We stepped into one of the famous, well-established establishments of pleasure in King's Landing, the scent of perfume and wine thick in the air. The level of luxury seen here trumped even Winterfell to some degree, and that was an ancestral castle of one of the most ancient lines of lords in the Seven Kingdoms.
I saw the man who owned this place sitting comfortably on a cushioned seat, a sly smile playing on his lips as he watched us approach. As we settled down, he offered refreshments, but I simply declined while giving a glance at Varys, who sat calmly beside me, hands folded in his lap, his expression unreadable.
"Ah, Lord Thor," Littlefinger greeted smoothly. "To what do I owe the pleasure?"
"I'm no lord, though some people do seem to call me that over time," I replied with a smile.
"Haha, believe me, my friend, the way you fought in the tourney, it would be a shame to the crown if you were not knighted," Baelish said while taking a sip of wine.
"Indeed, in fact, it seems the king has long wished to knight Ser Thor here. However, he refused the position. A terrible loss to the realm," Varys intervened.
"Ah, always knew there was something different about you. May I pry into the reason why anyone would reject being knighted by the King himself?" Littlefinger asked leisurely. I understood that small talk was usually important before business took place, but those weren't my strong suit.
"Do you wish to hear the more politically correct one or the real reason?"
"I don't see why not both? We have women, wine, and food. I see no better time to open our hearts and embrace life." Baelish smirked, clearly quite proud of his whorehouse.
"Very well. I don't wish to be knighted as I won't be staying here long. As soon as I find my way home, I'll sail the seas, leaving this land my farewell."
"Ah, I've heard this one before. Surely the answer that would please the high lords and ladies."
"More like not outright slap them in the face, and in turn, I'd find myself getting chased by a cavalry."
"Haha..."
"What's the real one?"
"The real one... well, I just don't believe in knighthood. Nothing but restrictions, chains that would bind a warrior's blade. Vows to serve a realm, a king, or a lord who doesn't give a shit about you or your family's life.
Knighthood might be real. If so, then I'm clearly not made for it." I looked at him with somber eyes, almost glaring.
For a second, the room got tense before Baelish started to laugh. Soon joined by both me and Varys.
"Wise words. Never thought a warrior so extraordinary would be blessed with them. So, what brings you here to this humble establishment?"
I gave him a small smile, then looked at Varys. "I thought it would be best if we spoke in private. The three of us."
Littlefinger raised an eyebrow. "Such secrecy? I'm intrigued." He gestured for the nearby women to leave. Once the room was empty, he leaned forward. "Now, what is it you wish to discuss?"
Thor studied Baelish for a long moment before speaking. "You remind me of someone I knew," he said, his voice calm but firm.
Baelish chuckled. "Oh? And who might that be?"
"A trickster," Thor said simply. "A man with silver words and a forked tongue, always spinning lies while pretending to be a friend. A man who thought himself untouchable. A man who thinks that chaos is his ladder." His blue eyes locked onto Baelish's.
"Must have been a very wise man." Baelish replied almost instantly, though I could see he had already started to think that this conversation wouldn't be very pleasant. If only he knew what a conversation was for an Asgardian.
"Wise? I can't say. But quite a lucky man, I assure you. Every time I wished to kill him, he survived. Do you know why?"
"Must be fate. Only the Seven know when a man should live and when he meets the Stranger." Baelish's smile didn't falter, but there was a flicker of something in his eyes.
"Indeed, it was fate. You see, the man happened to be my brother. So he survived. You, on the other hand, Lord Baelish, are not my kin…" I said as I reached into my cloak and pulled out a dagger. The Valyrian steel blade gleamed in the candlelight. I placed it on the table between us.
"Do you recognize this?" Thor asked.
Baelish barely glanced at the dagger before shaking his head. "I'm afraid not."
Thor tilted his head. "Strange. You see, I just happened to acquire a little bird of my own. And he did quite a bit of chirping in my ears." I said with a smile while giving a glance at Varys.
Baelish's expression remained controlled, but his fingers twitched slightly. "You are turning out to be a man of many talents, then. But alas, I have to disappoint you. The dagger doesn't belong to me."
"Oh really? Such a shame. I thought I finally figured out who would send such a precious gift to someone like me."
"You certainly underestimate yourself, my lord. There are many in the realm who would provide gifts for a man of your caliber."
"You flatter me…
"However, I do believe that this one wasn't intended for me." I replied while looking at Baelish with keen eyes.
Varys, who had remained silent until now, let out a quiet hum. "A curious accusation," he mused. "One that could lead to… complications."
"Yes, indeed, Lord Varys. The man who gave me the gift ended up coming to a room that was originally supposed to be used by one of Ned Stark's daughters. It was only a last-minute change that Ned Stark graciously offered that room, saving me the trouble of finding one in the servants' quarters."
Baelish's smile returned, though it was thinner now. "If you have proof, Lord Thor, I would love to see it. Otherwise, I fear this is all just an unfortunate misunderstanding."
Thor did not blink. "Of course, my lord, it's a misunderstanding since you clearly failed to understand that I am not a man who needs proof to do anything. I do whatever, whenever, and however I wish to."
The room went silent again.
"Let me guess, you wished to harm or kill one of the Stark daughters to create tension between the Starks and the crown, or just outright start a war between the North and the Lannisters. Tell me, Lord Baelish, how were you planning on climbing this ladder? Your excellence in the field is truly outstanding..."
"Is that a threat, my lord?" Baelish no longer had his smile on his face.
"Threat? Hahaha. No, no… I don't do threats. In fact, I particularly pride myself on being a man of action. And if I offended you in any way, then forgive me. I asked because I was truly intrigued. After all, I too agree with your assessment."
"What assessment?"
"This..." I said, and with lightning reflexes, threw the dagger at Baelish. I had practiced enough before coming here that the dagger found its way exactly to Baelish's forehead. It was sharp enough to dig a hole and completely insert itself there. For insurance that our esteemed treasurer didn't suffer much, I added lightning into the dagger for a clean cut.
Everything happened within seconds, to the point that neither understood what had just happened.
Thud...
Only when Baelish's body fell did Varys finally recognize what had happened, his eyes wide.
"Yo... you... What did you do?"
"But of course, sort chaos and climb the ladder. Just like Lord Baelish wished to do. Rejoice, Lord Varys. Now we are playing on my terms.
The Realm is Officially at WAR…"
xxx
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