Game of Thrones: King of Magic

Chapter 14

Halon. Pentos.

Three months later.

When I finally managed to tear myself away from work, I decided to organize a family dinner. The pleasant weather and the good state of affairs kind of hinted at it.

The atmosphere on the balcony of my now mansion was quite lively. Rizza was feeding Iona and smiling happily. Solomon was merely sipping wine, while his maid Fina was enthusiastically munching on fruit. Normally it would be sacrilege for a maid to sit at the table with the lord, but I didn't really care, and Solomon convinced her to do so. No guards were required, as there was nothing Solomon could not prevent.

It had been three months since my father's death, and I had taken over as magister. A farewell was held by the men of the Red Faith, organizing a funeral pyre. As his body disappeared into the flames of the pyre, I only watched in silence, remembering the past. He wasn't the best father, but he wasn't the worst, I must admit.

After that, things came crashing down on me like a waterfall, and free time became a holiday for me. Since I was planning to subtly change the structure of the city, I needed a lot of time.

First, moving Rizza and Jonah back to the city. Rizza understood everything quickly and accepted it calmly, but there was still the question of their safety. The solution came rather quickly: with Solomon's support, they would be constantly watched from the shadows by the followers of the Red Faith, of which there were many in the city.

Even knowing that there was no place in Pentos without their eyes or ears, I was doubtful and worried. Still, I trusted them, as there was essentially no other choice. There were extremely few people I could trust, and I was left to trust the fanatics well and Solomon himself.

Secondly, the issue of slavery. Pentos is ruled by three magistrates, of which I am now one. And the prince himself, for that matter, though that one is just a puppet. And now, it is necessary either to convince them to change the standard of living, in the city, thanks to which slavery, as such, will disappear, or... disarm and do it all myself.

Dealing with the issue verbally is easy because of the treaty to "abolish" slavery, but then it will be hard to pay tribute to the Dothraki to keep them from simply taking over the city, since Pentos is still under an agreement with Braavos. It's good to know that at least I don't have to fear a surprise attack from the other Free Cities, since they all have Red Faith to alert me.

The whole issue comes down to gold. I need a new source of income that can cover the costs. But where to get it? It's unclear. Although.

- Solomon. - I called out to him.

- Hm?

- I need your help. And I'd be very grateful if you would.

- Money, I take it? - He asked calmly, taking a sip of wine from his glass, to which I nodded briefly.

- Hmm..." he hesitated, "I don't suppose you care much about the attention you might get from my ideas?

- The Free Cities prefer not to meddle in each other's affairs," I shrugged, "And Westeros is too far away to cause excitement.

The Free Cities only care about themselves, so I see no reason to worry. Even if Solomon's proposed option gives them a significant boost in finances, the most they'll do is a trade treaty.

Westeros? If I recall my father's papers, they certainly won't have much time for Pentos. They're in their own cauldron and don't see the point in doing anything drastic about such a remote city.

Besides, if something like this were to happen, the other free cities would rather help than ignore it. After all, no one knows if they'll be next, and risking their power to rule the cities is absurd.