Dany did not turn. She could not bear to look at
him just now. If she did, she might well slap him again. Or cry. Or kiss him. And never know which was right and which was wrong and which was madness. “Say what
you will, ser.” “When Aegon the Dragon stepped ashore in Westeros , the kings of Vale and Rock and Reach did not rush to hand him their crowns. If you mean to sit
his Iron Throne, you must win it as he did, with steel and dragonfire. And that will mean blood on your hands before the thing is done.” Blood and fire, thought
Dany. The words of House Targaryen. She had known them all her life. “The blood of my enemies I will shed gladly. The blood of innocents is another matter. Eight
thousand Unsullied they would offer me. Eight thousand dead babes. Eight thousand strangled dogs.” “Your Grace,” said Jorah Mormont, “I saw King’s Landing after
the Sack. Babes were butchered that day as well, and old men, and children at play. More women were raped than you can count. There is a savage beast in every man,
and when you hand that man a sword or spear and send him forth to war, the beast stirs. The scent of blood is all it takes to wake him. Yet I have never heard of
these Unsullied raping, nor putting a city to the sword, nor even plundering, save at the express command of those who lead them. Brick they may be, as you say, but
if you buy them henceforth the only dogs they’ll kill are those you want dead. And you do have some dogs you want dead, as I recall.” The Usurper’s dogs. “Yes.”
Dany gazed off at the soft colored lights and let the cool salt breeze caress her. “You speak of sacking cities. Answer me this, ser - why have the Dothraki never
sacked this city?” She pointed. “Look at the walls. You can see where they’ve begun to crumble. There, and there. Do you see any guards on those towers? I don’t.
Are they hiding, ser? I saw these sons of the harpy today, warriors. They dressed in linen skirts, and the fiercest thing about them was
their hair. Even a modest khalasar could crack this Astapor like a nut and spill out the rotted meat inside. So tell me, why is that ugly harpy not sitting beside
the godsway in Vaes Dothrak among the other stolen gods?” “You have a dragon’s eye, Khaleesi, that’s plain to see.” “I wanted an answer, not a compliment.”
“There are two reasons. Astapor’s brave defenders are so much chaff, it’s true. Old names and fat purses who dress up as Ghiscari scourges to pretend they still
rule a vast empire. Every one is a high officer. On feastdays they fight mock wars in the pits to demonstrate what brilliant commanders they are, but it’s the
eunuchs who do the dying. All the same, any enemy wanting to sack Astapor would have to know that they’d be facing Unsullied. The slavers would turn out the whole
garrison in the city’s defense. The Dothraki have not ridden against Unsullied since they left their braids at the gates of Qohor.” “And the second reason?” Dany
asked. “Who would attack Astapor?” Ser Jorah asked reenex facial.