Chapter 22 5 страница

The only mild break he had was two nights ago when he made his way down to the brothel in Winter Town. But even that wasn't just about finding pleasurable company for the night. For the whore he'd chosen was the very same one that he'd sent to the North in the first place. Unfortunately, she didn't have much to tell him as most of her patrons didn't have much to say about the going's on in Winterfell. And her best source of information, the Greyjoy lad who had become her most frequent patron, had only the coin to visit her twice since returning to the North with Lord Stark. But he did give her a bit of information that Tyrion was very interested in. Information regarding the few small folk that came back from King's Landing with the Starks. The young lad was a motherless bastard who worked as a blacksmith's apprentice before the sorcerer got his hands on him. The young mother who came with them was a former whore who now worked on the looms in Winterfell. And while she didn't have any magic within her, her infant daughter apparently did. And it was because of her daughter that the woman was allowed to travel North and treated pretty much like a noble lady. And the last of the smallfolk was apparently a young girl that the sorcerer rescued. Though just why the sorcerer had taken an interest in her seeing as how she wasn't joining the sorcerer's other acolytes in their lessons, that Theon didn't know. 'I'll have to try and find this young girl, ' Tyrion frowned, his mind wandering as he walked. 'The sorcerer never does anything without reason. So why would he take in a young girl wh—? '

His thoughts scattered as he turned the corner of a shelf and ran straight into someone small, knocking both of them to the ground. " Ouch! Wat–oh! Milord–forgive me! I–I didn't see you or hear you coming! "

Picking himself up off the ground, Tyrion found a head of golden hair scrambling around him trying to pick up a few cleaning instruments that the girl must've dropped when they collided. " No worries, girl, " he said, picking up a feather duster and holding it out for her to take. " I am quite a small man and am often…missed…"

His words died in his throat as his heart seized in his chest. The girl's face when she looked up at him… He knew her face. It was younger than the one that so regularly haunted and mocked his dreams, but the face was almost the same. And her eyes. One green. The other dark to almost black.

" Thank–Thank you, milord, " the girl stammered, quickly taking the duster from him.

Forcing himself to breathe, Tyrion looked down at the girl carefully. " Who are you, girl? "

The girl's hand froze in the act of picking up a rag. " Me–My name be Anna, milord, " she said, causing Tyrion's heart to stop beating once again. " I—I clean the Sorcerer's library when I'm not learning from Lady Bethany. I wasn't expectin nobody today, milord. Usually, only Lady Talisa be in the library at this hour. "

'Her name. Her face. Her eyes. Gods…It's impossible. Isn't it? ' " I see, " Tyrion responded, doing everything he could think of to try and remain calm. " And tell me, girl, do your parents also work to help clean? "

The girl shook her head slowly. " No, milord. Me ma be dead. She died back in the big city, then…then bad men came, and…and they did…they did bad things. But then the sorcerer and a man in a white cloak came and saved me! And the sorcerer brought me here. The sorcerer is such a good man! He's letting me learn how to read and write and he says that I'm good at it. And, and he gives me extra coin to help Lady Talisa and to help clean up around his library. I – I miss my ma, but…but I'm happy here. "

" I see, " Tyrion swallowed the lump in his throat. " And…what of your father, gi – Anna? "

Anna ceased slightly as her right hand came up and clutched at something that was around her neck and tucked into her dress. A pendant perhaps? " I–I never knew me father, milord, " Anna stated plainly, though with a clear touch of sadness in her voice. " Mama…ma said they were married in secret and that he was a lord of some sort. She said she loved him but he…he betrayed her in the worst way. She–She never said what he did but…but he hurt mama bad. And then she – she was driven away from her home and left on her own by me father's family. Mama, she…she never said any more about me father than that. "

Tyrion was near shaking at this point. Too many things were matching up for his liking…but it was impossible. Wasn't it? " And – And what is it that you are holding onto so dearly there, Anna? "

Blinking away the tears forming in her eyes, the girl pulled on a thin cord that was around her neck. When the pendant came clear of her dress, any doubts that were left in Tyrion's mind were gone as he saw the poorly repaired cheap lion pendant that'd been hidden. After all, he'd been the one to repair that exact pendant and give it to his whore of a first wife. " That's…quite the treasure you have there, Anna. "

" Thank you, milord, "

'Not milord…father, ' Tyrion wanted to tell her, but he didn't. He couldn't. Not until he had some answers. " Tell me, girl. You said that a man in a white cloak found you as well as the sorcerer. Would you be able to describe this man to me? "

Anna blinked at him before gracing him with a dazzling smile and nodding. " His hair was yellow like mine. And he had green eyes and smiled a lot. At least he did until he went and talked quietly to the Lord Sorcerer. Then he…he wasn't smiling anymore. And I never saw him again after that. "

'Jamie. ' For the first time in his life, Tyrion felt pure unbridled anger at the only member of his family outside of his Uncle Gerion who showed him any amount of decency in his shit life. 'Did he know about her? Or did he just happen to come across her and recognize her? And if so, why did he send her North? Why – Why didn't he send her to me! She's my daughter, for fuck's sake! Why would he send her so far away and not tell me about her? And Nox…Does he know? That's a stupid question. Of course, he knows who she is. She just told me that she usually works in the library at this time of day. And Nox specifically told me to come here at this time when the place was mostly deserted. He wanted the two of us to meet! '

" Keep that pendant safe, Anna, " Tyrion said, trying his best to smile at the girl and failing miserably. " Now, if you'll excuse me. I believe that I need to have a few words with the Lord Sorcerer myself. "

Leaving the young girl who was his daughter was perhaps one of the hardest things Tyrion had ever done in his entire life, but he needed to talk to Nox immediately. Not bothering to ask anyone for directions, he simply started to climb the tower, assuming that the sorcerer's private quarters were at the very top. But before he could reach the top of the tower, a door was suddenly flung open in his path. What was strange though was that no one seemed to have opened said door. It simply opened on its own. Peeking through the doorway, Tyrion clenched his teeth as he spotted the sorcerer kneeling in the middle of the room.

" Brave of you to trespass so readily into the domain of a Sith, Tyrion Lannister. Especially as you were not invited. " the sorcerer said, his back still turned to Tyrion.

Fighting down every instinct within him that was telling him to turn tail and run. Tyrion forced himself to walk into the room. As soon as he did, the door slammed shut behind him and the latch fell in place, locking the two of them in the room together.

" I don't take to being threatened well, sorcerer. " He didn't know just how or why he was able to keep his voice as steady as it was, but he just hoped that whatever it was that was allowing him to confront the sorcerer like this would hold out for a while longer.

" Threatened? " the sorcerer questioned, rising to his feet and turning to face him. The cloth that usually covered his face was gone, showing his burn-scarred eyes for all to see. " That was no threat Tyrion. Merely an education, if you will. Sith do not take to being intruded upon well. "

" Not that, " Tyrion countered, fighting to keep his eyes on the man's scarred face. " I am not a fool, sorcerer. I know how this game is played better than most. And I know when a threat is being waved in my face. "

The sorcerer tilted his head slightly to the side. " I see. So, you have met your daughter then. A good girl. One you should be proud—"

" Cut the horse shit, sorcerer! " Tyrion yelled, taking a step towards the sorcerer. " You have my daughter! And I swear to the gods, old and new, that should anything happen to her, I'll bring an end to—"

Something invisible struck him in the gut, forcing the air from his lungs and ending his tirade. Before he could recover his wits, he felt himself being dragged back and slammed against the wall before being raised up and held in place so that he and the sorcerer were now at eye level.

" You say that you do not take to threats well, Tyrion. " The very air in the room almost seemed to turn to ice as Tyrion began shivering as he was held in the air by unseen bindings as the sorcerer advanced on him. " But Sith do not take well to even the idea of a threat. Your daughter being here and you meeting her was no threat, Tyrion. Merely a chance to stage a reunion between a father and his daughter away from prying eyes. Now, we can either sit down and talk. Or you can continue to try and threaten me with whatever imagination you have. In which case, well…Just ask Ser Lyn Corbray how inventive I can be with those who cross me. Now. Choose. Talk. Or something far more unpleasant. "

Whatever was keeping him in the air and turning the air to ice disappeared as Tyrion's feet hit the floor. " Not really much of a choice, is there? " Tyrion asked, making his decision known as he worked to calm himself to deal with the sorcerer with a clear mind. " Wouldn't happen to have any wine up here, would you? "

" It would be best if you kept your wits about you for now, Tyrion, " the sorcerer informed him, returning to the center of the room and kneeling down in the same place he'd been in when Tyrion arrived. " You can indulge yourself later. "

Frowning at not finding any seats and being denied a drink, Tyrion sat down on the cold stone floor a few paces in front of the sorcerer. " Not necessarily the most comfortable of seats, " he grumbled, fidgeting as he tried to find a comfortable manner for which to sit.

" Comfort is merely a state of one's mind. Now, onto the topic of your daughter. What exactly do you intend to do with her now? "

Frowning, Tyrion scratched at the back of his head. " Let me ask you this first. The white cloak who found her. Was it my brother, Jamie? "

" Aye, it was. " The answer was expected. But still devastating to hear. Jamie was the one person he thought he could trust in his family. And now, now his brother had sent Tyrion's daughter to the North without even bothering to let him know that she existed in the first place. " But before you let your anger get the better of you, it was clear that your brother was just as surprised to learn of her existence as you now are. And him sending her with me was not done to keep her from you. But rather to protect her. "

" To protect her? " Tyrion asked. " What in the Seven hells are you talking about? "

" Tell me, Tyrion, should your father or sister learn of your daughter's existence. A daughter that is trueborn regardless of what people say, what do you think would happen to her? Had Anna been born a boy, she would've technically been the direct heir to Casterly Rock. But even with her being born a girl, she still holds significant value. "

The question made Tyrion pause and think. And none of the thoughts that came to him were pleasant. When Tyrion made no move to speak, the sorcerer pressed on. " You wish to take her from here and raise her as your own, do you not? That will cause more than a few issues. One of which will be you explaining to your daughter why you stood by and watched, and later participated, in the gang raping of her mother. "

The insinuation and reminder of his whore of a first wife made Tyrion clench his fist. " Her mother was a whore, nothing more. And I–I fell for her tricks. But my father showed me what she was after he revealed her plot. Offered her a silver stag for each guard she fucked. Then when I fucked her, he gave her a single gold dragon cause a Lannister man was worth more. When she was done, she had so much silver that it was pouring from her hands like water. "

" And you believe your father to be the epitome of truthfulness when it comes to matters regarding yourself? "

Tyrion leveled a glare at the sorcerer. Of course he hadn't believed his father when he'd informed him of Tysha's true nature. But Jamie confirmed the tale to be true. " Of course not. But Jamie, he told me that she was a whore and that the whole farce had been set up so that I could become a man. "

" And you believe that your brother is incapable of lying to you? Even if your father ordered him to? "

That…brought Tyrion up short. Jamie was always kind to him while they were growing up. But his brother was also desperate for his father's approval, even if he would deny it. If his father ordered Jamie to lie… Gods, could it be true? Had he…Had he been tricked by his father and brother?

" I spent quite a bit of time looking in on Anna's past while I was in King's Landing after your brother left her with me, " the sorcerer continued, oblivious or not caring of Tyrion's internal struggle. " Her mother died less than a year past from a sickness. The moment she died, men raided the small home she had managed to purchase, and Anna, sweet and cute girl she is, was sold off to an underground slave market that was starting to take hold. It took me some time to locate the ones who sold her, but I eventually managed to catch one of them. After some questioning, he informed me that the reason why they raided the house was because there was a tale that Tysha had a bag of silver and a gold dragon hidden in her house somewhere despite living in near squaller. And the rumors proved true. The man confessed that he and his accomplices found a bag full of silver stags and a single gold dragon hidden beneath one of her floorboards. It had been there for so long that a thick layer of dust had formed on the bag. "

Tyrion felt his world crumbling around him. Tysha…She never spent a single coin that'd been thrown on her soiled body. She raised their daughter without him even knowing. His daughter had been sold into slavery, even if only for a brief time. His father had destroyed the one good thing that'd happened to him. And his brother had lied about it to cover for his father. Questions of the past and what had truly happened could wait. Right now he needed to focus on his daughter and keeping her safe. Because, as loath as he was to admit it, right now her anonymity was her best protection from his family and from those would seek to use her against his family.

" I–I want to leave her here in Winterfell…for now. " Tyrion ground out, his mind still a mess as he tried to sort out his upturned life. " You'll…You'll treat her well? Like she was one of your own? "

The sorcerer gave a slight nod. " As long as she is here, I will see to her upbringing as a favor to you. She will have to work to earn her keep but given her mind and work ethic, that will not be a problem. Once you are ready to be reunited with her, I will make sure she arrives to you without incident. "

Tyrion wanted to curse whichever god had led him to this situation. Hells, he might as well curse them all. Shaking his head, Tyrion got to his feet and made to leave the sorcerer alone so that he could gather his thoughts. Coming to the door, which unlatched itself as he approached, he turned back towards the sorcerer and did something he rarely did. He bowed to the man.

" Thank you, Lord Nox. A Lannister always repays his debts… Though, I cannot fathom just how I'm going to repay this one…" As he moved out into the hall and started making his way down the tower, he couldn't stop himself from muttering, " Fuck, I need a drink and a strong one at that… Probably more than one. "

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