(King's Landing: 10/7/298 AC) Xai Bau III
A soft, thick, cushion lay underneath his crossed legs, doing little to comfort him as he sat in the upper balcony of the tea shop. An empty cushion, intended for Lee, lay next to him. The low burning candle placed on a small table at his side, provided just enough light to reveal nothing of his face, save his lower jaw. From his shadowy alcove, he watched them, all of them, as they came and went. The red priest servers acted as his eyes and ears, just as he and those that shared a position in the Fire Lord's counsel acted as her own.
His gaze focused upon a trio of Lee's men, bearing gold cloaks, the door's bells jingling as they entered, and came to sit at a table near Burning tree portrait.
The three men removed their skull-faced helmets and set them aside. "Priest!" one of them, a captain, recently promoted if memory served him right, called to a nearby server. "A pot of Ginseng tea, a few lemons, and some roasted duck," the captain looked to his comrades. "What about the rest of you?" He asked, and the men hesitated.
"A cup of Jasmine tea," one said, tugging at his collar.
"Me, too," the other added timidly, his body obscured by one of the pillars which lined the room.
The captain grew a scowl, eyes falling flat, "It's on me…."
The table grew silent a moment before it exploded into a cacophony of orders. "Chicken dumplings! Fried squid! Ooooo! Tart pie! And…."
"That sounds good enough," the captain cut in, silencing the two men, and sending the server away, as he took off his gloves.
"Nothing of interest," he said to himself, thinking on the Fire Lord's Flameguard. Those of the non-Repurposed variety were regulars to the shop, and every four days he would see a familiar face, as they rotated their visits there, some in the early hours, others midday, with the last coming late in the evening. Never more than three at a time. All were based within the Fire Lord's manse near the Old Gate, numbering thirty-six strong. He lingered on them for a moment before turning towards the last group, the one that most interested him.
'Outsiders,' he narrowed his eyes. A group of weasley Riverlanders huddled beneath the red glow of the hanging lanterns and talked a bit too loudly, while the Myrish traders by the corner window spoke too softly. The Dornish prince and his paramour whispered things in each other's ears as they drank their wine and observed the activity in the tea shop. A brief glance had the Dornishman raise a glass to him. A Pentoshi tradesman with colorful robes sat alone, pouring over ledgers, a pot of tea at his side. Finally, a pair of surly looking men at the far table, kept silent, looking to him and the rest of the workers. 'Hired swords.'
'No children, however,' he thought idly, noticing the lack of the Spider's little birds. 'Seems the eunuch finally learned his lesson. Too many small boxes…'
The hypnotic sound of the Tsungi horn permeated throughout the moderately sized establishment. A lithe Red Priestess named Sirianna, who reminded him of his daughter, played at the large, curved instrument native to the Fire Nation. Her long raven hair swayed to a hidden breeze as she enraptured the majority of the customers with the horn's soothing sound. Even the normally hot-blooded Dornish prince seemed to relax somewhat, placing an arm around his paramour, as they both reclined in their cushioned seats.
He rubbed at his temples, a small headache growing behind his eyes. The voice of the black growth still rang within his mind. 'Xai Bau…' he recalled its dark tone and crimson eye, before another voice, one of silk, spoke to him, pushing through the menacing memory that preceded it.
"Xai Bau…" the womanly voice beckoned, sounding near, too near.
Looking towards the candle at his side, he saw a red mask swaying within the low flame. "Enough of your whispers, witch. Be gone…" He gazed at the flickering light for a moment more, before he forced the flame higher and saw the mask disappear in a low sigh, his headache going with it.
"Maerros?" his deft hand gestured to his nearby red priest server, who quickly scuttled away from a steaming cup of recently poured Jasmine Tea.
"Yes, Grandmaster?" the man bowed, the golden cuffs of his red, Fire Nation-styled, robes draping over his clasped hands.
"Those men at the far table?" he nodded towards the duo of dangerous looking men below. One had broad shoulders, and a muscular build, while the other held thin, rattish features. Both wore passable clothing, but it did nothing to hide their meager beginnings as peasants, nor the daggers they had 'secretly' strapped at their sides.
The priest, true to his training, shot a subtle sideways glance down upon the men below before looking back to him, awaiting his orders.
"Offer them some Baijiu, or whatever piss they normally drink, on the house," he suggested. "If they decline, have them thrown out. If they accept, keep giving them free drink and food. Use the special 'seasoning' on whatever they order. Once they are drunk, escort them down into the cellar. Incapacitate them, and have them readied for transport to Dragonstone. Use the boxes labeled 'tea,'" he paused for a moment to let the instructions sink in. "We don't need another mishap like last time."
"As you command," the priest bowed once more and headed down the steps towards the duo, who eyed him with curiosity as he approached.
"It appears Baelish and the Queen have yet to understand the message the eunuch has. Spies are not tolerated here," he muttered to himself, spying the Dornishman casting inquisitive glances towards the red priest out of the corner of his eye.
Several others of the Red Faith, hurried around, pouring tea and taking orders. Potstickers, pork dumplings, whatever the patrons craved. The continuously steeping teas and citrus heavy cuisine kept the moderately sized tea shop from tracking in the city's putrid odor.
"Haha! Did you see the look on that cunts face?!" the group of Riverlanders laughed towards the back of the shop, near the window, and he sneered.
The sounds of the city, however, did not seem as restricted by the meticulously constructed atmosphere. The formerly run-down bakery had been purchased by the Fire Lord some time ago, during the wildfire removal process. Its crumbling stone walls and rotted ceiling were torn down and rebuilt from the ground up, in true Fire Nation style. Red wooden pillars ran down the length of the shop, thick red curtains tied with golden cords, lined the walls along with the satin and silk furniture, the crown jewel of Xai Bau's establishment, 'the Eight Views of the Capital City,' remained mounted behind the Tsungi player.
"Now that is a Capital City," the Fire Lord would often say, during her secret visits. She usually bore the guise of another, either the Stork woman or any number of assorted red priestesses who 'loaned' her their likenesses. One thing would always assure them that the Fire Lord was present, the candle by his table would flare blue, for but a moment, hinting at the individual who had entered the shop.
The Fire Lord's chief architect, Merah, a somber, yet attractive woman, had come to survey the site and had drawn up the plans for the construction. Additional input from the Fire Lord had seen to it that a link was made between a lower, hidden, section of the Tea shop to the sewers. Several red priests kept the incense burning in the bowels of the shop to keep the stink of the sewers from creeping in through the unseen door. The lower section was where he and the others would meditate. After having informed him of the Fire Lord, and Lee's, impending visit, Steffon had taken to maintaining a silent vigil over the Burning Tree and the beast in the shadow. Two Repurposed guarded the young man as he meditated below, in the hidden cellar, while his Greyjoy comrade, sat watch near the entrance of the shop, busily eating away at his Char siu over rice, a bit of the reddish sauce dribbling off of his stubbly chin.
'That boy needs a shave.'
He continued watching, past midday, the Tsungi horn, and jingling of the door's bells adding variety to the chatter down below. The Riverlanders, Myrish traders, and the trio of Fire Nation Goldcloaks had long since departed, leaving only the duo of increasingly drunken spies, Pentoshi trader, and the Dornish couple. Several others came and went, not staying long enough to warrant suspicion. The Greyjoy ward lay atop one of the cushioned benches, using his ornately carved dragon bone dagger to pick in-between his nails, a cup of wine resting near him.
The bells jingled, and Lee entered, his two Repurposed Flameguard flanking him at either side. They locked eyes with one another, before he gave a slight nod of his head, signaling Lee to come up. The Dornish prince looked on in interest, his paramour placing a grape in his mouth. Lee and his guards moved through the shop with ease, the heavy 'thunk' of Repurposed footsteps accompanying them, as they entered the door to the back area of the shop where the tea leaves and food were stored. "Wait here," he heard Lee's muffled voice say. The wooden stairs groaned slightly as Lee came up, the 'chink' of his sword rubbing against his armor, was the only noise he made.
"Xai," Lee stated, coming around to him and sitting on the empty cushion, with his legs crossed in the lotus position.
"Commander. It has been some time since we have last spoken in person and not beneath the tree."
"It has," the Commander replied. "How did the extraction go?"
He remained silent, looking down at the patrons of the shop. "As well as can be expected, when dealing with that foul liquid. You were a few reasons shy of being picked to oversee that nauseatingly tedious project."
"Lord Stannis and the Fire Lord were insistent on having me teach Steffon the art of Fire Nation swordsmanship," Lee clarified, shrugging his shoulders. "The Fire Lord looks upon Piandao's teachings as far too valuable to waste. Besides, you weren't truly needed, in person, to teach Steffon meditation anyways."
"True enough," he tilted his head, as both of them looked out towards the tables below.
"So what of the Fire Lord?" Lee asked. "I take it she has yet to appear?"
"As far as I know, she has not," he answered. "Though I would not put it past her to have replaced one of my red priestess servers and been here since sunrise."
"I doubt it," Lee snorted, his hands resting on his knees. "This city is too…'involved' in itself for the Fire Lord to waste an entire day here. As it is, my arrests have been steadily gaining the wrong kind of attention. A gang of cutthroats tried to attack me in the alleys of Flea Bottom a few days ago. The Repurposed cleaved them all in two, but every day grows ever more dangerous."
"The tighter the noose, the more the victim struggles against it," he supplied, looking at him from the corner of his eye.
"They've grown used to the corruption, Bau," Lee sighed.
"Indeed," he frowned. "The Fire Lord chose you because of your resiliency and, not to mince words, your sheer stubbornness in following the letter of the law. If there is anyone who can burn out the rot, it's you."
Lee remained silent, glancing at the people below. His words having no doubt sounded familiar. "I do not regret, nor will I forget what our original mission had been Bau. Ozai is no longer here, nor does it seem like he will ever appear, so his last orders are wind. For all intents and purposes, his daughter is Fire Lord now, and nothing will change that. I will follow her as I did her father, and grandfather before her. As I would have followed Iroh had he not relinquished his claim."
The low hum of the Tsungi horn still sounded throughout the room, rising to the balcony and adding weight to Lee words.
"You still see Iroh's abdication as an insult?"
"Partly," he answered. "I followed him as we breached the outer walls, I saw his son die. Had Lu Ten's death not happened, Iroh would have been someone worth following. His abdication was a betrayal."
"You regret Ozai's ascension?"
"No, I do not regret the ascension of any Fire Lord. So long as they are of royal blood, it does not matter," Lee snapped, before calming himself. "Ozai was merely not the Fire Lord I would have chosen. He was a man of the court, he never saw battle, and he never led men, not like Iroh did. The General knew his men, knew how to lead them, and how to achieve victory with them."
"And how would you see our current Fire Lord?" he asked, curious on Lee's stance.
"She is both of them," the Commander stated plainly. "She has the experience of battle, the King's war, the Greyjoy Rebellion, and the Stepstones. In all three has she led men and won. She is worthy of following. And she also understands how to move within the stinking cesspool of a court this country has," a scornful look briefly overcame Lee's face, vanishing as quickly as it appeared.
"You've been speaking with Lord Stannis again, haven't you?"
Lee smirked, "Perhaps."
They sat together in comfortable silence, the Tsungi horn's melodious sound adding to their relaxation. The sun's light slowly began to dim, giving way to the night. The hanging lanterns still burned with their soft light, illuminating the patrons who began to leave, the Dornish couple and the Greyjoy boy the last amongst them. Steffon had remained behind, in the meditation room.
"Tell Steffon to be careful on his trek back to the manse," Theon cautioned, from below, before heading out with one of the Repurposed Flameguard assigned to protect Steffon and his friend.
The drunken duo had gone out back to use the privy and had never returned. The red priests cleaned, closing the window shutters, fluffing up the cushions and straightening the chairs and benches. The sounds of dishes lightly clattering together, as the workers washed them, rose from the kitchens.
"Grandmaster?" Maerros spoke after the staff had finished their duties. "Do you wish for anything else?"
"No, Maerros, you are all dismissed," he replied with a wave of his hand.
The red priest arched forward, and descended the stairs, relaying his orders. They watched the eight workers as retire to their sleeping quarters in the back room of the shop. The woman who had been playing the Tsungi horn, remained behind, staring at them.
The candle at their sides had flared blue, and he could not help but utter, "Looks like you were wrong, Commander."
"First time for everything," he retorted, watching the woman rise from her seat and stalk towards them.
"Stand aside," they heard her regal voice command the Flameguard below. Everyone, Repurposed or no, knew what her voice sounded like, and they all knew it was not to be dismissed. She ascended the stairs in silence, coming to rest behind them, seating herself on the chair that was deemed hers. They both turned to face her, her form still disguised as another, and bowed. "So," she spoke. "It appears I will travel back to Dragonstone sooner than I'd anticipated. I need to ensure that the both of you understand the necessity of keeping order within the city in my absence. I will not have all my plans fall to ruin because of a minor hiccup in my timetable."
"Of course, your majesty," they replied, the creaking sound of another pair of footsteps rising from below.
The waited in silence for a moment, before Ser Steffon revealed himself. The Fire Lord shot a glance towards her son, who replied, palm over fist, "Xai's daughter is overseeing the tree, and the two men have been, 'packaged.'"
The Fire Lord nodded, "Good," and looked back to address them, while Steffon relaxed and crossed his arms. "Lord Stark has asked me of the whereabouts of the King's two bastards, which I currently have in my possession on Dragonstone," she stated. "He wishes to see them, and I will happily oblige. Steffon knows of this already," the boy perked up slightly. "He along with his squire, and the Greyjoy boy will accompany Lord Stark and I to Dragonstone," she kept her back straight, crossed her legs, and steepled her fingers.
"I imagine Lord Stark will bring some of his household guards along with him," Steffon added.
"Yes," she replied, "the thought occurred to me, so I have made the necessary plans to counterbalance that with several of our own troops from Dragonstone."
"How many, your highness?" the Commander asked.
"'The Ozai' will be sent to ferry us back to my lands, while bringing a company of a hundred benders, commanded by Lieutenant Chi-Ha, to the city," the Fire Lord clarified in a frown.
"A hundred benders?" the three of them, Steffon included, replied in surprise.
"A good bender is worth more than a hundred Westrosi," she proclaimed, the pride and determination burning in her eyes. "Seeing as my husband, the Stark girl, and Lady Stork are to remain behind, I will not leave securing this city, or their lives, solely in the hands of the Repurposed or the regular Flameguard. So, the both of you, keep an eye on them. Should the Queen try anything, I want them all secured immediately, coordinate with Chi-Ha, and do not let news reach my ears that either of you has failed."
"We will not fail, Fire Lord," both he and Lee declared.
"How long?" Lee questioned.
"One week, at most, to get the requested troops ready, and my affairs here in order," she bore into Commander Lee. "How are we doing with the City Watch?"
"The purge continues at a steady pace, Fire Lord," he replied. "Your information has led to many of Baelish's creatures being taken into custody. Although, the Queen still has many of them in her pocket."
"Well, we cannot reasonably expect to arrest them without facing repercussions from Cersei. Best to keep her ignorant, and so long as her 'pets' remain out of a cell, then she retains her delusions of superiority. Which works out quite well for me. As for my information, Baelish has been far too helpful as of late."
"Perhaps he sees the writing on the wall?" he offered.
"Perhaps," she pressed her thumb under her chin and index finger over her lips. "However, I'd be a fool to think he did not have some ulterior motive for giving away his hired men, and leaving them to the dogs."
"That man has no allegiance to anyone, save himself," Lee spat.
"You should keep an eye on him as well," the Fire Lord looked to them. "Should either of you or your men, catch him wandering around in the city, make note of everything he does."
"Word of caution," Steffon added. "He is a very slippery man."
The Fire Lord nodded, before looking back to the Commander. "If you needed to, how quickly would you and your Goldcloaks be able to secure the City?"
"Depends on the circumstances, your highness," Lee replied.
"Assume the worst," the velvet voice said, the chair creaking as she shifted her body.
"Bending?" Lee questioned, his eyes focused on the Fire Lord.
"Allowed."
"No more than two hours, depending on resistance," the Commander specified.
She clicked her tongue. "Too long. Make it one. As for you," the Fire Lord turned her attention towards him. "Upon my departure I want you to shift some priests to sewer patrol, beneath the Red Keep, just in case."
"As you command, Fire Lord," they bowed their heads.
"Good," she replied, rising from her seat. As they began to rise, the Fire Lord chuckled, "Oh! Almost forgot! The red priestess is at the manse, she will be escorted back in the morning. And speaking of escorts," the Fire Lord glanced towards her son. "Steffon, dear, care to join me on a leisurely stroll back?" she offered her arm.
"Of course," he smiled, taking her arm, and descending down the stairs. He and Lee watched them walk out across the now empty room, with Steffon's sole Flameguard behind them.
The bells jingled, and he remained alone with Lee atop the balcony. "I think I prefer being stared at by the beast."
Lee snorted, before placing palm over fist. "Rest well, Grandmaster."
He reciprocated the gesture, "And you, Commander."
Lee's descent was quick and quiet, his two Repurposed guards following him out of the establishment.
