Chapter 21: Braavos part 3

(1,200 words)

- Ferrego Antaryon POV -

- Braavos - Free Cities - Essos - 278 A.D -

"You didn't know how to control it! You were chosen three years ago and you showed that you're clearly not up to it with what happened with that guy!" shouted one of the Magisters in the room. There were five Magisters in the place, who were meeting with me, Ferrego Antaryon. Although, besides Ferregon Antaryon, I am the Sealord of Braavos, chosen three years ago.

"He's right! The guy already controls the entire cloth market, and has more than half of the fishery in his pocket!" shouted another Magister.

"Calm down gentlemen, although you are both right. His net worth is about 23,000,000 golden dragons, he has become very dangerous these last two years. Even the Iron Bank is thinking of intervening. Something he never does, but considering that the brat is only 18 years old or younger, he is really dangerous" said Cairo, the most powerful Magister in town, well, after Percival Bolton who got the title half a year ago. But only in name, because he doesn't participate in the meetings we normally have. Since the main topic of these is to speak against him.

"Magister Cairo is right, he is dangerous and must be dealt with. Maybe we can ally with the Iron Bank, or directly hire some Faceless Man, it has already been demonstrated that we cannot bring him to justice. All the deaths of his opponents can be explained by natural causes. Building collapses, something falling from a building, a heart attack or things like that, and all the witnesses have disappeared along with their families" I said.

"It's really annoying..." commented one of the Magisters. "The population is very afraid of him. Percival 'Demon of Braavos' Bolton. Both his appearance and his reputation is utterly frightening."

"Am I that scary? And I wanted to be an exemplary citizen for the population" we heard from behind, and we all stood up with fear in our eyes. The only one calmer was Cairo, who had a sly look in his eyes.

"Magister Percival, you honor us with your presence" he said to the new guest of the place.

"Guards!" shouted another Magister, but no guard moved. Their faces looked complicated at the sight of their Magister, but when they turned to Percival they showed only fear.

"Don't bother," he said. "Their families are my guests, they will not follow your orders" said Percival, and a shiver ran through my body.

"You!" the Magister said again, but one look from the Bolton was enough to silence him. The next moment, a man in a black robe known as Qyburn, Percival's right-hand man, entered the place.

"You should sign the documents," said Percival.

"What's the use! You will kill us just as you have killed many a merchant!" exclaimed one of the Magisters.

"Death doesn't have to be a punishment, it can be a blessing and reward" he said with a creepy smile as he looked at us with his black eyes.

Instantly, we all fell to the ground. I could feel an intense pain all over my body, as if it was burning and destroying itself completely, but there was no visible wound. It seemed to be only mental.

"Aghhh! Stop please!" the Magister shouted, and after a minute the pain stopped. To which I took a sigh of relief.

"I'll sign," said one of the men, and slowly everyone signed the papers except Cairo and me.

"You?" he asked us as he hurriedly executed the Magisters in front of us. He didn't even care anymore who he killed and how, he had already surpassed that level. He was already over the government with only the Iron Bank as a rival. He was a demon... taking over the richest city in just two years.

"I have your son," said Cairo, as he flashed a triumphant smile, though he was still grimacing slightly from the great pain.

"My son?" asked Bolton amusedly, though he frowned slightly. As far as I know, Percival Bolton slept with many women in Braavos, mostly wives of important men. Some time later, these wives murdered their husbands and were executed for their crime. But they all died with a smile on their faces. I don't know how, but perhaps through sexual pleasure, he was able to conquer them all and make them do his bidding.

It turns out that he had a child with one of his mistresses, an unmarried girl, who was only ten months old, and stayed in one of his properties with her mother. Quite sheltered indeed, and Magister Cairo had heard about it, but did nothing as he was confident he could use that information without revealing his trump card. But a day ago he had decided to capture him because he had a bad feeling.

"You know what I'm talking about," Cairo said, and Percival nodded.

"Magister Cairo, you were the most powerful Magister in Braavos, and your wishes were orders to the rest of the Magisters. Who do you think let it leak about my son?" said Percival, and both I and the Magister froze in fear. "You needed to believe you were in control, a way in which you knew that, when the time came, you could control me. That way, you'd let me grow up in peace with a leash around my neck. But if you let a beast grow up, believing it is controlled, when in truth it never had a collar.... That's the end of you," he said with a big smile adorning his face. He was an absolute demon.

"B-but..." tried to say Cairo, but was interrupted.

"My son? I don't care, I can have one more. There are many possible children, but only one city of Braavos" he repeated. "Sign the papers" he said, and there was nothing more we could do. Cairo tried to kill himself, but was stopped by that damned pain. It's either magic or some control poison, but it's very painful.

We really didn't need to sign, he had control of all the agencies and officials in the city now, and whoever wasn't in his pocket, wouldn't dare move against him. So we were just spared the torture. We could only hope that the Iron Bank would stop it, or it would spread through the rest of the Free Cities like a plague, like a virus. And finally he would come to Westeros to look for the Iron Throne. He was an ambitious man who knew no limits. I hope that would be his undoing, though if he overtakes the Iron Bank, I don't think there's anyone capable of stopping him.

- Percival Bolton POV -

These past two years he had been slowly taking control of Braavos, and had three main companies. "Immortal Fish", "Immortal Cloth", and "Immortal Ships and Weapons". You don't have to be a genius to see what each is about. But the important thing is that it had been successful. Now there were no Magisters or Sealords left, and I was known unofficially as the Lord of Braavos. So I only needed one more year to take control of the rest of the city's businesses, minor merchants of course. All of Braavos would be mine except for Iron Bank. But I would worry about that later. I had economic and political power, now I needed military power. For that there is... A certain very juicy army waiting for me to the south. In Astapor precisely. The Unsullied.