Clandestine meeting

Alfyn, called Alfy by most, watched as the sun had just finished its descent, significantly dimming the light on his office. Now all the light came from the lamps hanging in different places in the room. Fortunately he had almost finished all of his work for the day, there was only one meeting left.

`One more meeting and I can go home, Mya said she would make beef stew. I am starving. Where are those two?`

Alfy looks out the window, holding back a yawn, for he has been working since dawn and the days in Dorne are not short.

Finally, after what seemed like hours, someone knocks on the door. Alfy gets up from his desk and opens the door, on the other side are two hooded men.

"Come in, I don't have all night."

"That's no way to talk to-"

"Bah, you want to talk about manners? You should have arrived before sunset."

"You-"

"Calm down Bryon, good old Alfyn is doing us a favor." The second man scolds his partner before turning to Alfy, who has already sat back down in his chair. "Sorry for the delay, there was a little problem."

"A problem?!" Alfy looks at him in alarm and the second man rushes to reassure him.

"It was nothing major, nothing that affects our business. A drunk got into a fight with a port official and it delayed our landing."

"Ah yes. Since the prince opened his Game Houses there have been many more drunks prowling the streets."

"So the golden boy causes trouble even in his kingdom." Bryon scoffs.

"We have already lost a lot of time between your tardiness and this small talk. Let's do our business, I have been working all day and I want to go home."

"Of course, of course. We understand what it's like to be tired after a hard day's work." The second man reassures him with an understanding smile. "But first we have to check a few things, Bryon."

Bryon walks around the room opening each cabinet looking for something.

"Edgar that's not necessary, I'm a man of my word." Alfy looks at them with a frown.

"Of that I have no doubt my good Alfy, but in this business one always has to take certain measures." Edgar answers with the same smile as he opens the window and looks around. Seeing no one in the dead of night, he turns to his partner, who has already finished searching Alfy's office.

"Nothing, it's just the three of us here."

"Great! Then we should make the exchange and end this meeting." Edgar motions for Alfy to start but Alfy folds his arms and looks at him expectantly.

"You two first."

Bryon was going to open his mouth but Edgar motions for him to be quiet, the taller man sulks and walks over to the window leaning against the frame and looking at both men in front of the desk with a frown.

"That is unusual but we understand your misgivings." Edgar pulls a scroll from a bag tied to his belt and hands it to Alfy.

"This better be authentic, I risked my neck getting these plans." Alfy murmurs as he inspects the seal.

Two vertical triangles upside down interlocking forming a diamond in the middle with a hand on each side.

"The Iron Bank, the seal is authentic." Alfy breaks the seal and opens the scroll. "Coin-Note for the value of 50,000 Westerosi golden dragons issued on the fifth day of the second Moon of the year 259 in the Westersosi calendar, and the year 729 in the Braavosi calendar."

"As you can see everything is correct, you can claim that gold whenever you want. Now is your turn." Edgar holds out his hand, expecting something.

Alfy opens a drawer in his desk and takes out two things, a fairly large envelope and some sheets of paper. Edgar quickly picks up the sheets and inspects their contents.

"They are beautiful." He sighs in admiration looking at the plans of the ships that he has in hand. "The caravel's triangular sails are like no other on all the seas."

"Yes, yes." Alfy puts the Iron Bank scroll in a drawer which he then locks.

"Edgar," Bryon walks over to his partner and looks over the plans. "Are they the right ones?"

"Yes, the plans of the caravel. The real ones, drawn by Prince Doran the Bright himself."

"Our business is over" Alfy takes the plans from Edgar who protests, Alfy ignores him and folds them, then he puts them in the envelope which he then seals with wax. He hands them the envelope and makes a dismissive gesture with his hand for them to leave now. Bryon takes the envelope and puts it in his bag.

"Close the door on your way out."

"What a rude man." Bryon groans on his way out the door. Edgar did not lose his smile and closed the door after saying goodbye to Alfy.

"I hope to do business with you again my good Alfy."

Alfy watches as Egdar closes the door without saying anything, and once it is closed he flops into his chair with a sigh.

"Life was easier when I was just a customs officer."

At 34 years old Alfy has been working at the port of Planky Town since he was a street urchin, first being the errand boy going from one place to another delivering messages, then when he gained some strength in his arms he started working unloading cargo from ships and after a few years he became an officer's apprentice. At twenty-one he became a customs officer's assistant and after two years earned that position through his hard work.

"I could take this scroll and board the first ship to Braavos tomorrow, with all this gold I could live like a king for the rest of my days. I could go somewhere far away like the Summer Island. That place would be the perfect retreat; beautiful and quiet. Away from the nobles' games and all this stress. Mya would love those beaches, and little Elron and Hali could grow up with no worries. Yes, it would be a great life." Alfy sighs with a dreamy look before coming back to the present. "But I could never do such a thing, not to my lord. Not after what he did for us."

Alfy remembers the epidemic two years ago, hundreds of good men and women got sick overnight. First came the fever and then the cough, by the third day almost all of them ended up dying. Eighty people died in Planky Town when their savior, Prince Doran, appeared. With his potions and helpers, the prince controlled the epidemic and saved hundreds of infected, including Alfy's pregnant wife.

"Those idiots don't know who they're playing with. Our `Golden Boy` is more dangerous than those brutes could ever dream of."

Alfy chuckles knowing how disappointed his "partners" will be.

***

"Lord Paxter will be delighted." Bryon smiles.

"I'm sure, my good friend." Edgar walks beside him, playing with a gold ring on his right index finger.

"That Martell brat may be a stingy bastard but he sure knows how to build ships. I hear those caravels of his, travel at eight knots and have better maneuverability than any other ship."

"Ships and much more, think what you want about the prince but there is no doubt that he is a genius like no other."

"You seem to admire this Dornishman." Bryon looks at Edgar with a frown.

"Of course I do, how could I not admire someone who achieved so much at such a young age. He is not yet a man and has put his name in the history books. Mark my words my friend, even if the prince were to die tomorrow he would still be remembered a thousand years from now."

"Hmph." Bryon snorts and glances forward just to see a short man stagger toward him.

"Good night, good men. Do you have a few coins left over for a poor wretch?" The drunk belches and trips over his own feet landing on Bryon who grabs him by the shoulders.

"Watch where you're going idiot." Bryon pushes him aside and the drunk falls to the ground.

"Excuse his manners." Edgar smiles politely at the drunk and tosses him a silver coin before continuing on his way, grabbing his partner by his arm

"You're too generous. At this rate you'll run out of coins." Bryon complains.

"And you are too dim witted. What do you think would have happened if the drunk had made a fuss attracting the town guards?" Edgar scolds his partner. Bryon blushes and looks away in embarrassment.

"Hey where are we going?" After following his partner for a while without paying attention, Bryon realized that they were entering an alley. "The harbor is the other way-" Before Bryon can finish his sentence, Edgar turns on him at high speed and plunges a dagger into his throat.

Bryon begins to gurgle blood and looks at his partner in disbelief.

Edgar pulls the dagger from his throat and stabs him again, this time in the chest. Bryon falls to the ground clutching his throat, his blood spurting out.

"In the end your dear Lord Paxter will be disappointed, my good friend. He paid all that gold for nothing" Even watching Bryon bleed to death in front of him, Edgar didn't lose his calm tone of voice, with a polite smile still in his face he reaches into Bryon's bag and pulls out the envelope with the plans.

After inspecting the envelope for damage he continues on his way, leaving Bryon's corpse in the alley with the dagger still stuck in his chest.

***

Without Edgar noticing he was being watched by someone from the air, above him a brown eagle was flying keeping its eyes on the man who was heading towards the harbor.

***

NOTE: I am editing some old chapters to improve the story. I edited chapter 43 (adding lots of stuff) so go check it.