Chapter 24 5 страница

" If you are looking for your brother, he is not here, " Lady Mellario said, answering Dany's unasked question. " He's taken some of the gold that I gifted you two and is currently entertaining himself with whatever whores he can find. "

Dany tried her best to hide her wince at what her brother was currently up to. " My brother…He is under a lot of pressure and needs to do what he can to relieve the tension. " Dany said, trying to explain her brother's actions using the same reason Viserys had given her the only time she'd ever brought up his whoring. She'd awakened the dragon that day and had garnered a blackened eye and no food in her belly for a full day because of it. And since then, she had not sought to stand in the way of her brothers…stress relief.

Lady Mellerio just scoffed. " Your brother wouldn't know pressure or stress or responsibility if it came up and bit him in the ass. That coin I gifted you two, if used correctly, will last you for years even after you leave my home. But with your brother's atrocious decision-making abilities and spending habits, you will be lucky if it lasts beyond a single moon's turn. "

Dany wanted to argue back that her brother was the true King of Westeros and that he indeed knew his responsibilities…but the words died on her tongue before she could give them voice. As much as she wanted to protest what Lady Mellario was saying about her brother, a part of Dany agreed with her. Not that she would ever say it out loud. So instead, she just held her tongue on the topic.

Sighing, Lady Mellario set her cup down and looked Dany right in the eye. " Tell me, girl. Do you know why your brother brought you here to me? "

" Because…you are married to Prince Doran Martell of Dorne. "

" That is correct, " Lady Mellario nodded. " Your brother hoped to leverage something that might happen in the future into forcing me to give you two aid. But 'might' is not 'definite. ' Honestly, given what I've seen, it's something I do not wish to see come to fruition. And it is also because I am the wife of Prince Doran and the mother to his children that I was tempted to throw you both out on your ear. Should word reach back to Westeros and King Robert that I am giving you two aid, then he will take it out on my children. "

" I understand, Lady Mellario, " Dany nodded sadly. " And I, appreciate the aid you are giving my brother and I, despite the risks to you and your family. "

Lady Mellario just kept staring at her with a hard look. " The only reason I didn't throw both of you out is because of you girl. "

" Me? " Dany gaped, no one had ever really put her before her brother before.

" Yes, you, " Lady Mellario nodded. " I only met your mother once, but she was a wonderful woman. She deserved a far better fate than the one given to her. And you, girl, you remind me so much of your mother. And I could not in good conscience send you on your way without at least giving you some help. But…now that you've been a guest of mine for a few days I've started to notice something about you. Each time we cross paths, you look as if you're about to say something but then you back down. Sometimes because your brother is within the room. Or other times because you lose your nerve. Well, no more. Your brother is not here, and I will not let you go till you say what is on your mind, girl. "

Setting her tea down, as she feared she would no longer be able to hold it with how much her hand was shaking. Dany breathed in deeply as she tried to get the words out. " I… IwanttoknowwhathappenedduringtheUsurper'sRebellionagainstmyfamily. " She said in a rush of words that even she could barely comprehend.

Even though the words were mostly clumped together, Lady Mellario clearly heard her as her frown increased tenfold. " Surely, you already know everything that happened. "

Trying to calm her breath, Dany forced herself to press on. " Viserys…He told me what happened. How Lyanna Stark seduced my brother and how the other Lords of the Realm rose up in an unlawful rebellion against the crown. That the Usurper and his dogs slaughtered the Royal Family. How a Kingsguard stabbed our father in the back. And how we must continue running to stay ahead of the Usurper's knives lest we join our family in death. But lately I have…heard a different version of what happened. And you, Lady Mellario, you were in Westeros during the Uprising. I just…I just want to know what happened. "

Lady Mellario seemed to debate on whether to speak or not. " I can tell you what I know of the Rebellion. Of what is now recorded as history. But I must warn you, while the rebels did indeed commit some heinous acts during the war, so too did your family. Are you sure you wish to know this? "

" I am, " Dany replied, her voice sounding far surer than she felt. " I want—no, I need—to know what happened. Please it's…It's important to me. "

Lady Mellario nodded and picked up her teacup once more. " Very well, Daenerys Targaryen. I will tell you what I know of the Rebellion and the cause of the downfall of your family. "

The sun had just begun to set by the time Lady Mellario finished her tale of the Rebellion. And as impossible as it seemed, her version of what happened matched up almost perfectly with Jon's, rather than her brother's. 'It was all a lie, ' Dany wanted to scream as tears of betrayal began falling down her face. 'All my life…Everyone has been telling me that the fall of our family was because of others' greed and betrayal. But that…that wasn't the case at all. My father…My brother. They caused the downfall of our family with their actions. My father went mad and started butchering and burning anyone and everyone who gave him even the slightest of reasons to suspect they slighted him. And my brother…He either ran off or kidnapped Lyanna Stark and didn't ever try to reason with the Starks about what happened to her. Which only makes him sound guilty of the crimes they accused him of. Gods…I don't…I…The people hate us…We won't…We can't ever return…I'll never see my ho – home again. '

Unable to hold it in any longer, tears burst forth from Dany's eyes as she buried her face in her hands and cried. Dany nearly jumped as she felt a soft touch upon her head. Picking her head up from her hands, she saw Lady Mellario standing before her. The hard look that'd been a constant in her eyes ever since they'd arrived was gone, replaced by one of sympathy. " I am sorry, my dear. But I told you that it would not be an easy tale for you to hear. "

Nodding, Dany did her best to fight back against the tears. " My brother, he – he said that the people of Westeros raise secret toasts to our safe return to the Throne. Another lie? "

" Some may, " Lady Mellario shrugged, retaking her seat. " But they are far outnumbered by those who curse your family or those who are indifferent unless you can give them something they do not already have. Be it coin or power. But those three categories only describe those in power. Let me tell you a secret that many a highborn refuses to believe about those beneath us. They do not care who sits in power, nor do they care for the games nobles play. To them, it only means their blood and the blood of their loved ones. As long as a family is safe, has coin, and can put food and drink on the table, they care not for who sits in some gaudy chair or who wears what crown. "

Part of her wanted to protest that what she said wasn't true, but in her heart she knew it was. While her and her brother had been on the run, she never really cared about who was in control of which city they were staying in. All she cared about was that she had a roof over her head and food in her belly. " What do I do now? " she asked, broken and lost.

" That is completely up to you, Daenerys, " Lady Mellario answered. " You can crawl into a hole of pity and let yourself fade into the nothingness of time. Or you can do as your Dragon Lord ancestors of old did. You can take what power you have, and create a new life for yourself. "

'But I don't have any power, ' she thought despondently. Only to sharply draw herself up short. 'No. I do have a power. And…And I have someone who can help me. I only pray to the gods above that Jon will be able to help me. '

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