299 AC
Somewhere in the Dothraki Sea
"Do you know how much we spend yearly trying to please those barbarians to allow safe passage for our merchants through the grass sea . Thousands of gold, tons of food, horses , textiles and slaves every year if not more. These horselords do not trade nor barter . They only give when it suits them and take more from us as they wish."
True by his words. Buying and selling is considered to be unmanly by the Dothraki, and they instead use giving and receiving gifts as a common way for doing trade , this particular trade does not, if it can even be called such does not drive economies.However, giving a gift in return might not always occur immediately upon receiving a gift. This is exemplified by the Dothraki "selling" their captives on occasion to the slaver cities. They call these slaves "gifts", and as payment receive gifts from the slavers.Trade is allowed in the sacred city Vaes Dothrak where, by the leave of the dosh khaleen , merchants and traders gather to exchange goods and gold,though they mostly trade with each other, and only little with the Dothraki themselves.In the Western Market merchants from the free cities come to trade, while in the Eastern Market traders from Yi Ti, Asshai, the Shadow lands and the lands from beside the Jade Sea place their caravans.The merchants are tolerated provided that they do not break the peace of the city, do not profane the Mother of the Mountains or Womb of the world and honor the dosh khaleen with the traditional gifts of salt, silver and seed.
"That man is doing us a favor by ridding us of its ilk"Ishtar mo rakhaz stated to the rest of the noble men before him.
"Here is a missive from this Christian king himself, implying that he wished to encourage its trade by land over the valyrian road as the dothraki threat is reduced. He even urges us to attack the Dothraki from the east having them ply their attention in both directions "Rakhaz stated waving the scroll as he did many within nodded as it seemed like a good plan .
If these christians eradicated the horselords in its totality then all lands obtained from pentos up to the end of the dothraki sea would basically belong to them as well as the vast roads stretching through them that these men would eventually tax traders to use. This would also have a far worse enemy than the Dothraki at their borders.
It was imperative to act in aid if not in aid for themselves and their future and their city.
"It is time my fellows to reclaim our destiny and recreate the great Empire of Old!"
Though the same man that gave them this sound advise did not believe in it himself as he looked out for his own interests. Ishtar mo rakhaz was a traitor unbeknownst to the great masters of Mereen and just as the Emperor deemed he shall wrought Mereen to its knees by himself .
6 months ago
"Have him come in " the emperor order his Praetorian Guard who now led the man inside his visibly large tent .
There was a translator at the side ready to aid the emperor, but the man was hardly needed as the emperor had mastered over 7 languages of this world , though his french accent still remained.
The said man entered a look of nervousness on his face but he soon calmed himself giving a low bow.
Adorned in a light green silk robe, fingers covered in gold rings a show of his wealth and status. He was rather robust in stature not fat but he seemed to be on verge of being called so.
"Lord Ishtar" He inclined his head in acknowledgement directing him to sit.
" Would you care for refreshments, wine , ale, beer, mead, i have a wide variety of juice here with ice for this hot day"
The man had perked up at that. Ice so far from the stretches of society. He had wondered how they had managed to transport such things even have it stocked away so it did not melt but what also surprised him was the man's ability to speak the same language.
"I'll take some juice with ice your highness"
"Your low valyrian is excellent Great King " he flattered as Baldwin only nodded, his eyes peering through the mask seemed to hold a smile to them at his words.
"I had excellent tutors" baldwin added.
"No doubt you do great king" Ishtar added
"I will not pretend but when i heard that a noble of one of the largest slave cities came here i was really surprised , we are all but enemies as you know, since you and your city deal in such a vile practice and even much worse things ; i've heard rumors say" Baldwin added
The man looked rather perturbed at the last part but steeled himself nonetheless.
"High King I myself am a man of honest moral and trade today, my family and those before me had practiced slavery but for 17 years i had kept away from it , my wife was a former slave and she had made me see the betterment of this world besides gold and vanity , she had shown me kindness and compassion to which i now show others. Any slaves brought into my services have been freed upon buying them and i had given them a choice to either leave or stay and many stayed. And there are many such persons within mereen as my self who do not deal in the practice." He answered back.
He was speaking truth Baldwin thought. But he still wanted to test the man.
"We shall see, and what was so important that it had brought a great noble from so far as Mereen to be here ?"
The man's face went a bit sullen at that question.
"I wish for a request From you Great king" at those words he went to his knees and prostrated himself forehead now touching the ground .
"My daughter, the most precious thing in my life since her mother died , s-she is a criple and i beg of you to help her" he stammered out
"I see"
"Thousands have come before me just as you do now , waiting for days and months outside my city walls with all they possessed of their name , hoping for me to heal them of their ailments, if even get a glance at me . Many of them blind , many cripled , many deaf , many suffering from uncurable diseases, many wishing to have the ability to bear children. Yet here you come from out of nowhere asking this of me when many before you have never gotten that chance. What is so special about your daughter that i should overlook them and help you ?"
"I'll give you everything! Everything I own . Even my life if I have to just to see her walk , just to see her enjoy the sunrise, the sunset !For her to know how the grass below our feet feels if even for once!" The man cried tears .
There was a deathly silence after the man's pleas .
Then began a chuckle then a short laugh which might've horrified the man .
"Hahaha" baldwin laughed surprising the man .
"Forgive me lord Ishtar , I laugh not at your situation but on the cruelty of this life . I've seen some of the most privileged men , rich , wealthy men , cruel and vain blessed even with all the bad they have wrought this world and its people. And the best of us , the kindest , the honest and honorable cursed … killed unjustly, captured and sold never to be seen again "
"The world is so unnatural … so unpredictable. With all our fates and the only thing that can navigate us through these turbulent times are ourselves and the Lord God . For as we look to him he shall look to us with aid. Lead me to your daughter "
— — —
'She seemed to have what we in the old world called cerebral palsy, an incurable brain condition . Even with modern science it was unable to be cured. How cruel of fate to have this happen to her . She was here and at the same time not.'
He empathized with her condition a terrible disorder it was and he also empathized with her father it wasn't easy on the parent neither especially in a world like this when such people were viewed as inhuman.
"Get me a bath of water" he ordered his guards who in turn order servants outside the tent.
And as he ordered so it went.
Servants brought in water to full the wooden tub to the top.
He lifted her from the wheelchair she sat in . Her arms and legs were sickly , her arms even hooked up to her chest. But nonetheless he placed her in the tub all parts of her body covered in water except her head which was turning from left to right repeatedly.
Ishtar was at the side with his guards nervously watching ready to rush in .
And before anyone realized he had submerged her head as well in the water.
He didn't know what it was and the thought behind it all but it was just instinct. Now the lord was working through him .
The girl flayed in the water the little she could, bubbles began to rise as water entered her nostrils and Ishtar gasped in shock as he saw him drowning her but he stood nonetheless hoping it would turn into something else.
10 seconds , 15 seconds. The father rushed to stop the man but his guards held him back .
"You're killing her!"
But the emperor ignored his words he would see for himself. He would see the powers of the Lord !!!
Her movements had stopped . The water had become still and as the last breaths of life came at the top of the tub in a single bubble .
The father was balling his eyes out and screaming all sorts of profanities.
And at that he pulled her out and laid her on the thick rug below . He then whispered in her left ear . None knew what he had said to her but at his words the girl had woken up and gazed around the room . Her limbs still rather meager but they could now move freely than its previous disposition . Her face no longer having its look of deformity .
Her father was released and he grabbed her in his arms enveloping her in a hug as if he would never let her go again.
"Father"was the only word she managed to gasp out as the man had pulled her in a hug