Chapter 27.6- The Seadragon's Roar

“The meaning of this is that I must ensure the loyalty of all who would serve my family. I have suspicions about your order, and now you will either clear them, or you will prove them to be valid. If the former, I hope we will be able to continue working together regardless of this unpleasantness. If the latter, then I am sure you can tell what would happen.” I said, my hand on Igneel not leaving anything to doubt.

“I am a Maester served to Driftmark. My loyalty is beyond reproach. I swore oaths, not just to your Lord Father, but to the castle itself. I swore to serve the Lord Velaryon and every Lord Velaryon after him in perpetuity. If you require me to restate those oaths, then I am more than comfortable with doing so. But this threatening and blustering is not the way to achieve anything” I scoffed once he finished.

“So tell me why then you send reports of what happens in Driftmark to the Citadel” I said. His face remained blank, but Igneel could smell his fear spike when I spoke of reports. When I said Citadel though, his fear had dipped. Wrong target then.

“I do no such—“

“Not the Citadel then. To your Lord Father? Brother? House Tyrell? House Hightower?” At the last, there was a spike again, but not a large one. I watched his face as well, trying to get any hints from there that I could.

“Otto Hightower? Is that who you send reports to?” Another spike. Correct, but incomplete.

“But I doubt you send them directly. No, you send them through someone” I fished, and Igneel’s sensing of his emotions gave me all I needed to know.

“The Grand Maester.” I said. Ding Ding Ding. Correct.

“So tell me how you could be loyal to my house while sending reports of our doings to Otto Hightower through the GrandMaester?” I asked.

“I do no such thing, Laenor”

“Do not lie to me again, Maester. I will have Ser Ben search your quarters forthwith”

“Forgive me, my Lord. But the Grand Maester advises the King and the Hand on rulership of the realm. For him to do this job to the best of his ability, he needs information from across the realm. Is not understandable that I would give him what information I can from Driftmark to allow him better advise for the rulership of the realm?” A lie.

“I thought I instructed you not to lie to me again, Bernard” I asked.

“Ser Ben, please break the Maester’s arm for me” I said, and Ben, to his credit, did not hesitate to step forward even as the Maester shied away, near weeping.

“I am sorry, my Lord. I will tell you everything. Everything you want to know”

“Ser Ben” I called him off. Part of me wanted to break his arm to drive the message home, but he didn’t seem like he’d be able to manage a lucid thought in that situation.

“Good, Bernard. Now you will tell me everything I wish to know. If you lie to me, Igneel will have his dinner early, and as I am sure you have already seen, I will know if you lie.”