24 A useful ally

'I should've turned her down' I thought as the both of us progressed on our walk. There was a silence to it, an uncomfortable one that was neither needed nor welcome. Whilst not as populated as King's Landing or Oldtown, Lannisport had quite the night life, unfortunately that was based more to the centre of the city instead of near the walls, here resided only the poorer residents of Lannisport. Several members of my guard, which needed an official name, was following from behind, far enough that they would not be able to hear any potential conversation between the two of us but close enough to protect me.

They were the more serious and better skilled of my men, having no major desire to drink or fuck and had taken a shine to training in the yard with the new exercise equipment. Orton was among their number. Initially, I had been worried about his temperament, as the Mountain was sadistic and had the disposition of a 10-year-old. My worries were for nought though, I had found Orton to be quite humble and generous to his fellow soldiers, a good moral character allowed him to be looked upon favourably within nearly all of his peers. Jaime told me that he thought Orton had a lot of potential with a sword, making me feel that I really lucked out on him.

"You know, making some conversation would alleviate the awkwardness, right?" The woman said next to me, I raise my eyebrow at the casualness in which she spoke to me.

"Well then" I replied, "I don't suppose you can tell me your name?" She looks at me with a side glance, "...Alysanne". Nodding at her introduction, I go to give mine but she cuts me off "I know who you are, Cerion Lannister. Most of Lannisport talks about you as if you're a gift from the Seven, though I'm sure anyone can win that title if they make the next winter a more comfortable one."

"And what do the minority think of me then?" I ask, gaining favour among the Smallfolk had been one of my goals since coming into this world, being trusted and potentially loved by the majority of your people would always be a major advantage.

"Some say you are a genius, others describe you as a charlatan and there is even a small group who say you are a demon from the Seven-hells, capable of using dark powers." Alysanne tells me, one side of her mouth lifts up as she classifies the last group.

"Oh, and what do you think?" I question, Alysanne smirks at this, "I don't know, I suppose we'll have to wait and see." I huff out a breathy laugh at that.

Silence is restored again as we both continue our walk down the cobbled streets. Alysanne's accent was odd, a mix of something but definitely Essosi and whilst I was no expert in dialectology, father had made sure that I could differentiate accents of the different places our house would normally trade with.

Turning to face her again, I ask "Your accent is quite distinctive, it sounds Volantene but different." Alysanne meets my stare, "You would be correct about the Volantene part, I spent my younger teenage year there. The other half your looking for is Lyseni, I was born in the city and lived there for the majority of my childhood. I'm impressed you nearly managed to figure it out though as not many people do, add onto the fact that your rarely ever seen outside of Casterly Rock."

I roll my eyes at her statement. If I'm not at the barracks with my men or at the wharf with the Bessemers then I would most likely be sat at my desk trying to draw up plans of things to introduce. Her answer had already solved one of the questions I was going to ask, "I take it that is where you get your Valyrian looks from then? After all, it is said that the blood of Old Valyria still runs strong there."

"It still does, at least the last time I checked." Alysanne answers, then she smirks my way, "What if I said it didn't? What if I told you I was a Targaryen princess, hiding in the Lion's den?" She was whispering now, quiet enough that only her and I could here it. I raise an eyebrow at what she said, those were dangerous words she was speaking, even if I knew she was japing.

"Well, if that was the case then I suppose I should have my men here apprehend you here right now. I would most likely be granted a Knighthood, the youngest knight in the history of the Seven Kingdoms." I whisper back, conversations like this are few and far between.

"Oh." She says, looking at me with wide eyes, "Would you really take that title away from your poor old brother?" she asks innocently, a grin emerges on her face when I roll my eyes again. "Besides" Alysanne says, "You've already been speaking to me this last hour, whose to say the king wouldn't think that your in cahoots with me? His fury when it comes to Targaryens is very notable"

I shake my head, "The king might not be the most intelligent man, or the most sober for that matter, but I doubt that he will think that his good-brother, heir to Casterly Rock would plot to overthrow him with a girl he's only met for an hour. Even if that was the case, I doubt my father would let me be executed under the sept of Baelor."

"Anyway, I'm sure I have nothing to worry about. No doubt the king has had Maesters scour records and family trees in order to find those who come from Targaryen lines, barring his family and any other houses who were loyal to him during the rebellion." I say to Alysanne, who had to hike up her dress slightly to avoid staining it in brown coloured puddle.

"I am curious, why did you want to come with me on this walk?" I ask Alysanne, looking at her inquisitively. Alysanne on her part, looked as if she didn't even hear my question, "Well, whenever events like these occur, my strategy is to always go with the genuine person, someone who looks like they are more honourable than others. Most of the other girls look for the richest, hoping that they will get a larger pay than usual, though some don't realise that the richer they are the more crueller they'll treat you." Alysanne replies, looking straight ahead.

"Of course." she says, "I would rather not have to fuck anyone, so when I saw you were getting ready to leave, I jumped at the chance and I asked if I could join you. My curiosity also played a factor as I had recognised your eyes from several times I had seen them before."

I nod my head, analysing her words over in my mind, "I suppose that leads to my other question, why do you still sell your body? From what I have observed in these last few conversations, you seem more than smart enough to make money in other avenues."

Alysanne was silent for a minute, debating whether or nor to tell me, "I have no other choice." She says, "This teardrop tattoo below my eye," she points to the tear under her right eye, a tear which can be mistaken for a birthmark. "It's what the Triarchy of Volantis have done to their prostitute slaves, makes it easy for them to discern which slave is theirs or not. I was taken from Lys to Volantis at the age of eight to learn in their pleasure houses, it wasn't until I was thirteen that I was bought by a Madam of a Westerosi brothel here in Lannisport, the one in which I still work at. The Madam ensures that I and the other slave girls get little to no pay and that are faces are familiar with her thugs in case we try to escape."

I was surprised by what she had said, but not shocked. Despite slavery being illegal in the Seven Kingdoms, that doesn't get rid of it entirely, it is an unexploited market for those with the skill to stay below ground. However to hear that it was present within Lannisport was quite off-putting, I'll have to inform uncle Kevan that the people in charge of the customs in Lannisport need to be checked for bribery and so on.

However, hearing of her circumstances does give me an idea, "Alysanne, if you were free and didn't have to look over your back for thugs and slavers, what would you do?"

"I don't know, become a merchant maybe? my father was one. Why?" Alysanne replies, looking at me with a questioning gaze. "If I were to deal with your Madam and her accomplices, would you be willing to work for me?" Seeing her glare directed towards me, I elaborate "Not as a whore, but as an associate. I'll leave you in charge of her brothel and any other resources we find from slavery activity in Lannisport and in return I would like you to give me any information you may find out through your whores." I needed a spy network if I was to stay on an equal level with the other players throughout Westeros and doing it myself would take too long and would distract me from other projects.

Alysanne stares a me, thinking over my words "If you are able to free me then I'll be in your debt and will accept working for you, however, only on the promise that you don't deal in slavery for as long as our partnership lasts. And, if any of the whores wish to leave then they are free to do so, including the slaves."

"Deal."