Rhaenys did not need to make any grand gestures to exert her authority. Her mere presence in the room was the stamp of authority. It was as if an invisible pressure was radiating from her making everyone bow down. Every eye in the hall was locked on her. Every bit of attention was raining down upon her.
The most powerful and influential men of Pentos scurried toward her. These were the same haughty men who barely batted an eye at anyone else's presence, yet here they were, hurrying and stumbling over themselves to flatter a woman half their age.
"Lady Rhaenys," Illyrio welcomed her with a broad, flattering smile. "Welcome. Welcome."
"I hope you find the arrangements made by this humble man to your liking," he remarked, bowing his head slightly.
He was being much more humble and respectful than he had been in the afternoon. It was obvious that the events that had transpired at the edge of the forest were still on his mind. And he surely did not want to imagine himself in the place of the forest and the dragons' fire reducing him to ashes.
"The arrangements are certainly remarkable and greatly appreciated, Magister," she replied. "I doubt I have ever seen a feast or gathering hosted on this scale. You have surely gone all out to organize this."
"I am certain your treasury must have suffered a massive dent to pull this off," she added with a knowing glint in her eye.
"Such things do not really matter, Lady Rhaenys," Illyrio replied seamlessly. "What truly matters is that you appreciate what I have tried to provide. And I am very pleased to hear this from your mouth."
He neither affirmed her claim nor refuted it. By denying it, he would have sounded as if he had not given his absolute best for her arrival. By confirming it, he would have sounded as if he were boasting of his own extravagance. He chose the careful middle path.
"Please!" He said, gesturing toward the high table.
Amidst more greetings and fawning flatteries from the other magisters and wealthy traders, Rhaenys approached the high table. There were four chairs placed behind it.
One of them was for Rhaenys, the guest of honour of the feast. The second was for Illyrio, the host and the man who had played a part in bringing her to Pentos. One of the remaining two were reserved for the most politically powerful magister in the city and the other one for the wealthiest merchant in Pentos.
Rhaenys was the first to take her seat. Illyrio sat on her immediate left. The other Magister sat to her right while the merchant sat next to Illyrio.
[Random POV]
My name is Lipis Liaz. I am an important man. A powerful man. And certainly, a very rich one. Richest in the city of Pentos and probably among the top fifteen richest men in the entire Essos.
If you were to name the three most influential men in the city of Pentos, Lipis Liaz would undoubtedly be one of them.
Technically, I am also a magister of the city. But I have little interest in the petty politics my peers play. I take no part in governing the city, ruling over people, catering to soldiers, or organizing the defense of our walls.
My sole aim since the day I was born has been to amass wealth. And that, I have done. And I have done well. I have hoarded a tremendous amount of gold. I have employed every method imaginable from honest trade to outright treachery to reach where I stand today. And I pride myself for that fact.
But recent events have forced me to change the way I operate. Willingly or not, I have had to plunge myself into the politics of Pentos. Because now, the very survival of the city is at stake. And if the city perishes, everything I have built perishes with it too.
It all began a few days earlier when the news first spread through our circles regarding the arrival of Lady Rhaenys Targaryen. Who she is, or what she represents, I do not need to explain.
A chaotic discussion erupted among the magisters about how to deal with this unprecedented and unexpected situation. A few of them outright blamed Illyrio for inviting a lion or rather, a dragon, into our homes. But others, the more pragmatic among us, decided to see an opportunity in her arrival.
It was a known fact that, sooner or later, Lord Aeos was going to come for Pentos. Our city was closest to his rising kingdom and expanding territory. It was only a matter of when he would move against us.
Thus, a plan was forged to pull Lady Rhaenys into our camp and use her as a shield against the invincible force that was Lord Aeos. Though I had mostly been a silent spectator at these loud, chaotic meetings, I agreed with and supported this strategy. She was our best bet if we wanted to protect ourselves from Lord Aeos.
The day finally came. She arrived in Pentos, and for the first time, we laid eyes on her majestic beasts. Five incredibly massive dragons. Just one of them would likely be enough to reduce our entire city to burning rubble. She had five.
The awe and sheer terror I felt upon seeing them cannot be adequately described. We met her, greeted her, and naturally, we tried to flatter her.
The more politically astute magisters then tried to implement our strategy. Indirectly, they dangled the bait of an alliance for protection against Lord Aeos. And she picked up on our message perfectly. Then, in that same indirect manner, she rejected us. And she was right to do so. She had nothing to gain from such an alliance. She needed something more. Something bigger.
We took our leave from that meeting and quickly convened a private one of our own. The sole point of discussion was whether we should accept her suzerainty over our city in exchange for her protection. This was the only thing that we could offer her.
The intense, chaotic debate was still progressing when the roar shook our city and our hearts. We knew in a heartbeat that it belonged to one of those beasts. And it was an angry roar.
We scurried to find answers. And answers we found. A burnt and charred forest. Reduced to nothingness.
Almost every magister traveled to visit the site, and it left us utterly stunned and terrified. That display of power helped us arrive at our decision rather easily.
"Magister Lipis," Illyrio's voice snapped me out of my thoughts.
"I was just telling Lady Rhaenys that you could not only help her trade her Dragon steel in Pentos, but also make it smoother for her to establish herself in other cities," he continued. "You have excellent contacts."
It was a foolish bluff. I could certainly do whatever Illyrio was suggesting, but she did not need me. It would be me, and every other trader in Essos, running to her begging for the chance to trade her Dragon steel.
"Absolutely," I replied, plastering a wide, flattering smile across my face. "I would be more than happy to assist Lady Rhaenys in whatever way I can."
In response, I received a small, amused smile from the dragon queen. She, just like me, knew the absolute truth.
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