Game of Thrones: King of Magic

Solomon. Braavos.

The setting sun was slowly sinking behind the sea as its rays softly illuminated the streets and buildings of the bustling city. Lina and I walked slowly towards the Tarmo mansion where the banquet was to be held.

It was located in the northeastern part of the city. It was where the Sea Lord's palace and the upper class Bravos were located. And its area was about a fifth of the entire city, which was divided into the Purple Harbor and the residential area.

I walked ahead of the group, indicating my supremacy in it. Lina followed right behind me and pointed the way, and the two priestesses rounded out the group. The High Priestess of Braavos had taken them with us as maids, and to show the status of our group. After all, only more or less important people are present at the banquet, and Lina obviously doesn't want to belittle her faith and god.

Their attire hasn't changed much: the same scarlet dresses and ruby necklaces that all the red priestesses and priests wear. But one item of clothing was added to them: a short black cape with red patterns and white edges. Lina insisted on these capes, reasoning that in this way it would show that she and the priestesses belonged to me.

I saw no need for it and even found such an action strange. Everyone knows that they serve R'Glor, but this tiny cape directly indicates that I am either him or someone above him. That's on the one hand.

On the other hand, she obviously wants to elevate the Red Faith in this way, since I am... an unusual person. Even if the people at the banquet don't know it. Aside from that, the capes will give weight to me as a person unknown to anyone, as well as negate the anonymity. To my questions, Lina only brushed it off and said that there were more benefits to be gained that way. Eventually I relented and left it at that, deciding to see what would come of it.

Our small group was on foot, something Lina had to put up with already. She wanted to use the palanquin, for obvious reasons, but it would be unnecessary, for I wanted to study the reactions to us.

The people who saw us, and especially Lina, either obediently parted and bowed, or they looked at me with genuine interest and tried to figure out who I was. The latter were far more numerous than the former, by the way.

But I could say that I had achieved my goal. The looks Lina and the priestesses received ranged from lust and praise to indifference and interest. No hateful or spiteful emotions I felt, which couldn't be more gratifying. After all, I was aware of the practice of burning heretics, at least until I arrived.

Without faltering, I looked at Lina.

She had a cheerful smile on her face that would have suited a young girl in her twenties. From time to time she giggled, winked flirtatiously, or waved her hand at people passing by, causing them to sprawl on the ground in a silly grin. The image of a mature and gifted woman behaving this way is... cute, I guess. It's like she was a teasing big sister, willing to listen and help, but with a witticism. A couple of funny jabs, to be exact.

So the time flew by, and we made our way to the venue. A really impressive three-story mansion appeared before my eyes. Everything in it looked rich: the roof covered with red tiles, walls of pure white stone, shaped gates and fences. Tall columns framed the entrance of the mansion, and the light of the sun reflected off the glass in the windows. Just by looking at this residence, it was safe to say that someone like Tarmo lived here.

Two guards were standing in front of the entrance, and when they saw our group approaching them, they bowed respectfully and let us pass, of course with a scrutinizing glance at me. A couple of minutes later, we found ourselves at the mansion, where a smartly dressed servant greeted us with a bow and led us inside.

Once there, the first thing that caught my eye was the ornate foyer, in the middle of which was a wide staircase with an almost proportionate patterned carpet. The gold jewelry blended well with the interior, creating a rather sophisticated picture. That is, without being too flashy or taking all the attention away.

Following the servant, we went up to the second floor and then turned right. And after a relatively long corridor, our group appeared in front of the double doors with the maids standing beside them. They bowed obediently and opened them, whereupon the light from within flooded my vision.

The spacious hall, which was lit by wall lamps and three giant chandeliers on the ceiling, was beautifully decorated with flowers and strips of fabric. Six round tables, spaced equidistantly so that one could walk between them comfortably, took up one-third of the total area of the room. And the servants wiggled between them and did their work.

There were already a decent number of guests arriving. My guess was about twenty people. Each of them looked well-groomed and dressed up, and the jewelry they wore glistened in the light. The women were dressed in long, sophisticated dresses that gave them sophistication, and the men were dressed in patterned suits that emphasized their figure and stateliness.

They were all divided into small groups, each with their own conversation going on. But the sound of the doors opening distracted them, so that all their attention was focused on our group.

Well, let's see how it goes.

-0-

Velano Antarion. Braavos.

Because of my status, I was one of the first to arrive at the reception. My father is old and weak, and I'm taking over most of the Sea Lord's work. This is a well-known fact, and it essentially means that I am Father's deputy at such events.

Even though the title isn't hereditary, it's not a matter of inheritance. In part. Upon my father's death, a share, or rather half, of the wealth he has gained will go to the city's treasury, either in possessions, items or jewelry, or in their monetary equivalent. Of course, this does not include what the father had before he took office.

But even with the share given away, our family is very wealthy, and therefore influential. Therefore, when I arrived at the reception, one by one, various guests approached me, intending to "say hello" and "show off." However, not all of them were like that.

- Good evening, Mr. Velano. Subtle as always. How is your father?

- Thank you, Mrs. Kirana. That green dress goes well with your eye color," I replied, wearing a slight smile, "Thank you for asking. My father is doing well, at least as far as his age allows. I didn't expect to see you at the reception. I assumed you'd gone to King's Landing again.

Standing before me was an attractive woman dressed in a light green dress. Her emerald-colored eyes, long wavy brown hair, and snow-white skin tone made her look light and graceful. Pretty soon she would be thirty-six years old, but she looked twenty-six to twenty-eight.

Kirana Satrion is an intelligent woman, and most importantly, very powerful. She is a jewelry merchant and has a street of artisans where the bulk of them are concentrated. Her ancestors fled Valyria when the cataclysm came there. Back there, her family practiced the same craft, making her wares highly sought after not only in Essos, but also in Westeros. On top of that, she's into magic, if you consider the books in her library.

As far as I know, she is single, but she once had a daughter. According to her, the child was stillborn. Kirana arranged for mourning and a funeral, which all of Braavos knew about. She did not attend any events, and a smile ceased to appear on her face. Of course, her trading activities sagged in both activity and income.

There were also a few rumors in town related to the event. And not the good ones, either. For the most part, people supported the idea of punishing the gods, which was condescending to Kirana.

But after a while, things quieted down. Bit by bit, she resumed her activities again, and a partly fake polite smile appeared on her face when the situation demanded it. Really, no one knows if that was really the case.

- It was," she nodded, "But we came across a Stark ship being attacked by pirates. Of course, I couldn't pass up the opportunity, so I helped fight them off and escorted them to Pentos. Thanks to that, I was able to get a few advantages at the meeting with Master Halon.

- I see. Fortune smiles upon you, does it not, Mistress Kirana? - I said, to which she covered her mouth with her hand and laughed softly.

At the same time inside, I frowned.

Why did she tell me all this? Normally, benefits are usually hidden and enjoyed alone. But this woman chose to share it with me. Her words could be written off as bragging, but after thinking about it for a bit, I realized something.

If she was talking to the Magister, then she knows about Solomon.

In this town, the more powerful you are, the more eyes and ears you have. I mean, Kirana has explicitly stated that she knows of my connection to someone who helped the current Master of Pentos. And I'm concerned about what she wants.

She might wish to increase her income and connections through Solomon, but that makes little sense. Her current endeavors don't really align with what Magister Halon envies. The printing presses that are found only in Pentos only put out works that pass through the Magister and his 'house of censorship'. And mostly the presses produced personal memoirs of wealthy individuals or books preaching the Red Faith. Then it hit me.

Recognizability.

The more recognizable the merchant and her product are, the more profit she can make. And this is not a matter of how wealthy her customers are. She may well produce jewelry of lower quality in order to catch neither the poor nor the rich, but those in the middle. After all, there aren't as many truly skilled jewelers and artisans as one would hope. And this way, Kirana will get more people under her command, artisans whose hands are not so skilled, and a wider reach of customers who will be able to afford their jewelry.

And it seems to make sense, but I felt like something was off. Like there was something else that I couldn't understand yet.

Plus, I haven't heard from Solomon himself. All I know is that he spends his time either at the Black and White House, going in and out of there when and how he wanted, and at R'Glor's temple, where he did the same.

Matiris, who was next to me, shrugged as well. All he knew was that Solomon was occupied with the High Priestess personally.

My brother is not here, which is strange. For that matter, Tarmo himself isn't here, yet. Perhaps they will arrive together? All I can do is wait and see. Solomon has given his word, and something inside tells me firmly that he will keep it.

And while I was pondering, the door to the hall opened, where a group of four people showed up: three women and one man.

One of the women was Lina, the High Priestess of the Temple of R'Glor. And seeing her made me inwardly cringe.

For as long as I could remember, I had almost always been teased by her. All because of something I had done as a child. At one of the meetings organized by a younger father, I was fascinated by her. I was hooked by her character and behavior, for this was the first time I had seen such a thing. She liked to joke, giggle, tease, and generally didn't act like others, which in no way matched her mature appearance. All this impressed me so much that I even asked her to be my wife.

Even then, I knew about magic and the peculiarities of the priestesses of the Red Faith. Not in all details, of course, but the question of youth was still included. So I, overflowing with childhood dreams and enthusiasm, did what I did. Lina herself only giggled and politely refused. A couple more years I made the same proposal to her, and the response was similar.

After a while, I outgrew that, putting it behind me, but the High Priestess's teasing from that event is still alive and well. She always calls me "boy" to remind me of my childhood crush times and cause embarrassment, even though I'm already twenty-four. I would even call her the teasing big sister I never had.

Embarrassing but fulfilling times, to make a long story short.

And the man was Solomon, who was not wearing the cloak that covered his clothes. And now that I got a glimpse of it, to say he was ordinary became impossible even for a blind man.

His robe looked so majestic and harmonious that if someone had called him a king or the highest priest of any faith, I would have instantly believed it. The combination of white, red, and black colors looked as if it had been personally designed for Solomon. And the serene and royal aura he possessed inevitably created the image of a "king". Strong, calm and wise.

Out of the corner of my eye, I could see that I was far from the only one who felt that way. Aside from the obvious sighs and blushing faces of the women, the impressed and intrigued men, and the stunned servants, I noticed the way Kirana looked at him.

There were few outward expressions, but the eyes... They naturally lit up as Kirana looked at Solomon, and her lips curved into a strange smile I couldn't understand.

Kirana's eyes followed Solomon continuously as he and his group made their way into the hall and stopped at one of the walls. So much so that she completely ignored everything else.

- If you'll excuse me, Mistress Kirana, I need to greet the new arrivals. Red people are a rare guest at events like this. - I said and headed towards Solomon's group. After all, it is a common practice for people like me. Matiris, on the other hand, followed me silently while Kirana still didn't move.

I imagine today's reception will be turbulent for Solomon. I only hope he'll be able to figure out something to do with my brother. If he comes, of course.

-0-

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