"Lord of Light, guard us—the long night is dark and full of terrors…"
More and more voices joined Melisandre's chant. To Drogo's ear there were no fewer than a thousand people enclosed by those stone walls—far more than the men visible with the fleet in the harbor.
Most of the voices were low and weighty. As a man of great vigor himself, the Khal judged them to be men who had undergone hard physical drill.
"Hmph. Stannis's host was near shattered on the Blackwater—yet there are still over a thousand soldiers in that dragon-shaped castle. If he truly were not on Dragonstone but skulking at Storm's End, how could he leave all his strength in this bleak place?"
Drogo was too shrewd: from such small signs he sniffed out yet another lie.
He had not seen a single soldier wearing the Florent hart-and-fox within the harbor crews. Plainly the Queen's Men were all gathered inside the castle, waiting their chance to strike a heavy blow at any invader.
But Drogo did not fear. Against overwhelming strength, every plot and stratagem turns to smoke.
Salladhor Saan's first mate spoke softly to him. "Prince, they say Drogo has three dragons. I see none. Could that be a tale?"
The "Prince of the Narrow Sea" nodded toward the silver-haired queen and mused, "No tale. Do you not see the silver hair and purple eyes? That's the mark of Targaryen blood. If the Mother of Dragons herself is here, the horse-lord's dragons are no lie. One man might lie—countless folk in many lands with many gods will not all lie the same. Besides, the red comet that foretold magic's return and dragons reborn crossed every sky. All but the blind saw it."
The mate believed him and warned, worried, "They say new Ghis was burned by dragons—imagine such power! Prince, we are smugglers, not sworn men. We need not die for that beggared king Stannis—and he cannot pay our hire besides."
Salladhor Saan, for once, grew solemn.
"I cannot go yet. There is honor among thieves. Davos is my only true friend; I will not leave him. And there is a man aboard the horse-lord's ship I mean to kill."
The one-eyed mate asked, "Whom does my prince desire dead?"
Salladhor sensed his underling's heat and was pleased. He answered, sly as ever, "Had you shipped with me three years sooner, you would know."
The mate asked no more.
The pirate king's smile was his mask. Seeing the Unsullied's proud ranks drawing up, he chose to keep playing peacemaker.
"Khal Drogo has subdued near half the Free Cities. You know it. The Lord of Light's faithful pray daily with Melisandre's fervor. Believe me: King Stannis bears you no ill intent."
But for the memories of two lifetimes, Drogo might have believed him.
Staring at Grey Worm's galleys sliding into position, the Khal asked, flat as winter, "If Stannis is but an adjunct—come to help me take the Iron Throne—why do you still call him king? Should not the king be me?"
"Er…" The pirate-prince choked. He had met his match at word-play.
When the faces of the two leaders opposite turned dark—and Drogo read murder there—he laughed coldly. "Tired of the pretense at last? You think I do not see you are stalling—waiting for the red witch to finish her rite?"
The words had barely left him when Davos shouted, "Crossbowmen—ready!"
Thump, thump, thump!
Pirates and Dragonstone guards who had been hidden below came pouring out like fish from a net.
Where a moment ago few stood, the decks were crowded with helmed and armored men.
Drogo loathed double-tongued foes. He thundered, "Had you truly meant to yield, I might have spared you. But you choose cunning against me—then all of you can die!"
The pirate-prince shed his smile and bared his fangs.
"Khal, I had no wish to stand against you—but you press too hard. Very well. I have ruled these seas for decades and fought great battles and kept my crown. If there are no dragons, I do not fear you."
He knew the horse-king had dragons, but since they had not shown, he guessed mishap.
Drogo snorted. "No dragons? Even now there are fools who think dragons are only tales."
He tipped his head to his wife.
Daenerys understood. She emptied her mind and let her lovely eyes fall shut.
Some soldiers, deep-dyed in Melisandre's new faith, raised a cry: "Our King Stannis Baratheon is Azor Ahai returned—the prince that was promised! Begone from Dragonstone's strait, horse-lord, and swear never to set foot here again, or His Grace will wield Lightbringer and break your fleet!"
On any other day, Davos—faithful to the Seven—would have stopped his ears or cursed their ignorance.
But not today. Today he would encourage, not chide.
Speaking to shrimp-soldiers was beneath him, yet Drogo could not help himself.
"Enough prattle!" he roared. "Run back to your turtle-king and tell him—his god has forsaken him!"
The Unsullied galleys came abeam of the Dragon Gallant, taking the fore line. Suddenly Captain Kollensa let fly a roar.
"Salladhor Saan—you demon! You stole my wife, big with child, and you stole my Valyria. This blood feud ends only with one of us dead. Yet for that you are my brother, I bid you slink back to Lys with your tail between your legs. I shall beg His Majesty Drogo to spare you one life!"
Drogo started and stared at the weathered old seaman with the wild white hair.
Then he looked from Kollensa to Salladhor and back—and saw the likeness.
Kollensa had once been an amethyst-master of Qarth's ancient guilds—in truth, a pirate-king himself. The Khal understood at once.
"You are brothers?"
Bowing, Kollensa said, "Aye, Your Majesty. That villain is my brother of one mother and one father."
They could never have reached this place safely without the old captain's seasoned hand on their course.
Drogo rewarded merit. "Then hear me: if Salladhor Saan heeds your counsel and quits these waters, I will overlook his insolence."
Kollensa blurted thanks. "My thanks, Your Majesty!"
Seeing rage storm his face, Drogo added, "But if you want him dead, I will help you see it done."
Kollensa glared at his brother. "Only he knows where my wife and child are. Else he will not escape this doom."
No sooner had he spoken than Salladhor jeered,
"My dear elder brother, you are my lucky star. To find you at the horse-king's side—why, with you there, I daresay I will still rule the Narrow Sea at my ease."
"Shameless to the point of stupidity—beyond saving," Drogo muttered with contempt. Then, to the starboard, he called across to Grey Worm's deck, "Grey Worm—the Unsullied's primary mark is the pirate-king. Remember: take him alive and deliver him to Captain Kollensa for judgment!"
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