Chapter 123: Submission
Five thousand newly trained soldiers were left behind to assist with the defense of the city, while the rest were dispatched for the campaign. Even Yara Greyjoy's fleet from the Iron Islands was ordered to join the offensive.
The next day, just as Daenerys's forces were preparing for the attack on the Ghiscari cities, a guard suddenly arrived with a report:
Envoys from New Ghis and Old Ghis had arrived.
Daenerys hadn't expected the rulers of the two cities to send representatives at this moment.
She immediately summoned her royal council to receive them.
Although war between the two sides seemed imminent, the proper courtesies still had to be observed.
Slaver's Bay had already begun to resemble the political decorum of King's Landing.
Once all her Ministers had gathered, Daenerys announced for the envoys of New Ghis and Old Ghis to be brought in.
Two nobles, both in their forties and dressed in aristocratic attire, hurried nervously into the hall.
The moment they entered, they dropped to their knees before Daenerys.
Almost in unison, they cried out:
"Your Majesty! New Ghis and Old Ghis are willing to submit! Please—do not send your army to attack us!"
Their words instantly shocked both Daenerys and her council.
[Now they've learned their lesson.]
Watching the two envoys, who did not even dare to raise their heads after speaking, Drogon was slightly surprised that they had arrived in Meereen so quickly.
After all, the Ghiscari cities were not exactly close by.
Daenerys herself had not yet understood why the cities had suddenly chosen submission at this moment.
But then she heard Drogon's voice in her mind.
Immediately, she understood what had happened.
Yesterday, when she had announced her decision to attack Ghis, she had assumed Drogon intended to assist her during the siege.
What she had not expected was that he had already attacked Ghis himself—without her knowledge.
Judging from the terrified expressions of the envoys, Drogon must have inflicted considerable destruction.
Otherwise, the messengers would not be trembling like this.
Daenerys did not know that aside from the destruction and intimidation Drogon had inflicted upon Ghis, the envoys had been shocked once again after arriving in Meereen.
When they saw the massive army preparing to march out, they assumed Daenerys was not satisfied with the damage caused by the black dragon alone and was planning to send her army to finish the job.
"State the terms of your submission."
While Tyrion and the others were still confused about why New Ghis and Old Ghis had suddenly chosen to surrender, Daenerys spoke calmly.
"We are willing to fully submit to Your Majesty and become tributary cities of Slaver's Bay. Each year we will offer immense wealth in tribute, in exchange for your forgiveness."
As they spoke, the two envoys each presented an exquisitely prepared sheet of parchment listing the wealth they were prepared to offer every year.
Barristan Selmy accepted the parchments, briefly inspected them, and then handed them to Daenerys.
When she read the contents, she was secretly astonished.
The amount of wealth listed was nearly double what she and her advisors had originally expected.
Suppressing her reaction, she calmly placed the parchment down and addressed the envoys, who were still kneeling on the floor.
"I must discuss your request with my council before making a decision. For now, you may rest at an inn. Once we have reached a conclusion, I will summon you again."
"Your Majesty—if you are not satisfied with the tribute listed there, we can double it again!"
Upon hearing Daenerys's response, the envoys did not dare rise.
Instead, they made an offer that shocked both Daenerys and her advisors.
Although Tyrion and the others had not yet seen the contents of the parchment, the terrified expressions on the envoys' faces made it obvious that the tribute offered was already extremely generous.
Yet because of a single sentence from Daenerys—saying she needed time to deliberate—they immediately offered to double the tribute again.
This left the council even more stunned.
Everyone began wondering what exactly had happened in Ghis—something clearly unknown to them—that had caused its leaders to not only change their decision but also willingly increase their tribute.
Despite her surprise, Daenerys refused to accept the offer immediately.
Until she understood what had truly happened in Ghis, she would not agree to their terms.
Seeing that even doubling the tribute had failed to secure Daenerys's approval, the envoys could only leave with gloomy expressions, waiting to be summoned again in a few days.
---
After the envoys departed, Daenerys handed the parchment to Tyrion and the others.
Then she ordered:
"Ser Jorah, send men to New Ghis and Old Ghis immediately to investigate the situation there. I want a full report as soon as possible. We will discuss their terms of submission after we receive the information."
After Tyrion and the others examined the list, they finally understood just how enormous the tribute offered by the Ghiscari nobles truly was.
When Daenerys finished speaking, she glanced—almost unconsciously—at the small Drogon perched upon her shoulder.
Despite his compact form, he still carried an air of majesty, like a finely crafted masterpiece.
She couldn't help wondering just what kind of lesson he had taught the Ghiscari to make them this terrified.
---
Two days later, the scouts returned.
They reported what had happened three days earlier, when Drogon had attacked and burned New Ghis and Old Ghis.
After hearing the report, Daenerys felt both relief and fear.
She had never imagined that the Ghiscari cities possessed ballistae designed to kill dragons.
Now she finally understood why they had repeatedly dared to oppose her and even attack Yunkai and Astapor.
And Drogon had faced those weapons head-on.
He had burned down their walls and slaughtered the defenders while under ballista fire.
Daenerys knew Drogon had become stronger after his transformation, but she had never expected him to withstand such weapons directly.
What truly frightened her, however, was imagining Rhaegal and Viserion facing those ballistae.
Drogon had always been stronger than the other two dragons—this she had long known.
After riding Rhaegal across the river before, she had personally experienced just how wide the gap between them truly was.
Originally, she had planned to bring the two dragons along to assist in attacking Ghis.
But if they had done so—without knowing about the ballistae—they might have been ambushed.
And unlike Drogon, they could never survive a direct hit.
"Ser Jorah, bring the Ghiscari envoys to the hall."
The thought of Rhaegal and Viserion nearly facing those weapons filled Daenerys with anger.
While Jorah sent for the envoys, Daenerys began discussing the terms of Ghis's submission with her council.
After hearing how Drogon had withstood ballista fire, burned the city walls, and destroyed the three largest pyramids in both cities, the council finally understood why the envoys had been so terrified when they arrived.
Ballistae were specifically designed to kill dragons.
Yet Drogon had shown no fear of them at all.
Which meant that the Ghiscari had no weapon capable of stopping him.
Daenerys wouldn't even need to deploy her army.
Drogon alone could destroy both cities.
Tyrion and the others were equally stunned.
Even throughout the long history of dragons, there had never been one capable of withstanding ballistae head-on.
As they thought about Drogon's terrifying power, their eyes naturally drifted toward the dragon resting on Daenerys's shoulder.
Drogon was not only the most durable dragon in history.
A four-legged dragon had never been recorded before.
And his ability to change size at will was even more unheard of.
Imagining such a creature serving as the queen's greatest weapon in war left them feeling almost unreal.
---
"New Ghis and Old Ghis have repeatedly supported the Sons of the Harpy, attacked Yunkai and Astapor, and even used ballistae against Drogon."
Before the council began its discussion, Daenerys set the tone of the meeting.
"We cannot accept their submission so easily."
Everyone immediately understood the queen's meaning.
The first two crimes were serious enough.
But the third offense—attacking Drogon with dragon-slaying weapons—
was the true source of their guilt.