A God's Arrangement

"Good day, Grand Maester Pycelle." Led in by a servant, Maester Holley entered the room. When he saw two people inside, he froze for a moment, but he quickly used their ages and the maester's chains around their necks to determine which one was Pycelle, then bowed to him.

"Not well at all," Grand Maester Pycelle replied with a smile.

Maester Holley froze again, unsure for a moment how he should respond.

"These days, the problem of how to write the record of Maegor the First's death has given me a great headache, so I prayed to the gods for someone to come help me," Grand Maester Pycelle said. "But you, Maester Holley, have been leisurely staying in camp and dragging your feet for two whole days before coming here, extending my suffering by two days. My dear Maester Holley, do you think I am doing well?"

However poor Holley was at social dealings, he could hear the complaint in Pycelle's words. He wanted to explain, but did not know how. Nervousness brought sweat to his brow.

"Do not be nervous. I do not mean to blame you." With that exchange, Grand Maester Pycelle easily took Holley's measure and knew that if Holley remained in the Red Keep, he would not pose any threat. After comforting him, Pycelle asked, "Do you need to prepare anything? If not, I hope you can begin work immediately. The chronicle is already progressing much more slowly than I expected. I hope your involvement will speed it up and allow us to complete the compilation of all major historical events before 80 AC by the new year."

"As you command, Grand Maester." Holley, who loved history, became visibly excited at Pycelle's words. He could not hide the joy in his face. He hurriedly bowed and said that he needed to prepare nothing and could begin at any time. Then he suddenly remembered something. "I have a companion waiting at the guard post outside the Red Keep. I may need to go tell him and explain a few things..."

"No need. You need not go." Grand Maester Pycelle raised a hand to stop him. "If it is not something particularly private, do not waste time on it. Write it down and give it to him. He can carry it back. I do not want your time afterward wasted on such meaningless matters."

When Pycelle pointed to the other man in the room, that man paused despite himself. Then a mocking smile appeared on his face, as if asking Pycelle whether he truly thought he would obey.

Because the lamplight in the room was dim, Maester Holley did not see the expression. He did not object to Pycelle's instruction. He asked for a sheet of paper and quickly wrote several lines.

After Holley finished, Grand Maester Pycelle took the paper. Without reading it closely, he folded it and handed it to the other man. "The contents of the third chest beside my bed should compensate you. I hope this matter ends here. What do you say?"

Holley could clearly sense fear in Pycelle's tone. That made him curious about the man dressed like a maester. After all, Grand Maester Pycelle's status in the Red Keep was extraordinary. By any reasonable measure, he should not fear an ordinary maester.

The man was silent for a moment. Then he took the folded paper. "I hope the compensation you speak of truly is compensation, Grand Maester. Otherwise I will come find you again, and next time I will not wear this face."

With that, he turned and left the room. As he departed, Grand Maester Pycelle let out a faint breath and braced one hand on the table beside him, steadying his weakened body and trying to maintain dignity before Maester Holley.

After leaving the room, the man did not take the road maesters usually used to leave the Red Keep. Instead, he chose a quieter path where few people passed, deliberately avoiding anyone coming and going. Until he left the Red Keep, he met no one face-to-face.

Once outside, he took out the note Holley had written and casually threw it into the weeds beside the road. But after walking a few steps, he seemed to think of something. Hesitation crossed his face. He turned back, searched through the weeds, found the note again, and then headed toward the guard post outside the Red Keep.

He soon reached the area near the post and found the person he was looking for. The moment he saw him, however, he froze. Then he walked over and, in an extremely familiar tone, asked without preamble, "How is it you again?"

A stranger had appeared out of nowhere and asked a question that made no sense. Alden was completely baffled for a moment. He quickly realized who the man was, because the man's unique presence was almost impossible to mistake.

"Why are you here, Bovo?" Alden asked, looking over the Faceless Man, who had now become a maester.

"Grand Maester Pycelle owed me a debt," Bovo answered simply. Then he handed Alden the note in his hand. "A maester called Holley asked me to give this to you."

Alden paused, took the note, and read it. The contents were simple. Maester Holley had given Alden the books he had left in camp.

After putting the note in his pocket, Alden looked at the Faceless Man. "How much longer will you stay in King's Landing?"

"If nothing unexpected happens, I leave tonight." Bovo answered casually. Then he looked at Alden with a strange gaze. "Do you not think these repeated chance meetings of ours are marvelous? As if a hand is faintly tugging at both our fates."

"No. Not marvelous at all. Counting it up, we have met only three times, and once was because you came to see me. This sort of coincidence is normal. There is no need to make a fuss over it." Alden was cold. He looked at Bovo. "Do not tell me you mean to drag me off to become a Faceless Man."

Bovo shook his head. "Anyone in King's Landing might become a Faceless Man, but you absolutely could not."

The words sounded as if they were meant to speak well of Alden, but Alden still felt something wrong in them.

Then Bovo studied him a while longer, puzzlement on his face. "What happened to you in the days since we met in the kingswood? Why do I sense something more on you..." He seemed to think of something. His eyes filled with scrutiny as he looked at Alden. Then understanding dawned on him. "I see. I understand why the Many-Faced God sent me to carry out this gift. The Braavosi water dancer was not the true purpose at all. You were, Alden the Bear-Hunter."

Hearing Bovo's words, Alden frowned. His hand settled quietly on his sword hilt. "Bovo, do you mean for me to enjoy one of the Many-Faced God's gifts as well?"

"No. Not you." Bovo paid no attention to Alden's vigilance. Instead, he shook his head with an air of religious mystery, then glanced at the gold cloaks who had come out of the guard post out of curiosity. "This is not the place to talk."

With that, he signaled to Alden and stepped onto the road, walking toward Baelor's Square.

Alden hesitated briefly, then followed. His guard did not relax. In his eyes, religious fanatics were no different from madmen. One moment they might laugh and talk with you. The next, they might draw steel for reasons no one else understood.

"Can you tell me what you experienced these past few days?" Bovo slowed slightly after Alden caught up. "I want to know what made you carry the attention of the Many-Faced God."

"The attention of the Many-Faced God?" Alden's steps paused slightly, and his expression turned ugly.

He remembered old discussions from his former world about the gods of this one. Almost everyone involved believed that, apart from the man-made faith of the Seven, the other gods were not good things. Even the Lord of Light, R'hllor, who appeared the most righteous and radiant, had doctrines filled with sinister thoughts and rites. Most importantly, many gods truly existed. Being watched by such a god could not possibly be good.

The Faceless Man saw through Alden's thoughts easily. "Do not worry. The you of today cannot possibly receive the Many-Faced God's blessing. And when you one day qualify to be placed on a list, I believe that with your ability by then, no Faceless Man will be able to approach you. So you need not worry at all."

Alden thought about it and felt Bovo was right. With his current speed of growth, by the time his fame became great enough for someone to pay a fortune to hire a Faceless Man, his strength would likely have reached an inhuman level. His senses and other abilities should have risen accordingly. At that point, he would not need to fear assassination by a Faceless Man.

After understanding that, Alden relaxed slightly. Then, as if bargaining, he asked, "I can tell you what I experienced, but what benefit do I get?"

Bovo paused, looked at him with an odd expression, and asked back, "What benefit do you want?"

Alden was silent for a moment, then suddenly thought of the reaction he had felt when he touched dragonbone. His voice sank. "You have a way to enter and leave the Red Keep, yes?"

Bovo was very confident. "I cannot say at will, but entering and leaving normally is no problem."

Alden stated his condition. "I am curious about dragonbone. After King Robert took the throne, he moved all the dragon skulls into the cellars beneath the Red Keep. With your ability, slipping into those cellars and stealing some dragonbone for me should not be a problem."

"Dragonbone? What do you want that for? It is only a bone a little harder than most." Bovo looked at Alden strangely. "Only madmen and fools believe powder ground from dragonbone is the finest aphrodisiac. Do you..."

"I never knew Faceless Men told jokes, but this one is clearly not amusing." Alden gave him a cold glance.

Bovo laughed without minding. "If you want dragonbone, there is no need to go to the Red Keep's cellars. I can give you some now."

With that, the Faceless Man motioned for Alden to follow. He led him into an alley, walked a short distance, and stopped before a tailor's shop.

After Bovo knocked, the door opened. An old man peered through the crack, saw the Faceless Man, relaxed, and opened the door fully.

Bovo did not go inside. He spoke several phrases to the old man in a tongue that was not the Common Tongue. The old man nodded, turned back into the shop, and soon returned holding a small chest.

From the strain with which the old man carried it, the contents were clearly heavy.

Bovo took the chest, signaled for the old man to close the door, turned back to Alden, set the chest down, and said, "See whether this is enough."

Alden opened the chest. Although he had already guessed what would be inside, seeing it filled with bones still surprised him.

Then he touched each bone in the chest one by one. Every piece stirred a reaction in his gift, proving that all of them were dragonbone.

Even now, Alden still did not know what dragonbone could do to his gift. But with so much dragonbone as material for experiments, he believed he would eventually answer that question.

Since Bovo had already produced the dragonbone, Alden naturally would not go back on his word. More importantly, his recent experiences were ordinary and did not involve any of his true secrets. Speaking of them posed no problem.

So he described what had happened after he and the Faceless Man parted in the kingswood.

Bovo listened closely. From time to time he interrupted Alden to ask for details. After each question, he shook his head, indicating that the matter had nothing to do with the Many-Faced God.

Only when the story reached the young woman Alden had rescued outside the Lion Gate two days earlier did Bovo's expression change, becoming unusually serious.

The Faceless Man questioned him very carefully about the young woman. When he learned that she had awakened that day, he told Alden there was no need to continue.

"That young woman is the reason the Many-Faced God is watching?" Alden asked tentatively.

Bovo did not answer. He pondered for a moment, then said, "I will go with you to the Tyrell camp and look at the young woman. If necessary, I will take her back to the House of Black and White in Braavos."

"That is fine, as long as the woman is willing," Alden said with a nod.

Bovo paused and looked at Alden with deeper meaning. He heard what Alden meant. If the woman was unwilling, Alden would not let him take her away.

He did not feel offended. Instead, he felt that Alden's character was rare. He acted according to principles. He was someone worth befriending.

At the same time, Bovo felt that people with principles like Alden's did not live long in the Seven Kingdoms. He hoped Alden could become the exception.

As for whether the woman would be willing to follow him to Braavos, Bovo saw no suspense. Since the Many-Faced God had guided him to her, then the woman surely belonged to the Many-Faced God.

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