A Dragons Dealings

To negotiate with Queen Daenerys Targaryen

Ser Aegor Flameheart

Ser Ryon Flameheart

Ser Barristan Selmy

Grey Worm

Missandei of Naath

Queen Daenerys Targaryen

Slave Masters of Slaver's Bay

Sons of The Harpy

The Unsullied

Drogon

Rhaegal

Viserion

Wielding the sword 'Dawn'

Good relations with House Targaryen of Meereen

## Overview

> *Ian: Ive long since monitored the situation in Essos. We can no longer safely ignore this Daenarys Targaryean. But we shouldn't have to fight her either, if diplomacy is an option.*
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> *Rickard Greywinde: If she really has three bloody dragons I'd prefer diplomacy to our usual method of handling things.*
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Far to the east lies a hope that floats in the mouths of those oppressed by kings and priests. A daughter of ancient fire, silver of hair and violet of eyes. Meereen, once a proud slave city lying under the shadow of the Temple of the Graces has come under the rule of a queen. Daenerys Targaryen and her 8000 Unsullied have taken the city, with the offer of freedom and now wait in the temple, ruling peacefully over Slaver's Bay. Or rather, trying to.'''''

Ser Ian Dayne, born an orphan yet still a son of House Dayne, has asked King Daeron Brightflame for his chance to wield the sword "Dawn," the fabled sword of House Dayne, last wielded by his best friend and brother Arthur Dayne at the Tower of Joy. To receive the honor, first Ser Ian "The Oculus" must prove his worth by completing one final quest, something of great importance. Ser Ian will be sent far to the east with a companion alone, Ser Rickard Greywinde to meet the last of the Targaryens, Daenerys Targaryen and discuss with her an agreement that could lead to the continuity, or potential destruction of House Brightflame.

## The Trip to Mereen

> *Ian: Tyrosh will be a ways from our trip but its better then nothing. The wars wont be making the seas or the land any easier to traverse anytime soon.*
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Ser Ian and Ser Rickard met in Kingslanding and departed by boat from there, the plan was a simple path from there to Volantis stopping on the way a few times for supplies and then making the trip to Mereen to see the situation unfold there. Though many things were never easy especially in times of strife, having just come fresh off the Coup in the Stepstones and the change in power as well as plundering following the Verdant-Lash War piracy had increased and nothing made that more certain then when not too long after there trip into the sea they found themselves attacked by a pirate fleet they couldnt evade or outrun. A battle was inevitable but not one that couldnt be won as the crew and the two knights readied themselves to push out the attackers. Boarded from multiple sides, the crew was outnumbered and slowly being overhwlemed though Ian and Rickard were holding there own well enough, and before any real advantage either way could be made the Brightflame ship was saved by the timely arrival of Stepstone ships patrolling the area attacking the pirates and helping the crew kill off the last of the attackers. The mission could continue but the ship was too badly damaged and with a good chunk of its crew dead not enough to manage the trip Ian had to make due boarding the Darkspear ships and being sent to Bloodstone, a detour to be sure but given what could have happened not an unwelcome one.

To further the bad news Haywin didnt have the time our resources to provide Ian and Rickard a ship from the Stepstones to Volantis, he had his careful relations with Myr and Lys to consider and given how badly relations dropped under the paramouncy of Rhaegon, Haywin was careful not to further dampen relations. Ian understood even if it frustrated him and Haywin was able to offer him a ride to Tyrosh where he could march on from there to Volantis, which the man accepted while also promising to put in a good word for Haywin to the Princess in court next time he appeared. In Tyrosh Rickard set them up with a caravan group making way to the city where the two stayed in good company and kept an eye out for any raiders before making it to the Free City after a long journey. There they were greeted by Dothraki, the city having long since fallen to the ambitious Khal Pono who changed how the city was. While Volantis still allowed plenty of trade and maintained various markets, almost serving as a second Vaes Dothrak, gone was the elections of Triarchs in Volantis and instead Khal Pono had installed himself "*Pono, Khal of Khals, Subjugator of Volantis"*, Ian briefly worried how they would be received but to his surprise the Dothraki were more then willing to let them trade or spend coin for a ship and provided them the means to sail out themselves, though Ian still made a note to keep a closer eye on Khal Pono's forces, feeling hey might be trouble later.

## Meereen Under Siege

> *Daenarys: This Ian Dayne. Tell me about him.*
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> *Aegor: My Queen, Darron Flameheart has told us much about him. A noble and wise man, if he comes this way it isn't to waste your time or deceive you.*
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Meereen was facing a crisis during this time as while Ian wondered of the possibility that The Dragon Queen would attack them in the future, Daenarys Targaryean was busy holding the last bastion of hope for freemen in Slaver's Bay. The Queen had long since declared a war on the practice of slavery an sought to free everyman women and child she could from there chains, a noble but naïve goal. While Queen Daenarys proved herself formidable, coming out of every encounter up to that point victorious and arguably stronger then when she left it, her victories so far had proven short term. Astapor where she gained her Unsullied army and placed a new government to rule it was overthrown from within by a man who made himself King in its stead, Yunkai which she took next and gained the support of some of there sellswords had resorted back to slavery shortly after she left, and then they took back Astapor for the slavemasters. The Slavemasters had long since turned there attention to Meereen where Dany had now taken control of and started to rule herself rather then passing off the reigns to others, Diplomacy was an option but the Queen and many in her court knew it to be a minor fix, The likelihood that they would ever truly allow her to control such land when she had Dragons was slim and even inside the city Sons of the Harpy would terrorize its people where they could. Despite the bleak outlook of a long and bloody siege many inside the city remained resolute and confident they would succeed and Dany herself did her best to stay strong for the city, refusing to let the people she worked so hard to free all be chained again. Thus It was truly a sight to hear something akin to good news after all of it, when House Brightflames messages reached her, telling her of Ian Dayne looking to secure trading negotiations with her. After verifying with people in her court who were likely to know how trustworthy they were, she soon made plans to meet them personally.

The meeting between House Brightflame envoys and the Queen of Meereen started out cordial with Ser Ian lamenting how similar she looked like her brother, and even talking with Barristan before being allowed to relax in proper beds and bathe though the day that followed wasnt as smooth. When Ian began discussing the matters that he dealt with such as offering to trade anything they could for soldiers since the Free Cities had started to refuse to offer them sellswords in light of the poor relations that followed the Sunfyre Rebellion and skirmishes from its effect. Daenarys was hesistant to offer such aide to the people who took the crown that she felt belonged to her but Ian countered how if Dany herself had come to take the Iron Throne he would have happily fought for but she sat back and remained in Essos while her family fought the battle that mattered and Ian flocked to them to avenge the loss of the Targaryeans, he then countered further by decrying that those people were in trouble and Dany's choices were clear, help her family keep the throne that had been taken from them once before, do nothing and potentially let them lose that crown they had spent so much on, or conspire against her family and prove that ultimately she wants the crown for herself. Negotiations ended there that day but soon cooled and gave way for Ian and Dany to talk again later under more peaceful terms with Ian trying to get Dany to see the situation she was in, how the people were trapped in the city as that was the only way they were truly 'free' and even then that freedom came of the result of being under siege and attacked in the city by Harpies. This and further suggestions convinced Dany to reopen the Fighting pits to try and provide entertainment to the people of the city no matter how much she hated doing so.

## The Siege Arrives

> *Daenarys: Id request your assistance in my meeting with the Masters.*
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> *Ian: Well we have been here a couple weeks now, whats two more for us.*
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Before the meeting Ian had made a note of pointing out the halt of the Sons of Harpies activities in conjecture with the rise of Hizdahr zo Loraq a master in Dany's court rise in power and position. Many in the Queen's court also noted this rise and Daenarys made a note of keeping an eye on him in the days to come knowing that if it was true it could decide the outcome of Meereen if left unchecked. When she finally met the Masters they felt like they had already won, were condescending to the Targaryean Queen who was accommodating him and offered terms like they were negotiating a surrender rather then a peace talk. The deaths of her dragons, the permanent re-opening of the fighting pits, reparations to Astapor and Yunkai, and all of this for limited control of her own city of which they made clear Hizdahr would also be in power, if not holding more. The implication was clear that slavery would return in all but name in Meereen and that was on the generous assumption they intended to let Daenarys keep any amount of power and wouldnt just kill her later. Thankfully the Mother of dragons had no intention of agreeing to any of this, and Ian and Rcikard unveiled themselves to show that the only thing they would agree to is the respirations the Masters would pay that day for the actions of there defeat. Shocked by the new demands and Hizdahr's impeding imprisonment the Masters left in a huff determined to take the city by force while there fleet moved in to finally start the final assault on the walls of the city.

Ian lead a small party of himself, Rickard and the Flameheart brothers to the southern part of the city where they witnessed the area being bombarded with artillery and the Sons of Harpies and Yunkai fighters attacking it, fighting alongside the people there and fighting and going from alley to alley they sought to secure the area as best as possible while the battle raged in other areas. Unknown to the party though the fleet getting ready to raize the city was met with some unlikely resistance in the form of an unauthorized reaving party made up of House brightflame soldiers posed as reavers for the sake of plunder who had come to help one of the only holdouts for freedmen. Hitting the front of the assault and derailing most of it while the Queen herself set about one last tactic. Freeing her Dragons from the Pyramid.

Ian was the first to figure out her disappearance was not of one being kidnapped but willingly and followed her trail to the Pyramid where they soon found themselves attacked by more Yunkish soldiers, of which Ian soundly bested there leader a few others before pushing on and finally coming across the Queen, her mission already complete. Though the Slavers were soon finding there battles harder to win they didnt stop and made one last effort to kill the Mother of dragons and break her campaign for good, through a combination of the hard working knights of the Queen, the Brightlfame soldiers, and the reaver party they failed and once the Dragons began to unleash there power the fleets would soon follow. Ser Ian Dayne would have just enough time to take a breathe before a half dead enemy rose up to drive a dagger in his back, injuring him gravely before the Masters made there retreat.

## Aftermath

> *Daenarys: It was your own fault, you failed to check on your defeated foe and he came back to finish the job. Now I'll have to keep you here for a fortnight while your wound heals.*
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> *Ian: Dont lie, you merely seek to keep me here for yourself otherwise youd have me shipped off in a week.*
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Ian's wound prevented him from moving and the Queen offered him time to heal in her palace for his bravery during the siege. Rickard though would leave with the Party which had been outed from within in front of the Queen when she became aware of there true nature. Though she reprimanded them for there deceit and for raiding she ultimately did pay them for there help in the battle before sending them off. Much of what happened after that is mostly down to Ian's words but he mostly attests that he remained in bed slowly trying to walk again and wasnt part of any of the cities restoration though he did hear plenty of the aftermath. Hizdahr was soon arrested and lost his position in the council, the Sons of Harpies remained though less in numbers having banked everything on the success of the siege and lost. Soon there efforts would dwindle until they were silently ended though the exact time was unknown. Though the city remained free and more powerful, it had to slowly repair itself as the damage to it was not insignificant, though Dany's power in Slaver's Bay was uncontested now, none of the Free Cities dared put more resources into trying to take it, Astapor was busy with its own repairs after the reaving and Yunkai had lost too much for too little to decide if such a venture was worth it. Though Dany's dragons had flown off after the siege acting on there own accord and costing the Mother of dragons her dragons, something she did well to keep under wraps, though rumors of wagons and caravans turning up burnt hurt her ability to do so, and leaving the impression she didn't control her children. Still this did nothing to hinder her growth an the city remained uncontested by Essosi forces until sometime later when Tywin Lannister would make an attempt at the city.

Ian Dayne had accomplished his mission and once his wound healed the trade deal he offered was met with Dany offering many Unsullied to his haul, Ian treated them like he would any other man and they would prove there worth in the battles to come. Ian would return having earned his place as the Sword of Mourning wielding Dawn from there on out. Though he would tragically not hold this title for long, in 305 AC he would soon return to Essos on another mission for the crown known as Wrath of Dawn where Ian would die putting a permanent end to the threat that was Tywin Lannister.