𝐂𝐇𝐀𝐏𝐓𝐄𝐑 𝐄𝐈𝐆𝐇𝐓𝐄𝐄𝐍 | The Thirteen

{ Coren }

✧✦✧

𝕯aenerys paced up and down the length of her chambers, gnawing on her thumb. 

"Khaleesi." Coren caught her, sighing as he looked down at the bleeding skin, his own thumb brushing over it tenderly, though he stopped himself swiftly. "Sit. Let me heal this."

"I can not. Not whilst my dragons are missing." Daenerys whispered, bags beneath her eyes and hair a mess.

"I think the dragons would like it if you are not a skeleton of yourself." Coren urged her to a chair, sitting cross legged at her feet as he began to treat the irritated skin gently. "We will find them. Trust us."

"The guards were slaughtered, Irri was murdered. This was supposed to be safe, yet here we are, clearly not safe." Daenerys worried. "How can I guarantee to my people that all is well? How can I stand here and continue to pretend like staying here is beneficial for us?"

"I do not know." Coren was truly out of his depth, more so than ever before. "I am not a politician, or a knight, or the hand of the queen. I've had no formal training, or education. We are the same, Khaleesi. We are both trying our best to do our job well, and that is all we can do."

Daenerys looked down at him, violet eyes wide. 

"You have to do what you feel is right. If you wish to stay and fight for your dragons, then we will do so." Coren nodded. "If you decide we should leave, then we will do so."

"I am not leaving them."

"Then we stay." Coren nodded. "See, that problem is decided and look...your hand is all patched up."

Daenerys looked down at her hand, finding her thumb bandaged tightly to prevent her from picking at the skin. Coren squeezed her hand gently, smiling up at her as Daenerys softened, returning his smile half-heartedly.

"Come, Khaleesi. There is nothing more to do now apart from sleep and eat. We will do the rest tomorrow morning."

"I do not think I can sleep knowing that there is a murderer prowling through this place."

"Then I'll guard you whilst you sleep." Coren stated, standing up and stretching. "You will be comfortable, and I will be awake and protecting."

"You would do that?"

"For you? Of course." Coren bowed his head. "I'll be outside, Khaleesi, making sure no one harms you."

"Thank you." Daenerys smiled, before watching as he left the room, closing the door behind him.

✧✦✧

{ Daenerys }

Even walking through the gardens, that had at one point brought her some joy, left Daenerys anxious. She did not enjoy this, the waiting around and the tension in the air.

"I've demanded a meeting of the Thirteen. One of them did this or knows who did." Xaro spoke softly, as he always did, but it did not make Daenerys feel any better.

"You are one of the Thirteen."

"If I wanted your dragons, I would have taken them. They mean nothing to me on their own." 

"Nothing?" Daenerys scoffed at the notion. Dragons had not walked this earth in years, and now she had hers. They were not nothing. "They're more valuable than anything in the world."

"Shall we look inside my vault and see what selling your dragons would buy me I cannot buy already?" Xaro looked down at her, cocking an eyebrow. "We will get them back."

"There is no we." Daenerys reaffirmed. They were not married, or lovers, nor was he loyal to her. This was not a joint venture. "So why would you help me get them back?"

"I took you under my protection in front of the rulers of my city. A man is what others say he is and no more." She should have known that men would only ever do what they pleased if it was for the good of themselves and no one else. "If they say that Xaro Xhoan Daxos is a liar, my word is worth nothing. I cannot let this thing happen to you under my roof."

"But, it did happen under your roof." The ten and eight year old shook her head. "It happened in your home."

"Khaleesi, many times in my life, I have been-"

"I do not care where you've been." Daenerys cut him off, turning to walk up the stairs and back to her apartments, safe in the knowledge that her Dothraki would protect her, and if not them, then Coren.

When she entered her rooms, Coren was already waiting, standing with another. Ser Jorah had returned from attempting to find her a ship, his armour dusty as he spoke with Coren. The man was nodding his head, before both turned at the sight of her.

"You returned."

"As soon as I heard. Do you know anything?" Jorah turned away from the younger warrior to face her. "Coren has not been able to provide much insight."

"I did not know what you wished to tell him." Coren corrected, hanging back slightly, his arms folded across his chest.

"Irri is dead."

"I know. She was a good-"

"She's dead. She died alone." Daenerys cut him off. She did not want to hear how she was good and kind, all of which was known. "She died for me and I couldn't protect her."

That was what stung the most. She had failed her friend.

"Doreah?"

"We can't find her." Daenerys turned, catching Coren's eyes as the man nodded. "She must be dead, too. I led my people out of the Red Waste and into the slaughterhouse."

"I should have been here."

"You went to find me a ship." Daenerys waved him off. She had given him a task and he had been completing it.

"My place is by your side. I shouldn't have left you alone with these people."

"'These people'?"

"They are not to be trusted." Jorah confirmed.

"And who is to be trusted? Who are my people? The Targaryens?" She scoffed at the notion. "I only knew one, my brother, and he would have let a thousand men rape me if it had got him the crown. The Dothraki? Most of them turned on me the day that Khal Drogo fell from his horse."

"Your people are in Westeros." Coren was remaining silent at this conversation, merely watching and waiting.

"The people in Westeros do not know that I am even alive."

"They will soon enough."

"And then what? They'll pray for my return?" Daenerys could have laughed at that. "They'll wave dragon banners and shout my name? That's what my brother believed and he was a fool."

She caught sight of Coren's lips tilting up in a quick smirk, though it was gone just as swiftly as it came.

"Trust me, Khaleesi." Her attention snapped back to Jorah, eyes narrowing.

"There it is. 'Trust me.' And it's you I should trust, Ser Jorah? Only you? I don't need trust any longer. I don't want it and I don't have room for it." She hissed, as Jorah stepped forward, reaching for her.

"You are too young to be so-" His hands reached out, and Daenerys stepped back at the same time that Coren finally moved to intervene.

"And you are too familiar." Daenerys hissed, holding a warning hand out to Coren, to stop him from stepping in. Despite the man having known Jorah for far longer than he had her, Daenerys had a feeling that Coren would not hesitate to stand with her, between the pair, should Jorah reach for her again.

"Forgive me, Khaleesi. No one can survive in this world without help." Jorah tried to explain. "No one. Let me help you, please. Tell me how."

"Find my dragons." Jorah nodded, bowing and leaving the room as Coren watched him go. He paused, turning to look at her with a cocked eyebrows.

"Khaleesi."

"Just..." Daenerys trailed off. "Not now, Coren. I do not wish for an argument, with you or anyone else."

"I was merely about to say that I will be guarding outside if you wish for me to do so." Daenerys sighed, sinking in her seat as Coren hovered close by. "We shall get the dragons back, Khaleesi. Have faith."

"That is hard when it feels as if everything is against you."

"Only at the moment." Coren replied. "It is a bad thing, yes, but you have to hold some form of hope that we will get them back, that we will leave this cursed city and return to Westeros."

"Do you have hope to return to Westeros? To your family and home?"

"I have no family there." Coren shrugged, "and I am sure that my home was razed to the ground after the rebellion. But there is hope for a new life, for different things, for a new home and a new family. There is always hope."

"You are too optimistic."

"And you are too pessimistic." Coren shot back, causing Daenerys to turn and look at him with narrowed eyes.

"I am realistic."

"That is what all pessimists say." Coren joked, before shaking his head. "I shall be outside. Should you need me, ask."

Hiya,

So, Coren and Dany are actually really sweet and he's just always there when she needs. Also, it's confirmed that even though Jorah practically raised Coren, Coren would choose Dany over him because of his loyalty. Anyway.

Let me know what you think,

Love Li xx