Game of Thrones: Rise of the Supreme Dragon Queen

"Your Majesty, this is the Green Saint, Grazdan!"

Early the next morning, after resting for a night in the rooftop garden, Daenerys was preparing to head to the Punishment Square to continue liberating the slaves when Cleon arrived with a middle-aged woman clad in a green robe, her head and face veiled with sheer green fabric.

"Please, take a seat, Ser Breaker of Chains, and you as well, Lady Green Saint," Daenerys gestured, inviting both of them to sit.

She was having breakfast: chilled persimmon soup, white bread, boiled goose eggs, grilled bacon, and a scallion-studded steak.

A long and exhausting day lay ahead of her, and she might not even have time for lunch, so she made sure to eat a hearty breakfast.

Unlike the masters who sat high above the common folk, Daenerys had a long wooden table placed directly on the grass. It was about seven or eight meters long, positioned north to south.

Daenerys sat at the northern end, with Whitebeard and Jorah seated to her left, each enjoying the same hearty meal as she was.

Doreah, Jhiqui, and Irri had already eaten earlier. As handmaidens, they were not entitled to sit at the same table as Jorah and Whitebeard.

In Westeros, a king might dine with minor nobles but would never share a table with servants. Daenerys was no naïve idealist; she had no intention of changing such traditions.

—Rather than upending centuries-old customs, it would be far more practical to grant the three handmaidens knighthoods in the future.

Ser Breaker of Chains and the Green Saint took their seats to Daenerys's right. The Green Saint moved with composed grace, while the butcher, though slightly awkward, was mostly exhilarated by the status change. This transformation in social standing was intoxicating for him.

Doreah brought food for the two newcomers, and Daenerys asked, "Lady Green Saint, I trust the Unsullied have not disturbed the Temple of Holy Grace?"

Daenerys had little political knowledge—she had been a novice surgeon at best—but she understood that "the great affairs of a nation lie in worship and war."

She had over ten thousand Unsullied and three dragons, keeping military power firmly in her grasp.

As for worship—rituals, faith, and traditions—she had taken precautions before attacking Astapor by assigning Unsullied to both protect and monitor the Temple of Holy Grace.

She could not allow the temple's priestesses to be harmed, as that could spark religious unrest—an absolute nightmare. Nor could she let them interfere with her cause.

The Temple of Holy Grace was itself a uniquely designed pyramid, its clergy composed entirely of women, collectively known as "Saints."

The Green Saint was the highest-ranking priestess among them, akin to a High Septon in the Faith of the Seven. Generally, each city had only one Temple of Holy Grace, and each temple had only one Green Saint.

In other words, the woman before her, Grazdan, was the religious leader of Astapor.

Yes, she too was named Grazdan—a feminine variation of the common Ghiscari name.

The first Grazdan had been a great figure of the Old Ghiscari Empire, and many Ghiscari took the name in his honor.

"Your Majesty, the Unsullied are the most disciplined warriors. They have not disturbed the temple," the Green Saint said softly, sipping her persimmon soup with elegance.

"That is good. Once the unrest in the city settles, I will have them withdraw," Daenerys promised.

"Your Majesty, how do you intend to pacify Astapor?" The Green Saint hesitated before adding, "Surely, Yunkai, Meereen, and New Ghis will not stand idly by."

"Ah, I haven't thought that far ahead!" Daenerys waved dismissively, speaking boldly. "I saw injustice and decided to act."

Hmph! Three thousand Unsullied were enough to defend Qohor—how many thousands do I have?

Besides, aside from New Ghis and its Iron Legion, Yunkai and Meereen relied on slave soldiers to maintain control. Let them come. Let them see if my cannons are sharp!

Well, my war of words, at least.

For every slave soldier they send, they might as well be sending me another warrior willing to fight for freedom.

My army will only grow larger. Who knows? Maybe I'll end up with a million-strong force, terrifying enough to make those slavers tremble!

Even if the worst happens and I face an all-out siege, my loyal warriors can hold out for two or three years, surely?

And in two or three years, with three fully grown dragons, I will sweep across the world!

The Green Saint sighed and asked, "Your Majesty, what is your ultimate goal? Do you not intend to return to Westeros?"

A sharp glint flashed in Daenerys's eyes as she countered, "Lady Green Saint, may I ask—what god does your temple serve? The Harpy?"

"No, we do not worship the Harpy. In truth, the ancient teachings have been lost. The modern Ghiscari are far removed from the Old Empire. The Temple of Holy Grace does not exist to spread faith—we exist for the people."

The Slaver's Bay in the world of Ice and Fire is akin to Egypt in our world.

Many assume that the Egyptian people have remained unchanged throughout history, and some even question the authenticity of Egypt's ancient past—believing that the pyramids were never intended as royal tombs or that Egypt lacks a true 5,000-year history.

Their arguments seem reasonable: If each Pharaoh had a pyramid, how could there be so few? Many Pharaohs' tombs were not even found inside pyramids.

But Egypt has undergone numerous eras, each with different ruling peoples. The ancient Pharaohs' lineage was long extinct. Dynasties changed, rulers and cultures shifted, and religious beliefs evolved drastically.

Not every Pharaoh ruled over a unified empire, nor did every era have the wealth and power to build pyramids—just as not every Chinese dynasty was as mighty as the Han or Tang.

So while there were many Pharaohs, not all had the means or tradition to build pyramids. Some rulers belonged to cultures that did not bury their dead in pyramids at all—their gods did not promise resurrection after death.

The Ghiscari of Slaver's Bay are similar. Though they are still called Ghiscari, they are not the same people as those who lived 5,000 years ago. Their culture and beliefs have been completely transformed—Valyria would never have allowed them to retain a strong, unifying faith.

"The Temple of Holy Grace has seven orders of Saints. The Green Saint is the High Priestess; the Blue Saints are healers; the White Saints are highborn girls who study the arts of womanhood within the temple. They may later choose to transition into another order of Saint."

"The Pink Saints serve as attendants and can act as maids to noble figures. The Golden Saints are scholars who can educate the children of prominent families. The Purple Saints, on the other hand, can become housekeepers for great households."

At this, the Green Saint sighed helplessly and said, "The Pink, Golden, and Purple Saints were all products of the Valyrian era, but now they have almost no purpose.

Each generation's Green Saint still requires the service of a Pink Saint, but the Golden and Purple Saints have been largely phased out. These days, the most common ones are the Red Saints."

"What are the Red Saints?" Dany asked.

"Ahem." Jorah coughed awkwardly, his expression somewhat uncomfortable.

The Green Saint remained composed and explained calmly, "The Red Saints are sacred courtesans. We do not shy away from the pursuit of physical desires. The temple's most exquisite quarters are located in the Garden of Pleasure, where the Red Saints wait each night to be chosen by men. Those who are not selected must wait until dawn."

Dany did not feign embarrassment or blush—she had long realized that from Slaver's Bay to Qarth, society was remarkably open-minded.

Clothing that exposed half the chest and erotic murals painted on city walls—such things would have been unimaginable in the ancient dynasties of her homeland.

"The practices of the Temple of Holy Grace seem to suggest it does not support slavery," Dany observed.

"But neither does it oppose it," the Green Saint replied.

"But my conscience opposes it. Justice in this world opposes it. The fundamental dignity of humanity opposes it. Any god with even a shred of mercy would oppose it," Dany declared firmly.

"I do not oppose you, Your Majesty, and neither does the Temple of Holy Grace. My visit today is only to understand your plans for Astapor," the Green Saint sighed.

With no clear doctrine or guiding principles, such a weak-willed religious institution almost made Dany feel sorry for them.

"I promise, my fight is solely against slavery. A queen who cannot bring a better life to her people is unworthy of the throne. Green Saint, I will make Astapor better—at least, for the majority," Dany stated solemnly.

"I understand. I should take my leave now," the Green Saint said, rising to depart.

"Wait." Dany stopped her and advised, "I hope the Temple of Holy Grace will take a more active role in the city's reconstruction."

"What do you mean?" the Green Saint asked, puzzled.

"No matter how wise a ruler is, no one can govern a kingdom alone. A king who rules solely by his own will is leading his kingdom toward destruction."

The Green Saint seemed lost in thought, while Jorah looked at Dany in astonishment, not expecting such words from her.

Whitebeard, on the other hand, was visibly moved, his eyes glistening with moisture.

"I will establish a ruling council dedicated to governing this city. You, Green Saint, will have a seat as one of the council ministers."

Dany turned to the elegant high priestess and asked, "Would you be willing to take on this role?"

"Thank you for this opportunity, Your Majesty. I am deeply grateful," the Green Saint replied, her voice tinged with excitement.

"Good. You may begin fulfilling your duties right away," Dany said with a smile.

As the Green Saint resumed her seat at the table, the Knight of the Broken Chains grinned and asked, "Your Majesty, do I qualify for a seat on this council?"

"Of course. You are the first noble of Astapor under my rule."

After that, Dany instructed the Green Saint, Butcher Cleon, and Jorah to continue capturing the remaining pyramids, while she and Whitebeard headed to the Plaza of Pride to free the slaves.

A larger crowd had gathered today.

Excluding the Unsullied, Astapor had nearly 100,000 residents, with slaves outnumbering the Ghiscari by a staggering ratio of 7:1—over 80,000 slaves in total.

Indeed, the Ghiscari had become the minority in their own city.

Yesterday, 6,000 Ghiscari were slaughtered by the Unsullied and the rebellious slaves, leaving their population cut in half.

Even in Volantis, the greatest of the Nine Free Cities, the ratio of slaves to free citizens was 5:1. This showed just how far-reaching Dany's vision of "liberating the world" could be.

As long as she remained cautious and did not act recklessly, her victory was assured.

"These are the ashes of 2,000 slaves who died fighting for freedom."

Under the scorching sun, standing on the first steps of the pyramid and facing tens of thousands of watching slaves, Dany pointed to a massive wooden chest nearly two meters high. Speaking into a metal horn, she declared, "I promised that their honor would never be forgotten.

Before I remove your slave collars, I have two announcements. First, no slave master shall ever punish you again. From this moment, this square shall be renamed 'People's Plaza.' And who are the people?

The people are you. The people are me. We are all the people. The people are the true masters of Astapor."

"Long live the People's Plaza! Long live the Mother of Dragons!"

"Mhysa! Mhysa!"

Tens of thousands of people raised their arms—white, black, brown, amber—shouting at the top of their lungs. Their roaring voices surged like a tidal wave, almost shaking the clouds from the sky.

Not that those in the back could even hear what was being said—but overhead, three brilliantly colored dragons circled and screeched. The crowd was exhilarated.

Dany lowered her right hand, quieting the crowd before continuing through the metal horn:

"My second announcement: At the center of this square, where the wooden platform for punishing slaves once stood, I will erect a stone monument—built from the ashes of these 2,000 brave warriors.

It shall be the Monument to the Free Defenders.

It will stand for all those who have fought and sacrificed for freedom—past, present, and future. It will represent their will. It will represent their glory."

(End of chapter)

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