Chapter 169: Pentos Rhapsody (Part 2)
"Wait a minute, Your Highness, allow me to collect myself," Ian waved to Hazan. "I'm feeling a bit overwhelmed."
"Of course." Hazan had anticipated this reaction from Ian after he fully explained the plan.
Ian pretended to ponder for a few minutes, then asked, "How confident are you?"
"Hahaha," Ian's cooperative attitude surprised Hazan, meaning he didn't need to waste any more effort persuading Ian. "Absolutely certain." He answered confidently.
"And then what? After dealing with him..." Ian paused, not uttering the name, "and eliminating his forces..."
"Then, of course, we'll reconvene the Grand Council. As long as Magister Rotalus's First Company doesn't immediately intervene, we can convene a new Grand Council to adjudicate the matter once everything is settled.
"And after Illyrio's death, his already loose alliance will crumble instantly. All the neutrals and fence-sitters in the council will unhesitatingly side with our new alliance, casting a vote of innocence for our actions.
"After the Grand Council's verdict, Magister Rotalus, clinging to tradition, will no longer be able to hold onto this matter and remain our enemy. Pentos will then regain peace."
"Alright, I have another question," Ian held up another finger. "Why is Magister Groiro Tetrus so cooperative with you? Weren't you originally enemies? Just because of a vision in the flames?"
"Just a vision in the flames?" Hazan rudely interrupted Ian. "The Lord of Light hasn't given us any revelation through fire for over a hundred years. If Pentos hadn't been on the verge of destruction this time, R'hllor probably wouldn't have warned us beforehand. Even the High Priest of Pentos himself declared it a miracle! The Lord of Light is saving us!"
Well, Ian thought to himself, I'll never understand the mind of a believer. Maybe when I have enough points, I should really exchange them for a spell from the Faith. What was that skill called again? Mass Hysteria?
"So, what happens after saving Pentos? How will your cooperation with House Tetrus develop? A second civil war?" Ian thought for a moment and then asked.
"No," Hazan shook his head. "Pentos can't withstand another round of turmoil. To ensure Magister Tetrus's alliance with us, we actually made a considerable compromise with him this time. Regarding a large tract of pastureland on the border between Braavos and Pentos in the Upper Rhoyne River basin."
"I remember," Ian suddenly recalled something. "I think I first heard that House Tetrus wanted to join the Braavosi faction along with House Haucot, but the Iron Bank refused to meet their demands."
"Yes, that was outrageous extortion. We refused him without hesitation back then. This time, we were truly forced to comply. We met half of his demands. After all, we have to deal with Illyrio, our common enemy. We've each taken a step back."
"Alright, I have no more questions." Ian took a deep breath and shook his head. "Tell me, what do you need me to do?"
Illyrio's carriage arrived at the Council Palace, where the captain of the city guard personally came to greet him.
The outer walls of the Council Palace were made of white marble, and its massive archways were wide enough for twenty cavalrymen to pass side by side. The Council deployed fifty well-equipped guards beneath the gates.
Clad in white scale armor and armed with halberds, longswords, and shields, these were not the Unsullied eunuchs favored by the Free Cities, but rather the Honor Guard, composed entirely of Pentos's free citizens.
This Honor Guard, numbering two hundred, was stationed in the Council Palace, the heart of Pentos's power, and directly commanded by the Grand Council. Of course, no one knew the fighting prowess of this army that had dwelt in the Council Palace through ninety-one years of Pentoshi peace without bloodshed.
Illyrio's carriage paused briefly at the gate. He lifted the curtain, glanced around, and finding nothing amiss, ordered the driver to continue.
No one suspected anything, for in Pentos's millennia-long history, there was no precedent for an army breaking into the Council Palace. Illyrio had no reason to be wary.
So his carriage set off again, led by two ceremonial cavalrymen, through the great square, and stopped before the council hall.
Alighting from the carriage, Illyrio found that the carriages of several other magisters were already there. Without lingering, he went directly to the hall doors, and after two halberd-wielding guards pushed open the red-lacquered gates, he stepped inside.
The first thing Illyrio saw upon entering was Prince Trigg Moharis seated in the high seat, with three officials in charge of ceremony standing before him, each holding a golden scale symbolizing trade, a steel sword symbolizing war, and a silver whip symbolizing justice.
He and Prince Trigg nodded to each other, then found his seat.
Representatives from the forty houses were already mostly present, and the magisters in the circular hall were clearly divided into four factions.
They were the Braavosi faction, led by the Prince and House Haucot; the Volantene faction, led by House Tetrus and House Moen; the Trade Magister's faction, led by Illyrio, which practically monopolized the shipping trade of Pentos; and the so-called neutral magisters who were not allied with any faction.
The magisters were caught off guard by this sudden summons and were frantically inquiring about the situation from acquaintances.
Illyrio remained silent, waiting for the magisters who had not yet arrived to take their seats, at which point the council meeting would officially begin.
Led by two Unsullied, Ian arrived outside the bedchamber of Viserys and Daenerys, whose residence was also a separate building.
Twelve Unsullied stood guard inside and outside the building, indicating a high level of security.
"What is His Grace doing?" Ian asked the guard at Viserys's door.
"I don't know. His Grace hasn't emerged," replied the Unsullied captain, whose helm bore two spikes on top.
"Let us in," Ian ordered.
The four Unsullied standing at the door stepped aside, and one of them opened the door for Ian. Before leaving, Illyrio had handed over command of the manse to Mills. In Mills's absence, the Unsullied obeyed Ian's orders.
Celia, Yada, and Keith followed Ian inside, through a long corridor, and into the dimly lit drawing room.
Celia looked around to make sure no one was there, then immediately pulled Ian aside and whispered, "Why does Illyrio trust you so much? He even gave you command of the Unsullied?"
"It's just as surprising as why Hazan trusts you so much. After all, we haven't been idle for the past two months, have we?" Ian replied softly, then clapped his hands. "Steward Mills, I've come to fetch them."
Another door to the drawing room opened, and Illyrio's steward, Mills, along with two Unsullied, led a young boy and girl inside.
"Those are the stand-ins we found for the Targaryen siblings," Ian explained to Celia in a low voice. "They both have Valyrian blood and are basically the same height and build as the Targaryen siblings. You might notice the differences if you look closely, but from a distance, you wouldn't see anything amiss."
(End of Chapter)
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