Game of Thrones: Rise of the Supreme Dragon Queen

With the first person leading the way, the rest of the horsemen seemed to understand what they needed to do.

As soon as Daenerys asked, they would immediately shout, "I want freedom!"

This quickly became a pattern. As Daenerys rode past, the enslaved horsemen didn't even wait for her to ask—they eagerly shouted, "I want freedom!" before the Bloodriders and their Tumen stepped forward to unfasten their slave collars.

Daenerys couldn't help but wonder, Do they even understand what they're shouting?

But it didn't really matter. The atmosphere was electric, as if a revolution was unfolding. Her slave liberation movement had made a strong start.

It took nearly two hours for Daenerys to circle the Unsullied formation. With the help of twenty horsemen, more than nine hundred slaves regained their status as free men.

She could clearly sense a shift in the Unsullied.

Once hardened like emotionless stone, they now showed the faintest ripples of feeling.

Their expressions had changed.

Satisfied, Daenerys nodded and waved her hand, signaling the horsemen warriors to lead their newly freed comrades away. Then, she turned to the Unsullied and shouted, "I have restored the freedom of the horsemen slaves. And now, in this very moment, I declare that all 13,600 of you Unsullied are also free men!"

Even though they had already suspected it, hearing her words still left the Unsullied in stunned confusion. As Missandei had once said, they only knew how to obey—now, they were utterly lost.

Of course, Daenerys knew that a single proclamation wouldn't break the chains in their minds. This grand spectacle was not about immediately freeing the Unsullied from their conditioned servitude. It was about giving them a glorious and noble purpose.

A soldier only needs to obey orders.

But an army needs a soul.

For example, in every nation, military discipline is emphasized. But different armies have different guiding beliefs—America values freedom above all, while the great Empire serves its people.

"You are now free men," Daenerys declared as she rode her silver mare through the Unsullied ranks. "You may leave if you wish. You can return to your homelands and search for your families."

—Empty words.

The Unsullied had been taken as children and trained since the age of five. How many of them even remembered their parents or where they came from?

Only a rare few, like Missandei, who had been sold into slavery alongside their siblings, had any connection to their past.

"Will any of you leave? You are free now."

Daenerys rode to the front of the formation and stood tall in her saddle. She raised the Harpy's Finger high, letting everyone see the token that signified ownership of the Unsullied army.

"Do you see this? This is your shackle, your slave collar."

She rode through their ranks ten times, ensuring every Unsullied soldier saw her.

Finally, her voice hoarse, she shouted: "Freedom is something you must claim for yourselves. Now, all you have to do is shout 'Freedom!' and I will remove your collars."

Silence.

Only the distant sound of ocean waves could be heard.

Daenerys rode forward and repeated herself.

The Unsullied stood as still as granite statues, offering no response.

For the third time, she rode through their ranks, raising the Harpy's Finger high.

Then the fourth time.

The fifth.

"Your Grace is wasting her time," Jorah sighed. "The Unsullied will never say that word. They are destined to live under a master's whip forever."

Whitebeard gave a bitter smile. "Any child who dared to resist was killed long ago. The ones left behind have had their will to be free completely broken. I even doubt they are capable of thinking for themselves anymore."

"They can," Missandei whispered, her golden eyes locked onto a single silver figure in the sea of gray. Determination filled her round, flat face. "My brothers still recognize me. I have secretly wept for their suffering, and when they see me, they smile."

On the 58th repetition, Daenerys' throat burned like fire, her voice raw.

Then—

A single Unsullied, standing to the left of her silver mare, whispered, "I want freedom."

Daenerys pressed her right foot down, and her silver mare obediently halted.

She turned to the Unsullied soldier and rasped, "You're quieter than a woman. I can't hear you."

"Freedom!"

The word was foreign to him, spoken awkwardly, as if he had just learned it for the first time. But his voice was loud and clear.

"I heard you, but I didn't quite catch that."

Sweat dripped down Daenerys' face, soaking the vest she wore beneath her Dothraki riding leathers.

"Freedom. I want freedom." The Unsullied called out again.

"You are free."

She nodded, spurred her silver mare forward, and called out for the 59th time.

Then—

Scattered voices echoed from the ranks.

"Freedom. I want freedom."

Daenerys smiled, her heart surging with joy. She shouted back: "You are free!"

She rode forward a short distance and repeated the call for the 60th time.

This time, the Unsullied did not give her the chance to say it a 61st time.

A deafening roar erupted.

"Freedom!"

The sound engulfed her, a tidal wave of voices surging from all directions. Daenerys felt as though she were floating in an ocean of sound, carried by the waves.

"Freedom! Freedom! Freedom!"

"Freedom! I want freedom!"

Tears streamed down Missandei's face as she, too, became part of the rising tide.

"They've gone mad! They're all mad!" Jorah's expression changed dramatically. He urgently called to the Bloodriders, "We need to protect the Khaleesi!"

"No need." Whitebeard stopped him and the horsemen.

Gazing at the small figure in the midst of the roaring crowd, his expression was complex.

"Right now, Her Grace is safer than ever. Not even the gods could harm her now."

The overwhelming cries of Freedom! lasted for nearly ten minutes.

Daenerys, her empty left hand slowly pressing downward, gradually calmed the Unsullied.

When silence returned, she shouted, "All of you—13,600 Unsullied—you are free!"

She spurred her silver mare forward, racing to the front of the formation.

Then she took a deep breath and called out:

"Dracarys!"

(High Valyrian for 'Dragonfire'—a word with power.)

With that, she flung her whip high into the air.

"Boom—Boom Boom Boom—"

Drogon arrived just in time, unleashing a torrent of scorching dragonfire. Droplets of golden ichor splattered onto the grass, and at the front of the formation, the Unsullied watched as the once-magnificent talon of the harpy was reduced to a single, charred, and twisted fragment of blackened dragonbone.

At that moment, they strictly adhered to Daenerys' command, refraining from chanting "Freedom" again. Yet, the way they looked at her burned even hotter than the dragonfire itself.

"You are free now. You may leave, or you may stay. From now on, you are free to choose—stay or leave whenever you wish."

Daenerys waited for them to fully absorb the weight of her promise before continuing, "You are warriors, and I won't shy away from admitting that I need warriors' strength.

Those who choose to stay, first elect a leader to represent your will."

The Unsullied, who had previously shouted "Freedom," seemed to open their long-closed hearts. Immediately, they began whispering among themselves.

Faster than Daenerys had anticipated, in just three minutes, a dark-skinned Unsullied stepped forward and approached her silver mare.

He placed his shield and spear on the ground beside him, removed his helmet, tucking it under his right arm, and knelt on one knee. With reverence, he declared, "Mother of Dragons, I am the commander of the Unsullied."

Daenerys was both surprised and relieved to realize—he was the very first man who had responded to her with, "I want freedom."

She dismounted and walked up to him, helping him to his feet. "I know you. You were the first Unsullied to claim freedom. Tell me, what is your name?"

"Your Grace, I am called Grey Worm," he replied.

Good. Missandei was already here, and now, with Grey Worm, the pieces were finally coming together.

"A free person may choose their own name," she said. "You may reclaim your original name. Do you remember it?"

"I do." Grey Worm nodded and explained, "The name I was born with was cursed, and so I was forced into slavery. 'Grey Worm' is the name I drew on the day I was freed by Daenerys Stormborn. It is a lucky name. I choose to keep it."

"That is your choice. You may take any name you wish," she affirmed. "But you no longer need to call yourself 'a lowly one.' You are no longer a slave."

"Understood, Your Grace."

She then asked, "Why did everyone choose you as their leader?"

"Not everyone," he clarified. "About sixty percent chose me—I had the greatest advantage." Pausing briefly, he continued, "In the Unsullied training camps, I performed the best in swordsmanship, endurance, and courage. But most importantly, I excel in battlefield formations. I have experience leading the Unsullied in battle."

"I see." Daenerys nodded. "Call forth the others who were nominated but not chosen."

Grey Worm merely turned and spoke a few words to the front row of Unsullied, relaying Daenerys' request. Within minutes, over thirty Unsullied stepped forward one after another.

The discipline of the Unsullied far exceeded Daenerys' expectations. She was beginning to believe that the Ghiscari legions really could have stood against Valyria.

The Unsullied now were like a shadow of the old Ghiscari legions.

It was said that the two empires had fought for decades, clashing in five major wars. The first two had even been initiated by the Ghiscari, who sought to conquer Valyria and steal their dragons.

The training of the Unsullied was modeled after the ancient Ghiscari legions.

As they came before Daenerys, the defeated candidates removed their helmets, just as Grey Worm had.

Daenerys had them stand at the front of the Unsullied ranks, while Grey Worm stood alone at the very front.

Then, she stepped before Grey Worm and faced the entire army of Unsullied.

"I have said that I need warriors. You are now free men. You may choose to go home, or you may stay and fight for me."

"I will fight for the Mother of Dragons until my last breath," Grey Worm declared firmly.

"I will fight for the Mother of Dragons!"

Every Unsullied who heard Daenerys' words—whether commanders or ordinary soldiers in the rear—responded without the slightest hesitation.

Daenerys raised both hands, signaling for silence. Then, solemnly, she said, "You do not yet know what I desire or how to fight for me.

What if I ordered you to raid cities? To capture free people from other lands and sell them to slavers—would you still fight for me?"

There was only a moment of hesitation before Grey Worm answered seriously, "I would."

The response from the others, though not as enthusiastic as before, remained firm:

"We will do whatever the Mother of Dragons commands."

"I am grateful for your loyalty." Daenerys nodded, raising her right hand with a solemn smile.

"Before all the gods of the world, upon the honor of every Targaryen ancestor, I swear this: I, Daenerys Stormborn of House Targaryen, will use the strength of the Unsullied only for just causes.

Justice is what serves the greater good of humanity. And that does not include waging war for the Targaryens to reclaim the Iron Throne."

(End of Chapter)

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