Fleeing

(Elia Martell POV)

I walk behind the man who I had never seen before. He had the young face of a boy but the demeanour of a man forged in turmoil. He commanded these powerful warriors who followed us with ease and authority and it seemed effortless as well. I don't know where we are going right now, but this unknown man seems to know his way around very well. 

He hasn't said a word during this walk, which has been going on for a while now. The warriors around us seem to understand him without needing words. I hold my children as close as I can. Thankfully, they haven't made a sound. But Rhaenys has started to look around a bit. I can feel her heart racing as I caress her back up and down. We find ourselves in front of a wall and it looks like we have reached a dead end, but the man touches a few things and then pushes the wall back. 

A secret corridor. 

"Come," the man says to me and walks in first. 

The soldiers don't move and look at me. I understand that they are waiting for me to go in first, so I do just that. The corridor is dark but the man in front of us suddenly carries a torch, lighting up the way. I hear the heavy wall behind us close again and the warriors approach me. I don't think and just follow along.

The longer we walked the more the air became more humid. I could smell the salty sea and realised that we had to be close to the sea where we would probably leave by boat. But how would we just leave like that without getting spotted? Someone would notice and come after us, I would guess. But that doesn't seem to bother the man in front of me, whom I still don't know the name of. 

Finally, I hear the waves of the sea crash against rocks and with a push of the wall in front of us, light shines into the dark corridor, revealing a small sailing boat with a few men on it waiting for us. 

[Picture]

A small plank is prepared for us and the man walks over it and onto the boat without any problems. I wait and look at the warriors around me who nod their heads and give me the sign to go. I hold on to Rhaenys and Aegon and slowly make my way over. I make it but almost lose my balance, as a hand holds my shoulder and stabilises me. I see the young man in front of me. 

"You may go under deck with our children and wait there. No one may see you now."

I nod my head and usher Aegon and Rhaenys underdeck. There I see a rather spacious and very comfortable room, that is decorated with cushions and nice seating. Cool drinks are waiting for us and a basket of cut fruit as well. I take them and we sit in the corner of the room, not daring to touch anything before I was allowed to. Rhaenys shifts in my arm but not Aegon. He has fallen asleep after all the stress he's been through. My curious daughter looks around the room and seems to want to go exploring but I hold her back. 

"Shhh Rhaenys. Don't go away for now. We don't know who this man is and what he wants. So you better stay here for now," I tell her and she nods lightly. 

The boat starts moving and I hear voices calling out to each other. I have been on a ship many times back when I was living in Starfall. Brother Oberyn would love to go fishing and so did Doran, before Mother died. But despite looking like a fishing boat or a small sailing boat meant for merchandise, it isn't. It looks like it is meant to transport important people. 

Rhaenys moves to the front and looks through a small window that was added to see what was in front of the vessel. The location is very cleverly chosen since you can't see it from the front but you can see outside. The ship cuts through the waves gently and quite quickly, telling me that the helmsman is a master at his craft. But then I see it ... in front of us ... just when I thought we would get away, large ships that have to be warships appear on the horizon. 

[Picture]

There have to be at least 10 or more of these warships. I have never seen such longboats before. It looks so orderly and dangerous. So well organised and controlled. But our small sailing boat doesn't stop or slow down at all. My pulse starts to race again as I feel death approach more and more. I look at the sleeping Aegon in my arms and the interested Rhaenys at the window next to me. I look outside again and see the sails growing larger, revealing the sigil on them. It takes a while but then I see it. It is the new sigil of House Baelish. 

There is a crown on top and a sword that is stuck in a diamond at the bottom. I don't know what the sigil means or the house words, but I remember that it belongs to the rather new House Baelish. It was the House that seemingly rose from nothing in a couple of months and over these one-and-a-half years since the start of the rebellion. I knew that the young lord of House Baelish had impressive and never-seen-before ships but- ... wait!

Young Lord? That means ... oh my. The young Lord Baelish saved us? But why? And for what reason? Does he want us for himself? To torture or as a trophy? Or does he want to gain all the credit for capturing us and giving us to Robert Baratheon? This is bad.

.

Nothing happened ... the ships didn't touch us or stop for us. I don't understand what is going on, but we are still sailing to the east for some reason. I don't know what is happening in King's Landing right now, but we are moving away from it. If the course stays the same, we are heading towards Essos. But it isn't the Free City of Braavos, as that would be to the north and we are not heading north. Rather we are heading a bit further south. And that is much worse. Because if we head south, then the obvious destination is Slaver's Bay, ... where we would fetch for a good price in Yunkai more than anywhere else. 

The door opens and the young Lord Baelish walks in. He looks at us and sits down on the cushioned sofa. 

"Sigh"

He sighs and then looks at us for a moment. I can't see the usual emotions in his eyes. There is no lust, desire, hate, love or greed to be seen in his eyes. I only see contemplation. He closes his eyes and then waits for a moment. Finally, he opens them again and starts talking. 

"My name is Petyr Baelish, Lord of House Baelish on the smallest of the Fingers. I am a part of the rebellion and not a 'loyalist' as the last remaining of your friends are called. I saved you from King's Landing."

He stops talking for a moment. He says he saved me from King's Landing. I assume, to give me clarity and calm my nerves a bit. I nod my head and he continues. 

"The world is a cruel place to be. Naturally, as a Princess of Dorne and a former Princess of Westeros and future Queen, you understand that more than anyone. You were born prematurely as a woman in this man-dominated world. Your husband used you as a broodmare to fulfil a prophecy he believed in, when you couldn't bear any more children, he cast you aside, humiliated you in front of the entire realm and crowned another as his Queen of Love and Beauty, a girl no less. He abducted her and pumped 5cc of liquid Dream Killer and Rebellion Starter into her. You were almost raped and killed in front of your children who were also almost killed as you watched. 

What I am trying to say, is that you understand the state of the world and how it runs. I want you to understand your situation and show that I know you. I was gifted with a special talent that allowed me to rise to a lot of wealth in the span of two years. Through spies, I found out about the current state of the war and knew what would happen to you most likely, when Lord Tywin Lannister arrived in the city. I could have left you and your children to die. I can take you and use you for my pleasure. I can even sell you. But I didn't and won't do any of that. 

For one time, I will let the remaining minuscule amount of good in my heart dictate my actions. 

...

But I am a businessman. I don't give anything for nothing. We are currently heading towards Yunkai. 

Fear gripped my heart as he said those words. Of course, it was-

"Relax. I won't do anything like that. What we are going to do is different. How much do you know of Yunkai?" he asks. 

"Not much. I know that it is part of Slaver's Bay and you can buy bed slaves there."

Thankfully, Rhaenys doesn't understand what we are talking about and the implications of it. She was hiding behind my arm but was looking at Lord Petyr as he spoke. 

"That's not much at all. Then let me explain it to you and then tell you what will happen. Yunkai was a colony of the Old Empire of Ghis. Yunkai survived the destruction of Old Ghis at the hands of the Valyrian Freehold and was subsequently conquered by the Valyrians, who learned slavery from the conquered Ghiscari and used slaves to expand their empire. After the Doom of Valyria and the fall of the Freehold, the Ghiscari of Slaver's Bay took control of the slave trade. During the centuries that followed, Yunkai and her sister cities Meereen and Astapor were the linchpins of the slave trade.

Yunkai is known for training bed slaves who are taught the way of the seven sighs and the sixteen seats of pleasure. Dancers are trained to dance since are old enough to walk and are experts in all the erotic arts as well. That is what it is mostly known for and why it would most likely never truly be destroyed. Those who think themselves honest would rather join in and profit from it, than free the slaves. But let us cover the more important thing about Yunkai. 

Yunkai is ruled by slavers called the Wise Masters, who are considered to be cunning and corrupted. The highborn warriors of Yunkai wear linen skirts and tunics dyed a deep yellow and cloaks sewn with copper disks. They oil their hair and twist it into towers and shapes, and wear tall helms to preserve the stylings. The nobility wears fringed tokars, a sign of power, as they do in Astapor and Meereen."

Lord Petyr finished talking and let me digest all of this. I knew a few things about Yunkai as part of my education, but it was merely brushed over in one or two sentences. I don't know why he would tell me this though. 

"I understand. And what will happen to us now?"

"What will happen now is your choice."

"... what?"

"I said it is your choice. You can decide what to do with your and your children's lives."

"You mean, you will leave us in Yunkai?"

"If that is your wish, indeed. I would give you some money and then leave you there."

"How would that be giving you something back? You said you were a businessman."

"Indeed. And as a businessman, I need to know when to cut my losses."

He said it like I was a piece to be sold or an investment. I don't know how he can say those things to me, Elia Martell. But I have nothing now, so it makes sense that he wouldn't be interested. I am already thankful, that he doesn't jump me like any other man would.

"And what is the other choice?"

"The other choice is to start working for me."

"What work?"

"There is a certain Wise Master in Yunkai. He has made a deal with someone else. A pretty influential man in Astapor but that isn't so important. What is important is that he tried to steal from me and plotted against me."

"... And? You want me to punish him?"

"Yes and no. What I mean is that he will pay in the most painful way that a man of his standing can. We will take everything away from him that he has. His station, his money, his influence, his slaves ... everything. And you will be the one to do it."

"ME?! You're joking! I was raised to be-"

"Don't give me any of that 'I was not raised to do that' type of shit. I don't care for it and naturally, I wouldn't send you to do this on your own. What you don't know, you will learn and soon you will be running a powerful business of information networking and assassinations."

"You have a plan then? What about my children?" I ask him. 

"They will live with you. As for protection, you won't have to worry, I will make sure you have enough of it. I will keep an eye on things at all times anyway. You will start living in the Wise Masters house. You may throw out servants and buy new ones. You can free the slaves and buy new ones or teach them anew. You will get access to all his wealth and connections and you will start to build a secret empire of information. With it, we may use that to our advantage. And one day, maybe ... you may return to Westeros with your head held high and pay back those who you wish to pay back."

"..."

"So what do you say?" he asks me. 

I think about it for a while and then smile. 

"I am ready."