The Asshai's Bloodmage

 After Rafael and Omar left the Bank, a conversation with hidden meanings was taking place between the two VIP figures. Upon noticing Madame Rosa's prolonged gaze on the pair, Lord Léo asked in a playful tone:

—Madame Rose, don't tell me you're interested in my son?

"Huhu, Lord Léo, your son has a very interesting friend. I was just making sure I could remember his face. After all, I believe we're here for the same reasons, thanks to him, right? It was fate that brought us together here today at the same time. So I was thinking that there's nothing wrong with aligning our ideas on our new investments. What do you think?"

Lord Léo reflected on what Madame Rosa was saying. If the two had the same story and even a false partnership, it would be much easier to get a huge loan from the Bank.

He then confirmed:

—Of course, this new island I'm developing has enormous mining potential and I'm its discoverer. Having you as my partner is my luck.

 Madame Rose smiled with satisfaction, and now she wouldn't need the other story she had come up with to fool the bank managers. Soon the old man who had attended Rafael came to personally receive Lord Léo while another younger man came to receive Madame Rosa. They went to different rooms and after almost 30 minutes they both left almost at the same time. Lord Léo reinforced to the old bank manager the secrecy of at least 7 days for his third brother, and the old man made several oaths, after all it was just to keep a secret from another minor Noble for a few days and it wasn't a big demand. As for the Dragon Lords and other powerful houses, they would receive a report on their desks before the night was over, after all such large investments would be immediately reported to the "owners" of the Bank.

 Léo was very satisfied, including his huge and luxurious mansion that was in one of the best locations in the northern district, none of his other properties in the rest of the city that were in his and his daughters' names were left without a mortgage. Even farms with crops and livestock were included. In the end he even put up half of his fleet as collateral, increasing the interest even more. The manager was grinning from ear to ear before easily lending tens of thousands of coins for the new investment. Dona Rosa didn't have that many properties but she also easily walked away with 10,000 coins after mortgaging everything and including the rights to control one of her districts as collateral. Including the deal with Kulan she expected to close at least another 3 or 4 thousand coins.

 While the two managers were being told where the gold bars should be delivered, Dona Rosa called Lord Leo to have a drink with her in the private room while they discussed some "final arrangements". Leo raised an eyebrow before nodding and escorting the seductress to another room. Once they were seated a wine was served by a servant before he left them alone. Madame Rosa removed her veil showing a flawless face without a single wrinkle and with little makeup before placing her lips on the glass and taking a sip, Lord Leo tried his best not to look too much at the vixen's face before taking a sip of the wine himself.

"Do you regret it?"

Rose asked, and before Leo could ask what regret she was talking about, she continued:

"Not following your first and second brothers when they fled with the Targaryens?"

—No. Lord Léo answered firmly.

—Even if I had been certain about the disaster when they left, I still wouldn't have gone. There wasn't much room for me to develop if I followed them, and I had my own ambitions. When I learned that my third brother would also stay, that was an additional reason for me to stay. I didn't want to let him have such an easy life here. Of course, like the stragglers, the retaliation from the other families wasn't easy to bear, and I even had to ally myself with my troublesome brother many times to maintain our position.

—The third son of the Celtigar had a worse fate when he chose to stay, but we Velaryon have always been Lords of the Seas and not of the sky. While there were many who wanted to devour us, there were others who were smart enough to see the opportunity for an alliance, and now my only enemy is my own third brother. I see all this as an opportunity and I believe that whether disaster strikes or not I would still make a move to change the current status quo. But what about you, Madame Rosa? I heard that you lost a big deal involving your old mercenary group when your own son betrayed you. Is that what you wish to talk about? A sad look followed by a cold expression quickly passes over her face before she continues:

"I have already made some moves to secure my revenge, I sent my daughter to sell the rights to 1/4 of my business in the Free City to the mastermind behind my son's actions. But your brother Kuzar still has a lot of money, I wonder if you wouldn't be interested in borrowing it from him? That would empty both of their safes at the same time and make it easier for me to move later if one of them survives."

Lord Leo thinks for a few seconds before seeing that there are no disadvantages, before saying:

—It's not a big deal, consider it done. He then stands up and says goodbye, not wanting to stay alone with the former prostitute for too long to prevent the Bank employees from spreading rumors. Dona Rosa remains alone with a smile on her face as she finishes her glass of wine.

 The next morning, Magnus would receive news from his spies that would leave him completely desperate and apprehensive and would completely change the course of the negotiations with Rafael and Omar.