Chapter 14

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***

Darken Rahl.

Waking up after a long night was quite pleasant.

Nyssa and two other slave girls were lying at my side, one of Valyrian appearance, probably a prostitute from Lys, and the other, I think, one of the ones I'd been given - olive skin, golden eyes and red hair, but her breasts were a bit small. But she was very skilful in bed. So that's a flaw that can be forgiven.

I wonder what my aunt is like in bed.

- Master Rahl," Nissa ran her hand gently over my torso, "Would you like to continue the pleasure? You've been working too hard and tired lately. I am worried about you, as are the other loyal subjects of the Empire.

- You worry too much. However, I'm glad that you're so eager to protect me from bad things. What you don't realise is that ruling an empire is not only a right and privilege, but also a responsibility and a headache.

- It puts a lot of pressure on you.

- A sympathetic Mord-Sith. If you showed this sympathy not to me, your master, but to someone else, I would think you were an abnormal Mord-Sith, defective, inferior.

- If I fail to live up to the expectations placed upon me, I beg you, torture me and execute me with the greatest cruelty you can muster. For I do not want to be unworthy of you. I want to serve you, protect you, keep you safe and do everything for you.

So much emotion from her, it's a payoff. If I wasn't going to visit the library I've acquired now, I'd certainly lay it out again. But I have to go.

- Check on the falconers and the palace posts. If there are any new reports or something has happened, report to me. I'll be in the library of the dead sorcerers. Though I should call it my library now.

- Yes, my lord!

On my way to the House of the Immortals, where I travelled only with Boros, I met Euryon Greyjoy. He was cornering a whore. It seems our meeting was a coincidence. As soon as he spotted me, he immediately threw the wench to the ground and laced up his trousers.

- Good morning, Your Grace. - You're up very early, I must say. Our king does not like to get out of bed so early, filled with whores and wine.

- I've only had two whores and a Mord-Sith in my bed. And wine, I don't drink that much.

- Only three? And only whores? - He grinned and came closer, "Are there no noble ladies willing to spread their pretty legs for you in the hope of land or title?

- I could take them, there's always plenty of them. But I only take the ones I want. And yesterday I took the prettiest ones, and Nyssa, she's not a whore, she's a Mord-Sith.

- I've heard that these women are not numerous and fulfil some important function, but I've never realised what it is. Would you enlighten me?

- The Mord-Sith are an elite group of female warriors. They were created to protect Master D'Hara, the Emperor, that is me, from creatures or people with magic. They are also in charge of interrogation and torture. Mord-Sith are, I won't use that word, some of the most charismatic women you will meet, Lord Euron, in the entire world. At least I have not met anyone who has surpassed them, except for my teacher Miriam Scarlet.

- Is that the red-haired warrior from Sarnor? She seems to be your general.

- She is.

He gave me a suspicious look, and then he cheered up.

- Let me show you your gift, Your Majesty. Unless, of course, I'm taking up your valuable time.

- I would be delighted to see this marvel and to hear your tales of your crew's travels and the traditions of the Ironborn.

- Of course I'd be delighted. Please follow me.

The ship was quite large, with three masts and two small sails on the sides. The ship was 45 metres long, 11 metres wide, with a draft of 4 metres. There was a dragon-head ram, and the ship was designed for a hundred oars. It was made of ironwood and wood from the mainland of Westeros. The only thing that stood out from the image of "my" ship was the image of the Greyjoy crest on the middle sail.

Inside the captain's cabin, Euryon and I drank some Dornish wine and began a "nothing" conversation. Or rather Euron was indeed masterful at hiding his intentions, but they were clear to me. For my spies are on Pyke as well.

They seek allies in the coming rebellion against Robert Baratheon.

- You have a very large army. Three hundred thousand Dothraki screamers, and then there are those "legionnaires" of yours who seem to be quite formidable warriors, and not a few mercenaries. The war's over, where are you going to put them?

- Wars never end. Peace and diplomacy is again a continuation of war, just in different ways. And the mercenaries will continue to serve me. I'm a generous man and I pay them well. Besides, half of them have nowhere to go back to.

- But we must keep them busy, mustn't we? Otherwise, they might do some mischief on your land.

- Don't worry about that, I'll find something to keep them busy.

There was a short pause, during which Euryon poured us some more wine.

- You know, there are many in the Seven Kingdoms who are unhappy with Robert. Dorne, Spaceland, and we don't want to be under his royal hand, or in his case, his royal cock. He's already put it all over Westeros. He's a good warrior and commander, a man of honour, but he's a really nasty politician.

- You must really despise him to speak so freely of him. - I smiled back at him.

- As a ruler, yes. What can I say when even we Ironborn, without allies, resent his new orders more than anyone else. Not to say they've changed much. But the rise of the Lannisters has made things difficult for us. In fact, the other lords of the Seven Kingdoms are unhappy with the Lannisters.

- Especially the Martells.

- You've heard that story about Elia Martell's poor children. - he grinned. - A sad event.

- And quite strange.

- I beg your pardon?

- Dorne did not attempt to avenge the one he loved and cherished. They couldn't even put poison in Clegane's glass or Tywin Lanister's. They were once a great bloodline, but now they are but a pale shadow of themselves. They can't defend themselves.

- Believe me, if a kingdom were to rise up, it would take a lot of energy, money, and time to put it down. - Aaron assured me. - They won't even be able to fight another front, even if it's a small army of thirty or forty thousand men. Baratheon's rebellion has crippled our homeland quite badly. Not the forces of the Iron Islands, though.

- You have courage and skill. - You may well be one of the most formidable forces in Westeros now, and if you had good intelligence, you could have defeated even such an illustrious warrior as Robert Baratheon.

- But where would we get it, Your Grace? - Greyjoy clapped his eyes innocently.

- Perhaps some unknown well-wisher can give you some advice or donate some quality iron to your holds. Who knows...

At this Euron smiled, he got my hint. What remains is a veiled discussion of my benefit.

***

King's Landing. The dungeons of Red Castle.

- So what would you say he did to Lang? - Varys asked his old friend Illyrio Mopatis, "Did he really turn that island into another of his provinces?

- Yes, that's right my friend. - If you knew how brutally he suppressed the rebellion of one of the generals of this island. - He shook his head, "Now the old capital of this nation is gone, just the molten rock and salt that covered the land around it. So that nothing could grow there. Especially his childhood friend and General Reece, who is called Firestorm after the suppression of this rebellion. But that's not all. Our friend also let us know that those pirate scoundrels from the Mena Coast have now defected to Darken Rahl's side. And now he owns all the fleets that once sailed the free Summer Sea. That's thousands of ships. We don't have exact figures. But I think if you add up the number of ships from Volantis, Pentos, Braavos, Tyrosh, Lys, Lorath and Myr, you'll have roughly the same number. Well, and for the army you know it yourself, my dear friend, all the Dothraki horsemen, more than sixty thousand well-trained legionnaires that have been through this very bloody war, more than twenty thousand mercenaries from the Free Cities and Westeros, as well as those that were intercepted in the first weeks of the war from Sothoros. In addition, Rahl had thrown a cry to his not insignificant empire to recruit new recruits to his army. And many of the former slaves he freed also decided to try their luck and volunteer. And now, while he is temporarily staying in Quokhor on his way to Norvos, his influence and army are growing by the day. What's more, the High Priestess...

- The news that the High Priestess of R'Glor Kinvara of Volantis has spoken publicly in favour of Darken Rahl and the creation of his empire I already know, Illyrio.

- Then I dare you to be disappointed. What I have to say will be news to you. The Red Priestess travelled to Tholos with a small retinue of priests and priestesses from the other cities that had settled in the Free Cities. And they went not for the usual "educational activities", but for a specific conversation with a very well known ruler of this empire. They did not find him in Tolos, but they were not upset and began to preach their faith.

Mopatis decided to be silent for a while, as the memories of his old friend came over him and now he was experiencing far from the best memories of his childhood.

- Are they treated kindly in the Empire?

- D'Hara treats everyone kindly and tolerantly, as long as it does not threaten their Emperor and the Empire as a whole. Any faith, word, language, or nation is welcome there as long as they don't infringe on what they shouldn't.

- Quite unusual for an eastern despotism. - muttered the eunuch.

- I would not call it a despotism, Varys. - His methods may be brutal in places, but he is not averse to diplomacy. Moreover, at first his actions were dictated by mercantile interests and the power of words. It was the countries of the Summer Sea that first started the war.

- And the dragons? Have they really returned to this land, or is it just a rumour?

- Most likely a rumour. Even though the Empire is closed to us for the most part. But I can't understand how he can keep so much from our spies. But I have received reliable information that shortly before the war began, large lizards called varanas were brought to him from Sotoros. They were very large, bigger than a dozen ponies. It is quite possible that this very clever boy had simply spread a rumour about dragons and hired sorcerers from Asshai to cast illusions on them. But dragons don't exist in our world, at least not anymore. And the violet flames that burned the ships and walls of Qarth bear a strong resemblance to the more perfect Wildfire that His Majesty had done so well. Fear is great, Varys.

- His knowledge of science and wit is not to be missed. - I kind of like him, in a way. Have you contacted the Faceless Ones yet?

- They haven't responded to our request yet. So I don't know if we can get Rahl out of our way.

- I see. It's a shame we've had so many setbacks lately.

For a while, they stared in silence at the fire coming from the lone torch on the dungeon wall. Then Spider smiled and said:

- No blood. No bones. No ashes.

- Quite a strange motto, and quite a loud one at that. - Mopatis nodded, "This young man reminds me of you at his age. He's quite interesting and mysterious.

- He is. Even a man like Robert Baratheon is surprised and interested. He'd only attended the Small Council once before yesterday, and yesterday he showed up and demanded to know everything Lord Arryn and I knew about him and the war there. Eventually he demanded that we all drink to his health, "A man with balls and a clever head!" Even the rumours about his "dragons" did not affect his mood much, however, he brushed them aside, not believing them. And continued already celebrating the victory of the ruler from the east already in his chambers with the whores.

- Ha-ha-ha-ha. Maybe to get your king to attend your meetings, you need to remember Darken Rahl more often.

- You know... Lord Arryn spoke those exact same words yesterday after His Grace left.

After a brief glance at each other, the two fat men laughed a hearty laugh.

To be continued...