Chapter Text
From all the postcards, one would suspect that King’s Landing was always sunny and warm. Landmarks like the Red Keep and the Sept of Baelor were always pictured with a beaming backdrop and jovial tourists; it was the very image of perfection.
Daenerys cursed whichever marketing genius had that idea because that picturesque setting was shattered rather quickly. The sun was nowhere to be found, replaced by a torrential downpour with a bitter wind to accompany it. The tranquil sea surrounding the capital was choppy and splashed all up the bow of the ship she was on, drenching the window she was peering out of. She hoped the weather would clear up, although from the talk of the sailors on the boat, this was nothing compared to some of the summer storms.
Arriving at King’s Landing flooded her with relief. Four days spent at sea, no company but her own and the occasional sailor checking if she was alright, dreading the thought of her brother finding her and taking her back. Back to Pentos and his dastardly schemes for the Iron Throne. They were family, the only two Targaryen’s left in the entire world, and yet she was little more than property to him; means to an end. Calling the Unsullied on him and his nefarious operations was the best thing she ever did. Hopefully, he was locked up and someone had lost the key.
Although Viserys was no longer a problem, the capital presented its own set of challenges. The meagre amount of money she managed to steal from her brother was small enough to help her out but was certainly not large enough to live off of for an extended period of time; Daenerys hoped she would be able to sort herself out by then. Hopefully.
Finding a place to stay was the foremost problem. There was no-one in the city that Daenerys knew so hoping to sleep on a friend’s sofa was out of the question. One of the crew members would be able to tell her a place to stay that, ideally, wouldn’t be too dear in price. But then there was food, water, and showering to think about. Gas, electric, heating; finding a job, getting on her feet, starting a whole different life anew.
She was shaken out of her thoughts by a gentle knocking at her cabin door. She stood off the chests she was standing atop of and opened the door to reveal the captain.
“We’re coming up on King’s Landing now, lassie.”
Daenerys gently smiled at the man and thanked him, her excitement starting to build more and more.
“This your first time here?” the man asked.
She nodded. “I’ve never really travelled before.”
“At all?” The seafarer seemed genuinely surprised by her answer.
“Well, Westeros at least. I’ve been to many of the Free Cities in Essos.” Not that that matters.
“Aye, they’re a sight to behold, aren’t they?” the captain responded. “I prefer them myself; much prettier than anything you’ll find in the capital; I’ll say that much. Always jump at a chance to sail over to any of them.” He bumbled around in front of the cabin door before asking Daenerys: “Lassie, forgive my asking, but why are you here? Pentos is a much nicer place than this dump – why would you want to leave?”
Daenerys pondered on how she would phrase her explanation. She had spent part of the journey coming up with a story in case she needed one but never settled on one. After all, how does one explain that they’re the daughter of the previous president who killed anyone who disagreed with them and whose brother is actively plotting to take back said presidency?
“Had to leave my family for a bit. Things were… intense,” was the lie she settled for. Well, not exactly a lie; a half-truth. A lot easier to explain at least.
The sailor nodded. “Families are complicated, I’ll say that much.”
Daenerys found herself nodding and humming in agreement. An awkward air settled around the two until Daenerys spoke again to gain some information about King’s Landing.
“You’re from King’s Landing?”
The captain nodded. “Aye. Born and raised. A wonderful little slice of shite called Flea Bottom.”
“Do you know any good places to stay?”
“There are some good hotels near the Sept if you’ve got the money,” Daenerys heart dropped, “but there are some hostels near Flea Bottom if you’re strapped for cash.”
Daenerys smiled slightly uneasily. Flea Bottom looks like the more likely option then.
She heard a voice came through the walkie-talkie and the sailor excused himself and disappeared around one of the many corridors the ship contained; in turn, she shut the door and paced around her small cabin, trying to piece together her next move. Daenerys rummaged through her small bag of belongings and pulled out her purse to find 4 gold dragons, 13 copper pennies and a silver stag. She sighed, knowing that the money wouldn’t get her far, and rolled one of the coins through her fingers.
It still felt odd looking at the coins and seeing the faces of her ancestors on them. Sometimes she could see the similarities between them and Viserys - a defined jaw, curly hair and shaped eyes; his lineage felt more obvious than hers. The Gods gave her the Targaryen silver hair but nothing else. She was small compared to her taller ancestors, although her violet eyes were supposedly an ancient and rare Targaryen trait. Her brother used to preach about their proud legacy and about how he was going to claim back what was rightfully theirs, but she never felt any connection or claim to it; she just wanted to be her own person, live out her own life, not try to be someone else.
Daenerys was shaken from her thoughts by a knocking at the cabin door again; she opened the door to find herself once again facing the captain.
“We’re docking in King’s Landing now. We’re coming in close to the River Gate, which is close to the markets, so you might be able to find a place to stay there.”
“Thank you,” Daenerys smiled at him. She turned her back to grab the small bag of valuables that she managed to bring with her when she heard the sailors voice again.
“Lassie?” Daenerys turned to meet his eyes. “Word of advice; King’s Landing isn’t exactly a safe place. I’d keep to yourself, don’t go trusting just anyone. There’s a lot of people who will happily step over you to get whatever they want.”
If you knew what I just escaped from, you’d be surprised if I trusted anyone, Daenerys thought but kept it to herself.
“Thank you…” she trailed off, gesturing for his name.
“Davos. Now let’s get you off this ship before one of the idiots upstairs sinks this thing.”
Daenerys grabbed her bag and followed the captain – Davos – through the many corridors of the ship that lead up to the deck. Immediately, she was hit by the torrential rain that she had watched from her cabin window, partially drenching her through her paper-thin, made for summer clothes; a wind that penetrated through her skin, gifting her with a cold that pierced through her skin. She was quickly saved by Davos who came to the rescue with an umbrella, shielding Daenerys from the vicious storm.
“Storm doesn’t seem to be ending up any time soon; a true King’s Landing welcome,” Davos muttered, escorting Daenerys down the ramp, across the docks and to the massive gate that served as an entrance to the city; the grandiosity of it shocking her as it loomed over them both. If this is just the entrance, then Gods know what the rest of the city must look like.
The pair entered the city and arrived at the small market the covered the entrance by the River Gate, and Daenerys’ senses were assaulted on all fronts; various accents shouting to sell their produce and other goods, beaming lights shining from all directions, smells of different foods and spice filling her nostrils.
“Putting these here almost makes up for the fact that the rest of this place smells like shite,” Davos said. Daenerys giggled at his comment and let herself look around her new surroundings as they proceeded through the rest of the marketplace, the small stalls provided some limited shelter from the rain and wind, which hadn’t eased up. Eventually, they arrived at the end of the market, where Davos turned and spoke to Daenerys again.
“I’m afraid this is where I have to leave you, lassie,” he explained. “Gotta help finish unloading the cargo we brought with us. Just follow the street signs and they’ll take you right where you want to be. I hope you manage to find your feet around here.”
Daenerys smiled at him. “Thank you for all your help. Farewell, ser Davos.”
“Ha! Ser Davos! That’ll be the day,” he chuckled as he walked back to his ship.
Daenerys watched the captain walk away and found herself overwhelmed by just how different this place was to where she grew up. Where Pentos was arched and domed, King’s Landing was terraced and detached, with almost every building towering over the pedestrians. The buzz and chatter from the Pentoshi markets were amplified with the hustle and bustle that was just normal, daily life in the capital. King’s Landing was surrounded by walls, but Daenerys could see mountains, woodland and fields stretching up and out over the faraway land, even from the low laying docks. This place was almost like Pentos but just more in every possible way.
Daenerys was snapped out of her reverie and back into the real world by the beeping of car horns, which reminded her that she had yet to find a place to stay. She could see Flea Bottom signposted around but was less than enthusiastic about walking there in the storm, which still showed no signs of dying down. She pulled out and put on a small fleece that was one of the few things she managed to grab before leaving Pentos; it alleviated some of the wet and cold but left Daenerys wanting. Better than nothing, I suppose.
Luckily, the roads were lined with trees, canopies and overhanging roofs, which did provide limited breaks from the brutal weather. Multicoloured banners hung from lampposts, their wording unreadable due to the water drenching the pennants. Walking along the streets, she found herself continuously entranced by all the streetlights and commotion. The feeling of anticipation that had started to build on the boat still hadn’t dulled and steadily coursed through her body. Daenerys couldn’t tell whether her shaking was from excitement, nerves or just the cold.
If Daenerys felt odd looking at the coins, then walking through the streets made her feel completely detached; even though she knew that her predecessors built all of this – buildings that tower over streets, extending out for miles upon miles, a jungle of tile and mortar - yet still she felt no attachment to her lineage.
Eventually, after navigating down street after street, Daenerys finally came across a hotel, grand and towering over the street, with a view that would allow someone to see right into the centre of King’s Landing; everything she imagined living in the capital would be. She almost ran over to the building, desperate to be out of the rain and safely indoors…
Only to find that there was a flashing, luminous sign spelling “no vacancies” in neon blue.
Shit!
Slightly disheartened, Daenerys proceeded walking down the street, moving away from the hotel and further into King’s Landing. Life still continued on around her as she kept on her journey - people rushed by, cars drove to their destinations; she was nought but a speck in the big city. She came across the next hotel, a little ways down from where she found the first one, again to find it full of occupants.
This process continued for some time; Daenerys walked down streets, paths and lanes, desperately searching for a place to stay, only to find they were all either full or far too expensive to afford one night in them, let alone several; her heart dropped more and more after every rejection.
The final straw was when she was turned away from the last hotel she tried – no vacancies yet again – and a van drove through the puddle that had formed by the curb, drenching Daenerys’ already soaked clothes and making them even wetter.
The shaking was definitely due to the cold now.
The tears ran down her cheeks of their own accord and a sob escaped her lips. Right now, all Daenerys wanted to do was be somewhere warm and safe and just get away from everything.
But this wasn’t Essos, where she could retreat to her small room in the house she shared with her brother. She was in the middle of the biggest city in all of Westeros, by herself, with nowhere to go. She noticed a small bar opposite the hotel was just rejected from and walked across the road and entered, desperate to be out of the cold and wanting to curl up and cry.
The bar was thankfully quiet, only a few people present enjoying their meals and drinks. Daenerys paid them no attention, just looked for the warmest spot she could. She eventually found a radiator in a booth, coincidentally in the darkest part of the bar, slid in and began to cry. Sobbing silent, she cried for how her dream of forging her own way in King’s Landing wasn’t a possibility, how the one way out she got from her brother wasn’t worth it and how sh-
“Excuse me?”
Daenerys had been so lost in her crying and her thoughts that she hadn’t noticed the figure standing at the edge of the booth, regarding her with curious eyes. She looked up at the woman, tears still rolling down her cheeks.
“I would ask if you’re okay but from the looks of you, I think I can tell the answer,” the stranger said.
Daenerys let out a self-deprecating chuckle and smiled at the newcomer, who slid into the booth across from her.
“What’s the matter?”, the woman asked, her blue eyes full of kindness.
“Oh, you know,” Daenerys sniffed, “family, money, the fact that I’m drenched through my skin.”
The stranger slid around the rest of the booth, her red hair waving around her shoulders as she did so and moved closer. She took her jacket off and wrapped it around Daenerys’ shoulders: “hopefully, that helps fix one of the problems,” she smiled.
Daenerys let out a bitter laugh. She could still feel the warmth of the other woman in the jacket, helping the chills that travelled through her body. “Only two more to go,” she said in response to the redhead.
“What’s up with your family?”
The fact that the only one I’ve got left is a complete and utter psychopath. “We…. don’t get on. It was clear that I couldn’t stay any longer.”
“And I thought living with basically five brothers and a sister was intense,” said the stranger. “I’m sorry; I can’t imagine what that must be like.”
“It’s fine,” Daenerys said with a small smile, “I’m here now; away from him.”
They were then joined by another stranger; one with chestnut curls and deep brown eyes full of confusion.
“Making friends are we, Sans?”
“Just making sure she’s okay,” the redhead responded to the brunette, who slipped into the booth opposite them. “Look at the poor girl, she’s shivering.”
“Not all of us have your Northern skin; we can’t just walk through storms like a stroll in the park,” the brunette joked. “Well, are going to introduce us?”
“Oh right! This is… err… this is…” the redhead trailed off.
Davos’ words echoed in her head: don’t go trusting just anyone. But these two wouldn’t harm her, right? They were concerned for a literal stranger and didn’t seem malicious in any way.
Although she couldn’t just spout off her name like anyone else would be able to; even from Essos, she was pretty sure that the Targaryen name wasn’t loved over in Westeros, no matter what Illyrio might’ve said before.
Instead, she settled for a name that she hadn’t been called in years.
“Dany,” she said, her voice uneasy due to her trembling. “My name’s Dany.”
The redhead smiled. “Well, it’s lovely to meet you Dany. I’m Sansa, and this” - she pointed over at the brunette – “is my girlfriend, Margaery.”
“Wish we could’ve met under better circumstances,” Margaery said.
“Yeah,” said Sansa, echoing the statement, “so how long have you been here for?”
“You’re not from here?” Margaery seemed surprised at the fact.
Daenerys shook her head at the brunette. “Essos. And I don’t know; my ship docked a couple hours ago, I think.”
“Some welcome you got,” said Margaery, gesturing to the storm outside. Daenerys let out a chuckle in agreement, her mood improving slightly.
“I’m surprised you managed to get a hotel this time of year; I would’ve thought that they’d all be full because of the festival,” Sansa remarked.
“Festival?” she queried.
“Yeah, it’s tradition,” Sansa answered, “every year, people gather together to give thanks to the Gods for a thankful harvest, or something like that; I don’t know, I never paid much attention in history.”
“Everywhere in Westeros celebrates it but King’s Landing does it the best, “ Margaery continued. “There’s parades and parties and all sorts.”
“Ah. That would explain why everywhere is full then.”
Both women looked at Daenerys, slightly confused.
“If everywhere’s full,” said Sansa, “then where are you staying?”
“I haven’t exactly found a place yet…” she trailed off, feeling the stresses from earlier start to rise up again. Everyone was silent for a brief moment before Margaery spoke up.
“Would you like to stay with us?” she asked. “I mean, I doubt you’ll find a hotel at this point and we’ve got a spare bedroom back at our flat.” Sansa nodded along with her.
Daenerys stumbled out a response. “Oh no, I…. I couldn’t ask you to do that, I mean I wouldn’t want to cause you any trouble or anythin-“
“It’s no trouble,” Sansa quickly added. “Honestly.”
“Then yes, thank you so so so much! I mean I haven’t got much in term of money, but I can get a job and then I can start paying an-“
“Hey,” Margaery said, putting her hand over Daenerys’, “worry about all that when we get there, alright?”
Daenerys was beaming from ear to ear, no longer caring that her clothes were still wet or that she was still so very cold.
Sansa treated them all to a meal and some drinks to celebrate their new arrangement; while they ate and drank and laughed, Daenerys found herself thinking one persistent thought:
Maybe things will be okay after all.