The road south stretched before them without end.
Four horses made their way through the trees, while the rustling of autumn leaves followed them like an endless whisper. None of them knew exactly where this journey would take them.
They had left Winterfell only a few days ago, yet something within the four of them had changed.
Perhaps because, for the first time, they were not moving according to the wishes of their fathers, kings, or families.
They were moving because they had chosen to.
Tristan rode at the front on his black horse, with Jon beside him.
A little behind them was Tyrion, who seemed to have decided that the entire journey was an opportunity to complain.
Arya, meanwhile, kept moving between them, as if sitting quietly on a horse were somehow beneath her.
Tyrion suddenly said:
"I have a question."
Jon did not turn around.
"You have many questions."
"And that is one of the greatest reasons I'm still alive."
Arya turned toward him.
"What's your question?"
Tyrion looked at Jon.
"I want to know what we're going to call you now."
Jon fell silent.
Then he looked at Tristan.
"What do you mean?"
Tyrion said:
"You said your real name is Aegon Targaryen."
Jon did not answer immediately.
He kept staring at the road.
The name "Jon Snow" had been with him his entire life.
It was the name he had carried as a child.
The name he had heard from Ned.
The name he had sometimes hated, and sometimes desperately clung to.
But now…
He knew the truth.
He was not Ned Stark's bastard son.
He was not merely Jon Snow.
He was the son of Rhaegar Targaryen and Lyanna Stark.
He was a Targaryen.
Jon finally said:
"Jon Snow died in Winterfell."
Arya stopped moving for a moment.
Tyrion looked at him with interest.
Tristan said nothing.
Jon continued:
"I no longer want to live as the man I used to be."
Arya asked:
"Do you mean you no longer want to be my brother?"
Jon quickly looked at her.
"No."
He smiled faintly.
"You're my sister. Robb is my brother. Sansa is too."
Then he turned his eyes back toward the road.
"But I don't want to keep running from the truth of who I am."
Tyrion asked:
"Then?"
Jon said:
"Aegon."
Silence fell.
Then he continued:
"From now on, I want to learn how to live as Aegon Targaryen."
Tristan looked at him.
"Does that mean you want the throne?"
Jon shook his head.
"No."
Then he added:
"Being a Targaryen doesn't mean I want to be king."
Tristan smiled.
"Good answer."
Tyrion said:
"Excellent. Because I don't think the world can handle two mad Targaryens."
Tristan looked at him.
"Who said I was mad?"
Tyrion smiled.
"I didn't say you were mad."
"But…"
"I said the world can't handle two."
Arya laughed.
Even Jon smiled.
But the laughter did not last long.
Tyrion suddenly became quiet.
He stared at the road ahead.
There was something else weighing heavily on his mind.
Tristan noticed.
"You're still thinking about her."
Tyrion raised his eyes.
"Tysha?"
"Yes."
Tyrion remained silent for several moments.
Then he said:
"I hated her."
Jon said:
"Because you thought she betrayed you."
"I thought she loved me."
His voice was quieter now.
"Then Jaime told me she was nothing more than a whore Father had hired."
He clenched his fist.
"I believed it for years."
No one said anything.
He continued:
"And now I've learned that everything was a lie."
He raised his head.
Anger was visible in his eyes.
"And the worst part?"
"What?" Arya asked.
He looked at her.
"The person who lied to me wasn't only Tywin."
Silence.
"It was Jaime."
He took a slow breath.
Then laughed.
But it was not a happy laugh.
"My dear brother."
He said it with bitter sarcasm.
"The great knight."
Then his voice became sharper.
"That lying bastard."
Arya looked at him in surprise.
She was not used to hearing Tyrion speak like that.
He said:
"Do you know what secrets like this do to a person?"
She shook her head.
"They make you question everything."
Jon interrupted:
"Tyrion…"
"No."
He raised a hand.
"Let me speak."
Then he looked at Arya.
"Your father knows that Jaime pushed Bran."
Arya's expression changed.
"What?"
Tristan gave Tyrion a quick glance.
Jon said:
"We didn't tell her that."
Tyrion replied:
"She should have known."
Arya looked between them.
"What are you talking about?"
Tyrion said:
"Before I left Winterfell, I thought my family was terrible."
He laughed bitterly.
"Now I realize I was being optimistic."
Then he began explaining everything to her.
He told her what Jaime had done.
He told her how Jaime had tried to kill Bran.
He told her about Jaime and Cersei's secret relationship.
And he told her that Robert's children were not truly Robert's children.
Arya stared at him.
"So… Joffrey isn't Robert's son?"
Tyrion said:
"No."
"And Myrcella?"
"No."
"And Tommen?"
"No."
Then he said:
"They're all Jaime's children."
Arya remained silent for a long time.
Then she asked:
"Is that why Cersei hated you?"
Tyrion laughed.
"Cersei hated me long before she knew why she hated me."
Then his voice dropped.
"But now…"
He looked toward the horizon.
"Now I hate them."
Jon said:
"Tyrion."
But Tyrion continued:
"Tywin."
"Cersei."
"Jaime."
"Joffrey."
Then he said:
"I want to burn everything."
Arya looked at him.
"Everything?"
"The Seven Kingdoms."
He said it clearly.
"I want to see King's Landing burn."
Tristan did not interrupt him.
Tyrion continued:
"I want to see the Iron Throne melt."
Then he smiled darkly.
"And I want to see Father's face when he realizes that the son he despised his entire life was the one who helped destroy everything he built."
Jon asked:
"What about Jaime?"
Tyrion froze for a moment.
Then answered:
"Jaime too."
There was no laughter this time.
"Even Jaime."
Arya looked at him.
"But you love him."
Silence.
That question hurt more than any insult could have.
Tyrion finally said:
"I loved him."
Then he swallowed.
"Perhaps I still do."
He lowered his eyes.
"And that's what makes it worse."
Tristan said:
"Don't make a decision right now."
Tyrion looked at him.
"I'm not saying I'll return tomorrow and burn King's Landing."
"But?"
"I'm saying I no longer owe them anything."
Then he looked at Tristan.
"And you?"
"What about me?"
"You're a Targaryen."
Tristan answered:
"Yes."
"And you don't want the throne."
"Not now."
Tyrion smiled.
"Then perhaps this is the best thing that's ever happened to me."
Jon asked:
"Why?"
"Because for the first time, I know three men who don't want to become kings."
Arya said:
"I don't want to be queen."
Tyrion looked at her.
"You're not even fit to be a princess."
Arya raised an eyebrow.
"What did you say?"
"I said you're not fit…"
Before he could finish, Arya's hand moved toward the hilt of her sword.
Tyrion immediately raised both hands.
"I was joking!"
Jon laughed.
Even Tristan smiled.
After several more hours of traveling…
The sea appeared.
The four of them stopped.
The endless stretch of water was unlike anything they had known in the North.
Arya said:
"Is that the sea?"
Tyrion replied:
"No, it's a very small pond."
Arya punched him lightly in the shoulder.
He laughed.
They reached a small port and rented a ship.
At first, they had no particular destination in mind.
But Tristan had already made a decision.
He told them:
"We're going to Essos."
Jon asked:
"Where exactly?"
Tristan opened a map.
"Astapor."
Tyrion looked at him.
"The city of slaves."
"Yes."
"Why?"
Tristan smiled.
"Because I need an army."
Astapor
Weeks passed.
At last, the city appeared before them.
Massive red walls.
Ancient towers.
A banner bearing the symbol of the Harpy.
Astapor, the city famous for selling Unsullied soldiers.
The city itself was ancient, but it remained one of the most dangerous centers of the slave trade in Slaver's Bay.
Tristan stared at it from the deck of the ship.
Tyrion said:
"I already hate this city."
Jon said:
"So do I."
Arya was staring at the walls.
"How many soldiers are there?"
Tristan said:
"I don't know."
Then he smiled.
"But I know what we came here for."
The four of them entered the city.
It did not take long to find the Unsullied brokers.
The men stared at them.
When they saw Tristan, they initially assumed he was simply another nobleman from Westeros.
One of the brokers asked:
"How many do you want?"
Tristan replied:
"Ten thousand."
The man laughed.
"Ten thousand?"
"Yes."
"Do you know how much that would cost?"
Tristan said:
"I have the money."
He opened a small bag.
But it contained no gold.
Instead, Tristan took out a single gold coin.
The man looked at it.
Then said:
"That won't buy you ten thousand."
Tristan smiled.
"That isn't all my money."
He closed the bag.
Inside the system, a small window appeared.
[Financial Balance]
[300,000 Gold Dragons]
No one except Tristan knew the money existed.
Tyrion said:
"I think my friend is trying to tell you something."
Tristan looked at the broker.
"I want ten thousand of your best soldiers."
The negotiations began.
They were long.
The merchants were greedy.
And Tristan knew it.
He did not intend to spend all his money.
After hours of negotiations, an agreement was finally reached.
Ten thousand Unsullied.
Astapor was capable of selling thousands of these soldiers; in the original timeline, Daenerys acquired a massive force of Unsullied in Astapor before turning against their masters.
But this time…
It was not Daenerys who had come.
It was Tristan.
At the end of the negotiations, ten thousand soldiers stood in perfectly straight lines.
No one spoke.
No one moved.
No one objected.
They waited for orders.
Tristan stepped forward.
He looked at them.
Then said:
"From this moment onward, you will not be slaves."
A few eyes shifted.
He continued:
"I will not ask you to die for the pleasure of a master."
Then he raised his voice.
"Anyone who wants to leave may leave."
No one moved.
Jon said quietly:
"They're waiting for your command."
Tristan looked at the men.
Then said:
"I will not force you."
One of them raised his spear.
Then struck the butt of it against the ground.
Another followed.
Then another.
Within moments…
Ten thousand men had taken the same stance.
They stood beneath his banner.
Tyrion smiled.
"I think they chose you."
Tristan said:
"No."
He looked at him.
"This time, they chose themselves."
That night…
The four of them sat inside a small room near the harbor.
Tyrion was studying maps.
Jon was watching the city from the window.
Arya was cleaning her sword.
Tristan, however…
was alone.
Then the system appeared before his eyes.
[Special Condition Achieved]
[Army Acquired: 10,000 Soldiers]
[Historical City Reached]
[Dragon Energy Compatible With Host Detected]
Tristan frowned.
"What?"
A new window appeared.
[Special Reward]
[Dragon Egg: Ready to Hatch]
Tristan's eyes widened.
"A dragon egg?"
Something he had never seen before appeared before him.
A massive black egg, covered in red lines as if fire were moving beneath its shell.
Another message appeared.
[Would you like to begin the hatching process?]
Tristan pressed:
"Yes."
The egg began to shake.
Then…
It exploded.
A roar shook the room.
Tristan took a step backward.
It was not a small creature.
It was not a newborn dragon.
It was a beast.
Its wings spread.
Then its body began expanding at an astonishing speed.
Three meters.
Five.
Ten.
Twenty.
Then…
Thirty meters.
The dragon stood before Tristan.
Its scales were black.
Its eyes were red.
It opened its mouth.
Smoke poured from it.
Then flames.
[Hatching Process Complete]
[Dragon: Black Dragon]
[Length: 30 Meters]
[Basic Abilities: Flight — Fire Breath — Heat Resistance — Bond With Host]
[Loyalty Bond Activated]
The dragon looked at Tristan.
Then lowered its head.
Tristan extended his hand.
He touched the front of its head.
"So you're my dragon."
At that moment…
The door opened.
Jon entered.
He stopped.
Then said:
"What in the name of the gods is that?"
Tristan turned around.
"This?"
He pointed at the dragon.
"A reward."
Jon stared at it.
"A reward?"
Tyrion entered behind him.
He saw the dragon.
Stopped.
Then said:
"I hate you."
Arya appeared behind him.
"What is that?!"
She approached the dragon without fear.
Tristan said:
"A dragon."
"I know it's a dragon!"
She stared at it in amazement.
"Can I ride it?"
Tyrion looked at her.
"Of course. Then you can ask it to burn you."
"Shut up."
Jon, meanwhile…
was staring at the creature as though he were trying to understand what he was seeing.
He asked:
"How big is it?"
"Thirty meters."
Jon fell silent.
"Tristan…"
"Yes?"
"You realize that the appearance of a dragon this size is going to change everything?"
Tristan smiled.
"That's why I'm not going to hide it."
The following morning…
The dragon emerged above the walls of Astapor.
People screamed.
Some ran.
Others fell to their knees.
Meanwhile, ten thousand Unsullied stood in the square.
Tristan stepped forward.
Behind him stood Jon.
Then Tyrion.
Then Arya.
Tristan said:
"This city belongs to slaves."
He looked at the masters.
"And it remained that way because you believed no one could stop you."
He raised his hand.
The dragon appeared above him.
Then landed behind him.
The ground shook.
One of the masters said:
"You cannot…"
"I can."
Then Tristan looked at Jon.
"Aegon."
Jon turned toward him.
It was the first time Tristan had called him by that name in front of others.
Tristan said:
"Take the men."
Jon stepped forward.
He removed his cloak.
Then stood before the ten thousand soldiers.
"I am Aegon Targaryen."
No one spoke.
"And I will not make you slaves to anyone."
Then he pointed toward the city.
"But I want it."
The soldiers' eyes remained fixed.
"Are you with me?"
Ten thousand spears struck the ground at exactly the same moment.
The sound echoed throughout Astapor.
Tristan said:
"Then let's begin."
The battle did not last long.
Astapor was not prepared for a dragon.
Nor for an organized army of ten thousand soldiers.
Nor for a man who could fight alone at a level beyond most warriors in the city.
The city's forces attempted to defend the gates.
But the Unsullied advanced as a single wall.
Shield against shield.
Spear against spear.
No screaming.
No chaos.
No retreat.
They moved as though they shared one mind.
And above them…
the dragon flew.
Then it opened its mouth.
Fire poured out.
Flames exploded across one of the towers.
The stone began to burn.
The defenders screamed.
Tyrion said from a distance:
"I think negotiations are over."
Arya replied:
"They were short."
Jon looked at her.
"Don't get close to the fire."
She said:
"I'm not stupid."
He looked at her.
"That's debatable."
Arya kicked him.
Tristan entered the old palace of the Good Masters.
They were waiting for him there.
One of them said:
"Who do you think you are?"
Tristan stepped forward.
"Tristan."
Then he stopped.
And corrected himself.
"Tristan Targaryen."
Their expressions changed.
One of them said:
"Targaryen?"
Tristan smiled.
"Yes."
Then he raised his hand.
Behind him, the dragon appeared through the window.
Silence fell.
Tristan said:
"Astapor is finished."
One of the masters said:
"You will not rule a city that does not belong to you."
Tristan replied:
"You're mistaken."
Then he turned.
He pointed toward the window.
"Because now it belongs to me."
Hours later…
A new banner was raised above the city.
It was not the banner of the Harpy.
It was the banner of the dragon.
Tristan stood atop the highest tower.
Tyrion stood beside him.
Jon stood behind him.
Arya stood nearby.
The sea stretched before them.
The city lay beneath them.
Tyrion said:
"Well."
Tristan looked at him.
"What?"
Tyrion smiled.
"You came here wanting an army."
Then he looked at the dragon.
"And now you have a city, an army, and a dragon."
Jon said:
"You promised to rule it."
Tristan looked over the city.
Then said:
"Then I will rule it."
Tyrion said:
"And me?"
"What do you want?"
"I want a job."
Tristan laughed.
"You'll be my advisor."
Tyrion raised an eyebrow.
"Advisor to the king?"
"Advisor to the ruler."
"More humble."
Then he added:
"And less likely to get stabbed while sleeping."
Jon said:
"And me?"
Tristan looked at him.
"You'll command the army."
Jon fell silent.
Then smiled.
"Aegon Targaryen, commander of ten thousand men."
Tristan said:
"If that's what you want."
Jon answered:
"It is."
Then he looked over the city.
"But I will not become like the kings we hated."
Tristan said:
"Neither will I."
Arya approached.
"And me?"
Tristan looked at her.
"You…"
She interrupted:
"Don't say I'm just an escort."
He smiled.
"I was going to say my companion."
"Better."
Then she looked at the dragon.
"And I want to learn how to fight alongside it."
Tristan said:
"With it?"
"Against it."
Tyrion said:
"I'm beginning to understand why Ned agreed to let her leave."
Jon laughed.
Tristan, however, continued staring at the city.
He did not know what would happen next.
But he knew one thing.
He was no longer simply a traveler.
He was no longer Tristan Waters.
He was no longer a man wandering aimlessly through the kingdoms of others.
He was now a Targaryen.
The ruler of Astapor.
Commander of ten thousand Unsullied.
And the master of a thirty-meter dragon.
Then the system appeared before his eyes.
[Congratulations]
[First Territory Under Host's Control Established]
[Achievement Unlocked: Dragon Lord]
[Reward: Major Physical Enhancement]
[Strength: 230]
[Speed: 230]
[Endurance: 230]
[Agility: 230]
[Perception: 230]
[Spirit: 230]
[Mana: 230]
Tristan's eyes widened.
But the window did not end there.
[Additional Reward]
[Host's Swordsmanship Skills Have Been Upgraded to Purple Level]
[Sword Control Improved]
[Reaction Speed Improved]
[Ability to Read Opponent's Movements Improved]
[Ability to Combine Physical Strength With Swordsmanship Improved]
Tristan felt energy moving through his body.
He clenched his fist.
Then drew his sword.
He did not need to test it.
He already knew.
He had become stronger.
Much stronger.
Jon looked at him.
"What happened?"
Tristan answered:
"I think I've become a little stronger."
Tyrion sighed.
"I'm starting to envy you."
Arya smiled.
"Did you become stronger?"
Tristan looked at her.
"Yes."
She drew her sword.
"Then fight me."
Tristan laughed.
"Now?"
"Now."
Tyrion stepped away.
"I'm going to find somewhere safe."
Jon followed him.
"So am I."
Arya shouted:
"Cowards!"
Tristan laughed.
Then he looked toward Astapor once more.
An entire city beneath his feet.
An army behind him.
A dragon above him.
And another Targaryen beside him.
For the first time…
he did not feel as though he was searching for his path.
He had begun creating it himself.
And somewhere very far away…
no one in the Seven Kingdoms yet knew that a new name had entered the Game of Thrones.
A name that had never existed in their old calculations.
A name that would force the kingdoms to rewrite their future.
Tristan Targaryen.
The Conqueror Dragon.