Chapter XI: Epistles

"As you have now received news by word of mouth concerning the grave matter of the attack on the Prince Aegon, I write now to you of think best left to ink than to tongues than can be loosened by drink. As you would know, the Prince yet lives, though he stands on the brink of death, the Stranger always looming behind the door of his resting chamber. It was wisely done by the Sealord's First Sword to send him as quickly as it could happen to the House of the Red Hands, where he yet remains in the care of its healers. It is certain though that the line of your house now rests upon your royal personage, your uncle, the Hand, and his princely grandson.

The attack upon his august person seems to be one of impulse, the impulses of young and foolish men, who could not let insults heaped upon courtesans go unanswered. Yet the matter is a grave one, since these foolish men had no household of their own and were as of yet subject to the authority of their father's household. And their name are prestigious – Volentin, Prystain, Antaryon, Reyaan, Zalyne, keyholders and magisters and rich merchants all.

Their names seem to have held no import following the ambush of those honourless curs upon the Prince. What men the Watch apprehended had the happiest of the lot, for they were detained, and now are under our own power.

For those who fled, the gods had a harsher fate in mind. For what have my men gathered, it seems that by decision of some shadowy council, they have been sentenced to death without trial and their execution handled with great haste. They have not taken upon themselves to pay Faceless Men to deal with them in an underhanded matter, rather they had them assaulted in whatever house they fled, thrown out of windows, stripped naked and beheaded and their corpses dragged before the Hall of Truth.

Civil peace seemed to have fled Braavos, for once word had come that one of the perpetrators had been some distant cousin to the Sealord, the ambitions of some houses grew, and the usual politics took a bloodier approach. When the Sealord summoned the Council of Truth, to investigate the matter most thoroughly, he was stabbed thirty-three times in the Hall of Truth, accused of conspiring to murder Prince Aegon, to mend his wounded pride for the loss of his dragon bride.

As time had passed since, a new Sealord was elected. The young Cosym Fregar has assured me of his utmost desire for peace and of the breaching of these wound between the brotherhoods of our two nations. It seems that this matter has been understood, in all Braavosi circles of power, to be the possible beginning of a feud between the Iron Throne and the Free City of Braavos.

As such, the Braavosi are now ruled by fear in their approaches to me, as Your Grace's envoy, rather than the usual ambition. Fregar has appointed, in the usual manner of solving feuds here, an agent for Braavos, with authority to negotiate a peace and accord with Your Grace and provide satisfaction for the injuries and offenses dealt to the person of your royal cousin.

I write to you then cousin, to ask and to receive instructions for the further affairs of my mission here and ask if the Iron Throne is willing to entertain such and under what terms.

The men that have been commanded to gather news and word of the happenings of Essos even now wander the harbors, taverns and playhouses of Braavos. Their findings have been sent to the Master of Whispers.

I remain your most devoted servant.

Herman Harte

"To my most loyal cousin,

…

On the matter of the health of my cousin Aegon, I urge you to see him returned to our shores as soon as his state allows. Impose upon your hosts that a dozen or two healers should accompany him to King's Landing, chosen from the best of their lot. They may even find further employ here.

My uncle's wrath has grown cold since he heard of the incident and should grow colder once the surviving perpetrators will have reached the Black Cells. But he is not in the least bit pleased that the most noble personages of Braavos have sought to take the justice from the aggrieved party's hands.

Regarding the terms of the peace and agreement that should form between us and Braavos, to ensure peace and our continued freedom, with council from my most trusted advisors, we have convened of the following. For the matter of my cousin's wounds, a blood price must be paid, from the coffers of the fathers or brothers of those accursed bravos, that they may each in turn pay a prince's ransom into my cousin's hands, or if it be the Stranger's will, into those of his widow. If you must entertain their rivals in ensuring this, do so. Play their houses against each other but ensure that the keyholders of the Iron Bank prove themselves favorable to you in their majority.

…

The Free City of Braavos must agree to the payment of a subsidy that shall cover the costs of our expedition to Pentos and commit itself that it will not sue for peace with the City of Pentos, unless agreed with ourselves. The terms of the peace must ensure that they shall disband their standing hosts and fleets of war, and that they should abolish the infernal institution of slavery without compensation, and graciously accept the entwined protection of our two nations. Further terms shall be discussed later.

…

The matter of the Stepstones, upon which our sovereignty has been agreed upon almost thirty years ago, must be revisited, and our sovereignty recognized one more and enforced by Braavos' fleets in a forthwith manner that will ensure its use in our quelling of the rebellion of the accursed Dornish oath breakers, clearing the islands of the infestation of the pirates.

I leave the subtleties of the negotiations to your deft hand and silver tongue.

May the peace of the Seven be with you,

Baelor, by divine grace, King"