Political broth

- 292 AC - 

(Belo Foriris POV)

"How was it?", I ask the man sitting in front of me. 

Varelos Ostaar thinks of himself as more important than he is. But he has never had dealings with the uppermost echelons of Braavos and therefore doesn't understand how to act and behave in these situations. I shall judge his worth in this discussion.

"Eh, it was easy. I bought the information like you said and paid for it with 1'000 Gold coins. At first, the man didn't want to sell it, but after I threatened him, he was ready to agree with our demands. I even made him give back 200 Gold Coins, so you managed to get it cheaper than we thought. You're welcome. 

After finding out about the whore, I went to the place where she lived and then added the weird flower you gave me. Oh, gods I was so close to r*ping the whore when I saw her body and the way she changed her clothing. But you're lucky, I'm a professional. We never failed our jobs.", he tells me with a proud and arrogant look on his face.

"The lucky one is you, my good man. Killing the woman any other way than I told you would have resulted in a very painful death for you and all your friends.", I remark unimpressed by his bravado. 

I see his smile crumble and anger take its place. 

"What was that? Do you think you can threaten me like this? You little shit sit here with all your money and think you are some big Lord or something? Well now you are in here with me and I can kill you any time I like. So you better show me the respect I deser- kack!!", his annoying voice is cut off as one of my men puts a cord around his neck and chokes him. 

"There is not much I don't know and yes, I am 'some big Lord or something' as you eloquently put it. And it is you who should show me some respect, for I am not imprisoned with you, but you with me. Don't try and intimidate me or take me as a fool, my good man. I know that when you made the mistake of threatening the man from the information shop 'the Raven's Quill', you took more than just 200 Gold Coins. I also know that you are better off dead unless you and your men could be traced back to me.

You're lucky Mister Ostaar.", I finish.

"Why ... lucky?", he manages to say while still being choked.

"Because if the man behind the Raven's Quill found you, you would not have had a quick death.", I say and nod to my man.

"Kkkkaaack ...", Varelos Ostaar chokes and then finally stops moving. 

"Get him and his pathetic friends out of here and make sure they are not found. And get me Lanquit, I need to talk to him.", I say. 

What a bother to deal with such vermins. These last few days were quite stressful. I have been a major shareholder of the Iron Bank of Braavos for a decade now and my position is more than stable. But I have long ago reached a bottleneck and can't advance anymore. The other shareholders make sure that none of the others get too powerful, politically or economically. And that bothers me. 

I have been working all my life to reach the point I have and now I should allow them to take my work for themselves? I shall not share. With the help of the mysterious man behind the Raven's Quill, I have gotten the information on how to make much better glass than Myr is capable of right now. With my many contacts and connections, it would have been simple to push my businesses beyond their current level and surpass all the other shareholders. 

But now they want me to split the construction of MY glass with THEIR shops? No! Not with me. I paid for this information. I paid a lot and it was more than worth it. It was a 'favour' from the man behind the Raven's Quill. He wanted to work together with me as he also understands the frustration of never getting farther than the other shareholders of the Iron Bank allow. 

That's why the price was so high. It was a favour from him. This means that I now owe him a favour as well. And that is something I might come to regret later on. But for this chance, I will do almost anything necessary and no matter what he could ask, it would still be worth it, when I take over the Iron Bank of Braavos and become the biggest shareholder. 

.

The door opens and Lanquit enters. My one and only true servant in this life. The only man I truly trust. I picked him up as a slave when I travelled to Yunkai. I was looking for a bedslave but found him instead. I am not interested in male bed slaves as I am not a swordswallower but he is more than trustworthy. I knew investing in him was worth it and I was proven right. 

"You asked for me, my Lord?"

"I did, Lanquist. I want you to go to The Raven's Quill and ask Ronard, the head of the shop for a meeting. He will know what you are talking about. Tell him that I have taken care of the problem for him.", I say. 

"Yes, my Lord."

He bows and then leaves again. It is time that I finally get things started. The attack on the Sealord was planned and I was told that by directly attacking him by killing his trusted servant, I would undoubtedly put the Sealord's suspicion on myself. 

But that was the plan. Because I am not the only one who will be suspicious. I have heard that the Sealord has gotten another man for his protection who also helps with the business of the Sealord and is the woman's right hand. 

He will be the centre of suspicion and I will then have time to organise the slow but lethal strike against the other shareholders and take over their business, by painting a target on their backs. 

The Sealord and the shareholders will fight each other, while I will take what is left and finally become more powerful and the rightful place I was always meant to have. 

.

Lanquit has arranged a meeting with the owner of The Raven's Quill. I move with my security to the inn where I was told to meet. There is a secret opening that leads to the Raven's Quill which I take and then reach the secret backroom of the shop. A place only the rich and influential know about.

"You are Roanard, I presume?", I ask the man sitting behind the desk. He is sitting there with a knowing but stern look on his face. 

"Indeed. And you are Belo Foriris.", he says. 

"I am surprised you know about me. It seems that The Raven's Quill is not just for show. You really do know your stuff.", I say impressed. 

"Aye, we know our stuff and other people's stuff. Now, I got your message about taking care of our 'mutual' friend. We are pleased to hear about his end. But don't assume that you are to take care of our business. That will be the first and only time this will be accepted. We don't care about your business and you not about ours, are we clear?"

"Hmm ... I have dealt with lords and ladies, with different Sealords and shareholders of the Iron Bank. So I know that you mean what you say. We are clear. Now, that the dick-measuring contest is out of the way, I would like to talk about the business I am here.", I tell him without a change in expression. 

"Naturally. Let us do that."

.

Ronard Varaen was born and raised in Braavos, a city known for its labyrinthine canals, diverse population, and complex web of intrigue. I know about him ... I paid for the information after all. I thought it was funny to see his stern expression shift for a short moment when I asked to buy information about him. But he was truthful, I checked the information afterwards. 

He was betrayed by his wife and lost everything. Somehow the backer and great unknown man came across him and offered him the job as head of The Raven's Quill. Naturally, Ronard's loyalty lies with this unknown man and only him. I was trying to offer him a job, but the room got frosty afterwards. Too bad, if money doesn't interest him, maybe women, or men do. I will continue to try and see what happens. A man of his position is worth more than all the gold in the Iron Bank of Braavos. 

Ronard is a no-nonsense individual, strict with his employees from what I saw and clear about his expectations. His stern demeanour commands respect and ensures discipline. He possesses a keen mind for details and an ability to read people, making him exceptionally good at extracting valuable information.

Confidentiality is the cornerstone of his business, and from what I have seen Ronard is adept at navigating the complexities of Braavosi politics and but not yet the wider world. But that isn't really that important as of now. What I can tell though, is that he is using every tool at his disposal to achieve his goals. And those goals are the goals of the man behind him. The man who controls all of this. The man who to my dismay, tricked me into his web of intrigue and betrayal. 

A dangerous man. 

.

.

(Ronard POV)

I watch Belo Foriris leave. After meeting with Master Fulgrim, no one could ever scare me anymore. But I have to say that I am impressed with Belo Foriris. He holds all the attributes necessary for a successful businessman and powerful political player. 

Belo has an unquenchable thirst for power and influence, constantly seeking to expand his control over the financial world of Essos and beyond. This much was obvious by the way he presented his desires and what he wanted from the 'partnership'. Fool, this is not a partnership. My Master would never stoop so low as to work together with a man such as Belo. 

This meeting was for me to find out what kind of man, Belo Foriris is and I managed to get a very good feeling for it. He is not above using underhanded tactics to eliminate rivals or force debtors into compliance. He sees the financial world as a battlefield where only the strongest and most cunning survive. Those are all normal things that are required if you want to get anywhere in this world. Something my master taught me. 

Belo is a master of finance, with an almost uncanny ability to predict market trends, assess risk, and maximize profits. His strategies have consistently brought enormous wealth to the Iron Bank. And that is also why the other shareholders are trying to keep him on the short leash. I am an information broker, and naturally, I bought information about all the important people in Braavos, long ago. 

Despite his ruthless nature, Belo possesses a charismatic charm that he uses to win over allies and manipulate others to his advantage. 

.

I take my things and leave The Raven's Quill. It is very well protected, but even if someone were to sneak in and try to steal something, there is nothing there. All the information I acquire, I bring to Master Fulgrim and he simply memorises everything. He is meant for greatness and one day he will take the Iron Throne that was taken from him. I will die for him. My life belongs to him. He was the one to grant me another chance when he saved me from my suicide, so I will do everything in my power to help him with his plans. 

I make it to the secret mansion he has with his beloved sister and wait for him to grant me some of his precious time. After a few minutes, he comes in some comfortable but graceful clothes. He smiles when he sees me. 

"Ronard, good to see you. How are you, my friend? Did you go to the meeting with the shareholder?"

"Of course Master. As you told me I took a measure of his character and his usefulness for your plans. He is a very skilled man in multiple areas and could prove very useful for your cause, should you choose to use him. At least in my humble opinion.", I bow my head low. 

"If you say so, then I believe your judgement. Very well, then we shall proceed with the second stage of our plan. Take your time. We don't have to rush anything.", my Master says. 

"I will do that, Master. You can trust me."

"Did you eat yet? There's still some food left if you like."

"Oh, I wouldn't dar-"

"Nonsense, Ronard. Come, let us have a drink together."

"Thank you ... Master."

_________________________________________

Well, Viserys is playing the game, but not in Westeros surprisingly. I always wondered what would happen if someone did that in Essos and what repercussions it would have for Westeros.

He is preparing. And he is preparing well.