nashuaworldcup #295 - Chapter 29: The Queen's Road (Part 3)
#295 - Chapter 29: The Queen's Road (Part 3)
At the same time, Leviathan seemed to sense that someone was watching it. Thereupon, its enormous head slowly stretched forward, its huge nostrils flaring as if sniffing for something. Soon, it caught the familiar scent emanating from Daenerys, but it didn't show any obvious signs of disgust or affection.
"It seems it doesn't like me very much. But it doesn't matter, I'm very happy to see you." Daenerys maintained her sweet smile, gently took Liu Yuan's arm, and nodded slightly to Tyrion and the others. "Thank you all for coming here, I hope you will like our beautiful Meereen! Darling, who is this gentleman..."
"Haha, he's my friend, Tyrion Lannister," Liu Yuan said, seeing the situation.
Hearing this name, Daenerys couldn't help but carefully size up the short, ugly man before her. After a moment, the corners of her mouth lifted slightly, revealing a faint smile: "So you're the legendary 'Imp of the Lannister family'... I wonder what brings you to Meereen?"
Tyrion took a deep breath: "Queen, I was implicated in the assassination of the former King Joffrey and have been exiled from the Lannister family. My friend Galon invited me here, and I also hope to serve you. I believe that under your leadership, Meereen will become a prosperous city."
Daenerys frowned slightly: "I already have many advisors and ministers..." She didn't really want to use anyone from the Lannister family.
"Please believe me, I have a wealth of knowledge that can provide you with unique insights and wisdom," Tyrion said quickly. "Moreover, during the War of the Five Kings, I served as the Hand of the King, managing the entire King's Landing, and have extensive experience in politics and management."
Daenerys pondered for a moment, and finally nodded: "Alright, Tyrion. I'll give you a chance to prove your worth."
Back in the throne room, Daenerys sat on the high throne, her eyes somewhat unfocused, always falling on Liu Yuan.
Seeing this, Liu Yuan smiled slightly and signaled to Daenerys that there were still subjects waiting for her decision below. At this moment, the old man who had previously knelt down to plead remained in a kneeling position, seemingly with no intention of getting up and leaving.
After thinking for a moment, Daenerys spoke: "The reason I seized this city and overthrew those despicable slave owners is simply to create a new system, completely discarding old and decaying ideas. Since you are so set on returning to your former master, a bill of sale is naturally out of the question, but you can sign an employment contract with him, with a term limited to three years. Now, in the name of the Queen of Meereen, I hereby issue a decree: From now on, as long as both parties are willing, employment contracts can be freely signed within the city of Meereen, but the term cannot exceed three years. At the same time, if an employee commits a fault during their employment, no employer has the right to execute them privately; they must be handed over to the laws of Meereen for judgment and disposal!"
Hearing this, the old man named Finas was so excited that tears welled up in his eyes. He quickly bowed down, kowtowed heavily, and exclaimed with gratitude: "Thank you, Your Majesty! I and others will forever remember your kindness!" After getting up, he walked backward out of the hall, while Missandei announced loudly for the next person to enter.
Barristan said softly to her: "Your Majesty, your order will be exploited by those slave owners! Those who sign contracts are essentially no different from slaves, are they? This is the case in Pentos. You lived there for a while, you should know!"
Daenerys said softly: "I know, but we must give them time to adapt. At least in law, they cannot arbitrarily deprive people of their lives!" In fact, Liu Yuan supported Meereen with hundreds of administrative officials. As internal affairs talents, it is still easy for them to manage a city with a population of hundreds of thousands.
However, Daenerys still insisted on handling affairs according to traditional customs. Since Meereen had not yet established a complete administrative organization, she preferred to personally listen to the petitions of the former citizens. This system was also quite common in Westeros.
Just then, a thin man walked in. His hands were tightly holding a package, and his eyes revealed deep fear and unease. He walked timidly to the stage, his expression mournful.
This scene caught Daenerys' attention, and she said in a gentle tone: "Please come forward, my people."
However, the man replied in Ghiscari: "I'm sorry, Your Majesty, I don't understand you."
Missandei reacted quickly, and immediately re-translated and conveyed Daenerys's meaning: "Her Majesty wishes you to come up to the stage."
The man trembled, tears streaming down his face, and gently placed the package he was holding tightly in his hands on the ground. When he slowly opened the package, it revealed the charred corpse of a young child.
The man sobbed, lamenting in grief: "Your Majesty! This is my little daughter, Zara. Not long ago, a terrifying black shadow suddenly descended from the sky. It spread its huge wings, bringing endless flames. After the disaster, my little Zara..." At this point, the man was sobbing and unable to continue.
Daenerys's eyes widened, her face full of disbelief. A storm raged in her heart. Recently, she had devoted all her energy to dealing with the busy and trivial affairs of the city, and had completely failed to pay attention to the situation of the three dragons, let alone effectively control them. At this moment, faced with such a tragic scene, Daenerys's heart was overwhelmed with endless self-blame and remorse.
She took a deep breath, trying to calm herself down, and then said in a low and firm voice: "All of this is my fault. I didn't manage these dragons well. I am deeply sorry for this. As compensation, I will give you money so that you can properly bury your child. Not only that, but your other children will also receive a good education, all expenses will be borne by me!" As soon as she finished speaking, Daenerys gave Missandei, who was standing beside her, a look. Missandei understood and quickly walked down the steps, came to the man's side, and comforted him softly in the local language.
After hearing Daenerys's words, the man felt relieved and was moved to tears. He knelt down without hesitation and kowtowed to thank her: "Thank you, kind and benevolent Queen. May the gods of heaven always protect you." For people at the bottom of society, living is the most important thing. In comparison, mourning the dead seems less urgent.