The carriage rattled as it passed on the worn out bricks of the road. It must not have rained for a while, for the dust was in the air. Tyrion Lannister watched it seep in through the bars of the carriage, floating in the shafts of sunlight. He wished he could block his nose, but his hands were cuffed and chained to the legs of his seat. All he could do was look at the city passing by and try to ignore the itching in his torn open nose.

After spending more than a fortnight holed up in a cell, the street should have been a welcome sight. But it wasn't. Tyrion knew where the carriage was headed. In his cell, he had always woken up in the morning thinking that this was the day that today was. His cell itself was a torture chamber. And not like the unused ones Varys had talked about in the Red Keep. No, these cells had had recent occupants. On his first day, Tyrion had seen that there were scrapes of skin on the inside of a handcuff of the racks. There was blood on the walls and a large stain on the floor, as if someone had been left hanging to bleed out there. Every time Tyrion glanced at it, he had to fight the urge to vomit. He couldn't help but wonder how soon his own blood will join it. Thinking like that doesn't help, he would admonish himself, but then another voice would whisper in his head, yes, there are racks here, oubliettes, hooks and chains as well. No reason to believe you would die on the floor. It sounded strangely like his sister.

Today morning had been similar to the ones before. He woke up thinking that this was the day that they tortured him. The day had been different from the ones before though, for this was the day that they came to torture him. Only it seemed that they didn't mean to torture him in the confines of his cell. They were taking him to the plaza of punishment.

He remembered the punishment of the would-be escapees that Nurse had made him and Penny look at outside the walls of Meereen. The artwork of the slingers. While the Astapori probably had no Tolosi slingers, that is unless the city had been taken while Tyrion had been rotting inside his cell.

I will not cry, he promised himself, thinking what was another broken promise to the kinslayer? He had seen Nurse shitting brown water and moaning alongside his master, and he had smiled inwardly seeing the cruel overseer get his comeuppance. Is this my comeuppance? Could the father above be punishing him from so far away in Westeros? Maybe he asked the Ghiscari Harpy for a favor. Tyrion was sure that she didn't look too kindly on him either. He had tried to steer the new Free Empire away from her and into the arms of the red god. As if making enemies of your family wasn't enough, you had to take enmity of the gods too, didn't you? You stupid noseless imp?

The carriage stopped with a lurch. Tyrion could hear the horses whinnying. He gritted his teeth, hoping against hope that it will be his brother that will open the door again. But it wasn't. It was the bald Skahaz Shavepate.

"Lord Imp." The Shavepate said to him, as if angry to see that he was still alive. He nodded to the guards, "Bring him out."

The guards struck the chains binding him off. Soon Tyrion was climbing out of the posterior of the carriage, rubbing at his wrists. Is he here to personally punish me for killing Selmy? True, it was Rhaegal that killed Ser Barristan, but Skahaz could hardly punish his queen's dragon. At least Tyrion hoped he didn't. The Shavepate could be dangerous when roused.

The Shavepate was waiting for him on the pavement. When Tyrion saw what he was looking at, he stopped dead in his tracks, colliding with the legs of the guards behind him. They were indeed at the Plaza of Punishment. But the square was empty, save for one naked man bound to a crossbeam. One naked dead man, and thank the seven he was dead. Darrio Naharis had no limbs, no skin, and no genitals. All four of his appendages ended abruptly halfway, with shattered shards of bone poking out of the broken ends. He had clearly been flayed, all over save his face. But that was even horrifying than what was down below. His face was covered in nails. They poked out of his cheeks, Jaw, ears and mouth and eyes. There was a single one in his temple, probably the only one he had been thankful for.

Tyrion bent over and heaved the contents of his stomach at his own feet. Skahaz turned and walked over to him. "His men took over Yunkai when they heard what was being done to him." He said even as Tyrion retched. "I had to offer the stormcrow's coffers and weapons to Brown Ben so he would help me take Yunkai back."

"What about the Mother's Men?" Tyrion asked weakly, wiping his mouth on his already filthy sleeve. "Marselen wanted to know about Ser Barristan." Skahaz Grimaced looking back at Naharis, "I couldn't tell him the real circumstances of the old man's death. What you did." He spat, "I tried to pin it all on Darrio, but the Widower made a stronger case than me. They all knew that I had offered to set aside my wife and children to wed Daenerys if she would have me, back when she was looking for a ghiscari nobleman to wed. 'He wanted her, and the throne' The widower said to Marselen and Symon." The Shavepate's voice grew angrier, "'He first convinced Ser Barristan that Hizdahr tried to poison Daenerys' He said about me, 'And then when he saw his chance, he removed Selmy. And he is torturing Darrio, who was Daenerys' consort, so he won't be in his way to the throne.' He dared to call me a traitor." The Shavepate made a fist. "They all think I mean to steal the throne of Meereen before Daenerys comes back, if ever."

"And yet you aren't in chains." Does he want my help? Is that why he has brought me here? "If you want me to talk to Marselen…"

"I want you gone." Hissed Shavepate menacingly, rounding back on Tyrion "You, and all your westerosi friends." He grabbed Tyrion's tunic at the collar and lifted him up roughly, "Selmy was a good man. With him in the lead, this empire stood a chance. The taint of slavery would have been washed from the Ghiscari empire. But you… you had to bring your quarrels in the sunset kingdoms here. You ruined it all."

Tyrion struggled to get a grip on the man's hand, "What's happened, tell me." He rasped, "Maybe I can help."

The Shavepate threw him down on the pavement, right at Naharis' shattered feet. Tyrion groaned as he rolled upright. "I don't want your help." Skahaz snarled, "I don't need your help. I would have given you the same end that I gave to Naharis, but Brown Ben wanted you unharmed in exchange for his help. I suppose one snake will defend the other one." Tyrion was in the middle of sitting up, but he hastily lay back down as Skahaz strode over to him and knelt down, "But I swear," He said with his face inches from Tyrion's, almost frothing at the mouth "If you tell anyone about what you did with Mormont, about how to tame that dragon, I will do you worse than I did Naharis. I will pour fire ants down your throat. We never did that to Naharis, but I will do that to you."

Tyrion gulped. "I won't." He gasped out, "I swear. I'll leave. I'll go back to Westeros. I will convince Ben."

"I've done that already." Skahaz said as he stood up, gazing down at Tyrion with anger and… hurt? "You will be accompanying me to Meereen for a while. Marselen and Symon are forcing me to go and present myself before Hizdahr." His mouth twisted in contempt, "Selmy should have killed him, that treacherous sniveling worm." He made a fist in anger again, "Marselen and Stripeback are hoping Hizdahr will hang me, and then my beasts and the unsullied will turn Hizdahr, preventing him from marching on Astapor and Yunkai." He was talking to himself more than to Tyrion. "But I won't go down that easy." He said with a look in his eyes that scared Tyrion, "No I won't."

Even on the ground scared witless, Tyrion had to wonder. Hizdahr? Hizdahr Zo Loraq? Wasn't he imprisoned? But Tyrion held his tongue. "You will take a ship from Meereen and you will take your madness with you." Skahaz Shavepate said to him finally, "I've told those who will listen to me that Naharis made the dragon go mad by trying to mount, and that is why it turned on Selmy and Mormont. You will tell them the same."

Tyrion stood up only after The Shavepate had left on his horse. His carriage still was waiting for him, the guards standing with the doors open. Still shaking from the recent events, Tyrion turned and looked once more at Darrio Naharis. Fire ants. He said fire ants. It felt as if they were already in his stomach, biting away. I have to get out of this place.

Back inside the carriage, Tyrion was startled to see Brown Ben. "When did you appear here?" He asked the sellsword captain.

"Just before he threw you down at Noble Darrio's feet." Ben told him, smiling coldly, "I must say, I thought he broke you. I am still not sure if I am thankful that he didn't."

It would not do to appear as shaken as Tyrion really was in front of Brown Ben Plumm. To buy time, Tyrion twisted his back at the waist from side to side, groaning with relief. "You probably aren't too happy with me."

Ben raised his eyebrows, "You have been keeping secrets from me."

"If you are talking about Mormont…"

"I am talking about Casterley Rock."

Tyrion was puzzled, "What about Casterley Rock?"

Ben grasped the overhead bar of the carriage as the carriage lurched into motion, "You told us that to take back Casteley Rock in your name, we will need the support of Daenerys."

"That is the truth."

"No. It isn't. Not the whole truth anyway."

Tyrion narrowed his eyes, "What do you mean?"

"In Yunkai, I had charge of some of the Volantene sailors." Ben said, "One of them told me about how the golden company broke its contract Myr. While I already knew about it, what I didn't know was that Strikeland took the Golden Company out to the sea to sail to Westeros. Back to win their homeland, the Volantene sailor said to me. That got me wondering about the fact that Mormont captured you in Volantis, seemingly at the same time as that fleet was put to sea." He leaned forward, "'Our word is good as gold.' The Golden Company says. Why did they break it? And at about the same time as you, the lion of Casterley Rock was in the city? Coincidence? I think not."

Tyrion pursed his lips. "You think I got them to break the contract? The captain of the golden company would have gotten lordship from Cersei if he just sent one of his captains to King's Landing with my head."

"So would have I. Yet you convinced me otherwise."

Tyrion sighed, why was he even keeping this a secret. He had to go back to Westeros anyway. Between Hizdahr Zo Loraq and Skahaz Mo Kandaq, he was more like to end up as dwarf stew. "Okay, I confess, I may have withheld the complete truth." He allowed. Brown Ben might be the only person in Slaver's Bay who didn't want Tyrion to die. Better not lose that. "You must've heard about the spider of King's Landing." He said to Ben, "Well, this was one of the webs that he weaved."

Tyrion told him everything, from the pentoshi cheesemonger to the exiled hand and the hidden prince. The more he hears about the people who actually might count me as an ally, the more he will be lenient about my hiding this from him. So Tyrion hid nothing of import, except for maybe Garin's curse and how its shadow had almost fallen on Tyrion. Hearing the story from his own mouth for the first time, it felt like a wet nurse's tale of some great adventure that she would tell as a gaggle of excitable children gasped and oohed and aahed. All of it except the ending. "Mormont, may the gods just him justly, picked a very bad timing to apprehend me." Tyrion said winding up his tale. "I ended up here in Slaver's Bay, while Aegon made for Westeros. The best course I could see was to try and get Daenerys to follow me to Westeros, or to get her to let me follow her."

Ben had listened to the tale silently, though his face never softened, "Daenerys is dead." He said flatly when Tyrion finished. "Our time here is at an end."

"And if she isn't?" Tyrion countered.

"Then she will soon. Or maybe not. What I know for certainty is that I will not be here to see the outcome. Slaver's Bay has yielded to me as much as it could. Twice sacked cities do not offer much plunder."

"Why would you sack the cities again?" Tyrion scratched at his nose, "Come, tell me. I've been blind to the outside world for more than a fortnight."

"And just as well. You've taken a liking to this place, I can see. That is the worst mistake a sellsword can make. And that is what you are now, a Second Son."

Tyrion snorted, "A liking to Slaver's Bay? You must be japing."

But back at the pyramid, it felt to Tyrion that there was some truth behind Brown Ben's words. The pyramid was a rush of activity, and Tyrion saw many familiar faces. That was a relief. He had been afraid about what had befallen his men upon his arrest. But this wasn't King's Landing, and Skahaz was not Tywin Lannister. He saw Tomaqq Ko Zodare, the man he had made the commander of the new city watch, still wearing his office chain. There was Zeinarr La Aszarr, his treasurer and seneschal. Ther was his Steward, his kennelmaster, the man he had given Golemo's pit to.

Tyrion felt their eyes upon him. Worried eyes that held questioning looks. They are ready to betray Skahaz Mo Kandaq if I command them to, Tyrion realized. They don't trust The Shavepate, but they will rise for the halfman.

Even Bronn had only followed Tyrion only for his money and promise of more money. But these people… They believed in Tyrion. They thought that Tyrion had more chance of saving them from whatever mess that they were in than the tall Skahaz Mo Kandaq did.

Uhlez, his steward, even asked if Tyrion would be taking residence in his old chambers which Skahaz was now occupying. Tyrion didn't trust himself to speak. There was a lump in his throat-

A call drifted down the hallways, telling that 'The Noble Skahaz Mo Kandaq was holding court', and the eyes of his men returned to Tyrion again to see if he had anything to say against it. But Tyrion averted his gaze. He cleared his throat. "Go to the court." He said to Uhlez in a hoarse voice, "You are the steward, you want to make note of who all is attending." He abruptly started walking before the man could answer. He did not meet anyone's eyes on his way to the barracks.

That night he dreamt of Tysha. They were lolling on the bed, half naked as always, and Tyrion was reading to her about dragons out of a book in the light from the window. He saw that she was tiring of Maester Keen's sermon about Vermithor's scales, so he shut the book. "I've always wanted a dragon," He said to her, sounding younger than he had in years. He had never told this to anyone, not even his uncle Gerion. "When I was younger, I would pretend that I was some lost Targaryen prince, and that I would one day find a dragon in the bowels of Casterley Rock."

He knew she wouldn't laugh at his childish fancies. She never did. He could tell her anything, even things that he had learned long ago not to share with anyone, things that shamed him. But today, as she turned him over his back and climbed up to lay over his chest, instead of asking him what all he would do with a dragon, she asked him, "But what about Casterley Rock?"

"What about Casterley Rock?" Tyrion asked.

"If you are a Targaryen prince, you won't be a Lannister anymore." She said, "You can't have Casterley Rock then."

"Father can keep the Rock. Give it to Joffrey." He couldn't explain how he knew who Joffrey was, "I will have a dragon. And you, my lady. Who cares for the Rock, or being a Lannister?"

"You do." She insisted, "Would give up your ambitions for what you want?"

Tyrion laughed nervously, usually he was the clever one. "Aren't they the same thing?" He asked.

"Are they?" She asked ominously, her eyes holding his. "You want to be honorable, but what if the road to me passes through the forest of betrayal? You want to be good, but what if you had to kill innocents to get to get to Casterley Rock?"

Tyrion woke in cold sweat. He couldn't say why. Tysha's dreams were always sweet, and this one hadn't been especially scary. He tried to forget the look on her face as she spoke about the forest of betrayal. I have killed my father over you, yet you are not beside me. Where do whores go? He had come all the way to Slaver's Bay looking for the answer to that question, but now he was returning without finding it.

Tyrion's throat was raw. He got up on stiff legs and went to the pitcher in the corner, only to find it empty. Cursing, he groped his way to the door, thinking of going to the kitchen for water, and maybe to the balcony. The cool air will make him forget the dream.

Outside the door, he found Morroqo waiting for him. With a pitcher of water in his hand.

Startled, Tyrion lurched to a stop. "Water, for the Lord of Casterley Rock." The red priest held out the pitcher, offering it to Tyrion. "I know you are thirsty." In the light of the torch in the hallway, his tattoos seemed to dance across his face.

Tyrion took the pitcher from him carefully, keeping an eye on the man, and emptied it on the ground beside the bed. "What are you doing here?" He asked.

Morroqo chuckled, "Not taking revenge on Joffrey, if that is what you fear." He bend down and picked up a second pitcher that he had kept on the ground. "I know that it wasn't you who poisoned your nephew. Would you like to know who it was?" He raised the flask and took a big gulp. "Here," He said offering the second pitcher to Tyrion, "Now you know it is only water."

He guessed my reaction, Tyrion told himself, and he has no clue of how Joffrey died. "I can scream, have you seen what they did to Darrio Naharis? Ben will do you worse."

Morroqo sighed, "I am no danger to you my lord. You are too valuable to harm. Darrio Naharis was not. I had to expend him for our queen. I had to stop Lord Mormont from getting onto that dragon."

Tyrion stared at him. "You weren't even here. Do you think emptying my pitcher before I came in will convince me of your power?"

"How could I empty your pitcher, when I wasn't here?" He gestured to the hallways, "These barracks are full of your brothers of the Second Sons. I could never sneak in, with my black skin and fire tattoos."

"You did it now." Tyrion pointed out.

Morroqo smiled, "The red god emptied your pitcher. He told me about when you would wake in the night. He was the one who showed me what happened at Joffrey's wedding, from the jousters to the bells that rung to mourn his passing. He was the one who told me to send Darrio Naharis to Jothiel's pit. I was the one who sent Red Ralf to Port Yhos when I knew the slaves would revolt. Lord Victarion trusted me, but that trust never spread to his crew. I had to send them away to be able to secure a passage to Yunkai."

"And why did you have to send Darrio to the pit?"

"Your faith in Lord Mormont was very much misplaced my lord." The red priest sighed, "As was Daenerys'. She realized it in time, and she sent him away. There was a reason for why she did that. I know what you were thinking. He would be a check on Lord Victarion. And he would be a friend to you, as much as he could be anyway. But what about what he would be to Daenerys?"

"He would have protected her." Tyrion said forcefully, suddenly angry. Whatever his fault, Jorah Mormont hadn't deserved to die like he did. Neither had Barristan the Bold. And their blood was on Tyrion's hand. "Selmy died in the pit too. Another one of your queen's protectors." Tyrion Lannister was no stranger to causing people's death. He started with Ser Vardis Egen in the Eyrie, and when the seven kingdoms clashed around him, he had actively taken part in the fray. He burned thousands of men alive on the Blackwater. His latest victim had been his own sire, but Tyrion never regretted any one of those deaths. They had all been his enemies. They had all been trying to kill him or his family. What else was he to do?

But Mormont? And Selmy? No. "Jorah Mormont would have protected her." He repeated, "He loved her. Maybe you don't know what that means, but that is more than what a lot of people in this world ever have. And now Daenerys may never have it. I hope you and your god are happy." Tyrion hoped to the seven that the man won't mention Tysha. Because if he did, Tyrion wasn't sure he could stop himself from attacking the red priest. And there was only one way that will go…

But the red priest, even if he did know about her, didn't take her name. Instead he said, "Protecting those who do not need to be protected amounts only imprisoning them my lord. A prison of love is a gentle prison, an invisible prison, but a prison nonetheless. Life isn't meant to be kept on a leash however. You must soar if you want to realize your fate. R'hllor gave man the ability of love so we could find some happiness in this vale of sorrow. And Daenerys found it with her khal, her captain and her gruff bear, as they found it with her or somewhere else. But it is only meant to ease your passage through life, as someone once did for you." He paused, looking into Tyrion's eyes, "Your ambitions, your dreams, they are nothing but your first loves." He said softly.

Tyrion's face hardened. "We are done here." He said in a tight voice and pushed the door to close it.

"The Shavepate is going to kill Rhaegal." Morroqo's voice came just as the door was about to close. "A dragon will die, if you leave tomorrow."

Tyrion hesitated, the door open just a crack. It has nothing to do with you. Nothing to with Casterley rock. He told himself. "All those that you gave a home to will perish," Morroqo said from the other side of the door, "Or be sold into slavery. All the men and women and children who hailed you as you passed through the streets, they will be screaming under the whip once the Quartheen arrive."

Cursing himself, Tyrion pulled the door open. "Come in." He hissed. "But don't try anything. Or I'll scream."

Inside the room, Tyrion lit a taper for the light. He closed the lid almost fully so no glow escaped the window, but it offered light enough for him to see the Red Priest's face. "From what I know so fa rSkahaz is trying to get Marselen and Symon trust in him." He said to the priest, slipping into a chair, "He won't get that done by killing Rhaegal. They already think he killed Selmy."

Morroqo shook his head. "He won't do it himself. He will let the quartheen army do it for him." He sighed when Tyrion just looked at him blankly, "You have been too long in that cell. Much and more has happened since, little of it good. In Meereen, upon hearing of Ser Barristan's demise, the sons of the harpy took the Great Pyramid and released Hizdahr Zo Loraq. Hizdahr hanged them all and made the queen's supporters his own. He has wised up from his stint in the cells it would seem. He has renounced the harpy and is supporting my brothers of the guild of the Red God. He has announced pardons for all those involved in dethroning him, and summoned the Shavepate and the commanders of the free companies to Meereen to investigate the murder of Barristan Selmy, which he calls a crime against the queen. He is proposing the continuation of the so called Queen's council."

Tyrion snorted, "Marselen and Stripeback are not foolish enough to believe that. Once they present themselves in front of Hizdahr, they will share the fate of the sons of the harpy." Tyrion had never met Hizdahr Zo Loraq, but from all the reports he had heard, the man was cunning, but stupid at the same time. Stupid enough to get caught.

"The commanders share your view." Morroqo said. "But there are other complication. While The Shavepate was dealing the mess in Yunkai and Astapor, trying to get your own man Tomaqq, along with Symon Stripeback and Marselen to not kill him, another army marched forth from Quarth. The Stormcrows had taken over Yunkai, and The Shavepate and Symon Stripeback had to march there with the Free Brothers and the Second Sons, blissfully unaware of the new Quartheen army, allowing them to take back Port Yhos.

"This time it is bolstered by men from the far east, from lands like Yi Ti and Samyriana and a sizable fleet from the island kindom of Mahraj and the city of Port Moraq. These men are coming to stamp out this disease of freedom out of the slaves once and for all, and the news of Selmy's death has only given them new confidence. It also broke the slaves that had taken Port Yhos, who surrendered the city to the slavers in exchange for an easy death. So now Marselen and Symon Stripeback are marching to Astapor with their armies to defend it, while they are sending The Shavepate to Meereen. The Shavepate is almost bereft of friends here, but he has power in Meereen. In the name of the Brazen Beasts. For the nonce, the Beasts have allowed Hizdahr to remain king, but if Skahaz were to return to Meereen and command them to turn…"

"Hizdahr will kill them." Tyrion cut him off. "The Brazen Beasts are no proper soldiers, but mere watchmen." He had faced this problem in King's Landing, with the gold cloaks. "And they are too few. I guess that The Windblown have declared for Hizdahr?"

Morroqo nodded, "You guess correctly. It was in fact The Tattered Prince who convinced Hero, the commander Grey Worm left back when he came to Astapor with Selmy, to agree to release Hizdahr without bloodshed. Grey Worm isn't being able to contact him, the messages are probably getting waylaid by Hizdahr's men. The same is happening with The Shavepate. And that's why Marselen and Symon are sending them both to Meereen. They are hoping that one of Hizdahr or Skahaz will kill the other and they will have one less enemy to fight after they are done with the Quartheen."

Tyrion remembered The Shavepate's words. "And what is Skahaz planning to do about it?"

Morroqo pressed his lips together. "He means to force everyone's hand. He has told Grey Worm to take his unsullied out of Astapor, and he is taking the Second Sons with him as well, the reason being that Marselen and Stripeback can defend the city while Skahaz needs the unsullied at Meereen. But in truth, he is planning that the freedmen will never reach Astapor. I had to get in his good graces, so I helped him establish contact with Red Ralf and Tal Toraq at New Ghis. Marselen now thinks that the ironmen are going to be his eyes on the Quartheen army as they march along the coast. But Red Ralf is going to feed him false reports of the slow progress of the army. Tal Toraq has written to Skahaz and declared his support for the Shavepate should he really take the throne in Meereen. He means to join his Stalwart Shields to Marselen's and Stripeback's men on the march to Astapor. But he is going to deliberately slow the march. The Quartheen army will have taken Astapor days before the free companies come in the sight of the red walls. And they will…"

"Kill Rhaegal." Tyrion breathed. That was The Shavepate's master stroke, Tyrion could see. Knowing that he himself did not have enough time to tame the dragon for himself like Mormont had done, he was going to get it killed by the enemies of Daenerys. This way, Hizdahr will be forced to show his true colors. Skahaz was obviously thinking that Noble Hizdahr Zo Loraq will turn his cloak again, instead of marching on the Quartheen, he will march to join the Quarth once the last dragon in Slaver's Bay is dead. That was why Skahaz must have asked Grey Worm to take the unsullied to Meereen. Grey Worm will see Hizdahr not taking any action against Quarth, and he will declare his support for Skahaz. Marselen and Symon will be discredited, since they lost Rhaegal, and this will help Skahaz Shavepate to seize the power. If ever Daenerys came back, she will blame anyone from the Quartheen to the freedmen and to her own husband for her dragon's death. But never Skahaz Mo Kandaq.

"We cannot let that happen." Tyrion said to Morroqo.

The Red Priest nodded, "We cannot. The three headed dragon cannot lose one of its heads. Daenerys will need all three dragons in the fights she must fight. We cannot let Astapor fall."

"I will ask Tomaqq to send someone to Symon with a message…"

"No one will be allowed to leave Astapor." Morroqo said, "And even if they do, they won't get to Symon Stripeback past Tal Toraq's scouts."

"Then we must convince Skahaz to let them come here."

"I agree. But The Shavepate won't trade Astapor for Meereen my lord. We need to promise him that he will get Meereen back. You will be that promise."

"Me?"

"You. You are going to Meereen, from where Brown Ben Plumm means to take you to the sunset kingdoms. But we can't allow that. You must be captured by Hizdahr's men. You must surrender yourself and proclaim your loyalty to him, in exchange for a seat at his side. Hizdahr will comply, he will want one of the most popular of the Queen's council beside him. You will be Skahaz's man in Hizdahr's council. That will also keep you here in Slaver's Bay."

And kill me soon. "If you haven't noticed, The Shavepate thinks I betray as I breathe. Why will he trust me?"

"Why did Lord Mormont trust you?" Morroqo smiled, "For the prize of a dragon, of course."