Grazdan watched as the men marched into his home.
"Now that he's king, he believes he should do as he pleases, not as he's bid", the king spoke bitterly.
"Crowns do queer things to the heads beneath them," Vigar replied.
"Courage and folly are cousins, or so I've heard", he said as he listened to the gentle rhyme they made.
"Yoy think my decision is unwise?" the king asked.
"Why, ask when you already know the answer?". The king did not reply to the apparent jab; instead, he reminded him of his duties. "Don't you have a meeting to attend to?".
"Nothing seems to get past you, your highness".
"You may be my eyes and ears, Vigar, but you are not the only one".
"Should I be flattered at your attempt to replace me?" Vigar's eyes held a glint of curiosity. The king only nodded. Vigar, you are still treacherous as you are wise. How is it that you have remained the same after all these years? Those poor nobles will feel only your wrath as you spew my name in an attempt to shield yourself from your own deceit. The king did not relay these thoughts but instead continued to watch the men march as the door closed behind him.
Vigar trotted down the castle steps as his unsullied soldier followed quietly behind him. He gave a look at his guard, who then slowly retreated into the shadows. He never missed a beat. The sound of his feet hitting the castle steps seemed like charity to him. "Where are they?" Vigar asked his guard.
"They're hosting a small gathering at the jade pyramid, not too far away from the kingdom gates that aided in the release of the valyrians".
"And what has become of our fiery friends?"
"Travelers said they saw them at the top of Valyria's old mountains two nights ago. They did not follow in fear of the wyverns' mating season, so their plans were interfered with to recapture the slaves. But they did say their screams echoed in the mountains they cherish so deeply. This seemed to please his master.
"Are there any whereabouts of the others?"
"No", the guard answered. Vigar stopped and asked if he had ever told him why he chose him over all the other unsullied in the market square that day. No, the guard said again. "It is because of those dry, bitter, careless eyes that drew me in". "You always look better this way, " Vigar said as he descended the steps.
The jade pyramid stood tall; the sand slaves had built it from the sands outside the gates, something Vigar watched at his leisure when his spies went to work. He climbed the jade steps easily.
"Welcome", the woman said. She had the same patterns as the woman from the execution, melted gold upon her skin; she was in the shade, so it did not shine as bright as it was designed to. Some of the sand fell on Vigar's shoulder as the door opened. The dust did not faze him as he handed his coat to his guard. Inside the structure was loud; the sight before him left him bewildered. Every slave or low born cascade had a new invention carved into their skin and mouth. Some of the marks seemed fresh, for any movement they made was met with some resistance that turned into a painful smile.
"Oh, aww, now this is a party", he thought.
Under the king's eye, one of the men shouted, asking him to join them at the high table where the nobles sat. He was the man who spoke to him at the execution, meaning that there were more of his little crows. The man embraced him for a hug, which he returned with a smile as the wine reached his lips. "It has been awhile my king I feared we would not met so soon". "I suppose one could never know what one has in store behind closed doors", Vigar slurred his words as he drank the wine.
His guard caught his attention as he stared across the room. His mouth turned into a smile. "So this is your latest invention". "How is it made?"
"He was found in the dungeons after dark. I suggested that he become a puppet, but someone else wanted a jester, so we compromised. What you see is a puppet on strings. It's laced with alcohol to numb the joints and ease the pain to keep his arms and legs up high. The hooks, however, are a different story. We still haven't found the right material, so the holes on his skin are failed attempts on our parts. In order to play him, one has to move the strings. If he plays well, one can help him eat off the very stage he inhabits, but the stench of his fieces may be too much for some".
"And how do the strings fare?"
"Quite strong, my king."
"I would like to buy some, do remind me", Vigar said, looking straight at his guard.
They sat at the table as the laughter engulfed the room. Pleasure and pain reminded Vigar of his old home as one of the slave women was rammed into the slave man's cock. As one of the high lords watched in anticipation. Everytime the girl moaned a leech was added to her body. She was probably going to die as another lord fed her that savory drink that the leeches seemed to love. The color on her cheeks was fading, but her pleasure clouded the pain.
"You must come and visit me in Meereen, dear gentlemen. I fear this will be my last visit to one of your establishments". This caught the man's attention as his companions whispered from ear to ear. Vigar placed his cup down, silencing the speeches. The man raised his hand as though signaling someone. Soon enough, the woman he had met before entered the dance. She had the very strings he requested only moments ago, but they came with a tray and an unknown message. Vigar took the gifts before leaving. This simple gesture meant they would be making the trip, and he seemed to get added information from it.
The men smiled sheepishly to themselves. Vigar stood in a safe vicinity overlooking the jade pyramid. "He told me of his king's plan in Sarnor, too bad his king had already told him he was a traitor in his kingdom for his craft. It was the very reason he requested the Sarnor men to guard the gates that the valyrians had escaped from to remind them of the sea. His plan did work as they stared into the empty sands of the abyss.