Chapter 148: A Gift of Apology
On the Summer Sea, Daenerys's fleet had been sailing for twenty days since departing from Meereen, and was now nearing one of the Nine Free Cities closest to Slaver's Bay—Volantis.
Though the land distance between Meereen and Volantis was only about 1,500 kilometers, the sea route was far longer. The fleet had to make a vast U-shaped detour around the Summer Lands and the ruins of Valyria.
After twenty continuous days at sea, many soldiers—especially those sailing for the first time—were struggling to endure the journey.
The Dothraki, forced to face the "poison water" day after day, suffered even more. Some had already begun to regret following Daenerys and her dragon toward Westeros.
Deciding to give her army a chance to recover, Daenerys planned to rest in Volantis for two days before continuing the voyage.
Before arriving, she had already been briefed on the city.
Volantis was large, strategically located, and one of the most prosperous port cities in the known world—linking the Nine Free Cities with Slaver's Bay and the Bay of Sorrows.
It was also the oldest colony of Valyria, proudly known as "the First Daughter of Valyria."
Its government operated under a unique "triarch" system—two representatives from the Elephant faction and one from the Tiger faction ruled together.
Once, Volantis had considered itself the rightful heir to Valyria's legacy. It had launched wars to conquer nearby Free Cities such as Lys and Myr.
But when it sought to push further toward Tyrosh, it provoked a united backlash from the other Free Cities—and even Westeros joined the opposition.
The war ultimately ended when Aegon I Targaryen descended upon the battlefield riding Balerion, the Black Dread—reducing the disputed northern lands of Volantis to scorched ruin.
Volantis had also once sent an entire fleet into the ruins of Valyria, hoping to reclaim its lost glory.
None returned.
The Smoking Sea swallowed them whole.
There were even rumors that a Tiger faction triarch had once considered allying with the Harpy of Slaver's Bay to attack Meereen—but was stopped by the Elephant faction before any campaign could begin.
Hearing that even Volantis had once contemplated attacking her domain, Daenerys couldn't help but let out a faint, mocking smile.
Fortunately, those Elephant triarchs had been wise.
Otherwise, Volantis might have ended up like New Ghis—reduced to one of her vassal cities.
As the fleet neared the harbor, Daenerys ordered the main force to halt offshore. Only her flagship and two warships would proceed into port.
Before they could reach the docks, two large ships sailed out to meet them.
They stopped at a distance, lowering a small boat that carried three richly dressed middle-aged men toward Daenerys's vessel.
Once aboard, the three men were guided to the center of the deck, where Daenerys stood surrounded by her advisors.
They bowed in unison.
"Your Grace."
After a brief introduction, it became clear—they were the three ruling triarchs of Volantis.
"Your Grace," said the man in the center, introducing himself as Nyessos, "to celebrate your future conquest of the Seven Kingdoms, Volantis has prepared generous gifts. They are aboard those two ships. We humbly ask that you accept them."
With that, he presented a finely crafted parchment listing the offerings to Barristan Selmy, who handed it to Daenerys.
She glanced over the list briefly, then gave a small nod.
Then, her gaze sharpened slightly.
"Which of you," she asked calmly, "is the Tiger triarch?"
The moment the question left her lips, the man standing on the left—his face stern and authoritative—visibly stiffened.
The other two triarchs also froze, then turned toward him.
The man swallowed, stepping forward with visible reluctance.
"Y-Your Grace… I am the Tiger triarch—Malaquo Maegyr."
His voice was steady, but the bitterness in his heart was impossible to hide.
Daenerys smiled faintly.
"I've heard," she said lightly, "that you once planned to march on Slaver's Bay."
At Daenerys's question, Malaquo's knees nearly buckled beneath him. His lips trembled as he stammered, "Th-that must be nothing but rumor… we would never dare raise arms against you!"
Daenerys let out a soft scoff. "Then consider yourselves fortunate you chose wisely."
She paused, then added coolly, "I will accept your gifts. My fleet will be resting in Volantis for a few days. Will my men be allowed ashore?"
"Of course! Stay as long as you wish!" Malaquo replied hastily, wiping the cold sweat from his brow as he stepped back, joining the other two triarchs in agreement.
Ever since news arrived that both New and Old Ghis had been reduced to ashes by dragonfire and forced into submission, the three rulers of Volantis had counted themselves fortunate.
Had the Elephant faction not blocked Malaquo's earlier proposal to attack Meereen, Volantis might now share the same fate.
At best, the Elephant faction might have survived with limited losses—but the Tiger faction would certainly have been sacrificed, just like the Harpy loyalists.
And with that, the Tiger faction's single seat of power would have been lost forever.
Fearing that Daenerys might uncover their earlier intentions, the triarchs had prepared two entire ships of lavish gifts as an apology.
They hadn't expected her to bring it up so directly.
Still, from her tone, it was clear—she had chosen not to pursue the matter further.
That alone was enough to make them breathe again.
With a thousand ships and three dragons at her command, Daenerys could destroy Volantis as easily as swatting a fly.
After ordering her men to take possession of the gift ships, Daenerys noticed that the triarchs made no move to leave.
Instead, they eagerly began introducing Volantis—its grand landmarks, its unique customs, and its glorious history—before formally inviting her and her advisors to tour the city.
Having already planned a two-day rest—and now in possession of such generous offerings—Daenerys accepted the invitation without hesitation.
As she disembarked under the escort of the three triarchs, the tension gripping the docks finally eased.
Fishermen and merchants alike let out quiet sighs of relief.
When they had first seen the vast fleet approaching, they had feared war was upon them. Many had already begun hastily packing their goods.
Only now did they realize—it had been a false alarm.
With the danger gone, curiosity took over.
Their gazes quickly settled on the small black dragon perched on Daenerys's shoulder.
They hadn't expected something so small to carry such overwhelming presence and majesty.
Beyond the docks, several ornate carriages awaited—each drawn by pale, gray-white dwarf elephants.
These creatures were far smaller than true elephants, scarcely taller than horses, and each was guided by a bare-chested driver bearing a wheel-shaped tattoo on his face.
As Daenerys's eyes fell upon the leather slave collar around the driver's neck, her brows knit slightly.
Since liberating Slaver's Bay, she had not seen such collars in a long time.
But she understood—this was not the place to challenge it.
Beyond Slaver's Bay, slavery still thrived across the world. Otherwise, Jorah Mormont would never have trafficked slaves from Westeros.
Slaver's Bay was merely the largest hub—not the only one.
Glancing around, Daenerys spotted more slaves among the crowd.
Each bore different tattoos—flames, tiger heads, even flies.
One of the guards beside Malaquo himself bore the tiger mark.
Following her gaze, the three triarchs quickly realized what she had noticed.
All three lowered their heads slightly, pretending not to see.
Though Volantis did not train or sell slaves, it frequently purchased them from Slaver's Bay.
Even ordinary free citizens often owned two or three slaves.
That, too, was why they had once been swayed by the whispers of the Harpy.