12 Betrayal

78 Ac

Tarth

City of Sapphire Port

Lords chamber

You wake up on your bed with a sick feeling in your stomach and heavy pain in your bandaged chest and neck, unable to form coherent thoughts at first.

Your advisor Adarys explains that you were attacked with a blade coated in poison, but thanks to Jenneth's quick reactions and expertise, he was able to provide an antidote. Your attacker was an unknown man who did not survive the incident; there was nothing on him but his clothes and the dagger, which apparently was a common weapon.

In the end, you find out that the man who was brought to your castle was actually an impostor, but not in the way you would initially have thought. The man who was originally claiming to be your bastard brother was found dead in a rented room near the tavern where Jenneth had heard about him. Someone else was pretending to be him, possibly to have a private meeting with you and use it as an opportunity to end your life.

But how exactly was this done? With so many ways you could have dealt with the bastard's situation, how could an assassin even know about it and predict that you would let him inside your castle? Was it mere chance? And what was his motivation? Who was behind it? Is there a traitor among your council? It's highly improbable because I took care of most of them since we were kids, and gave them food, clothes, and a roof over their heads, they wouldn't have a reason to betray me but anything can happen in the Game of Thrones world. Lost in my thoughts when I see Jenneth suddenly kneel with her head bowed she said.

I am sorry my lord that the one to blame for letting this happen in the first place, and for that I am deeply sorry, Lord Galladon. As much as I doubted the man's story, I would never have taken him for an assassin. It was a foolish mistake on my part, but I swear to you if you give me a second chance I won't let this happen again."

After a few seconds I sighed deeply knowing deep down she was not involved I touched her shoulders "There is no need for that Jenneth get up."

With her head still bowed she got up and I asked a few more questions about the situation.

"How was the impostor able to get inside the castle with a blade?"

"I have been wondering that myself. I have already ordered that the guards responsible for inspecting him be held for questioning, but nothing came of it. They swear by the seven that the man had nothing on him but clothes. I wasn't able to notice the blade until it appeared in his hand, as well. It was as if…as if he summoned the blade from thin air.

"There must be something we're overlooking. The investigation will continue."

Hmm I mumbled and asked

"What are your thoughts on what happened back there?"

"The best way I can describe it is an elaborate scheme promoted by someone with a lot of resources to spend on a gamble. The first man, the one who was claiming to be your half-brother, was either planted by the schemers or was found by them. Regardless, they killed him and put an assassin with similar features in his place, hoping that they would have a chance to come face-to-face with you.

"But it seems…too much of a far-fetched scheme, doesn't it? There are too many uncertainties in it, too many variables and assumptions. This shouldn't have worked…unless someone knew what would happen, someone who knew your personality and knew what you would.

And this makes no sense because we were the only ones involved."

She lets the silence take over the room, knowing very well what this implies.

"Regardless…the man who initially claimed to be your bastard brother and the one who took his place are both dead. And the truth remains buried with them, for now."

I remembered what the assassin said before trying to kill me "I'm so sorry" It kinda of reminded me of the assassin who tried to kill Daenerys Targaryen with a scorpion-type creature in the books what was their name again?

"Who was the assassin?" I asked hoping Jenneth might know something more.

"I believe he might be from the assassin guild called Sorrowful Men from Qarth. They are an ancient guild of assassins operating in the city of Qarth. Each one whispers "I am so sorry" to their victims before they kill them, usually they don't leave the city of Qarth so they must have good contracts with people in the city to make them come all the way to Tarth"

I asked her about the informant who told her about the bastard

"The taverner swears that the man claiming to be your bastard brother was the one who was found dead in the rented room, and a couple of other witnesses corroborate the fact. They actually thought I was the one who had him killed in order to avoid a scandal."

She sighs deeply.

"There was this one particular informant who had been on my payroll for many years. A gambler who goes by the name of Sweetdice he was originally a guard of your grandfather's castle in Evenfall Hall.

It was he who pointed my men to the wrong room when I went to grab your 'bastard brother' and bring him to the castle.

"Sweetdice has been missing since then, and while I am certainly looking forward to finding him, there is no way he could have known what was happening. I do not share the specifics of my orders with anyone but you."

"Who do you think was behind this?"

"With your newfound wealth you have made many enemies and lords are the jealous type they hate to see their friends grow in power why would they think better of whom they would call an upstart third son of a second son."

"But there are not many people with the resources to pull off something like this, and even among that select group, I wouldn't be able to point at someone who could have tried something so complex and elaborate. It reeks of inside information when there should be none available. I do not believe in mysticism, but what other explanation can be given for this?

"And regardless of the logistics implemented, there is still the matter of the identity of the one pulling the strings. I will do my best to find out the truth about this, Lord Galladon."

You see her deep in thought with a certain distress on her face that can probably be associated with a notion she is not accustomed to which is when she is kept in the dark and doesn't know about something.

I let her mull over her thoughts and looked over at

Adarys who has been looking after my wounds this whole time to see if he has anything to add. He looks back at me and shrugs he doesn't seem to know the answers to any of your questions but agrees that this is too much for coincidence. He urged me to stay rested for a couple of weeks while my wound healed and my fever passed, I nodded and he left the room to instruct the maids on how to properly take care of me.

Jenneth also left after begging my leave to go look for more leads into what was going on.

I laid back on my bed and looked out the open window on my left and saw the sun setting with a nice ocean breeze coming through. I fell asleep and the next time I woke it would be the next day.

You are forced to stay in bed again today, as you are not feeling quite well. Adarys performs a meticulous examination but says there is nothing to worry about.

He gives you some of the new medicine created in the college, which was basically coriander mixed with wormwood, mint, balm, and a small amount of a plant they call river leaf which I'm pretty sure is cannabis which was used to treat fevers.

He promises that by the next morning, you'll be up and well again, but he insists there be a servant with you at all times.

The medicine makes you sleepy. When you next open your eyes, you see that the day is gone as you look out of the open windows of your room. You feel thirsty and groggy.

There is a young female servant sitting on a chair next to your bed who appears to be dozing off. When she notices you are awake, she quickly straightens up.

"Are you well, m'lord?" she asks with a soft voice. Most of her light brown hair is tucked inside a white headdress.

She wears a tidy maiden's gown in black and white with details in the blue and gold of my sigil on the hems. The clothing does little to hide her curves.

There is a cupboard next to her with water and clean towels.

"I think I'm still dreaming," I say flirtatiously.

Your intonation makes it clear that you are speaking flirtatiously, and she blushes heavily. "Y-You are certainly not dreaming, m'lord. It might be the fever," she says, looking away yet having difficulty hiding her smile.

You could say that her shyness seems almost forced. She might be teasing you, or perhaps she thinks this is the reaction that would be expected of her. "Can I offer you a cup of water?" she asks, already pouring it. "Mister Adarys said your lordship needs to drink lots of it in order to recover."

You look at her honey-tinted concerned eyes, her pointy nose, and her inviting smile. You do not recognize her. There is usually an older woman who tends to your room, but this could be one of her helpers. You feel a bit confused, perhaps from the poison or from a side effect of the medicine.

Indeed, as you remember from a conversation you had in the past with Adarys, Cannabis was often used in the ever-celebrating courts of the Rhoynar for its intoxicating properties.

"What happened to the other servant?"

"Tina? She is my aunt, m'lord. She got sick recently, and I am covering for her now. I usually work in the kitchens."

"How about we have some wine instead?"

She blushes heavily.

"Forgive me for saying so, m'lord…but perhaps you shouldn't be drinking wine in your condition?" she says. It is a bold statement but perhaps also one that was made thinking about your wellbeing.

"Forgive me, I was jesting. I will drink some water."

You drink the water, and it helps with your dry throat a bit since you have been sleeping for almost two days straight. The woman watches you carefully.

"You mentioned that Tina is sick. What does she have?"

"To be honest with you, my lord, she has a bit of fever, it seems old age is catching up with her. I hope no punishment comes for her, because Auntie is a good person and she needs her job to feed her family." She answered in a worried voice.

"No need to plead I will always take care of my people she can rest easy" I responded

"What is your name?" I asked

"Roslin my lord" she answered with a beautiful smile and curtsied bending quickly at the knees, with one foot in front of the other, while holding her skirt showing her cleavage.

'God damn those things are big I thought' in my head while looking at Roslin.

I continued to flirt with her throughout the day while she took care of me.

I know all the right things to say thanks to all those liners in the animes and dramas I used to watch. I also notice that, after the initial wariness, she is quite comfortable with me, laughing at my jokes and even making some of her own. She then tells you about life in Sunset Quarter—one of the districts in town—and some things about herself. She lives with many brothers and sisters, she was raised by her aunt since her parents died when she was eight, she has worked at the castle since it started its construction, and she likes to go to the sept to pray at least twice a week.

It is morning before either of you realize it, and you are already feeling better. Soon someone will come to relieve her and inform you that it is time for breakfast.

"Your presence has healed me…would you perhaps like to come see me again sometime soon?"

She nodded and I continued and if I asked for a kiss.

she smiled and said "I thought you'd never asked" she then moved towards me, leaning down and bringing her lips near yours. I reach out to pull her into a kiss.

Your lips are about to meet when someone knocks on the door, interrupting the moment. Startled Roslin quickly got up with a red face, did a quick curtsy, and stated that she needed to leave now, but the wink she gave you told you that she would rather stay.

She then headed for the door and when she opened it Jenneth was on the other side with an urgent

look on her face.

Roslin quickly made her way out of the room and Jenneth walked in.

I gave my Spymaster an annoyed look and said

"You just cocked blocked me Jenneth"

"I'm sorry my lord I don't know what that means"

I sighed and waved my hand motioning for her to come in.

"Don't worry about it what's going on that you need my attention at my current condition."

Your spymaster eyes you curiously as she approaches you. Her makeup does not do enough to hide the heavy bags she has under her eyes. She probably has not been sleeping well.

As she reached your bedside she continued by informing me that she might have some info on what happened with the assassin.

She told you the news that a prisoner in your dungeons is claiming to have information on a conspiracy. The prisoner also says he will only talk to you about it, as he apparently wants to bargain for his freedom.

"It happened several months ago when your brother Ser Jon came for a visit. This man was found lurking around the castle's premises at night. There was nothing on him, no weapon or anything, but he wasn't able to provide a proper explanation for his actions even when pressed. So he was just sent to the dungeons.

At the time we were dealing with the raid on one of our villages so he was forgotten about and we did not have the time to decide what to do about him".

You go to the man's cell with Garth and Jenneth follows behind me,

After a long descent through the dungeons, you finally reach the cell of the man you came to see. Recognition appears on your face as you notice the man as someone in your brother's retinue when traveling the seven kingdoms years ago.

The thin, dirty man looks up from behind his greasy long hair as you approach.

"It was about time, Lord Galladon. We have much to talk about."

"Who are you?" I asked even though I already knew.

"My name is Rann. I am…I am a thief. I steal from nobles, usually.

"I was caught while trying to find a way to enter your castle. I must admit that your security is pretty tight around here, and I wasn't able to get in. I spent a long time rotting here before I realized I had information that could be traded for my freedom."

"What is the information you have to share?" I asked while pulling a chair from the corner of the cell to sit.

"You must know, Lord, that I won't give it so easily. I need your word I will be pardoned if I speak what I know. I assure you, it is something very valuable—a great scheme that threatens Morne, that has been in the works for quite some time."

Garth growled in the background saying

"Give the information, and we'll decide whether it is worth your life."

"Is this a threat, my lord? He said while looking at me completely ignoring Garth.

If you want to kill me, do it. I can't handle being in this cell anymore. But I will only tell you what I know if you free me."

I sighed and rubbed my eyes and said okay

I promise not to kill you "If I find the information valuable, I will let you go," I lie.

He looked at me for a long while trying to judge me before he continued

"There is a conspiracy in the works…one that exists for the sole purpose of killing you and taking all that you worked for. A powerful lord, aided by mysterious foreign benefactors, seeks to reclaim Morne now that it is so rich and divides the spoils among themselves.

You have a feeling you know who he is talking about but just to make sure you ask.

"Is the powerful lord Endrew Tarth and the foreign benefactors the Myrish?"

He smiled shook his head and said not only lord Tarth Endrew but the rest of your family as well.

Shocked by the revelation I quickly asked

"How do you know about this?"

"I was under the employment of your brother Jon once, but he abandoned me when I was caught" he answers vaguely.

He pauses before saying anymore and asks once more "You will keep your word and set me free, right my lord"

I nodded and told him "You are free once you tell me the rest," I lie.

"I came here with Ser Jon to get into your castle and get information on your forces, but since I've step foot in your town I had eyes set on me by the town guards and when I entered your castles with Ser Jon the maids kept an eye on me and when I acted suspicious, they notified the guards and here I am." He exclaims spreading his chained arms.

I motioned him to continue

He took a deep breath and then said

"Very well. I take you for an honorable lord. The man involved in this plot was Lord Endwyn Tarth your grandfather, both your brothers Jon and Gawen, and your Uncle Cameron, and his son Ayln. They have been planning for a long time to kill you but didn't have the wealth for it. but it was when you started producing glass they got in bed with Myr who provided them with the funds for the plot, so that they may get your secret of making glass.

They at first intended to do so with brute force by attacking your castle with pirates hired by Myr but that failed. so they tried poisoning, they tried to get someone from your household to do it like a maid or a guard but they were all too loyal and informed your spymaster and so she had your maids and guards to keep an eye open on the people who came into the castle which is how I got caught.

And when that did not work Ser Jon came up with the idea of your bastard brother, he knew how you might react to hearing such a news so they spent a great amount of money to hire the sorrowful man to kill you.

"They would then take advantage of the fact that you have no heir to claim your land and all your wealth.

"Do you have any proof of this?"

"No. They knew better than to let me have any proof. I was just a tool in their plans."

"What were you really doing in my castle that night?"

You notice that he evidently seems nervous about the subject. "I—I was as…assessing your forces. Lord Endwyn wanted to know how well protected your castle was, and if there were any weak spots. I was arrested before delivering my report, though."

For some reason, you find it hard to believe him.

"You're not telling me the whole truth."

"I—I am! I swear it!" he says, but something tells you that he is not. A sick feeling in your gut starts to build up, and you feel it before you are able to rationalize the reason behind it.

"You were the assassin sent to kill me."

It makes sense. He wasn't trying to get inside the castle—he was trying to get out. There wasn't anything with him because he had already disposed of the evidence.

It was poison, probably. Some kind of slow poison that wouldn't be noticed at first, with symptoms similar to a common disease.

It fits the timeline he provided it's of the second scheme to poison me.

The man starts to get desperate. "N-No, I wasn't! I was just following orders, I was just trying to get information, I swear!"

"Tell me the truth, or you will rot in here."

"W-We had a deal! I told you all I know! I swear I hadn't anything to do with their schemes!"

"I will give you one last chance to tell the truth." Garth Unsheathe his sword.

His eyes widen as he sees his reflection on the blade. "I told you the truth! I-I'm not an assassin!"

I turned to leave and gave an order to Jenneth to have him tortured until he confesses—or dies.

His desperate cries for mercy are soon muffled by the sound of the guards who arrive and start beating him. When that fails to produce any new information, the torture devices are brought, and it goes on like this for quite some time until he finally gives up.

"I-I-I am sorry! It was… It was me! I was ordered to poison you! I infiltrated the castle and coated your drinking goblet with the substance Lord Endwyn gave me! Please, stop!"

He confessed. What will you do with him now my lord? Asked Jenneth as she cleaned her hands of blood.

"Kill him"

NO NO, you promised, you promised to let me go free if I told you what I know. Rann cried out with blood spilling from his mouth from a missing tooth.

No, I promise not to kill you and I won't. He will I said while pointing to Garth.

Sometime later, you are in your room thinking back on when my brother visited to see if thier was something I missed. My brother Jon did come and visit me but he was not alone he also came with our cousin Alyn.

-Flashback-

My cousin Alyn and brother Jon arrived at my court today, Alyn gave me a mocking bow while I greeted Jon with a brotherly hug.

"Dear Galladon, it has been a long time since we last saw each other. I know that you have important matters to attend to, but perhaps I could persuade you to share a drink with me for old time's sake?"

Said Jon with a knowing smile.

"It's always good to see you brother but what do you really want? I said while looking at my cousin who was looking around my castle in awe.

"Why must I want something can't I just come and see my younger brother" I stared at him with an unamused face he sighed and looked around at the other attendants of your court as if unsettled by their presence.

"I want to talk to you, dear Galladon. In private, preferably,

He was quickly interrupted by Alyn who said "And with some wine to wet our throat."

I shake my head he has always been a drunk since the death of his mother in the plague a few years ago.

I accepted his offer and motioned him to follow me for a walk

You, Jon, and Alyn walk away from the great hall, a small group of guards following as the three of you make your way through the corridors of the castle. Eventually, you reach the gardens, where the flowers are blooming everywhere in many colors and sizes. The sky above has few clouds, and the temperature feels quite comfortable, as it should be this time of the year.

The three of you sit comfortably by a covered balcony that overlooks the entire place as your guards keep the appropriate distance, far enough away so as not to be able to hear the contents of the conversation but close enough to be able to respond in case of an emergency. They stand vigilantly, observing the entire perimeter.

A servant soon comes with lemonwine and water. Your cousin promptly accepts the wine. And I take a sip of the water.

"Ah. Delicious," Alyn says, after a long gulp from his goblet. His eyes wander around for a bit but then return to you. What is he looking for I thought

-End of Flashback-

Now I do remember they wanted Hann to poison my water or wine at the time but he was caught before he could that who that bastard was looking around for.

Shocked and hurt at the betrayal I sat there quietly with rage slowly boiling inside me. With all I've done for them, they wanted me dead for what my gold, my ships, this goddam castle. Fucking traitors, I could have made house Tarth great together with them, with everyone getting a piece of the pie, but I should of remembered what world I'm in this is the world of game of throne and you either win or die and I'm done being other people's fool no more mister nice guy I shall be the sole ruler of Tarth and I know just what to do.

Shocked and hurt at the betrayal I sat there quietly with rage slowly boiling inside me. With all I've done for them, they wanted me dead for what my gold, my ships, this goddam castle. Fucking traitors, we could have made House Tarth great together, with everyone getting a piece of the pie, but I should have known that with the world I'm in there's only one thing these people know and that's the game of throne and you either win or die and I'm done being other people's fool. Theirs no use too keeping my modern sensibility when my own family plots my death. Well, no more playing Mister Nice Guy let the games begin, when it's all done and over with, I shall be the sole ruler of Tarth and I know just how to start.

79 Ac

Kingslanding

Red keeps the council chamber

Aemon Targaryen

Today was a slow day until one of the grandmaester aids quickly walked in and provided the maester a letter it must be an important one for him to disturb the council like this.

The measter quickly provided the letter to the king while saying "An urgent report comes in from Tarth"

My father broke the seal on the letter and silently read it then he read it again, and again his reaction gained everyone's attention. he sighed heavily and passed the letter on to the council members all giving different reactions to it. It was then my turn to read the letter

An Army of Pirates attacked the castle of Evenfall Hall and put everyone in the castle to the sword most of house Tarth family members now lay dead in its smoldering ruins.