Chapter 150: A Helpful Mission
King's Landing
POV of Tyrion Lannister
Tyrion looked at the man and stared at him.
If it had been a month ago, then he would have definitely made some sort of joke to start the conversation with the unknown man on a friendlier and lighter note.
Now… now he just didn't care anymore.
The man put his hand inside the leather bag he was carrying, took out a small letter, and passed it towards him.
One of his guards took it and passed it to him.
He looked at the letter and then at the man with confusion.
"A letter from Lord Bolton." The man explained and then gave him a bow, "Have a good day, Lord Tyrion."
And then the man turned around and left. He stared at the letter in his hands.
His thoughts about the young lord had been mired in confusion and conflict ever since he revealed Tysha's presence and told him the truth about his past.
On one hand, the Bolton boy definitely manipulated him. But on the other hand, the boy also gave him the truth and gave him a chance to redeem himself.
'But at what cost?' the insidious voice inside him asked. He ignored it and tried to make sense of how Lord Bolton was able to know all the things that he knew.
Was it really true that Lord Bolton was the Chosen One by the Old Gods?
He scoffed at his line of reasoning. But after seeing giants, wargs, and Children of the Forest with his own eyes, he was much more reluctant to ignore that line of thought.
For all he knew, Lord Bolton might really be chosen by the Old Gods.
He felt envious of the boy who seemed to have everything given to him on a silver platter.
Good looks. A loving family. Decent height. Great swordsmanship. Loved by his people. Great subordinates. Gold. Land. Everything.
What did he have aside from his stunted body and his sharp mind?
He shook his head and opened the letter in his hands.
"Tyrion,
I'm writing this letter to request your assistance. There is a task that you must do. It is of the highest importance, and you're the only one in the position to do it.
Go to the Lord of Dragonstone and buy the rights to mine Dragonglass in his lands. Spend as much gold as is required and set up a mining operation in Dragonstone within a month.
Don't worry about the gold. It's of no consequence. I'll have it sent to you within a few days.
Good luck with your task, Tyrion.
-Domeric Bolton"
Tyrion closed the letter and put it in his pocket. Not knowing what to think about this letter.
Dragonglass? Why would Lord Bolton want Dragonglass of all things? Had the boy lord suddenly found some way to make use of the otherwise worthless volcanic stone?
He also realized that if he did what Lord Bolton was asking of him, then he wouldn't be able to talk with Tysha for a good while.
The thought filled him with a sense of relief and then a feeling of loathing toward himself for being a coward.
Regardless. At least now he had direction for himself. A reason to enter the Red Keep, where he would inevitably meet his brother and have the much-needed conversation with him.
He didn't want to have the conversation with his brother. He knew that if he confronted his brother about the truth, it would break all the bonds they had between them.
He didn't want to do it.
Jamie was his only "real" relative. Yes, he had a father and an older sister, but they viewed him more as an enemy than a relative.
Uncle Gerion and Aunt Genna weren't necessarily mean to him, and they did help him from time to time.
But their kindness stemmed from their pity for him, and if it came down to a choice between Tyrion and Tywin, they would undoubtedly choose his father's side without a second thought.
But Jaime was different. Jaime had always helped him, always protected him, always been there for him when needed. Through every problem he had faced, through every injustice this world had thrown at him, he knew he had a brother who would stand by him.
Jaime wasn't just a brother to him; he was one of his pillars in this world. Perhaps his only pillar. That's why he doubted he could destroy his only pillar with his own hands. Could he continue to stand without that pillar?
He really didn't want to do it.
But…
He was not going to remain standing here and be indecisive anymore.
Being indecisive was what got him here in the first place.
For now, he won't think about all the problems he was facing and will focus solely on the task ahead of him.
Talk with Stannis the Dour. And buy the mining rights of Dragonglass from him.
He knew that the meeting with Stannis would be harsher and more direct than any he'd had with other lords. But while Stannis was known for his dour and serious demeanor, he was also known for his fairness.
Even if he couldn't take advantage of Stannis during the negotiations, he was still confident that he would at least get the rights to mine an ore that was otherwise worthless at a reasonable price.
The only problem he anticipated was that Dragonglass had no known uses, and Stannis might press him on this, insisting on information about its intended use.
After all, Dragonglass was only found on Dragonstone, and Stannis held a monopoly on it.
If a use for Dragonglass were discovered and Stannis could learn about it, he could mine it himself, sell it, and profit even more from it.
So he had to avoid making Stannis suspicious. But it shouldn't have been too difficult. After all, he didn't know what Dragonglass was for, or if it was even useful.
It wouldn't be easy, but it wouldn't be too difficult. He had confidence that he could handle it.
Yes, he could do this.
He felt himself fill with a sudden strength as the goals in front of him became clear, and he wondered if Lord Bolton had foreseen him being indecisive and sent this letter as a way to help him.
He didn't know. And right now, he didn't care.
He had a task to do.
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Next Chapters' Name:
Ch.151: Confronting Jamie
Ch.152: Breaking the Chains