Chapter 1
Disclaimer: I don't own any Marvel or Game of Thrones characters seen, mentioned or used.
"What are you writing?"
A small teen, his arms and legs like twigs almost and a pale complexion and short but messy brown hair jumped at the sound of the voice directly behind him. He looked up from his notebook, a page from top to bottom filled with small notes, to see a young girl, just having turned the age of seven and ten not a few weeks ago dressed in a simple yet finely made maiden's gown. Her platinum blonde, almost white hair was still wet, having just bathed only a few minutes ago and seemed to glisten in the light, as if it were made of pure virgin snow or liquid stars.
Her name was Daenerys Targaryen, one of the last members of the House of Targaryen and daughter to the Mad King of Westeros.
Peter blinked at the way the setting sun outside shown on Daenerys before he registered the words she said and cleared his throat as he scooted over on the bench he was sitting on for the young woman to take a seat if she wished.
"N-Nothing, just some things I've written down" Peter said shyly as the woman approached and sat down next to him and examined his notebook with a small grin.
Her brow furrowed a little as she read some of the things he wrote down, trying to make sense of it all "What is it?"
"Just some stuff that I discovered after working with some of Illyrio's alchemists" Peter said with a small shrug "They say I've got a real talent for it"
Daenerys Targaryen shook her head at this "Of course you would. You've spent most of our childhood mixing odd and strange things to see what will happen. I suppose it was bound to pay off eventually..."
"Wish it did sooner" Peter said as he made a face as memories of living on the streets came to Peter's mind and all the 'food' they had to get by on if they didn't wish to starve "Would make a lot of the food we used to eat taste better..."
"Or keep us from getting sick" Daenerys chuckled.
"That too!" Peter said with a no before another thought came to him and he quickly dabbled his pen in the small ink jar and scribbled it down as Daenerys watched with amusement.
"Another idea?" she teased.
"Maybe..." Peter said as he continued to keep writing before he glanced at his friend, only friend really "By the way, where's your brother been? I haven't seen him all day. Or heard him for that manner"
"He's been in a meeting with Lord Illyrio" Daenerys said with a sigh before she gave Peter a playfully suspicious look "Why?"
"I was hoping he'd stay there forever, it's nice to go a day without having to hear some scathing remark from him" Peter said with a grin as he continued to write down a few more notes before he turned the page to another that was filled with small sketches of various carts he's seen in the city below and even a few ships docked in the port "And to hear him prattle on about being King and dealing with the 'Usurper' and how he'll make House Lannister pay and all that"
Daenerys smiled a little at this, knowing that Peter was right. Her elder brother, Viserys did tend to go on about what he would do once he returned to Westeros with an army to bring the Seven Kingdoms back under Targaryen rule. When she was younger, and she and her brother still lived on the streets after being sent into exile after the death of her father, he would tell her of his dreams of their return to retake their rightful place as rulers of Westeros, and eventually, the world. But as they grew older, Daenerys found her brother's dreams of conquest of Westeros to be just that, dreams. Her brother had yet to find a lord in any of the Free Cities that would support them, at least one that possessed an army large and powerful enough for Viserys to sail across the narrow sea and retake the Iron Throne. And while the Magister of Pentos has offered his aid to the Targaryen siblings, it wasn't enough to make much of a difference except to get her, her brother and Peter off the streets after years of being literal beggars.
'Though I'm not sure where I am now is much better' Daenerys thought as her wedding to a powerful Dothraki Kahl by the name of Drogo, that had apparently promised her brother his army of forty thousand warriors for her hand, loomed over her like a dark cloud.
The only downside to this plan, in Daenerys's eyes was that for Viserys to utilize Drogo's army to retake the Iron Throne, he'd have to cross the Narrow Sea, something that no Dothraki has ever done, let alone an army numbering in the tens of thousands.
"Dany?"
"Hmm?" Daenerys sounded as she noticed that Peter was looking at her with a concerned look "What is it?"
"You've been staring off again" Peter said as he placed his ink pen beside the ink jar and closed it before turning his attention back to the Targaryen girl "Are you oaky? You've been acting really weird the past few days"
"I'm... I'm fine" she said with a reassuring smile that did not match the inner struggle she felt.
Peter, as far as Daenerys was aware, had no idea of the impending wedding to Drogo. It wasn't because she didn't trust him, in the past and even now Daenerys has trusted Peter far more than even her own flesh and blood, but she did not want the boy to worry needlessly over it, even more than she already is. She also wanted Peter to avoid trying to feel like he still needed to 'protect her' and perhaps challenge this Drogo, as if he wanted to test the man's honor or some ridiculous notion. In the past Peter had fought with boys, men and even her own brother that thought they could manipulate or intimidate Daenerys into doing what they wanted. And almost every one of those times ended with Peter beaten, humiliated and more insults and scorn from her brother who often voiced that the Targaryen siblings only kept Peter around for practice on how to interact with people of a lower station then them.
'If Peter tries to challenge Drogo... he'll be killed. I heard he's killed men for less' Daenerys thought worriedly as Peter still kept watching her with a frown.
"Are you sure you're okay? You seem... nervous" Peter said.
"I'm fine, just silly things on my mind" Daenerys said to try and reassure the teen who looked anything but convinced. Seeing that the only way to get him to drop the subject would be to change it, she nodded towards a corner of the room that held a small table dotted with jars, boxes and other oddities that Peter has been able to acquire the past few months "How goes your... work?"
Peter blinked as he turned towards the table that he regularly used for his experiments "Pretty good, I think. I've been trying to find a way to keep iron from rusting over, or at the very least find something to slow it down. I've also may have found a way to make metal almost as hard as steel but half the weight. Granted I still need to actually test it out, and find the materials to make it and then I have to convince lord Illyrio's blacksmith to let me into the forge again so I can begin to..."
The Targaryen smiled softly at her friend as he began to prattle on about other little 'experiments' that Illyrio allowed him to perform so long as he didn't accidently unleash a plague, burn down the estate again or created some abomination of a demon with some of the critters, mainly spiders, that he finds here and there. Daenerys struggled to not make a face at the memory of one of the spiders that Peter decided to include in his alchemy, she could still feel the rabbit size creature's legs dancing across her face.
Peter, unaware that Daenerys was only half listening, continued on as he gestured to his notebook, one page in particular that showed what looked to be a Ballista of some sort "And this here, I think I've found a way to not only improve the range, but with some explosive jelly that I was able to recreate from this merchant from Yi Ti that I bartered it from, I may be able to create a-"
"By the Gods you so do love to talk, do you?"
Peter and Daenerys both turned to see a boy, several years older than Daenerys with similar facial features, platinum blonde hair and a slim, almost thin figure, though not as thin as Peter's. It was Viserys, Daenerys's elder brother and last living son of their father and by all rights, Patriarch of the House of Targaryen. He looked at Peter with a small smirk that set the younger boy on edge as he causally stepped into Peter's room and gave it a quick and equally dismissive glance as he centered his gaze on Daenerys.
"I've been looking for you for the past hour sister, is this where you've been?" he asked, shooting a brief look of disdain towards Peter.
"Peter was showing and explaining to me some of his newest experiments" Daenerys said with a nervous smile as she folded her hands on her lap as her brother came to a stop a few feet from them and glanced at Peter's notebook, lying harmlessly on the table.
Peter seemed to sense the older boy's intentions and tried to seize it before Viserys snatched it up and backed away from both Peter and Daenerys as they jumped to their feet.
"That's mine, give it back!" Peter said in an angered tone.
"Viserys, please. Peter's worked very hard filling that notebook" Daenerys said as she tried to reason with her elder brother who shook his head as he flipped through the pages.
"Designs for ships made of metal?" Viserys said as he looked up at Peter with a look of disbelief "Are you really that stupid? Metal sinks, wood floats. For someone that's always reading and studying, I would thought something like that wouldn't have escaped your notice"
"There's a way to make it work" Peter said as his shoulders slumped as Viserys scoffed and flipped through a few more pages before coming to another stop.
"Ah, here's something that should give you quite a laugh Daenerys" the Targaryen said as Daenerys took a step forward.
"Brother please just gi-"
He cut her off with a raised finger as he began to recite what Peter wrote down "It's come to my understanding that the members of the House of Targaryen are immune to Dragon Fire comes from a multitude of reliable, if abstract sources. Instead of being descended from Dragons as the legend states, their immunity and control over fire stems from a series of intricate rituals, many mystical in nature, over the course of generations during their time as part of the Valyrian Freehold. I've thought of questioning Daenerys about it, but she's been a little odd lately..."
Daenerys frowned as her brother smirked and Peter's face turned pale white as the elder Targaryen continued to read the passage that seemed to be veering off into far different waters than the beginning of the passage navigated.
"I mean, I wonder what could worry her so. She's one of the most intelligent-" Viserys started off before Peter lunged at him to snatch the book away.
Viserys responded by taking Peter's own notebook and slamming it into his face, sending the smaller teen to the ground with a heavy 'thud'.
"Peter!" Daenerys shouted in worry as she kneeled down to check to see if Peter was seriously hurt while Viserys stared down at him with a cold expression before he grabbed his sister by the arm and pulled her to her feet.
"Come now sister, Peter here is more than capable of getting up himself. He's not a child anymore" Viserys said in a mocking tone as he stared at the notebook in his hands and opened it to a few pages before he began ripping them from its spine.
"Viserys!" Daenerys said in aghast tone before her brother turned towards her with a glare that caused her to flinch as he pulled his hand away from the notebook and made to hit her before he stopped and took a deep breath.
"Daenerys, if Peter here has any problem with what I'm doing..." he began as he turned to see Peter still on the ground, blood leaking from his nose as he glared up at the taller man "He's more than welcome to do something about it"
Peter glared up at Viserys before he sniffed and adverted his gaze from the older boy's smirk as he dropped the book and the torn pages at his feet. Peter made to grab it before Viserys placed his foot on it and waited. Daenerys watched as Peter stared at her brothers boot before his shoulders slumped and he looked up at the Targaryen.
"By your leave your Grace, may I have my notebook back?" Peter muttered out.
Viserys said nothing as he stared down at Peter for a few more seconds before he scoffed and turned towards the door "By all means... stupid ungrateful little rat"
Daenerys frowned at her brother as he made his way out of the room before she turned back to see Peter looking down at his notebook's torn pages with a saddened expression.
"I'm sorry" she said as she sat down next to Peter and placed a hand on his own.
"It's fine..." Peter said with a sigh "I'm used to his insults... mostly"
"But he shouldn't have hit you or damaged your book" she stated as she glanced down at the torn pages "Especially after all the hard work you put into it"
Peter rolled his eyes at this "Please, what would 'The Rightful King of the Seven Kingdoms' care. If it doesn't involve him getting the Iron Throne, what use is it to him?"
Daenerys was quiet as she watched Peter collect the damaged pages from the floor before she glanced at the door to make sure her brother was gone. She then glanced back at Peter with an earnest expression.
"He's not the king yet"
Peter froze as he reached for another page before he slowly nodded "Yeah... yet"
Daenerys nodded as Peter finished retrieving the last of his pages before he wandered over to the fireplace and threw them into the flames, watching as they quickly caught fire and burned. Daenerys stood up and came to stand next to him as they gazed into the fire with differing expressions. Peter wore a look of annoyance at having to find a new notebook to use, and the various formulas, equations and other notes he's made over the years that'll need to be re-written before he forgets them entierly while Daenerys looked at the flames with a combination of longing and apprehension.
"What are you doing?" she heard Peter mutter before she saw that her hand was reaching out to the flames that if what her eyes were seeing were true, were slowly angling towards her fingertips, as if to touch them.
"Dany" Peter said as he placed his hand on Daenerys's shoulder, causing her to jump at the sudden contact and back away from the fire. Peter stared at her with wide eyes as she looked flush with embarrassment "Dany?"
"I'm sorry" she said as she adverted her gaze from Peter's questioning look "I just... I don't know what came over me"
Peter watched as she quickly turned on her heel and left the room, leaving Peter wondering what just happened. He glanced back at the flames and noticed that the fire seemed a little... colder.
As if the heat was taken from them when Daenerys left.
...
"Are you sure this is the one?" a soft-spoken voice echoed.
"Yes I'm... mostly sure. When have I ever been wrong?" a deep, dark voice hissed in anger and annoyance.
"..."
"..."
"...If you had thirty more legs with as much hair on them as the eight you have now, it still wouldn't be even half" the first voice said in an exasperated tone.
"Grrr…"
"Don't take the tone with me little spider, else I'll burn you in my light" the light voice threatened, causing the owner of the second to grunt in return.
"For someone whose followers preach of you being a fair and loving God, you can be quite cruel, can't you?" they said with a scoff.
"Me cruel?" the light voice responded with disbelief "I didn't have an entire Empire, several in fact, built around the mass sacrifice of hundreds of thousands to quench my lust for blood!"
"Tell that to your High Priestesses and their temples scattered throughout Essos" the dark voice stated in a tone so dry, that sand of a desert was that of water in comparison.
"That is a result of misguided and power-hungry fools!" the light voice barked with such heat in his tone that fire was like that of ice itself, causing the dark voice to hiss in displeasure before it offered a reply with a grim chuckle.
"And you seem to be hard at work trying to undo it"
The light voice was silent for several moments, giving the dark voice even more satisfaction in knowing that they won this little war of words. Finally, the light voice sighed deeply and returned to the matter that has brought the two very, very unlikely allies together for the first time since the first dawn was carved from the eternal night by the Wicked Butcher all those years ago.
"Are you sure that he will be able to help repel The Great Other and his chosen?" the light voice asked with some concern in their tone.
"It's... possible" the dark voice responded with a sigh "Though nothing is certain anymore... But I do know he's involved somehow"
"I'm taking a great risk. If he fails, then the World will fall into darkness and ice and death. And we'll both suffer for it. The others won't stand for our failure" the light voice warned.
"I am aware"
"Is there any way we can aid him aside from what we've already set in motion?" the light voice inquired.
"Could give him a few more women" the dark voice suggested with a chuckle "Perhaps some of your Priestesses"
"Why my worshippers? You still have plenty to use!" the light voice asked in an annoyed tone.
"Yes, but most of mine aren't strong enough, or at the very least worthy to be at his side on both the battlefield and his bed" the dark voice growled before they muttered something under their breath.
"What was that?" the light voice asked.
"I said, and most of my worshippers aren't very... pleasing to look at" the dark voice hissed in aggravation "And this boy has standards, as do I as his soon to be lord!"
"..."
"..."
"..."
"..."
"I swear this better pay off or I'll use what power I have left to burn you and your webs to ash Ai Apaec!"
"It is as I said R'hllor, when have I ever been wrong in times like these?"
...
And done.
Next chapter, Peter and Daenerys visit the market...