I left Lothar's chambers with my mind set. If I was going to climb in this viper's nest of a family, I couldn't just be a tool—I had to become a player.
But first, I needed to sell a lie.
The Approach
The stableman was exactly where I expected him, seated on a crate outside the stables, nursing a wineskin like a man who had already made peace with his fate. Lothar's men were watching him, but they weren't hovering. He wasn't a prisoner—yet.
I strode up to him and didn't bother with pleasantries.
"You're burnt."
The man stiffened, fingers tightening around his cup. "I don't—"
I cut him off. "They'll find you soon enough. If I leave you here, you'll be dead by the week's end."
His jaw clenched. "And you care why?"
I crouched beside him, keeping my voice low. "Because I have a way out for you."
That got his attention.
He studied me, wary. "What do you mean?"
I smirked. "You still have value—to me. And I have value to your buyers."
He stayed quiet, waiting.
I continued. "Bracken still needs a man inside the Twins. You're compromised. But if they thought they had someone else?" I let the implication hang. "Someone new. Someone they haven't spoken to before."
Realization flickered in his eyes.
"You want me to set up a meeting."
I nodded. "One of their men, someone who matters. Not just a messenger."
He hesitated. I leaned in. "You have no other options. You die here, or you run—and they'll never trust you again."
His throat bobbed. Then, finally, he exhaled. "Fine. But if this goes wrong, I'll have your blood on my hands."
I grinned. "Then let's make sure it doesn't."
The Waiting Game
The next three days were tense.
I didn't go to Lothar immediately. If he suspected I was working an angle beyond his plans, he might decide I was too clever for my own good.
Instead, I let the stableman do his work. He passed word quietly, using old contacts, sending discreet messages.
Finally, on the fourth night, he gave me a name.
Ser Garren of Bracken.
A landed knight, not highborn but trusted—a man who handled delicate matters for House Bracken.
The meeting was set for a secluded village a few miles outside Frey lands. Neutral ground.
The Crossroads
As I rode toward the meeting, I knew one thing for certain.
This was my first real step into the game.
If I played it wrong, I'd end up dead or worse.
But if I played it right…
I'd have my first real piece on the board.
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