Chapter 9

Title: The Tale of a Lady...

After finishing the deal with the woman, Arthur ordered 15 middle-sized merchant ships. The order wasn't anything special, but as Arthur walked away, he had a smile on his face.

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-Mora (Female Ship Dealer) POV-

As I was walking on to a certain place that I hated. My mind couldn't help but contemplate the decisions in my life and how things had gone. Everything had changed once Arthur Redhawk had come last year and made an offer I couldn't refuse.

I was born a lucky woman to a rich merchant household. My father loved and doted on me, I also had three brothers. But… I was still born as a woman.

When my father passed away, no matter how hard I studied or how good I was at managing the money the family business brought in. My father never recognized me as someone to who he would leave his fortune.

When he died, he left it all to my brothers. Who even to this day are so busy fighting against each other for that fortune. By now they had probably forgotten that I even existed or that they even had a sister.

Still, I refused to be some weak little lady that will have to spread her legs for some fat and ugly merchant. So I started my own business. After all, living in Braavos, there was one thing that is always in demand but never enough supply. That was ships! Even my father had to wait in line when he wanted a new ship, and even then it would usually arrive a couple of days later than experienced.

My business started like any other, I opened a workshop and tried to talk with some merchants to sell them ships. But like always, my gender got in my way. Even offering them half the market price, they wouldn't accept.

That was when the Iron Bank noticed my talents and decided to use me. Unlike others who only saw my gender, the Iron Bank saw me more than that and invested heavily in my business. The ships that came out of the workshop were not only less than half the price in the market when sold to them, but they were also a level higher than them.

No one knew my name, nor did they sing me praises. But it was an undeniable fact that I am the best ship maker in Braavos. After all, I was making ships for the Iron Bank, of course, this was all secret.

The Iron Bank was the strongest bank in all of Essos. The other banks were just credit men (loan sharks) compared to them.

But recently I had learned that I might not be as smart as I liked to think I am. True, there were faults in every person and no one was perfect, I too accept my faults. But 'that' guy, no… that monster! He stripped me of everything I had!!..

It all started one year ago, after that 1st initial deal. He came and got me to make some cheap ships for him. But he wasn't satisfied with only that. After some time, a number of my workers started dying in random ways. Some of them even went to work for other workshops that would pay them better.

I tried to keep them here with some enticing offers… but soon, I started losing money and even had to take some loans from the Iron Bank.

But even then I was still losing money, my workers all left and even those who were loyal to me died mysteriously. Then someone bought all my debts from the Iron Bank, and then he called in the collateral and took my company... he took my workers, my legacy, and then he hired a thousand shipbuilders to build him an armada, and then I only became another supervisor in my own company. That certain someone who took everything from me is Arthur Fray or as he is known now as Arthur Redhawk.

In only ONE year he had become one of the most powerful men in Braavos!! Currently, the only organizations that could challenge him in political power were the Iron Bank and the Guild Union of the Sea Lord. He had a fleet of 350 ships, 300 of them for trade, and 50 to protect these trades.

He also got himself, 50 Personal Guards

300 Guards for his business, 100 Accountants, 350 Ship Captains,3000 Sailors. He had become a powerful man in his own right.

Also the person I suspected killed my workers was him. After all, he didn't get rich just because he had three hundred fifty ships. No, he got rich because when he came in there were other merchant businesses. There was competition amongst them and only the best could survive.

Then they started dying in random and mysterious ways like one of them died while walking and a vase was dropped in his head. Another slipped and fell into the canals, drowning to death.

There was also this who got killed by his victim when he tried to rape someone, and they left a gap in the trade. Then conveniently Arthur, FUCKING, Redhawk came in to just nicely fill in the gaps.

That reeked of foul play! Even if there was no proof, there was obviously an incentive that pointed straight at him as the biggest benefactor from these people's deaths.

As those thoughts raged in my mind, I noticed that I had arrived at my destination. In front of me stood a large three-floored mansion with a large iron fence around it. The mansion grounds also had a large front garden with flowers and trees. The place was littered with guards patrolling the surroundings.

It was irritating to think about it, but each of them was loyal to Arthur. Or more correctly, loyal to his gold. They said that he paid the best in all of Braavos, even the normal servants got paid three gold a year. So he had definitely bought their loyalty.

As I walked to the front gates, one of the guards looked at me. Bet they were surprised, after all, there had been no notification of my arrival here. I wanted to take the owner of this place by surprise.

But unlike I expected, the guard only nodded in my direction. "Lord Redhawk has been expecting you, my lady."

DAMN IT!!! This was what I hated about Arthur Redhawk, he always knew what was happening! Like a little fuckìng creep! He knew way too much about everyone and everything.

Taking a deep breath, I calmed myself down. This wasn't too surprising, Arthur Redhawk might be a scumbag, but he wasn't incompetent.

But I was prepared this time. I remembered the aggressive approach he made during our first deal. Or as he called it, blackmail. Let's see how he will like some of his own medicine.

Chapter 10

Title: Being Sure...

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At the front gate, a maid came and offered to escort me to her Lord. As I followed along I passed the fountain in the middle of the garden, it had the statue of an eagle in the middle and the thing seemed almost alive as its eyes shone red.

After that uncomfortable experience, I went inside the mansion and the first thing I noticed was the banner on the wall. Something that would catch the eye of anyone who entered. It was a red hawk spreading its wings in a black and green field.

This was Arthur's banner, and also where his new banner name came from 'Redhawk'.

He was more of a snake than a hawk. But the banner rarely represented the people that owned it.

"This way my lady," said the maid as she pointed where we would be walking towards. Damn, that man, he still kept calling me a lady to this day and even his servants did the same. I knew he did this to spite me...

As we went on the third floor, at the end of the corridor. I was guided towards a room with two guards outside. When I got closer I could hear the means of a woman.

"Ah!... Ah!... Ah! Yes!... Fuck me, my King!!"

Ah yes the two slave whores he bought, the degenerate already had three kids with three different mothers. Two were slaves and one of the women was a maid.

"Cum inside me my King!" A loud screech followed after that demand.

I heard a grunt and then. "Guards call for Elissa, the cute blond maid real quick... I need her for something."

And there was the degenerate himself. It was almost unbelievable sometimes that a man as successful as him had so much free time.

The maid who had guided me here shifted nervously next to me. "My Lord, Elissa is taking care of the kids."

There was no answer initially and only the sound of some shuffling within the room. After that, the door opened, and out of it came Arthur. He was wearing only a pair of short pants and his surprisingly muscular body was quite a sight.

I always assumed that the tales of him being a Warrior were lies. But it seemed like there might be some truth to those rumors.

But all of those thoughts of him being some Warrior disappeared from my mind once our eyes met. His dark eyes locked into my brown ones and an almost unnoticeable smirk appeared on his face. "Well hello there, my lady. I am truly sorry… for you to have found me in such an embarrassing situation."

I just snorted in annoyance at his lies. "You know everything about everyone so spare me the pleasantries, Arthur."

For a split second I felt a chill go down my spine, as I looked at him, Arthur was still smiling. "I let such a lady like you wait for me outside of my door. That is very rude of me… please come inside, my lady."

No way I was going to his creepy harem room. So I calmly stated. "No thank you. I only need a moment from you."

He went back inside the room and came back out after not even a minute. Now he had put on some clothes and looked presentable, wearing black pants and a baggy aristocratic white shirt.

"Follow me, my lady, let me escort you to my office." He said politely, the polite smile never leaving his face.

As we went to the room closest to the bedroom he just fùcked two women.

"You guys stay outside." He ordered the guards as we entered the new room that seemed like a normal office. Though it seemed a little too modest in comparison to the rest of the wealth displayed in the mansion.

He sat on his chair behind the desk and then gestured to me to sit down too. I reluctantly sat down.

"So tell me," he started the conversation first. "What do you want to talk to me about?"

Heh, now it was time to play this man who thought with his balls and not his brain. Lover everyone else, even Arthur had a weakness.

"I looked into the merchants' deaths recently," even though I started the conversation like that. There was no reaction from him. "Not surprisingly, I have found some suspicious activities that might indicate foul play… on your part."

"Oh?" Arthur raised a questioning brow, seemingly unbothered by this. "Is that so?"

There was an uncomfortable silence between us as neither said anything. Arthur sighed and leaned back on his chair.

sigh* "What are your... so-called accusations?" He asked in a bored manner, looking at his nails.

This vile man truly knew how to annoy someone! I took a deep breath before I exploded at him. "There are accusations that you might have hired assassins to deal with your rivals."

He frowned for a split second, and then his face relaxed. In the end, he just waved off my insinuated threats. "I am sure they are all lies. After all, the Iron Bank has already investigated the problem, and even though the deaths may seem suspicious they were truly accidents."

Yeah, I knew that he and the Iron Bank were as thick as thieves for some reason. They were always backing up and covering for each other. This was all due to after losing my business to Arthur, he started selling ships to the Iron Bank for the best prices, only 130 Gold for medium-sized ships.

"Yeah, but I have been thinking lately." I drew on, trying to make him squirm. "Because someone might be assassinating the merchants. I am planning to put this on the attention of the Sea Lord."

His expressions didn't show anything. But I knew that he was smart enough to know that he would be in big trouble if the Sea Lord, the voted ruler of Braavos, was to get involved in this.

Arthur would be under constant watch if the Sea Lord got involved and the bastard wouldn't be able to do anything. And in case he slipped up, he would be held responsible for his actions.

I had everything planned and used all of the savings to hire thirty Sellswords. They would escort me to the Sea Lord's Palace. When I got out of here, just in case…

Of course, Arthur was undoubtedly smart enough to see what I was insinuating here. There was a way for him to get out of this.

He just needed to bribe me to not talk. That would buy my silence… temporarily. Until I eventually will come back and next time demand more. So let's see, what will your answer be Arthur? You have already lost, all just because you underestimated me!

"Go tell him, I don't care." He shrugged, still acting unbothered by the situation.

Oh, so that was your answer? Well then...

"Excuse me," I got up and turned around, ready to walk away.

"Oh yeah Mora you forgot something," Arthur called out to me, and as I turned around…

Swish!*

Huh? I felt something piercing my neck, and it felt like hot liquid was spewing out. I looked at Arthur and saw the indifferent look on his face. Oh… I get what was happening… I could feel my vision going dark around the edges of my eyes… but before darkness calmed me, I heard some words… from my killer.

"When you search for something, always be sure what it is that you are looking for. That way you won't be led astray." His words felt strange for some reason.

Then I heard footsteps, probably his. The sound stopped and I faintly heard him say something again. "Oh, and I never underestimated you just because you are a woman. That would be foolish, you were ambitious so that also made you dangerous and I always expected for you to bear your fangs at me."

Then I felt him rubbing my hair. "But you were still very useful nonetheless..."

A/N: The Iron Bank isn't an entity that looks at things or gets angry, it isn't one person, no, it is an organization that only cares for their profits. Some people seem to misunderstand that. Sure, some members of the Iron Bank might not like Arthur. So what? The Iron Bank was after profit, that was the goal of the institution and each of its members. They would be incompetent bankers if they didn't accommodate his business. The Iron Bank didn't become the strongest Bank on Essos by holding petty grudges.