Chapter 24; This betrayal we have suffered, part 1
Characters of the Chapter
Aaron Informer to Tyrion Lannister
Brienne of Tarth Knight of the Twin Kingdoms
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
Iledia, Agent of the Inquisition, advisor in matters of the arcane in the court of Queen Daenerys
Jaime Lannister, Lord of Casterly Rock, Warden of the West
Jon Snow, also known as Aegon Targaryen and Jon Stark, King of the North Kingdom of the Twin Kingdoms
Podric Payne, Knight of the Twin Kingdoms, formerly squire to Brienne of Tarth
Tyrion Lannister, Hand of the Queen to Queen Daenerys
Aaron walked through the corridors of the Red Keep, having been summoned to meet with the Hand of the Queen. Unlike most such times though he was being escorted by a pair of Unsullied. This despite the fact he knew the way well by know and had told the two as much. He wondered what this was about.
At lord Tyrion's door he knocked and entered, finding the Hand of the Queen sitting behind his desk.
"You wished to see me My Lord?" Aaron said.
"Sit down Aaron." Tyrion said. There was an unusual terseness about him, not something Aaron would have expected. Even more curious, as he sat down he saw the two Unsullied follow him into the room, closing the door behind them.
"Is something the matter My Lord?" Aaron asked, raising an eyebrow.
"I'm afraid that there is." Tyrion said and placed a piece of white cloth on the table. On it Aaron saw a familiar symbol. His eyes widened slightly as he saw it.
"You were seen entering a house in Flea Bottom, showing that to the people guarding it." Tyrion said. Next he placed several papers on it. Aaron could recognize his own handwriting.
"In these, you detail information that you have come across. Information you were intent on selling to agents of Tevinter. Some of this is information I told you, in confidence." Tyrion said, his voice becoming accusing at the last sentence.
Aaron did not reply, instead in puzzlement he took out another piece of cloth, placing it next to the first one.
"Ah, I see. The one you presented is the real one, the original. This other one is a replica. And a very good one at that. They've even managed to recreate the tears on the original. The only way I am able to tell the difference between them at all is by looking at them side by side. No wonder I didn't realize the original had been taken. I should have realized something was wrong when my notes went, missing. But silly me thought I had just lost them. A foolish mistake. I guess I underestimated the people of that Inquisition mage." He said.
"So you don't deny it then? What you have done?" Tyrion asked.
"What is there to deny? The evidence you have presented is incontrovertible. You have certainly made up your mind already, else you would have not asked me to be here. Lying serves no purpose other than to make you angrier." Aaron replied, his voice remaining completely calm.
"Why, Aaron? Why did you do this? You've worked for me for years. I trusted you. I looked after you." Tyrion said, sounding genuinely hurt now.
"Aye. That is all true. And you paid well enough for the information I brought you. Good enough to keep the others in my care alive and well fed. But not enough to give them the life I believed they deserved. A real, decent life free of all these shadow games." Aaron said.
"So that's why you went to the Imperium? Because they offered you a better deal? Aaron, why couldn't you just tell me? I had no idea this was something you wanted. We could have worked something out if you had only spoken out." Tyrion said.
"If only it had been that simple. Giving the others a chance at a better life was only one part of why I did what I did. I did not seek the Tevinters out. The Venatori agents… they came to me. How they found me I do not know. But they made it clear that if I supplied them information they would compensate me handsomely. And if I refused to play along they would have hunted down and killed all those I had taken to caring for. Since they had already located me I had no reason to doubt could find the others. The same would have happened had I tried to tell you of their ultimatum. So you can see it was truly an offer I could not refuse." Aaron said.
Tyrion was quiet for a while. "…I will admit, if you are telling the truth, then indeed it looks like you had little choice. You're saying you would not have started working for them otherwise?"
"No, I do not think I would have. They paid as they had promised to, in time and in full. But I disliked working under threat. I also knew almost certainly that my survival would not continue beyond the end of my usefulness. And I admit I wasn't all that keen on betraying you. Not even for the gains it offered. I suppose that is why the threat was included in the first place. Stick and carrot."
"Unfortunately that doesn't change much. What you did is treason, no way around that. Your actions allowed the Tevinters to kill the High Septon, which damn near caused a war between the Faiths. There is no telling what kind of future havoc information you would give the Imperium might have wrought had you not been discovered. What you told me about why you did it… it earns my sympathy. But I can't overlook this based on that alone." Tyrion said.
Aaron sighed and bowed his head. "I know. And I know the penalty for treason. But since it has come to this you should know that I possess one more piece of information, something that relates to the Tevinters. You have rightly been very careful in keeping it a secret, but even so I am aware that you are seeking the Tevinter base of operations here in the Twin Kingdoms. The Venatori also tried to keep as much of their operations hidden from me, but they weren't entirely successful. I know where their base is. I'm happy to trade that information in exchange for a favor."
Tyrion looked surprised. Then his expression became slightly irritated. "This is a bad time to be asking for favors Aaron. Perhaps the worst possible time considering the circumstances. If you've information to share you should just do it, as penance. And if it's a pardon you're after I'm afraid it's just not my place to give you one. Something like this will be decided by the Queen when she has time to settle this."
"You misunderstand. I do not seek a pardon for myself. That will do me no good. Even if you decide not to have me killed, the Tevinters will. By getting caught I've become a liability to them. They don't tolerate those for long. So I'm dead either way. Knowing that, my attention turns to the other of Varys's little birds, the ones that worked with me. They never knew who I sold the information they gave me. They are blameless in my actions and should not be made to suffer for them."
"I've looked after them for years. They've become my family. And… I shan't be caring for them for very much longer. So what I would ask is that you take my place. Protect them from retaliation by the Tevinters and look after their needs. If you must keep them as your informants then so be it. At least they will be alive and safe. I would be gladdened if in the fullness of time you did for them what I could not and gave them a chance at a real life in their adulthood. You have the wealth and resources of an entire Kingdom at your command, so I have no doubt you can manage all of this should you choose to." Aaron said.
"Before I answer that… how is it that you're so calm about this? When I decided to confront you I expected you to be alarmed of being discovered, try to deny the evidence. Maybe event try to flee, not that it would have gotten you very far. Yet none of that happened. You aren't afraid of what will happen to you in the slightest? Truly?"
"Of course I'm afraid My Lord. I've no desire to die. But I learned to hide my fear a long time ago. Had to, since I had to grow up sooner than most. And… I suppose a part of me knew that if I was caught then that would be it. No more running away, no more lies. Just an end. Now that it has finally happened… there is an odd sense of peace for me. I suppose I'm just… resigned to my fate. I'm done. What matters now are the people close to me."
"So, how about it? The information I possess in exchange for this service?" Aaron asked.
Tyrion considered. Aaron's request was not unreasonable, though Tyrion still believed he ought to just give the information he had. But since he had asked nothing for himself, it seemed only right and fair to give him this. Perhaps it was what he should have done from the beginning. If he had taken more steps to protect them and provide for their future, maybe this would have not happened. He had thought he had done right by them, compensating Aaron and others like him fairly for the knowledge they had given. But now he understood he had not considered their long term needs.
"You have my promise. I will see to it that the others will be protected and do what I can to give them a chance at a decent life. Though only when what you are about to tell me has been shown to be true and not some ruse. Now then, tell me what you know. Where is the Tevinter base?" The Hand of the Queen said finally.
And so Aaron told him. At first Tyrion did not want to believe him. Such a betrayal, right under their nose. But it explained things that otherwise had made little sense. And Iledia's inquiries had pointed to the Tevinter base being south of the Neck, had they not? So there was corroboration.
Once he was convinced Aaron had told him all he knew he had the guards take him away, telling them to put him in one of the better sells in the red keep, ones normally reserved for highborn captives that were to be kept in comfort. Daenerys would judge him in good time. Beyond that Tyrion was not in the mood to add to Aaron's punishment. His betrayal hurt of course, but Tyrion could understand his reasons. Who knows what he himself might do if he was presented with an ultimatum like that. Grand Cleric Beatrice would at least be pleased that the actual culprits behind the High Septon's murder had been uncovered in the process. Perhaps it would lessen tensions between the faiths, give them a real enemy to focus their anger on. At least that would be one headache removed.
Given what he had just learned there was no time to stop to ponder over such matters. The first thing he did was seek out Manfrey Martell, to pass what he had learned on to him. The Dornish Prince's reaction was to hurry off to send messages to all of his soldiers not with the Queen, to alerting them to the threat. Tyrion too had his own Ravens to send. One to the Queen and one to his brother.
Jaime's army had moved back to the Westerlands, to watch for possible Qunari incursions into the South Kingdom while the bulk of the Queen's forces were off fighting in the North. His army was camped right at the shore, listening to the waves crashing against the rocks below. It had proven to be an uneventful assignment all things considered. No Qunari attempts to land troops had been made. Some vessels of the Oxmen had been reported by patrolling Lannister ships. But the so far the Oxmen were avoiding engaging and Jaime did not believe he had the fleet assets to take the fight to them. Instead he had simply passed on the reports of his ship captains onwards so the Kingdoms would be up to date on the enemy movements and had continued to wait. Now as he read a new message from the front it was starting to look as if waiting around would end up being all that was needed of him in this war with the Qunari.
"Ah, good timing." He said as he noticed Brienne entering the tent. "I have some good news here. It looks like King and Queen have managed to win a big battle against the Qunari. And with winter right at our doorstep it looks to be the last battle we need to win for a while."
"They won! I knew they could do it!" Brienne said, smiling.
"No you did not. None of us did given how this started." He quipped. "Anyway, the Queen orders us to send a few work crews to the Riverlands and the Reach to help prepare wintering camps for her troops, and coordinate with Tyrion to ensure they are supplied. But beyond that there is nothing. I suppose that means our forces are dismissed until spring."
"So, back to Casterly Rock with us then?" She asked.
"Indeed. I do believe we have deserved as much, even though we spent most of this fighting with the Qunari sitting on our hands. We did our part when the Orlesians invaded after all. And us holding back in this war is precisely what the Queen ordered us to do. Either way we will be going home now. Just as well. I think I have had my fill of camp life. And I'm looking forward to spending some time alone with you." He said.
At Jaime's last sentence Brienne smiled again. "As do I."
Jaime stood up. "I feel like stretching my legs a bit. Should we go for a walk?"
Brienne nodded and they exited the tent. The western lands would never know a winter as harsh as the North would, but even so a thin layer of whiteness greeted them as they stepped outside, the air crispy cool. Snows had fallen, then melted into slush, then more snow had fallen to replace that which had melted. These snows had remained for four days, as had the cold that had accompanied them. Jaime suspected these were already the ones that would remain until spring. So far from the action the mood of his soldiers appeared rather relaxed, though still reasonably disciplined. He noted many looked to have been gathering their things, likely in anticipation of the order to leave this place. No doubt many of them were hoping to be released from service and allowed to return to their families until the campaign season began again. Like was the case with other armies in the field, he would be unable to allow all of his troops to do so, but he would do what he could. After all, he was able to go home. He should permit that to his soldiers when and where possible. He would try to ensure those that remained would be the ones who lived at Casterly Rock or the nearby areas, so their families would be close by for them to visit during their off duty hours.
"Say… in her letter… did the Queen mention Essos at all?" Brienne asked as they were walking.
"No… why?" He said, raising an eyebrow.
"There is this rumor circling around the camp. About the Tevi's unveiling some kind of new weapon. Some new magic they used to destroy the Dothraki. I was hoping that if those rumors were true the Queen would tell you as much." She said.
"She did not say anything about such a weapon. Or mention any developments in Essos for that matter." He said, then shook his head. "You know how rumors can be. Someone starts one, and with each new telling it gets bigger and more absurd. There might be no substance to such tall tales at all."
"I know. This one sounds pretty consistent though. Made me think this one time there might be more to it." She said.
"Hmm…" Jaime hummed in contemplation. It was not impossible that Brienne was right. It could be Her Grace just didn't want to discuss this with anyone not directly involved with her plans. "I'll ask the Queen of this then. If there really is such a weapon she will know."
"Then we will find out more when she replies to you." Brienne said.
"I should probably go find Podrick. Your Maester did good work, but there is still a lot of training to do to make his arm as strong as it used to be." She said then.
"Looks like you won't have to search him out." He said, pointing. And indeed Podrick was walking to them at that exact moment.
"My Lord. Ser Brienne." He greeted.
"Podrick. The moment we mention you and here you are. I didn't realize you were a creature one could summon by just uttering your name." Brienne chuckled.
"Uh… I don't think I am. I was just looking for you as well. A runner asked me to deliver you this message. He did not find you, since you were not at your tent." Podrick said, lifting the letter in his hands.
"Yes, we decided to step out for a moment. What's this message?" Jaime said.
"I have not read it My Lord. But it looks to be from Lord Tyrion." Podrick said.
"My brother? Curious. He hasn't had a lot of time to send messages since all this started. I wonder what this is about." Jaime said.
"I guess you should read that letter at once then, so you will know." Brienne said. "Meanwhile us two should head towards the training grounds." She told Podrick.
"Do you want to come with us, Jaime?" She asked.
"Sure, to watch. Might even join in for a match or two if I'm so inclined. Not that I'll last long against either of you, but no doubt you'll get some amusement from my flailing." Jaime said. "Just let me read this letter…first… hold on, this isn't… oh damn… Stranger take it all."
"What is it? What's in the letter?" Brienne asked, having noticed how concerned Jaime had suddenly become.
"There has been a change of plans. It looks like us and our army won't be able to return to our homes after all." He replied.
"No? Then where are we to go?" She asked.
"Dorne." He said. "And we are to set off without delay. I'm afraid your training will have to wait for another day. We need to get our troops organized and into marching order."
"You mean… within the day? We are in that much of a rush My Lord?" Podrick asked.
"We are." Jaime confirmed.
"But… why Dorne? What has happened?" Brienne asked.
"Tyrion uncovered some new information. There is reason to believe that the Twin Kingdoms have been betrayed. Big time." Jaime replied.
"Darkspawn? These are the creatures that have troubled the nations of Thedas for a long time?" Daenerys asked.
"*Troubled* is a very mild way to put it." Iledia replied. "In some lands the darkspawn are rare it is true, encountered only on occasion. But there is no nation of Thedas that does not bear scars of their incursions. Five Blights there have been, each having the potential to destroy this world. Only through the intervention of the Grey Wardens was this prevented. And even then countless lives were lost to each of those conflicts."
"And like the seasons that could last for years once did for you, the darkspawn and the Blights they bring have shaped us in profound ways. Our history, our culture, the way we are… all of it would be different without their influence. Indirectly this might be true of you as well." She added.
"Us? How do you figure?" Jon asked.
"If there had been no darkspawn, then Tevinter's military would not have been devastated by the First Blight. Neither would have the Dwarven Empire. With the Imperium's armies at full force and their economy bolstered by trade with their underground allies, Andraste's great invasion might have been crushed in short order. Had that happened, the Chantry, the nations you know… none of those might have had a chance to form. Tevinter might have been able to remain in power. So when you defeated the White Walkers and opened the way to Thedas you might have been found not by a group of nations, but by a single one of monstrous size and power. One likely to be just as aggressive towards you as the Tevinter you face now. That is the extent to which the darkspawn are able to alter all of our destinies." She explained.
"And I doubt most of their alterations would be as beneficial to us as your example." Daenerys commented dryly. "But the darkspawn remain north of the Wall?"
"So Lord Brandon told me. Though it is impossible to say if this will continue to be the case." Iledia said.
"Even if they stay there it means they will be in a position to attack the Free Folk." Jon said. "I need to prepare an expedition to assist them." Jon said.
"Jon, no, you cannot. You mustn't. Your army is too torn up to take on a third war so soon. Especially now that winter is here. So long as these creatures remain on the other side of the wall we must keep our focus on the Qunari." Daenerys said.
"You can't just expect me to abandon the Free Folk! I have fought for them in the past and I have friends like Tormund among them!" Jon countered.
Iledia pondered for a moment, then spoke up: While I do agree that the darkspawn need to be fought, going to them could well prove a mistake. We do not yet know how great a threat the local darkspawn will be. If the threat is small you'd be wasting time and resources in a fight that doesn't really need you at the end of the day. If there are bigger things afoot, then you'd be serving your troops to the darkspawn piecemeal. That is something you definitely want to avoid. Furthermore your soldiers could end up contracting the darkspawn corruption and bringing it back with them. Since these lands have not been touched by the Taint we should try to avoid having that happen if at all possible. I'm told the Grey Wardens are already aware of the darkspawn and are on their way to respond to the threat. With the Orlesian garrisons and the Wild… uh… the Free Folk there to assist them they have enough numbers to start this fight without our direct intervention. In the meantime there are other things we can do as a precaution should things escalate."
"Such as?" Jon asked.
"You can have some of your troops sent to winter at the castles along the Wall, strengthen those garrisons. The Inquisition would be happy see to it that their needs are seen to during their stay, so this will have the added benefit of reducing the strain to your own food supply. More importantly the Wall is an imposing defense. Should the darkspawn seek to move further South it will be the best possible location draw the line against them. And should the fighting get too tough for your friends, they can simply retreat behind the Wall, just as they did when the White Walkers threatened them. Just ensure the Night's Watch knows to allow them in this time around." She explained.
"So in other words as your plan you would have us hide behind the Wall and hope this goes away on its own? No. I won't accept that. I cannot." Jon said.
"Jon, please, be sensible." Daenerys said, then, took his hands in hers. "I know what your instincts are in this. I felt the same way when we heard the news about the Dothraki. Iledia wisely argued against rash action then, and she was right. She is right this time as well. We will do what we can for the Free Folk, but we cannot rush into this. We need to avoid another fight if we can help it. If it is necessary the Twin Kingdoms will welcome the Free Folk with open arms. That I promise you. And if those creatures have the strength to follow? Then we will fight them. All of us, together."
"And if the Free Folk never reach here, because we stood by and didn't aid them? If I fail them because I followed your advice and held back?" Jon demanded.
Daenerys sighed. "This is the best we can do. If the Free Folk need to flee the we can try to assist them with ships and other aid. But that is it. The numbers you could send will not change the outcome. It would only weaken us against the darkspawn and other enemies that we still need to face. You know I'm right. If we are to keep fighting then we need to do it from a place of strength. That is not beyond the wall."
Jon went quiet for a long time. Finally he took a step back. "There is a cost to both sides. I hope we can live with this choice. There will be lives lost on our conscience because of this." He said, then turned and walked away.
"Well… at least he accepted our line of reasoning. Though he is not happy." Iledia commented.
"He'll come around. Eventually." Daenerys said.
Iledia chuckled dryly. "You know, people have a habit of saying that to me every time I upset someone. And I never know if that is something that will actually happen."
"Is that something that happens often then? You upsetting people?" Daenerys asked, a slight smile on her lips.
"More than I'd like." Iledia said, grimacing. "Making grim but necessary choices is kind of a staple in my line of work."
"Then your job has some similarities with the job of Kings and Queens. At least this grim decision was made jointly. Speaking of which… thanks. For supporting me." Daenerys said.
"Of course. I was only too happy to do so. I think this is for the moment the correct approach. When it comes to the darkspawn we must consider our actions carefully. They are uniquely dangerous creatures. If we make a mistake in opposing them there is every chance we won't live long enough to make a second one." Iledia said.
Daenerys cocked her head slightly to the side. "Pardon me for saying it, but you almost sound like you're afraid of them."
Iledia gave another dry chuckle. "Everyone in Thedas that knows of them fears them, even if they have never seen one with their own eyes. Only the ones who don't know of their existence have no fear of them, and those ignorant enough to think them gone from the world, a threat of the past. And I suppose the Grey Wardens also have no fear of them. They are merely dedicated to annihilating their menace from existence. And any threat that at any point requires its own dedicated military order to deal with it is worth taking seriously."
"True enough. I wish there had been someone to tell that to Westeros years ago. Many lives might have been saved had that been done." Daenerys said.
"Out of curiosity, have you ever seen a darkspawn?" She asked then.
"…Yes." Iledia admitted after a pause. "Though the reality of their nature I learned only much much later."
"I look forward to having you tell me more of them. No doubt there is much you could teach me on that subject as well." Daenerys said. Then she smiled. "And perhaps afterwards there will be time for topics not related to business. Hopefully so. The more we converse the more I realize it is an excellent way to pass the time."
Iledia smiled as well and gave a slight bow of her head. "Agreed. I too have enjoyed our talks, Your Grace."
"Then we shall meet again later. For now I'm afraid I have more business to attend to. There are some letters I was distracted from by this talk about the darkspawn." Daenerys said, nodding toward her desk. "I should read them before I forget about them, in case there is something important. I'm sure you have your own tasks to attend to."
"Absolutely. A spymaster's job is never done you see." Iledia said, then turned and left.
Daenerys meanwhile went to her desk and took the first letter to her hand, noting that it had been sent by Tyrion. She began to read, then her face froze in shock.
"No… dammit! And they have troops right in our midst too! Dammit! I knew something was wrong with them! I knew it!" She said to herself.
With brisk steps she went outside the tent, finding the two soldiers standing guard just outside.
"Find Jon and Iledia, bring them back here. Tell them it's urgent." She told the first.
"You seek out Grey Worm, tell him to rouse our troops. Speak with no one else until you find him. Tell him I want all troops belonging to House Watchman apprehended immediately. If they offer any resistance he is to destroy them." She said to the second.
"I-it will be done Your Grace. But may I ask what this is about?" The first guard asked.
"…My Hand believes we are betrayed." Daenerys replied.