And here it is, Part 2 as promised!
Enjoy!
Chapter 31 – Plans in the East pt 2
Bravos
Tyrion was silently fuming.
They had been in Bravos for a week now, waiting on the Iron Bank to grant them an audience. Oh Tyrion knew what they were doing. They were making them wait as a show of power. They were making them wait to show them that the Iron Bank deals with whomever they want, however they want because there was no other banking alterative in the known world. The Iron Bank had ruthlessly crushed anyone who dared to try and compete with them by building a new bank.
That being said…
The integrity of the Iron Bank of Bravos was unquestionable. Their reputation for ruthlessness aside, they dealt with their customers with integrity and honesty. They may be looking to cut the best deal with the Iron Bank coming out on top, but once that agreement was reached, it was never breached by either party. Well until Cersei had decided to be even more stupid then usual that is. The bank itself had never been breached; its secrets and deals were never spoken outside the bank. Their confidentiality was legendary and all they cared about was money and profit.
Tyrion sighed and tried to let go of his anger. Dealing with the Iron Bank took practice and wits. While most people go to the bank for a loan, Tyrion and Jon would be making a deposit instead, opening new accounts at the bank. Tyrion also knew that the Iron Bank would go for what he had in mind as it would stand to net them a tidy profit and no businessman worth his gold would ever turn down profit.
Tyrion's thoughts were distracted by loud and happy laughter from behind him. He turned to see the men who made up the night shift about to leave the ship for the pleasures of the ale houses and brothels while the day shift started on their duties. Hearing Davos's voice coming from behind him startled him.
"Good morning my lord. It's another pleasant day in Bravos." Davos said, greeting him with a smile.
"Morning Ser Davos. Yes it is a pleasant day indeed. It would be even more pleasant if the Iron Bank would get off its arse and get on with business already. The wait is grating on me and I need to return to Westeros soon. I have business there that won't wait much longer. So does Jon. Tell me Ser, you seem to have much knowledge about the world outside Westeros. Is it customary to keep potential clients waiting this long?" Tyrion's tone which had started off pleasant had turned into irritation.
Davos chuckled. He liked the small lord. He had been intelligent and humours company while on the ship, keeping is men entertained with stories and legends he had read of over the years. He had even helped Davos improve his reading and writing during the journey. He and Tyrion had discrete lessons when possible in the evenings after dinner in his office under the pretence of casual chats.
He liked Jon too. The lad had a more serious personality then Tyrion but he was charismatic, friendly and easy going. Davos had seen Jon among his crew lending a hand where needed and happily getting to know the crew on a personal level. There was something though that he couldn't quite put his finger on though. The boy had an air of command that people just automatically obeyed. It indicated that the boy was a natural leader but the way he commanded was the way a veteran General would command and it baffled Davos because he couldn't figure out where such a young man would get that type of experience.
Davos focused on answering Tyrion's question.
"Aye my lord. The Iron Bank is known to do things on its own time but making someone wait a week for a meeting is unusual. They may just be exceptionally busy or they may be waiting to see how you react to them insulting you by making you wait this long. Or it may be something else altogether. You never know with the Iron Bank." He replied.
Tyrion was about to reply when something caught his eye, causing him to draw his knife.
Standing behind Davos, next to the gangplank, was a man in a grey hooded robe. The hood covered the man's face, leaving it in shadows. Davos turned around and choked back a startled oath. He knew only one place whose people dress like that and they resided here in Bravos.
A Faceless Man had come.
Before Davos could ask what the man wanted, the man in the robe turned his head towards Tyrion.
"Tyrion Lannister, the House of Black and White requests a meeting with you and Jon Stark" the man proclaimed. Tyrion's eyes narrowed as he tried to figure out what the guild of assassins wanted with him and Jon. It couldn't be to kill them, because if it was, they would already be dead.
"When does the House of Black and White require our presence?" He asked.
"Now" was the reply.
"Very well, give me a moment to fetch Jon." Tyrion told the man. The Faceless Man nodded his head in agreement and Tyrion turned towards the rear of the ship and proceeded to the cabin he and Jon shared.
"Jon, you'll never believe this. There's a Faceless Man on board right now." Tyrion told him as soon as he opened the door to the cabin they both shared throughout their travels. Jon gave him a startled look.
"A Faceless Man? What in the hells does HE want?" Jon asked in a bewildered tone. Tyrion's face was a study of suspicion and confusion.
"Apparently, the House of Black and White wish to meet with us. Now."
Jon groaned, pulled his boots on and grabbed his weapons. Tyrion also equipped himself with his weapons.
"Well then, let us go and see what the most famous assassin's guild in the known world wants from us." Tyrion sarcastically commented as they headed back to the deck.
The Faceless Man hadn't moved and neither had Davos. Tyrion headed towards Davos while Jon moved towards the waiting Faceless Man.
"Ser Davos, if the Iron Bank should make contact while we are gone, please pass on our apologies and tell them that we will be delayed for a short while. Explain to them that the House of Black and White requested our presence. That should keep them from feeling insulted. I'm not one hundred percent positive but I'm sure there's a connection or an agreement between the Iron Bank and the House of Black and White that goes beyond the usual services that the House provides the Bank."
Davos eyed the Faceless Man off and with a quiet 'it shall be as you say my lord' Davos left the front of the ship headed for his office. Tyrion joined Jon and the Faceless Man.
"We are ready. Let's not keep the Elders of the Council waiting." Tyrion said with a sly look at the Faceless man as he demonstrated that he knew something about how the House was run.
The Faceless man seemed to stiffen slightly at Tyrion's words, but after a moment, just nodded his head and turned to walk down the gangplank and onto the docks with Jon and Tyrion following behind him. He lead them a short distance away to a small row boat, large enough to accommodate four people. He indicated that Jon would row the boat while the Faceless Man guided the boat through the canals of Bravos towards the house of Black and White.
Tyrion and Jon looked around as much as they could in fascination. They hadn't left the dock area much and when they had, they hadn't ventured very far. They wanted to be close by in case the Iron Bank made contact and so as a consequence, they hadn't seen much of the city.
It didn't take long for them to arrive on the small island that the House of Black and White was situated on. Tyrion and Jon got out of the boat and ascended the stairs towards the doors.
The doors held all their attention. The contrast of the white Weirwood door to the black colour of Ebony wood was slightly chilling and yet compelling at the same time. The white door opened and the Faceless Man gestured for them to enter.
Jon looked at Tyrion.
"After you old friend." Jon said with a smirk on his lips. Tyrion scowled at him playfully then turned and entered the door with Jon hot on his heels. As soon as Jon cleared the threshold, the door shut behind him. He had a brief feeling of being trapped but it soon left him as he looked around the room he had entered.
The round stone room with the multiple fire places and the images of all the Gods hanging above each one was exactly like Arya had described it. It chilled him to think that his baby sister had come here and by the time she left, she was no longer the baby sister he knew but a woman who had been harden by war and honed into a deadly killer by the very people he was about to meet with.
He walked forward towards to cistern in the middle of the room. He remembered Arya telling him about this. The waters in there were strange and seem to have several different effects, depending on the desired outcome. For some it was a relief from pain. A mercy asked for and received. In Arya's case, not only had it made her blind for a time but it also made her forget who she truly was for a time. Arya had told him that for a time it did make her forget but her strong stubborn nature and her relentless desire for revenge would never let her completely forget. Tyrion joined him in the centre of the room.
"Welcome to the House of Black and White Jon Stark, Tyrion Lannister." A new Faceless Man said from behind them. Jon and Tyrion turned around and looked at this new Faceless Man. They couldn't tell what he looked like as like his brother, his face was in shadows. For all they knew, it could be the same man who brought them here.
"Follow me please."
They followed the man through a door to the left then down a set of stairs then along a long hallway and then they took another set of stairs up. They entered a room that with a table and chairs, most which were already occupied with other hooded figures. The man they had been following indicated to chairs at the end of the table for them to sit in. Jon and Tyrion sat down and waited.
"Welcome Jon Stark and Tyrion Lannister. We of the House of Black and White are pleased you have accepted our invitation." The man at the opposite end of the table said to them as he took down his hood. Right now, the man was blonde with blue eyes with high cheekbones. Not that it meant anything and both Tyrion and Jon knew that the man would change his face soon. Most likely as soon as they left.
It was all Tyrion could do not to snort. It wasn't so much an invitation, more like a demand.
"We are pleased to be here but forgive me for being so blunt but what does the Council require of us? No offence meant but we have important business with the Iron Bank that cannot wait." Tyrion told them in his most "lordly" voice. The blonde man smiled.
"Yes, we know. We also know that the Iron Bank has kept you waiting for a meeting. We asked them to wait until we had spoken with you first." He said.
Both Tyrion and Jon cocked an eyebrow in surprise.
"Why? There is no contract on our lives and our business with the Iron Bank does not affect the House of Black and White in any way so why did you interfere in our business?" Tyrion demanded to know.
The blonde man kept smiling
"Are you sure there is no contract on your lives?" He asked them slyly.
"At this point in time, absolutely. I'll not make any assurances for the future though because I'm sure at some point we'll piss someone off badly enough that they'll come to you." Tyrion stated boldly. He was positive that there weren't currently any contracts on their lives. There weren't in the Time Before so it stood to reason that it was the same now. The blonde man just kept smiling only this time he also laughed in amusement.
"I like you Tyrion Lannister. You have a practicality to you that will keep you alive and you're correct. We have not received a contract to give you the Gift. As of this moment, your lives are sacrosanct. The Many Face God had blessed you as his Chosen by bringing you back from death. You are his Chosen, we are his Servants and it is now our duty to protect you as ordered by our God."
Tyrion and Jon were both dumbfounded and speechless. No one since they had come back had guessed their secret. The people who knew were the ones they trusted and they had told them the truth. For the Faceless to know their secret was a shocking revelation.
Tyrion gathered his wits and his mind narrowed in on something the Elder had said. His eyes narrowed as his suspicions grew.
"All right, where are you? I know you can hear me so get your bony ass down here and explain yourself!" Tyrion was shouting by the end.
"Really Tyrion, there's no need to yell. I can hear you just fine." Death stepped out of the shadows and looked around. He looked much as he always had, black hooded robe, scythe in hand, creepy skeleton face. The Faceless Men all stood and bowed to their God.
Tyrion just waved his hand in a dismissive gesture.
"Oh please, you knew exactly how I'd react to this. So my question is, why have you ordered the House of Black and White, your followers by the way, to protect us?"
Death sighed.
"You're starting to attract attention. Now while that's not necessary a bad thing, it would be inconvenient in either of you were to be killed at this point in time. Who you are and what you're doing is too important to leave things to chance and you can't be on alert all hours of the day and night. As of now, you both get a personal bodyguard to accompany you wherever you go. There will be others in the shadows, watching and getting rid of potential threats to your lives. The House knows what's coming from the North and they have sworn to help defeat the coming evil and the way they will do this is by keeping you both safe and alive. Now be a good boy and do as you're told. I have to go as I have a great many things to do." Death said as he faded back into the shadows.
Tyrion started cursing silently then sighed. If He was interfering then there was probably a good reason for it.
"So, I guess that is that gentlemen. May I assume you have already chosen the Faceless Men that will be our personal bodyguards?" Tyrion tried to be gracious about it. He didn't need another bodyguard. He had Bronn.
"We have. They are waiting for you outside this room. Farewell Tyrion Lannister, farewell Jon Stark." The blond man said and then led the others out of the room though another door. Tyrion grumbled about having to now pay Bronn double what he was currently paying the man if he wanted to keep the man in his service and Jon just laughed.
"How about we leave this room and meet our new companions yes?" Jon asked Tyrion.
Tyrion just nodded his head and resigned himself to having a new, larger shadow. They walked out the door and saw two men lounging against the wall waiting for them.
"Well hello. I suppose you know who we are. Might we know your names? Or at least the names you will be known by?" Tyrion asked the men.
Both men had the look of Westerosi sell-swords and were fairly plain in looks. One was blonde haired with green eyes and the other had dark brown hair and brown eyes and both looked rather formidable standing there with an array of weapons displayed on their persons.
The blonde haired man spoke.
"My Lord, my name is Alec. It's an honour to serve our God's Chosen. I will be your bodyguard for the duration of what is to come and my brother Caz will protect you Lord Jon. You'll find that I and my brother are well versed in Westerosi customs and laws and we can fight like demons. Oh and I'm also a rather talented cook." Alec boasted of his and his brothers talents. Tyrion grinned.
"You'll do. At least you sound like a Westerosi sell-sword. Boast like one too." He laughed. Suddenly he snapped a question at Alec.
"Where did I meet you?"
"Well my lord, you and Lord Jon over there were in a tavern having a drink when my brother and I approached you. Being from Westeros, we wanted to chat to our own people and find out what the news back home was. We drank, we laughed and we lied about our adventures. By the time we were thinking about leaving, you offered me a job as a bodyguard. You figured with you being Tyrion Lannister and all, that it wouldn't be fair on Bronn if he had to take all the responsibility of guarding your short ass from those who want you dead and all that." Alec explained their cover story.
Tyrion nodded and asked,
"And your brother?"
"Ah you decided that Lord Jon needed a bodyguard, much to his disgust and wouldn't take no for an answer." Was the reply.
Jon rolled his eyes and smirked at Tyrion.
"That sounds like you. Especially when your drunk." He said and laughed at the offended expression on Tyrion's face.
"Sides," Alec said "Caz will be well suited to Lord Jon cause he's the serious type. Everyone knows I'm the fun one." Caz and Jon just rolled their eyes while Tyrion and Alec laughed.
"Well then, should we head back to the ship? I need to be close by for when the Iron Bank sends a message to confirm a meeting time." Tyrion suggested. Caz and Alec looked at each other and nodded.
"Actually, my Lord, we have been instructed to take you straight to the Iron Bank once your meeting with the House of Black and White was finished. We are sorry to have to bank delay meeting with you for so long but it was necessary that we meet with you first." Caz explained to them.
Tyrion scratched his nose and asked a question as they walked back though the House of Black and White towards the boat.
"Why did it take so long for you to approach us then?"
Both Caz and Alec had sheepish looks on their faces.
"Umm, it wasn't us who kept you waiting but the Council. There was some…disagreement until last night about if you should be approached. The Master wasn't pleased and had to step in quite firmly and remind them that they work for him and therefor his word is Law. They decided to send someone to you today." He sighed. "To be honest with you, I think our order is about to undergo a huge change. The Master has stepped in and he's not happy with how we have conducted ourselves you see." Alec explained while Tyrion and Jon laughed at their misfortune.
They left the House of Black and White and got into the boat. Alec took up the oars while Caz sat in the rear and steered the boat towards the Iron Bank.
"May I ask you a question?" Jon asked the two assassins'. The both nodded yes.
"Why do you call him The Master now?" Jon was curious as to the change in honorific for their God.
"We are now outside and undercover on a mission. We can't name Him as we normally would or that would give us away. The Master is a non-specific title that could belong to anyone therefore it's more acceptable to use it when in public." Alec explained.
Jon nodded his head in understanding and wondered why Jaqen H'ghar had been so sloppy around Arya with his order's secrets. It was then he realized that Jaqen H'ghar hadn't been sloppy, he'd been intentionally sloppy. Jon was beginning to think that Jaqen had seen Arya's potential to be able to master the arts of a Faceless Man and he had been deliberately trying to recruiting her.
To Jon, that explained a lot.
#*#*#*#*#*#*#*#*#*#
When they finally pulled up to the Iron Bank's private dock, they were surprised to see Davos there along with the pre-arranged trunk of samples they wished to show the Iron Bank's agent and a small guard for the trunk.
Davos was surprised to see them return with new people and looked at the sell-swords and then to Tyrion and Jon. They still hadn't told him the truth about themselves. They had fended off his probing questions with the promise that as soon as they left Essos for Westeros, they would tell him everything.
"My Lords?" He queried with a tilt of his head towards the two strangers.
"Don't ask Ser Davos. It's been a long morning so far. I promise we'll tell you everything soon." Tyrion said with a sigh while wiping the sweat off his face with a handkerchief.
A muttered 'I'll hold you to that' from Davos had Tyrion supressing a smile while he focused on the Iron Bank representative that had come to meet them.
"Greetings My Lords. If you and your men care to follow me, I'll show you to my masters office where he looking forward to conducting business with you." The representative smiled and with a wave to follow him, he escorted them into the cool building that was the Iron Bank. They followed him to a rather ornate looking door and followed him in. The office was of a medium size, with large windows to admit the breeze. The older gentleman sitting behind desk had brown curly hair and sharp blue/grey eyes that showed quite a lot of intelligence.
"Greetings My Lord Tyrion Lannister and Lord Jon Stark. I am Nico Nestoris, be welcome and please have a seat. Now how can the Iron Bank help you today?" Nico Nestorius greeted theses Westerosi Lords very politely. The House of Black and White considered these two important enough to warrant personal bodyguards. Orders from those who ruled the Bank were to accommodate them with all due respect and courtesy and help them with whatever they wanted done, within reason of course.
"Greetings to you as well, Nico Nestoris. I seem to recall meeting a Tycho Nestoris in Kings Landing recently. Is he a relation of yours?" Tyrion asked.
Nico curled is lip in distaste.
"Ah yes, he is. My cousin actually." He didn't look happy with the relationship.
"Ah. I understand. I too have issues with my cousins…and my sister…and my father…" Tyrion trailed off.
"Ah just so. The man is an arrogant swine and not as smart as he thinks he is. It's is why he is delegated to Westeros. He is very arrogant but he knows how to handle the Westerosi nobility." Nico replied.
Tyrion found it fascinating that Nico's speech patterns had slipped from perfect common tongue to Braavosi cadence at the mention of his cousin.
Tyrion focused on the matter at hand.
We have come today to set up some new accounts with the Iron Bank and also to request your help." Tyrion told the Braavosi man.
Nico smiled and picked up a quill.
"The accounts I can definitely help you with but I must find out more about what you require our help with before I can say either way." Nico explained to them. Tyrion nodded.
"Well, as accounts go, there will be three. One in my name, that one will have no connection to ANY Lannister accounts. One will be in Jon's name, again separate from the Winterfell account and the third account will not be affiliated with any House in Westeros and will be named and the War and Rebuilding account. There will be three names on this account, Mine, Jon's and Lord Eddard Starks. I have here a letter of Authorization from Lord Stark to do this." Tyrion explained as he handed over the relevant documents for Nico to read.
Nico swiftly read the documents and was assured that all was in order. He was curious as to the War and Rebuilding account but decided to hold off on asking until the accounts were finalized.
"Very well, all is in order. Now, we come to the issue of the initial deposits. How much will you be depositing today?" He asked them.
Jon and Tyrion exchanged a look with each other.
"Well, now we come to the request for the Iron Banks help." Tyrion said mysteriously. He nodded to Jon who rose from his seat and gestured to the men he had guarding the "sample chest" to place it on a table that was off to the side. Jon moved towards the table with the chest, removing a key from his pocket while he did so.
"Master Nestoris, if you would join me at the table please?" Jon asked the man. Nico nodded and moved towards Jon and the chest.
"This is what we require your help with." Jon stated as he unlocked the chest and lifted the lid.
Nico's eyes widened in surprise while his legs gave way to the shocked awe that swiftly followed. Only the swift reactions of Jon and Tyrion's new "friends" stopped Nico hitting the floor in an undignified manner.
The glittering gold, silver and precious gems of the artefacts did nothing to hide their origins.
Nico reached trembling hands into the chest and with great reverence, picked up a statue of a fearsome looking man/creature.
"This is from Old Valyria! I do believe that this is a representation of the God Meraxes. Little is known about what he represented to the Valyrian Freehold and this," he said picking up a fabulous necklace with huge green emeralds and massive iridescent pearls "This is the Eyes of Issa, last seen in the possession of House Flamefyre before the Doom! And these are the official coins of the Valyrian Freehold! My Lords! What you have here is beyond priceless and considered lost in the Doom. Pray tell, my Lords, where did you find all this!?" Nico was so excited that he spoke rapidly, almost slurring his words together.
Tyrion and Jon were grinning like mad men at Nico's reaction. If this was how he reacted to just a small selection of the treasure, then they were going to make a ridiculous amount of money when the wealthy elite heard about what they had to sell.
"We mounted a successful expedition to Old Valyria as you may have guessed and this is only one chest of what we found." Tyrion was viciously smirking as he told Nico what they had been doing.
"How much more?" Was the faint question.
"A whole ship's hold full." Was the triumphant reply.
This time, Alec and Caz weren't fast enough to catch Nico before he hit the floor.
"A whole ship's hold full?" Nico's eyes narrowed. "Trex!" Nico shouted for his aid. Trex rushed in through the door and on seeing his master on the floor, blinked in surprised.
"Master Nico, are you alright? He asked with concern.
"I'm fine boy, I'm fine. Now follow my orders exactly. You and a small guard detachment will escort Ser Davos back to his ship and see that it's moved into the Bank's private dock. As of right now, there is to be a permeant guard attachment to protect the cargo of this ship. This is a Priority Order. Now go, attend to what I've said." Nico told his aid while getting up of the floor and moving back to his desk, taking a much more comfortable seat in his chair.
Trex nodded his head and then he and Davos left the room. Nico gave Jon and Tyrion a look of consideration.
"A whole shipload." He tone was full of wonder. "I assume this is what you needed our help with?" He asked them
Tyrion smiled back at him.
"Yes and no. We do need your help with the treasure but it's not for storage. What we would like the Iron Bank to do is use it's contacts and clients to spread the word about a massive horde of treasures from Old Valyria that the Iron Bank will be putting up for auction on behalf of one of their clients. With a suitable commission to the Iron Bank for hosting such an event of course." Tyrion wasn't as foolish to think that the Iron Bank wouldn't get it's due out of this.
Nico Nestoris sat back in his chair with a thoughtful look on his face. It was an intriguing idea and he knew many, many wealthy men who would pay staggering amounts to own even the smallest piece of Old Valyria's treasures and his co-workers knew many, many more they he did not and with a commission, yet to be decided upon, the Iron Bank stood to make a big profit with little to no expense on their part.
He knew the Board would go for this and these two Lords would have gotten special status for this find alone regardless of their protected status from the House of Black and White which gave them special privileges with the Iron Bank as well.
"It's an intriguing idea and quite frankly, a smart one. By having the treasure auctioned off, you will be getting the highest possible amount per piece sold. It's a very smart idea my lords and if it were up to me, I'd have ravens flying as we speak. But, as what you wish to accomplish will affect the Iron Bank as a whole, I must speak to the Board of Directors first and gain their permission. Personally, I don't see them having any problems with this and so you should not have to wait long for an answer. If they should agree to go ahead with the auction, will you both be staying around for it? I must warn you that if you do decide to stay until the auction, you could be waiting a while as it will take some months to organise and have those who wish to bid come to Braavos." He explained.
"No. Unfortunately we must depart soon. We shall stay long enough to see our goods safely into your hands and an inventory taken, and then we must leave. We are more than happy to leave the Iron Bank in charge of this endeavour. I'm a sure that the Iron Bank will work hard to make sure we all get the maximum profit out of this." Tyrion replied.
Nico's face was a study of cunning, delight and greed.
"And how shall the profits be split?" He asked.
"After the Bank has taken its commission, sixty percent shall go into the War account and the remaining profit shall be split equally between mine and Jon's accounts." Tyrion handed over another sealed canvas pouch. "All the required information you will find in here."
Nico frowned.
"That is the second time you have mentioned war my Lord. Who shall you be warring against?" He asked them
Jon and Tyrion both shook their heads.
"It's of no matter at the moment as there is no war. Suffice to say that there will be a war in the near future but you'll not believe us if we told who it was with. What we can tell you is that there will be a Long Winter coming very soon and from what we can tell, Even Essos will be effected. The North is preparing for a long winter. This is part of the reason why we have established the War and Rebuilding account. We'll need money to acquire whatever supplies will be needed to survive it." Jon told him.
Jon hadn't had much to do in Pentos and Braavos. The plans for certain people and places in Essos were Tyrion's baby.
He had enough problems dealing with the Free Folk and the Wall.
Nico dismissed the matter of war. There were war's every day and the Iron Bank always managed to get their piece of profit out of it but a Long Winter in Westeros was a matter of concern to the Bank. They had many Westerosi clients and business associates and a long winter meant there would be a lack of revenue coming from Westeros throughout the duration of winter which meant that everyone who had business interests in Westeros would suffer as well and if he added the future war into the equation, things were looking very bleak for Westeros indeed.
"I see. In that case I shall also mention the possibility of a long winter to the Board of Directors. We shall need to make plans in order to compensate for this. Question; has the Citadel in Oldtown confirmed this?"
"Winterfell's Maester sent the Citadel a letter with our concerns, our calculations and projections on how long this winter may last. We in the North know that a long summer is followed by an equally long winter, sometimes longer. Hopefully, the Maesters will send out ravens soon that confirm our claims of a long winter." Jon confirmed that at least the Citadel had been warned. If they choose to ignore their warnings, well then on their heads rest the consequences.
Nico nodded and made a note to have those who watch the skies and track the change of seasons consulted soon. The Citadel was home to a proud, stuck-up, entitled bunch of old men who couldn't be depended on to piss straight let alone reach a consensus on anything. They had access to most of the knowledge and history of the known world but they didn't DO anything with it. They hoarded the knowledge zealously, only sharing what they deemed acceptable for public consumption and as a consequence, the Iron Bank didn't trust them. So they employed their own wise men to investigate such matters for them.
"Very well, your ship will soon dock. Shall we go down and wait for them? Once they arrive, I can at least take a count of how many chests you will be giving over to the Iron Bank's care. Once it's all been secured in one of our high security vaults, we shall do an inventory together and once that has been completed, you shall receive a certified copy of an inventory of the contents, their approximate value and a description of said item. After that, we'll lock them away until the auction. Does this satisfy you My Lords?" Nico asked them.
Tyrion and Jon indicated that they agreed with his assessment and they all departed for the private docks of the Iron Bank to await their ship and coming fortunes.
Davos brought the Fair Justice into the docks with a professional ease that made Nico sigh in regret. Davos had often worked as a courier for the Iron Bank before Robert's Rebellion and a more competent sailor he had yet to find. When Davos gave up the smuggling life, the Iron Bank had mourned the loss of an excellent employee. Nico made a mental note to speak to Davos after he had accomplished his business and had the treasure moved to the vaults. Davos had been a friend of his and Nico wished to sit down, have a drink and see how life was now treating his old friend. He had heard about Davos's knighthood and wished to know more.
They boarded the ship as soon as the gangplank was secured to the docks and went down into the hold. Nico's eyes threatened to pop out of his head when he saw the sheer amount of boxes, chests and crates. He did notice though that there were a group of about twelve large crates marked with blue paint and three chests marked with red paint. He wondered what they contained and decided to ask.
"My Lords, could you please enlighten me as to the contents of those crates and chests?" He asked as he pointed the marked containers.
"The crates marked with blue contain books from the Valyrian Freehold. We found a decent sized room that contained nothing but perfectly preserved books!"
Tyrion's smile was one of ecstatic triumph and by this point, Tyrion was all but cackling in glee.
"And the chests marked in red?" Nico asked. He couldn't wait to hear the answer because the thought of all those books had thrilled him and had given him some ideas on how to capitalize on them.
Tyrion's smile turned into a malicious smirk that scared Nico just a bit.
"Ah, those chests. Those chests also contain treasures from Old Valyria but they are worth significantly less. The treasures in those chests are extremely inferior to those we are entrusting to the Bank." He said.
Nico didn't understand. If what was in those three chests were far inferior to what they already had they why did they want them in the first place? He asked them.
Tyrion's smirk turned absolutely terrifying in its intensity.
"Let me put it like this. If you think that the wealthy of Essos will pay ridiculous amounts of money for the good stuff, how much do you think certain people in Westeros will pay to own a small, if inferior, piece of Old Valyria? And the best part about it is that they'll think that what I have to sell them is top quality treasure because they don't know any better. Think about it, they'll pay thousands and thousands of dragons for a piece of jewellery or a statue or a knickknack that's really only worth a couple of hundred dragons at most…"
His grin now turned outright vicious.
"I'll fleece the fucker's right out of their skins and large purses and the cherry on top as they say will be that they won't even know what I've done to them. Fuck me they'll even THANK me for it."
The look on Tyrion's face was now scaring Jon, Davos, Alec and Caz and those two were assassins!
Nico shot a shocked as hell look at Tyrion and then doubled over laughing.
#*#*#*#*#*#*#*#*#*#
Finally, they were leaving.
They had stayed in a villa provided by the Iron Bank for the week it took to catalogue the treasure hoard. They now knew exactly what they had and the estimated total of what they stood to make at the auction was staggering large. If they came anywhere close to the total estimate, they would be very, very wealthy men indeed, even with the smaller percentage they would get from the split.
Nico had been very disappointed when Tyrion had told him that the books were not for sale at any price. They were coming home with him. When Nico had pressed the issue, Tyrion had turned on the man and actually snarled "Mine" at him and had taken one step towards Nico, hand on his dagger.
Nico dropped the issue after that.
Jon had just found it hilarious that once again, Tyrion had managed to scare the absolute shit out of a man twice his size.
Nico and the Board of Directors themselves had come to see them off. The Board was ecstatic with their new found clients and had promised that if they ever needed anything, all they had to do was ask.
As the Fair Justice cleared the Titan of Braavos, Davos called for full sails, piling on the canvas in order to return Tyrion and Jon to White Harbour with all possible speed. Once Davos handed the watch off to his first mate, he turned to Tyrion and Jon with a determined look on his face.
"Well lads. I think it's time we had that chat, do you think?" He asked with a hint of menace in his tone.
Tyrion and Jon just looked at each other and smiled.
It was time to make Ser Davos Seaworth a believer.