Chapter 7; Imperial Schemes
Characters of the Chapter
Cato Argos, Magister of the Tevinter Imperium, by the authority of the Archon and the Imperial senate supreme overseer of all affairs and militaries of the Imperium in the continent of Essos
Julius Argentus, Magister of the Tevinter Imperium, commander of the 1st expeditionary legion of Tevinter
Tiraen Tasvius, Magister of the Tevinter Imperium, ambassador to Meereen, commander of the 5th expeditionary legion of Tevinter, formerly apprentice to magister Cato Argos
Selia, slave to Tiraen Tasvius
Descending a flight of stairs that led into the main hall of her mansion, Tiraen laid eyes on the man who had been her mentor during her years as an apprentice. She could not help but feel a pang of sorrow at the sight. Cato Argos had not been a young man even when he had been training her, and age had not treated him kindly. The last ten years in particular had aged him terribly. His hair was mostly gone save for a few snow white tufts. Flesh had melted away from his bones, pulling the skin tight over his skull and leaving the rest of his frame thin and wiry. These days he had to use his magic to move around effectively at all, particularly when he had to personally engage in combat. Despite this his mind had lost none of his sharpness, and any fool who thought him easy prey and tried to fight him would make the last mistake of their lives. Although Tiraen possessed more raw power than him any day, his experience and cunning was such that he could still often defeat her in a practice duel.
Currently he was reclining in a chair, sipping at a glass of wine that Selia had provided him. Selia was standing just near him, holding in her hands a tray that held a jug and glasses of more wine. "Mentor." Tiraen greeted him, walking to him and hugging his one-time mentor. He smiled and returned her hug.
"It's so good to see you again my lord." She said as they separated and she sat down to a chair opposite to him.
"You as well, old friend." Cato said. "How go your research projects? I heard a strange story that you unveiled some new kind of soldier in the fighting pits today?"
"Yes, Pet. Built from that Dothraki Warlord we captured. Today was his first outing. He performed quite well." Tiraen replied.
"Based on Qyburn's recovered notes I presume?" He asked.
"In part." Tiraen admitted. "But I improved on his research, and added plenty of my own things as well, magical enhancements mostly, enough to call the work my own. Qyburn did incredible work I'll admit. He actually managed to summon and bind a demon in a host without even a thimble of magic and only haphazard understanding what a demon even is. It's a damn miracle if you ask me."
"You almost sound as if you admire him." Cato commented.
"Well… perhaps I do, in my way." She admitted after a moment of hesitation. "Is it so wrong to admire someone of genuine brilliance? The things I would give for just an hour to talk with him."
"A sad thing then that he is no longer in this world." Said he. "And your efforts with the local King? Everything under control?" he asked then.
Tiraen scoffed. "With him? Nothing simpler. I don't even need my blood magic with him. He is a vain and gluttonous man. All I need do to keep him under control is to satisfy his appetites, of which he admittedly has many. Most prominently his fascination with elf women. He enjoys them greatly. Often more than one at a time, but rarely the same two ones on consecutive days, or so my informers tell me. I do my best to keep him well supplied, and to ensure that he knows that I'm the one doing so. An expensive endeavor hereabouts, but well worth it."
"I see. A most devious strategy. I commend you." He said, chuckling. "Selia is not one of the ones you gift him though, is she?"
"What? No. The king did ask about that once, but I turned him down. She is not on offer, no one who has been in my service for so long is. Besides I'm not in the habit of giving away things that are mine anyway." She said.
"I didn't think you would." He said.
"There is one issue of note with the king." Tiraen changed the subject. "He continues to hound me about the planned invasion. I have the impression he is getting just a tiny bit impatient. Truth to be told, I wish I could give him a better answer than I have been giving. I want this fight to happen as much as anyone."
"It's an admirable thing to see such enthusiasm." Cato said. "As soon as our preparations are complete you will get what you wish for. But until then we must be patient."
"Aye, this is true. That is exactly what I continue to tell the king." Tiraen agreed. "And in the meantime there are plentiful enemies here for us to deal with, starting with the Dothraki. Those who oppose us in Essos must be destroyed before any invasion can take place, otherwise we might get caught in a war on two fronts."
"Indeed. And so it can be said that our war has already begun. The horselords belong to the Queen after all, and fight in her name." He said.
Tiraen seemed surprised. "That is an interesting way to look at it. I had not thought of that."
"Now that we are discussing preparation and such, what news are there of the wider world? How for instance goes our plan to assassinate the Dragon Queen?" She asked.
"Unfortunately, there seems to have been a complication on that front. Inquisition operatives attacked our agents before we were ready to act. If any of our agents still live we have not heard of them since." He said.
"Damn." She cursed. "Is their naught we can do without the men of the Eye interfering with our work? Is there nowhere we can go without the Inquisition hounding our every step?" She seethed.
"Even they don't see all, and we have paid them back in kind. They thought to worm their way into Braavos. Our assets in the city dealt with the problem quite handily." He replied.
"Good." She said, her voice full of venom. "I look forward to the day we can do the same to their entire pathetic order."
"Calm the flames of your fury my friend. Elsewise you might find that there is naught for you to rule but ash." Her former mentor said, although he sounded more proud and amused than alarmed by her words. He knew full well her tendency to take the Imperium's rivalries personally, of making the Imperium's enemies her own.
"Of, course mentor, my apologies. It is just that of all our myriad enemies, the Inquisition is the most persistent. Far less can set fire to my blood, as you well know." She said.
"Indeed, and the Imperium has benefitted greatly from such passion." He said. "There are other news from Westeros, and this one quite alarming. It seems the Orlesians have begun an invasion of the Twin Kingdoms.
Tiraen was shocked. "The Orlesians beat us to the punch? Damn them all! But... if this is the case, can we afford to wait? Do we not risk the Empire taking our future conquest from us?"
"The thought has passed my mind as well. Naturally we will not allow anything such to happen. If it starts to look like the Empire will win this war then certainly we will move in and secure some choice pieces for ourselves. Until then we do greater favors to ourselves by waiting and letting our enemies slaughter each other. Patience, just like I said." he replied.
"Yes, patience. But now it's doubly hard." Tiraen said, thoughtful. "Are there more news?" She asked next.
"Plenty." Cato confirmed. "Our battles with the Qunari continue in the Narrow Sea and the Stepstones, gaining ground somewhere, losing it elsewhere. Further eastward, it appears that the Dothraki might be massing for another attack against us."
"I would have thought that they had had enough after the Battle of the Shattered mind." She said, somewhat surprised. "How many?"
"Many. According to reports, at least five Khals intend to unite their strength to bring the fight to us. Our spies estimate that the total force would be just under sixty thousand, give or take a few thousand, the bulk of their remaining fighters. It is not an immediate problem, but I believe it is an inevitable one. The horse-savages have not yet begun gathering, and it will take them considerable time to assemble their full strength, but once they have they will move against us with overwhelming force." he said.
"So many…. If only the Dragon Queen had brought more of the Dothraki to Westeros during her war. Perhaps more would have died and less would remain to oppose us. But I suppose even with all the ships she had acquired she could not transport so many. Nor would all of them follow her across the sea." She contemplated. "And how many legions we would have available to send against them?" She asked then.
"Two, the first and your fifth, and support units from here in Meereen." He answered.
"…That won't be enough, not nearly enough." She said after a moment of consideration.
"Aye, it won't, but we have plans." Cato said. "We will face them on ground of our choosing, where their numbers will mean less and their horses will be at a disadvantage. As for other things, that is one of the reasons I have come here, to give you a special assignment."
"I guess that means I won't be with my legion when they make their preparations. No matter, I have commanders that can oversee that work in my stead." She mused. "Where am I needed?" She asked.
"At first in Qarth. Apply your charms, bring that city to the fold."
"Why Qarth?" She asked.
"There is much for the Imperium to gain there." Cato said. "It is one of the wealthiest, if not the wealthiest city on the continent. The wealth and supplies they can bring to the cause would benefit our future efforts greatly. Furthermore, if they can be persuaded to cease their trade with Westeros, that will strangle our enemy's resources that much more. And Qarth sits on an important sea route connecting east to west. Having control of the city will open the path to Yi Ti and beyond, good preparation for the day when our interest turns to that direction."
"I see. Valuable gains all, but how to pursue this?" She asked.
"The Qartheen are merchants by nature. And while it is known that they have some history with the Dragon Queen and thus cause to be angry with her, their kind as a rule does not hold grudges for very long. Bad for business. And no matter what we can offer them, they can gain more by trading with both sides, so I foresee that it will be extremely hard to convince them to trade exclusively with us. As for the rest of it… they may be reluctant towards us. For a trade city they practice isolationism remarkably well, keeping foreigners at an arm's length in all matters outside of business. Most visitors see nothing of the city outside the docks. And doubtless they have realized how we have come to command other cities that have sided with us, being neither blind nor stupid. A people proud enough to call their city *the greatest city that ever was or will be* are likely loathe to surrender control to someone else." She then explained.
"Exactly so." Cato agreed. "Which is why you should speak with the warlocks instead. They have a degree of sway in the affairs of the city, and unlike the tradesmen they do hold grudges and for very long times at that. The visit of the Dragon Queen resulted in considerable disruption of their plans and the death of at least one of their number, so they have cause to hate her. More importantly they too are mages, which might make them amenable to meet with us, particularly if we can arrange a mutually beneficial exchange of magical learning. This will have the added benefit of gaining spells from their own magical tradition to our arsenal. So this is what I want you to do, and in the process you will coax the warlocks to apply pressure to convince the rest of Qarth to fall in line."
"The Warlocks… a useful angle to consider. I shall see what I can do with them. Since you said that Qarth is only the first place where I must go, what is the next one?" She said.
"The Valyria expedition." Cato replied.
"Oh?" She said, mildly surprised. "With the Dothraki coming, can we be sure there is time for both of these objectives?" She asked.
"I'm are confident that there will be, if you travel by ship. Your commanders can handle leading your legion in the meantime. Besides, this was insisted on by higher levels of command. They hope that you will find something there that will allow us to tilt the balance in our war with the Dothraki." He said.
"That seems like a long shot. We do not know exactly what kind of magic the Valyrians were in command of. All we do know is that magical traditions hereabouts tend to be weak, stunted things, rarely being worth more than a glance, cases like that of the Warlocks being a rare exception. There might be nothing there worth our time, or if there is I might not find it. The peninsula is large after all, and I do not know what I seek." She said.
"That is always a danger, and if this turns out to be the case we will make our preparations in conventional manner and take our chances. Even so I remain optimistic. People with weak magics could not create a cataclysmic event like the Doom. No, that takes power. The tools and learning of such potent magic wielders could be a great boon to our efforts." He said.
"They would be, I'll admit that. Perhaps I can even find the means by which they caused the Doom. If we could learn to weaponize the destruction that unmade them, learn to unleash it in a controlled manner wherever we wished…." She let the suggestion hang in the air.
"That would indeed be a magnificent contribution on your behalf. But we shall also be content with less if that if that is what you manage to bring. Anything you find should be of some value, so you cannot really fail, so long as you bring something back." He said.
"I shall make sure to do that then." She commented.
"Now that this expedition is on the horizon I am compelled to ask: How goes your work with the Veil Amulets?" He asked.
"I am satisfied with the progress I've made. I now have six amulets at the ready, and six more I believe can be completed before the time comes." She replied.
"Have you tested them?" He asked.
"Yes. I gave one to my acolytes and summoned a spirit from the fade." She said.
"And?"
"And it could not sense him. At all. The spirit was actually confused as to what I was talking about when I asked whether it could sense him. And when my acolyte moved something in the room the spirit almost panicked at how an inanimate object could move on its own without a will it could sense directing it. The only two drawbacks? One, these are very hard to make, with magic needed in the making, while at the same they are a complete antithesis of magic in general. Two, a related issue, when worn these amulets limit a mages spellcasting ability to a rather devastating degree. Even I cannot cast the simplest spell when wearing one, although I continue to be able to sense magic." She said.
"I see. Very good. Nevertheless if you don't mind I would like to repeat your experiment myself. I do not doubt your ability but I'm sure you'll agree that when dealing with unusual magic like this we should be extra careful." Cato said.
"Of course." Tiraen said with a nod. "But you will need to summon your own spirit for that. I destroyed the one I summoned as you know I always do when I stop needing a spirit's services." She added.
"Understood. Since mages cannot cast spells while wearing the amulets I believe you will need to find non-mages you can trust to take with you on the mission. I trust you have such?" he asked.
"On that field I daresay I am well supplied. Most officers in my legion are now members of our order, and through them many of the rank and file have been brought to the cause, and more every day. The rest follow my person, if not my cause at this time." She said.
"That is very good to hear. One more legion under our direct control." He said.
"That does remind me, how goes our work in the Magisterium?" She asked.
"Two more magisters and their families have been brought over to our side. Our increased control has led to new legislation being passed, which has given us better breathing room to conduct our activities. Additionally we have made progress in posting our people to command posts among homeland legions. Combined with our control of the legions here we have a large portion of the imperial military under our sway. Those not inducted to our cause know naught of these appointments naturally, and neither does the Archon. The Lucerni are the only ones that actively oppose us on the political field, and they are too much of a fringe movement to oppose us effectively, and even they are not aware who we are truly. The other, larger factions are not at this time committed for or against us, so they can be swayed when necessary." He said.
"How aware is the Archon of these developments?" Tiraen asked next.
"Well, he knows that there is a new clique within the senate, but not who we are or how many seats we truly hold, since each time we have had a motion on the senate floor we have instructed some of the loyal Magisters to vote against us. As long as we continue to procure results here in Essos I doubt he will look too closely."
"Sounds like our homeland is all but in the pocket of the deserving. If the Archon only knew how deep our control runs…" She mused.
"You had best hope he doesn't find out. That kind of discovery would be precisely the component that would lead him to denounce us and direct the rest of the Imperium to attack us." He warned.
"Perhaps the time has come for a new Archon, then? Someone more… devoted… to our cause?" She offered.
"Soon. When we can ensure that our takeover will be quick, efficient and total. Otherwise we risk a civil war that will undo all that we have accomplished." He said.
"A wise precaution to be certain. Still, the sooner this thing is accomplished, the better I will feel about it. When we have our hands on the controls we can ensure the Imperium continues to be steered on the path to greatness." She said.
"Well, if you wish more progress on that front then you will consider my next proposal. I think you should visit home after we are finished with the Dothraki. Your voice in the Magisterium would certainly speed things along, and it would do you some good personally. It would give you a chance to make some connections, establish yourself as a political figure." He said.
"My place is here." She said at once. "If the Imperium is to be restored, it will happen here, on the frontier, not on the marble floors of the Magisterium. And I have no patience listening to allegedly patriotic speeches given by old fools."
Her eyes widened in shock when she remembered who it was she was talking to. "I-I did not mean… I would never include you in… I'm so sorry…" She tried to stammer an apology.
In response Cato laughed heartily. "I am certainly old, but I'd like to think I am not a fool. But I understood your intent, and I don't disagree. Great many in the Magisterium are indeed fools, and we can count ourselves lucky enough remain to make our efforts work."
"Nevertheless I believe you should endeavor to tolerate them, at least for a time. As you inadvertently pointed out, I am an old man. It means that a day will come that you can no longer make use of my political connections. Your magics are strong, your bloodline is venerable and your accomplishments here in Essos are undeniable, but in the Magisterium you are practically a ghost. If that continues to be the case you may find that the other three points you have in your favor mean very little on their own. If they could do so I'm certain your parents would advise you to address this, for the good of your house. I would tell you to do the same. It is something you have to attend to if you intend to be my successor one day. Otherwise you will have serious difficulties when you take my place. That time is coming, perhaps sooner than you care to admit." He continued more seriously.
"Mentor, you should not say such things. You have many years in you yet, I'm sure." She said.
"You know better than that. More importantly, I know better than that. I should. I am the foremost authority on the subject after all. I feel my age more every day, and I know where that path ends. I have accepted it. When you reach that point your primary concern becomes ensuring that those that come after you are well off, so they can continue what you started. It's why I persist in this." He replied.
"And of course there is the matter of finding an apprentice. That is something that only Tevinter can provide for you." He said when Tiraen did not respond.
"I have no need of an apprentice. I have acolytes aplenty." She said dismissively.
"Acolytes are not the same thing. People of that nature are servants, fit to work for you and carry out your will. An apprentice is someone that you raise up as your equal in terms of respect and given enough time an equal in other fields as well. Your apprentice inevitably comes to have knowledge of all your work and inherit all your arcane knowledge, as has been with you as my apprentice. This is something that an acolyte will never have. As the head of your house and its sole living member you make your own choices of cource, but this is my recommendation to you, and I cannot stress the importance enough." He said.
Tiraen considered. "You make good points, and I'm not saying I will never do as you have advised. All I'm saying that I have no acute need for one at this time, and there is too much going on right now for me to spend energy thinking about this as well. When there is a sufficiently calm point in our work I will see what can or cannot be done about this. There is time yet, surely?"" She said finally.
"Fair enough, but do not take too long. Far too many tarry with such things, thinking that they will have time for it later, only to wake up one day and realize that there is no more time and their opportunity has slipped them by. I would hate to see that happen to you." Cato said.
Tiraen smiled and shook her head. "Mentor, you are relentless. Next you will be telling me to get married and produce a flock of children." She said in jest. "All for the good of house Tasvius of course." She said with an exaggerated tone.
Cato flashed a grin, showing off what teeth remained to him. "That at least seems to be something I do not need to tell you to do. It seems to me you made your choice long ago. A fine match too, a young, handsome man from a respectable family with considerable influence. All the two of you need to do is to admit your feelings for each other and two great Imperial families will be joined in happy marriage, a rare enough thing amongst the Tevinter nobility, the promised land of arranged marriages. Honestly, I am somewhat surprised you have been dancing around the subject as long as you have."
Tiraen smiled, blushing.
"Perhaps today will be the day? There will at least be an opportunity. After all, he is here now." He said.
Tiraen's eyes widened with surprise. "Julius is here?" She asked, a huge sunny smile lighting up on her face.
"Yes, he came with me to coordinate the actions of our legions." He said, nodding. "Doubtless he will wish to talk with you about that work… eventually. He is very eager to see you again. In fact, although he might not be aware of it, he has talked of little else."
"But why didn't you say anything?" She accused, although her tone remained happy.
"I did. Just now. But honestly I wanted to savor the surprise for you. …And I wanted to go over a few key matters before you became completely distracted." He said.
"Oh. Well… perhaps that was wise all things considered." She said absentmindedly. "Where…?" She asked.
"In your office." He said.
"Very well. If you will excuse me?" She said, standing up.
Cato dismissed her with a nod and she left quickly, hurrying to her office. Opening the door she found Julius there, dressed in a blue tunic, boots of brown leather and a yellow sash around his waist. His hair was short and as black as hers, his eyes were grey and his shaved face was handsome in a chiseled sort of way. He was examining some papers on her desk, but when he heard the door open he looked up and smiled when he recognized her. She ran to him, they embraced each other and he gave her a quick spin around himself on his arms. Their foreheads touched and they almost kissed, their lips hovering only inches away from each other. But their lips never met, and after a time they separated.
"Damn it, why do I always behave like this with him, freezing up at the critical moment?" She scolded herself in her mind. "I love him, and I can see that he loves me also. Yet every time we meet we're overcome with shyness so severe we can't speak our minds. And it makes no sense whatsoever. There is no need for it. We're both adults, and he wouldn't even be the first man I've ever bedded. Damn you Julius for making my head spin this badly, all for you. Damn you for making me behave like a sixteen year old virgin."
Aloud, clearing her throat, she said: "Julius. It's good to see you again. It's been awhile since the last time has it not?"
"Yeah, I think the last time was the Battle of the Shattered Mind, and that was no place to have a conversation. So about a year since we really met and talked. Far too long I would say." He replied.
"Agreed. So how have you been?" She asked.
"Good. Busy. Our cause ensures that. Fighting the Qunari for the most part. Managed to take one of their forts just before I had to leave to come here. Even so its brutal work. We lose as often as we win. I don't see the balance shifting one way or another." He said.
"Just like the situation is back home. Mmm, it's going to take a lot to break the stalemate with the Oxmen here in Essos, more than one or even two legions can manage."
"That's the truth of it. But even so we do have an advantage I would think. We have support from the mainland, and can operate from there. Meanwhile the Oxmen have no holdings here aside from the forts they have built in the stepstones, and the attitudes of their philosophy are not exactly beneficial in gaining friends." Julius commented. "But enough about those horned savages. What of you? What have you been doing lately?" He asked then.
"Diplomacy mostly, managing affairs with the local king. And work on my projects of course. Meanwhile I'm having my legion hunt for the Second Sons. And that bloody lyrium-marked slave…" She said.
"Last I heard they had started working together?" Julius commented.
"Yes, and because of that they are a greater thorn in our side than either have been on their own. He knows our methods surprisingly well and that has given the Second Sons an unexpected advantage. It is remarkably annoying." She grumbled.
"There is another rumor I heard, one that suggest you intend to on an expedition to the ruins of Valyria soon." he said.
"In this case the rumor is a true one, although I am curious as to whom told you this rumor of an event that should not be common knowledge. Cato told me I'm to depart on the mission after a visit to Qarth to secure their cooperation." She said.
"I'd like to come with you." he said.
"And I'd like to bring you, at least to Qarth, but I fear Cato won't let you come. He will need you here directing the legions." She said, taking his hands to hers. "And as for Valyria… I have learned it's very likely that mages will be at a disadvantage on this mission, either unable to cast or at risk of possession. And so I should be the only mage participating. The other spots on the mission should be reserved for non-mages. It is the wisest course. You know I'm right."
Tiraen saw that he wanted to argue, but could not find a proper counterpoint. "If you are certain." He said finally, sighing. "I just don't like this entire idea of going to Valyria. No one has returned from that place, you do understand that?" he said then, sounding concerned.
"None of them were us. None of them had our methods." She countered.
"Yeah. Maybe that will be enough." He said, though he still sounded dubious.
"Let us not think of that now." She said, breaking the uneasy silence that had descended between them. "There is much else for us to talk about, catching up to do. At some point we'll need to discuss the future actions of our legions I suppose. But that can wait until we want to have that conversation. Before that I want to show the progress I have done on some of my research projects.
Julius smiled, appearing to agree to change the subject. "Will the warrior creature you mentioned in your letter be one of these? That one really caught my attention, let me tell you." He asked.
It was Tiraen's turn to smile. "Not only is he one of them, he is the centerpiece of what I had in mind. Come, I will show him to you." She said, leading him from the room.
It was some time later, after Cato and Julius had already departed, that she found herself wandering the halls, a smile stuck on her face, hear mind irresistibly drawn back to Julius. She decided that she needed to clear her head so she would be able to compose herself. She sought out Selia.
"I would pray for a while. Inform the others that I don't wish to be disturbed for a time." She said to her when she found her.
"Mistress." Selia said in reply, bowing and leaving.
Tiraen found herself a nice spot overlooking the gardens of the inner yard, bathed in the sunlight. She knelt, taking the pendant around her neck into her hand. It was a glass vial within a golden filigree, designed to also work as a magical protection against what lay within. For within the vial there was the tiniest sliver of red lyrium, glimmering with menacing light. She closed her hands around the vial and began her prayer in a hushed tone:
"Praise his name, who has risen from the darkness,"
"Praise his name, who has striven for the light,"
"Praise his name, who has walked the Golden City,"
"Praise his name,"
"The Old Gods are no more,"
"The Maker never was,"
"The New God shall return to us."
"Praise his name."