The Redfish (Edmure SI) chapter 107 (Patreon)

Unveiling shadows

Edmure POV

The courtroom was in disarray. The Great Master and notable merchants crowed the Throne seeking the Queen’s attention. It wasn’t long since Daenerys raided the noble families that I found to be involved with the Sons of the Harpy. After confiscating various weapons, Daenerys took them into custody and locked them in dungeons before announcing their crimes to Meereen.

Now the rest of the noble houses were in outrage. Some noble houses viewed the arrests as a direct challenge to their power and a breach of Meereenese traditions. It didn’t matter to them if Daenerys’ actions were justified. I could tell that some were already discussing among themselves, probably trying to form alliances to resist Daenerys' actions and protect their interests.

But plenty of those tried to defame the arrested noble houses. One of the loudest was the House of Kandaq. The weaker houses that weren’t full-on slavery before Daenerys came in saw it as an opportunity to shake up the system and get more influence in Meereen. They saw the arrests as a bold move to break the power of the old establishment.

Some noble houses took a wait-and-see approach, observing the unfolding events before deciding on a course of action. They were wary of getting caught in the crossfire and tried to adapt their stance based on the outcomes. I could see that they were afraid of Daenerys. They seemed to be more cautious of her after she dealt with the Golden Company.

“Your Grace,” Everyone quieted down as the Green Grace, Galazza Galare, a respected priestess and wise woman in Meereen, spoke. “The revelations about the Sons of the Harpy are indeed troubling. But I stand before you with a deep concern for the path Meereen is treading by your actions.”

“I hear your concern, but I have no choice but to root out this rebellion and bring those responsible to justice,” Daenerys calmly replied. “The evidence is inferable. They were caught smuggling weapons. Their long history and standing with Meereen will not save them from their crimes.”

Green Grace needed to respond with caution, diplomacy, and appeals for Meereen's stability. But I knew her primary concern was to protect her family's reputation and divert suspicion from herself while preventing further chaos. Her words must be chosen wisely as she spoke for herself and the city. If Daenerys can refute the Green Grace's words, she can refute the noble houses.

“The city is already divided, and the abrupt arrest of the Great Masters could lead to more violence and chaos,” The Green Grace said. “The people's faith in your leadership could be tested. The actions of your guests are still on our minds. Your intentions are noble, Your Grace, but we must tread carefully to avoid further destabilization.”

Empty words. I could tell that the Green Grace tried to appeal to the city's safety while being careful not to defend the nobles Daenerys arrested. Otherwise, it might implicate her and her family. Her true goal was to get the support of the noble houses that didn’t want to get involved by implicating that Daenerys actions would lead to more violence and hinder them, even if it was justifiable. It would put Daenerys under much pressure.

“Your Grace, these arrests cast a shadow on all noble houses. Our allegiances are questioned, and our standing is at risk,” Another, seeing an opportunity, quickly added. “I beg you to reconsider your actions against them, even if they had a lapse of judgment and unknowably supported the vicious Sons of the Harpy.”

“You speak of compromise, but I will not back down from my commitment to justice,” Daenerys replied. “The House of Merreq and the House of Ghazeen will have the opportunity to present their defenses. I can promise the trial will be fair and just. The trial will be held in fourteen days in Fighting Pits, so people of Meereen can witness it.”

She silenced those who wanted to speak against her with her announcement. So far, everything has gone according to plan. Merreq and Ghazeen were significant houses among the nobles in Meereen. They had as many friends as they had enemies. Many will come as witnesses for them—a perfect opportunity for the Sons of the Harpy to strike.

The trial in the Fighting Pits would be a spectacle, a test not only of the accused houses' guilt or innocence but also of Daenerys' ability to navigate the complex political landscape of Meereen. The Sons of the Harpy couldn’t let Daenerys have her way with it. I knew the days leading up to the trial would be filled with more maneuvering, alliances forming, and breaking.

And I will be here to observe them all. Those who chose to continue with the Sons of the Harpy will be disposed of, and those who can see that the time for change has come will be left in their positions. It was the only way we could think of destroying the opposing faction but still leaving enough nobility for the city to function.

Even now, I notice representatives from some houses nodded in agreement while others exchanged skeptical glances. The court session began to disperse as Daenerys rose from her seat, her advisors following suit. As the attendees gradually left the room, I gave everyone one last glance before joining Daenerys.

…

The clinging of chains could be heard inside the dark dungeons beneath the Great Pyramid. It brought bad memories to me. I won’t ever be truly free from them, but I had to ignore my feelings for now. I had work to do. Getting closer to the people locked in their cells, I gave my torch to the unsullied guarding them.

“Lord Ghazeen,” I looked down on the older man. “How are you doing today?”

“You will not get anything from me, you savage,” The man replied.

“You hurt my feelings,” I said with no emotion. “There isn’t really anything you can say anyway that we don’t know. Your friend Lord Merreq is singing like a bird every time I come to see him. I learn many things from him.”

“Heh, liar,” The man tried to look strong before me. “Why would you be here if you got everything you needed?”

“To inform you,” I replied. “Your trial will be in fourteen days. It will be held in fighting pits for the nobles and common folk to see. Don’t worry. The trial will be fair. Everyone will be able to come to your defense. Your servants, your former slaves, and your friends from the noble houses. They will come as witnesses, so you only have to endure us for a bit longer before you are proven innocent.”

I didn’t need to look at his twisted face to know what he was thinking. Just like me, he knew that there wouldn’t be many who would defend him. The House of Ghazeen had many enemies who would use any opportunity to harm them. I investigated them and found many smaller houses that were exploited by Ghazeen and countless people who have suffered at their hands.

“You won’t get away with this,” The man said. “My family ruled Meereen for hundreds of years. We won’t fall so easily. Taking action against us is like making an enemy of the whole city.”

“You think the Sons of the Harpy will save you?” I asked. “What do you think it will be more probably them coming to save you or them coming to silence you? There is a reason why we gave them fourteen days.”

“You won’t get away with this!” The man yelled as I left him be.

As I walked out of his sight, I leaned against the wall and took a deep breath to calm down. Looking at the chained man, I couldn’t help but imagine him as myself. Taking the torch from the unsullied guard, I went to the other side of the dungeon. Another man was waiting to be questioned. I shouldn’t have accepted this job.

But Daario wasn’t suited for this. He would roughen up them too much, and they needed to be presentable for the trials. Still, there wasn’t any reason to question them too hard. We almost knew that there was a need. We only needed to fill up some gaps and get confirmation from them. With a bit of trickery, I could get them talking.

“You!” The head of House Merreq shouted as soon as he saw me approaching him. “Where is my family? What have you done to them?”

“Your daughter Mezzara Merreq is cared for by her Grace, Daenerys. You have nothing to worry about her,” I replied, giving the torch to the guards. “She is just a sweet little thing. We would not harm. But is there a reason to keep her in the Great Pyramid? With your betrayal, we thought you didn’t care if anything would happen to her. Wouldn’t it be best to give her to be raised by the other noble houses of Meereen?”

“No, you can’t!” The man was desperate.

“Maybe giving her to the Temple of the Graces would be the best for her,” I continued.

“Please, not the temple,” The man was on the verge of tears. “She is innocent. She knows nothing.”

“I can see you care about her much,” I knelt beside the man. “I have a daughter too. A little girl I haven’t seen for a long time. How about we help each other? Please tell me what I need to know, and I see that the girl and the rest of your family are protected. No other family, not even the temple, will be able to get near her.”

“I can’t,” The man backed off at my words.

“Why have you helped them?” I ignored his actions and continued.

“I didn’t help anyone,” The man said. “The weapons were meant for me. I would have smuggled them to Yunkai to earn more gold.”

“I know you are lying,” I let out a sigh. “I know the weapons were delivered to the Temple of the Graces. Your dear friend, the Head of House Ghazeen, has told me everything. I only need to confirm his words with you. You don’t need to say anything. Just nod if what I say is true. Do you understand?”

“Promise you will protect my family,” The man said.

“They will be protected by the Unsullied day and night,” I told him. “Now, let us begin. You brought those weapons to the temple, right?” The man nodded. “See, it wasn’t that difficult. The weapons were meant to be used by the Sons of the Harpy, right?” Again the man nodded. “Do you know where and when they would use these weapons?”

“No, I wasn’t told,” The man said. “The Sons of the Harpy only answer to him. All we did was support him.”

“Him?” I asked. “You talking of the leader of the Sons of the Harpy?”

“Yes, from the very beginning, it was him to planned those murders. He chose the targets,” The man answered. “We didn’t even know their true numbers or their origins. But it was too late for me to back off once I was told of their existence. He is a lunatic. He doesn’t care about anything but the system of the Great Masters. He would rather let Meereen burn than let anyone take his power and status.”

It was an unexpected answer. I thought the leader was the Green Grace. But the man called the leader man. And it was difficult to imagine the Green Grace as the lunatic that the man described. He didn’t look like he was lying, so it meant I was mistaken. But who could it be? If I asked him that, he would realize I didn’t know as much as I claimed.

“I understand your fear,” I said, trying to buy myself time to think about or bait him into revealing the leader. “Having connections to the Temple and the rest of the noble houses of Meereen. Who knows how much influence he has? But you don’t need to worry about him. We know who he is. We are prepared for whatever he is planning. But we need your help to stop him.”

“It is impossible. His cousin will never betray him, and as long as he has the support of the Temple of the Graces, nobody will be able to touch him.”

I got everything I needed. And even though I felt pity for the man, I had to remember that he was a former slaver. The Sons of the Harpy leader wouldn’t have approached him if he didn’t think that the House of Merreq would agree to his ideals. Now that truth is revealed about them. It is too late to seek forgiveness for their actions.