Chapter 18; Grim Tidings
Characters of the chapter
Daenerys Targaryen, The Mother of Dragons, the Khaleesi of the Great Grass Sea, the Unburnt, the Breaker of Chains, Queen of the of the Andals, the Rhoynar and the First Men of the South, Queen of the South Kingdom of the Twin kingdoms and Protector of the Realm
Davos Seaworth Knight of Westeros, Advisor to King Jon
Derek Cobbler, Kirkwall ambassador to the South Kingdom of the Twin Kingdoms
Gendry Baratheon, Lord of Storm's End, Master of Laws on the Small Council
Grey Worm Master of War on the Small Council of Queen Daenerys, High Commander of the Royal Army
Haggo Stallion Dothraki Khal, Lord of upstart house Stallion
Iledia, Agent of the Inquisition, advisor in matters of the arcane in the court of Queen Daenerys
Jon Snow, also known as Aegon Targaryen and Jon Stark, King of the North Kingdom of the Twin Kingdoms
Kieran, Agent of the Inquisition, mage advisor to the court of King Jon
"Sixty thousand dothraki… destroyed by a single spell." Daenerys said in the command tent after they were camped for the night. Iledia had just been detailing the latest news from Essos her spies had delivered. The King and Queen were both there, as were all their advisors. Haggo of House Stallion had been called there by the Queen when she had learned the matter concerned the dothraki. Iledia might have thought it better to wait considering the nature of the news, but it was not her call. While he was technically not an advisor, the Kirkwall ambassador was present as well. He had been an ally to the Kingdoms after all, and news like this concerned his city as much as everyone else.
Grim was perhaps the least severe descriptor of the mood in the tent.
"You should have ridden with us to war when we asked you to. For years we called on you and you did nothing." Haggo accused.
"I'm sorry Haggo. That was never my intent." Daenerys said, subdued.
"Words are wind. It's action we needed then and it's actions we need of you now. You must ride your dragon against the Serpent Men and burn them. Them and their slaver friends. Burn them all."
"That's madness! You heard what the Tevi's did like the rest of us. If she goes against that now she will only join your dead. And you should use more respect when you address your Queen." Jon argued.
"FOR YEARS WE HAVE FOUGHT HER WARS! SLAIN HER FOES AND DIED IN HER NAME! WE DID SO AGAINST THE SERPENT MEN AND AGAINST THE ORLESIAN METALFACES! YET SHE HAS NEVER DONE SO FOR US! WHERE HAS SHE BEEN WHEN THE SERPENT MEN OF TEVINTER MASSACRED OUR WARRIORS!? HERE IN THE SUNSET KINGDOMS, DOING NAUGHT TO STOP IT! WHAT KIND OF A QUEEN IS THAT!?" Haggo exploded.
"Are we just meat to you, Khaleesi? Is that it? Fodder to throw at the Serpent Men to keep them from dragging you off your chair of swords?" He demanded.
"That is the last thing you are to me, and it's unfair to accuse me of that. I…" Daenerys began to say.
"Enough! Enough words from you." Haggo cut her off.
"You will not ride for the dothraki, so we will not ride for you. House Stallion fights your battles no longer. Only those of our own." He said.
"You're abandoning the war effort? You can't do that! We need you here!" Jon protested.
"Maybe that is so, northman. But why should we ride to the aid of those who did not come to ours?" He was about to storm off the tent before Grey Worm blocked his path.
"Stand fast. You have not been dismissed." The Unsullied said in warning.
"Get out of my way, cockless man, or I will cut something else off you." Haggo snarled back.
"Let him go Grey Worm." The Queen said while pinching the bridge of her nose.
"Damn it all." Jon cursed when the Dothraki Lord had gone. "There goes the best light cavalry we could ask for. At a time we could very well need them."
"He was not wrong though, was he?" Daenerys said with sorrow. "I haven't always liked the Dothraki. There have been times I hated them for their thuggish ways, the brutality and anguish they sowed all around them. But they were my people, just as much as the one's here in Westeros. They were the first people I ever called my own. I should have done more to protect them. I should have tried."
"You could not risk a war with the Imperium. You knew we were not ready. And you could not know that the Dothraki would lose like this. This is the Imperium's doing, not yours." Jon tried to console her.
"I was already at war with them. The Dothraki fought and died for me and I could not do the same for them. Haggo is right. I should have flown against the imperium and burned them a long time ago." Daenerys countered.
"You might have defeated some of them. Perhaps many. But facing them is no different than fighting the Orlesians or Qunari. They aren't helpless against a dragon. The Imperium may have been reluctant to test that supposition before, but if you had forced their hand they would have no choice but do everything in their power to stop you. If they were given enough attempts eventually they would succeed. You have proven it is a supremely difficult effort, but it can be done. On some level you always knew that to be the case, which is why you did not act." Iledia said.
"That was before these recent developments. Now? Your Dragon would just be an insect for them to swat. I strongly advise putting any notion of attacking them with a dragon out of your mind, at least until the current threat is ended." She added.
"We can consider what we can do for those Dothraki that yet remain soon. We may have some options there. But first it is more pressing to consider our response to this weapon." Kieran said.
"Indeed. These news are the kind that requires a reaction from every power in the world." Derek concurred.
"How is any of this even possible? Where did the Tevi's get the ability to wield this kind of power?" Gendry asked.
"I'll need to get more information before I can answer that with certainty. What I do know is that the power they wielded is not their own. Can't be. Considerable as they may be, this is beyond the Imperium's capabilities. I know of only one thing that has the power to achieve something like this. An artefact of an age long since past."
"Tell us of it." Jon told her.
"It takes the shape of an orb. A device of elven make, as the Inquisition has discovered. If I am correct then this is only the second time in recorded history an artefact such as this has surfaced. Last time was during the Breach War, where it was the cause of the very anomaly by which the war was named." Iledia said, showing the approximate size of the thing with her hands. "In function it is similar to a mage's staff, in that it offers a wellspring of power that a mage can tap into. It amplifies and concentrates those energies to improve the wielder's innate abilities, as well as providing capabilities of its own. This thing, however, is several orders in magnitude compared to any staff. In the wrong hands an instrument like this could destroy the world, or break it, leaving it a mangled mess. Even if I am mistaken and they used some other method, we can be sure it represents a comparable threat."
"What happened in Essos was likely the product of a ritual conducted by several mages, the orb providing the power for the ritual. But even for a single mage this thing grants an exponential increase in power." Kieran said.
"How could they have come by that in Essos? Something made by elves?" Davos asked.
"Unclear. Also irrelevant. What matters is that they have it and are willing to use it against their enemies." Iledia said. "They cannot be left in charge of power like this. We have to take it from them."
"We do not have the troops to strike at them. Not while the Qunari still stand against us." Grey Worm pointed out.
"And even if that were not the case it would not work. There is nothing to stop the Imperials from turning the orb against any fleet or army we send against them. The same applies to the dragon. We cannot use either." Iledia said.
"Then… what are you suggesting that we do?" Davos asked.
"An attack they can see they can repel. So if we are to remove this advantage from them we need to strike from the shadows. We will need a small team of the best people we can find. They can infiltrate the Tevinter territories, locate the orb and destroy it. It's a risky proposition, but the odds of success are better than anything else I can think of."
"Hmm… and where you propose to find us such miracle workers?" Jon asked.
"I'll find us the people we need. The Inquisition has many that might be of service. If you have those you think are suitable for this kind of work Your Graces, send for them and I will evaluate their usefulness for the mission. You will likely want participants on behalf of your Kingdoms to represent your interests. I will accommodate that wish if at all possible, though I hope you understand that the needs of the mission will have to come before everything else." Iledia said.
"Ambassador, I need to contact your Viscount. He knows how to find the people that used to adventure with the Champion of Kirkwall. If there are any that would join the effort, we could definitely use the help. In fact I would ask him to participate if possible." She told the ambassador.
"You'd ask him to come himself? Our Viscount?" Derek asked, incredulous.
"If he is willing to, yes. I've heard good things of his exploits with the Champion, and again with the Inquisitor. He could be exactly what is needed here. I know that as the leader of your city he is vital, but this situation is a threat to Kirkwall as well. It is in his interest to act on this, and his choice to make." Iledia said.
"I'm willing to do my part, if you'd have me." Kieran said.
"We might need you against the Qunari as well." Jon pointed out.
"I will take your offer under advisement, Kieran. If my recruitment goes poorly I may yet call on you. But until then the King has a point. Both of us should not be diverted from the fight here if that is an option." Iledia said.
Kieran nodded.
"Regardless, once I have a solid team put together I will lead them personally to destroy the orb." She continued.
"Are we sure that is our best option?" Grey Worm asked.
"Fighting the Empire took its toll. Battling the Qunari seems set to be going that way as well. But if we had the Imperum's weapon we could defeat the Qunari easily and be ready for any other enemy." He then explained.
"You'd be willing to use their magic? Even after hearing what they did with it?" Daenerys asked.
"Our allies have already brought magic to our side. And we have benefitted from this. If this saves the lives of my men I'm willing to permit this as well." Grey Worm said.
"There could be merit to what Grey Worm is saying. Even without this weapon the Imperium would still command vast numbers. Is this not so?" Gendry said.
"Six expeditionary legions according to my information. Each numbering around fifteen thousand. Volantis and the cities of Slaver's Bay have built auxiliary legions of comparable numerical strength and training, but significantly less mage support. Smaller forces in other cities under Tevi control. If they invaded they would only be able to bring a portion of that strength here, though the portion could prove to be large. Not enough supplies or ships for all of them." Iledia said.
"Even in that case what they have could prove too much after the fight with the Qunari. But if we had this weapon of theirs on our side… the Twin Kingdoms would be secure not just from current threats, but from any conceivable future enemies as well. So I would not ask if we should take it for our own. I ask: dare we not to?" Gendry said.
"… We should take a moment to consider it at least." Davos said.
"You'd need a mage to work it properly, or someone with the kind of magical anchor the Inquisitor had. Someone who can wield its energies. To anyone else it would be just a lump of shaped rock. And if you are considering this, then you need to understand: In any scenario it will not be the Twin Kingdoms that control the orb. It will be whichever mage's you choose to give it to. As we have seen, the orb gives power enough for its wielder to hold themselves above others. You'd have no way to force the wielders cooperation if they chose not to give it. So you'd have to be certain that they have no intention on turning against you at any point, no matter how tempted they might be. Considering the power involved I doubt even I fall in to that category." Kieran said.
"But seeing as this is a piece of the old world, I'd like to propose a third alternative. Once we have the orb we could have it hidden. I could see to it that we find a safe place where the orb will never be found." He then suggested."
"There is no place in the world that is secret or secure enough." Iledia argued. "The first orb was likely not in the open. This one is unlikely to have been either. Determined hunters would always be able to track it down eventually, particularly now that they know one exists. Hiding will only postpone the problem, nothing more."
"As for using it for ourselves… while I recognize the need, I'm afraid I can't give my support for that plan. I trust no one with that kind of power. Not even myself. Neither will the Inquisition, I can promise you that. And even should we find someone who won't abuse this, as long as the orb exists so does the risk of it falling into the wrong hands. The only way this threat is ended for good is if there is no orb left for anyone to claim. I'm sorry Kieran. I know it's not what you want, but this is how it must be." Iledia said.
"Wait just a minute! I don't think the Inquisition has the right to just dictate our response. This threat is to our Kingdoms first and foremost. Jon and I should be the ones to make that decision. Certainly it's not your place to make that choice for us." Daenerys bristled.
"Unfortunately it is, Your Grace. And if you object to that I regret I must put my foot down." Iledia said. "Without me and the Inquisition you won't get anywhere near this thing. You don't have the means. And the Inquisition will only cooperate if our objective is to destroy the orb. I know that with absolute certainty. The same goes for me. We do this our way, or not at all. I trust you don't want us to do nothing about this?"
Daenerys blinked, struck utterly speechless. She could not believe it. She had guessed this mage to be headstrong and assertive, but this went beyond even her wildest speculations. She had the authority of the Inquisition backing her, but even so. And for all the audacity in flexing the Inquisition's muscles like this, Iledia had read the situation correctly. None of this could happen unless she and her masters agreed to it. So like it or not the terms were theirs to set. Unexpectedly Daenerys had found herself in a situation where her advisor commanded greater authority than she herself. The Queen of the South Kingdom, and this foreign mage assigned to her service relatively recently had just put her in her place. She had known allying with the Inquisition came with strings attached. But she had not anticipated being slapped in the face with them.
With her still at a loss for words it was Jon who spoke for the both of them. "I cannot say I'm happy to hear that. We forged an alliance with the Inquisition as equal partners. Not as a relationship between a servant and a master. This is not what we agreed to. We will go along with this, because it looks like we have little choice. But this will not become a habit. If it does we will have to start questioning the wisdom of this alliance. Am I understood?"
"Understood. And I am sorry for having to step in like that. I understand why you might be tempted to use the orb. And I sympathize, I truly do. But it is simply not a valid option. Destroying the orb will nevertheless help your Kingdoms. Help everyone in fact, by eliminating the threat it represents." Iledia said.
"What guarantee we have is that this is not a ruse, so that the Inquisition gets the orb? Or you yourself?" The ambassador suddenly asked.
"…Excuse me?" Iledia said, crossing her arms, her tone turning icy.
"I think it is a valid question to ask, given the circumstances. You just talked our ear off about what this weapon can do. If the reports you outlined are accurate, then your description of its potential is not exaggerated. I can see why the Inquisition might potentially be interested in acquiring it for themselves. They have been a force for good I grant, but I for one am not comfortable in a world where the rest of us exist on their good graces, with no one having any checks or oversight on the power they wield. And you? I don't know you. I cannot speak for your motives. But as you are a mage you could use the orb directly. For all I know you are already engineering events so you are the one who will get to it. And once you have it? Who knows what you might do with it. As I said, I don't know you or your intentions."
"I take offense at that kind of accusations… but I suppose you have raised a legitimate concern. I could potentially use the orb. And a non-mage could escape and bring it to someone else who could use it. All the more reason to have several interest groups represented on the mission. We can keep each other in check." Iledia said.
"There might be other measures we can make use of. I'll look into it." Kieran said.
"Are we sure we have the time to gather all these people? I imagine it won't be a quick matter to call them all together. Especially with the coming of winter starting to limit travel very soon. The Imperium is not going to just sit and wait for us to act." Daenerys spoke up.
"We will have to hope. The Imperium has other enemies on the continent still. They will want to deal with those first. It will take time." Iledia said.
"Unless they use the orb to win those fights quickly." Jon said.
"I don't think that too likely. This latest use tore the veil, destroyed everything in its path. If the Veil were to be likened to a cloth, then this was the equivalent to putting a hole through it. Only so many times that can be can done before the cloth unravels. At the end of the day the Imperium wants to rule the world, not destroy it. I think it far more likely that the Imperium will use the orb as a weapon of intimidation, to cow other powers into submission. Only when faced with situations they could not win otherwise or where the cost would be too high will they actually use the orb." She said.
"Are you sure of that?" Jon asked.
"Not… entirely. But it is the way that would make the most sense to me. And if I'm mistaken then we could already be too late. In this case I'd rather labor under the assumption that allows me to stay positive. But needless to say we need to move as fast as possible with this." Iledia said.
"To buy us more time I intend to instruct my forces to begin harassing Tevinter military assets. Attacking supply lines, disrupting communications, dispatching key individuals and generally making a nuisance of ourselves. We won't be able to stop the Imperium that way, but we can slow them down and hopefully divert some resources away from protecting the orb."
"I can have the Second Son's join that effort if you like. It's the kind of work they have already been doing." Daenerys said.
"Their assistance would surely be of value. My people can help them find targets and they can help us hit it. It will enable us to do much more." Iledia said.
"A second objective of our assets in Essos will be to assist the Dothraki that yet remain. The Imperium will surely start hunting them down soon and with the number of their warriors reduced the Dothraki won't be able to stop them. My people will find as many as possible and help them reach the Second Son's, or preferably Westeros. That too will help hamper Tevinter's future efforts." She continued.
"Lord Brandon can assist you in this I'm certain. Help you find them and avoid dangers." Kieran said, to which Iledia nodded.
"If you are bringing them here, you will need ships. You will have as many as can be spared. I have not done right by them lately. We should do everything we possibly can for them now. I owe them that much." Daenerys said.
"Agreed. Not only is that the humane thing to do, it is in our own interests as well. The more of them we can keep from death and slavery the better. Particularly when it comes to the warriors that yet remain to them. This war and the ones ahead will need every able body we can muster." Iledia said.
"To that end you should speak with Lord Stallion at your earliest convenience. He is angry now, and compelled to take action to defend his people. But his house does not have the resources to challenge the Imperium on his own. If he tries it all we will get back is more corpses. You need to make him see reason. Failing that, you must deny him the ships he would need to get to Essos. Anything necessary to keep him from throwing his life away. It will make him angrier, but in the long run it's better for his people and us. Those of his people in Westeros still remain. Here they can be preserved in addition to those we can bring to us. And if and when the Imperium invades, here the numbers he commands can do some good, united with our forces instead of throwing them away in vain." She added.
Daenerys nodded.
"Davos, your pirate friend already helped us smuggle mages here during the war with Orlais. If he is paid do you think he could help us smuggle more Dothraki here to Westeros?" Jon asked.
"Perhaps. I'll ask him. And I'll have a word with some other people I know, see if they would be willing to help us out." Davos said.
"While all this is going on we will continue our actions against the Qunari." Jon said. "We just learned that our garrison here was attacked and destroyed by a Qunari force, most likely the ones that escaped us from the first fort. The second fort is now empty as well and we believe the Qunari are headed to destroy our troops at the third fort. In response we have ordered the other besieging forces to abandon their positions and form into an independent army of their own. That force will need a good commander, so I've sent word to Lyanna Mormont to head out and take charge of them."
"For my part I've ordered the forces of the Vale to mobilize and join with us with haste. They have lost many leaders to the Orlesian assassins, but the bulk of their troops had to stay at home to deal with raiders. It means their forces are still relatively intact. We have need of that now. On the same note I have ordered House Watchman to send their troops. They declined to participate last time, but this time I'm not asking. Their Lord will commit to the defense of the realm or I will have to consider him an adversary as well." Daenerys said.
"Are you going to be calling on Jaime Lannister's host as well?" Jon asked.
Daenerys shook her head. "I don't want to strip the South entirely of defenders. Our enemy is a strong naval power and have proven to be very canny. They may seek to circumvent our military again if they're all in the same place. And after what Tevinter pulled I'm certainly not willing to lower our guard and forget about the other enemies we face."
"It does seem that our plans in the immediate are laid out. Let's get to work carrying them out. There is still time before nightfall, so I believe it would be best for the army to continue onwards for as long as possible. We ought to try catching up with the Qunari if possible, or at least follow as closely on their heels as we can." She added.
The meeting came to its end and Iledia headed back to her tent. She needed start moving things along immediately. The Inquisitor needed to be informed of the threat of the second orb and her needs in regards to dealing with it. And he needed to be told her assessment of the Imperium's readiness to invade. A major conflict with Tevinter had been coming for a long time now, the alliance blocks forming. On one side was the Imperium and her vassal nations. On the other there was the Inquisition and their allies, the Twin Kingdoms the latest among those. The destruction wrought with the orb marked a dramatic shift in the power dynamics of Essos, leaving the Imperium uncontested on land. There were powers that could perhaps give Tevinter a fight, but none that would be interested in getting involved unless provoked, especially when news of the battle with the Dothraki reached them. For the Inquisition this situation necessitated the acceleration of their timetable to prepare for the fight against the Loyalist Venatori. They would need to start contacting their allies and arranging the deployment of Thedosian assets to Westeros, which she was convinced would be the center stage for the coming storm.
She arrived at her tent, sitting down at a desk and starting to write a message. She wrote a few lines, then the tip of her quill broke from too much pressure, leaving a black splotch on the page. She took a deep, shuddering breath, closing her eyes.
"Was she on the right side in this? She was about to order her people to attack Tevinter troops and resources. She had promised the Inquisitor she would be alright in this, promised to help him. She had made a similar promise to Lord Brandon. Yet now, when it was time to act, she seriously had to question the rightness of those choices.
Even if the Venatori Loyalists were not her allies, if this was a binary choice between Tevinter and others, was it truly in her interests to oppose her people? For all their flaws and failings, for all the horrors and injustices they had and continued to perpetuate, Tevinters were her own, her kin. She cared for them, which was why she wished to right their wrongs and make them better than they were. And now she was about to fight them in support of a King that disliked them and a Queen that outright despised them. That they had cause to feel so changed nothing. She had justified this through the belief that there was a third way, a way to achieve her dreams with the approval and support of powers abroad. A way to coexist with other nations of the world while still achieving her aims. It seemed like an ideal solution, worth sacrifices. Rydeon and Brandon had both offered her support to that effect, giving her hope that this third way was a real and valid option. Yet what guarantees did she have that they would honor their word in the long run? If they did not, then what was the point of all the hurts she had delivered against her people?
Maybe she should not have herself and her dreams be so dependent on the support of others? She welcomed allies to her cause, but she would not put blind trust in the promises of another. That was a sure way to be deceived and used. It felt only necessary to have alternatives in case things didn't fall through.
She had objected when the Kirkwall ambassador had accused her of potentially wanting the orb for herself. She had advocated for the destruction of the orb honestly, having meant every argument she had made in favor of that action. There had also been the unspoked effort to protect her people by keeping this power away from the hands of those that uniformly hated the people of Tevinter and might use this power to end them. And yet on some level she was wondering if she should aim for more. Wondering if she should give the ambassador what he expected. If she had the orb she would be self-sufficient. Even if her current allies failed to honor their promises to her, she could make do without them, would still be able to build the kind of Tevinter she wanted to have. Her mission had proven hard to achieve, seeming almost impossible at times. But with this thing the distant would at last be within her reach. She would have the means to overcome opposition back home and deter away any enemies beyond their borders. Then she could make everything the way she wanted them to be. No more delaying, compromising and laboring in vain while being pushed further and further away from her goal.
If she wanted this there was a realistic way for her to claim this weapon, provided she concocted a careful plan. She would need to go along with this for now, give the appearance of intending to destroy the orb as expected. In the process of making the preparations she would subtly tweak things in her favor, so than in a critical moment she could seize control of the situation, opening a window for her to claim her prize.
But that was the moment when she caught herself, scolding herself for these thoughts. She was better than this. Her current allies had chosen to trust her when they had had no reason to. And while there had been only so much they had given her in return, she believed they were doing what they could. It was simply not the easiest thing to do considering what her nation was like. Was she so quick to turn on them when someone dangled a little power in front of her? Was she that unprincipled? If she was, did she even remotely deserve to have this power? She had rejected being named a god. But if she had power without constraint, what would she become? What would happen should she start feeling that she was entitled to that power, owing no one anything in return? What kind of a monster might wear her skin overtime?
No. There were none who could wield it responsibly, so none should be allowed to have it. That had been her point during the meeting, had it not? And the allies that knew her truth and placed trust in her anyway deserved better from her. Until and unless they did something explicitly to betray her first she could not betray them. Creating the Tevinter she wanted with and through those allies was harder, would take longer and was more uncertain. But it was the only honest path to walk. To do otherwise risked her work becoming corrupted and ultimately self-destructive.
She was glad she had the resolve to regain her senses in short order. But it did highlight a potential problem. She had resisted temptation this time. But she could not be totally certain what would happen once she was in front of the orb, hearing its magic calling to her, once the option would not be of the distant future but of the here and now.
Kieran had mentioned some additional safety measures. Perhaps those were necessary for herself and for the sake of the mission. She would have to talk to him soon, find out what he had in mind, if it was something he could tell her about.
But first she still had work to do. With her first letter draft ruined, she found herself a replacement quill and a new piece of paper, and began writing anew.