Game of Thrones: Rise of the Supreme Dragon Queen

Time passed swiftly, and two months had gone by since the war ended.

Under the glow of the evening sunset, the sea shimmered with a dark red ripple. A rowing sailboat, its side painted with the name Seahorse, swayed gently as it sailed toward the western city—Yunkai.

Standing at the bow of the ship was the old poet, Denzo. His shoulder-length gray hair was tousled wildly by the salty sea breeze. As he gazed at the dragons circling above the distant pyramids, he sighed with deep emotion. "I've returned."

Suddenly, a deep horn sounded from behind. From the crow's nest atop the mast, a lookout shouted down, "It's the Prince Viserys! The Dragon Queen's fleet has returned to port."

Denzo turned around and saw a longship with a red hull leading the way, sailing at nearly twice the speed of the Seahorse.

A massive sail, extending seven to eight meters beyond the ship's body, bore the emblem of a roaring dragon.

Behind the red-hulled vessel were nine other longships, all sleek and narrow, their sails displaying black dragon sigils on a white background. They cut through the ocean like blades gliding across ice, exuding a sharp, swift, and deadly aura.

With a loud splash, the lead ship sliced through the waves, leaping like a flying fish as it nimbly overtook the Seahorse.

"Prince Viserys." Denzo muttered as he read the Valyrian script painted in black on the ship's hull.

"Sigh, even the navy has grown into a formidable force. Could she really change the world?" the old poet murmured to himself.

The Seahorse's captain, a man in his forties with a thick, bushy red beard, seemed to overhear Denzo's words. Stepping forward to stand beside the old mercenary, he sighed, "How could it not be? She seized two hundred ships from Meereen alone.

A merchant ship isn't a warship, but it has sailors and slave shipwrights.

You should've seen the scene—when Daenerys rode her dragon over the docks, the slaves below went mad, reaching out their hands and chanting Mhysa, Mhysa!

The Dragon Queen has never lacked ships. What she truly desired were experienced sailors and Meereen's massive shipyards.

Now that she has Meereen, the final shortcoming of her navy has been filled. Give her three to five more years, and the Summer Sea will likely fall into the True Dragon's grasp as well."

"I doubt the Allied Forces will give her that much time," Denzo sighed.

"Hah! I just hope the Allied Forces can even last three to five years," the red-bearded captain scoffed. Then, with a knowing smirk, he added, "Everything that's happened these past few months points to one truth—if you have dragons, you rule the world. If you don't? Then kneel before Daenerys and shout Long live the Queen!"

"Oh? What makes you say that? Edward, you weren't at the Battle of Poplar Hill, were you?" Denzo asked curiously.

In the past two months, the Dragon Queen had won countless victories, but only at Poplar Hill had she relied solely on dragons to claim victory.

Most of the time, her success stemmed from her extraordinary intellect. The dragons played a role, but none of their battles were as overwhelming as Poplar Hill.

"I've spent the last two months running sea routes in Slaver's Bay. Just with my Seahorse, I helped the Dragon Queen transport a million Gold Honor coins from Meereen to Astapor.

Tsk tsk, after taking Slaver's Bay, Queen Dany became the wealthiest person in the world overnight. Some estimate she has at least a hundred million Gold Honors," Redbeard Edward said enviously.

"A hundred million?" Denzo was shocked, then asked with a frown, "And what does that have to do with dragons?"

"Oh, think about it. The Dragon Queen dispatched dozens of ships to transfer Meereen's wealth to Astapor. That kind of movement was bound to draw attention from the Allied Fleet.

It wasn't long before a naval battle broke out—over seventy Allied warships faced off against five ships from the Queen's fleet. A 14-to-1 ratio. Under normal circumstances, Daenerys should have lost. But she personally rode her dragon aboard Prince Viserys.

Seventy ships launched firebombs, yet they couldn't match the efficiency of three dragons dropping firebombs of their own.

And you won't believe it—the three dragons actually retrieved firebombs from the ships! The Unsullied loaded the bombs onto the dragons like they were arming war machines. Their attack frequency was staggering."

Denzo suddenly understood. "So the ships weren't actually carrying treasure?"

"Heh, you thought the Queen was that naïve? It was a deliberate ruse. The treasure was fake, but the Unsullied on board were very real. Even we captains were fooled." Redbeard grinned slyly.

"The Allied Forces must have suffered a huge loss. I haven't seen any of their warships in Slaver's Bay since," Denzo noted.

"They fought from morning till dusk. The Queen lost three of her five ships, but the enemy lost twenty-nine.

Another twenty-two had their sails burned, leaving them stranded at sea, and were later captured by the Queen. Over three thousand sailors were taken prisoner.

After that battle, Slaver's Bay fell completely silent—no one dared provoke the Dragon Queen again."

With a complicated expression, the red-bearded captain concluded, "That's why I said, as long as Daenerys has dragons, she's almost unbeatable."

"Perhaps," Denzo murmured, his gaze drifting toward the approaching shoreline. His mind wandered to an old sorceress who had once left Yunkai with him.

The Ragged Prince had gone to New Ghis with Grazdan, and since Denzo's goal was to find his own captain, he naturally headed there as well. The shadowbinder, however, had planned to go to Qarth to sell her house before returning home in the Far East.

Their destinations were different, so they should have parted ways in New Ghis. But the locals refused to let the shadowbinder leave—because they, too, had heard the shocking rumor that she had truly hatched a dragon.

The implications of this were staggering.

Perhaps it wouldn't be long before New Ghis or Qarth had dragons of their own.

Hmm… Denzo wondered which city's ruling family would be the first to be wiped out.

With a sigh, the old poet returned to his cabin, lifted a massive leather chest nearly half his height, and prepared to disembark.

They had arrived in Yunkai.

"Edward, I'm heading out," he called.

"Wait a moment, I'll come with you," Redbeard Edward responded.

"I'm going to see the Dragon Queen to ransom back over a hundred of my captured brothers. What about you?" Denzo asked, puzzled.

"The Queen posted a notice in the city—she's buying rare plants and seeds. I brought some from New Ghis," Redbeard Edward said, rubbing his hands together eagerly. Then he winked at Denzo and added, "If I tag along with you, I might get to meet the Queen herself."

Denzo chuckled bitterly. "I don't have that much influence."

"Well, let's try our luck. No harm in trying," Redbeard said as he gave some instructions to his first mate before heading toward the docks with Denzo.

The last time they had left, the harbor had been scorched earth. Now, while the stone piers were still blackened, a row of newly built brick buildings lined the shore—taverns, barbecue stalls, tailor shops, and warehouses.

Denzo blinked in surprise. "Wait… Where are all the pleasure houses?"

For a city once known as The Brothel of the World, Yunkai's dock district was strangely devoid of its infamous brothels.

"They're free now. The Dragon Queen has granted those girls in training their freedom. According to the Codex she established, specifically under the Marriage Law section, any free woman over the age of eighteen must get married. If she cannot find a husband on her own, a civil officer will arrange one for her."

"All those trained girls got married?" Danzor asked in surprise.

"It's not that simple," Redbeard shook his head with a complicated expression. "Unless they find a husband themselves, if a civil officer has to intervene, the women must first take the Virtuous Wife and Good Mother Exam before being assigned a match."

"What?" Danzor's eyes widened in disbelief.

"Sigh… If a woman wants to get married after turning eighteen, she must pass the Virtuous Wife and Good Mother Exam."

Needing to pass an exam just to get married?

Danzor, having lived for fifty or sixty years, had never heard of something so bizarre.

"What does the exam test?"

"Baking bread; curing sausages or smoking meat; and reciting Cai Gen Tan (The Vegetable Root Discourses). These three are the basics—if a woman fails any of them, she cannot marry.

In addition, there are extra credit skills such as embroidery, farming and herding, as well as playing musical instruments, chess, calligraphy, and painting. The civil officers will rank the women based on their scores, reward them accordingly, and match them with better husbands," Redbeard explained.

"This…" Danzor was stunned and mumbled, "Why is this necessary?"

"Sigh, isn't it obvious? If she doesn't even know how to bake bread, won't her family starve? If she doesn't know how to cure or smoke meat, then when they slaughter cattle, sheep, or pigs, the leftover meat will rot before they can finish eating it," Redbeard countered.

"The Dragon Queen said this?"

"Yes, that's how she explained it to everyone. You have to understand, the Yuankai trained women may have mastered the most complex of the Seven Spring Lamentation Arts, but they don't know how to manage a household. The Dragon Queen isn't looking for noblewomen as wives for her warriors—she wants capable partners."

"That makes sense," Danzor remarked. "The Dragon Queen is truly meticulous. She makes sure her good intentions don't backfire."

Redbeard, feeling as if the compliment was directed at him, nodded proudly and said, "Of course! To encourage these women to improve themselves, the Dragon Queen offers highly generous rewards.

Aside from gold coins, jewelry, fine clothing, and exotic silks, there are also noble titles such as Little Madam, Madam, and Great Madam."

Danzor was taken aback. "Titles exclusively for women?"

It was clear that Dani had borrowed some ideas from ancient Tian Dynasty traditions. However, unlike historical royal courts where a woman's status depended on her husband or son, in the Bay of Slaves, women could earn respect and high status solely through their own abilities.

Unlike the old imperial system with its complex hierarchy—First-Rank Madam, Second-Rank Madam, Third-Rank Lady, Fourth-Rank Honored Lady, and so on—Dani's system was simpler, with only three ranks: Little Madam, Madam, and Great Madam.

"How does one earn a title?" Danzor asked again.

Redbeard thought for a moment before answering, "It depends on their Virtuous Wife Exam score and future achievements.

For example, if a woman excels at handicrafts, she can become a Little Madam, which is similar to a knight in status.

If she invents something beneficial to the people, she can be promoted to Madam or even Great Madam, similar to a baroness.

Take the case from a month ago—there was a weaver in Meereen who presented a loom to the Dragon Queen that was twice as efficient as regular looms. In recognition of her contribution, the Queen immediately granted her the title of Great Madam and rewarded her with 100,000 Gold Radiance Coins."

"One hundred thousand Gold Radiance Coins?!" Danzor was utterly shocked. That was more than most mercenaries could dream of earning.

"Sigh, that's why they say the Dragon Queen has great vision! She explained that once the loom is widely used, the collective gain for all free citizens will far exceed 100,000 Gold Radiance Coins. In essence, she was purchasing the patent for the loom from the weaver with a single payment.

Oh, and patent rights—that's another term the Dragon Queen introduced.

She also mentioned that when the time is right, she will add a Patent Law to the Codex to encourage people to strive for a better world," Edward said, his eyes filled with undisguised admiration.

"A better world…" Danzor murmured as if entranced.

"Even though my crew of enslaved shipbuilders was also freed by the Queen, I must admit… compared to the slave masters, I prefer Queen Dani," Edward said with a complicated tone.

"Oh?" Danzor snapped out of his thoughts and asked, "What is Cai Gen Tan?"

"It's said that Cai Gen Tan consists of three volumes: upper, middle, and lower. The upper volume is intended for ordinary households—it covers things like washing hands before meals, bathing at least once a week, making toothbrushes and toothpaste, crafting soap for bathing and shampooing, identifying and treating common illnesses… Sigh, there's too much to list—it basically covers every aspect of daily life."

"I know what a toothbrush is, but what's toothpaste?" Danzor asked, confused.

"It's an herbal paste used for cleaning teeth."

"Sigh, it seems becoming a qualified wife is quite difficult—perhaps even harder than mastering the Seven Spring Lamentation Arts!" Danzor sighed.

"If a girl can find her own husband before turning eighteen, she doesn't need the civil officer to arrange one and is exempt from the exam. The Dragon Queen has made it clear—men must take responsibility for their own choices."

(End of Chapter)

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