Chapter 168: Rhapsody of Pentos (2)
"Wait a minute, Your Highness," Ian said, holding up a hand to Hazan. "Let me calm down for a moment. I can't quite process all of this."
"Of course." Hazan had expected as much. He knew the full scope of his plan would come as a shock.
Ian feigned deep thought for several minutes before finally asking, "How sure are you?"
"Hahaha." Ian's cooperative attitude was a pleasant surprise to Hazan; it meant he wouldn't have to waste time and effort convincing him. "Completely certain," he answered confidently.
"And what happens after?" Ian asked, pausing deliberately before continuing. "After we deal with… him… and eradicate his influence?"
"Then, of course, the Grand Council will be reconvened," Hazan explained. "So long as Governor Rotalus's First Standard Guard does not immediately join the fray, we will be able to convene a new Grand Council to rule on the matter as soon as it is resolved."
"And once Illyrio is dead, his loosely-held alliance will crumble in an instant. All the neutrals and the fence-sitters in the council will not hesitate to flock to our new alliance and absolve us of our actions."
"After we have the judgment of the Grand Council, Governor Rotalus, who holds fast to tradition, will no longer have grounds to oppose us. Pentos will find peace again."
"Alright, another question," Ian said, holding up a second finger. "Why is Governor Guerrero Tetrus cooperating with you so fully? You were enemies, were you not? Was it all because of the vision in the flames?"
"*Just* the vision in the flames?" To Ian's surprise, Hazan interrupted him, his tone sharp. "The Red God has not granted us a revelation through fire for hundreds of years. If Pentos were not in danger of annihilation, R'hllor would not have warned us. The Supreme Priest of Pentos himself declared it a miracle! The Red God is saving us!"
*I will never understand the mind of a true believer,* Ian complained internally. *Maybe when I have more points, I should really buy that book on the magic of the Seven Gods. What was it called? The Art of Incitement?*
"So, what happens after Pentos is saved?" Ian asked, thinking for a moment. "How will the alliance between your family and the Tetrus family develop? A second civil war?"
"No," Hazan shook his head. "Pentos cannot withstand another such trial. To secure Governor Tetrus's allegiance, we were forced to make a considerable compromise. We granted him control over a large pastoral region in the Upper Rhoyne Valley, on the border between Pentos and Braavosi lands."
"I remember…" Ian suddenly recalled something. "I heard that the Tetrus family first tried to ally with the Haukate family and join the Braavosi faction, but the Iron Bank refused to meet his conditions."
"Yes. His demands were extortionate, the work of a lion demanding its share. We refused him without a second thought at the time. But now, we have no choice. To deal with our common enemy, Illyrio, we had to meet half his conditions. We had to take a step back."
"Alright," Ian said, taking a deep breath and giving a final shake of his head. "I have no more questions. Tell me, what do you need me to do?"
***
Illyrio's carriage arrived before the Palace of the Governor's Council, where the captain of the city guard, who was responsible for its security, came to greet him personally.
The outer walls of the Palace were fashioned from white marble. The colossal arches at its entrance were wide enough for twenty horsemen to pass through side-by-side. Beneath them, the Governor's Council had deployed fifty well-equipped guards. They wore white scale armor and carried halberds, longswords, and shields. These men were not the Unsullied eunuchs favored by the other Free Cities, but an honor guard composed entirely of Pentoshi freemen.
This guard numbered two hundred men in total and was permanently stationed in the Parliament Palace, the very heart of Pentoshi power. It was commanded directly by the Grand Council. Of course, in a city that had known peace for ninety-one years, this garrison at its center had never seen blood. No one truly knew how effective it would be in a real fight.
Illyrio's carriage stopped for a moment at the gate. He drew back the curtain and scanned his surroundings. Seeing nothing out of the ordinary, he ordered the coachman to proceed.
No one was suspicious. In the thousands of years of Pentoshi history, the Palace of the Parliament had never once been invaded by soldiers. Illyrio had no reason to be vigilant.
His carriage set off again, led by two cavalrymen from the honor guard across the main square. It finally stopped before the doors of the Parliament Hall.
After stepping down from the carriage, Illyrio saw that the conveyances of several other governors had already arrived. He did not linger and walked directly to the palace doors. Two guards armed with halberds pushed open the great, red-painted doors, and he stepped inside.
The first thing Illyrio saw upon entering was Prince Trigg Moharis, seated upon the throne. Before him stood three officials in charge of the ceremony, holding a golden scale to symbolize trade, a steel longsword to symbolize war, and a silver whip to symbolize justice.
He and Prince Trigg exchanged a nod, and then Illyrio found his seat and sat down.
More than half of the forty family representatives had already arrived, and the members in the circular conference hall were clearly divided into four factions. There was the Braavosi party, headed by the Prince and Haukate families; the Volantene party, headed by the Tetrus and Morn families; Illyrio's own faction, comprised of the trade governors who held a near-monopoly over Pentos's sea lanes; and the so-called Neutral Councilors, who were allied with no single governor.
The councilors had not been prepared for the sudden summons, and they were all whispering to their acquaintances, trying to learn what was happening.
Illyrio said nothing. He waited in silence for the remaining members to arrive and for the day's parliament to officially begin.
***
Led by two Unsullied, Ian arrived outside the dormitory of Viserys and Daenerys. The Targaryen siblings also resided in a separate building within the manse. A total of twelve Unsullied stood guard both inside and outside the building, making the security formidable.
"What is His Majesty the King doing?" Ian asked the guard at Viserys's door.
The captain of the Unsullied, identified by the two spikes atop his helm, replied, "I do not know. His Majesty has not emerged."
"Let us in," Ian ordered.
Immediately, the four Unsullied standing at the door stepped aside, and one of them opened the door for Ian. Before his departure, Illyrio had handed over command of the manse to his steward, Mills. In Mills's absence, the Unsullied were to obey Ian's orders.
Celia, Yada, and Keith followed Ian's footsteps into the building, down a long corridor, and into a dimly lit living room.
Celia looked around and saw no one. She immediately pulled Ian aside and asked in a low voice, "Why does Illyrio trust you so much? He even gave you command of the Unsullied?"
"It's as much of a mystery as why Hazan trusts you," Ian responded quietly. "After all, we haven't exactly been idle these past two months, have we?" He then clapped his hands together. "Mr. Mills, I've come to collect them."
At his call, another door in the living room was pushed open. Illyrio's butler, Mills, entered, flanked by two Unsullied. With them were a young boy and girl.
"These are the doubles we found for the Targaryens," Ian explained to Celia in a low voice. "They both have Valyrian blood, and their height and build are nearly identical to the brother and sister. Up close, one might spot the difference, but from a distance, no one will ever see a clue."
---
⭐ $5 Tier – Early Access!
Stay 50 chapters ahead of public releases on RoyalRoad, Webnovel, and Scribble Hub.
Latest available chapter: 221.
⭐ $10 Tier – Super Early Access!
Stay 110 chapters ahead of public releases on RoyalRoad, Webnovel, and Scribble Hub.
Latest available chapter: 281.
📖 Chapters are uploaded as soon as they're completed, so you'll always stay ahead of the curve.
💖 By joining, you'll be directly supporting the story while enjoying exclusive early access.
🔗 Patreon link is in My Profile/About.
⚠️ Please select your membership carefully, as I have multiple novels ongoing.
🍎 If you're on Apple, consider subscribing through your browser instead — it's cheaper for you, and I'll receive payments faster.