Ch37. Braavos

Council Room of the Iron Bank:

Five people, Rimo, Gelbo, Elda, Marrack, Zerra, the representatives of their families sat in the room, waiting for the representative of the Belserion Trade to come and negotiate their merger.

Foolish… As if Irene would ever 'merge' Belserion Trade with Iron Bank.

The door opened and the room stilled when Irene strutted inside as if she owned the place... which she very well might be, in a few moments.

"Hello." She offhandedly greeted the five people, making them affronted.

Alas, they could not call her out on her disrespect and manners as they were in the position of a beggar, right now.

"Hello, miss..." Elda stood up and decided to greet her as she was also a woman and it might improve the tension between the two sides.

"I am Irene Belserion." Irene said, making the five people quiet.

They never heard of any Belserion family! They always thought Belserion Trade is just a commonly picked name and not a family company! That would mean the woman in front of them is a big fish!

"I see. I am Elda from the Zoldri family, Lady Belserion." Elda bowed slightly as the other four 'elders' nodded at her. Elda gestured Irene to sit into the sixth, recently added chair around the round table.

Irene smirked. This was almost too easy. They already added the sixth chair, meaning they already expect her to become one of them. These people were too prideful to prepare it only for someone who came to 'negotiate'. In their minds, they were already decided.

Irene could only marvel at how effective the heist plan was!

"Thank you." Irene sat down and her eyes swept through every elder.

"I am Rimo of the Sirum family."

"Marrack of the Lopa family."

"Gelbo of the Galbian family."

"Zerra Poluck, nice to meet you, my beautiful Lady."

The young man, Zerra, couldn't get his eyes from Irene's face.

"Nice to meet you too. Mr. Zerra, I am already taken." She quipped making Zerra squirm as the other members of the council coughed away their snickers.

"Of course, my Lady." Zerra nonchalantly nodded but it was obvious he was not giving up. Well, Irene didn't care.

"We know what problems you have." Irene started negotiation without any bullshit formalities and exchange of mutual praises. It was pointless. She held every single card in her sleeve while her opposition had only a poise of grandeur. Pitiful people, really.

"How?" Rimo asked with wide eyes, earning an amused look from Irene.

"When Iron Bank starts to experience financial problems, it will show. No matter how small changes in the economical sphere, they are still there. We, of Belserion Trade, also noted a slight drop in profits due to bankruptcy of few merchants, you know? Especially in Braavos."

"Ah..." They could only wryly smile. "Anyway, we would like to invite Belserion Trade to be one of our shareholders." Gelbo said in his wizened regal tone.

None of them expected Irene to laugh loudly into their face, they looked at each other while Irene was heartily enjoying the situation.

"Yo-you kn-know..." Irene tried to stop her snickers. "You are finished, you know?"

"We can assure you, we still have-" Elda tried but Irene waved her off.

"You still have secret stashes? Loyal employees? Loyal customers? Debtors? So what?" Irene snorted. "It doesn't matter. You lost around 80% of your gold… Your bank is a house made from cards that are already falling apart. You need gold and you need it fast. Such an enormous organization like Iron Bank can not function without an enormous amount of money." The elders widened their eyes at the accuracy of the question and Irene noticed. "What? You are not the only ones with spies." She smiled knowingly at them.

The elders cursed and vowed to cleanse the Iron Bank of every single rat afterward. Unknown to them, there was not even a single spy from Belserion Trade. There was no need for them...

The elders started to get distressed. They needed the money injection from the Belserion Trade but the woman in front of them wasn't even taking them seriously. Oh, how mighty have fallen.

"So, Lady Irene, you clearly showed up, you must have a few propositions. Could you let us hear them?" Elda tried to salvage the situation.

Irene stood up and slowly walked towards a big ornate window in the room. She peered at the Braavos. It was really a marvelous city. Her briefly flickering to the quiet, calculative woman hidden in the shadow of the corner as she felt a flicker of magic from the woman. Especially her... face.

Irene's lips spread wide.

"Yes. Yes, of course, I had an objective coming here.

Her eyes strayed to the House of Black and White.

...

Out of sudden, a lot of people came to 'pray' in the House of Black and White. All of them were donning black robes, their faces hooded and their hands held black books.

Books where... they noted every spell they knew. Their scripture.

These people were the Black Scripture of the Iron Islands.

On their front, a curly-haired petite woman was madly cackling, their Goddess Bellatrix. They reverently followed her, passing the black and white door. A calm and collected priest came in front of them.

"Hello, how may I help-"

The guy didn't manage to finish his sentence as his head was lopped off by a swipe of Bellatrix's wand as she laughed in childish wonder at being able to let her darker side out!

Today was a good day.

The members of the Black Scripture were giddy as they marched into the Headquarters of the most feared assassins in the world! Finally, finally, the world will know the kindness of their Goddess. It will be remembered in spell and blood, written into their books. It was time for a... massacre.

...

Irene sensed the happenings of the House of Black and White, one of the very few magical locations in Braavos. She turned her sight to the Noble District.

...

Thomas, followed by Dany, marched through the gate of the Noble District of Braavos where powerful merchant families who were the nobility of Braavos lived. The guards tried to stop him but... they were rooted in their place by an insane amount of pressure and later, knocked out by armed people coming in after Thomas.

Thomas led Dany towards a fountain in the center of the district and sat there with her.

"Ladvia," He turned to his second in command of the operation. "everyone in the district is rooted in their places with my gravity and weight magic. You are free to go and capture them. Gather the nobles here," He gestured with his feet in front of him on an empty space. "I'll have to... discuss a few things with them. The times are changing, after all."

He told her and continued stroking Dany's hair.

...

Irene turned back to the elders of the Iron Bank with bemusement all over her face. It was time to do her part.

"I will provide three hundred million gold dragons for the Iron Bank."

The elders looked overjoyed but the woman in the shadows, Milica narrowed her eyes.

"But I want fifty-one percent of shares." Irene finished with a smirk, freezing the elders in their place. The woman... Irene... was basically asking for the entirety of Braavos. The one who controlled the Iron Bank controlled Braavos. Fifty-one percent!

The elders were shocked silent as Milica came out of the shadows.

"We accept."

She told Irene and the elders showed a sour expression. Clearly someone important, Irene noted.

"And you are?"

"I am 'the one' of Braavos." Seeing Irene's raised eyebrow, "I am... was the ruler of this city, my Lady."

Milica smiled and bowed in a show of submission. Milica lost, and she knew it. Without the money, Braavos would fall as Irene stated. There was no other way than to give what the woman asks. Fifty-one percent. Big portion… but for survival? She could not let something her ancestors built to fall. Simple as that. If it means to bow to someone... well. There is always someone you bow to. Be it gods, the rich, or those with authority. Milica could live with that.

...

Not one Elder of the Iron Bank.

Not Milica.

Not the captured Nobles.

Not even the massacred assassins of the House of Black and White.

Nobody yet knew that the Belserion Trade basically took over every important part of Braavos, getting it under their undisputed rule. The rule of the Iron Islands. All the while the free city of Braavos was bustling with foreigners, not noticing even a slight change. And nobody from the outside world will know for a long while. As the secrecy contracts were signed.

The tides of Braavos changed...