𝐂𝐇𝐀𝐏𝐓𝐄𝐑 𝐓𝐖𝐄𝐍𝐓𝐘-𝐒𝐈𝐗 | Bargaining

{ Coren }

✧✦✧

𝕿he first time that Coren saw Daenerys after they kissed, neither of them could look each other in the eyes. Coren could only hope that to all everyone else around them, no one could see their slightly flushed cheeks, or, if they did, they thought that perhaps the sun had burned the two pale Westerosi.

Coren had settled into his place on her right, muttering a quick 'Khaleesi' and bowing his head as he tried to ignore the way her eyes traced his face. When he looked up to her, she looked down and so, that was the game they would play.

They continued this game until they reached the walk of punishments, where both sobered up and tensed. A series of tortured slaves were bound to crucifixes that lined the walkway.

"The Walk of Punishment is a warning, Your Grace." Ser Barristan pointed out as Coren forced Jorah to stand behind Daenerys so that he could remain on her right.

"To whom?"

"To any slave who contemplates doing whatever these slavers did." Ser Barristan replied, as Daenerys held her hand out to Coren. He looked at it blankly for a moment, before placing his water skin into her hand. He knew that any sentence that he uttered, she would choose to ignore. Once she had set her mind to it, she had her way. 

Daenerys stepped up to one of the many bloodied slaves, offering him a drink, but he refused, turning his head away. She tried again, yet still, nothing.

"Leave this place, Your Grace. Leave tonight, I beg you." Jorah and Ser Barristan continued to argue behind the pair as Coren turned to Daenerys, fighting down a blush. 

"Khaleesi..." He helped her down, as she looked at the man.

"I do not understand, he will not drink..."

"He is most likely worried that he will be punished more if he does." Coren pointed out, before both of them realised that he was still holding her hand, looking away from each other and blushing bright red as they did.

"Khaleesi, you must have blood on your hands if you dream of reclaiming the Iron Throne."

"The blood of my enemies, not the blood of innocents." Daenerys snapped back as they continued to walk.

"How many wars have you fought in, Ser Barristan?" Ser Jorah questioned.

"Three." 

"Have you ever seen a war where innocents didn't die by the thousands?" Jorah questioned once more as the older man shook his head. Coren could sense a lecture coming on, in fact, he could feel it in his bones and it had him rolling his eyes at the thought of it. "I was in King's Landing after the sack, Khaleesi. You know what I saw? Butchery. Babies, children, old men. More women raped than you can count. There's a beast in every man and it stirs when you put a sword in his hand. But the Unsullied are not men. They do not rape. They do not put cities to the sword unless they're ordered to do so. If you buy them, the only men they'll kill are those you want dead."

Ser Barristan scoffed.

"You disagree, Ser Barristan?"

"When your brother Rhaegar led his army into battle at the Trident, men died for him because they believed in him, because they loved him," Ser Barristan glared at Jorah as Coren rolled his shoulders out and sighed. This was going to be long if the pair could not stop arguing with one another. "Not because they'd been bought at a slaver's auction. I fought beside the last dragon on that day, Your Grace. I bled beside him."

"Rhaegar fought valiantly, Rhaegar fought nobly, and Rhaegar died." Jorah deadpanned as Coren fought a laugh. He had not expected Jorah to say such a thing.

"Did you know him well, Ser Barristan?" Daenerys questioned.

"I did, Your Grace. Finest man I ever met." Daenerys smiled and nodded.

"I wish I had known him. But he was not the last dragon." She took a deep breath. "Coren, your thoughts."

"I have not fought in wars or with Rhaegar, I am not sure my opinion holds any weight here." He conceded, his hands holding onto his armor as Daenerys turned to him with a sharp look. "What?"

"Coren, you promised to always give me your opinion and be truthful, so..."

"Then buy them." Coren shrugged. "We need soldiers, that is true. If they reduce the death of innocents, even better. Do it."

They approached a round structure, with a golden winged statue crouched atop it. Daenerys nodded at Coren, before turning and striding in. Ser Barristan and Jorah both watched the man, who turned and shrugged.

"What?"

"The queen trusts your opinion above all else?" Ser Barristan's eyebrow furrowed. "Why?"

"Because, just like her, I am also stripped from my homeland and she trusts that my intentions are always to go home and stay true to her. Everyone else's intentions are always shrouded a little more in mystery." Coren pointed out, resting his hand on his sword as both older men tensed. "Come on. We can't leave her waiting."

✧✦✧

"All? Did this one's ears mishear, Your Grace?" Missandei looked stunned when Daenerys told her what they wanted to do. 

"They did not. I want to buy them all." Something was said in High Valyrian as Coren's eyes narrowed. They were most definitely insulting them, Kraznys' tone gave it all away and there was another man their too, who was nodding his head like he agreed. Coren would like to kill them both.

"There are eight thousand Unsullied in Astapor. Is this what you mean by all?"

"Yes." Daenerys nodded as Coren looked around, examining the guards, their weapons and the likely escape routes. "Eight thousand. The ones in training as well."

The other one spoke, not Kraznys.

"Master Greizhen says they cannot sell half-trained boys. If they fail on the battlefield, they will bring shame upon all of Astapor." Missandei translated.

"I will have them all or take none. Many will fall in battle." Coren turned back to watch Daenerys, who looked in her element, violet eyes narrowed. "I'll need the boys to pick up the swords they drop."

Kraznys spat something, him and Missandei going back and forth as they told Daenerys and the others of the price and what her ship and gold would afford. Kraznys also mentioned the Dothraki and Coren wondered how soon it would be until he was also named as one of the prices for the Unsullied. He doubted that Daenerys would value an Unsullied swordsman over him though.

"Master Kraznys asks how you propose to pay for the remaining 7, 877 Unsullied." Missandei finished as Daenerys took a moment of pause. Coren watched her, also wondering how they were going to pay for this, or would they take the Unsullied they could get, free the others and then take all. That plan would be fun.

Maybe he could kill Kraznys and the other one.

"I have dragons. I'll give you one." Whatever Coren had been expecting, that was not it. Everyone was stunned for a moment, before Jorah and Ser Barristan began to clamour over each other. Coren could barely find his words for the moment.

"Khaleesi-" She only turned to look at him. "What-"

"Three dragons." Kraznys stood.

"One." 

"Two."

"One." The master spoke for a moment.

"They want the biggest one." Coren's heart sank. Not Falkor. They couldn't mean Falkor.

"Khaleesi." Coren tried again, stepping slightly closer as he hushed his voice to a whisper so that Missandei and the others couldn't hear. "Please, not Falkor. He is trained. You need a war dragon, a trained dragon. Do not give Falkor to them."

"I am not sending Falkor." Daenerys shot back quickly, eyes narrowed in anger.

Coren let out a sigh, stepping back as Daenerys turned towards the front.

"Done."

"Done." Kraznys confirmed as Daenerys turned to Missandei. "I'll take you as well, now. You'll be Master Kraznys' gift to me. A token of a bargain well struck."

Master Kraznys agreed as Daenerys turned on her heel and strode out. Coren hung back for a moment, knowing that she was annoyed with him for questioning her in front of everyone but he had to be sure that Falkor was safe and protected. He didn't want to risk losing the dragon.

✧✦✧

Daenerys did not speak to Coren until later that evening, where she summoned him to speak with her. Reluctantly, Coren left Falkor's side, dragging his feet as he went to the tent, as if he were a naughty child about to be chided by his mother.

As he reached the tent, he sent out a small prayer than Daenerys was not going to set Drogon on him, before entering and bowing.

"Khaleesi."

"You question me in front of everyone?" She was on her feet in an instant as Coren winced. "Coren, I already have little respect because I am a woman and then you undermine it by questioning me in front of all of them!"

"I did not mean it like that, I did not think-"

"You did not think?" Daenerys growled. "I am trying to make sure that we have soldiers. I cannot have you, Ser Barristan and Jorah questioning me simultaneously. It does not look good."

"I understand-"

"Them, I can bare with because sharp words lodge in their heads and they listen. You, that would not work with you because you do not listen."

"Now, that's a bit harsh. I do listen to you." Coren began to argue back, trying to explain to the small woman. "You asked me to be truthful, I was being truthful."

"It could have waited until we were back at camp."

"What? When the deal was struck? What good would that have done?" Coren cocked an eyebrow. "You would have already sold Falkor!"

"I am not selling the dragon, Coren. I am not selling either of them." The words took a moment to register as Coren's eyes narrowed before he pointed at her.

"You've been plotting."

"What? No!" Daenerys denied. "I don't know what you are talking about. Never do that again, Coren. I mean it."

"Again, I was panicking and I did not think."

"You never seem to do."

"That's rich coming from you."

"What's that supposed to mean?" Daenerys swung around to glare at him as Coren realised that he might have dug himself a grave to die in. He threw the only words back at her that would keep her from killing him, hopefully.

"You kissed me without thinking that through." Both of them blushed, but Coren remained steadfast. "Thus, neither of us think before we do things."

"Who's to say I didn't think before I kissed you?"

"Thinking about it moments before it happens doesn't count."

"You insufferable, annoying, foolish..."

"Handsome?" Coren suggested as Daenerys tried not to launch something at him. She got closer, prodding him in the chest.

"You are a prat!" She hissed, prodding him to emphasise each word. "We came here to talk about you undermining me, not the kiss."

"Or maybe you were trying to get me alone to kiss me again." Coren teased, starting to grin as Daenerys' eyebrows furrowed.

"Get out!" She smacked his chest as he began to laugh, backing off. "You have grown far too egotistical, you prat. Get out!"

Coren stepped backwards, before bowing as she rolled her eyes and glared. Whilst she was distracted, Coren caught her hand and kissed it, revelling in the way she froze and blushed, eyes wide as she watched him.

"Khaleesi." He beamed, before standing up and turning away. A pillow smacked him in the back of the head as he tripped and laughed.

"Coren!" His name was followed by a scream of annoyance as Coren hurried away, still laughing.

Hiya,

So, basically with the rest of this chapter going on, Coren lost his confidence when he first saw her and then got it back in the second half of the chapter and decided to annoy her with it. I do love their little convo/argument and how much they both blush whenever they see each other. Also, Coren is so much fun and I love him annoying her. I just like that both of them get to be children with each other.

Let me know what you think,

Love Li xx