Chapter 112: Illyrio's Mission
"I have said, I will arrange for you to meet the king when the time is right."
"And I wonder, when might that be?"
Illyrio paused, the knife in his hand hovering over the leg of lamb. He raised his head and looked at Ian. "Are you not satisfied with your accommodations here, Sir Ian?"
"Of course not. Compared to the Magister's manse, Darry is a pigsty in the countryside."
"Then why are you so impatient? You have only been my guest for three days."
"It is not that I am impatient, Magister. The fact that I waited until today to approach you is a sign of my patience. By any common sense, you should have let us see His Majesty the day after verifying our identities, or the day after that at the latest. Does this mean you still harbor doubts about us?"
"Absolutely not," Illyrio said, shaking his head with a smile. "In fact, I plan to introduce you to His Majesty on a much more formal occasion. At that time, we will announce to the world that nobles from Westeros have begun to defect to His Majesty. This will set a fine example for the other lords of Westeros."
"And when is this formal occasion?"
"After Khal Drogo—the horselord who is to marry the princess—arrives in Pentos, he will hold a banquet in the palace we jointly gifted him. Many great nobles of Essos will be in attendance."
Illyrio continued, "I believe it would be most appropriate to arrange for you to swear allegiance to the king at that time. Then, the king can grant you and Daeron your original titles."
***
*Khal Drogo's banquet? That's from the very first episode of the series. It's still nearly two months away!*
"As I understand it, Drogo and his khalasar are still a great distance from Pentos," Ian said, his tone carefully neutral as he fought the urge to slap Illyrio's fat face. "Perhaps we could meet the king first, and then hold a formal ceremony at the banquet you mentioned."
"I am not negotiating with you, Sir Ian." Illyrio still wore that same kind smile, but his voice was now unquestionable. "Or do you have some reason why you must see the king as soon as possible?"
*I do,* Ian thought, *but Ian Rivers shouldn't.*
"It's true," he said aloud. "Very well, I admit it, Lord Illyrio. I am anxious to have a family name. I am too eager to be rid of the stain of being a bastard, and only a king has the right to grant a surname to an illegitimate son."
"And that is all?"
"You couldn't possibly understand what it's like to be an illegitimate child! It is the very reason I came here!" Ian blurted out, his voice rising with emotion. He stopped himself abruptly in the middle of the sentence, his gaze darting away from Illyrio's.
"Fine," Ian said, giving up the argument. "As you wish." He began eating again.
The best way to contend with a clever man like Illyrio was to satisfy his sense of superiority, both in intellect and in status. Let him believe he has seen through your purpose and forced you to surrender.
When he thinks he can handle you easily, his vigilance will lower, and his trust will grow.
And why did Ian need Illyrio's trust? His new plan was to find a way to become one of Illyrio's own men.
Helping the Magister could not only unlock more optional quests quickly but also grant him access to Illyrio's intelligence network—a tool he could use to deal with the other players he knew were lurking somewhere in Pentos.
Ian could see it in Illyrio's eyes: the Magister was satisfied with how easily he had uncovered Ian's supposed motive.
In that, Ian had achieved at least one of the two goals he had set for this meeting.
Still, he couldn't understand Illyrio's insistence on delaying his audience with the king.
Why did Illyrio not want him to see Viserys as soon as possible?
What was so special about the timing of the Khal's banquet?
Soon, the answer came to him.
In the original story, Jorah Mormont, the Dragon Mother's first and most devoted follower, was introduced to the Targaryen siblings at that very banquet. At the time, he had only just arrived in Pentos.
Illyrio likely did not want Ian to make contact with Viserys and Daenerys too early, lest he gain their trust before Jorah Mormont could, marginalizing the man who was truly Varys's pawn.
Yes, Jorah Mormont was the man Varys had arranged to monitor them, not some so-called assassin.
This was clear from two facts. First, after being introduced to the Targaryens, Jorah never made any attempt on their lives, which was entirely inconsistent with the role of an assassin.
Second, long after falling in love with Daenerys, he still sent one final report to Varys from Qarth. Jorah would never have sent that information if he didn't know for certain that Varys would never harm Daenerys.
Of course, perhaps Illyrio didn't yet know who Varys's chosen agent would be, but he had already reserved a position for that piece on the board.
"Your Excellency," Ian spoke again after reaching his conclusion. "I will abide by your arrangement, but this will leave us idle for nearly two months. I am not one who enjoys idleness. I wish to do something to prepare for His Majesty's great undertaking. I wonder if you have any suggestions? Or, perhaps, is there anything we can do to help you?"
"Help me?" Illyrio's interest was piqued.
"You are His Majesty's patron and our most important ally. It is only natural that I hope to establish a deeper friendship with you."
"Those are not the words of a noble knight from Westeros. Towards a merchant of low blood like myself, you ought to be forcing a smile on your face while holding contempt in your heart."
"No one is lower than an illegitimate child," Ian said, his face a mask of worldly sorrow. "So long as I can gain a name and honor, I will cooperate with anyone."
*That's right,* he thought. *I'm talking about your 'little Aegon'. Hurry up and let me into your plans!*
"Very well," Illyrio nodded. "Since you wish to help me, I do have a problem here."
***
"Do you remember Talobane?" Illyrio asked a moment later.
"The cheesemonger who gave us the letter of invitation," Ian replied, a little surprised. "I recall you told me to leave that matter alone."
"Circumstances have changed. Talobane has disappeared."
"Disappeared?"
"Talobane left Pentos from the north gate the day after he met you. This was a normal journey for him; to the north lie the dairies that supply his workshop. He travels there from time to time."
"However, this time he did not return. Nor did he take any of his property in Pentos with him. My people discreetly entered his home and found his servants packing away his belongings."
---
⭐ $5 Tier – Early Access!
Stay 50 chapters ahead of public releases on RoyalRoad, Webnovel, and Scribble Hub.
Latest available chapter: 162.
Chapters are uploaded as soon as they're completed, so you'll always be ahead of the curve.
By joining, you'll be directly supporting the story while enjoying exclusive early access.
🔗 Patreon link is in My Profile/About.
⚠️ Please select your membership carefully, as I have multiple novels ongoing.
🍎 If you're on Apple, consider subscribing through your browser instead — it's cheaper for you, and I'll receive payments faster.