or Lord, for a wife but she is not worthy of such an honor. Courting in her tongue would mean other things, inappropriate things that Kraznys would make her and other women do.
She was grateful that Daeron freed the people of Astapor, and hopes that he might do the same for the other two slave cities.
But no, Daeron's goals seem to drive him further west. He confessed that he did so that his dragons would remain with him, but he did swear that slavery will end one day as it supposedly is in Westeros, the place her King comes from.
"My Lady."
She turned her brown eyes to see her King approaching, in his hand a blue flower that he's picked off the ground no doubt. She won't lie, the man before her is one of the prettiest he has ever seen, what with his short-silver hair and amethyst eyes of lilac and unblemished pale skin.
"Your Grace." she bowed her head and saw him upset, he approached and lifted her chin to look into his eyes and saw affection in them, the silence making her heart skip a beat.
"You don't need to bow, never again." He whispered and she hesitantly nodded, that she will but makes no promises.
She's been made to bow all her life and it will be a habit that is hard to break, but she will try her hardest.
"I picked this for you, thinking blue is your color." So was lilac, then beige and the other time before that it was white.
She does appreciate his kind words and wants to believe he is being genuine, but as a child, she thought the masters were kind as well until she saw that they weren't, and as she got older they only used her both physically and mentally. Daeron freed her and she didn't want to feel this way again. She let him put the blue flower in her hair, his hand lingering for a moment before he stepped away to look at her.
he cleared his throat, looking nervous, "Well, maybe we should get going. Yunkai shouldn't be that far." She gave him a perplexed look, what?
"Why Yunkai?" She asked him for she had assumed that they would keep marching westwards in search of ships.
"We need more provisions if we want to go west, we'll be doing such for quite some time." He told her and walked away, leaving her standing there.
She unconsciously placed her hand to feel the blue flower in her hair, thinking of what the next several months will be like on the road.
And she gave thought to her King and wishes him to be well for the fights to come.
Daeron
He sent an emissary to the city of Yunkai to tell the Wise Masters that he wishes to speak to them, his commander and chief of the Unsullied sent his best man to do it so he, Missandei, Sers Barristan and Jorah and the one known as Grey Worm waited for his 'guests' to arrive so he may 'talk'.
Choosing a blue attire he would meet his adversaries in a humble manner, he has plans revolving around Yunkai and their supplies that he desires.
"What if it comes to battle? Your Grace." Ser Barristan asked him, many here has their doubts and he wont lie, it might just come to a fight.
"Well Kraznys did tell me to blood my army, so either way we win." He chuckled, but none had done as he did, "Forgive me for my humor." He apologized.
Moments later he saw a group of men coming forward, most wearing ragged clothes and slave armor and all carrying their leader who wore pompous clothes and had a pompous look on his face and aura of one who's had his life given to him on a silver platter, and he hates it.
He gestured for the man to sit and instead the slaver hissed for two slaves to bring forth a chest of riches, which he didn't mind. The master then took a seat in the chair he had originally gestured to the man and after a small moment of silence, he chose to be the first to speak.
"Master... ?" He started and would get his name first.
"Master Grazdan Mo Eraz: Of the Ancient and glorious Yunkai, the queen of cities. Our walls are strong, our nobles proud and fierce, our common folk without fear. Ours is the blood of ancient Ghis, whose empire was old when Valyria was yet a squalling child." Grazdan's threat was laughable, he isn't far from the city and yet he could see it's walls aren't so strong nor was the common folk without fear as those two flinched in fright.
"Master Grazdan, I hope my army isn't causing such a disturbance. I am merely passing through." He told Grazdan in a very cheerful tone of voice.
"Passing through? Forgive me, but you have been here for a day and by the looks of it has made a full encampment." He sighed and bit off some salted meat, reclining back in his seat.
"We are simply getting some rest, resupplying ourselves and I personally will be buying food and horses for my men, all nine-thousand of them." He counter threatened by mentioning how many soldiers he has, Grazdan smiled with a scoff.
"Buy? You mean demand." He smiled and nodded. "We are not Astapor, the savageries you've committed cannot be forgiven for them, but the Yunkai'i are a forgiving people. I came on behalf of my leaders to give you this, fifty-thousand golden marks to be given to you and your army so that you all may leave our lands, we want to friends with your Grace and not enemies." Grazdan added and he almost wants to believe him, but it is a lie.
Ser Jorah went ahead of the army and scouted his rivals and enemies, the Yunkai'i knew he was coming and went ahead and bought two sellsword company known as the Second Sons and Stormcrows, putting a thousand more defenders to aid Yunkai and its already 4,000 man infantry, or a pursuing army that will strike his back when they move. It's a reason he chose the way of diplomacy first before striking the city like thunder.
"A wonderful offer, one I agree to if it included what I wanted... But it doesn't." Raeleris snarled, it's crimson scales on its neck flexing when he said what he said, "I have a better one. I take your city, and it's wealth and your food and horses. Then and only then, I will move on." He threatened, gritting his teeth and tired of this negotiation.
"You are mad, You shall rue this arrogance, bastard. These little lizards will not keep you safe, I promise you. We will fill the air with arrows if they come within a league of Yunkai." He narrowed his eyes at Grazdan, threatening his children. Grazdan told his servants to take back the gold and Daegon jumped unto the chest, roaring at the slaves and making them, "Your envoy said I was promised safe conduct." Grazdan reminded him.
"Ah, I did didn't I? But my children never made such promises, and you threatened them." He stated, and the Slaver huffed and walked away with his servants.
Once he knew that the master was out of earshot, he turned to Jorah.
"Have a messenger send an invitation to one of the companies they hired, bring me their leaders, I think I want to buy them with my gold."
Missandei
Three days would pass and her Kings army had gotten quite comfy, the position of the encampment was advantageous for Daeron with his cautious mind of thinking two steps before deciding to move. Now today they are expecting a visit from the captains of both of the sellsword companies, the Stormcrows.
Daeron insisted for her to stay, these men were men of greed and coin and would leer at her, she told him that she was a free woman now and a principal adviser to him and so it would be her duty to be by his side during events of politics as she was for Master Kraznys.
She sat near the left of Daeron, Barristan, and Jorah on the right. Grey Worm was elsewhere on patrol, the defenses of the camp are of paramount importance for the King and his men. "They are here," She heard Daeron tell them and she leaned her head to see them coming up.
There was the captains of the Stormcrows, Prendhal na Ghezn, Sallador the Bald and Daario Naharis. Two looked plain enough, all bearing the traits of the Ghiscari besides Daario who has a blue beard. Only one captain from the Second Sons have come, that man's name is Mero, the Titan's Bastard. They all leered at her, some in lust and one in attraction and it all felt like she was being undressed.
"The Father of Dragons!" Mero announced and sat down, plopping onto a chair then turned to her. "Some wine, woman." On old instinct, she went to get that wine but Daeron gently grabbed her hand, stopping her with a look.
"No one is a slave here, captain Mero. You are my guests, its only right that I serve it." She heard him say and got up, grabbing a bottle of wine and handing the man his drink, nodding for the others to grab some as well.
"You know my name? Ours too no doubt, impressive." Mero commented.
"I assume you four why I asked you to come? It has with our friends of Yunkai." Daeron continued on, the four captains nodded and Daario cleared his throat and leaned forward.
"You mean 'our' friends, your grace." Daeron pursed his lips, then to a frown. "We were bought by the Wise Masters to defend their city, you threaten the peace." The three men agreed, yet Daeron didn't.
"Of course, yet." Daeron trailed off, right before going back to it. "Yet I could pay more than Grazdan, more than the Wise Masters really." She heard her King tell the men who turned their heads in confusion.
"How so?" Prendhal asked Daeron and she smiled, Daeron was being so composed despite these men mocking him with stares and scoffs.
"I am set on retaking the entirety of Westeros. They are already broken and fighting amongst one another, weak and unprepared for my arrival." Daeron let the information sink into them, and continued, "Join with me, and I will you four a Lord with castles of your choosing, from Winterfell to Casterly Rock or even Highgarden." His offer was generous, these castles belonged to three out of the eight great families of Westeros.
Silence came and then suddenly Prendhal, Sallador and Daario stood to their feet.
"We will pass." Sallador said and Prendhal continued, "If we break a contract with a client, then none will think of buying our swords again." Daario said nothing and set his wine down before leaving with his companions, Mero kept his eyes on her and glancing at her breasts and thighs, it was uncomfortable.
"Captain Mero? Will you take my offer?" Daeron said, his tone being sterner and irritable.
"... No." Mero got up and approached him, until Wildfyre, growled lowly. "If I could bed this woman, then I might side with you." Daeron, for the first time since he freed all of Astapor has lost his temper but in a jealous manner.
"Get out." Was all Daeron told the man who left with his wine, "I'm going to kill that man, I swear it." He muttered, she still heard him and he turned to her, anger in his eyes for the man.
Daeron
It was late when he was walking the camp, to find Missandei who seemed to be the only one to cool him down after the meeting with the sellswords. Sighing he opened the flap and found her reading a book, Valyrian on the cover and she looked up to him with surprise on her face.
"Your Grace, it is late." She said but he didn't care, he wanted to see her.
"I wanted to kill them, you know." He started and she was a little startled, "The way those men leered at you angered me because I don't want anyone to look at you like that, you aren't a bed-slave for men to use for their pleasures. I want you to have a new life, a good life." He knelt by her side, putting his hands on hers and folded their hands together.
"Your Grace, I.. I don't... " She tried to say, lost for words and he would feel the same way.
Since they've been traveling side by side, he's got to know her and Grey Worm, to know their stories and the stories of all of his commanders inside of his armies. He's heard tales from her, terrible ones he wished he could erase for her and the thought of what Kraznys forced her to do made his blood boil, to want to burn that man again and again.
"Don't say anything, I let my sister down. I watched her die and you are, you are precious to me now." He uttered and got closer to her, close enough that they were mere inches from one another and before he knew it his lips were pressed against hers, he enjoyed her taste and it was all he expected and more.
After that kiss and moment, he left to head back to his own tent where Jorah, Barristan, Kovarro, and Rakharo were waiting for him.
"What's the matter?" He asked the two and both veteran knights looked to one another, wondering who will tell him so he went in without a word.
Standing before him was Daario, a Captain of the Stormcrows. In one of his hands was a Dothraki sword, in the other was a large bag and around his large tent was four alert Unsullied Guards. He and the mercenary looked at one another, he reached over and poured them both a cup of wine.
"What are doing here, I was under the impression that the Stormcrows weren't joining me." He questioned the man who cocked a half-smirk.
"I hadn't spoken. My compatriots voted for me to come here, to kill you." He tensed upon the low tone, taking a hand close to his sword, "But I will not, I choose to gamble on the promise of Lordship in your kingdoms, and a castle of my choosing?" He cocked a half-smile of his own, so that's how it is.
"And how do I know you are being genuine, in your professed loyalty? What of your companions, will they be agreeable now?" He asked Daario who smirked, putting down his weapon and opening the bag which smelled of death.
"Ask them yourself, my King." And just like that, two heads were dropped onto the ground. "When they ordered me to kill you, I killed them and the Stormcrows have vowed to fight for you." He sighed and downed a cup of wine, eyeing Daario very carefully.
"So you killed your commanders because they gave you a command? That doesn't shout loyalty but flexible vows." He debated, Daario countered.
"Ah, but my 'companions' have all but sent me on a suicide mission. Your knights and Dothraki would slaughter me, or your dragons would consume me in flame. I chose a route where I live and hopefully in a land where I will be of use." He couldn't blame him, if Viserys had all but sent him to die then he might have betrayed his brother as well.
"Very well, vow to remain loyal and I will vow in turn to not let you die carelessly." Daario got to one knee and looked up to him.
"King Daeron. I vow to serve you, for the rest of my days. My sword is yours, my life is yours, and my men are yours."
Later on, in that night he led a raid on the camp of the Second Sons with his Unsullied and Stormcrows, killing half of Mero's men and Mero himself in combat and he was glad when his sword was driven into the man's chest. The slave soldiers also lost 500 men, before surrendering and Yunkai's gates were opened to his army, all with the loss of 50 Unsullied and 100 of the Stormcrows. He took Yunkai and made Gazdan his servant, along with all the Wise Masters and freed all 500,000 slaves that lived in the Queen of Cities, while obtaining food and horses for his army to march.
He is done with Slaver's Bay, his army will now turn its way west, and their obstacle is now Volantis.