Rhaegar Targaryen
The scroll laid rolled up and crushed on the table of the Small Council. There was murmuring and muttering and voices speaking in hushed tones which was very unusual in the Small Council of Rhaegar Targaryen, King of the Andals, First Men and the Rhoynar. The council meeting was initially organised to make up the plans for the marriage of his son Aegon, but now the news which they were handling was a much less pleasant one than that of a marriage.
'To King Rhaegar Targaryen, King of the Andals, First Men and the Rhoynar, Lord of the Seven Kingdoms, with deep regrets we inform you that your brother, Prince Viserys was found dead, hanging from the Pearl House. We are sending the Prince's body back in the ship which brought him here with two ships of our own to provide protection in order if something bad happens on the way. The ship will set sail the same time as the raven with this letter takes off so it will reach you soon enough.'
Rhaegar had read the letter again and again for at least a dozen times that he could bring out every words in the letter to make a new copy of that. Viserys was dead. That was what the letter said, Hanged from a brothel. When he read about the way in which his brother had been killed, the King knew for sure that it was no simple work of some sellswords or that kind. There were killings in the Pearl House before Rhaegar knew, the Braavosi men fighting and killing for the Black Pearl but this was not the one as that. Knowing his brother the King knew that he would've sought after the bed of the Black Pearl. His brother always had a thirst for claiming exotic beauties. He even asked him to give Ashara Dayne to him but Rhaegar had other plans for the Fallen Star before sending her to the depths of earth. And with a chance to get one of the most popular woman in his bed Viserys would never have missed that chance.
But no one would ever dare touch a Prince of the Seven Kingdoms let alone a Targaryen Prince even in the Free Cities. True that the Valyrians were not so loved in the Free Cities with their constant fights against the Grand Maesters of the Free Cities and their acts of slavery. But that was in the past and even if they'd had any problems with them they were not so brave enough to put their hands on a Dragon.
Hanged from the Pearl House. His brother would've died in a slow but a sure death. And that troubled Rhaegar. Killing Viserys is one thing but hanging him from a brothel is another. It's not that Viserys had no enemies. His brother had a rare talent to make enemies rather than friends. If it had been someone with a personal problem with Viserys there was no chance for him to make it so public as this. He would've managed to hide Viserys' corpse as he managed to do with his guards' corpses. Rhaegar knew his brother was a thickhead who would use his mouth over that of his brain but even Viserys was not so stupid as to wander the Free City of Braavos without a guard. Hiding the dead bodies of his brother's guards but choosing to show the death of a Westerosi Prince in public, that was not a work done over some petty quarrel or a work done by some ordinary man. Doing that would make no sense unless the assassin wanted everyone to see it.
Yet no good will come from by showing Viserys' death in public, unless it was a threatening to them by someone who never liked their friendship with the Iron Bank or someone else who did the deed for entirely different purpose, Rhaegar never knew. He looked at his Small Council all confused and afraid about the news with even the Lord Commander of the Kingsguard, Ser Gerold Hightower being unease at the news.
"This is madness," Lord Baelish spoke out. "It should've been the work of the Baratheons or the Arryns or the Tullys or the Lannisters. Only they have problems with us to do this."
"No it couldn't be," Jon spoke out with a certainty in his voice. "Even if they have their problems, Arryn is too high in his honor to do a thing like this. And Robert... Viserys is nothing to Robert. He wouldn't have gone all the way to Braavos just for Viserys alone."
The council members nodded. Rhaegar could see all of their faces screwed in thinking and he wished to hear out all of their thoughts.
"What about Lord Tywin Lannister," the Master of the Coin was still unsatisfied. "Every men, women and children in the Seven Kingdoms know about the ruthlessness and power of the Old Lion. And only Tywin Lannister proudly displays his accomplishments for the others to see."
Rhaegar quickly caught the idea. He knew where Petyr Baelish was coming with his words. The display of Viserys' death that made sense if it was indeed Tywin Lannister's doing. He never forgot the rage in Lord Tywin's eyes when his father shamed him publicly in the court. He had known everything that had happened to Houses Reyne and Tarbeck. Both the Houses were entirely vanished from existence by the work of Tywin Lannister. And Lord Tywin chose to proudly announce it by a song, 'The Rains of Castamere.' So he wasn't out of option in somehow being associated with the death of Viserys and the public display of Viserys' death seemed only to strengthen the fact. The King knew that the Lion was never close with the Dragons ever since his father denied Lord Tywin's proposal for a marriage between Rhaegar and his daughter and when Rhaegar himself shunned his daughter aside for the second time it brought their old little friendship to the end. Though the Lion was old Rhaegar knew for sure that it still had its claws sharp and ready.
"It is perfectly possible," Lord Tyrell agreed with Littlefinger. "Tywin Lannister is one of the richest man in Westeros and it is perfectly possible for him to arrange an assassin or a sellsword to do this dirty work."
The Hand of the King shook his head from his left. He placed his hands on to the table and leaned forward from his chair. "What good would come for Lord Tywin with the death of Prince Viserys, that too doing it by spending a hefty amount. Even assassins and sellswords think twice and more before engaging with high lords and nobles let alone the Prince of the Seven Kingdoms. To pay for the death of a Prince of the Seven Kingdoms it should've cost Lord Tywin a fortune."
Rhaegar found that his Hand had a point. Tywin Lannister had his problems with the Targaryens, but not with Viserys. And spending such a huge amount on the death of his brother didn't felt as the Old Lion's way. Lord Tywin would go to the ends of the world only if it was good for something. And Viserys' death does no good to the Warden of the West. If it had been an attack on him or Lyanna or one of their children Rhaegar would've doubted no one else but Lord Tywin. He had his reasons to do that. But doing this by spending such a hefty amount just for the sake of Viserys' death which would definitely bring no good for Lord Tywin, Rhaegar had troubles in believing that it was Lord Tywin's work. Unless, the Old Lion meant it as a threat. But even so it didn't make any sense as for why would Lord Tywin choose the brothel?
The Small Council chamber was silent as the death itself. The King looked at all of his council members' face. From the drowsy look on the grim face of Jon Connington to the freshly powdered plump face of Varys. They were all confused and afraid of what might happen next. But Rhaegar wasn't afraid. He was the King of the Seven Kingdoms and a Dragon and the Dragon fears nothing.
"Lord Varys," his voice was firm and strong, not the one he uses to sing his songs. "What news do we have about Robert and his friends."
The Eunuch rubbed his powdered hands and hid them in the sleeves of his lavender robes. "I'm afraid that we have nothing new, Your Grace," he said in a voice as quiet as his slippers. "The last we've heard about them was the marriage of Lord Robert Baratheon's son and Lord Jon Arryn's daughter. But it is yet to happen. And there is no word of some new voyages of them to Braavos as well."
So they don't have any involvement in this. The gods be damned... I just got a new problem when everything was going fine, Rhaegar thought. He has enough problems within his realm and now another one comes from Braavos. He brushed the terrible thoughts away and focused on the works needed to be done. He shall worry about his brother later. And by no means that he was to leave this thing go unnoticed. The thing which happened to Viserys may very well follow up to the rest of his family. But now that is not all the news the raven brought from Braavos.
The letter also mentioned about the final stages of their deal for the loan from the Iron Bank which was incomplete. Tycho Nestoris had mentioned full and well about how the deal was incomplete with Viserys' death and how the loan won't be provided for them until someone else finishes the thing which Viserys couldn't. The fact that their contract with the Iron Bank was not yet fulfilled added onto the trouble Rhaegar was having with his brother's death. The crown on his head felt heavy and a weight on his head. Rhaegar took the conqueror crown from his head and placed in neatly before him on the table.
"As you all know it," Rhaegar Targaryen brought the attention of his small council back to him. "The letter not only brought the news about my brother's death but also about the contract between the Iron Throne and the Iron Bank of Braavos."
When all of the members of his attention were turned to him he continued. "It seems that Viserys was killed before he could finish his work," the King took the letter and threw it at the middle of the table where it laid, touched by no one since everyone was aware of what is going to come. "That means someone has to go to Braavos to get the job done."
There was a series of hushed voices in the small council chambers. Rhaegar looked to his lords speaking to themselves in hushed tones.
"Your Grace," Lord Jon Connington said after a moment. "With your word I shall go to Braavos to finish the contract and seal the friendship between the Iron Throne and the Iron Bank of Braavos."
At first Rhaegar was tempted to agree to it and send Jon Connington to Braavos. Jon was his trusted friend and a loyal servant. Sending him to Braavos would have the work done sooner than he'd thought. He thought as if he'd made a mistake by sending Viserys in the first place. If he'd sent Jon in the place of Viserys, it would've been the Lord Hand returning to Westeros victorious unlike Viserys who was coming back as a corpse. But then Rhaegar decided against it.
"The Hand of the King belongs in King's Landing, Lord Jon," Rhaegar said looking at his Hand. "You're needed here if the need arises to act in the King's stead."
The Lords of the Small Council nodded at his word.
"Your Grace," Lord Baelish announced. "Let me go to Braavos to make the things right and secure the contract of the Iron Throne with the Iron Bank as it is truthfully my work as the Master of Coin."
Rhaegar looked at the slimy smirk of Littlefinger and couldn't understand what the man was truly thinking at. Of all his lords he trusted Littlefinger the least. Everyone of his lords in the Small Council owed their loyalty to him except Petyr Baelish. Littlefinger's loyalty was only to Littlefinger and it is good for you with how quickly you realise it. But still Littlefinger was useful in his own way.
"Won't the preperations for the Crown Prince's marriage come under your work, my lord?" Rhaegar asked. Littlefinger nodded and bowed his head with a lazy smirk on his lips.
After a moment of silence Rhaegar stood from his seat. The council members looked up at him waiting to hear his decision. "I intend to go to Braavos myself to finish my brother's work," said the King and the council members were shocked at his decision and Rhaegar could see it in their faces.
"Your Grace is it wise for you to go now especially with your brother's death?" Lord Varys asked.
"Do you have anyone else in your mind to take up this responsibility, Lord Varys?" Rhaegar asked harshly. When the eunuch shook his head he finished the meeting. "Very well then," he said donning his crown. Rhaegar had sent his brother to Braavos to show his gratitude and respect and now his brother was dead. And the man who killed him should be walking happily in Braavos. This wasn't only about the contract, this was about the Dragons. And only a Dragon should deal with a Dragon's problem not some lesser men. He would go to Braavos and find out the seed from which this new tree had grown up and when he does that the block would burn just like all the other trees which'd blocked him before.