The trek to find his Queen had been long and often hard. It was not easy to follow a dragon on foot or on horseback. Where a dragon could soar over mountains, Jorah was forced to climb up . . . only to climb back down on the other side. Rest was unknown to him. He feared that if he waited too long, the signs left behind by Drogon would be removed by nature.
Week by week, he traveled, then month by month, until he arrived at Asshai. Of course. Of course, the clever dragon would bring his mother here. Exhausted and near to collapse, Jorah entered the city with his armor strapped to his saddle and thirst breaking his lips.
While those that lived in the city ignored him, the second one of the Red Priests and Red Priestesses saw him, he was guided towards a large temple. “The Bear has arrived for his Queen,” he heard whispered, but he was close to nodding off even atop his horse. Once he was stilled, he blinked awake and forced himself to dismount.
His legs nearly gave away but he grit his teeth and pulled himself up. “Daenerys,” he spoke, hoarse and rough. “Where is she?”
One of the Red Priestesses approached him. “Greetings. I am Kinvara. We have been waiting for you. There is little the Dragon Queen goes that her loyal Bear does not follow.” A soft smile but Jorah couldn’t return it. “Come. She rests but you may see her.”
Rests? Jorah’s look must have been questioning for Kinvara only broadened her smile. “Her dragon brought her here in time for us to restore her. Your Queen lives.”
For the first time since he had heard the news, his heart leapt within his chest. Hope gave him the extra strength to follow her into one of the chambers. “How?” he asked. After all, he had seen the Night King’s version of restoring the dead to life. That was not a fate he wished for the Khaleesi.
“With the power granted to us by the Lord of Light,” she replied simply. “Queen Daenerys was supposed to fall in Westeros . . . so that she may arise again, more powerful than before, and save the world twice-over.”
“She deserves peace,” Jorah grunted, looking around the chamber as they entered in full.
“She does. And so do many. Her efforts will ensure that all will know peace.”
And there she was. Jorah made a sound between a choke and a sob when he saw the Silver Queen resting on her back. She was dressed in silver and blue. Her hands were clasped over her tummy. If she had been dead before, Jorah could not tell now. “She . . . rests?” he managed to ask.
“She does. She sleeps. Until she sleeps no more,” Kinvara gestured for him to sit beside the Queen.
Jorah moved forward and knelt beside her. A hand outstretched towards her but he could not bring himself to actually touch her. Instead, his hand fell at his side. “How long?”
Kinvara shrugged. “Months, perhaps. Years. Eons. The Lord of Light shall wake her when it is time.”
Years? Jorah would be dead after a few more decades. And even then, he’d be of no use to her. “Let me rest with her,” he requested, his gaze turning from his Queen’s face to Kinvara’s. “I must serve.”
She didn’t seem surprised by this request either. “A vial is already prepared for you. Drink it. You shall not sleep as she does . . . but you will be tied to her. Preserved until she awakes. Provided, of course, no one sends a blade through your heart.” She’s smirking a little too much for his liking at that. Without a question, Jorah takes the vial and drinks it.
It’s bitter . . . but the exhaustion he felt entirely disappears. “Guard her well, Ser Jorah,” Kinvara departs with a knowing smile.
And so he did. Jorah remained in the chamber for most of the next five years. Now and then, he ventured out for food or drink or company. Rarer, he even went out into the city to learn the news. But he always returned to his sleeping Queen and ensured that the candles around her remained lit. Drogon had taken up residence in Asshai. The people there were delighted to host him and fed him often. Jorah was grateful for the familiar company.
It was within the fifth year that his normal routine was altered. Jorah sat with his back against a wall, reading volume six of the history of Asshai when he heard a breath that was not his own. Blue eyes raised to find the Khaleesi’s open . . . and staring. The book dropped from his hands and he launched to his feet.
“Khaleesi!” he exclaimed, falling to his knees beside her resting place and bowing his head. “You’ve awoken.”