Although the attack by the red priestess brought tension and upheaval, it did not slow Kerse's plans. Now that his second son had been born, it was time to continue advancing with his next move.
When his Bloodriders learned of his intentions, they said nothing and did not openly object, yet it did not seem wise to them.
One of them could not help but step forward to advise him:
"Blood of my blood, at present we have only a small number of warriors. The rest are elders, the weak, women, and children—fewer than four hundred in total. If we recklessly set out to trample great and wealthy city-states such as Qarth, Meereen, and Yunkai, we will only be annihilated or enslaved by others."
Standing among them, Kerse made no comment. He understood their concerns well, but he already had a plan. He intended to go to Astapor and purchase slaves, though he had no intention of explaining that.
The arrival of more anomalies—such as time travelers and red priests—had forced him to change his original plan of waiting for the birth of his child and Daenerys's. He had decided to move forward at once.
He offered no further words and ordered wine to be brought and a celebration to be held, to ease the soldiers' spirits.
Meanwhile, Ser Jorah Mormont, taking advantage of the fact that Rhaenys had withdrawn from the feast to sleep beside her newborn, leaving Daenerys alone, could not resist approaching. He listened to the soft sound of the khaleesi's voice as she voiced her grievances.
She spoke of the Usurper's death, of Westeros falling into ruin, and of how she did not understand why the red priests were seeking her.
Daenerys noticed Jorah's approach but paid him no mind.
The exiled knight sat before her. She remembered Kerse's warning—that she should be wary of him, that he might harbor other thoughts about her. And, deep down, she herself had sensed it.
Yet she felt no romantic affection for the bald man who was twice her age, old enough to be her grandfather, whose eyes filled with desire whenever he looked at her. She treated him only as another loyal subordinate.
Whether Jorah knew her true opinion of him or not remained uncertain.
In his heart, he thought, 'As long as Kerse lives, neither Daenerys nor her feelings will ever be free.' And that was what troubled him.
He believed that wild man was not worthy of someone like Daenerys—nor even of Rhaenys, if she too proved to be a Targaryen.
Jorah had previously overheard Kerse's plan when he shared it with Daenerys and Rhaenys. It was not that Kerse had bothered to conceal it; he simply did not care if Jorah listened. The plan was to go to Slaver's Bay. Seeking to start a conversation, Jorah chose a different subject and asked:
"Khaleesi, have you ever heard the legendary tale of the three thousand Unsullied who defended Qohor, one of the nine great Free Cities?"
Daenerys looked mildly surprised and replied,
"No, I have not."
Jorah's expression grew reverent.
"More than four hundred years ago, a powerful khal named Temo, commanding nearly thirty thousand Dothraki warriors with bells braided into their hair, rode forth from the east into Slaver's Bay, pillaging and slaughtering every village in his path. He approached the magnificent city of Qohor—then counted among the three greatest Free Cities—with overwhelming force. Khal Temo defeated the Bright Banners and the Second Sons, two great mercenary companies that defended the city. Facing invasion, the Qohorik burned their ships and hastily purchased three thousand Unsullied, whom they had once despised."
The mounted warriors did not take the eunuch army seriously either. When more than twenty thousand riders charged, the Unsullied merely raised their shields, lowered their spears, and stood unmoving like mountains.
The Dothraki charged nearly twenty times, yet against the wall of shields and the razor-sharp spears of the Unsullied—spears that seemed an extension of their own bodies—they broke like waves against stone. Under a rain of arrows, the Unsullied simply lifted their shields above their heads, fearless of death. By the battle's end, little more than six hundred of the original three thousand remained alive, yet more than ten thousand mounted warriors lay dead upon the field—including Khal Temo and all the leaders of his khalasar.
The Dothraki respect strength. The new khal ordered the surviving warriors to cut off their braids and cast them before those brave fighters. From that day on, the loyal Unsullied became renowned and the first choice of the powerful when purchasing slaves.
Daenerys, who had never paid attention to such tales before, could not help but ask,
"Is that truly so?"
Jorah nodded.
"It is, Khaleesi. Anyone who studies the history of the Free Cities knows this."
Those words stirred even greater admiration in Daenerys for her husband.
"It seems my husband is a man of foresight. If we possessed an Unsullied army such as you describe, those cursed rebels would surely tremble."
"Precisely. Khal Kerse is fit to be a conqueror."
"Well, I am glad to hear that you too admire my husband. I will retire now to rest."
She gently stroked her swollen belly as she spoke.
Jorah watched her depart. He was on the verge of speaking, but the words caught in his throat, and all he could do was stand there and watch her walk away.