Upon arriving in Astapor, the dragon queen Daenerys Targaryen meets with Kraznys mo Nakloz, one of the slave-owning merchants of the city. Kraznys takes her and Ser Jorah Mormont to the barracks to meet a detachment of Unsullied soldiers, which he has left standing for a day and a night without food or water as proof of their hardiness. Kraznys communicates with Daenerys through his slave girl and translator Missandei, who interprets his Low Valyrian into the  common tongue of Westeros, though Missandei respectfully changes his translation to avoid insulting Daenerys. Throughout the tour, Kraznys explains that the Unsullied were trained for battle from the age of five and that only one in four recruits survive the training. He also demonstrates that the Unsullied do not fear pain or death by slicing off the nipple of one soldier, much to Daenerys' disgust. This soldier not only shows no sign of pain but even thanks his slave master for the opportunity to serve him. Daenerys also learns that the Unsullied are trained not to show mercy or weakness by killing a newborn slave child in front of its mother at the end of their training. While Daenerys is outraged by this, she still asks Kraznys how many Unsullied are available to her. She is told that there are eight thousand soldiers for sale and that she has until the next day to make a decision as there are other buyers interested.

Some time later, Daenerys continues her negotiations with the slaver Kraznys over her planned purchase of the Unsullied army. During the meeting, Daenerys announces that she would take all 8,000 Unsullied soldiers, including those in training. Kraznys initially dismisses her offer and informs Missandei to translate his offer to sell her one hundred soldiers. Daenerys then offers to sell him one of her dragons. In the end, Daenerys reaches an agreement with Kraznys to sell her biggest dragon, Drogon, for all of the Unsullied soldiers. Ser Jorah and Ser Barristan Selmy object to this deal on the grounds that her dragons are key to winning the Iron Throne on the western continent of Westeros. However, Daenerys appears to brush away their concerns and accepts the transaction, and also takes Missandei as a token of faith. Upon leaving the meeting, she scolds Jorah and Barristan for criticizing her decision in public. Daenerys also asks Missandei for her name and whether she has any living family, but Missandei responds that she does not. Daenerys warns her that she was heading to war, she may be killed and fall sick and die. In response, Missandei recites the Valyrian aphorism: "Valar morghulis," which translated into the common tongue as "all men must die". Daenerys then realizes that Missandei actually knows High Valyrian, and also adds that "but we are not men."

On the day of the exchange, the Good Masters of Astapor and Kraznys mo Nakloz, along with Missandei and the eight-thousand Unsullied warriors, meet with Daenerys to complete the deal. Daenerys hands her chained dragon to Kraznys, who is hostile towards his new slave master. Kraznys then gives her the golden whip, the symbol of ownership over the Unsullied. After finalizing the transaction, Daenerys tests her new powers by ordering the Unsullied, in Valyrian, to march forward and then halt. This shocks everyone including Jorah and Barristan, who did not know that she spoke Valyrian. Kraznys then complains that Drogon did not obey his command, to which Daenerys angrily retorts that Drogon does not obey him because he is not a slave. Kraznys is both stunned to learn she speaks fluent Valyrian and horrified to realize Daenerys understood his derogatory comments and insults about her the entire time, merely feigning ignorance to lull the Astapori into a false sense of security. She then orders the Unsullied to kill all of the slave masters but to harm no innocent people. When a panicking Kraznys desperately shouts for someone to kill her, Daenerys orders Drogon to burn Kraznys alive. With the Unsullied under her command, Daenerys sacks Astapor with little resistance. Shortly after the surprise attack on the city, Daenerys addresses all of her newly-acquired Unsullied warriors, insisting them of their freedom. She gives them the option of leaving unharmed or fighting under her command as free men. At first, the Unsullied remain quiet, not knowing what to do with their newfound freedom. However, one Unsullied soldier begins to beat his spear against the ground, signifying his allegiance to her. The rest of the Unsullied then follow suit shortly thereafter. Daenerys rides triumphantly out of the smoking wreck of Astapor, and drops the slave master's whip on the ground. The Unsullied trample the whip under their feet as they march past. Missandei rides out with Daenerys and her eight-thousand strong army of Unsullied marching in formation. For the first time in generations, a Targaryen has begun to conquer again, starting with the Liberation of Slaver's Bay. Afterwards, during their journey towards Yunkai, the next great city of Slaver's Bay, Daenerys orders the Unsullied to elect a commander from their own ranks. The officers ultimately choose Grey Worm who, like all Unsullied, was given the name of a type of vermin by their slave masters. When Daenerys instructs the Unsullied to go back to their birth names or pick new ones that they would like, Grey Worm elects to keep his, as it was the name he had when “Daenerys Stormborn” set him free. Daenerys is deeply moved by this sentiment.

When they arrive in Yunkai, Daenerys orders Grey Worm to send a messenger to the city, and inform Yunkai's slaver rulers that they must either surrender or suffer the same fate as Astapor. Daenerys then holds an audience with the Yunkish herald, Razdal mo Eraz, who is one of the ruling Wise Masters of Yunkai. Razdal attempts to discourage her from attacking his city by claiming that numerous armies throughout history had tried and failed to conquer it. However, Daenerys is undaunted and comments that a hard-fought battle will give her Unsullied much-needed practice. Razdal then attempts to bribe her by providing her with the gold and ships needed to transport her army to Westeros. In exchange, Daenerys will have to leave Yunkai in peace. In response, Daenerys makes a counter-offer: she will spare the lives of Razdal and the slave-masters if every slave in Yunkai are set free, and given food, clothing and property in payment for their services. She threatens to show no mercy if Yunkai rejects her offer. Razdal is offended by her demands and when threatens to use Yunkai's "powerful friends" to destroy her, Dany’s dragons make threatening gestures toward him. When Razdal protests that he had been promised safe conduct, Daenerys responds that her dragons made no such promise and they take offense to him threatening their mother. Razdal is also unable to reclaim the chests of gold he had brought with him. Following his departure, Daenerys orders her knights to find out more about Yunkai's "powerful friends" before she decides to attack the city.

Some time later, they eventually discover that these "powerful friends" are the Second Sons, a professional mercenary company. As typical of sellswords, the Second Sons are a rowdy, rough-and-tumble private army who fight for coin and the highest bidder. While there are only 2,000 of them, the Second Sons are armored and mounted, enough to cause trouble for the Unsullied. Daenerys tells Ser Barristan to organize a meeting with the Second Sons' captains, saying that men who fight for gold "can't afford to lose to a girl.” Daenerys later meets with captains Mero and Prendahl na Ghezn, as well as Prendahl's underling Daario Naharis. During the proceedings, Mero insults Daenerys by likening her to a whore and touches Missandei inappropriately. Prendahl and Mero refuse Daenerys' offer of an alliance, pointing out they will not get their rewards until she reclaims the Iron Throne. In response, Daenerys replies that she had no army a fortnight ago and that she had no dragons a year before that. Daenerys gives them two days to make up their mind and sends them away, with Daario smiling over his back at her as they depart. After the sellswords leave, Daenerys instructs Ser Barristan to kill Captain Mero first if they have to fight with them. Barristan replies that he would be glad to do so.

Later that evening, Daenerys takes a bath and is surprised to learn that Missandei speaks no fewer than nineteen languages. In response, Missandei comments that this shouldn't be that odd since it only took Daenerys a year to gain a reasonable grasp of Dothraki. The khaleesi bristles at the idea she speaks only “reasonable” Dothraki and switches to the language to teach Missandei a lesson, only to have her pronunciation corrected. As Daenerys shuts her eyes and soaks in the bath, she is suddenly interrupted by Missandei gasping. When Dany opens her eyes, she witnesses an Unsullied soldier holding a knife to Missandei's throat, who advises both women not to scream. The soldier removes his helmet, revealing himself as the mercenary Daario Naharis. The Second Son confesses that his captains Mero and Prendahl want to kill Daenerys, however, Daario did not side with them as they found themselves having a "philosophical disagreement" over her beauty. Instead, Daario beheaded both Mero and Prendahl, as he then opens his heavy satchel and spills out their severed heads to the floor in front of the dragon queen. Daario then kneels before her and swears fealty to Daenerys, as she gains a new ally in her conquest: the new captain of the Second Sons.

Some time later, outside the walls of Yunkai, Daenerys and her commanders plan an attack on the city. Her newest captain, Daario Naharis, suggests a plan using a lightly defended back gate, a small group can infiltrate the city and open the main gates for the rest of the army to invade. Though Ser Jorah is skeptical of both the plan and Daario's loyalty, Daenerys is convinced to try it when she asks Grey Worm if he trusts Daario. Upon being encouraged to speak his mind, he says he does. Daario also touches her on her hand, flirting for her favor to him. As the captains depart, Ser Barristan asks to go along, but Jorah reminds him that a Queensguard's place is at the queen's side, regardless of his pride. That night Ser Jorah, Daario and Grey Worm sneak into the city and fight their way through the slave soldiers guarding Yunkai. There are far more soldiers than Daario anticipated, much to Jorah's irritation, but it seems that the three are evenly matched - barely. A few hours later, an impatient Daenerys paces in her tent, alongside Missandei and Ser Barristan. Jorah and Grey Worm finally enter, covered in dust and gore but grinning widely: Yunkai is defeated. Daenerys is elated, but asks after Daario, who is still absent following the victory. After a suspenseful pause by Jorah, Daario strides into the room, drenched in blood and kneels before the dragon queen. He presents Yunkai's torn flag with the face of the Wise Masters on it, and triumphantly informs that the city is hers.

The morning following their victory, Missandei stands next to Daenerys and her advisors as they wait outside the walls of Yunkai for the city's slaves to appear. Daenerys frets that the Yunkish slaves, who were treated more favorably than Astapor's slaves, might have grown to like their chains and will not welcome freedom. Finally, the gates open and the freedmen pour out. Missandei begins to tell them of how Daenerys “the Unburnt” freed them, but Daenerys interrupts and asserts that it is the slaves' own choice to reach for their freedom. After a moment, one of the freedmen stretches his hand towards Daenerys and calls out "mhysa.” After a moment, another follows suit, then another and another until the entire crowd is chanting "mhysa." Bewildered, Daenerys turns to Missandei, who reveals that the word means "mother" in the Old Ghiscari language. When the slaves advance on Daenerys, the Unsullied step into formation, but the queen tells them to stand down. Telling her dragons to fly, Daenerys steps out of the protection of the Unsullied and into the crowd, who carry on their chanting. Daenerys is embraced by the former slaves, offering a glimmer of hope in an increasingly darker and hopeless world.

Some time after liberating Yunkai, Daenerys resumes her march towards the greatest of the slave cities, Meereen. She notices Grey Worm and Daario are absent and sets out with Missandei to find them after being told they are "gambling”. They find the two men sitting face-to-face holding their weapons in front of them, contesting their endurance since midnight. Daario explains that they are deciding on which of them will ride up front with her in the vanguard. Frustrated, Daenerys states that the honor goes to Ser Jorah and Ser Barristan as they did not keep her waiting all morning, adding that the last man holding his sword shall find a new queen to fight for. Missandei is amused when Daenerys threatens to expel the winner of the contest from her army. Both Daario and Grey Worm instantly drop their swords. Later, on the road to Meereen, Daenerys speaks with Missandei, who tells her queen that Meereen would be wise to fear her approach. Daario meets them on the cliffside, and Daenerys expresses her annoyance when he shows her flowers he has picked. The marching army halts and Daenerys goes to the forefront, discovering a slave child nailed to a cross. The child is dead, her hand pointing the way to Meereen, and Jorah tells Daenerys there is one for each mile to the last of the great slave cities, one-hundred and sixty-three in total. She orders that each child is buried, and their collars removed, but not before she has looked upon each and every face.

Days later, the army eventually arrive outside of the gates of Meereen, as Dany begins her next siege. As they approach she is in full view of the Great Pyramid, a visible reminder of where the larger wealth and population lies within Slaver’s Bay. Upon their arrival, the city’s chosen champion barrels out of the gates on horseback and insults the new arrivals by literally pissing on his territory in plain sight. Daenerys is then faced with a “champions' duel,” where the riding knight of Meereen challenges her to choose a champion that will fight for her. Daario volunteers and quickly dispatches the Meereen champion by throwing his dagger into the eye of the charging horse, Daenerys then begins her siege of the city. She speaks to the slaves who are all gathered along the walls of the gate along with their masters. Daenerys then commands the Unsullied to catapult barrels over the city walls that are filled with broken chains of those she has freed along her journey to Meereen, demonstrating her previous successes. As the slaves examine the broken chains with curiosity and excitement, the Great Masters look on in fear.

Some time later, Missandei is revealed to have been teaching Grey Worm the common tongue. As the lessons progress, Missandei and Grey Worm discuss their lost homelands. Whilst Grey Worm bluntly states that his life was meaningless before he became an Unsullied, Missandei laments the beauty of Naath and the burning of her home upon her capture. Grey Worm is then summoned to begin the Siege of Meereen and, as commanded, he and a few Unsullied visit a slave pen where a number of slaves are discussing whether or not to rise against the Great Masters. One of the young slaves named Mossador is already trying to convince them to fight, but the older slaves argue that their masters have squashed every previous slave rebellion. Grey Worm asserts that only they can free themselves, then presenting the slaves with weapons. The uprising is a resounding success. With the city hers, Daenerys enters through the gates as a liberator of Meereen, celebrated by freedmen throwing their old slaves' collars at her feet. Daenerys then orders the crucifixion of 163 of the masters in retaliation for the 163 slave children crucified on the road to Meereen. Ser  Barristan advises her against it, saying that sometimes it is best to answer injustice with mercy. Daenerys shows her Targaryen blood by firmly declaring that she will "answer injustice with justice." The cries of the crucified Great Masters reach Dany's ears atop the Great Pyramid, where the city's emblem, the golden harpy of Ghis, has been draped in the banner of House Targaryen. Now, she has liberated all three cities of Slaver's Bay.

After a few days settling into life in Meereen, Missandei is in Dany’s quarters when they learn of King Joffrey Baratheon's death in King’s Landing, as well as his brother Tommen Baratheon's coronation. Daenerys is irritated to learn that Daario has captured Meereen's navy without her explicit orders to do so, but mulls over the possibility of setting sail for Westeros and taking the capital city with her eight-thousand Unsullied and two-thousand Second Sons. Ser Barristan is optimistic about their chances, believing that old Westerosi families will flock to their cause once Daenerys crosses the Narrow Sea, swelling their numbers. Ser Jorah is less enthusiastic: while ten-thousand troops should be enough to take the Westerosi capital from its exhausted defenders, there's still the rest of the continent to worry about. Her advisors then reveal more troubling news: the Wise Masters have bounced back and re-enslaved every freed man in  Yunkai, and although Astapor remains free, the council Daenerys installed has been deposed by a butcher named Cleon. Daenerys dismisses everyone but Jorah and muses that her plans are in shambles. He reminds her that she is the last Targaryen and the Mother of Dragons, but Dany says she needs to be more than that. She laments that if she cannot keep order in three cities, she has no hope of controlling seven kingdoms. She is therefore resolved to remain in Meereen and "do what queens do" by ruling.

Some time after, on a sunny day outside of Meereen, a goat herder and his son are peacefully tending the goats on a hill while the son throws rocks to pass the time. Suddenly, the largest dragon, Drogon, appears and burns the field and kills a flock of goats while taking one with him. The goat herder travels to Meereen to visit the queen and speak with her in the audience chamber of the Great Pyramid. After Missandei announces Daenerys’ many titles to the goat herder, he approaches and lays the charred remains of his flock before the queen, hoping to not anger her. Daenerys apologizes about Drogon's actions and promises to pay back three times the worth of his flock. After he departs, Hizdahr zo Loraq enters and presents his petition: the right to bury his father's remains in the Temple of the Graces, as he was one of the Meereenese Great Masters crucified on Daenerys' orders. She counters that he was one of the masters that crucified the children. Hizdahr reveals that his father actually spoke out against their crucifixions and was overruled, but later was killed due to Daenerys' judgment anyway. Somewhat mollified, Daenerys allows him to bury his father and as he leaves, Missandei informs her that she still has two-hundred more supplicants waiting.

Some weeks later, as Grey Worm is swimming with other Unsullied soldiers outside of Meereen, he notices Missandei and a number of other women bathing naked downstream. She spots him looking at her and returns his gaze, standing up slowly for him to see her before finally covering herself. Afterwards, Missandei visits Daenerys is in her chambers, who braids her hair as they discuss her encounter at the stream with Grey Worm. Daenerys asks whether Missandei thinks he was spying on her. When Missandei doesn’t assume so, Daenerys mentions that the Dothraki have no taboos against nudity or public fornication. Of course, Missandei is not Dothraki, but Daenerys says it doesn't matter, as Grey Worm isn't interested in her - none of the Unsullied desire women, as their castration and training has led them to lack most desires. Missandei insists, however, that he was interested, which surprises both of them. Daenerys inquires whether, when a slave is castrated, the masters take "all of it" - both the "pillar" and the "stones." Missandei says she doesn't know, to which Daenerys asks if she's ever wondered. Thoughtful, Missandei confirms that she has.

Later, in Daenerys’ audience chamber, Grey Worm comes to apologize to Missandei, but she tells him he doesn't need to. He hopes he didn't frighten her, and she says he did not. Addressing her in the common tongue, he tells her the language lessons she gives are precious to him. Gently correcting his vocabulary, she notes that she doesn't remember teaching him the word "precious." Grey Worm tells her that Ser Jorah taught it to him. Missandei then asks whether he remembers his birth name, and Grey Worm informs her that he remembers nothing. She asks if he remembers when they cut him, and he shakes his head no. She apologizes for what they’ve done to him, and when Grey Worm asks her why, she says it's a terrible thing to do to a boy. Grey Worm counters that, had the masters not cut him, he never would have been an Unsullied, he never would have been freed and chosen to lead them… and would never have met her. Missandei is visibly moved by this. Grey Worm apologizes once again, and she stops him while he turns to leave, telling him she is glad he saw her. He then informs her that he's glad as well. 

Later on, as Ser Barristan watches the Unsullied take the bodies of the crucified masters down, a young boy approaches him, giving him a scroll bearing the seal of the Hand of the King. He reads its contents slowly in consternation. He then confronts Ser Jorah as the document is an old royal pardon signed by the late king of Westeros, Robert Baratheon. Ser Barristan surmises Jorah used to spy on Daenerys in exchange for the royal pardon. Jorah begs to speak with her privately, but Barristan tells him that he will never be alone with her again. Afterwards, in the audience chamber, Missandei stands behind a seething Daenerys, who demands for Ser Jorah to explain the pardon. He insists that it is a ploy by Lord Tywin Lannister, the grandfather to King Tommen, designed to divide Daenerys from himself. She then counters that the old pardon was signed the year they met. After asking Jorah whether he claims the pardon was forged, Jorah admits that it was not. He then confesses to having shared information to King Robert regarding her activities in Essos. Daenerys angrily recounts a previous incident of near-poisoning at the hands of a wine merchant, which she can now understand was as result of Jorah informing the king of her former pregnancy. Jorah protests that his actions stopped her from being poisoned, however, Daenerys retorts this was only because he knew it might be coming. He begs for her forgiveness, but Daenerys rebuffs him, saying he betrayed her, selling her secrets to the man she holds responsible for the death of her family. However, she spares his life and gives him a day to leave the city, warning him that if he is seen in Meereen after that, his head will be thrown into Slaver's Bay. A distraught Jorah is last seen riding away from the city gates on horseback. That evening, on her balcony, Daenerys tells Missandei that she is never to betray her.

Some weeks later, Missandei stands next to Queen Daenerys, who sits in the audience chamber and receives the day’s many supplicants. An old man named Fennesz approaches the throne, first speaking in High Valyrian but then revealing that he also knows the common tongue. Fennesz explains that he was not one of the slaves who toiled away at manual labor, but a well-educated teacher and servant to Master Mighdal who was well-treated and loved by Mighdal’s children. Mighdal and Fennesz agreed that he must leave rather than face reprisals. He adds that he’s visited these refugee centers and they are not very safe as the young prey on the old, harassing and robbing them. He has come to Daenerys to ask permission to sell himself back to Mighdal. Daenerys is crestfallen and asserts that she didn’t liberate them only to preside over the very injustice she sought to destroy. She surprisingly relents, however, and admits that freedom means making one's own choices. Dany allows Fennesz to enter into a labor contract with Mighdal but lasting no more than one year. The next supplicant then enters, a shepherd carrying a bundle in his arms, similarly to the herdsman who came to show the bones of his livestock that Drogon burned in order to be reimbursed. The shepherd timidly approaches and states that he is unable to speak in the common tongue and requires Missandei to translate. Distraught, he informs Daenerys that the "winged shadow" came, placing the bundle on the ground and opening it to reveal charred bones of a human child. Drogon, “the black one,” has roasted the man's three-year-old daughter Zalla until this is all that was left of her.

Horrified, Daenerys later meets with Missandei and Grey Worm in her chambers to discuss how to deal with the growing threat her dragons are posing to the people of Meereen. Grey Worm reports that Drogon was last seen flying over the Black Cliffs three days ago, but he can no longer be found. Realizing that she can no longer control her dragons, Daenerys tells them both to head with her to the catacombs under the city. Afterwards, arriving at the catacombs, Daenerys leads Rhaegal and Viserion inside, where they are distracted by sheep carcasses. As they are feeding, Daenerys herself locks huge iron collars around their necks, which are secured by heavy chains. She weeps as she does so, as it is symbolically reducing her remaining children to chained-up slavery themselves. Daenerys wordlessly leaves and closes the huge stone door to the catacombs behind her as her dragons grow distressed. They call out to her when they attempt to follow and realize they are chained in place. Before the rolling door closes, Daenerys cries as she looks back at her anguished dragons.

Some time later, the Unsullied topple the large golden harpy from the top of the Great Pyramid in Meereen to show the Meereenese people they are under Targaryen rule now and their old traditions are no longer in practice. After the removal, one of the Unsullied soldiers named  White Rat is seen walking into a brothel. He pays a prostitute named Vala that he visits regularly to lie with him and provide comfort, in lieu of sexual conduct due to his castration. While White Rat lies in bed with Vala, eyes closed, he listens to her hum as she strokes his head. Suddenly his throat is then slashed by a member of the Sons of the Harpy, an insurgency group operating in Meereen who oppose Daenerys’ new reign. The prostitute Vala rises from the bed and stands beside the Harpy, indicating her involvement, as they watch the soldier bleed out. Afterwards, Missandei is in Daenerys’ quarters when the murderer's mask left at the scene is presented to the dragon queen. Ser Barristan assures her that conquerors are always met with resistance, as former Meereeneese slave Mossador reminds her that the Harpies do not see the freed slaves as people. Daenerys then orders Grey Worm to find those responsible and also commands that White Rat is to be buried in the Temple of the Graces as a statement. After the council meeting, Missandei approaches Grey Worm in private, expressing concern for his safety. She then asks him why White Rat would visit a brothel given that he and all of the Unsullied are eunuchs, adding that she has heard many Unsullied have visited. Uncomfortable with the probing question, Grey Worm states the he does not know why they would visit brothels. He then leaves her to carry out his commands.

Days later, Daario and Grey Worm find a house belonging to a Harpy who is allegedly responsible for the Unsullied soldier’s death. Back at the Great Pyramid, Daenerys and her council debate executing the Harpy, but the debate devolves into a shouting match between Mossador and Hizdahr zo Loraq. Daenerys thanks her advisors for their council and dismisses them, but Barristan asks her for a word in private about her father, "the Mad King". Daenerys initially scoffs at Barristan for reminding her of what she considers her enemies' lies. However, Barristan also reminds Daenerys of his past service in her father's Kingsguard and insists that her enemies did not lie. He tells Daenerys about how King Aerys set entire towns and castles ablaze, murdered sons in front of their fathers, and burned men alive with wildfire. All of this led to a rebellion that killed every Targaryen save for her and her now-deceased brother Viserys. Daenerys assures Barristan that she is not like her father. Barristan agrees, but he still warns her that the Mad King gave his enemies the justice he thought they deserved, and each time it made him feel powerful and right until the very end. Daenerys promises not to have the Harpy executed without a fair trial. Feeling pressure from the other former slaves, Mossador goes against Daenerys' order and executes the Harpy, angering the dragon queen. She decides to sentence Mossador to death, stating that killing the Harpy broke the law. A crowd gathers to witness Mossador's execution and Daenerys tells the crowd that when she conquered Meereen she promised freedom and justice, but one cannot exist without the other. Daenerys then has Mossador brought out in chains before the crowd, and warns all Meereenese citizens that freed slave or Great Master, not to pervert the course of justice. Mossador pleads for forgiveness as scores of citizens beg for his release, but instead she has Daario cut off his head. Daenerys is then quickly escorted away when riots break out between the freedmen and the masters. Later that evening, Daenerys stands on her balcony looking out into the night sky when the missing Drogon suddenly lands on top of the pyramid above her, now the size of a small house. Daenerys is elated and tries reaching out for him, which she hasn't done for some time now. Drogon sniffs her outstretched hand, and while he doesn't attack her, he instead flies away, leaving his mother once again. Daenerys is left heartbroken as she gazes at Drogon soaring into the distance.

Some time later, Daenerys looks down at the streets from her balcony as Ser Barristan arrives and shares a story of how he and her oldest brother Rhaegar Targaryen used to leave the Red Keep to mingle with the common people on the streets of King’s Landing. Daenerys then learns the truth that Rhaegar never loved killing, as her other brother Viserys once told her. Daario arrives, telling her that Hizdahr is in the audience chamber awaiting her. Daenerys asks Barristan if he’ll be joining them, but Daario assures her that he has her well protected. She then gives Barristan the day off, cheerfully telling him to make some music in the city below. In the throne room, Missandei stands beside Daenerys when she hears Hizdahr plead again to reopen the fighting pits of Meereen, but she refuses. Hizdahr rationally argues that the fighting pits provide a great spectacle that has always been enjoyed by both the masters and slaves, and is one of the few things that can bring the city together. During their meeting, the Sons of the Harpy mount a series of large-scale attacks in the streets which results in the deaths of several Unsullied and Second Sons. During the attack, Grey Worm is seriously injured and almost killed but is saved by Ser Barristan’s intervention of the fight, who had been walking around the streets when the Harpies began their attack. Barristan skillfully outmaneuvers several Harpies, but is overwhelmed and stabbed in the stomach, resulting in his death as well.

Days later, Missandei watches over the wounded Grey Worm, who is still unconscious from his wounds sustained fighting against the Sons of the Harpy. Meanwhile in the throne room, Daenerys and Daario hold a wake for the deceased Ser Barristan Selmy. Hizdahr zo Loraq enters to extend his condolences as Daario suggests pulling back around the pyramid to use it as a base from which to eradicate the Sons of the Harpy. Daenerys instead opts for rounding up the leaders of each great family in Meereen, including Hizdahr himself. The leaders are then brought to the catacombs where her dragons, Rhaegal and Viserion, are still chained up. The Unsullied push the leaders slowly towards the two dragons, who can be heard growling from the darkness. Daenerys states that good mothers do not give up on their children, they discipline them if needed, but never give up on them. She nods to Daario to push one of the leaders further forward. A stream of fire coming from Rhaegal sets the man aflame before he is torn apart and eaten by both dragons. Daenerys suggests that the dragons may determine the innocence of the captives and touches Hizdahr's back as if she wanted to push him but then she pretends she wants not to overfeed the dragons and lets the rest of the men be led away.

Later on, Grey Worm wakes up with Missandei sitting beside him and he immediately asks if Ser Barristan survived the attack. Missandei shakes her head. Grey Worm thinks he has failed Barristan, his men and Daenerys, however, Missandei tells him he shouldn't be ashamed for being wounded given that he was ambushed and outnumbered. She adds that everyone fears death. However, Grey Worm says it isn't death he fears, it is the thought of never getting to see Missandei herself again that terrifies him. Missandei is noticeably touched and kisses Grey Worm. Afterwards, Daenerys asks Missandei whether she should reopen the fighting pits. Missandei doesn't think she is fit to give advice to a queen, which Daenerys thinks is absurd and states that she thinks Missandei is as fit as anyone to have a say. Missandei then asserts that instead of listening to her counselors, Daenerys should perhaps listen to her heart. Daenerys then visits the imprisoned Hizdahr, who begs for his life. Daenerys tells him she has decided to reopen the fighting pits, but only for free men. She also says that she will marry the head of an ancient family of Meereen to forge a bond with the people of the city, and that she luckily has one of them on his knees already. She leaves a very confused Hizdahr to ponder his survival and new marriage arrangement.

Some weeks later, Ser Jorah returns to Meereen with a new ally: Tyrion Lannister, the uncle of the reigning king in Westeros, Tommen Baratheon. Missandei joins Daenerys in the audience chamber as she ponders on what to do with Jorah and Tyrion. She asks Tyrion why she shouldn't kill him, since the Lannisters are her enemies. He claims to have killed both of his parents and by that he is an enemy to the Lannisters as well. When asked why he has come from the other end of the world, Tyrion asserts that a lost girl born in a storm, with virtually no assistance, managed to acquire an army, conquer three cities, break the slave trade and hatch three dragons – might be the world’s last chance at building a better one. He adds that Daenerys needs his advice, as she lacks both political experience and practical knowledge of Westeros. She eventually agrees to spare his life, but asks what to do about Jorah, seemingly poised to fulfill her promise of killing him if she saw him again. Tyrion defends Jorah, commenting that he is clearly devoted to her and possibly in love with her, but also that he did not trust her enough to inform her of his role as spy for King Robert, therefore cannot be trusted to stand by her side. Tyrion, however, argues that just as a queen should keep true to her oaths, she should also not kill those devoted to her. With this, Daenerys exiles Jorah from the city once again.

Some weeks later, Daenerys sits in the royal box at Daznak's Pit alongside Missandei, Daario and her new advisor Tyrion, as they await the start of the Great Games. Hizdahr zo Loraq arrives late, claiming to have been putting the final touches on the arrangements for the fight. Daario verbally spars with Hizdahr for much of the first match, drawing Daenerys' attention from the spectacle in front of her. As the fight is about to commence her attention returns to the arena when Ser Jorah, who didn’t leave the city after all, gives the traditional dedication to her. The grand melee begins with six fighters, with Jorah pairing up against a Norvosi long-axe fighter. The Norvosi is able to land several blows against Jorah, eventually knocking him to the ground, however Jorah is able to bring out his dagger and eventually bury it in the Norvosi's chest after a brief melee. Jorah then finds himself hopelessly outmatched by a Braavosi water dancer and suffers many cuts from his opponent's rapier. During the fight, a Meerenese pit fighter is able to lance his opponent in the chest. The water dancer eventually knocks Jorah to the ground, and is about to deliver a killing blow, but fails to notice the pit fighter who kills him from behind. Jorah then battles the pit fighter and kills him and is the last fighter standing. Jorah stares for a few moments at Daenerys, then suddenly grabs and hurls a spear at the royal box – embedding itself in a Son of the Harpy who was sneaking up behind Daario. The Sons of the Harpy then reveal themselves on every level of the arena and begin slaughtering slave masters and freedmen alike. Hizdahr is also brutally slaughtered in front of Daenerys, as Ser Jorah and Daario quickly evacuate her from the royal box, while Tyrion rescues Missandei. Finding the exits blocked, the group makes a stand in the center of the pit with remainder of the Unsullied defenders. Seeing they are hopelessly outnumbered, Daenerys takes Missandei's hand and closes her eyes, ready to face her death. At that moment, however, a loud, draconic screech pierces the air, as Drogon descends upon the arena, flying out of a giant burst of flames. Once Drogon lands in Daznak’s Pit, many of the Sons of the Harpy scatter in terror as he bites, crushes and mercilessly burns the nearest ones to death. The Harpies then rally enough to attack Drogon with spears, embedding them in the dragon's tough hide. When Daenerys is able reach Drogon, she hastily makes an effort to remove the spears, prompting Drogon to turn on her with a huge roar. He stops short of attacking her but then eventually drops his aggression. Trying to get Drogon out of range, Daenerys climbs on top of his back and bids him to fly. As Drogon takes flight with Daenerys, she has become the first dragonrider in over a century. With the Harpies now retreating from the arena, Missandei, Jorah, Daario and Tyrion look on in astonishment as Drogon soars away from the city with his dragon queen.

In the aftermath of the attack on the city and Daenerys’ disappearance, Ser Jorah sits in the throne room with Tyrion and Daario. The Lannister advisor addresses both Jorah and Daario's feelings for Daenerys, understanding all too well how one could love the wrong woman. Missandei then enters with a wounded Grey Worm, who is still recovering from the previous Harpy attack. With Daenerys’ disappearance on Drogon since the Great Games, her council is unsure of how they should continue. However, Tyrion concludes that since Drogon flew her north, they must head in that direction if they are to find her. When Jorah assumes his leadership in finding Daenerys, Tyrion argues with him about his betrayal, though it is Daario who asserts that they are not to make any judgments without Daenerys first, as Jorah has saved her life and could feel differently about him now. Daario then firmly advises that Tyrion is to stay in Meereen and rule on Daenerys' behalf, the only one with political experiences, while Grey Worm will enforce this with the Unsullied army and Missandei as his interpreter and advisor. Before departing with Jorah, Daario wishes them luck in keeping the city together.