Seeing Asha Greyjoy silently weeping as if on the verge of a breakdown, a sense of incongruity struck Tyrion. He resisted the urge to scratch his itching scalp and shrugged apologetically. "It seems I asked a foolish question. Though it might sound insincere, I must say this. The gods didn't let those people sacrifice themselves to save you for nothing. Pull yourself together, so their deaths aren't in vain."
Asha didn't need comfort. She wasn't an ordinary, weak woman. After shedding tears for a few minutes to release the guilt of causing the deaths of her friends and kin, the frustration of being a prisoner wherever she went, and the weight of other negative emotions, anger began to rise within her, burning fiercely.
Revenge was the purest motive in the world.
Unable to wipe away her tears, she sat upright, clenched her teeth, tear stains still on her face. Her eyes, now sharp, locked onto Tyrion. "You didn't summon me just to comfort your enemy, did you?"
"Indeed not." Good, this was more like the Asha Greyjoy he'd heard about. Setting aside distractions, Tyrion placed down his wine cup and became serious. "I called you here because I have some questions. While House Lannister has eyes and ears in the North and at the Wall, information loses reliability over a thousand miles. I need someone who was in Crown Town to help confirm a few things."
"Then you've found the right person." Thanks to Theon taking the black, Asha, as the relative of a sworn brother, was technically a prisoner but had some degree of freedom in Crown Town. She hadn't passively accepted captivity, instead using her time to build connections with guards and servants to gather any useful information. With no duties to occupy her and plenty of time to observe and reflect, her understanding of The Gift might surpass even some members of the Night's Watch. "But if I help you, what do I get in return?"
"I've already treated you with leniency as a prisoner."
"And I've already paid for that with the answers I just gave. If you want more, and if you want those answers to be detailed and honest, that's not enough."
If Tywin had been sitting at this table, he would have told her coldly and sternly that she had no right to negotiate. But Tyrion was not his father. The dwarf believed that earning a person's cooperation by ensuring they felt psychologically satisfied never hurt.
"I can promise you freedom, if that's what you want." She was, after all, a princess of the Iron Islands. Releasing such a prisoner in the midst of war sounded outrageous, but her uncle had usurped the throne and defeated her. As a woman with no political leverage, she had little value as either hostage or investment. That was also why Tywin didn't pay her much attention.
"Ask." Asha may have hated the Lannisters, but not so much as to believe they would shamelessly fabricate lies. She drew a breath, nodded, and accepted the terms.
"The White Walkers breached the Wall with an army of a hundred thousand wights, besieged Crown Town, and were finally defeated by the Night's Watch at Long Lake. Is this the truth or is it propaganda? Has it been exaggerated?"
"I was there. It's not exaggerated at all. The dead broke through the outer wall. Even I, a prisoner of war, took up arms and joined the fight. If Aegor hadn't shot and killed the Night King with an arrow at the critical moment, the North would have fallen. Even you, my lord, would probably be putting on armor and preparing to fight for survival by now."
"Aegor really shot and killed the Night King? This isn't some fabricated tale?" Tyrion asked with interest. From what he knew of his friend, Aegor wasn't a master archer, much less someone who fought on the front lines.
"I didn't witness it myself, but there were hundreds, even thousands of witnesses. Everyone in Crown Town repeats this story with such certainty that it's hard to doubt. You should understand this. If it were a lie, no matter how consistent the official version, there would always be someone on the inside who knew the truth and let it slip. Yet I haven't heard even a single whisper to the contrary."
Tyrion pursed his lips. He still found the story hard to believe, but he had no grounds to refute it. In any case, he hadn't brought her here to question his friend's battlefield legend. On the contrary, he smelled ambition and political purpose behind the tale of a man becoming a hero. That was what concerned him the most.
It was time to get to the heart of the matter.
"The Night's Watch received aid from Daenerys Targaryen in that battle. For that, Aegor swore fealty to her and decided to fight for her cause. Is that true as well?"
"The Night's Watch sent ravens across the realm. The Westerlands must have received them. Why do you still ask?"
"We did receive the news at Casterly Rock, but what I want from you, Asha Greyjoy, is your judgment based on what you saw and heard in Crown Town. Does Aegor truly intend to conquer the Seven Kingdoms for the Queen, or did he only bend the knee out of necessity?"
"Hmm?"
Asha paused. She wasn't just a warrior and captain. As Balon's chosen heir and former successor to the Seastone Chair, she was no fool. Though Tyrion had wrapped his real question in a long string of words, she could hear the truth in it. The dwarf didn't actually care about the Night's Watch fighting the dead. He had sensed that the balance in the Seven Kingdoms was about to be shaken—by the black-cloaked force in the North. What he truly wanted was to understand that force through her.
...
"Answering 'yes' or 'no' is easy, but making a judgment requires thought." Asha realized she held some leverage. "I do have insight, but that's beyond the scope of what your promise of 'freedom' can buy."
"Hey, I could remind you that I have the option of torture." Tyrion realized she had seen through him and stiffened slightly. However, it only made him look more like a frustrated child than a fearsome interrogator. "Fine. Name your terms."
"Revenge. Help me kill Crow's Eye." Her tear-stained face was cold now. Asha forced her rage down. "The Westermen must want this too. I'm not asking for a favor. Just that the Lannisters commit more resources and treat it as a real military objective."
"That's negotiable. But I've heard your brother died fighting the White Walkers with the Night's Watch. Is that true?"
Asha's face twitched slightly. The jab hit a sore spot. After a moment, she nodded. "It's true."
"Then if Crow's Eye is dead, you would be the last Greyjoy in the world. If I help you kill your uncle, wouldn't I be handing you the Iron Islands? A clever deal, but that," Tyrion crossed his arms and recrossed his legs, mimicking her earlier strategy of raising the stakes, "is not something I'll trade for a bit of information."
"Now that ancient customs like the Kingsmoot have been restored, the Greyjoy name alone doesn't determine anything. Even if Crow's Eye dies, I'll have to fight for control again," Asha replied calmly. "Still, you're right. A few answers might not match the weight of what I'm asking. So, as compensation... My lord, you're still unmarried, aren't you? Here's an opportunity to unite the Westerlands and the Iron Islands, to end centuries of hostility and move toward shared prosperity."
Asha had once tried to offer herself to Aegor as leverage. Since the man of the Night's Watch had rejected her, offering herself now to someone else wasn't repeating the same deal. She felt no shame in it.
"Oh?" Tyrion's eyes narrowed. The Iron Islands princess sitting before him looked disheveled and weary, but he had seen enough women to know that with some care, she would easily be a woman worth a king's ransom in a brothel. And to marry the only daughter of a great lord had its appeal, especially for a son spurned by his father, who had fought to earn his place and whose succession to Casterly Rock remained uncertain.
Withdrawing his gaze, Tyrion pondered for a moment, then slowly nodded. "I will consider it. But first, I must see if your information is worth the price."
Asha wasn't satisfied with the vague answer, but she also knew she couldn't rush him. In truth, if he had accepted immediately, she would have doubted his sincerity.
"Aegor truly intends to conquer the Seven Kingdoms for the Queen. That is my answer." She chose to show her sincerity first. "You are a thousand miles away from The Gift. Everything about the North is a blur to you. You only know what Aegor wants you to know. But you didn't see how he and the Queen laughed and conversed as he showed her around Crown Town. You didn't see how this seemingly law-abiding Lord Commander turned The Gift into a thriving realm in just two years. You didn't see the military and technological preparations he made for the war with the dead, the elite army he raised, or the terrifying new weapons he created. Those weapons can kill the dead, but they are even more effective against the living."
"So..."
"He isn't fighting for the Queen to conquer the Seven Kingdoms. Rather, the Queen has given him the reason and excuse to conquer the Seven Kingdoms." Asha pressed on without giving Tyrion time to ponder. "Let me tell you clearly, my lord. He not only has the will, but the plan and the means. He thinks he's clever, and he is. But if you pay attention, you'll see the so-called expedition beyond the Wall is just a smokescreen. Within a month or two, he'll cross the Neck, leading the black-cloaked army that defeated the White Walkers, joined by the Queen's Unsullied. He'll begin sweeping through the realm. When that time comes, he'll demand the Westerlands declare their position. And I assure you, you won't want to be his enemy."
...
"I only asked a question. Why are you giving a speech in his favor?" Tyrion stared at her with a smirk after digesting it all. "I'm starting to doubt your original claim. Forgive me if I'm wrong, but you didn't escape the Wall. He sent you back to kill Euron. If that's true, you should've said so sooner. As my friend's person, I wouldn't have tossed you into a dungeon at all."
"I am merely 'judging based on what I saw,' just as you asked. Whatever conclusion you draw from that is your own." Asha remained composed. Telling the truth about what she saw and believed was one thing. Admitting that Aegor had instructed or allowed her to assassinate her uncle was quite another. She didn't know how deep the friendship between Tyrion and Aegor truly ran and wouldn't give up any leverage needlessly.
"Fair enough." Tyrion clearly didn't expect her to answer directly. After thinking for a moment, he called out to the guards outside. "Take Asha Greyjoy back to the dungeon. Move her to a better cell this time. Improve her food and lodging. I'll cover the cost later."
Asha watched as two guards approached and unlocked the shackles on her chair. Before being taken away, she asked, "When will you fulfill the freedom you promised?"
Tyrion pursed his lips and answered after a moment, "Didn't you say Aegor would cross the Neck and march South within a month or two? If that's true, perhaps handing you back to him in person would be the best solution."
"What?" Anger flashed across Asha's face. "I didn't think the Lannisters could be this shameless."
"Shameless? I'm trying to save your life. Your uncle has pillaged half the realm. Do you really think I could release a female Ironborn now, alone, to travel safely through the Westerlands, Riverlands, and Bay of Seals, and make it back to the North alive?" Tyrion rolled his eyes. "Take her away."
The furious Iron Islands princess was escorted out by the guards, while the dwarf left behind fell into thought.
He believed everything Asha had said, but he couldn't decide whether it was good news or bad.
Aegor refusing to remain idle and bringing the power of The Gift onto the stage of Westerosi politics was certainly good news. With his knowledge, talent, and the army under his command, he might convince old Tywin to take a gamble and work with him, betting the Westerlands' future on this miraculous foreigner. The addition of two untouched forces could shift the tide of the stalled war.
Unfortunately, of all the possible choices, Aegor had pledged himself to Daenerys Targaryen, a ruler with whom House Lannister could never peacefully coexist.
Was this the gods' way of mocking him? That he would one day meet the man he admired and trusted most, not as a friend, but as an enemy?
(To be continued.)