Chapter 23
VISERYS TARGARYEN
Robert Baratheon. Lord of Storms End. The Demon of the Trident. The Usurper.
The man had cast a shadow greater shadow over his life than any other. It was because of him that Viserys had been forced to flee from his ancestral home along with his sister. It was because of him that he was now all that remained of the Targaryen family.
His name, and his shadow had haunted him all his life, from the streets of Braavos to the slums of Pentosh. The man had been the reason for his misery, and Viserys had long dreamt of the day he would be able to exact his revenge on the man.
Yet it was done.
He was gone. The Usurper, the Demon who had slaughtered his family was now dead.
"Are you certain of this?" Viserys asked once more, and it had been two days since he had been told of the news and as joyous as the news was, he did not have it in himself to put his trust into a man who had been serving in the Usurpers council a few moons back.
"I believe so," but now Illyrio had confirmed it again, as Viserys' eyes fell on the man responsible for this entire thing.
"Robert Baratheon is dead indeed," and for how long had he yearned to hear those words. Many a times he had even wondered if they would come true at all, but his dreams had come true.
"How?" he asked, and the three of them had gathered in Illyrio's solar, and the man responsible for this news stood near the balcony sipping his wine, as Illyrio answered.
"They say that it was a hunting accident that killed him. His horse slipped, and the usurper had his head split open by a rock as he fell down," and Viserys found himself chuckling at those words.
"Serves him right," and it felt as if a great weight had been lifted off of his shoulders.
"But how did you make this happen?" he questioned Baelish, and the tall man smiled.
"Indeed, how?" Illyrio added, and the man shrugged.
"I have always been loyal to your House, my Prince. It was the Targaryen Kings who raised our family into lords and House Baelish remembers the debt it owes to the House of the Dragon for its generosity," but Viserys was not interested in these tales, and rose up with impatience.
"Answer the question," Viserys insisted as he walked up to him.
"For years I have hungered for such a day, and yet you were able to make it possible in such a short time," and a part of him still could not believe that it was over indeed.
"How?" he asked again, and he would not repeat it again.
"For years I have been searching for an opportunity, for a sign from you or your House so that I could lend you my aid in bringing justice to your family. And when I heard of the Princess's nupitals, I could think of no better gift to offer. So, with the gold that I had accumulated I hired assassins, the best of them in the entire world to bring down the Usurper so that you could begin your campaign," and soh he had hired assassins, but who.
"You speak of the faceless men?" Illyrio added.
"The faceless men," and he had heard of them in Braavos in passing.
"Yes," he admitted, and so Illyrio knew of them as well.
"You know of them," Viserys questioned.
"Yes, my prince," Illyrio answered with a frown.
"The order is said to be as ancient as Old Valyria itself. There are even rumors that it was the Order that caused the Doom, but they are exaggerations only," and yet they had killed the Usurper.
"It is said that to hire them a man must carry gold into the House of Black and White in Braavos. They offer no prince for a kill, and if they deem the gold brought deficient the kill never happens, and the Gold is forfeit forever. If the House feels humiliated they may even kill the one who brings the Gold because of his offence," and so they seemed rather obnoxious and strange in their ways.
"We could have done this before?" he asked turning towards Illyrio, and the man shook his head.
"The Order is peculiar in its ways. Offending them could mean death, and while I am rich your grace I do not have enough gold to hire them for killing a King," and yet the stranger had.
"And this brings me to you, Lord Baelish," and now he turned towards him.
"How much did it cost you exactly?" questioned Illyrio and he had little interest in that.
"How can one measure the value of a throne?" Baelish said as he looked him in the eye.
"I knew that my Prince was assembling himself an army, and with the usurper gone I could provide him with both revenge and an opportunity to claim what is rightfully his," and he was right, and by killing the Usurper he had done more for him than anyone ever had.
"It matters," Illyrio's voice rang out through the Hall.
"The gold you spent was not yours. It belonged to the Prince and to use it without his authority...."
"Enough," and Viserys had heard enough. Because of his actions, Viserys could breathe freely for the first time in his life.
"I apologise for any offence I may have caused, but I could think of no appropriate gift for you and the Princess apart from this," and what a gift it was.
"And with your armies assembled, and ships ready you can attack the Seven Kingdoms right now, and take advantage of the chaos stirred by the death of Robert Baratheons and the wars to come," and Viserys frowned at those words.
"Wars to come?" and the man frowned as he turned towards Illyrio.
"You have not yet told him," he asked, and Viserys' heart sunk as he saw Illyrio sweating, and frowning.
"Told him what?" and by now the Master of Coin was rubbing his chin.
"Strange, I had thought that you were aware of it my Prince," and now he was getting frustrated once more.
"Know what?" he asked.
"What haven't I been told Illyrio?" he turned towards the Cheesemonger, who shook his head.
"I know nothing of what he speaks of," and the tall lean man answered.
"Well, the truth is that there are rumors that the Usurper has left behind no trueborn sons," and he had never heard of this.
"But I remember that the Usurper had four children. Three sons and a daughter," and he had never cared enough to remember their names, but one day soon they would suffer by his hands just as his brother had. His kin had.
"Yes, they are thought to be the Usurpers but the truth is that they are not. They are all bastards, born out of incest between the Lannister Queen and her brother, the Kingslayer," and for a second he could not believe those words.
The usurper had no heirs. All his children were bastards, and it was a fitting end to a man who had turned on his own cousin for the throne.
"Is that really true?" he asked turning towards Illyrio.
"I know of such rumors but they are highly doubtful and simply too wild to have any credibility...."
"They are true," the tall man cut in, as he stepped closer.
"I can confirm them myself. I learnt of it through the late Hand himself before he was killed by the Queen for discovering this secret. It was ever since that day, that I knew that my days were numbers and so I began to plot my escape so that I could come to you and serve the one true King," and he had never heard such a thing out of Illyrio's mouth until now, which made him rather furious.
"Why wasn't I told this Illyrio?" he asked, raging at the Magister who looked nervous.
"These were rumors my Prince. Rumors that had little substance to them," and that did not matter.
"You hid this from me," and it made him wonder what else had they hidden from him.
"Substance does not matter, my Prince. Rumors or not the late Hand believed it and so does the usurper's brother, and if I can tell you one thing about Stannis Baratheon it is that he will not back down. The man will push forward, and the Seven Kingdoms will be plunged in a war," and to think that they would be fighting against one another.
"You must make use of this opportunity, my Prince and take back your rightful place," and he would.
"He is right," he said turning towards Illyrio.
"If those traitors turn on another, then we must strike as well. I gave that barbarian Horse Lord my sister so that he would give me an army, and now I shall have it," and Ilyyrio nodded.
"Of course, but the Dothraki have their traditions. The Khal and his Khaleesi must first visit the Vaes Dothrak, and even then it won't be easy to arrange the ships necessary," and the excuses made him grind his teeth, and doubt the man's loyalty.
"Then perhaps you should have considered this before you had me marry of my sister to that horse lord," he raged, wondering if he had made a mistake.
"I am their King, and those barbarians are mine to command. I have kept up my end of the bargain and it is time that they do their part!" and for years he had waited, and waited to have a chance at taking back his rightful place, at taking his revenge and now he would have it.
"I shall try, my lord. But Lord Baelish has given you only rumors, we do not know yet if war will come to the Seven Kingdoms indeed," and before he could answer, the tall lean man answered for him.
"War will come, magister. I can assure you of that," and Viserys pointed at him.
"You heard him. War will come. The people of the Seven Kingdoms have suffered enough under the reign of that damned Usurper and his followers. It is time that the prayers of the masses are answered," and he could imagine it already, the cavalries assembled infront of him, and the masses rejoicing at his return.
The lords all bowing infront of him as he ascended the throne of his father.
"It is time that the rightful King sat the Iron Throne," and Baelish nodded.
"Indeed, my Prince," and Illyrio nodded.
"Yes, we must prepare for war indeed but the death of the usurper calls for a celebration," Baelish added, and it was as if he had read his mind.
"Yes," Viserys answered, and even his sister's nupitals had been a rather dull and barbaric affair. It was time for a proper celebration.
"Indeed, we must celebrate," and the man nodded.
"I knew you would share such a sentiment, and so I have made preparations already in a manse down the city. We shall wine, and women and music," and that was the night he wished to have.
"Then come and let us rejoice," and the man put down his glass.
"Is that really wise, my Prince," illyrio asked.
"Wise?"
"The Usurper is dead, but he had many allies. They will know that it was you, and so they could retaliate. It would be safter for you to stay in the manse, I shall have a celebrations arranged here," he offered and Baelish shook his head.
"The Prince will be safe with me. The Unsullied will guard him with their life," Baelish offered.
"You have spent too much time trying to survive, my lord. It is time for you to live as you were always meant to," and Viserys nodded.
"Yes," and he had long grown tired of being holed up in these Halls.
"I grow tired of these Halls, Illyrio," and with that he walked.
"Come lord Baelish, and show me this manse of yours, and let us feast on the wine and the women you have painstakingly arranged for us," and the man followed after him.
"Of course, my Prince. I am yours to command."
0000
As always, you can read ahead and support me through my Patre 0n. Your support and patr 0nage are what make all this possible. So, drop a sub if you can. It would help me out quite a bit.
www.Patre 0n.com/Drkest
Have a fantastic day!