53.
The Dothraki stare at their new queen.
DAENERYS
(to Illyrio) What should I do?
Ser Jorah answers for the Magister.
JORAH Take the reins and ride. You don’t have to go far.
Dany gathers the reins and slips her feet into the stirrups. She squeezes gently with her knees and the filly breaks into a trot. At first Dany seems frightened, but as the crowd parts for her and the speed increases, she smiles. She sends the filly into a gallop through the campground, and now the Dothraki are hooting and laughing and shouting at her, impressed by their new khaleesi’s spirit. At full speed Dany and the filly circle back, a little out of control. A fire pit looms ahead, directly in their path. They are hemmed in on either side by hollering Dothraki. There is no way out but straight ahead.
The silver horse leaps the flames as if she had wings.
The crowd cheers. Dany pulls up beside Illyrio.
DAENERYS Tell Khal Drogo he has given me the wind.
Illyrio translates the line. And for the first time that we’ve seen, Khal Drogo smiles.
The bloodriders bring forth the Khal’s horse, a lean red stallion, and Drogo mounts.
Viserys approaches Daenerys on her filly. He looks very pleasant as he grips his sister’s leg.
VISERYS
Make him happy.
His fingers dig into her thigh and Daenerys flinches.
Khal Drogo trots off on his stallion and Dany follows behind, looking back at Viserys and Illyrio and Ser Jorah.
The exhilaration that brightened her face a minute before is gone. The fear is back.
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