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fandomweekly2020-09-27 11:05 am
m_findlow) wrote in fandomweekly2020-09-27 11:05 am
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[#068] GOLD WILL BE THEIR SHROUDS (GAME OF THRONES)
Theme Prompt: #68 - Masks
Title: Gold will be their shrouds
Fandom: Game of Thrones
Rating/Warnings: PG. Spoilers post Season 4.
Bonus: Yes
Word Count: 1,000 words
Summary: Grey Worm and Daario are on the hunt for an enemy that does not wish to be found.
Grey Worm's fist clutched ever more tightly around his spear as he moved through the crowded streets of Meereen with Daario Naharis at his side. The city was alive with former slaves and traders moving through its narrow streets, carrying the scent of spices and the eye catching colours from finely woven bolts of cloth.
Day to day life in Meereen had changed much and yet in some ways not at all. The rich still required fine food and luxurious clothes in which to envelope themselves, only they were a little less rich now than they had been before. With the slave trade abolished by the city's new Queen, Danaerys Targaryen, how long would the great Masters be able to continue the rich lives they lead? Their slaves no longer wore the collars that marked them as such, but they still weaved through the streets in their thousands, still buying spices and cloth even though they would not have the means to pay for it - not unless someone else handed them coppers and gold with which to pay. Slavery in one form or another persisted.
It was not the slaves that concerned Grey Worm. It was something else far more dangerous - the fury of the Great Masters of Meereen. They were not prepared to accept the rule of their new queen and the end she had put to their power. Now they roamed the streets in disguise, men who carried daggers and wore horned masks in the shape face of the harpy, ever the heraldic symbol of the Ghiscari people of Slaver's Bay, and forged from the very gold that they had accumulated from their generations of buying and selling slaves.
To Grey Worm, it felt as if a masked assassin lurked around every street corner, watching his every move. They were hunting Unsullied, Grey Worm's men who served to keep the Queen's peace in the city. They were already tipping the balance of power in Yunkai and Astapor back in the favour of the Masters. Grey Worm's army could do nothing to stop them there. Their forces were committed to Meereen and if that fell then all was lost. Dragons could not stop the Masters, not without burning the city to ash. This was a battle for men. If the Sons of the Harpy wanted to hunt and kill Unsullied, then Grey Worm would hunt and kill them. Having to be partnered with Daario Naharis was just an unfortunate consequence.
Grey Worm halted suddenly, a glint of something golden catching his eye as the sunlight bounced off its surface. Daario tensed beside him until he saw where Grey Worm was pointing.
'Relax, it's just a coppersmith unloading his cart.'
'Perhaps we should question him,' Grey Worm suggested. 'Someone in the city must be making these masks.'
Daario tucked his thumbs into his belt. 'And all you will uncover is one rich smithy who will not talk unless you can pay him more gold than the Masters.'
Grey Worm scowled at the reply. 'The Masters are not warriors. It is not they who hide in the shadows.'
'Of course not. They would not know which end of a dagger is the pointy end. The Masters have their slaves to don masks and kill in their name. It is just another form of slavery. The Masters are not happy with having been removed from power and their slaves taken away from them. Thousands of years things have been this way and no one who has inherited his father's power as one for the Masters of Meereen, or Astapor, or anywhere else, is going to let that power be taken away from them without a fight. Not even for a Queen with dragons and an army of Unsullied.'
'Queen Danaerys frees all the slaves of Meereen and Astapor. Why would they fight for their Masters?'
'You yourself have seen the way they line up for hours outside the Great Pyramid begging Danaerys to let their masters take them back into service. The slaves are no more accustomed to our Queen's new rule than their Masters.'
Grey Worm shook his head. 'Most do not. Most long for freedom, are glad that the Mother of Dragons frees them.'
Daario paused in the street, his hand unconsciously fingering the dagger at his belt, running a hand over the curves of the naked woman that formed its unusual hilt. 'And you? What does Grey Worm long for? You were once a slave, and Unsullied, and now you fight for our Queen. One could say you too do not know what it is to be free, or to want freedom.'
'Unsullied are not bound because we are owned. Unsullied choose to serve. Queen Danaerys gave us that choice. To fight as free men.'
A smike crept over Daario's face as he carried on walking, eyes still alert as ever to danger. 'Ah, so it is okay for you to choose to serve but not for other slaves?' He threw his hands up in defense when Grey Worm rounded on him, spear still clutched tightly in readiness for battle. 'Don't get me wrong. I serve our Queen too, but I do so freely and could walk away if I so chose. The Second Sons could avail themselves to anyone prepared to pay for our services. We do not fight for anyone whose gold is less than the value of our lives. Except Queen Danaerys, of course.'
Grey Worm held his steely gaze on the sellsword. 'Then you are no better than the slaves who fight for their Masters, only you do it for gold.' He paused. 'But Daario Naharis fights for Queen Danaerys for no gold. What then does he fight for?'
Daario grinned and clapped a hand on his shoulder which made him flinch involuntarily. 'Something you Unsullied would not understand,' Daario replied. 'But time for that later. My lady thirsts for vengeance for your dead Unsullied and masks shall not hide them from us for long.'
Title: Gold will be their shrouds
Fandom: Game of Thrones
Rating/Warnings: PG. Spoilers post Season 4.
Bonus: Yes
Word Count: 1,000 words
Summary: Grey Worm and Daario are on the hunt for an enemy that does not wish to be found.
Grey Worm's fist clutched ever more tightly around his spear as he moved through the crowded streets of Meereen with Daario Naharis at his side. The city was alive with former slaves and traders moving through its narrow streets, carrying the scent of spices and the eye catching colours from finely woven bolts of cloth.
Day to day life in Meereen had changed much and yet in some ways not at all. The rich still required fine food and luxurious clothes in which to envelope themselves, only they were a little less rich now than they had been before. With the slave trade abolished by the city's new Queen, Danaerys Targaryen, how long would the great Masters be able to continue the rich lives they lead? Their slaves no longer wore the collars that marked them as such, but they still weaved through the streets in their thousands, still buying spices and cloth even though they would not have the means to pay for it - not unless someone else handed them coppers and gold with which to pay. Slavery in one form or another persisted.
It was not the slaves that concerned Grey Worm. It was something else far more dangerous - the fury of the Great Masters of Meereen. They were not prepared to accept the rule of their new queen and the end she had put to their power. Now they roamed the streets in disguise, men who carried daggers and wore horned masks in the shape face of the harpy, ever the heraldic symbol of the Ghiscari people of Slaver's Bay, and forged from the very gold that they had accumulated from their generations of buying and selling slaves.
To Grey Worm, it felt as if a masked assassin lurked around every street corner, watching his every move. They were hunting Unsullied, Grey Worm's men who served to keep the Queen's peace in the city. They were already tipping the balance of power in Yunkai and Astapor back in the favour of the Masters. Grey Worm's army could do nothing to stop them there. Their forces were committed to Meereen and if that fell then all was lost. Dragons could not stop the Masters, not without burning the city to ash. This was a battle for men. If the Sons of the Harpy wanted to hunt and kill Unsullied, then Grey Worm would hunt and kill them. Having to be partnered with Daario Naharis was just an unfortunate consequence.
Grey Worm halted suddenly, a glint of something golden catching his eye as the sunlight bounced off its surface. Daario tensed beside him until he saw where Grey Worm was pointing.
'Relax, it's just a coppersmith unloading his cart.'
'Perhaps we should question him,' Grey Worm suggested. 'Someone in the city must be making these masks.'
Daario tucked his thumbs into his belt. 'And all you will uncover is one rich smithy who will not talk unless you can pay him more gold than the Masters.'
Grey Worm scowled at the reply. 'The Masters are not warriors. It is not they who hide in the shadows.'
'Of course not. They would not know which end of a dagger is the pointy end. The Masters have their slaves to don masks and kill in their name. It is just another form of slavery. The Masters are not happy with having been removed from power and their slaves taken away from them. Thousands of years things have been this way and no one who has inherited his father's power as one for the Masters of Meereen, or Astapor, or anywhere else, is going to let that power be taken away from them without a fight. Not even for a Queen with dragons and an army of Unsullied.'
'Queen Danaerys frees all the slaves of Meereen and Astapor. Why would they fight for their Masters?'
'You yourself have seen the way they line up for hours outside the Great Pyramid begging Danaerys to let their masters take them back into service. The slaves are no more accustomed to our Queen's new rule than their Masters.'
Grey Worm shook his head. 'Most do not. Most long for freedom, are glad that the Mother of Dragons frees them.'
Daario paused in the street, his hand unconsciously fingering the dagger at his belt, running a hand over the curves of the naked woman that formed its unusual hilt. 'And you? What does Grey Worm long for? You were once a slave, and Unsullied, and now you fight for our Queen. One could say you too do not know what it is to be free, or to want freedom.'
'Unsullied are not bound because we are owned. Unsullied choose to serve. Queen Danaerys gave us that choice. To fight as free men.'
A smike crept over Daario's face as he carried on walking, eyes still alert as ever to danger. 'Ah, so it is okay for you to choose to serve but not for other slaves?' He threw his hands up in defense when Grey Worm rounded on him, spear still clutched tightly in readiness for battle. 'Don't get me wrong. I serve our Queen too, but I do so freely and could walk away if I so chose. The Second Sons could avail themselves to anyone prepared to pay for our services. We do not fight for anyone whose gold is less than the value of our lives. Except Queen Danaerys, of course.'
Grey Worm held his steely gaze on the sellsword. 'Then you are no better than the slaves who fight for their Masters, only you do it for gold.' He paused. 'But Daario Naharis fights for Queen Danaerys for no gold. What then does he fight for?'
Daario grinned and clapped a hand on his shoulder which made him flinch involuntarily. 'Something you Unsullied would not understand,' Daario replied. 'But time for that later. My lady thirsts for vengeance for your dead Unsullied and masks shall not hide them from us for long.'