A Shadow and a Wolf

Tyrion II

The numbers scrambled into the head of Tyrion Lannister, and that was a lot to say since his head was bigger than most. Did Littlefinger really find his way into his ledgers? They were written in such a way it was difficult to find the origin of an income and the reason of an expenditure. And the fact Baelish always wanted money to work instead of being buried in some chest made the task even more difficult for Tyrion since it made the writings even more complex.

Tyrion was no idiot in matters of money to be true. He told his father when he named him at the post that a whole life of outrageous wealth didn't teach him much about managing money. It was true Tyrion could spend as he wanted since his father always gave him all the money he wanted. Tywin Lannister lacked generosity towards his children for everything but money. However, Tyrion was probably the only one among his father's children who could hold the office of Master of Coin. Cersei would probably bring the realm to bankruptcy in a week after her nomination at such a post, if not worse, and Jaime would never do the work, books bored him to death. Tyrion, on the other hand, got a solid formation in finances from Maester Creylen at Casterly Rock in his youth. Since the Lannisters were so rich, they needed to be more than simple lords who ruled their subjects. They had to be bankers, investors, businessmen, even merchants from time to time. More important, they had to make sure gold keep its value, or else their wealth would melt away. The contents of their secret vaults deep into the foundations of the Rock wouldn't have so much worth then. If they extracted too much gold, its value would decrease until people wouldn't buy any more with a golden dragon than with a silver stag or a copper coin. That was what the maesters called a devaluation. Gold only has the value people believe it has, just like power resides where men believe it resides. That wasn't much strange wealth and power were so close in the end as they looked so much alike.

Tyrion noted more names on a sheet on his right. They were names of merchants who borrowed money from the crown and failed to repay. Not a surprise since they were dead, executed by Joffrey before the Battle of Blackwater. Many of them had been part of a conspiracy to help Stannis enter the city during the battle, but others Joffrey killed them during his first days as king when he received petitioners and decided to have anyone who claimed King Robert owed them some money declared to be lying to the king and beheaded right away. Ned Stark's sword was never used so unjustly than this day. Though for the conspiracy, Tyrion had some responsibility in the executions. They were so close of Stannis's attack on King's Landing and evidences were so indisputable that he had to sign their death sentence to prevent any possible betrayal when Stannis would land.

Tyrion never liked to order an execution. Even for some butcher dog like Janos Slynt. He preferred to exile them to the Wall or help them remind their place with a little visit to the black cells. Since his visit to the Wall and the news about a dead man trying to kill Jeor Mormont reached King's Landing, Tyrion had tried to send them more recruits. He would empty the black cells as often as possible, make announcements about the Night's Watch recruiting in the city, and offer a royal pardon for all debts and passed crimes to everyone who wished to go to the Wall. That wasn't much, but that was the best he could do since they had no men to spare back then. Now they could send men, but his father wouldn't. The pleas for help from the Night's Watch fell into the deaf ears of Tywin Lannister who didn't give a damn if the wildlings crossed the Wall and ravaged the North. That would mean only one more enemy for Robb Stark and Balon Greyjoy. As for the White Walkers, Lord Tywin didn't know about them and even if he was told, he would never believe it, rational as he was. Tyrion was rational and believed what he saw. But he saw it. He saw it in the eyes full of wisdom of Maester Aemon (Aemon Targaryen to be true, Tyrion knew who the man was) and in the fear of the Lord Commander's voice. Both men were rational too, gave their life to the Night's Watch, knew more about the things beyond the Wall than everyone else, and had common sense. If Mormont said a dead man tried to kill him in his sleep, Tyrion believed him. Mormont was as honorable as Ned Stark and he wouldn't lie about it. But his father would never believe it and Tyrion knew best than to warn his father about White Walkers, snarks and grumkins. He would do nothing and hope for the men of the Night's Watch to do their duty and fight for a realm that didn't care about them. Tyrion wondered if what he was doing right now had any use if the dead marched on the Wall. The real fight could be there and here he sat, serving loyally his family in order to keep an ugly and uncomfortable iron chair. His friend Jon Snow could be dead right now, or fighting against the evils of the North while Tyrion sat there peacefully, counting coppers. Tyrion wondered what the lad would think about his marriage with his sister.