Chapter 229: Purchasing the Estate
Daenerys no longer needed lavish banquets to form relationships with nobles and merchants. Before the feast even began, she had instructed Daren not to invite too many guests.
The only reason she allowed outsiders to attend at all was to help Daren and Hizdahr strengthen Slaver's Bay's commercial ties. Otherwise, there was no need for her, as Empress, to lower herself by entertaining them.
Throughout the banquet, every guest regarded the chance to raise a toast with Daenerys as an honor.
Most merely offered a brief greeting before respectfully stepping aside.
They knew the gap in status between themselves and the Empress was simply too great, and none dared engage her in lengthy conversation.
Instead, they admired her elegant beauty from nearby while quietly observing the extraordinary black dragon perched upon her shoulder.
After the banquet, Daenerys spent the following day touring Meereen, making a public appearance before continuing on to Yunkai and Astapor, faithfully carrying out her inspection of Slaver's Bay.
After spending three days throughout the region, they resumed their eastward journey.
Flying over New Ghis, they made a brief show of their presence before crossing the barren crimson wastelands.
By afternoon, they arrived at Qarth, the greatest port city upon the Summer Sea.
For Daenerys, this city carried memories that were both precious and humiliating.
It was here that Drogon had truly ascended to godhood.
It was also where her own rise had truly begun, when she first acquired five great ships.
Returning to this place once more filled her heart with emotion.
She instructed Drogon to locate the estate where they had once stayed in Qarth and land there.
The instant Drogon appeared above the city, panic erupted below.
His wings, now spanning nearly two hundred meters, blotted out part of the sky.
The people of Qarth had never seen a creature of such unimaginable size.
Many believed the colossal dragon was about to swoop down and devour them.
Panic spread instantly as people fled in every direction.
After circling over much of the city, Drogon finally located the old estate.
Aside from the entrance gate and surrounding wall—both of which he himself had burned down years ago—the property had changed very little.
The courtyard was far too small for a dragon of his size to land.
Hovering above the road outside the estate, Drogon activated his transformation.
The moment Daenerys began falling from his back due to the sudden loss of size, he extended a hind claw toward her.
She grabbed hold, allowing the now much smaller Drogon to lower her gently to the ground.
Witnessing the enormous dragon shrink before their eyes—and seeing Daenerys descend in such an unusual fashion—the citizens of Qarth stared with wide eyes.
Many forgot to keep running.
Perhaps, instinctively, they no longer found the tiny dragon quite so terrifying.
Among the crowd, some found the miniature Drogon strangely familiar.
Then, memories from years ago suddenly surfaced.
A young black dragon, accompanied by two hatchlings, had incinerated every Qartheen warrior who had invaded this very estate, reducing them to charred corpses.
Looking from Drogon to the green dragon still soaring overhead, they immediately understood.
Those three little dragons...
Had all grown up.
Ignoring the curious stares surrounding them, Daenerys walked to the estate's gate and knocked.
The people inside had long since spotted the immense dragon in the sky.
They had merely been watching the spectacle from within, never imagining the black dragon and the woman riding upon it would actually come to their door.
The gate slowly opened.
A clean-shaven, fair-faced man in his forties looked nervously at Daenerys and the tiny Drogon perched on her shoulder.
Stammering, he asked,
"Y-Your Grace... H-how may I serve you?"
"I wish to purchase this estate."
"How many honors?"
The steward blinked in surprise.
He had never expected the mysterious woman to knock on his gate simply to buy the property.
"This estate belongs to my master, one of the Pureborn," he replied after a moment's hesitation.
"I don't have the authority to sell it. I'll have to seek his permission before I can give you an answer."
"Which Pureborn?" Daenerys asked, recalling her experiences in Qarth years before.
"Hal Ludar Groso."
"So it's him..."
Daenerys murmured softly, a look of recognition crossing her face.
Hal was none other than the plump Spice King who had refused Daenerys and her small khalasar entry into Qarth years ago.
After Xaro Xhoan Daxos died, his vast fortune had been divided among the remaining Pureborn and the royal families. This estate had eventually fallen into Hal's possession.
"Send word to him immediately," Daenerys said coolly after learning whose property it was. "Tell him I intend to purchase this estate."
Sensing the edge in her tone, the steward's heart skipped a beat.
He was just about to agree when he suddenly noticed a rotund figure hurrying anxiously toward the gate.
Who else could it be but Hal himself?
Following the steward's gaze, Daenerys turned around and met Hal's frightened eyes.
"Lord Hal," she greeted him with a faint smile. "It's been a long time."
"Y-You... you're Daenerys?"
Hal's chubby face quivered as he looked from her to Drogon perched upon her shoulder.
"I am."
"Y-Your Imperial Majesty..." Hal immediately bowed deeply. "Qarth welcomes your arrival."
As one of Qarth's Spice Kings, Hal was naturally well informed about events across the Narrow Sea.
He knew that Daenerys had conquered Slaver's Bay, commanded the black dragon to reduce New and Old Ghis to ashes, united Westeros, subdued the Nine Free Cities, and forged an empire even larger than the ancient Valyrian Freehold at its height.
Now she had arrived with her dragons.
How could he possibly dare show the slightest disrespect?
"I wish to purchase this estate," Daenerys said directly, wasting no time on pleasantries. "Name your price."
"You... wish to buy this estate?"
Hal was momentarily puzzled before suddenly remembering that Daenerys had once lived here.
His heart instantly filled with regret.
Of all the properties left behind by Xaro, why had he chosen this one?
Now that Daenerys had come personally, he could only surrender it.
He remembered all too clearly how she had left Qarth.
Although the royal families and the remaining Pureborn had been intimidated by Drogon's power and dared not attack her openly, they had refused to let her take most of Xaro's fortune.
They had allowed her to leave with only five ships.
In truth, Daenerys had been forced out of Qarth under pressure from both the royal houses and the Pureborn.
Now she wanted nothing more than this modest estate.
How could Hal possibly charge her for it?
"Your Majesty," Hal said respectfully, "if this estate has caught your eye, then let it serve as a gift to commemorate your return. It is yours, free of charge. You needn't pay even a single copper."
His generosity pleased Daenerys.
Although Hal had once denied her entry into Qarth, he had never schemed against her the way Hizdahr and the warlocks had.
She disliked the man, certainly—but she bore him little true resentment.
Even so, she had no intention of accepting the estate as a gift.
She no longer lacked wealth and had no desire to owe Hal even the smallest favor.
"I won't take it for free," she said firmly. "Name a fair price."
Hal's heart tightened.
Judging by her expression, insisting on gifting it to her would accomplish nothing.
After a brief moment of thought, he cautiously replied,
"Then... one hundred Gold Dragons—and the estate is yours immediately."
A hundred Gold Dragons wasn't even enough to cover the original construction costs of the estate, let alone the repeated renovations and years of maintenance.
For all practical purposes, it was still little different from giving it away.