NOVEL NEXT Chapter 15: LIES
As Alex walked back to the inn with the twenty freed slaves now under his banner, his mind raced through his plan. He had seen the potential of his new recruits, the former slaves who had now pledged their loyalty to him. They weren't soldiers far from it but the potential for growth was there. They would never be as skilled as trained fighters in just a month, but that wasn't the point. The point was to build an army, a network of people who could take down the systems of oppression that ruled Pentos and the surrounding cities.
The real goal was to grow his power, one step at a time, until the city and eventually more would fall under his control.
Alex had always known that the magistrates of Pentos would have to be dealt with sooner or later. They were corrupt, merciless, and their hold over the city was as fragile as glass. But the key to taking them down wasn't through force alone. It was through manipulation, influence, and, above all, lies. Lies could be more powerful than any sword, if used correctly.
And that's where the puppet prince came in.
Alex had been studying the political landscape of Pentos. The prince, the so-called ruler of the city, was nothing more than a figurehead. He had no real power, no true support. The magistrates, the people who truly controlled Pentos, had been calling the shots for years. But Alex knew that the prince would never be able to stand against the magistrates on his own. That was where he would come in.
Alex's plan was simple: he would approach the prince with a lie one that would be impossible to resist.
Khal Drogo, the Dothraki warlord, was coming. Alex had heard the rumors, seen the fear in the eyes of the people in Braavos. And he knew that Pentos would be the next target. The prince's rule was already unstable, and if Khal Drogo turned his sights on the city, there would be nothing left for the puppet prince to rule.
So Alex would lie. He would tell the prince that the magistrates were planning to turn on him, to slit his throat and take the city for themselves. That the magistrates were already planning for a new ruler to take his place one who would bow to their will.
Alex would promise the prince that he could protect him. That, in exchange for the prince's loyalty, Alex would eliminate the magistrates and make sure the prince could rule Pentos as he pleased. It was a lie, of course.
Once Alex controlled the city, he would have no use for a puppet prince. But the prince didn't need to know that. All Alex needed was his cooperation, his allegiance, long enough to secure power.
It was a carefully crafted web of deception. And Alex knew it would work.
The inn loomed in front of him as he walked through the streets of Pentos, a little farther from the heart of the city now, but still within reach of the important districts. He had planned ahead, paying for five more rooms next to his own for the freed slaves, who would need a place to stay while they adjusted to their new lives. They were still raw, untrained, and far from ready for combat, but Alex knew that would come with time.
Inside, Raven had already made his way to the main area, and Alex quickly briefed him on the new plan. "I'm going to approach the prince," he said. "I'll offer him a way out, tell him I can protect him from the magistrates."
Raven nodded, understanding the gravity of the situation. "And what if he doesn't believe you?"
Alex smiled grimly. "He will. I've already learned enough about him to know that he's a coward at heart. The magistrates will be the last thing he wants to deal with. If he believes there's a chance of survival, he'll take it. Even if it's based on lies."
Raven didn't argue, as Alex's logic was sound. The prince was nothing but a scared puppet, and anyone who had a chance to seize his power would take it. The magistrates' greed had left them blind to the fact that their hold on Pentos was slipping. By the time they realized it, Alex would be too deep inside the city's infrastructure to remove.
As the freed slaves settled into their new rooms and began to clean themselves, Alex sat down and began to formulate the exact details of his conversation with the prince. He would need to make the prince believe that the magistrates had already turned on him, that they saw him as weak and expendable. He would play on the prince's paranoia, make him believe that his only hope of survival was to align himself with Alex. Once that was done, the rest of the pieces would fall into place.
But there was still much to do before he could make that move. He needed to gather more information, make sure the magistrates were truly vulnerable, and find out exactly when and how he could approach the prince without raising suspicion. It was a dangerous game, but it was the only way forward.
As the evening fell over Pentos, Alex looked at the group of freed slaves. They were not soldiers. They were not even close to being ready for what was to come. But Alex had a plan, and he would shape them into something greater. They would be the foundation of his growing army, and together, they would take Pentos.
The magistrates and the puppet prince would fall. It was only a matter of time.
And in the background, Raven stood, observing Alex with a quiet nod. It was clear that the master of this game had already begun to lay his moves.